TCL C655 / C69B 98' vs XIAOMI S Mini 2026 (85"-98") 144Hz

The quality of the HDR effect on TCL C655 / C69B looks quite promising. The average value in the test charts is around 450 nits, which already allows one to feel the brilliance of light effects and better image dynamics. However, as previously mentioned, this effect can be somewhat dampened by slight differences in bright and dark shades due to the lack of local dimming technology. However, the coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut at 94% is commendable, and this is possible thanks to the use of a quantum dot (QLED) panel. As a result, the colours are vivid and well-reproduced when watching HDR content.

The larger versions of the Xiaomi S Mini 2026 offer very similar HDR performance. Peak brightness reaches around 1,000 nits, which is a very solid result for a TV in this price bracket. It's most noticeable in bright scenes, where large, heavily lit areas of the picture can look really impressive. The TV has enough brightness headroom that HDR isn't limited to just a slightly brighter image. However, very small pinpoint highlights on an almost completely black background fare worse. In such cases the local dimming system significantly reduces their brightness to avoid lighting adjacent parts of the image and to preserve good blacks. As a result, small reflections or single lamps don't have the same intensity as in much more expensive models. This is typical behaviour for Mini LED TVs and it's hard to treat it as something unique to Xiaomi.

HDR colours

The colour performance is similarly comparable. Although the manufacturer uses the term QLED, the expanded colour gamut here comes from the PFS phosphor. In our measurements the TV covered about 94% of the DCI-P3 space and about 74% of the much more demanding BT.2020. In practice this yields well-saturated colours in most HDR material and it's hard to point to obvious gaps. Limitations appear mainly with the most saturated shades of green, which the TV can no longer reproduce fully.

The TCL C655 / C69B television offers a film mode that has been tested for colour reproduction quality. Although this mode is called film mode, unfortunately, it has quite a few issues that a director would definitely not want to see when filming their work. Starting with image analysis, it's worth examining the white balance – both in HD and 4K HDR content, the white balance has significant errors. In both cases, the red colour dominates, which makes the colours too warm, and the overall effect takes on a pink or yellow tint. The Colour Checker test confirms these errors – the colour samples veer into incorrect shades, which impacts the overall colour fidelity. A less significant issue is the brightness characteristic. However, it is also not free of flaws. The gamma chart shows a strong spike at the beginning, which can cause the image to be overly bright, and the EOTF curve responsible for brightness in 4K HDR materials also shows considerable fluctuations – it is evident that the television struggles to maintain the appropriate brightness, but it does not always succeed effectively.

On the larger versions of the Xiaomi S Mini 2026, Film mode performs best, although even here the out-of-the-box settings are not without flaws. In SDR the white balance was noticeably warm due to an excess of red. In HDR the opposite was true, with too much blue and too little red, which made the image cooler. Additionally, both the gamma response in SDR and the EOTF curve in HDR sat slightly above the reference values. In practice this resulted in a slightly brightened image, particularly in the midtones. It wasn't a major fault, but with more demanding material you could see that the image wasn't reproduced entirely in line with the filmmakers' intent.

After calibrating the movie mode of the TCL C655 / C69B television, the white balance has been adjusted, and the colours look as they should – confirmed only by slight deviations in the Colour Checker test. The gamma is really accurate, which means the television shouldn’t have issues with brightness in low-resolution materials. Unfortunately, a similar EOTF characteristic is still visible, which is a natural phenomenon in televisions that do not have local dimming – it’s just difficult for them to "shine" brighter in a given part of the screen. Despite this construction limitation that cannot be bypassed, we recommend adjustments in the settings, as the overall colour presentation looks really very good.

After calibration we mainly managed to even out the white balance, so colours look much more natural in both SDR and HDR. We also improved the gamma response, so SDR content is no longer unnecessarily brightened and stays closer to reference values. The only larger issue remaining is in HDR. Xiaomi still controls brightness a little too aggressively and renders some scenes brighter than it should. This is less noticeable on the larger models than on the 55–75-inch versions, but the EOTF curve still runs slightly above the reference. In practice HDR is therefore slightly brightened, even though colour reproduction after calibration is already very good.

The TCL C655 / C69B TV handles tonal transitions well in lower quality materials. The “Gradual Smoothing” function at its lowest setting effectively eliminates visible banding, but it also results in a loss of detail, for example, in the texture of objects. A plus is that it does not interfere with film grain, allowing the image to maintain a natural look.

In terms of digital processing, the TV adds a significant amount of artificial sharpness, which may appeal to those who prefer a vivid image. For those who prefer a more subtle rendering of details, this may be a drawback. Another downside is the quite aggressive overscan – the image is cropped, which leads to the loss of fragments at the edges and limits the field of view.

The larger variants of the Xiaomi S Mini 2026 also use the MT5896 processor and perform similarly in terms of digital image processing. Upscaling isn't a strong suit of this model. Low-resolution material is upscaled to 4K in a fairly basic way and it doesn't recover fine detail as well as more refined TVs. The 85- and 98-inch versions do include a feature intended to reduce posterisation, but it's barely effective. When it's switched on it's hard to notice any real improvement, so in scenes with visible colour banding the TV still does little to address it.

Unlike the smaller versions, the 98” model stands out with significantly better motion fluidity. Instead of the standard 60 Hz, this colossal screen is equipped with a full 144 Hz panel, which opens up entirely new possibilities – for both gamers and movie lovers. With its full motion smoother, the television delivers incredible image fluidity, eliminating ghosting and improving the comfort of watching dynamic scenes. It's worth noting that this technology operates across the full refresh rate range, meaning there's no need to compromise between fluidity and quality. Additionally, the "Flicker Reduction" feature allows you to adjust the fluidity to your own preferences – you can choose a more cinematic effect with visible frame rate or a maximally smooth image.

The biggest difference between the various sizes of the Xiaomi S Mini 2026 is the panel's refresh rate. The 55–75-inch variants use a 60 Hz panel, which in practice means noticeably less smooth motion than the larger versions. This is easiest to spot when watching sport, fast-moving scenes or gaming, where the picture isn't as smooth and clear in motion.

The 98-inch TCL C655 / C69B is excellently equipped for gamers. Full-featured HDMI 2.1 ports and a 144 Hz panel allow for gaming in 4K at 120 Hz, providing the smoothness and responsiveness that will impress even the most demanding.

The TV supports variable refresh rate (VRR), eliminating screen tearing, while the automatic low latency mode (ALLM) ensures that gaming starts instantly, without the need for manual adjustment of settings. There is also support for Dolby Vision and HGiG, ensuring that the image quality in games is even better – details are sharp, colours are natural, and contrast is perfectly balanced.

Additionally, the TV offers a dedicated gaming panel that allows for quick adjustment of picture settings without the need to exit the game. It’s a device that meets practically all the requirements of the modern gamer.

The smaller versions of the Xiaomi S Mini 2026 unfortunately have a big limitation for gamers — a 60 Hz panel. In 4K we’re therefore limited to 60 fps and can’t fully take advantage of the PS5 or Xbox Series X. You can run 120 Hz, but only after dropping the resolution to 1080p or 1440p. Other than that, it’s pretty reasonable. The TV supports ALLM and automatically switches to game mode when it detects a console. There’s also a Game Bar where you can quickly check the main gaming settings. Our biggest reservation is HGiG. The HDR calibration screens on the PS5 and Xbox don’t match the TV’s actual capabilities. If you set HDR exactly according to them, some of the brightest elements can simply be blown out.