TCL C69K / Q6C vs TCL P7L / P79L

In terms of brightness, TCL C69K / Q6C is a moderate model. In optimal movie conditions, it shows its full potential, reaching a maximum of around 600 nits. In scenes with large, intense light sources, the HDR effect can be truly satisfying, giving a cinematic glow. However, it's important to keep in mind that when managing the backlight zones, there are situations where parts of the image are dimmed, and at times become barely visible. This suggests that there is still a lack of proper optimization of the algorithms, although considering the technical parameters in this price range, the overall construction still looks very good.

The biggest limitation of the TCL P7L in HDR is simply brightness. The TV doesn't have much luminance headroom, so strong highlights, sunlight or small light sources can't clearly "pop" out of the image. As a result, even well-produced HDR material looks fairly restrained and, in terms of dynamics, is closer to good SDR than to what brighter models show. That doesn't mean the P7L completely fails at HDR; the issue is mainly a lack of sufficient backlight power. Looking at colours, the situation is a bit better. The TV covers roughly 91% of the DCI‑P3 gamut and about 68% of the wide BT.2020 space, so for its price class the colour range is quite decent. TCL markets this model as QLED, although the nature of the solution used is closer to a PFS phosphor‑based backlight than a classic quantum dot layer. What matters most to the viewer is the effect: more saturated colours are on offer.

The Filmmaker Mode, which has been introduced in this year's TCL TVs (including the C69K / Q6C), is definitely the best choice "to start with". This is the mode we recommend for everyday movie and series viewing. Unfortunately, as is often the case, best does not mean perfect. In SDR materials, the image turned out to be too warm, with a strong red tint in the white balance. The opposite impression was had with HDR content – here the image became cooler than it should have been, due to an excess of blue. Additionally, there is the brightness characteristic, which at times resulted in overexposures. In practice, this translated to fairly noticeable errors in color tests, which is difficult to accept in a mode branded as "by the creators".

In Film mode the TCL P7L performs quite decently without major tweaks, especially with ordinary SDR material. The white balance is relatively even, although as brightness increases there’s a slight rise in red and blue and a bit too little green. That doesn’t create a strongly visible colour cast and most colours remain close to their reference points. The Colour Checker confirms this, with a large portion of errors falling below the level that should particularly bother during normal viewing. We have more remarks about the gamma response. In the darkest parts of the image the TV drives it noticeably above the reference, so some shadow detail may be a little too dim. The curve then settles and for much of the range it’s close to the intended targets. As a result SDR generally looks natural, but in dark scenes the P7L can lose some subtlety.

In HDR the factory setup is less precise. As brightness increases the excess blue becomes more pronounced, so the picture can look cooler than it should. The number of larger colour deviations also rises, especially in brighter colours. The EOTF curve itself is handled fairly conservatively, with the TV showing the image darker than the reference over much of the range. For such an inexpensive model, the factory Film mode settings are not bad.

Through white balance adjustment, we were able to significantly reduce the tendency of ChooseTV C69K / Q6C to distort colours, which resulted in a very good final outcome. After calibration, the problem of excessive warming of scenes in SDR and over-cooling of the image in HDR disappeared. However, it's worth analysing the brightness characteristics more closely. While in SDR content there are few complaints – the picture looks really good, especially in older films, TV programmes, or on YouTube – it performs much worse with HDR content. Analysis of the EOTF curve suggests that everything is fine, but in practice (EOTF in films), the limitations of the actual construction become evident. This model tends to excessively brighten small parts of the frame, while in other situations, it darkens the entire scene too much. The effect of calibration is therefore undeniable, and in terms of colourimetry, ChooseTV C69K / Q6C gains a lot. Unfortunately, certain limitations arising from local dimming management simply cannot be bypassed.

After calibration the TCL P7L can produce a genuinely pleasant picture, especially with conventional SDR material. We managed to even out the white balance very well, and the gamma curve now tracks close to the target value of 2.4. This is also evident in the colour measurements, as most errors have fallen significantly and in everyday viewing it’s hard to notice any major inaccuracies. Films, series, YouTube and regular TV therefore look more natural, without unnecessary warmth or a cool tint. For a model at this price point the SDR result is really very good.

In HDR the situation becomes more complicated. Calibration improved the white balance and corrected some deviations, but here the panel’s limitations become increasingly apparent. The P7L has relatively limited brightness and can’t sustain appropriate luminance for more saturated colours, so some errors remain even after careful tuning. In other words, settings can improve how the TV interprets the signal, but you can’t overcome its physical capabilities. That’s why calibration is most worthwhile for SDR on this model.

In terms of image scaling, TCL C69K / Q6C performs quite well. Lower quality content is presented acceptably, and due to the lack of overscan issues, the image is displayed in full without any cropping. However, don’t expect miracles – materials of very low quality won’t gain a second life here, as the image processor has its limitations.

On thin lines and details, there is noticeable jaggedness, which reveals the lack of more advanced image enhancement algorithms. It's also a shame that the C69K / Q6C lacks a feature for smoothing tonal transitions. As a result, in older films or video materials, color banding can be visible and may become distracting during extended viewing.

In this respect the TCL P7L performs surprisingly well, especially for such an inexpensive TV. The banding reduction feature, which in many budget models does little or nothing, actually manages to improve the picture here. It doesn't remove all banding completely, but it can noticeably reduce posterisation and make trickier gradients look more natural. In this price segment that's a genuinely pleasant surprise.

The upscaling itself also looks good. Lower-resolution material is upscaled properly, without excessive sharpening or adding artificial edges around objects. Of course the P7L won't turn a very poor source into a 4K-quality picture, but for regular TV the result is simply solid. For a model at this price point there are few major complaints to make.

The use of a 144 Hz panel in TCL C69K / Q6C is a significant advantage in this price range. This represents an important step forward compared to its predecessor (C655 PRO), which only offered 60 Hz at 4K. The difference is particularly noticeable when watching sports or gaming – the ball, players, and dynamic action in games are displayed more clearly and without losing detail. An interesting feature is also the panel's ability to operate at 240 Hz (which the manufacturer does not officially mention) – we will revisit this topic in relation to the PC gaming mode. TCL has also added a feature for movie fans: “Motion Clarity.” This allows users to adjust the picture to their own preferences using two simple sliders. We can either leave the visible film frame or opt for a very smooth one, "

TCL P7L uses a native 60 Hz panel at 4K resolution, and that's how it should be treated in everyday use. For movies the TV mainly offers frame interpolation, so it can smooth motion and reduce noticeable judder, but it doesn't deliver the smoothness typical of true 120 Hz panels.

TCL C69K / Q6C is a television that can confidently be called equipment designed for gamers. Here we have 4K at 144 Hz, VRR support, automatic game mode (ALLM), and Dolby Vision Gaming. Additionally, there's a practical Game Bar, which is a panel with the most important settings within easy reach – handy when we want to change something quickly during gameplay (e.g., aspect ratio: Yes, it can be done!). The wide range of VRR, reaching up to 240 Hz, is noteworthy. However, this option is mainly for PC gamers looking to go below native 4K resolution. In this case, the television can spread its wings and show additional smoothness, particularly in fast e-sport titles. For consoles, we stick to the standard limit of 120 Hz, but even so, the possibilities are truly extensive. The only minor criticism is slight ghosting that can sometimes be seen in dynamic scenes. Other than that, C69K / Q6C offers everything gamers expect from a television.

For such an inexpensive TV, the P7L has quite a lot to offer gamers. It has ALLM, VRR and Dolby Vision in games, and TCL also includes its Game Bar, where you can quickly check key information or change some settings without leaving the game. Not everything is perfect, though, because HGiG doesn't work here as it should, but at this price point it's hard to complain much about the feature set. The most interesting part comes when you give up 4K. At that resolution the TV runs at up to 60 Hz, but at 1440p and 1080p it can already display at 120 Hz. And that's not just a spec-sheet curiosity. In fast-paced games that support that frame rate the difference in smoothness is genuinely noticeable, so if you care more about smoother motion than maximum image sharpness, that mode can make a lot of sense. Of course, that doesn't make the P7L a true 120 Hz TV. Still, it's precisely these extra modes that make the P7L perform really well for gaming.