TCL C75B vs LG QNED86A / QNED85A / QNED87A

During our brightness test, the TCL C75B "spat out" around 380 nits of brightness. We recorded similar results while watching most of the films we tested. These can be considered average – the TV performs decently in this segment, but around 400 nits is definitely too low to fully experience the magic of HDR effects. Of course, such results are better than those of budget models, which can achieve nearly half the brightness values. However, for HDR enthusiasts seeking stronger lighting effects and greater realism, the C75B may prove insufficient. On the plus side, it's worth mentioning the coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut at 95%. This is a very good result that easily suffices to enjoy a wide range of colours in content available on popular streaming platforms. Vivid and rich colours are definitely a strong point of this model.

Against the backdrop of contrast and black, the brightness of the QNED86A and the overall HDR effect fare much better. It's a television that can achieve around 700 nits under the best conditions, so in terms of luminance alone, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. As a result, scenes with strong lights, explosions, flashes, or bright parts of the landscape – look clear and can make an impression. Interestingly, even in tougher moments with small, contrasting elements on the screen, the television does well with backlighting and details are quite visible. The problem arises when there are many dark tones. The lack of effective local dimming means that black virtually disappears, and instead, we get a grey glow spreading across the entire screen. This kills the depth effect and causes the image to appear flat, as if it lacks cinematic character. In bright animations or family films with vibrant colours, this won't be an issue, as the colours and bright light dominate. But in horror films or productions set in darkness, these limitations are strongly felt. As a consolation, it’s worth noting that the QNED86A is essentially a QLED television with an LED PFS filter, which gives it very good coverage of wide colour gamuts. Both the DCI-P3 palette and the wider BT.2020 perform solidly here. This means that colours in HDR films are saturated, juicy, and have the right depth – even if the black itself is disappointing, the colours can save the viewing experience and make the image look appealing.

TCL C75B offers various picture modes, but in our opinion, the best choice is the “Film” mode. Although its settings are quite decent, the TV struggles with certain colour reproduction issues. In tests, we noticed that the image had a noticeably pinkish hue compared to what could be considered correct. This effect was particularly evident in skin tones, which appeared unnaturally flushed. The main culprit of this phenomenon turned out to be the white balance, characterised by an excess of blue and red in both HD and 4K HDR materials.

An additional problem was the way brightness was reproduced. The gamma, which is responsible for the visibility of details in darker materials, was definitely boosted, causing details in the darkest parts of the screen to be invisible, disappearing into complete black (e.g., the bottom part of the screen in the comparison image - the area around the actress's ear). The situation was similar on the EOTF curve, which was below the correct value, suggesting that a similar issue may be encountered in 4K HDR content.

Thanks to our experience and the appropriate tools, we decided to take matters into our own hands and check how much could be extracted from this model after professional calibration. The details are described in the next section.

We primarily tested the QNED86A in Filmmaker mode, which is designed to provide the most faithful picture. Unfortunately, right out of the box, there were quite a few shortcomings. The most glaring issue was the poorly calibrated white balance – there was a lack of blue, which caused the overall image to take on a slightly yellowish, and sometimes even an orange hue. An even bigger problem was the way the television manages brightness. Due to its technical limitations – that is, local dimming functioning only along the edges of the screen – the QNED86A has a tendency to oversaturate entire scenes. This is where the flattening of the image that we mentioned earlier comes from. Instead of clear depth and contrast, we get something akin to "boosted brightness," which, in the long run, can strain the eyes.

After calibration, TCL C75B has clearly improved when it comes to colour reproduction. Although the TV doesn't offer too many options for adjusting the white balance, we managed to improve its settings quite a bit. As a result, the image is no longer overly pink, and the colours now look much more natural and harmonious.

The gamma jump that was previously an issue hasn't completely disappeared, but we were able to significantly reduce it. This has made details in dark scenes more visible – both in HD and 4K HDR content.

Unfortunately, the lack of local dimming is still noticeable. The 'blooming black' effect remains, but that's a limitation of the display itself. Still, the colours post-calibration look significantly better, and the image is much more pleasant to watch.

What was saved in the QNED86A6A is undoubtedly the colours. After calibration, the white balance was set with great precision, ensuring that deviations on the Colour Checker palette mostly did not exceed the visibility threshold for the human eye. In other words – the colours finally looked natural, without strange yellow or orange tones that had previously marred the perception. Unfortunately, even the best calibration cannot overcome structural limitations. The already mentioned very modest number of local dimming zones and their unfortunate placement meant that the analysis of the EOTF curve in films still showed noticeable scene over-exposures. The image tended to flatten, lacking cinematic depth. Fortunately, this effect is not as visible in older productions or in SDR content. There, calibration really does its job and allows the QNED to be tamed so the image can be pleasing. However, the specifics of this construction – especially the contrast issues – cannot be completely bypassed.

TCL C75B has a feature for smoothing tonal transitions, but unfortunately, we cannot praise it. Regardless of the selected level – low or high – tonal transitions in older materials remained visible, as if the feature wasn’t working at all. It’s hard to say anything positive about it, as in practice it seems completely useless.

Image scaling is better. The TV handles it quite decently, although on thinner elements, like branches in the background, you can see slight jaggedness. However, this is not something that significantly hinders everyday viewing.

Unfortunately, a bigger problem turned out to be overscan, or cropping of the image edges. In our tests, it happened that news ticker or other elements close to the edge of the screen were cut off. This is definitely something to pay attention to, especially if we use the TV for watching news programs or content with text on the screen.

If someone is worried about potential "steps" when blending colours, the QNED86A has a simple solution for that. Just turn on the feature called Smooth Gradation and set it to the medium level. Then the TV really smooths out all those unwanted transitions – especially in older productions – and it does so in a way that the film grain doesn’t disappear, nor do any strange artefacts appear. In other words, you can use it without any worries.

The upscaling itself also turns out quite well. Of course, there are no miracles here – with poorer quality sources, you can notice characteristic jagged edges. Fortunately, there is a sharpness slider in the menu, and if someone prefers a more "soft" image, it can be quickly adjusted to their own taste.

TCL C75B definitely has something to offer gamers. The television is equipped with a panel that can display images with a refresh rate of 144 Hz in 4K, and even 240 Hz in Full HD. These are really impressive results, especially for a model from the budget range.

On top of that, there are features for improving smoothness and reducing motion blur in films. The "Motion" option allows for precise adjustment of the effect on a 10-point scale, providing significant personalisation possibilities – everyone can set the smoothness to their liking.

QNED86A has been equipped with a 120 Hz refresh rate panel, so right from the start, it can be said to be suitable for both sports and gaming. And indeed it is – the picture looks smooth, and motion blur isn’t too much of an issue. IPS panels have always had a bit of a problem with this, and here too you can sometimes notice slight blurring, especially in very dynamic scenes, but it’s not something that ruins watching a match or a fast-paced game. For cinema and sports fans, LG has included the traditional TruMotion smoothing feature. In the menu, we have two sliders – one for movies (De-Judder), and the other for sports (De-Blur). The first adds missing frames and allows you to adjust the character of motion – from raw, cinematic to a more fluid, “theatrical” feel. The second improves sharpness during dynamic actions, so it’s worth turning it up a bit if you watch a lot of sports.

TCL C75B is undoubtedly a television designed with gamers in mind. It has almost everything needed for even the most demanding console users. With the implementation of full bandwidth HDMI 2.1, the TV supports features like ALLM (automatic low latency mode) and VRR (variable refresh rate) – operating within the full capabilities of the TV, up to 240 Hz in Full HD resolution.

Additionally, the television supports advanced HDR technologies, including Dolby Vision and HGiG, which allows for even better detailing in HDR-optimised games. C75B is also equipped with a very convenient interface for gamers in the form of Game Bar, where you can check all key parameters such as refresh rate, input lag, or picture settings – all just a click away.

In one sentence: C75B is a great choice for gamers, offering a wide range of features that fully enable enjoyment of the capabilities of modern consoles and games.

When it comes to gaming, the LG QNED86A6A is a complete tool. It features four HDMI 2.1 ports with a full bandwidth of 48 Gb/s, which means that whether you connect a PlayStation 5, an Xbox Series X, or a powerful PC – everything will work in full 4K at 120 Hz with support for all functions. This is a significant advantage, as some competitors still only feature two such ports, which can be troublesome when dealing with multiple devices. It also includes VRR, or variable refresh rate, which eliminates screen tearing, and ALLM, which automatically activates game mode when the console powers on. Dolby Vision Gaming is included as well, alongside proper implementation of the HGiG format, so titles that support these formats look livelier and more detailed. Additionally, there's the Game Optimizer – a kind of control centre for gamers. From this interface, you can view image parameters in real time, quickly switch modes, activate additional features, or adjust picture settings to your own preferences. The LG QNED86A6A has basically everything you would expect from a modern gaming television.