TCL C75B vs LG UA75006LA (VA)

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.

LG UA7500 with a VA panel has brightness peaking around 350 nits, which, by today's standards, isn't very impressive. It's hard to talk about a true HDR experience here – most content looks more like classic SDR with a slight attempt to boost highlights. One advantage is that regardless of the test content, the effect remained relatively stable. However, we noticed that in very extreme scenes with a lot of fine details, the television can slightly dim the image in order to achieve better blacks, but this comes at the expense of the visibility of bright effects. On the downside, it should be noted that the UA7500 is not equipped with any additional technologies to expand the colours. It's neither a QLED panel nor PFS LED, which means the coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut is just 80%, making many HDR films look flat and failing to capture the full diversity of colours.

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.

The Filmmaker Mode on the LG UA7500 performs better than one might expect from such a budget TV, but let's not get carried away with the praise. The image is reasonably well put together and at first glance doesn't irritate, however, its weaknesses quickly start to emerge. This is most apparent in scenes with bright points – lamps in the background or reflections of light on the skin are clearly exaggerated. Faces of characters often look unnatural, as if they have been "burned out." Additionally, the default gamma setting brightens the smallest details and causes the image to lose subtlety in the darker areas. That said, for its price range, the UA7500 in factory mode offers a pretty decent starting point. However, it is clear that without additional adjustments, these issues cannot be avoided, which is why – similar to other TVs – we decided to check what could be achieved after calibration.

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.

The biggest improvement we noticed was while calibrating the mode designed for daily SDR content. We managed to smooth out the white balance in an acceptable manner and tackle the issue of excessive brightening of small elements due to the gamma characteristic. As a result, the image gained the consistency and naturalness that was lacking in the factory settings. After such correction, we can confidently state that for everyday TV content, programs, or materials from YouTube, the LG UA7500 performs really well – especially after professional calibration. The situation looks a bit different for HDR content. Here, calibration helped to tame the white balance and slightly improved brightness management, but the limitations of the design are immediately apparent. The lack of additional filters to expand the colour palette means that the most vivid colors appear flat, and the image lacks the intensity we would expect from good HDR. So, in SDR, the UA7500 performs quite well, but in HDR – despite corrections – it remains far behind, and this is a characteristic that one must accept when choosing this television.

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.

LG UA7500 with a VA panel has shown itself in this category in a really good light. Image scaling from Full HD or even SD materials was surprisingly smooth. The picture looked smooth, edges were not overly jagged, and the television maintained a good amount of detail, ensuring that even older films did not lose their character. It particularly excelled with faces – there were no artificial contours or "mask" effects, which often occur in cheaper models. The way the television handled tonal transitions in lower quality materials is also noteworthy. Thanks to digital processing, colours did not bleed into one another, and gradients looked natural and smooth. There was no question of intrusive smoothing of the image or loss of cinematic grain. This makes the UA7500 great for everyday content – from free-to-air television, to sports matches, all the way to YouTube, where we often watch materials in various resolutions.

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.

LG UA7500 is a TV with a 60 Hz panel, so it’s hard to expect any raving reviews in this category. It’s more of a screen meant for everyday content or an evening movie session rather than for following dynamic sporting events or playing action games. It's evident that the manufacturer targeted this model precisely at this group of consumers – and in that regard, it performs adequately. We get the TruMotion function, which is a motion smoother. It’s simple, has only one slider, but it can make a noticeable difference. In the lower range, the image looks more raw and cinematic, while at higher values, the motion becomes smoother and more pleasant to the eye.

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.

LG UA7500 is a TV that can be comfortably recommended to "Sunday" gamers. While it doesn't feature a 120 Hz panel or HDMI 2.1 ports, meaning it can't fully utilise the potential of modern consoles, the manufacturer has included a few extras that can enhance the gaming experience. The Game Bar deserves a special mention – a very nicely designed panel where you can quickly view and change the most important settings. From this interface, we have access to features like ALLM (Automatic Low Latency Mode) and frame synchronization, also known as VRR. The range of VRR is limited – working from 48 to 60 Hz – but the mere presence of this feature in such an affordable TV is impressive.

Additionally, it supports HGiG, which is a mode for HDR calibration for gaming. It sounds good, but from our testing experience, we know that for the UA7500, this option isn't very practical. The TV doesn't handle HDR very well, so ironically, we achieved better results with this mode turned off. This is another indication that the UA7500 is more of a screen for casual gamers who value simplicity and convenience, rather than for those seeking a full experience with the latest consoles.