TCL C855 vs LG QNED93A / QNED90A

TCL C855 delivers a highly varied HDR effect. On one hand, the television truly shines, while on the other, it resembles a lower model with FALD backlighting. Such a state of affairs is regularly observed with this brand, so it was not a surprise for us. The first and last scene, which has large light elements, looks phenomenal, "shining" with brightness levels of 1470 and 1820 nits respectively. Such effects will certainly make many people squint, while simultaneously feeling the extraordinary dynamism of the scene itself. You can truly feel as if you were inside the movie. The situation drastically changes when small or minor elements with high luminance surrounded by black appear on the screen. The TCL C855, to avoid the halo effect, significantly reduces brightness to a level of even 240 nits, which is a disappointing outcome, causing the film to not look like it was shot in HDR. The HDR effect in TCL C855 makes watching dynamic scenes more engaging, and the viewer can feel like they are part of the action. Even with smaller elements of high luminance, the television manages to maintain details without excessive dimming. Moreover, the TCL C855 test shows that the brightness of the image is adapted to scenes with a large amount of detail, increasing viewing comfort.

Although the number of local dimming zones in the LG QNED93A hasn’t directly translated to noticeably better contrast, it’s hard to deny this model one thing – it’s brighter than its predecessor. In synthetic tests, we recorded values around 1400-1500 nits, and more importantly, these results are reflected in real film scenes. In full-screen sequences flooded with whites or bright lights, the screen was able to maintain high luminance, providing a truly decent amazing HDR effect. Unfortunately, where the TV could show true class, that is in scenes requiring precision, all the magic dissipates. The dimming algorithms we mentioned earlier operate aggressively enough that small, bright objects – like distant lights, stars, or the moon – can almost completely disappear. Just look at the test scenes from the film Pan or Sicario 2 (screens 2 and 4) to see how subtle details are dimmed to the limits of their visibility. It’s a pity because a greater number of zones could theoretically translate to significantly better performance. Fortunately, there are also strong points. The QNED93A performs well in terms of colour gamut coverage, achieving around 96% of the DCI-P3 standard. As a result, colours in films look rich and full, and the image doesn’t lose intensity even in more demanding scenes. So, it can be said that the HDR in this model is solid, although the underdeveloped local dimming algorithms hinder its full potential.

The best factory mode for the TCL C855 is "Film," and it is on this mode that we conducted all our tests. However, like every mode predefined by the manufacturer, it had flaws that are worth correcting to achieve an image that is as close as possible to what the film producer intended. We will look at the colour characteristics in both SDR and HDR materials. Taking the former into account, we see a clear dominance of green in the white balance, which, as you might guess, gave an unpleasant greenish tint to the entire image. Examining a very important gamma chart, responsible for the contrast of the image, we see a significant deviation from the reference line marked at 2.4. From the left, we can observe a strong spike in the measured value, which at this point caused contrast exaggeration and blending of details into a dark blob. This state of affairs persisted for quite a while, up to 20% of the chart’s value, before then diving below the reference. This, in turn, meant that the image was brightened and contrast decreased significantly. The factory mode performed somewhat better in HDR materials, as the white balance looked quite good, except for the second half, where green again took over. Looking at the EOTF curve, which, unlike gamma, shows the rate of brightness increase, we see primarily two errors: the darkest scenes were too dark, and the brightest ones were overexposed. This, by the way, could be observed in the scene from the film "Pan" in the check paragraph for the TV's HDR.

In film mode (more specifically Filmmaker), the colour reproduction in the QNED93A was relatively accurate, although there were some reservations. In SDR content, the white balance leaned towards warmer tones, resulting in a slight yellowing across the entire screen. Gamma, on the other hand, led to a slight lightening of the image, making it look a bit less natural, especially in scenes that required precise shading (this is evident in the comparison photo). This isn't a problem that immediately stands out to every viewer, but more discerning individuals may feel that the image deviates from the intended aesthetic of the filmmakers. In HDR materials, the situation looked a bit different. The white balance here was quite good, ensuring that whites did not take on pink or unwanted green hues. However, the brightness management turned out to be an issue. An analysis of the EOTF curve revealed that at certain moments, the television could be distinctly too dark where it shouldn't be, losing some details and lowering the realism of scenes. This detracted from the HDR effects, which were theoretically meant to be the most impressive. For this reason, we decided to conduct a calibration.

TCL, just like the vast majority of manufacturers, provides advanced calibration tools in its televisions. Here we find 2- and 20-point grey scale adjustments as well as an advanced colour management system. The results, as you can see, are very good and in SDR materials we have significantly approached the reference image. We eliminated both the green tint and the gamma issue, although there is still a slight "kink" at the very beginning. It went a bit worse with HDR materials, which the television ChooseTV C855 did not allow us to model properly. We only managed to slightly adjust the EOTF curve and significantly improve the colours themselves.

After professional calibration, the Filmmaker mode in the QNED93A has improved primarily where it matters most in everyday use. We managed to straighten the white balance and eliminate the yellowish tint in SDR content, which is what we watch most often – television, streaming services, or standard quality movies. As a result, the colours look natural and pleasant, making the overall viewing experience significantly more comfortable. In HDR mode, we also made corrections, but here the biggest issue turned out to be the EOTF curve. Although LG provides some leeway in the settings, the television still controls brightness on its own terms. It's clear that the local dimming algorithms are not fully refined and can ruin the viewing experience by dimming parts of the picture at inappropriate moments. Nevertheless, it’s worth opting for calibration of this model, especially the mode intended for everyday viewing.

Once again, we will look at the function of smoothing tonal transitions, but this time also image scaling. The latter is particularly important when watching materials of lower quality, such as some TV programs or older films. We will focus on the function responsible for tonal transitions. Interestingly, just like in the scenes in the previous test, it performed splendidly and smoothed out practically all the choppiness, but here it had problems. Using the menu responsible for the operation of this function, we found that none - not even the strongest - setting helped.

The image scaling in TCL C855 is characterised as one of the best we have had the opportunity to test so far. The image is sharp, but in a way that could be described as natural to our eye. Even small, fine branches do not have jagged contours, and there is no white halo around figures, which is characteristic of weaker scaling systems.

The LG QNED93A turns out to be a very solid television for everyday use. Its image processor performs excellently with upscaling, making even older films or free-to-air television sharper and more detailed. During the screening of 'The Godfather,' it’s clearly visible how upscaling brings out additional details from the image – the characters’ faces and the texture of their clothing look significantly clearer than in the original material.

The digital image processing also deserves praise. The television is equipped with a function that reduces unwanted colour banding and screen irregularities. It works best in the 'Medium' setting – subtly smoothing tonal transitions without overly interfering with the image. This way, the natural film grain is preserved, and the screen does not appear artificially smooth. Perhaps in some scenes, slight colour banding can still be noticed, but in practice, the effect is more advantageous than with a stronger intervention from the algorithm.

The maximum refresh rate that we can set on TCL C855 is 144 Hz. Naturally, this is only possible when connecting the TCL C855 TV to a very powerful PC. Otherwise, we will operate at a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz, which is recommended if we primarily want to watch sports or content with a high level of motion dynamics. For those who require high fluidity of image, the manufacturer has implemented a multi-level motion smoother. It has been divided into two separate sliders that adjust the sharpness of moving images (Blur Reduction) and judder (Judder Reduction). Both sliders can be set in the range of 0 to 10, with each level affecting the degree of smoothing, so everyone can find their sweet spot. We present a setting that allows for slight smoothness without the soap opera effect.

The panel of TCL C855 features a very good response time. This is especially important, as VA panels often have issues with so-called ghosting, which is the effect where a black halo can be noticed behind a fast-moving object.

LG QNED93A has been equipped with a 144 Hz panel. This is primarily a nod to gamers, but the fact that higher refresh rates are increasingly appearing in televisions can be viewed positively. In everyday viewing, 120 Hz remains key, and in this regard, the QNED93A performs well. The manufacturer also provides the option to adjust the picture thanks to the TruMotion system – the De-Judder and De-Blur sliders allow you to choose between a cinematic motion feel with visible frames and full smoothing with theatrical motion.

The TCL C855 television is equipped with full HDMI 2.1 ports with a bandwidth of 48 Gb/s. During our tests, we confirmed the seamless operation of all functions that come with this standard. As you can see, all the checkboxes light up green, which will certainly be appreciated by gamers, both console and those using the television as a computer monitor. Additionally, the TCL C855 supports both AMD FreeSync and NVIDIA's G-Sync, which can be easily activated in the graphics card settings. Users with very powerful setups can provide a 144 Hz signal to the C855, which the television handles effortlessly. It's also worth mentioning the implementation of the HGIG mode, which, due to the shortcomings of the "Game" mode, is overly bright, making it difficult to configure properly on-screen. Fortunately, the television performs excellently with the Dolby Vision format.

The TCL C855, as one of the first manufacturers, has equipped its televisions with a special GameBar feature that allows extensive setting changes on the fly, without the need to exit the game. It includes functions such as an additional crosshair grid, black level correction, and settings for individuals with disabilities. In the photo, we see the next generation of this solution.

In summary, the TCL C855 television will be an ideal solution for those looking for a screen for any kind of electronic gaming. With all the features supporting such entertainment, it is incredibly engaging. It should also be emphasized that it has very low input lag, regardless of the selected settings, including with the Dolby Vision HDR format.

LG QNED93A is a television that has undoubtedly been designed with gamers in mind. Right from the start, we get a complete package – all four HDMI ports operate in 2.1 standard, so whether we connect a console, a PC, or a receiver, we have full compatibility. This is important because many manufacturers still limit themselves to two ports, and here nothing stands in the way of having maximum capabilities for all the equipment. There’s also an automatic game mode (ALLM), which automatically switches the television to the appropriate settings when the console is turned on, as well as variable refresh rate (VRR). This means the image doesn’t stutter or glitch, even when the frame rate drops – whether in dynamic shooters or during races.

The 144 Hz panel gives an additional advantage in computer games. While 120 Hz is enough for consoles, the QNED93A allows PCs to push even more – every movement, every glance to the side is refreshed faster, which makes a difference especially in e-sports. The manufacturer also considered HDR in games – the television supports HGiG mode, which are guidelines intended to ensure that the lighting effects are exactly as the game developers intended. To top it off, we get Game Bar – a special information bar called up on the screen that shows parameters in real time. You can check the frame rate, active VRR functions, or input lag levels. This solution is useful not only for settings enthusiasts but for anyone who wants to quickly check what mode the television is operating in and whether everything is working as it should.