LG NANO82T6B vs TCL C8L / QM8L

The brightness of NANO82T, to be honest, is quite average, especially compared to alternatives at a similar price. The maximum brightness of around 280 nits is not among the highest and may affect the overall viewing experience of HDR content. While many televisions in this price range offer brightness above 400-500 nits, LG NANO82T may seem less impressive. As a result, details in bright areas of the image may be less defined, and the HDR effect is not as spectacular as one might expect.

In terms of HDR, the TCL C8L turns out to be a hellishly bright television – quite literally. On a synthetic test pattern sized at 5%, our measurement equipment indicated a result exceeding 4500 nits. This is a truly astronomical result, considering that reference monitors used by directors, which we often refer to in our materials, typically operate around 4000 nits. Does this mean that the C8L breaks barriers and climbs to the technological peak of Mini-LED? Not quite. Dry synthetic tests are one thing, while real cinematic images are another. In real, varied scenes, the C8L peaks at around 1600 nits. This is still a very good result, ensuring a very high level of HDR dynamics, but it is also clearly lower than what the manufacturer boasts in the specifications. The problems begin with very small bursts of light – at that point, brightness can drastically drop to around 600 nits. The algorithm tries at all costs to maintain deep blacks and minimise the halo effect, but this comes at the expense of HDR impact. This is perfect evidence that laboratory test patterns rarely align with what we ultimately see on the screen.

However, huge praise is due for colour reproduction, thanks to the new generation of SQD (Super Quantum Dot) quantum dots. The DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage reaches 97%, but the truly jaw-dropping measurements come from the extremely demanding BT.2020 space. The C8L achieves an impressive 90% in this space, placing it alongside today's top screens equipped with RGB backlighting. Importantly, unlike some screens with Micro/Mini RGB backlighting, this effect is stable regardless of the scene displayed. Of course, it’s worth remembering that content mastered for such a wide gamut in films or series is still rare. However, the very fact that the panel has such a "colour reserve" deserves tremendous admiration.

The colour reproduction in LG NANO82T in Filmmaker mode, which although is the best mode available from factory settings, is not without flaws. First and foremost, the issue lies with the white balance, where a drop in blue colour levels was noted on the graph. This phenomenon results in a shift in colours towards yellow shades, causing the image to appear warmer than it should. Such a deviation means that the colours on the screen are not naturally reproduced, and this can be particularly noticeable in scenes with a white or neutral background. For example, the image below from the film "Star Wars," where there is a large amount of elements that should be white. The Color Checker test confirms that some colours are "shifting" to other shades, which means that the television is not displaying colours accurately.

Regarding contrast, the gamma graph analysis showed drops to a level of 2.1, while the optimal value should be 2.4. This means that the television may display darker areas of the image brighter in some scenes, reducing their depth and dynamics. Additionally, on the EOTF curve, which is responsible for brightness reproduction, a slight spike was noted at the beginning. This phenomenon may result in excessive brightness boosting in the brightest parts of the image, leading to a loss of detail in very bright scenes.

We tested the TCL C8L in the best factory mode available in the TV’s menu for image fidelity. That’s of course Filmmaker Mode, which only arrived in this brand’s software relatively recently (a year ago in the "K" series). It allows the average user to achieve quite decent colour reproduction straight out of the box, though it is certainly not perfectly tuned. Looking at the unit’s out-of-the-box white balance — in both SDR and HDR material — the red component was clearly lacking, which made the image noticeably cooler and slightly shift towards blue‑green tints. The issue of brightness management also looks ambiguous, as we mentioned earlier. While the gamma linearity in SDR content is really good and stays steadily at the reference value of 2.4, the situation in HDR is much worse. Tracking the EOTF curve clearly shows the TV has a noticeably boosted brightness across the entire range, so the final image can be excessively bright and inconsistent with the creators’ intent, and this is in a mode that by definition should avoid that. Of course, as with every sample in our lab, we subjected this one to professional calibration, and you can find the results below.

After calibration, the colour reproduction in SDR content on the LG NANO82T is very good. The white balance has been effectively improved, resulting in natural and balanced shades across various scenes. The gamma has also been adjusted, providing a more precise rendering of details both in shadows and bright parts of the image. Thanks to these adjustments, the television performs excellently in everyday use, offering solid colour quality and clear, well-balanced images in SDR mode.

However, in the case of HDR content, the situation is worse. The television does not support a wide colour gamut, limiting the depth and richness of colours that HDR can offer. The EOTF curve deviates from the ideal, leading to excessive accentuation of details in bright parts of the image. Unfortunately, this results in significant colour reproduction errors, as confirmed by tests on the Colour Checker. The low brightness level of the panel further negatively impacts the quality of HDR images, causing dynamic range effects to not be fully realised, and colours to appear washed out.

The television has significantly improved after calibration, especially in SDR content. The improvement in white balance and gamma has greatly enhanced image quality, providing a more natural and coherent colour reproduction. Compared to the pre-calibration state, the difference is noticeable, and the television now offers better performance in everyday use, particularly in the standard dynamic range.

As you can see, the results of a professional calibration of the TCL C8L are truly promising, thanks to the comprehensive calibration controls the manufacturer has provided in the menu. Above all, we managed to fully correct the white balance, eliminating the red deficiency, so the image finally stopped drifting into unwanted cool tones. After that adjustment, the errors in the ColorChecker test fell to near-reference values, consistently sitting below a Delta E threshold of 2, i.e. below the visibility threshold for the human eye.

If test patterns look so perfect, you may ask us why the final score in this category is lower. The answer lies in the brightness management described earlier. Although the menu includes sliders that let you precisely straighten the EOTF curve on synthetic signals, when faced with real film material (I recommend enabling the EOTF filter when watching films), it becomes clear that the TV, in most scenarios, still responds to HDR metadata in its own way. As a result, the picture can be slightly over-bright and not faithful to the filmmakers' intent, and it is precisely for this lack of consistency with real films that we had to take a few points off the C8L's score.

When it comes to gradation in very low-quality materials, LG NANO82T offers us the option of a feature called "Smooth Gradation". In the "Low" setting, this function slightly improves the most problematic tonal transitions, which is noticeable and useful for such content. In the "High" setting, it works even more effectively, improving tonal transitions, but at the expense of smoothing out those details that should not be smoothed. It is a compromise that may not please all users.

As for image scaling, NANO82T is not without certain limitations, especially when playing content with a lower resolution. The television applies a subtle, artificial sharpness boost, which makes the image appear sharper. This effect mainly results from the overlay of artificial contours. For some users, this may be beneficial, as they prefer more pronounced and highlighted details. However, for those who value the naturalness of the image, this effect may turn out to be less appealing and too artificial. It's a subjective matter that may affect viewers differently, depending on their visual preferences.

This year the C8 series and the higher-end models have probably received the biggest and most eagerly awaited upgrade in TCL’s history, and it concerns digital picture processing. The C8L is the entry-level model in the manufacturer's line-up that has been equipped with the latest flagship chip MediaTek Pentonic 800 (listed in the menu as MT9655). It is thanks to its computing power that the feature called "Gradual Smoothing" finally works as it should. The algorithm effectively removes unwanted posterization (ugly tonal transitions / colour banding) from the image, doing so intelligently enough that it does not degrade the sharpness of other details.

The processor also handles upscaling lower-resolution content to 4K very well. Although assessing this element can be largely academic, because the differences between today’s TVs in this class are very subtle. The most important takeaway is that TCL finally has nothing to be ashamed of compared with the competition.

LG televisions, including the NANO82T, offer an interesting motion smoother called TruMotion, which will satisfy most users who value control over the quality of the films they watch. The TruMotion feature allows users to adjust the fluidity of the displayed films on a 10-point scale, enabling the personalisation of visual experiences.

However, in the case of more dynamic scenes, such as games or action films, the television performs worse. The 60Hz panel and relatively slow pixel response result in less than ideal motion smoothness. The effect is visible blurring and less smooth display of fast scenes.

Overall, the LG NANO82T should please those who mainly watch films and prefer more subdued content. However, for those who value dynamic, fast motion, we recommend looking for an alternative.

The TCL C8L is equipped with a fast panel with a native refresh rate of 144 Hz. This specification will be most appreciated by demanding PC gamers, while most users, who rely on consoles or TV broadcasts, will make use of a stable 120 Hz. It is at 120 Hz that the motion-processing algorithms take care of image processing (in films, series and sports). In the TV menu you'll find a "Motion Clarity" tab that allows you to tailor the motion smoothing to your own preferences. The algorithms cope well with both cinematic productions at 24 or 30 frames per second and with fast-paced sports broadcasts at 50 or 60 frames per second, ensuring appropriate smoothness.

While gaming on the console, LG NANO82T offers a range of features that can significantly impact the gaming experience, although it also has some limitations. Among the advantages, it's worth mentioning the ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) feature, which automatically adjusts the picture settings by switching the television to low latency mode. This is particularly beneficial for gamers who need quick responses to their actions. Another plus is the support for HGiG (HDR Gaming Interest Group), as HDR games are displayed as intended by the developers, providing realistic and vivid visual effects. These features make the LG NANO82T offer a good gaming experience, although some aspects could be better, especially in dynamic scenes. Unfortunately, the LG NANO82T has its limitations when it comes to gaming features. It lacks support for variable refresh rate (VRR), which can affect the smoothness of gameplay, particularly in more dynamic games. The television has a 60Hz panel, preventing the use of higher refresh rates. This is a significant drawback for gamers who expect smoother gameplay at higher resolutions. Additionally, the lack of G-Sync technology support limits image synchronisation capabilities, which may lead to tearing and stuttering in games.

These shortcomings may mean that the LG NANO82T does not meet the expectations of the most demanding gamers who are looking for advanced features and the highest image fluidity.

For gamers – and especially for owners of powerful PCs and several consoles simultaneously – the TCL C8L is a true monster. It is the first model in this manufacturer's lineup to feature as many as four full HDMI 2.1 ports with a maximum bandwidth of 48 Gbps. This is directly attributable to the use of the new Pentonic 800 processor, which we discussed earlier. Additionally, the television seamlessly supports practically every gaming feature. We have an automatic game mode (ALLM) that reduces latency to minimal levels, and full frame synchronization (VRR) operating in an impressive range of up to 288 Hz. There's also talk of standards such as G-Sync or FreeSync from Nvidia and AMD. When it comes to display standards, there are no compromises either: the C8L offers complete support for HDR formats in games, including gaming Dolby Vision and the HGiG profile. We can conveniently manage all of these features from a very readable player bar (Game Bar), which we can personalise to our own preferences. From a purely gaming perspective, there's really nothing to fault the C8L on – well, maybe aside from the previously mentioned slight blurring. But other than that? It's a no-nonsense machine for gamers.