LG QNED86A / QNED85A / QNED87A vs TCL C6KS / C69KS / Q6CS

Against a backdrop of contrast and black, the brightness of the QNED86A and the overall HDR effect perform much better. This is a television that can achieve around 700 nits under the best conditions, so in terms of luminance alone, there is 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 more challenging moments with small, contrasting elements on the screen, the television manages well with their backlighting, and the details are quite visible. The problem arises when there are many dark tones. The lack of effective local dimming causes the black to practically disappear, and instead, we get a grey haze spreading across the entire screen. This kills the sense of depth and makes the image look flat, as if it lacks a cinematic character. In bright animations or colourful family films, this will not be a problem, as vibrant colours and bright light dominate. But in horrors or productions set in darkness, these limitations are very strongly felt. As a comfort, it is worth adding that the QNED86A is actually a QLED television with a PFS LED filter, which gives it very good coverage of a wide colour gamut. Both the DCI-P3 palette and the broader BT.2020 perform really well here. This makes the colours in HDR films saturated, juicy, and with the appropriate depth – even if the black itself disappoints, the colours can save the viewing experience and make the image look attractive.

And what about HDR? Here, the C6KS performs quite well and – as has become a recurring theme of this review – identically to the C6K model. The maximum brightness generated by this television is around 600 nits. In bright scenes, this translates to a really solid, cinematic effect, and generally, the video materials look good here. However, one must keep in mind the specifics of the dimming algorithm in this model. When very small, bright points (e.g., stars) appear against a dark background, the television can dim them quite significantly. The goal is simple: to eliminate blooming and maintain the best possible blacks. This is quite a reasonable compromise. Most viewers will definitely appreciate deep, "true black" more than additional micro-details, the display of which could cause the screen to appear greyed out. This is the nature of local dimming technology in this price range, and one must be aware of it. It is also worth noting that the TCL C69KS (C6KS) has an additional PFS coating, which is marketed under the slogan of QLED technology. Thanks to this, the colours are saturated and vibrant – our measurements showed that the coverage of a wide colour gamut reaches as much as 92% here.

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 noticeable was the poorly tuned white balance – there was a lack of blue, causing the overall image to take on a slightly yellowish, and at times even orange hue. An even bigger problem turned out to be the way the television manages brightness. Due to its technical limitations – specifically, local dimming that only works along the edges of the screen – the QNED86A tends to oversaturate entire scenes. This is where the flattening effect we mentioned earlier comes from. Instead of clear depth and contrast, we get something akin to “boosted brightness,” which can strain the eyes over time.

Unlike the more expensive C6K model, the tested C6KS does not have an option in the menu labelled as Filmmaker Mode. Is this a reason to cry? Absolutely not. Our tests have shown that in practice, in terms of colour reproduction, the lack of this specific label makes virtually no difference. The best available Film/Cinema mode here offers an almost identical picture characteristic to the aforementioned Filmmaker in the more expensive model. So we get a very similar image, just under a different name. Therefore, if you were wondering whether paying extra for the C6K gives you better colours – the answer is no, in both cases the base is the same and requires slight adjustments.

What has been 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 hues finally looked natural, without the strange yellow or orange tones that previously spoiled the perception. Unfortunately, even the best calibration cannot circumvent the structural limitations. The already very modest number of local dimming zones and their unfortunate placement mean that the analysis of the EOTF curve in films still showed clear over-brightening of scenes. The picture tended to flatten, lacking cinematic depth. Fortunately, this effect is not so noticeable in older productions or in SDR content. There, the calibration truly makes a difference and allows one to harness the QNED so that the image can be appealing. However, the specifics of this construction – especially the issues with contrast – cannot be completely bypassed.

Thanks to the white balance adjustment, the C69KS's tendency to distort colours has been effectively limited, resulting in a very good final effect. After calibration, we will no longer see excessive warming of scenes in SDR or overly cool tones in HDR. However, it is worth noting the brightness characteristics. In SDR content, it is hard to have any objections – the image looks very good, especially in older films, television programmes, or materials from YouTube. It is significantly more challenging to evaluate the television's performance in HDR. Analysis of the EOTF curve suggests correct behaviour, but its practical variant reveals certain limitations. The C69KS can overly brighten the smallest elements of the frame, while at other times, it can dim the entire scene. Thus, calibration brought clear benefits in terms of colour quality, but certain limitations resulting from the local dimming operation and the way it is controlled by the C69KS cannot be overlooked, as we also saw in the C6K test.

If someone is worried about potential "steps" when blending colours, there is a simple way in the QNED86A to address this. Just activate the feature called Smooth Gradation and set it to a medium level. Then the television really smooths out all those unwanted transitions quite well – especially in older productions – and it does so in a way that film grain doesn't disappear, nor do strange artefacts appear. In other words, it can be used without concern.

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

The C69KS handles upscaling quite well. The tested 576p material looks surprisingly decent – a considerable amount of detail is retained, and the algorithm adds a slight "rounding" effect to sharp edges, making the image appear more cohesive. The performance in smoothing tonal transitions is less impressive. The television practically cannot improve them, leaving the image in a rather raw state. With older material, this can be quite tiring, as the lack of additional processing highlights any imperfections.

The QNED86A is equipped with a panel boasting a refresh rate of 120 Hz, so it can be said from the outset that it is suitable for both sports and gaming. And indeed, it is – the image appears smooth, and motion blur is not particularly intrusive. IPS panels have always had some issues with this, and here too, slight blurring can sometimes be noticed, especially in very dynamic scenes, but it is not something that ruins the viewing of a match or a fast-paced game. For cinema and sports fans, LG has included the traditional TruMotion smoothness enhancer. 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 can be adjusted to modify the character of motion – from raw, cinematic to a smoother, more ‘theatrical’ look. The second improves sharpness during dynamic actions, so it's worth turning it up a bit if you watch a lot of sports.

C69KS offers a simplified motion enhancement panel in films, allowing the adjustment of effect intensity with a slider. This makes it easy to match fluidity to personal preferences. The ability to use higher refresh rates is also a plus – although the panel operates natively at 4K at 60 Hz, lowering the resolution to 1440p enables 120 and 144 Hz modes, both on consoles and PC. This sounds like great news, however, in practice, the image at these settings exhibits significant motion blur. The effect is so pronounced that the overall presentation appears merely average and loses its appeal for everyday use.

In terms of gaming, the LG QNED86A6A is a complete tool. It features four HDMI 2.1 ports with full bandwidth of 48 Gb/s, which means that whether you connect a PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, or a powerful PC, everything will run in full 4K at 120 Hz with support for all functions. This is a significant advantage, as some competitors still only offer two such ports, which can be troublesome with multiple devices. It also includes VRR, or variable refresh rate, which eliminates screen tearing, as well as ALLM, which automatically activates game mode when the console is turned on. Dolby Vision Gaming is also included, along with proper implementation of the HGiG format, so titles that support these formats look more vivid and detailed. On top of all this, there is the Game Optimizer – a sort of control centre for gamers. From this interface, you can view picture parameters in real-time, quickly change modes, activate additional features, or adjust image settings to your personal preferences. The LG QNED86A6A essentially has everything one could expect from a modern gaming television.

If we overlook the smudging and lack of native 4K at 120 Hz, the C69KS impresses with how well it performs during gaming. We get everything one can expect from a gaming television: variable refresh rate (VRR), automatic switching to game mode (ALLM), Dolby Vision Gaming mode, and a well-functioning HGiG. The television can also operate at 120 and even 144 Hz at lower resolutions, allowing for smoother gameplay on a console or PC. Additionally, there is a clear Game Bar that lets you quickly glance at key settings while gaming. As a result — despite a few limitations — the C69KS can be a really successful screen for gamers.