Panasonic Z95B vs TCL C69K / Q6C

The quality of HDR on the Panasonic Z95B is among the absolute best. Thanks to the latest generation panel, referred to by the manufacturer as Primary RGB Tandem OLED, the television can achieve over 2000 nits of brightness in cinematic scenes. The effect is impressive and can amaze with the intensity of the light, providing a sense of connection with the screen that goes beyond previous experiences. Similar feelings accompanied us only during tests of the LG G5, Samsung S95F, or Philips OLED910. Of course, there are moments when the device's algorithms decide to limit luminance – this especially concerns full-screen bright sequences, such as the closing credits in the film The Meg. Even then, the Z95B maintains a level of around 1500 nits, which is still an incredibly impressive result. One can thus say that HDR in this model has reached masterful form. A significant step forward is also evident in colour reproduction. The new tandem OLED panel does not yet match the best QD-OLED screens in terms of full gamut coverage, but the gap between these solutions has significantly decreased. When watching films, the differences are subtle enough that under normal conditions they are hard to notice, and the colours remain vivid and saturated.

In terms of brightness, TCL C69K / Q6C is a moderate model. In optimal film conditions, it shows its full potential, achieving a maximum of around 600 nits. In scenes with large, intense light sources, the HDR effect can be truly satisfying, providing a cinematic shimmer. However, it should be noted that when managing backlight zones, there are situations where parts of the image become dimmed, and sometimes they are barely visible. This suggests that there is still a lack of proper optimisation of the algorithms; however, considering the technical parameters in this price range, the design itself still presents very well.

The factory colour reproduction of the Filmmaker mode, my dear friends, is truly remarkable in the case of the Panasonic Z95B. I'm referring to our test sample, but the result was so good that it’s hard to believe. The only detail one might nitpick about is a slight lack of blue in the white balance, but apart from that, the television straight out of the box presented an image unlike anything we have ever seen in factory mode. Tests of the colour palette, Color Checker – everything indicated values below Delta 2. That’s a much lower result than the threshold of human eye perception, which means, quite simply, that the viewer has no chance of noticing any serious deviations. It looks as though Panasonic has actually calibrated this model at the factory stage. Of course, we cannot rule out the possibility that we received an exceptionally well-set sample, but the result is still impressive. We are very strict when it comes to evaluating factory calibration, and here our jaws simply dropped.

The Filmmaker mode, which has made its debut in this year's TCL televisions (including the C69K / Q6C), is definitely the best choice "to start with." This is the mode we recommend for daily film and series viewings. Unfortunately, as is often the case, best does not mean perfect. In SDR material, the image proved to be too warm, with a pronounced red tint in the white balance. We had the opposite impression with HDR content – here the image became cooler than it should, due to an excess of blue. Additionally, there is the characteristic of brightness, which at times resulted in overexposure. In practice, this translated into quite noticeable errors in colour tests, which is difficult to accept in a mode branded as "from the creators."

The colour representation after calibration in the Z95B is a topic that is difficult to elaborate on, as there was simply not much to be done here. A slight adjustment of the white balance was sufficient to eliminate the lack of blue, and at this point, the picture reached an almost reference level. It must be admitted that we haven't had such a small range of work in a while. If any of you are particularly observant, you may notice minimal deviations in the EOTF curve, but this is rather related to the operation of the dynamic tone mapping function we mentioned earlier. In fact, it is not a flaw, but a characteristic of this solution, which deliberately alters the brightness characteristics depending on the scene. In summary, we are extremely impressed. The Panasonic Z95B is a television that looks great straight out of the box, and after calibration, it reaches a level where it is truly difficult for us to find anything to improve.

Through white balance correction, we were able to significantly reduce the tendency of C69K / Q6C to distort colours, which yielded a very good final result. After calibration, the issue of excessive warming of scenes in SDR and excessive cooling of the image in HDR disappeared. However, it is worth analysing the brightness characteristics more closely. While in SDR content it is hard to have major objections – the image looks really good, especially in older films, TV programmes or on YouTube – it performs significantly worse in the case of HDR content. Analysis of the EOTF curve suggests that everything is fine, yet in practice (EOTF in films) the limitations of the design itself become apparent. This model has a tendency to excessively brighten small parts of the frame, only to overly dim the entire scene in other situations. The effect of calibration is therefore undeniable, and in terms of colour reproduction, C69K / Q6C gains a lot. Unfortunately, certain limitations arising from local dimming management simply cannot be bypassed.

Let’s start with what works well. The upscaling on the Z95B is at a very high level – the picture in lower resolutions is clear and sharp, and the only minor drawbacks are subtle aliasing in certain areas of the image. It’s also important that the television does not crop the material in any way and maintains its proportions, which is not always an obvious fact even in 2025.

The situation with digital processing is less impressive. Features such as “gradation smoothing” or “block noise reduction” practically do not work – the material tested looked identical regardless of the settings. We might as well state that this feature simply does not exist. This is somewhat disappointing, especially since Panasonic heavily promotes its HCX Pro AI II processor, boasting the presence of artificial intelligence to enhance picture quality. Meanwhile, in such a basic area, the television does not provide a real effect and it appears weaker than one might expect from high-end equipment.

In terms of image scaling, TCL C69K / Q6C performs quite well. Lower quality content appears acceptable, and thanks to the lack of overscan issues, the image is displayed in full without any cropping. However, one should not expect miracles – very low-quality materials will not gain a second life here, as the image processor has its limitations.

Thin lines and details exhibit characteristic tearing, which reveals the absence of more advanced image enhancement algorithms. It is also a pity that the C69K / Q6C lacks a tone transition smoothing feature. As a result, in older films or video materials, banding of colours can be visible and may become distracting during prolonged viewing.

The OLED matrix with a very high refresh rate already provides an extremely sharp image even in dynamic sports scenes, such as football or basketball matches, and the Z95B is no exception. It is also very important that the television is equipped with an proprietary motion smoothing system called “Intelligent Frame Creation”. Among the available sliders, the most important one is the one named “film smoothness”, as it allows you to adjust motion to your own preferences when watching 24-frame materials, i.e. films – from a more “frame-like” appearance to a smooth, almost theatrical effect. It is somewhat disappointing that Panasonic did not choose to overclock the latest OLED matrix to 165 Hz, as Samsung did with the S95F or LG with the G5, because we know that the panel is technically capable of it. On the other hand, this is mainly an advantage for PC gamers, so in everyday viewing, it is not a significant drawback since we are limited to 120Hz.

The use of a 144 Hz panel in TCL C69K / Q6C is a significant advantage in this price range. It represents an important step forward compared to its predecessor (C655 PRO), which only offered 60 Hz in 4K. The difference is particularly noticeable when watching sports or playing games – the ball, players, or dynamic action in games are displayed more clearly and without loss of detail. Another interesting feature is the panel's ability to work at 240 Hz (which the manufacturer does not officially mention) – we will return to this topic in relation to the PC gaming mode. TCL has also added a feature for movie fans: “Motion Clarity”. This allows users to adjust the picture to their preferences using two simple sliders. We can either keep the visible film frame or opt for very smooth, "

The Panasonic Z95B is fully equipped for gaming. Two HDMI 2.1 ports with full bandwidth of 48 Gb/s guarantee support for everything you would expect from a modern screen. There is VRR frame synchronization, an automatic ALLM game mode, and full compatibility with HDR formats used in games. The television supports both Dolby Vision for Xbox and the popular HGiG, which has been implemented correctly in this case, so it actually works as it should.

Although the brand is mainly associated with home cinema and equipment for filmmakers, there is also room here for features for gamers. On board, there is a Game Bar (or rather Game Circles) – visually, it looks a bit unusual, but it serves its purpose and allows you to quickly check the most important picture parameters. The only thing that is actually missing for complete happiness is having four HDMI 2.1 ports instead of two. It's a minor detail, but in a television of this class, one could expect a full set.

TCL C69K / Q6C is a television that can confidently be described as equipment created with gamers in mind. Here we have 4K at 144 Hz, VRR support, automatic game mode (ALLM), and Dolby Vision Gaming. Additionally, there is a practical Game Bar, which is a panel with the most important settings conveniently at hand – useful when we want to change something quickly during gameplay (e.g. screen aspect ratio: Yes, it can be done!). The wide range of VRR, reaching up to 240 Hz, is particularly noteworthy. However, this option is mainly for PC gamers who will operate below the native 4K resolution. In that case, the television can spread its wings and show additional smoothness, especially in fast-paced e-sports titles. For consoles, we stick to the classic limit of 120 Hz, but even so, the capabilities are truly extensive. The only downside is a slight ghosting that can occasionally be seen in dynamic scenes. Other than that, C69K / Q6C offers everything that gamers expect from a television.