TCL C6K vs Blaupunkt UGC5500S

TCL C6K is a moderately bright television that can showcase its full potential under the best cinematic conditions – the maximum brightness is around 600 nits. In scenes with large, intense light sources, the HDR effect can be truly satisfying, providing a sense of cinematic sparkle. However, it is important to remember that when managing backlight zones, there are occasions where some elements are dimmed, and at times become barely visible. It is clear that there is a lack of proper algorithm optimisation here, although looking at the technical parameters in this price range, the overall construction performs exceedingly well.

Here, too, we will not mince words – if you are looking for a television strictly for cinematic experiences in HDR, you have come to the wrong place. The Blaupunkt UGC5500S is unfortunately not a machine designed for such challenges. This is primarily due to its very low brightness, which we measured during our tests. A result of around 250 nits on film scenes speaks for itself. It is simply too little to even talk about any real HDR effect. Quite frankly, everything displayed here in this format can be confidently regarded as a somewhat “enhanced” SDR mode. We expected this, as virtually every device in this price range falters in this area, but we feel obliged to warn you about it. Manufacturers love to boast about HDR compatibility with stickers on their boxes, but in reality, this format simply does not exist here – it lacks the “fuel” of brightness.

The situation is particularly difficult for Blaupunkt, as we are dealing with a panel that has a very basic coverage of the DCI-P3 colour palette, reaching only about 80%. You will not find any advanced coatings to extend these capabilities (such as quantum dots), which means that scenes that should ideally burst with richly saturated colours appear simply under-saturated on this screen. Therefore, we have a specific piece of advice for you: do not force the HDR mode on this model. If you have the option in the streaming app settings – simply turn it off. By sticking to the classic SDR mode, you can be sure that the television will not attempt to “enhance” something that it cannot handle hardware-wise.

In this year's TCL televisions, the Filmmaker mode has appeared, and it must be admitted that it is definitely the best choice straight out of the box. This is the mode we recommend for daily watching of films and series. Unfortunately, as is often the case, the best does not mean perfect. In the case of SDR content, the image was too warm, as the red was quite pronounced in the white balance. Conversely, with HDR content, we had the opposite impression – the image became cooler than it should have been due to an excess of blue. Additionally, the brightness characteristics sometimes led to overexposure. In practice, this resulted in quite noticeable errors in colour tests, which are difficult to accept in a mode advertised as "from the creators."

We also took a close look at how Blaupunkt handles colours in movie mode, and here the matter is, in short, twofold. Once again, we need to clearly separate what we see in standard SDR format from what happens when HDR is turned on, as these are two entirely different worlds. Let’s start with the better side of the coin. If you plan to watch classic television, YouTube, or older films on this television, you can count on really reasonably well-tuned colours. In our test unit, the white balance in movie mode performed exceptionally well, which honestly surprised us. Of course, to avoid being overly optimistic, we did notice some shortcomings. Looking at the gamma charts, we observed that the processor struggles with appropriately dimming the image in its brightest areas. Additionally, there is quite a strong, at times excessively aggressive red saturation, which resulted in visible errors in reproducing certain shades. Nevertheless, in general terms, the image in SDR is simply solid and can be watched without a grimace on one’s face. Unfortunately, the charm disappears the moment we again enter the HDR world. Here, Blaupunkt behaves as if we suddenly switched it to shop mode, and in its worst version. The excess blue in the white balance is so significant that it is almost blinding, ruining any realism of the scene. Moreover, the television interprets brightness very loosely, which, when analysing the EOTF curve, clearly showed that for most of the time, the colours appear simply washed out and lacking in depth. This is, by the way, perfectly visible through the colour errors that become evident in this mode. Once again, we are left with the same conclusion: Blaupunkt in SDR mode looks significantly better and more natural than in HDR, which feels forced and lacking appropriate refinement.

Thanks to the white balance adjustment, it was possible to significantly reduce the C6K's tendency to distort colours, which translated into a very good final result. After calibration, we will no longer observe the effect of excessive warmth in SDR scenes or overly cooling the image in HDR. However, it is worth taking a closer look at the brightness characteristics. In SDR content, it is difficult to have major objections – the image looks really good, especially in older films, television programmes, or materials from YouTube. It fares much worse in the case of HDR content. An analysis of the EOTF curve suggests that everything is fine, but in practice (EOTF in films), the limitations of the design become apparent. The television tends to over-brighten the smallest parts of the frame, and in other situations, it can dim an entire scene too much. The effect of calibration is therefore evident, and in terms of colour, the C6K has gained quite a lot, but certain limitations arising from local dimming and, in fact, from its management by the C6K simply cannot be overcome.

It may sound like a joke – pulling out professional measuring equipment for a television costing around a thousand złotys / 250 dollars, but we wouldn’t be ourselves if we didn’t check it out. The question is: does such cheap equipment give us any room for manoeuvre when it comes to calibration? To your surprise, the answer is: yes, and very much so. In the Blaupunkt UGC5500S menu, we found surprisingly many options that allowed us to really work on the picture. These are not just empty sliders; they are specific tools that we could utilise using our measuring sensors and software. In SDR mode, the effects were visible to the naked eye. We successfully eliminated the problem we mentioned earlier – that excessive, almost artificial red saturation. We also fixed the issue of improper dimming in the brightest parts of the image. After calibration, the standard format image became significantly more balanced and simply correct. When it came to HDR, the situation was again more complicated. While we managed to 'tame' that aggressive blue tint in the white balance, it was clear that we were fighting somewhat in vain. Even after adjusting the settings, the television still tried to interfere with the image in its own way, as if the electronics knew better than us how the scene should look. Additionally, there is a hardware barrier that no slider can overcome – colours in HDR still remain under-saturated. This is simply due to the quality of the panel itself; it physically cannot produce the most vibrant colours. To sum up this topic: if any of you ask whether it is possible to calibrate a television for a 'thousand', we answer with full conviction: it is possible.

TCL C6K performs quite well in terms of scaling. Lower quality materials look acceptable, and the absence of overscan issues means that the image is displayed in full, without cropping. However, one cannot expect miracles – very low-quality content will not gain a new life here, as the image processor has its limitations. On thin lines or details, there is a noticeable characteristic jerking, which reveals the lack of advanced image enhancement algorithms. It is also a pity that the C6K lacks the feature for smoothing tonal transitions – in older films or video materials, colour banding can be noticeable and can be distracting during longer viewing sessions.

If you expect the processor in this model to magically "fix" the poor-quality signal from cable TV or old films from YouTube, we must disappoint you. The capabilities of this television end at absolutely basic upscaling, which is simply stretching the image to a higher resolution. It does this adequately in that the image is not blurry, but there's no mention of any intelligent sharpening or adding details here. Worse still, Blaupunkt is completely devoid of any features for reducing unwanted tonal transitions. If the material being watched has what is known as banding (that is, ugly "steps" instead of a smooth transition of colours, e.g., in the sky), this television will display it in all its glory. Additionally, the television has a tendency to slightly crop the edges of the image. Instead of displaying 100% of what the source sends, Blaupunkt slightly enlarges the frame, causing us to lose details at the very edges of the screen. In summary: in the category of digital "enhancing" of images, Blaupunkt simply performs poorly. We receive a raw, unprocessed signal, with all its flaws.

The TCL C6K utilises a 144 Hz panel, which is a significant advantage in this price range. This is an important step forward compared to the previous model, the C655 PRO, which only offered 60 Hz in 4K. The difference is especially noticeable when watching sports or gaming – the ball, players, or fast action in a game are shown more clearly and without losing details. Interestingly, the panel can also operate at 240 Hz, which the manufacturer does not mention in the official materials. We will return to this topic when discussing the PC gaming mode.

TCL has also added a feature for those watching films: "Motion Clarity", which allows users to adjust the image to their liking using two simple sliders. One can either keep the film frame visible or opt for a very smooth, almost theatrical effect. This way, everyone can find settings tailored to their taste.

When it comes to motion fluidity, Blaupunkt has nothing to defend itself with. A 60 Hz panel at this price is standard, so none of us were expecting an impeccably sharp image in fast action scenes or during a match. However, the biggest drawback of this model is that you won't find any digital motion smoothers in the menu. The manufacturer has not given us any room for manoeuvre – nothing can be smoothed out or adjusted to our personal preferences. The image is always "raw," and we receive it exactly as the source transmits it. For fans of cinematic "jumping" of the image, this might be good, but the rest of us simply have to get used to the lack of any motion enhancement.

The TCL C6K is a television that can confidently be described as equipment designed 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 easily accessible – useful when we want to quickly change something during gameplay (e.g. screen aspect ratio: Yes, it can be done!). The wide range of VRR is also noteworthy, reaching up to 240 Hz. However, this option is primarily for PC gamers who will drop the resolution below native 4K. At that point, the television can spread its wings and demonstrate extra fluidity, especially in fast-paced esports titles. In the case of consoles, we stick to the classic limit of 120 Hz, but the possibilities are still really broad. The only drawback might be slight ghosting, which can sometimes be seen in dynamic scenes. Apart from that, though, the C6K offers everything that gamers expect from a television.

When it comes to gaming on the Blaupunkt, we weren't expecting miracles, and indeed – the list of features is not very long. However, there are two interesting points worth mentioning, as they might be significant for some of you at this price. The first plus is that the TV quickly detects the connected console. Thanks to the ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) feature, the device knows when you start gaming and automatically switches to low-latency mode. This is convenient because you don't have to fiddle with settings each time to prevent input lag from ruining the fun. The second point is a genuine surprise that caught us off guard. Although it has a 60 Hz panel, the Blaupunkt can display images at 120 Hz at Full HD resolution. Sure, you lose the details of 4K, but for those playing more dynamic, online shooters where smoothness is more important than resolution, this is a really nice and unexpected addition in such an inexpensive device. Besides these two points, you won't find anything more here. There are no advanced smoothness enhancement systems for gamers or extensive gaming menu bars. This is a simple screen for occasional gaming.