TCL C6K vs LG QNED86A / QNED85A / QNED87A

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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 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 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.

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.

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.

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.