TCL C855 vs LG QNED93A / QNED90A

TCL C855 delivers a highly varied HDR effect. On one hand, the television truly shines, while on the other, it resembles a lower model with FALD backlighting. This situation is, however, regularly observed in this brand, so it was not a surprise to us. The first and last scenes, featuring large elements of light, look almost phenomenal, "shining" with brightness levels of 1470 and 1820 nits respectively. Such effects will certainly cause more than one person to squint, while simultaneously feeling the extraordinary dynamism of the scene itself. You can truly feel as if you are inside the film. The situation changes dramatically when small or minor elements with high luminance surrounded by black appear on the screen. The TCL C855, in order to avoid the halo effect, significantly reduces brightness to a level of even 240 nits, which is a disappointing result, causing the film to not appear as if it was recorded in HDR. The HDR effect in the TCL C855 makes watching dynamic scenes more engaging, allowing the viewer to feel as though they are part of the action. Even with smaller elements of high luminance, the television manages to maintain details without excessive dimming. Moreover, the TCL C855 test shows that the brightness of the image is adjusted for scenes with a large amount of detail, which enhances viewing comfort.

Although the number of local dimming zones in the LG QNED93A has not directly translated to noticeably better contrast, it is hard to deny one thing about this model – it is brighter than its predecessor. In synthetic tests, we recorded values around 1400-1500 nits, and more importantly, these results are reflected in real film scenes. In full-screen sequences flooded with white or bright lights, the screen could maintain high luminance, which created a truly decent amazing HDR effect. Unfortunately, where the television could showcase true class, that is in scenes requiring precision, all the magic dissipates. The dimming algorithms, which we mentioned earlier, operate so aggressively that small bright objects – such as distant lights, stars, or the moon – can almost completely disappear. A glance at the test scenes from the film Pan or Sicario 2 (screens 2 and 4) shows how subtle details are dimmed to the limits of their visibility. It's a pity, as a greater number of zones could theoretically have led to significantly better results. Fortunately, there are also strengths. The QNED93A performs well in terms of colour gamut coverage, achieving around 96% of the DCI-P3 standard. As a result, colours in films appear vivid and full, and the picture does not lose intensity even in more demanding scenes. Therefore, one could say that the HDR in this model is solid, although the underdeveloped local dimming algorithms hinder its full potential.

The best factory mode for the TCL C855 is "Film," and it is on this mode that we conducted all our tests. Like any mode predefined by the manufacturer, it had its drawbacks that are worth correcting to achieve an image as close as possible to what the film producer intended. We will examine the colour characteristics in both SDR and HDR materials. Looking at the first, we see a noticeable dominance of green in the white balance, which, as you might imagine, resulted in an unpleasant greenish tint across the entire image. Observing the very important gamma chart, which is responsible for the image's contrast, we see a significant deviation from the reference line marked at 2.4. From the left, we can observe a strong spike in the measured value, which at this point caused the image to be overly contrasted, merging details into a dark blob. This situation persisted for quite some time, up to 20% of the chart's value, before then dipping below the reference. This, in turn, meant a brightening of the image and a significant drop in contrast. The factory mode performed slightly better in HDR materials, as the white balance looked quite good, except for the second half, where green once again took precedence. Looking at the EOTF curve, which, unlike gamma, shows the rate of brightness increase, we see primarily two errors: the darkest scenes were too dark, and the brightest ones were overexposed. This was something we could also observe in the scene from the film "Pan" in the paragraph checking the TV's HDR.

In filmmaker mode, the colour reproduction on the QNED93A was relatively accurate, although there were some reservations. In SDR content, the white balance was shifted towards warmer tones, which gave the screen a slight yellowish tint overall. The gamma, in turn, led to a slight brightness increase, making the image appear somewhat less natural, especially in scenes requiring precise shading (this is clearly visible in the comparison photo). This is not a problem that immediately stands out to every viewer, but more discerning individuals may feel that the image deviates from the aesthetics intended by the filmmakers. In HDR materials, the situation was somewhat different. The white balance, in this case, was quite good, ensuring that the whites neither leaned towards pink nor unwanted green hues. However, managing brightness turned out to be an issue. An analysis of the EOTF curve revealed that at certain moments, the television could be noticeably too dark where it shouldn't be, losing some detail and lowering the realism of the scenes. This spoiled the reception of HDR effects, which were theoretically supposed to make the biggest impression. For this reason, we decided to carry out calibration.

TCL, like the vast majority of manufacturers, provides advanced calibration tools in its televisions. Here we find 2- and 20-point adjustments for greyscale as well as an advanced colour management system. The results, as you can see, are very good, and in SDR materials we have significantly approached the reference image. We eliminated both the green tint and the gamma issue, although there is still a slight "kink" at the very beginning. The performance with HDR materials was somewhat poorer, as the TCL C855 did not allow us to model them adequately. We were only able to slightly adjust the EOTF curve and significantly improve the colours themselves.

After professional calibration, the Filmmaker mode on the QNED93A has improved primarily in areas that matter most on a daily basis. We managed to correct the white balance and eliminate the yellowish tint in SDR content, which is what we watch most often – television, streaming services, or standard quality films. As a result, the colours look natural and pleasant, making the overall experience much more comfortable. We also made adjustments in HDR mode, but here the biggest issue turned out to be the EOTF curve. Although LG offers some flexibility in the settings, the television still manages brightness on its own terms. It is evident that the local dimming algorithms are not fully refined and can ruin the viewing experience by darkening parts of the image at inappropriate times. Nevertheless, it is worth opting for calibration of this model, especially the mode intended for everyday viewing.

Once again, we will take a look at the function of smoothing tonal transitions, but this time also at image scaling. The latter is particularly important when watching lower-quality materials, such as certain television programmes or older films. We will focus on the function responsible for tonal transitions. Interestingly, just like in the scenes of the previous test, it performed excellently and smoothed out practically all the inconsistencies; however, here it had problems. Using the menu responsible for this function, we found that no setting - even the strongest - was of any help.

Image scaling in TCL C855 is described as one of the best we have had the opportunity to test so far. The image is sharp, but in a way that could be described as natural for our eyes. Even the small, fine branches do not have jagged edges, and there is no white halo around figures, which is characteristic of inferior scaling systems.

The LG QNED93A proves to be a very solid television for everyday use. Its image processor handles scaling extremely well, which means even older films or terrestrial television benefit from increased sharpness and detail. During the screening of "The Godfather," it is clearly visible how upscaling retrieves additional details from the image – the faces of the characters and the texture of their clothing appear much clearer than in the original material.

The digital image processing also deserves praise. The television is equipped with a function for reducing unwanted colour banding and screen irregularities. It works best in the "Medium" setting – subtly smoothing tonal transitions without excessively interfering with the image. As a result, the natural film grain is preserved, and the screen does not appear artificially smooth. It is possible that in some scenes slight colour banding can still be observed, but in practice, the effect is more beneficial than with a stronger intervention from the algorithm.

The maximum refresh rate we can set on the TCL C855 is 144 Hz. Naturally, this is only possible by connecting the TCL C855 television to a very powerful PC. Otherwise, we will be operating at a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz, which is recommended if we primarily want to watch sports or content with a lot of motion dynamics. For those requiring high image fluidity, the manufacturer has implemented a multi-stage motion smoother. This has been divided into two separate sliders regulating the sharpness of moving images (Motion Blur Reduction) and flicker (Flicker Reduction). Both sliders can be set in the range from 0 to 10, with each increment affecting the level of smoothing, so everyone can find their sweet spot. We present a setting that allows for slight smoothing without the soap opera effect.

The panel of the TCL C855 features a very good response time. This is particularly important as VA panels often have issues with so-called ghosting, which is the effect where a black halo can be seen behind a fast-moving object.

The LG QNED93A is equipped with a 144 Hz panel. This is primarily a nod to gamers, but the fact that higher refresh rates are increasingly making their way into televisions can be viewed positively. In everyday viewing, 120 Hz remains key, and in this respect, the QNED93A performs well. The manufacturer also provides the option to adjust the picture using the TruMotion system – the De-Judder and De-Blur sliders allow you to choose between a cinematic motion character with visible frames and a complete smoothing with theatrical motion.

The TCL C855 television is equipped with full HDMI 2.1 connectors with a full bandwidth of 48 Gb/s. During our tests, we confirmed the seamless operation of all functions that are part of this standard. As can be seen, all checkboxes light up green, which will certainly be appreciated by gamers, both console and those using the television as a monitor for their computer. Additionally, the TCL C855 supports both AMD FreeSync and NVIDIA's G-Sync, which can be easily activated in the graphics card settings. Those with a very powerful setup can send a 144 Hz signal to the C855, which this television handles effortlessly. It is also worth mentioning the implementation of the HGIG mode, which, however, due to the flaw of the “Game” mode, is overly brightened, making it difficult to configure properly on screen. Fortunately, the television performs excellently with the Dolby Vision format.

The TCL C855 is one of the first manufacturers to equip its televisions with a special GameBar, which allows for extensive setting changes on the fly, without the need to exit the game. It features functions such as an additional crosshair grid, black level correction, and settings for people with disabilities. In the picture, we can see the next generation of this solution.

In summary, the TCL C855 television will be an ideal solution for those seeking a screen for all sorts of electronic gaming. Thanks to all the features supporting such entertainment, it is incredibly engaging. It is also important to highlight the very low input lag, regardless of the selected settings, including with the HDR Dolby Vision format.

LG QNED93A is a television that has undoubtedly been prepared with gamers in mind. Right from the outset, we get a complete set – all four HDMI ports operate in standard 2.1, so regardless of whether we connect a console, PC or amplifier, we can be assured of full compatibility. This is important, as many manufacturers still limit themselves to two ports, and here nothing hinders the entire equipment from having maximum capabilities. There is also an automatic game mode (ALLM), which automatically switches the television to the appropriate settings when the console is turned on, as well as variable refresh rate (VRR). This ensures the picture doesn't stutter or jerk, even when the frame rate drops – whether in dynamic shooters or during races.

The 144 Hz panel gives an additional advantage in computer games. While 120 Hz is sufficient for consoles, in the case of PCs, the QNED93A allows for even more – every movement, every glance to the side is refreshed faster, and this makes a difference, especially in e-sports. The manufacturer also considered HDR in gaming – the television supports the HGiG mode, which are guidelines to ensure that the lighting effects are exactly as the game developers intended. To top it off, we get Game Bar – a special information bar that appears on the screen, showing parameters in real-time. You can monitor the frame rate, active VRR functions, or the level of input lag. This solution is useful not only for settings enthusiasts but for anyone who wants to quickly check what mode the television is operating in and whether everything is working as it should.