TCL MQLED85 / C765 vs Sharp FQ8

The television TCL MQLED85/C765 handles HDR well. In the tested movie scenes where the screen is covered with 100% brightness, the model achieves impressive results of around 1000 nits, providing intense and realistic rendering of HDR content. However, similar to contrast, the dimming algorithm may exhibit certain limitations. Despite a large number of Mini LED zones, the television does not always manage to "wow" the user with brightness in very challenging test scenes. For example, in the scene from the film "Life of Pi," where a bright moon appears against a dark background, and in another scene from "Sicario 2," where a very bright light effect is visible on a dark background, the television did not reach maximum intensity. For users expecting perfect HDR performance in such extreme cases, the TCL MQLED may be slightly disappointing. However, in terms of colours, the television stands out with very high coverage of the DCI P3 colour palette at 95%, which is an impressive result, comparable to much more expensive models. TCL MQLED85 / C765 offers support for various HDR formats, including Dolby Vision and HDR10+, which is significant for cinema image enthusiasts. Although this model achieves brightness over 1000 nits, TCL MQLED85 may struggle to reflect details in very high-contrast scenes. For better HDR quality control, C765 is equipped with a dynamic tone mapping option, making the image more realistic and natural depending on the content.

Sharp FQ8 can achieve a maximum brightness exceeding 450 nits, which is a satisfactory result. Although it may seem that this value is not impressive, it still places it among the top televisions in this price range. In our opinion, this is also a value from which we will feel the richness of the image and the operation of any metadata, which cannot be said about darker devices. The television supports the advanced HDR format known as Dolby Vision. It is also equipped with DOLBY Vision IQ technology, which stands out for its ability to automatically adjust brightness and image colours based on the lighting conditions in the room. Unfortunately, it has been poorly implemented, resulting in significant inaccuracies such as artificial brightening of the image. Therefore, we do not recommend using this technology in this model. Additionally, the colour gamut coverage is around 94% thanks to the use of quantum dot technology, enabling vibrant and realistic colours. This set of features ensures that the image is not only intense but also full of details.

The television TCL MQLED85/C765 was tested in movie mode, which, although it seems to be the best setting from the manufacturer, is not without flaws. The colour reproduction in HD/SDR mode MQLED85 shows some shortcomings. In the analysis of white balance, there is a significant lack of blue, which can affect the overall image quality, especially in bright scenes where blue shades are crucial for natural representation. The overall shape of the image may then appear too warm. Regarding gamma contrast, the graph shows a large jump above the reference line of 2.4 at the beginning, which may suggest significant dimming of brightness in darker areas, leading to loss of detail in black. Then, for most of the time, the values lie below this line, which may lead to loss of detail in brighter parts of the image. Such a distribution can negatively impact perceived image quality, particularly when watching regular television in HD quality.

In the case of 4K HDR image quality of the TCL MQLED85/C765, there is a noticeable excess of red in the analysis of white balance. This excess can significantly affect the viewer's experience, leading to several significant effects. Firstly, an excessive amount of red can make other colours, such as green or blue, appear muted or unnatural. This distortion of colour balance can result in an overall impression of "over-saturation," which detracts from the naturalness and authenticity of the image. As for contrast, the EOTF (Electro-Optical Transfer Function) graph indicates that most values are above the reference line, suggesting an intense boost in brightness in bright areas of the image. However, there is an exception at the beginning of the graph, where the EOTF line is below the reference line, which can lead to excessive dimming of small light elements.

Users should be aware that despite using the best mode, which is movie mode, the television is not free from flaws in terms of image settings, so it is worth considering adjusting the settings to achieve better results.

The colour reproduction test in Sharp FQ8 was conducted in film mode, which out of the box offers the best visual capabilities, providing viewers with a colour experience closest to reality. Nevertheless, it cannot be described as exceptional, as there are still some shortcomings that affect the overall picture quality. Colour reproduction in Sharp FQ8 for HD content demonstrates significant issues with white balance. On the graph, the red line clearly rises, indicating excessive dominance of the red colour. This is also confirmed by tests using colour samples, which show that many colours deviate towards red. For example, in a scene from a film featuring a child, the image is very warm and unnaturally red. Similar difficulties occur with 4K HDR content, where there is also noticeable excessive presence of the red colour. It is worth noting this, especially for those who value faithful colour reproduction.

Regarding contrast for SDR, at the beginning of the gamma graph there is a strange characteristic, suggesting issues with reproduction. Subsequently, the entire line is below the reference line, indicating that the television does not achieve appropriate brightness and contrast values in standard content. Meanwhile, the EOTF curve for 4K HDR shows significant discrepancies. Such fluctuations indicate difficulties in maintaining consistent brightness reproduction, leading to unpleasant visual effects when viewing HDR content.

After the professional calibration of the television TCL MQLED85/C765, its colour properties in movie mode have significantly improved, resulting in a much more satisfying visual experience. Both in SDR and HDR modes, the white balance shows no serious errors, and the graph appears much better harmonised. Users can now enjoy natural colour reproduction, which is crucial for obtaining an authentic experience when watching films. It is worth noting that in HDR content, there may be slight colour reproduction errors at the end of the graph, but these are much smaller than before calibration. As a result, characters and landscapes become more realistic, enhancing the depth of immersion in the story.

In terms of contrast, the gamma curve, responsible for HD quality, has been completely free of drops below the reference line, meaning better detail visibility in dark scenes. Nevertheless, there is still a slight boost at the beginning of the graph, which may affect the perception of bright elements. For HDR content, the EOTF curve also exhibits smaller errors, although certain issues with medium tone reproduction may still be noticeable. The EOTF curve measured on actual movie scenes still shows a significant brightness boost, making the image appear more intense but artificially brightened. This is a typical problem for TCL televisions, which may appeal to inexperienced viewers, but can be irritating for those more familiar with an ideal image.

What benefits does professional calibration bring for film enthusiasts? Thanks to it, viewing becomes even more realistic and immersive, and each scene can be fully experienced, preserving details and natural colours.

After calibration, for SDR content, the white balance on Sharp FQ8 has been significantly improved, and all lines have come much closer to the reference line. Of course, they are not perfectly straight, but it's hard to expect better results from a television in this price range; they are really very good. Improving white balance means that colours are more natural and accurately reproduced, which positively impacts the overall visual experience. In terms of gamma, the strange jump at the beginning of the graph has not been eliminated, however, after this error, the entire line is much closer to the expected effect.

For HDR content, the white balance is somewhat worse compared to SDR content, but it is still significantly better than before calibration. It is worth noting that the improvement in white balance in HDR contributes to a more consistent and pleasant perception of colours, even though there may still be shortcomings. Regarding the EOTF graph and the associated contrast, our specialists noted that the lack of control over dynamic tone mapping settings hindered the achievement of significant improvement in this area. This leads to uneven brightness representation.

Despite the shortcomings resulting from the inability to adjust settings for dynamic tone mapping, Sharp FQ8 has gained a new perspective after proper calibrations. The improved white balance and better colour reproduction in SDR mode make the image more natural and pleasing to the eye. Although there are still areas for improvement, especially in HDR content, the television offers satisfying visual experiences, making it a noteworthy choice in its price range.

Let’s take another look at the tonal transitions in the TCL MQLED85/C765 television, but in the context of poorer image quality. Despite the presence of the "Gradual Smoothing" option, when set to "low," the effects are practically invisible, disappointing users expecting an improvement in image quality. On the other hand, the "high" setting produces minimal results, and worse still, it can blur significant details, negatively affecting the sharpness and clarity of the displayed image. However, in the context of image scaling, the television successfully displayed the image without overscan, meaning we do not lose any part of the view. The image looks rather decent, and details such as tree branches or the outlines of models do not exhibit significant jaggedness, which positively impacts the visual quality.

The "10-bit colour reproduction" feature in Sharp FQ8 performs reasonably well, as we can see in the image with bulbs that shows slight connections between grey shades. For the best results, it is recommended to set medium, which does not reveal issues with grain smoothing or blurring of essential image elements. Alternatively, the "low" setting also proves to be safer and delivers positive effects.

As for upscaling, the Sharp FQ8 television plays back video without overscan, allowing for full use of the screen. The branches shown in the image are noticeably jagged, while the edges of the trousers appear without clear jaggedness, positively affecting the overall image quality. Additionally, the television offers an AI Super Resolution feature, which artificially sharpens jagged elements, enhancing their clarity.

TCL MQLED85/C765 is equipped with a panel featuring a standard refresh rate of 120 Hz, with the capability to increase to 144 Hz when connected to a powerful computer. The television also offers a multi-level motion smoother, primarily aimed at users wishing to enhance motion fluidity in films. It allows for the adjustment of effect intensity on a scale from 0 to 10, enabling precise tuning of image smoothness to individual preferences. The response time of the panel is decent, but not perfect. We can observe blurring occurring behind both dark and medium objects.

Sharp FQ8 is equipped with a 120 Hz panel, with the possibility of achieving 144 Hz on PC, which in theory should translate to smooth motion rendering. The television offers functions for improving the smoothness of films and reducing motion blur, which is important for more dynamic content. However, the lack of Black Frame Insertion (BFI) technology combined with an average response time of the panel does not yield positive results. The effect is slight blurring of moving objects, and this may be more noticeable when watching sports or during intense gaming.

TCL MQLED85/C765 has received an impressive rating in the gaming features category, making it an excellent choice for gaming enthusiasts. The television supports all the latest technologies that significantly enhance the gaming experience. Among the key gaming features is ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), which automatically switches the TV to low-latency mode, minimising response time and ensuring smooth gameplay. VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) functioning in the range of 48 to 144 Hz eliminates stuttering and screen tearing in dynamic game scenes. Additionally, the TV supports Dolby Vision Game Mode, which provides better image quality in games with exceptional colour depth and contrast. TCL MQLED85/C765 also features a decent if not the best implementation of HGiG (HDR Gaming Interest Group), optimising HDR game display; however, for TCL, it causes detail in whites to be brightened, resulting in some elements merging into a white blob - we can read more about this in the colour reproduction section. It supports various resolutions, such as 1080p@120Hz, 1440p@120Hz, and 4K@120Hz, allowing players to enjoy higher image quality and better fluidity. The Game Bar feature allows easy switching between game settings and quick parameter control, greatly simplifying the adjustment of the television to individual needs. With support for G-Sync and FreeSync technologies, users of NVIDIA and AMD graphics cards will be pleased with the refresh rate synchronisation capabilities, eliminating tearing and stuttering issues, thereby providing a smoother and more immersive gaming experience.

MQLED85/C765 is a television that combines advanced technologies and excellent support for gamers, making it the perfect choice for those who wish to maximise their gaming experiences.

Sharp FQ8 offers several significant features dedicated to gamers that can enhance the gameplay experience. First and foremost, the television is equipped with HDMI 2.1, which comes with certain advantages. ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) switches the television to a mode with minimal input lag when a gaming device is detected. VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) reduces screen stutter by adjusting the refresh rate to the number of frames generated by the console or computer, providing smoother experiences, especially in dynamic games. Additionally, the television supports G-Sync technology, which synchronises the image with the graphics card, eliminating stuttering and screen tearing. Despite these advantages, FQ8 also has some limitations. The lack of support for HGiG (HDR Gaming Interest Group) means that the television does not optimise dynamic range for HDR games. The Dolby Vision mode, although theoretically offering better image quality in games supporting this format, suffers from very high input lag.