Compare: TCL P7K / P79K vs LG QNED80A6A (VA)

The time has come to gather all observations. The TCL P7K / P79K is a television that cleverly juggles compromises, offering much more in its price range than we could have expected. Its undeniable asset is the VA panel, guaranteeing deep blacks and high contrast, and the surprisingly rich package for gamers (with VRR and support for 120 Hz at lower resolutions) makes it a phenomenal proposition for console owners. The whole is tied together by the functional Google TV system. Of course, the low peak brightness means that HDR content lacks spectacular bursts, and the TV's performance in sunlit rooms is limited. And although, at its relatively low price, the P7K / P79K is quite a decent option, its biggest rival turns out to be… its more refined sibling, the P8K. Often, FOR a small additional payment, we get a device of a higher class – with a native 4K 144 Hz panel, significantly better audio system, and generally higher quality of operation, which is reflected in its much higher rating on our portal. Therefore, the final verdict must be as follows: if your budget is absolutely non-negotiable, the P7K / P79K will be a good and cost-effective choice. However, if you can afford to add a small amount, the P8K model will offer significantly more and will ultimately be a more satisfying investment.

Looking at the QNED80A in the VA version as a whole, we are dealing with a television that has a very specific character. It is equipment that film lovers who enjoy evening screenings will appreciate, provided they... accept certain shortcomings. We get really solid blacks and contrast here, but we pay for it with narrow viewing angles. There’s no point in hiding it: this is a television for those who have their favourite spot in the middle of the sofa. Of course, you can feel some budget cuts here – the 60Hz panel and edge dimming, which sometimes struggles in challenging scenes, are elements that remind you this is not the top tier of televisions. However, LG cleverly compensates for these hardware deficiencies with excellent software. It is quite surprising how well this television manages to extract details in HDR or upscale lower quality material from cable – the processor does a great job here, making the picture appear more expensive than it actually is. If we add to this the excellent WebOS system and gaming features, which, despite the lack of 120Hz, perform admirably, we get a very successful screen for home cinema. It requires a certain understanding, but in return, it rewards you with a truly vibrant image at an affordable price.

In the discussion about image quality, the conversation almost always begins with the issue of black depth and contrast, which are parameters that define the plasticity and realism of the observed world. Here, the TCL P7k/P79k immediately lays its strongest asset on the table – a VA panel. Its construction is what makes the native relation between the brightest and darkest parts of the image more than satisfactory, especially in the context of the price segment that this model represents. In the majority of scenes, the black achieved has a noble depth, which allows for building an engaging spectacle for the viewer. To illustrate the scale, it is worth mentioning that competing constructions based on IPS panels often offer results that are even four times, and sometimes five times, lower, which in direct comparison represents a chasm. Of course, when entering the territory of models oriented towards affordability, we must be aware of certain compromises. Therefore, we will not find an advanced local dimming system in the discussed television, which could further enhance the sense of contrast. However, the absence of this feature is fully understandable and constitutes a logical consequence of positioning the product in the market – this technology in TCL's portfolio for 2025 has been reserved for higher positioned, more prestigious series marked with the letter "C".

The model we tested, with a 55-inch diagonal, is equipped with a VA panel. And here we have great news: this is a huge advantage over the IPS version if you care about deep blacks and a vivid picture. Our measurements showed that in typical movie scenes, the native contrast is really solid, exceeding values around 6000:1. In practice, this means that black is truly black, not grey, which works very well for occasional evening viewing and is not annoying. Interestingly, there were moments when our measurement devices indicated contrast levels of over 20,000:1. Where does such a jump come from? The LG QNED80A is equipped with a Local Dimming system. However, this is an edge-lit setup. This means that the television can dim vertical backlight strips where the image is supposed to be dark. In theory, this sounds great and indeed allows for better numbers in graphs than with a classic LCD screen. Unfortunately, practice can be brutal. The use of edge dimming is a double-edged sword that can spoil the film viewing experience in challenging scenes. An ideal example is the helicopter scene in the film Sicario 2. When there is a lot of black on the screen and small, bright points, the dimming system starts to work very aggressively and... not very precisely. You can clearly see how entire vertical strips of the screen brighten and dim, trying to keep up with the object. Instead of deep blacks, we then see a glow (blooming), which simply looks bad and detracts significant attention from the plot. Although the dimming system improves measurable contrast, in everyday use – especially with the lights off – its aggressive operation can be irritating. Often, a better solution may turn out to be... turning off this feature or setting it to minimum, to enjoy a stable, natural black of the VA panel itself.

When turning to the assessment of HDR performance, we must be clear and without marketing embellishments: the P7K/P79K is not, and was never intended to be, a master in this field. The maximum peak brightness that this panel can generate hovers around a mere 300 nits. This represents a threshold, a kind of thin red line between what can be considered a barely satisfactory HDR signal and what is, in fact, not much different from standard dynamic range (SDR), unfortunately leaning towards the latter. Synthetic tests found brutal confirmation in reality – our measurements taken during movie screenings showed that luminance in key bright portions of the scenes rarely exceeded the ceiling of 200-250 nits. Thus, this is not a television that would allow content realised in a wide tonal range to spread its wings, and this must be openly admitted.

Unfortunately, the issue of colour reproduction is presented with equal restraint. Although the manufacturer positions this model within the "QLED" family, thanks to the use of a PFS LED filter, the results do not match the heightened expectations. The coverage of the wide DCI-P3 colour gamut reaches only 86%. In the context of the market, this is at best an average result, as most devices that employ additional layers to expand the colour spectrum easily achieve values at a minimum level of 90-92%.

Let's now talk about how this television shines. If you are expecting dazzling light effects, we need to temper your enthusiasm. The LG QNED80A is a moderately bright television. Our measurements in most movie scenes indicated values around 350-400 nits. This is not enough to speak of a full, cinematic HDR experience and the sense of that famous "high dynamism" offered by flagship products. However, brightness is not everything. Although the QNED80A is not a "light monster," it makes up for it in another crucial category: colours. This is where PFS technology comes into play, which LG marketers disguise under the name QNED/NanoCell. Thanks to this approach, the television offers a much wider colour palette than classic LCD designs. In our tests, coverage of the cinematic DCI-P3 palette reached a solid 93-94%. What does this mean for you? That even with lower brightness, when watching movies in HDR, colours will be vivid, deep, and appropriately saturated. The image is not washed out but rather juicy, which is a significant advantage in this price range.

Every accurate assessment of image quality must begin with selection of the most optimal factory mode. In the case of the tested model P7K/P79K, the choice was made without hesitation for the "Film" mode. It is this mode that presents an image closest to the intentions of the creators, avoiding both the exaggerated brightness of the dynamic mode and the excessive dimming known from eco settings. And it must be admitted that, for a device in this price range, the factory calibration is surprisingly decent, although it has not escaped a few missteps. The most noticeable flaw turned out to be the not completely correctly set white balance. A slight dominance of the blue component gives the image a subtly cool, cold character, thus deviating from the exemplary neutrality that the director wanted to show us. The television performs much better in reproducing the greyscale in the standard dynamic range – the gamma curve is nearly exemplary. The only minor reservation could be made regarding the darkest parts of the image, where a slight deviation from the norm causes a loss of some detail in the shadows. The most serious challenge for the TCL software, however, was interpreting the HDR signal, as illustrated by the course of the EOTF curve. The television follows its own, quite free path here – the darkest details are disproportionately brightened, after which there is a noticeable slowdown in the increase of brightness for midtones. Fortunately, most of these imperfections are software-related issues that can be eliminated. With this thought in mind, we began the process of professional calibration.

It might seem that since the QNED80A is one model, regardless of the version, it should offer the same picture. However, practice shows something completely different. Analyzing the variant with a VA panel in the best factory setting – that is, in Filmmaker Mode – we noticed a specific characteristic. This television, “out of the box,” serves us a picture with a clear dominance of red and a deficiency of blue. Overall, it is very warm, even hot. Many users may describe this as a picture that is “too cinematic,” leaning towards sepia. Additionally, there is the issue of the gamma curve – the television has a tendency to slightly artificially brighten scenes (gamma is too low), causing the picture to lose some depth. The good news is that these are not panel errors, but merely software issues. As always in our tests, we conducted professional calibration, which completely eliminated these shortcomings, restoring the natural white balance and correct saturation.

The calibration process turned out to be spot on, particularly in the context of standard dynamic range (SDR) content. We successfully mitigated the television's tendency to emphasize cool tones, restoring the whiteness to its natural neutrality. Moreover, precise adjustments allowed us to correct a slight error in the gamma curve, ensuring that the darkest parts of the image regained their proper depth, without any trace of unnatural brightness. The effects are measurable and impressive – in the ColorChecker test, the overwhelming majority of colour reproduction errors fell below the perceptual threshold, achieving a deltaE value of under 2. This is a result that pricier models would not be ashamed of. Unfortunately, when it comes to HDR content, we encounter a barrier in the form of the inherent limitations of the panel itself. And although we managed to bring the colours into line, the software's characteristics mean that the television still adapts brightness in its own way, as evidenced by the persistent, non-standard EOTF curve. In summary, calibration adds immense value, but one must be aware that it cannot overcome certain physical barriers. The slightly elevated black level, due to the lack of local dimming, along with limited peak brightness, means that HDR content may not always be able to showcase its full potential. This is simply not the primary task of this display; its true strength, especially after professional tuning, lies in the viewing of SDR material.

Was it worth spending time on calibration? Definitely yes. We managed to tame the initial, too warm white balance and, most importantly, correct the gamma curve. The television stopped artificially brightening scenes, which gave the image depth. The greatest improvement is noticeable in SDR content, that is, while watching regular television, YouTube, or playing games without HDR. Here the QNED80A shows its class – colour reproduction errors (DeltaE) have dropped below a value of 2. In technical terms, this means that the errors are virtually unnoticeable to the human eye. The image in everyday use has simply become very attractive, natural, and correct. The difficulties begin with HDR content. Although we managed to improve the white balance, the EOTF curve graph (responsible for brightness at various levels) shows that the television still "interprets" the image in its own way. This stems from the nature of the edge-lit backlight with local dimming and the fact that LG gives the calibrator very little control over this parameter. In short: the television struggles to hide its hardware shortcomings, sometimes ignoring our commands. Nevertheless, the final image is significantly more accurate and pleasant to behold than with factory settings, even if it falls a bit short of studio perfection.

The issue of the fluidity of tonal transitions, or popular grading, is another area where the P7K / P79K evokes mixed feelings and surprises with its dual nature. If we were to evaluate solely its ability to render smooth colour gradients, we would undoubtedly give it a solid score of 8/10. Unfortunately, this positive image is marred by the use of very aggressive and unpleasant dithering. This artefact is particularly noticeable on demanding test patterns – such as the one depicting an actor submerged in red water – where rough, unnatural texture appears on uniform colour surfaces, betraying the digital nature of the image. This is all the more disappointing, as it is not a new issue. It seems to be a sort of inheritance from previous generations of budget TCL models, which is a pity, as it represents a flaw on what is fundamentally a quite competent image and is a mistake that could have been avoided.

We also have excellent news for those sensitive to digital artifacts. Regardless of which version of the panel you encounter, the LG QNED80A excels at gradation, meaning smooth colour transitions. In this price range, it is often the case that instead of a smooth transition (e.g., from light sky blue to navy), we see ugly, separated bands. Here, this problem is practically non-existent. In our tests, both in very bright areas of the image (like sunsets) and in challenging dark grey shades, the picture remained uniform and natural. We did not notice the irritating effect of "banding" or distinct lines connecting colours.

After a series of harsh evaluations, fortunately, the time comes for praise, and this is due to the TCL AiPQ image processor for its work in the field of digital processing and content scaling. It should be noted right away that we are not talking about the level known from flagship designs; however, in the price segment represented by the P7K/P79K, the results achieved are more than solid. The feature for smoothing tonal transitions performs particularly well, effectively eliminating posterisation, which are the characteristic bands often visible in highly compressed materials, for example, from the ChooseTV service. The algorithm adeptly removes unwanted gradients, which ultimately looks really good. The television also handles upscaling competently, which is the task of elevating low-resolution materials to 4K standard. The resulting image, although it may initially seem a bit too sharp, fortunately, is not a problem. The software allows for free adjustment of this parameter using a sharpness slider, making it easy to customise the final appearance to personal preferences.

In this category, the QNED80A proves to be a true "dark horse." It is an excellent, affordable television for those who frequently watch lower-quality content – for example, traditional cable TV. The processor used here handles upscaling, that is, enhancing low resolution to native 4K, exceptionally well. The image after processing is natural, smooth, and, most importantly, not overly jagged or artificially sharpened. In the menu, we also find a dedicated option for smoothing tonal transitions in low-quality content. This feature works really effectively, eliminating annoying "banding" of colours under heavy video compression. However, we must remain vigilant. Remember that we are not dealing with a top-tier processor known from flagship OLED models. In more challenging scenes, the system may struggle and introduce minor artefacts or distortions. Nonetheless, it is definitely worth giving this feature a chance, as in most cases the quality improvement is visibly apparent.

The issue of fluidity and sharpness of the image in motion is inextricably linked to a fundamental parameter of the matrix, and in the case of the TCL P7K/P79K, we are dealing with a panel with a native refresh rate of 60 Hz. This specification defines its capabilities from the outset and makes it difficult to unequivocally recommend it to enthusiasts of dynamic sports broadcasts. During fast camera movements, the image loses sharpness, and the panel also shows a slight tendency to smearing, which may be noticeable to more sensitive viewers. Fortunately, not everything in this aspect has been left to chance. The manufacturer has implemented a simple motion smoothing system, which is primarily used in film material recorded at 24 or 30 frames per second. Thanks to a dedicated slider, users can decide for themselves the final character of the motion – from maintaining a fully cinematic, slightly juddery image to achieving a very smooth, almost theatrical effect. It is a simple but effective tool that allows users to tailor the viewing experience to their own preferences.

We move on to a matter that may be decisive for many. Unfortunately, here we must point out the biggest "Achilles' heel" of the QNED80A model. This television is equipped with a panel featuring a native refresh rate of 60Hz. There is no denying it – at this price, we expected more as we know that Chinese manufacturers can offer 120Hz screens for a similar price. Due to this parameter, dynamic scenes in sports or fast-paced games are not the strongest aspect of this display. Fortunately, LG has equipped the television with a proven motion smoothing system called TruMotion. It works quite effectively with film material (24 frames). We suggest playing around with the De-Judder slider – from our experience, setting it in the range of 2-4 provides the best compromise: the motion becomes smoother, yet still looks natural, without the artificial "television theatre" effect.

Although on paper the native 4K@60Hz panel might suggest that the TCL P7K/P79K is not a television tailored for gamers, the reality is surprisingly different. On the contrary, the manufacturer has ensured a rich package of features that make it a very friendly companion for next-generation consoles. Onboard, we find key technologies such as ALLM, which provides automatic switching to low latency mode, and VRR, or variable refresh rate, which eliminates screen tearing. The list is complemented by support for Dolby Vision Gaming and a simple yet functional Game Bar. However, the real and extremely pleasant surprise is something else. It turns out that the television easily supports a high refresh rate signal of 120 Hz but at lower resolutions – 1080p and 1440p. This is fantastic news for console owners, who know well how rarely games run in native 4K at a full 120 frames per second. The ability to choose between higher resolution and doubled smoothness is therefore an extremely sensible compromise.

In summary, although the P7K/P79K may not be the target screen for the most passionate tournament players, for the casual or occasional console user, it offers a package of options that is hard to find among many competitors at this price.

Now that we have established that the QNED80A is a television with a 60Hz panel, we must say it plainly: we will not be playing here at 120 frames per second at any resolution. Does this disqualify the equipment in the eyes of gamers? Not necessarily, especially those "casual" ones. LG has decided to sweeten this technical limitation by packing quite a few useful functions inside. We have support for VRR (variable refresh rate) in the range of 48-60Hz and automatic game mode ALLM, which instantly reduces input lag upon detection of a console. All of this is managed from a very convenient, purple Game Optimizer menu, which has already become LG's hallmark. A big plus goes to the manufacturer for consistency regarding HDR. Although the television does not support Dolby Vision in games on Xbox consoles, LG adds a well-implemented HGiG standard. Thanks to this, even on a moderately bright screen, playing in HDR is clear, and the details in shadows and highlights are accurately reproduced, rather than "cut off".

Complementing this rich package for gamers is a parameter that has a direct impact on comfort and performance in gameplay – input lag. Already in native 60 Hz mode, the television boasts an excellent result of just 15 ms. However, the real magic happens when switching to 120 Hz mode, where the lag drops nearly by half, reaching values below 10 ms. Such responsiveness ensures that every command from the controller is translated to the screen in the blink of an eye, which will be appreciated not only by professionals but by anyone who values smooth and direct interaction with the game.

At the end of the gaming section, let's take a look at how quickly the television responds to our commands. The input lag we measured in the QNED80A model is around 15 ms (at a 60Hz signal). While these may not be values that will revolutionise the market or impress professional e-sports players fighting for every millisecond, they are perfectly sufficient for the average console gamer. During tests in games, we did not notice any irritating "screen tearing" of the crosshair or delay between pressing a button on the controller and the response on the screen. The entertainment is smooth and comfortable, which is the most important thing in home gaming.

We finally come to an area that can undoubtedly be described as the biggest Achilles' heel of the TCL P7K/P79K – its compatibility with PC. It is paradoxical in that, on paper, everything looks promising. The presence of G-Sync and support for high refresh rates at lower resolutions might suggest that it would also be a great monitor. Unfortunately, practice brutally verifies these assumptions. The key issue is the lack of support for full 4:4:4 chroma sampling. In everyday use, this translates to terrible font rendering quality – these, especially the coloured ones, become jagged, surrounded by artefacts, and simply poorly legible. This is not the end of the story, as in PC mode, the problem of aggressive dithering also becomes evident, giving the entire image an artificial, overly digital appearance. The only consolation in this situation is the fact that in games we can take advantage of the additional hertz and G-Sync technology, but these are not advantages that could compensate for the fundamental deficiencies in displaying a static interface. The verdict is therefore clear: while as a screen solely for gaming on PC it might still hold its own, as a monitor for work or browsing the internet, the P7K/P79K simply performs poorly.

Is the QNED80A suitable for connecting to a computer? In the case of the version with a VA panel, the answer is: absolutely. If you plan to use this television as a massive monitor for work, you will not be disappointed. The readability of the fonts is at a very high level – the text is sharp, clear and does not strain the eyes, which is not always a given with large screens. Additionally, there is the low input lag we mentioned earlier. This makes mouse work precise and you do not feel the characteristic "floating" of the cursor. Of course, due to the 60Hz refresh rate, it is not the ideal equipment for e-sports players gaming on PC, but for working with text, browsing the web, or occasional strategy gaming, it will perform excellently.

When it comes to viewing angles, we enter the territory where VA panel technology dictates unavoidable conditions. As expected, this is the weak point of this model. It is enough to move away from the screen axis to observe a gradual degradation of the image: colours begin to fade, contrast noticeably drops, and black loses its depth. In direct comparison with IPS panels, which are renowned for their generosity in this aspect, the VA panel must concede superiority to its competitor. Is there any upside to this? Paradoxically, yes. Poor viewing angles are, after all, the price we consciously pay for the fundamental advantage of this technology – a significantly higher native contrast and deeper blacks when viewed head-on. Thus, it can be said that this is a television that favours viewers sitting in the 'ideal' spot, offering them a maximally vibrant image at the cost of versatility.

By opting for the VA panel version, you must be aware of a certain compromise. You get something for something – we enjoy great blacks and contrast, but we pay for it with narrow viewing angles. This is a typical feature of this technology, and the QNED80A is no exception. If you sit perfectly in front of the screen – the picture will be razor sharp. However, it is enough to shift to the side of the sofa or step away to the kitchenette to notice a degradation in the image. Colours begin to lose saturation, becoming washed out, and the deep black that we praised starts to grey. Therefore, this variant of the television is best suited for individuals who have their favourite spot in the middle of the sofa and rarely watch TV in a large gathering spread across the entire living room.

The final practical test for any television is its daily performance in daytime conditions when it has to compete with ambient light. In this competition, the TCL P7K / P79K starts with a certain advantage in the form of a satin finish on the screen. Its structure handles direct reflections quite decently, diffusing them and protecting the image from excessive fading of colours or lightening of blacks. However, the passive struggle against reflections is one side of the coin. The other is the active ability to 'break through' bright surroundings, and here one of the model's key limitations comes to light. The previously mentioned peak brightness of around 300 nits is simply too low to ensure a fully comfortable and dynamic viewing experience in a brightly lit living room. In such conditions, the image may lack punch, and scenes with lower brightness can lose their clarity.

How does the QNED80A perform when we don't have the curtains drawn? Let's put it bluntly: it is not the brightest television on the market, so if your living room resembles a glass greenhouse at noon, this screen may struggle to cut through the intense sunlight. For extremely challenging lighting conditions, we would suggest looking for something with higher brightness (e.g. Mini LED). However, the television defends itself with something else – the type of coating applied to the panel. The manufacturer opted for a satin finish (semi-matte) here. This is a great decision. Unlike glossy coatings that act like mirrors, this coating effectively suppresses and diffuses reflections of light. As a result, in typical, moderate lighting conditions, a standing lamp next to it or a window to the side will not be distracting, and the viewing experience will remain pleasant.

Smart Features – the Power of Google TV

The heart and operating brain of the TCL P7K / P79K is the Google TV system, which is a significant advantage in itself. This platform opens access to an almost limitless library of applications from the Play Store, ensuring that we won't miss any key streaming service. Integration with other devices is exemplary – Apple users will appreciate the seamless collaboration thanks to AirPlay, and Windows and Android users can easily utilise screen mirroring features. One should also highlight Google Assistant, which performs exceptionally well with voice search in Polish, remaining one of the most effective and convenient solutions of its kind on the market. The system’s performance on the tested model can be described as "above average." The interface is mostly smooth, but during tests, there were occasional slowdowns and even sporadic "freezes" that required a moment of patience. Minor glitches can also be seen in the translation of some system messages, which can be clumsy – however, these are minor oversights on TCL's part that do not affect overall functionality.

Classic Features

In the era of smart systems, traditional television functions often take a back seat, and this is also the case here. A significant advantage is the inclusion of a classic remote control with a numeric keypad, which does not require precise aiming at the screen for communication, significantly enhancing user comfort. The presence of Bluetooth technology for connecting external devices, such as headphones or speakers, should also be regarded positively. However, this is essentially where the list of conveniences ends. It is evident that TCL has almost put everything on the Google TV card, treating classic functions as an absolute minimum. Therefore, we will not find options to record programmes from built-in tuners to a USB drive or the once-popular PiP (Picture-in-Picture) feature. This is, therefore, a basic package that simply works but does not offer anything beyond what is essential.

Smart TV System and WebOS

A significant advantage of LG televisions – even those in the lower or mid-price range – is that the manufacturer does not neglect them in terms of software. The QNED80A operates under the latest version of the WebOS system, which performed excellently during our tests. The interface was smooth, reacted quickly to commands, and most importantly – was very intuitive. Much of the credit goes to the famous Magic Remote controller, which functions like a computer mouse – we control the on-screen cursor with wrist movements. However, here you will encounter a surprise. In the 2025 model year, the controller underwent quite a drastic transformation. It has been minimised and slimmed down. Modern users will likely appreciate this change, as the remote fits well in the hand and looks more "premium". However, traditionalists may feel disappointed – the miniaturisation has come at a cost, including the removal of the classic numerical keypad, which may make it difficult to quickly switch channels.

Classic Functions and Multimedia

When it comes to so-called classic functions, the QNED80A does not strive to be a revolutionary device. It is simply a solid piece of equipment that does what it was designed for. There are no hidden "gimmicks" here, but we also did not find anything lacking. The traditional Teletext works flawlessly, and the wireless connectivity modules (such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi) are stable and pair quickly with external devices, such as headphones or a soundbar. In this regard, the television simply does not throw any obstacles in the way – it works as we expect, not standing out in any particular way against the competition, but also not giving us any reasons to complain.

The built-in media player in the P7k/P79k model is quite a puzzling case, placing us in a rather unusual situation. On one hand, its engine manages to decode most popular video formats, which is obviously good news. On the other hand, we encountered a surprising and frustrating flaw – the default app has a fundamental issue with correctly displaying Polish diacritical characters in subtitle files. Instead of letters like "ą," "ę," or "ż," empty squares or random, unreadable symbols appeared on the screen. Fortunately, thanks to the flexibility of the Google TV system, this issue can be easily circumvented. Installing an alternative, advanced player, such as the tried and tested VLC or KODI, fully resolves this inconvenience. The situation is particularly odd since we didn't encounter such a flaw in other TCL models we tested previously. We are therefore dealing with an obvious software oversight, which we hope will be fixed in a future update.

How does the QNED80A perform as a home multimedia centre? After connecting an external drive or USB stick, the television easily recognises and plays the vast majority of popular video and audio formats. One can confidently say that in daily use, you will rarely encounter a file that refuses to cooperate. However, we must draw attention to a certain catch arising from the software architecture. WebOS is a closed system. What does this mean for you? That if the built-in player struggles with an exotic format, we do not have a "lifeline". We cannot go to the store and download an external application like VLC that "plays everything", as is the case with Android or Google TV. The specific shortcomings we managed to catch mainly pertain to graphic files. The television does not support the HEIC format, which is standard on Apple devices (iPhone/iPad). Photographs with very high resolution (in the range of 20-28 Mpix) also proved problematic – when attempting to open them, the system often capitulated. It is worth keeping this in mind if you plan to view holiday photos directly from the drive.

In terms of the built-in audio system, the TCL P7k/P79k presents a level that can be described as functional and correct, but lacking audiophile ambitions. The speakers play quite loudly, and the dialogues in films and television programmes are delivered clearly and without distortion, which is crucial in everyday use. However, the soundstage definitely lacks a foundation in the form of low tones. This is a direct consequence of the absence of a dedicated subwoofer – an element that in the higher P8K series, represented by a large Onkyo subwoofer at the back of the cabinet, constituted the strength of its sound. Here, that element is simply missing, which makes the sound seem flatter and devoid of the depth that creates a cinematic atmosphere. We also noticed a peculiar aspect in the software – when attempting to set the maximum volume, the television automatically reduces it. It is difficult to determine definitively whether this is a form of protection against distortion or a minor software glitch; nonetheless, it’s a shame because the power reserves seem to be slightly greater.

In terms of audio, the LG QNED80A does not try to enchant us. It simply sounds like... a typical flat TV. The installed speaker system with a total power of 20W may not be the strongest point of this design. If you expect a cinematic punch or depth, known from more expensive models equipped with subwoofers, you will feel a sense of disappointment. There is simply a lack of bass here, and the sound is rather flat. However, we must give this model credit in one aspect: the clarity of the transmission. When scenes based on conversations appear on the screen, the QNED80A performs quite adequately. The dialogues are clear, separated, and – importantly – undistorted. There is no crackling effect at higher volumes. It is sufficient for everyday television, but for movies, we definitely recommend purchasing at least a basic soundbar.

TCL P7K / P79K vs LG QNED80A6A (VA)

Advantages

Disadvantages

Our verdict

TV appearance

Where to buy

Contrast and black detail

HDR effect quality

Factory color reproduction

Color reproduction after calibration

Smoothness of tonal transitions

Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions

Blur and motion smoothness

Console compatibility and gaming features

Input lag

Compatibility with PC

Viewing angles

Daytime performance

Panel details

TV features

Classic features:

Smart features:

Smart Features – the Power of Google TV

Classic Features

Smart TV System and WebOS

Classic Functions and Multimedia

Apps

Playing files from USB

Sound

Sound Quality Test

Acoustic Measurements