TCL P7K / P79K vs Philips OLED770

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%.

The Philips OLED770 does not attempt to compete with the brightest OLEDs on the market, and it would be difficult to expect that, as it is the entry-level model in Philips' range for 2025. In our measurements, it reached a maximum of around 700 nits, which allows enjoyment of HDR effects in scenes where light appears sporadically – for example, in the flash of headlights or a starry sky. In such moments, the image can truly be stunning. However, it is different when there are more bright elements on the screen. The television, like many cheaper OLEDs, limits luminance in those situations, causing the entire image to noticeably dim. This was best observed in a scene from the film The Meg, where the sun comes out behind an oil rig – the brightness then dropped to around 250 nits, which is almost three times less. The HDR effect remains pleasant to the eye, but it is worth being aware that this model performs best in scenes with less intense light. Fortunately, the OLED770 has a trump card – the coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut is as high as 99%, so colours in films and games are vivid and very close to what the creator intended to convey.

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.

The first measurements already show that the factory settings of the Philips OLED770 have quite a lot to improve even in Filmmaker mode. The white balance chart clearly shows a lack of blue, resulting in a slightly yellowish tint to the image. In practice, the white is not snowy but leans towards warmer tones – which some may even appreciate, but from the perspective of accuracy, this is a deviation from the norm. The gamma, on the other hand, tends to the darker side – the average value is around 2.6 instead of the reference 2.4. In the midtones, the image appears subdued and more saturated, which may seem too "filmic," but detracts somewhat from naturalness. However, the most issues are evident in colour reproduction. The average error is relatively high, and some colours – particularly shades of grey – deviate significantly from what one should see. In everyday viewing, this means that sometimes colours may look less natural than we would like.

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.

The Philips OLED770 from the outset signalled that it harboured significant potential, but in its factory settings, it was difficult to see this fully. The picture was often too warm, and some colours appeared to have lost their naturalness along the way. Calibration, however, revealed that it is a very responsive television – it reacted to every adjustment and almost immediately unveiled another layer of its capabilities. The white balance could be set in both SDR and HDR to eliminate the yellowish tint and introduce a neutral, clear white. The gamma stabilised closer to perfection, allowing midtones to regain their naturalness, and shadows stopped being artificially darkened, perhaps even with a slight brightening effect. The result was obvious... Films were watched with greater ease; the picture had cinematic depth, but without the feeling that something was exaggeratedly darkened. However, the most interesting aspect was the work on colours. Factory errors were not dramatic but slightly noticeable – skin tones were sometimes too warm, and grey didn’t always have the shade we expected. After calibration, the error values dropped to around 2, and in many cases even below 1. This is certainly a level lower than the threshold of human perception. In other words, after correction, the colours finally "clicked" into place. Looking at the screen, we had the impression that the television had begun to speak with its full voice. Like an instrument that has finally been well tuned.

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.

The issue of the aforementioned colour banding can largely be mitigated thanks to the 'distortion reduction' feature, which is an algorithm for smoothing tonal transitions in Philips. It performs best at a low setting – effectively eliminating unwanted colour bands while not introducing strange artefacts or losing image detail. This is one of those features that is truly worth leaving switched on.

The situation is somewhat worse regarding upscaling. The image from a lower resolution can be too soft, while in some areas, characteristic 'jaggies' appear. The impression is that the algorithm is trying to reconcile two conflicting directions – smoothing and sharpening – and ultimately fails to find a happy medium. As a consolation, it can be added that the television has no issues with overscan, meaning it does not cut off the edges of the image, which sometimes occurs in other competing models.

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.

The issue of the matrix in the Philips OLED770 is not entirely straightforward. The manufacturer claims a 120 Hz panel, but our measurements showed that the screen can accept a 4K signal even at 144 Hz. That sounds like great news – after all, who wouldn't want an additional mode for PC gamers at this price? However, the reality turned out to be more complex. With 120 Hz content, the television behaves like most OLEDs – the image is absolutely clear, with no trace of ghosting or blurring, making it perfect for both dynamic games and sports broadcasts. The problem only arises at 144 Hz. Unlike models with official support for this frequency, here you can observe the phenomenon known as frame skipping. This means that the television cannot display all the frames – some are skipped, causing motion to lose smoothness, and double contours appear on the screen. The effect resembles the operation of the BFI function, which Philips does not offer in this model anyway.

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.

If someone is looking for a television for gaming, the Philips OLED770 is a contender that is hard to ignore. The mere fact that we have an OLED here provides an excellent starting point – perfect black and infinite contrast make evening sessions in atmospheric games look as if they were lifted straight from the cinema. On top of that, there is the Ambilight system, which consists of LEDs on the back of the television that extend the image onto the wall behind the screen. The effect is such that even playing FIFA can look like a small spectacle, and in horror games the atmosphere becomes truly thick. From a technical standpoint, it's also quite decent. The Philips OLED770 supports variable refresh rate (VRR) up to 120 Hz, has an automatic mode for gamers (ALLM), and if someone is using an Xbox Series X, they can also count on Dolby Vision support in games. One must only know that in this mode the input lag is slightly higher than standard, though still at an acceptable level. As a bonus, we get the “Game Bar” panel, which is a special tool bar for gamers. It isn’t the most conveniently designed solution, but it allows you to check key parameters without leaving the game. Overall, this results in a television that, on one hand, has all the essential gaming features, and on the other, can add something unique – Ambilight. And it is this mix of technology and visual effect that makes the OLED770 one of the better screens for gaming at home.