Compare: TCL V6C vs LG QNED80A6A (VA)

The TCL V6C is a television whose essence lies primarily in three elements: the Google TV system, several features useful for gamers, and a very low price. It is the Google TV that is its greatest asset – providing access to a vast library of applications, from the most popular streaming services to lesser-known programmes, and it also allows for the use of AirPlay, screen mirroring, and voice search. For many users, this system alone may be a sufficient reason to consider purchasing it. Adding to this are simple yet practical features for gamers, such as ALLM mode, low input lag, or the Game Bar with parameter overview, which make occasional gaming on a console more convenient. The third argument, and perhaps the most important, is the price – in this class, it's hard to find another model with Google TV that offers such broad access to smart functions. However, when we turn to picture quality, it becomes clear how many compromises we are dealing with. The V6C is a very dark television. Colours remain lacking, and in more demanding scenes, the image can appear flattened and devoid of detail. The contrast provided by the VA panel can be considered decent, but it comes at the cost of poor viewing angles. Additionally, there is motion blur in dynamic sports scenes, as well as an unnatural upscaling effect that, instead of improving details, often artificially sharpens them. So who is this model for? The V6C is a television that will work well as a simple device for everyday watching of TV or YouTube, and its greatest strength is its operating system and low price. However, if we're hoping for cheap cinematic experiences or comfortable gaming on modern titles, this model will quickly show its limitations. When purchasing it, one must clearly understand what they are deciding upon – this is a television for simple tasks, not a piece of equipment that is meant to impress with its picture quality.

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.

The TCK V6C uses a VA matrix, which is a solution that is considered quite a reasonable choice in budget televisions. This type of panel offers high contrast and can provide pleasant experiences, particularly during evening film screenings. Of course, in this price range, it is difficult to expect local dimming – that technology simply isn't present here. The effect is that black will not be as deep and inky as in more expensive models, and at times it may resemble more of a shade of navy. Fortunately, this can be easily mitigated – just turn on a soft light behind the television or place a small lamp in the corner of the room, allowing the eyes to "trick" themselves and making blacks appear significantly better. For equipment in this category, the contrast can therefore be regarded as decent and sufficient for daily viewing.

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 it comes to HDR, the TCK V6C clearly shows that this is not its strong suit. A peak brightness of around 200 nits makes it difficult to speak of true HDR effects – the image simply remains too dark to extract details in bright scenes or convey the appropriate dynamics. Although the television formally supports many HDR formats, in practice it is not equipped for such demanding content. The lack of additional coatings that enhance colours, such as QLED or PFS LED, further limits the attractiveness of the image – in more spectacular productions, colours can appear washed out compared to more expensive models. Therefore, the V6C will primarily serve as a television for everyday viewing, YouTube or SDR content, rather than as equipment for cinematic experiences in high quality.

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.

We started our colour reproduction tests with the Filmmaker mode, which in theory should be the best choice straight out of the box. It certainly performs better than the Eco or Dynamic modes, which significantly alter the image and spoil its natural character. As you can see from the graphs, the factory calibration of the V6C is not ideal, although it's not a complete disaster either. The biggest issue turned out to be a deficiency in red – the television clearly "cools" the image, which is particularly noticeable on human faces, giving a "corpse skin" effect. This issue was the most bothersome in everyday viewing. Looking at the colour palette in HDR content, the shortcomings in red are also noticeable, and their source is the relatively narrow coverage of the colour space. Of course, every television can be calibrated, so we decided to check how the V6C would perform after such an adjustment.

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.

My dear friends – we haven’t had such a difficult "calibration battle" in years. The V6C turned out to be one of the most stubborn televisions we have encountered in the editorial office. The calibration attempts alone took us several man-hours and required considerable patience. We finally managed to slightly warm the skin tones, which made faces stop looking like they were pulled straight from a horror film, a complaint regarding the factory settings. Unfortunately, that's not the end of it – the television reacted to our white balance corrections in a completely unpredictable manner. Where we expected stabilisation of the image in a certain area, new errors appeared, and the Color Checker measurements showed deviations that could not be rationally explained. It is hard to determine whether the issue lay with the software or the design itself, but one thing is certain – the V6C put up exceptionally strong resistance. Ultimately, the calibration brought improvement, especially in SDR content, where the image became more pleasant and natural. However, it must be clearly stated that the design limitations remain. The television still flattens the image in HDR materials and has noticeable deficiencies in colour reproduction. This device is rather intended for everyday television watching or SDR materials than for cinematic viewing in the highest quality.

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.

When it comes to the fluidity of tonal transitions, in everyday viewing it doesn't look too bad. In most scenes, the image appears smooth, and the colours blend without noticeable disturbances. Therefore, you can comfortably watch films or series without worrying about glaring artifacts. The problem only begins in more extreme moments – in very bright or exceptionally dark scenes, the V6C shows its limitations. At those times, you can see a slight "stepping" of colours, meaning a lack of perfectly smooth transitions. Fortunately, these situations are rather occasional.

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.

When it comes to upscaling, the V6C does not bring anything groundbreaking to the table. Lower quality content is heavily sharpened, making the image look very unnatural, at times even artificial. This can be somewhat mitigated by lowering the sharpness level in the settings, but the effect is not spectacular. The image still remains far from ideal. The digital processing itself performs better. The function responsible for smoothing tonal transitions works quite effectively, especially at the medium setting, where the image does indeed appear smoother. Unfortunately, its operation is rather aggressive – it heavily interferes with the overall scene, causing the actors in the foreground to start looking like characters from super smooth soap operas. Therefore, we would rather not recommend using this option if a natural viewing experience is important to us.

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.

Motion smoothing and fluidity are areas where the V6C quickly reveals its limitations. It's a 60 Hz television, so it was difficult to expect miracles here. During dynamic sports scenes, the image is rather average. This is most noticeable in darker scenes, where clear trails and blurred "glows" follow moving objects, which can be quite distracting. This is definitely a weaker point of this design. Fortunately, there is also a small plus. The V6C is equipped with a motion smoother that works while watching films. Thanks to it, productions recorded at 24 frames per second, which includes practically all cinematic titles and series, can look smoother than they were actually recorded. Importantly, the intensity of the effect can be adjusted to personal preferences – from a slight smoothing to a full "soap opera effect".

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 the V6C is not a television designed with avid gamers in mind, TCL has added a few features that might appeal to more casual users. It does not have a 120 Hz panel or HDMI 2.1 ports, but there is an ALLM mode that automatically switches the television to low-latency mode. Additionally, there is quite a practical Game Bar – a simple panel for previewing basic parameters, changing picture modes, or even activating a virtual crosshair on the screen. An interesting feature is the support for Dolby Vision Gaming, intended for Xbox Series S/X consoles – a nice addition, although in practice it does not offer as much as in more expensive models. However, the biggest issue remains the configuration of HDR. The HGiG function, responsible for adjusting the brightness and contrast of games to the capabilities of the panel, does not respond as we would expect – the image can be excessively dark or too flat. As a result, the better solution turns out to be simply playing in SDR mode, where the V6C performs stably and does not try to pretend to be a HDR television.

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".

The measurement of input lag indicates values below 15 ms, which is a level that is practically difficult to detect with the naked eye. Even in dynamic games, the action remains responsive and the controls fluid. This is a result that can confidently be considered very good and sufficiently adequate for most players, even though the V6C is not strictly a gaming device.

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.

Collaboration with a PC is only partially satisfactory. The TV supports chroma 4:4:4, so at first glance, the fonts appear quite decent. The problem arises only when we look closely – under a microscope, it turns out that TCL has employed an unusual subpixel arrangement in the V6C. Instead of the classic vertical layout, we have a horizontal arrangement here, which in practice causes various artifacts and irregularities in the display of letters. Fonts can appear jagged, and after extended use, text can be straining on the eyes. Therefore, it is hard to consider the V6C as a sensible alternative to a monitor – it is suitable for occasional browsing or viewing content from a computer, but it completely fails as a primary work screen. There is also nothing to say about gaming features, as they simply do not exist.

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.

The viewing angles on the V6C are a classic compromise that we know from VA panels. We gain solid blacks when watching directly in front, but simply shifting slightly to the side causes the picture to noticeably lose quality – colours fade, and contrast drops. This is a typical limitation of this technology and is unlikely to surprise anyone who has previously dealt with televisions. In practice, this means that the V6C performs best in a “one-sofa” setup – when we watch directly in front of the screen, the blacks appear decent, but a larger group of viewers spread around the entire living room will quickly notice differences in the displayed image.

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 performance of the V6C during the day is not one of its strong points. It is a relatively dim television, which is why it simply struggles in brightly lit rooms. The satin coating of the panel somewhat dampens reflections and indeed reduces bothersome glare, but it is not enough to speak of full viewing comfort. When a lot of natural light floods into the room, the screen cannot 'break through' it, causing the image to become dimmed and barely readable. The V6C is definitely a piece of equipment that feels much better during an evening viewing than in the sunny afternoon.

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.

SmartTV: GoogleTV

The greatest asset of the V6C is the Google TV operating system. This is an extensive platform that provides access to a huge database of applications – from YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, and HBO Max, to less popular programmes that can be easily downloaded from the Google store. In addition, there are useful features such as AirPlay, screen mirroring, and voice search. However, it is important to remember that Google TV is not one of the lightest systems. In the case of the V6C, which is a budget television, there are sometimes noticeable lags and slower interface responses. This does not spoil everyday usage, but it can be felt, especially in comparison to more expensive TCL models or competitors.

Classic Features

The V6C also does not forget about solutions for those who use traditional television. Included in the package is a classic remote control with a large number of buttons, including a full numerical keypad. This is practical for those watching terrestrial or cable television. The television also offers teletext and a clear interface for navigating channels. The seamless Bluetooth operation is a plus – we can easily pair headphones or speakers. Thus, the V6C performs solidly as an everyday television, although certain shortcomings should be kept in mind. We will not find USB recording or picture-in-picture (PiP) mode here, which are features that may mainly be needed by older users. (Though not exclusively 😉).

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.

Playing files from USB on the V6C is quite impressive. The built-in player handles most popular video and audio formats well, and during testing, we did not encounter major difficulties when launching typical files. The biggest issue arose with images in very high resolution – above 20 Mpix the television often refused to cooperate. We also noticed minor gaps in functionality regarding video playback. The video player does not have the option to change the font colours, which had previously worked without issue in other TCL models. Fortunately, these inconveniences are easy to work around. Thanks to Google TV, one can install external applications such as VLC or KODI, which solve most problems and offer much broader file handling capabilities.

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.

The sound in the V6C does not stand out in any particular way compared to competitors in the same price range. The audio is quite flat, and there is simply a lack of bass. Fortunately, the television can play loudly – a measured 83 decibels is a fairly decent result, and importantly, even at maximum volume there is no unpleasant crackling that often plagues cheaper models. However, it’s worth noting not just the quality of the built-in audio, but also the support for advanced spatial audio formats. The V6C handles Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, so connecting a soundbar or another external audio system will not be a problem and will allow users to fully utilise these codecs. This is a good signal for those who plan to upgrade their setup with additional sound equipment.

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 V6C 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:

SmartTV: GoogleTV

Classic Features

Smart TV System and WebOS

Classic Functions and Multimedia

Apps

Playing files from USB

Sound

Sound Quality Test

Acoustic Measurements