TCL V6C Review

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This TV was tested by:

Maciej Koper

Paweł Koper

Last updated::

10/2/2025 1:51:09 PM

There is no shortage of models in the television market that attract with their price, but it is rare to find something really cheap with a full Google TV system. The TCK V6C belongs to this group – it is one of the cheapest receivers with this platform, and thus naturally draws the attention of those looking for simple access to applications and smart functions. However, the system alone is not everything. After all, a television is primarily about the picture, and that can determine whether an evening screening ends with delight or a slight disappointment. Therefore, in this test, we check how the V6C performs in every significant area – from contrast and HDR, through colour reproduction, to latency in gaming.

Product purchase

10/15/2025

Testing started

9/11/2025

Technical data published

10/2/2025

Review published

10/2/2025

TCL V6C - Our verdict

5.2

Overall rating

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.

Advantages

Attractive price
Extensive GoogleTV system with a large app library
Decent contrast thanks to the VA panel
Pretty good dynamic tone mapping function (often saves the TV in HDR content)
Low input lag below 15 ms
Presence of ALLM mode and a simple Game Bar
Support for Dolby Vision Gaming (Xbox Series S/X)
Support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, facilitating the use of a soundbar

Disadvantages

Very low brightness (~200 nits) = lack of cinematic effects
Narrow colour gamut coverage, especially in HDR content
Poor implementation of Dolby Vision
Strong ghosting in dynamic scenes (panel only 60 Hz)
Average upscaling – the image can be artificially sharpened
Unusual subpixel layout making text readability difficult when working with a PC
Limited viewing angles typical of VA panels
The television performs poorly in brightly lit rooms
Google TV system can be sluggish and does not run as smoothly as in more expensive models
Lack of USB recording function and PiP mode

Movies and series in UHD quality

4.9
Classic TV, YouTube

5.0
Sports broadcasts (TV and apps)

3.9
Gaming on console

6.0
TV as a computer monitor

4.0
Watching in bright light

3.6
Utility functions

7.3
Apps

9.6
Sound quality

5.8

TCL V6C - Competing TVs in this price range

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Samsung S90F QD-OLED 65”

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XIAOMI A PRO 2026 65”

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LG QNED93A / QNED90A 65”

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TCL V6C - TV appearance

HDMI inputs: 3 x HDMI 2.0, 0 x HDMI 2.1 Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI) Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps

Build quality: Average

Stand type: Legs

Bezel colour: Graphite

Stand: Fixed

Flat design: No

Accessories: Stand

The TCK V6C makes it clear from the start that we are dealing with a budget segment television, but that doesn’t mean it looks bad. From the front, it presents itself quite decently – a slim, black-graphite frame with a metallic finish fits the standard that most manufacturers have accustomed us to. The differences become apparent only when we look at the back. There it is evident that the designers had to save a bit – the casing is noticeably thicker, and the components protrude in a way that makes it difficult to hang the television really close to the wall. For many people, however, this won’t be a problem, as the set also includes plastic feet, set wide apart. They may not look overly attractive, but they stabilise the whole unit well and fulfil their purpose.

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TCL V6C - Contrast and black detail

Viewing mode Game mode

5.2/10

Viewing mode Game mode

Local dimming function: No

Review TCL V6C Contrast and black detail

Result

4,450:1

Result

4,900:1

Result

3,150:1

Result

4,250:1

Result

2,550:1

Visibility of details in the lights:

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.

TCL V6C - HDR effect quality

Viewing mode Game mode

3.2/10

Viewing mode Game mode

Supported formats: HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, HLG Color gamut coverage: DCI P3: 80.3%, Bt.2020: 58.9%

Luminance measurements in HDR:

Result

149 nit

Result

163 nit

Result

193 nit

Result

172 nit

Result

196 nit

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.

Scene from the movie “Pan” (about 2800 nits)

Scene from the movie “Billy Lynn” (about 1100 nits)

The photos show two HDR10 movies. 'Pan' is one of the brightest productions ever made, while 'Billy Lynn' (soldier) has brightness typical of streaming (Netflix, Prime, HBO MAX). Notice the intensity of effects and detail in whites.

Since brightness is not a strong point of the V6C, we didn't expect too much from it when considering its adaptation to very demanding films. In the case of spectacular blockbusters recorded with the highest image quality, such as the film Pan, the television completely falters – the image loses depth, and the dynamics are greatly flattened. On the other hand, it's not a disaster; the V6C does not wash everything in greyness as much as tends to happen in other budget constructions. It looks a bit better in less demanding productions, for example in the scene from the film Billy Lynn, which are similar to the content we find on streaming platforms like Netflix. There, the feature hidden in the menu under the name "detailed priority description" can recover a lot of details, even if the television does not impress with brightness. Therefore, we definitely recommend turning it on in this model.

HDR luminance chart:

HDR luminance

As can be seen in the comparative image, content recorded with static HDR10 metadata can look surprisingly good – mainly due to the aforementioned "detailed priority description" feature. The image in this mode presents itself quite decently, with a lot of details that do not ruin the overall perception of the television. Naturally, we expected that with the use of dynamic metadata, such as Dolby Vision or HDR10+, the V6C would show even better results than in its own image adaptation. However, it turned out that this model is somewhat of an exception to the rule – content displayed in Dolby Vision may look worse than in HDR10. This is quite an unusual situation, which shows that in the world of budget televisions, sometimes theoretical advantages do not always translate into practical effects.

Static HDR10

Dynamic: Dolby Vision

The photos present the visibility of white details in various HDR formats. They do not show brightness differences between TVs (these can be compared in the previous gallery).

TCL V6C - Smoothness of tonal transitions

7/10

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.

Review TCL V6C Smoothness of tonal transitions — These are selected scenes that show smooth tonal transitions from one color to another. If you see distinct banding, it’s the TV panel’s fault.

Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions

5/10

Smooth transition function

Image without overscan on the SD signal

The match photo shows how the TV smooths weak tonal transitions in low-quality video. The model photo shows how it handles upscaling of SD material.

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.

TCL V6C - Blur and motion smoothness

3/10

Maximum refresh rate of the panel: 60Hz

Film motion smoothing option: Yes

Blur reduction option: No

Review TCL V6C Blur and motion smoothness — The photo presents the motion smoothing settings in the tested TV.

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".

Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate):

TCL V6C - Console compatibility and gaming features

4/10

ALLM: Yes
VRR: No
VRR range: No
Dolby Vision Game Mode: Yes
Correct implementation of HGIG: No
1080p@120Hz: No
1440p@120Hz: No
4K@120Hz: No
Game bar: Yes

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.

TCL V6C - Input lag

10/10

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.

SDR	HDR	Dolby Vision
1080p60: 14 ms	2160p60: 13 ms	2160p60 DV: 13 ms
2160p60: 13 ms

TCL V6C - Compatibility with PC

4/10

Chroma 444 (maximum resolution and refresh rate): Yes

Font clarity: Average

Readability of dark text and shapes: Average

Input lag in PC mode (4K, maximum refresh rate): 13ms

Matrix subpixel arrangement: BGR

Max refresh rate: 60Hz

G-Sync: No

The photo shows the legibility of small fonts. Ideally, lines should be the same thickness on both light and dark text, with minimal pixel gaps.

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.

TCL V6C - Viewing angles

2.9/10

Brightness drop at an angle of 45 degrees: 79%

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.

TCL V6C - TV efficiency during daytime

3.6/10

Matrix coating: Satin

Reflection suppression: Decent

Black levels during daytime: Good

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.

Matrix brightness

Average luminance SDR

TCL V6C: 210 cd/m2

TCL V6C - TV features

7.3/10

System: Google TV

System performance: Average

HDMI inputs: 3 x HDMI 2.0, 0 x HDMI 2.1
Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI)

Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
TV reception: DVB-T, DVB-T2, DVB-S, DVB-S2, DVB-C

Classic features:

Recording to USB (terrestrial TV): No
Recording programming: No
Picture in Picture (PiP): No
RF remote control (no need to aim at the screen): RF
Backlit remote control: No
Teletext: Yes
Audio only mode: Yes
Bluetooth headphones support: Yes
Simultaneous Bluetooth headphones & TV audio: Yes

Smart features:

AirPlay: Yes
Screen mirroring (Windows Miracast): Yes
Voice search: Yes
Voice search in native language: Yes
Ability to connect a keyboard and mouse: Yes

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 😉).

Sound connection options

HDMI audio:

eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI)

Other audio outputs:

Toslink: Yes

Wireless audio:

Bluetooth: Yes

Obsługiwane formaty audio:

Dolby Digital Plus 7.1: Yes
Dolby True HD 7.1: No
Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC): Yes
Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD: No
DTS:X in DTS-HD MA: Yes
DTS-HD Master Audio: Yes

Ułatwienia dla seniorów

Numeric keyboard on TV: Yes
Font size adjustment: No
Audio description: Yes

TCL V6C - Apps

9.6/10

TCL V6C - Playing files from USB

Video Photos Audio

8.7/10

Video Photos Audio

Maximum photo resolution:	Supported photo formats:
4 Mpix	JPEG
6 Mpix	HEIC
8 Mpix	PNG
10 Mpix	GIF
12 Mpix	WebP
16 Mpix	TIFF
20 Mpix	BMP
24 Mpix	SVG
28 Mpix
32 Mpix

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.

TCL V6C - Sound

5.8/10

83dB

Maximum volume

Supported codecs

(TV speakers)

Dolby Digital Plus 7.1

Dolby True HD 7.1

Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC)

Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD

DTS:X in DTS-HD MA

DTS-HD Master Audio

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.