LG OLED G4 vs TCL C655 / C69B 98'

The LG G4 excels in delivering an incredibly vivid HDR experience, positioning it as one of the best models in its class. Equipped with second-generation Micro Lens Array (MLA) technology, it achieves a remarkable peak brightness of 1474 nits in real-world scenes. While it may not match Mini LED-backlit LCD TVs in full-screen white scenes, the overall performance is outstanding. The fine details in HDR content shine brightly, a distinct advantage of OLED technology over non-OLED displays. With this impressive brightness and wide DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage, HDR content is brought to life with unmatched engagement and immersion.

The quality of the HDR effect on TCL C655 / C69B looks quite promising. The average value in test patterns is about 450 nits, which already allows you to feel the brilliance of light effects and better image dynamics. However, as previously mentioned, this effect can be somewhat muted by slight differences in bright and dark colors, resulting from the lack of local dimming technology. However, the coverage of the DCI-P3 color palette at 94% deserves high praise, and this is possible due to the use of a quantum dot (QLED) matrix. As a result, colors are vibrant and well-reproduced when watching HDR content.

Before calibration, the "Filmmaker" mode on the TV had a noticeable red and green colour dominance, resulting in a warm-yellow hue across both SDR and HDR content. This warm tone, typical of modes like "Cinema" and "Filmmaker," led to a yellowish cast that was evident when switching from the "Standard" mode.

Looking at the brightness characteristics, the Gamma chart showed decent performance for mid-tones and bright whites, but it struggled with the darkest details, which tended to merge into a black blob. HDR content, as represented by the EOTF curve chart, displayed a drop in contrast due to excessive brightness, which overshadowed fine details and negatively affected the overall image quality. Additionally, the "ColourChecker" chart revealed that colours were under-saturated, contributing to a less accurate and vibrant visual experience.

This provided a good foundation to build on, but calibration was needed to bring out the full potential of the "Filmmaker" mode and address these issues.

The TCL C655 / C69B TV offers a movie mode that has been tested for color reproduction quality. Although this mode is called movie mode, it unfortunately has quite a few flaws that a director would certainly not want to see when recording their work. Starting with image analysis, it's worth looking at the white balance – both in HD and 4K HDR content, the white balance has significant errors. In both cases, the red color dominates, which makes the colors too warm, and the overall image takes on a pink or yellow tint. The Colour Checker test confirms these errors – the color samples shift to the wrong shades, affecting overall color fidelity. A lesser issue is the brightness characteristics. However, it is also not without flaws. The gamma chart shows a strong spike at the beginning, which can make the image excessively bright, and the EOTF curve responsible for brightness in 4K HDR content also has significant fluctuations – it is evident that the TV tries to maintain appropriate brightness, but it does not always succeed effectively.

The manufacturer has been offering extensive support for the calibration process in its LG televisions for many years. Therefore, we used 2- and 20-point grayscale adjustments along with an advanced CMS (Colour Management System) to optimise the display. As shown, the calibration procedure greatly improved each parameter. The results included studio-quality colour reproduction, enhanced detail in dark areas, corrected brightness characteristics, and accurate colour saturation. This led to a near-perfect match with the reference image—the one the film director saw on the preview monitor. It’s also worth mentioning that LG G4 televisions are unique in offering even deeper image adjustments through 3D LUT matrices, a feature primarily suited for post-production or graphics studios.

After calibrating the movie mode of the television TCL C655 / C69B , the white balance has been adjusted, and the colors appear as they should – which is confirmed by only slight deviations in the Colour Checker test. The gamma is really good, which means the television shouldn’t have issues with brightness in low-resolution materials. Unfortunately, a similar EOTF characteristic is still noticeable, which is a natural phenomenon in televisions that do not have local dimming – they simply struggle to "shine" brighter in a given part of the screen. Despite this design limitation that cannot be bypassed, we recommend adjustments in the settings because the overall color presentation is really very good.

The LG G4 does not perform well with materials rich in tonal transitions, leading to a pronounced posterization effect. However, the manufacturer has included a smoothing system called "Gentle Gradation," with three levels: Low, Medium, and High. These settings are effective at smoothing bright colours, though less so for darker tones. It is recommended to use the Low setting, as the higher levels can distort the director's intentions by removing film grain.

When it comes to upscaling lower-quality material, the television's performance is quite good, delivering a sharp and clear image. However, attention should be paid to the jagged edges of fine details and the occasional halo effect around figures. This occurs due to the sharpening imposed by the LG G4, even when the lowest setting is selected (0). This is a noticeable change from the LG G3, which did not apply such strong sharpening, even at setting 0.

The TCL C655 / C69B TV handles tonal transitions well in lower-quality content. The "Gradual Smoothing" feature at its lowest setting effectively eliminates visible banding, but it also results in a loss of detail, such as in the texture of objects. A plus is that it does not interfere with film grain, allowing the image to maintain a natural look.

In terms of digital processing, the TV adds a considerable amount of artificial sharpness, which may appeal to those who prefer a vivid image. For those who prefer a more subtle representation of details, this could be a drawback. Another downside is the rather aggressive overscan – the image is cropped, which leads to the loss of parts at the edges and limits the field of view.

The LG G4 offers a maximum refresh rate of 144 Hz, achievable when connected to a powerful PC. For most users, however, the TV operates at a maximum of 120 Hz, ideal for watching sports or other content with fast motion. To improve image fluidity, the television includes the "TrueMotion" motion smoothing system, which features two separate sliders: De-Blur (for the sharpness of moving images) and De-Judder (for judder reduction). These sliders allow users to adjust the level of smoothing between 0 and 10, ensuring everyone can find the ideal setting.

With a response time of 0.78 ms, the LG G4 delivers exceptionally clear images, outperforming LCD televisions, which can have much slower response times. This results in no trailing blur behind moving objects, as shown in the "UFO Test." The TV also provides precise control over motion smoothing, which is especially beneficial during fast-paced video game sequences. Thanks to OLED technology, the G4 eliminates ghosting, ensuring a crisp and clear image even during the most dynamic sports or action scenes.

Unlike the smaller versions, the 98” model stands out with significantly better motion fluidity. Instead of the standard 60 Hz, this colossal screen is equipped with a full-fledged 144 Hz matrix, which opens up completely new possibilities – both for gamers and movie enthusiasts. With full motion smoothing, the TV provides incredible image fluidity, eliminating motion blur and improving the viewing comfort of dynamic scenes. It is worth emphasizing that this technology operates across the full refresh rate range, meaning there is no need to compromise between fluidity and quality. Additionally, the "Flicker Reduction" feature allows you to adjust the fluidity to your own preferences – you can opt for a more cinematic effect with visible frame drops or a maximally smooth image.

The LG G4 TV supports all the features encompassed by the HDMI 2.1 standard, making it a gaming powerhouse. During testing, every feature activated seamlessly, ensuring a smooth experience for both console gamers and PC users. Notably, the HGIG mode (HDR Gaming Interest Group) is implemented correctly, allowing games mastered to brightness levels higher than the TV’s maximum luminance to map tones accurately, preserving the game’s original visual integrity.

A notable highlight is the dedicated GameBar, which can be accessed at any time to quickly check or adjust game settings. More importantly, enabling VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) does not compromise contrast—a common issue in TVs with local dimming or Mini LED backlighting. This is thanks to the OLED panel’s self-emissive pixels, which maintain consistent contrast. However, a slight grey flicker may appear when VRR is enabled, though this is standard across OLEDs.

In summary, the LG G4, like most OLED TVs, is ideal for gaming and online competitions. Its HDMI 2.1 ports offer a full 48 Gbps bandwidth, supporting features such as VRR, ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), G-Sync, FreeSync, and HDR Dolby Vision gameplay, ensuring an exceptional gaming experience.

The 98-inch TCL C655 / C69B is excellently equipped for gamers. Full-fledged HDMI 2.1 ports and a 144 Hz panel allow you to enjoy games in 4K resolution at 120 Hz, providing smoothness and responsiveness that will impress even the most demanding.

The TV supports Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), which eliminates screen tearing, and the Automatic Low Latency Mode (ALLM) ensures that games start instantly, without the need to manually switch settings. There’s also support for Dolby Vision and HGiG, making the image quality in games even better - details are sharp, colors natural, and contrast perfectly balanced.

Additionally, the TV offers a dedicated gaming panel that allows for quick adjustment of image settings without having to leave the game. It’s a device that meets practically all the requirements of the modern gamer.