Panasonic W70A vs TCL P7K / P79K

HDR on the Panasonic W70A unfortunately does not impress. Brightness at the level of 250–300 nits is simply too low to feel the true magic of cinematic effects in dynamic, bright scenes. Images that should "explode" with light appear rather flat, and fine details in bright areas often get lost in the average luminance of the panel. On the positive side, the HDR effect is at least stable. The TV does not suffer from excessive brightening nor does it lose details during sudden scene changes. Everything is predictable and calm, though unfortunately not very spectacular. Another issue is the color gamut coverage. The W70A is not equipped with an additional layer of quantum dots (often known as QLED), resulting in colors appearing rather mediocre. There is a lack of depth in reds, saturation in greens, and precision in rendering subtle shades.

When evaluating the HDR effect, we must make it clear and without marketing embellishment: the P7K/P79K is not and was never meant to be a master in this field. The maximum peak brightness that this panel can generate is only around 300 nits. This is a borderline value, a sort of thin red line between what can be considered a barely satisfactory HDR signal and what is really 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 parts of the content rarely exceeded the threshold of 200-250 nits. Therefore, this is not a television that would allow content produced in a wide tonal range to truly shine, and we must openly acknowledge that.

Unfortunately, the issue of color reproduction is presented equally restrained. Although the manufacturer positions this model in 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 color gamut is only 86%. Compared to the market, this is at best an average result, as most devices that employ additional layers to expand the color spectrum easily achieve values at a minimum level of 90-92%.

The Panasonic W70A was tested in movie mode, which theoretically should guarantee the most natural image reproduction. Unfortunately, as is often the case with budget televisions, the reality proved far from ideal.

In HD (SDR) content, the white balance was severely disrupted by an excess of red and a noticeable drop in blue tones. The result? The image had a distinctly warm, even yellowish tint, which is clearly visible in the comparison photo. In the case of 4K HDR materials, the situation reversed. Here, the image became excessively cold and bluish, causing scenes to lose their naturalness and depth. The differences are visible even to the naked eye, especially in the bright parts of the image. The Colour Checker palette test confirmed our observations. Most color samples did not hit their intended points, "running away" towards warmer shades in SDR and cooler ones in HDR. As for brightness characteristics, both gamma and the EOTF curve showed significant problems. The image tended to excessively brighten certain areas, disrupting the balance and leading to a loss of details in darker and brighter regions.

In summary – the factory color reproduction settings in the Panasonic W70A leave much to be desired. The image is far from neutral, and the errors in white balance and gamma mean that a solid calibration is needed to extract the full potential from this television.

Every reliable image quality assessment must begin by selecting the most optimal factory mode. In the case of the tested model P7K/P79K, the choice was confidently made for the "Film" mode. It is this mode that presents an image closest to the creators' intentions, avoiding both the exaggerated brightness of 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 is not free from a few stumbles. The most noticeable flaw turned out to be an imperfectly adjusted white balance. A slight dominance of the blue component gives the image a subtly cool, chilly character, thus deviating from the exemplary neutrality that the director wanted to show us. The television performs much better in reproducing the grayscale in a standard dynamic range – the gamma curve is executed almost perfectly. A minor reservation can only be made for 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 TCL's software, however, was the interpretation of the HDR signal, which is illustrated by the EOTF curve. The television follows its own, rather free path here – the darkest details are disproportionately brightened, followed by a noticeable slowdown in brightness increase for midtones. Fortunately, most of these imperfections are software-related issues that can be eliminated. With this thought in mind, we proceeded to the professional calibration process.

The Panasonic W70A, despite its limitations, gave us a lot of room to maneuver during calibration. Thanks to well-developed tools, we were able to achieve significantly better white balance in both HD (SDR) and 4K HDR content. The issues with excess red in SDR and overly cool images in HDR have disappeared. The gamma brightness characteristic has also improved, maintaining stability and avoiding excessive brightness or loss of detail in darker areas.

So where is the problem? Unfortunately, there are barriers that even professional calibration cannot overcome. Poor coverage of a wide color gamut means that the TV cannot fully reproduce colors in HDR materials. There is a lack of saturation, and subtle color transitions still appear somewhat "flattened." Another limitation is brightness management, which results from the use of an IPS panel. In the comparative photo featuring the actress's face in colorful clothing, it is clearly visible how some shades are noticeably muted, and colors lose their depth and brightness.

The calibration extracted everything it could from the W70A. The image is now much more natural, and the errors in the factory settings have been effectively corrected. Unfortunately, hardware limitations in the form of poor color gamut coverage and an average panel prevent us from achieving spectacular results, especially in HDR content.

The calibration process turned out to be a home run, especially in the context of standard dynamic range (SDR) content. We successfully managed to eliminate the TV's tendency to emphasize cool tones, restoring the whites to their natural neutrality. Furthermore, precise adjustments allowed us to correct a slight error in the gamma curve, so the darkest areas of the image regained their proper depth, without a trace of unnatural brightening. The effects are measurable and impressive – in the ColorChecker test, the vast majority of color reproduction errors fell below the perceptual threshold, achieving a deltaE value below 2. This is a result that would not shame much more expensive constructions. Unfortunately, in the case of HDR content, we hit a wall in the form of the inherent limitations of the panel itself. And although we managed to bring the colors in line, the software's specifics mean that the TV still adapts brightness in its own way, as evidenced by the persistent, non-standard EOTF curve. In summary, calibration brings tremendous added value, but one must be aware that it cannot overcome certain physical barriers. A slight boost in black levels, resulting from the lack of local dimming, and limited peak brightness mean that HDR content will not always be able to showcase its full potential. This is simply not the main task of this display; its true strength, especially after professional tuning, lies in the viewing of SDR materials.

We checked how the Panasonic W70A performs in improving content of lower quality than 4K, and it must be admitted that the television does quite well in this regard. The "Zeroing Counter" function is responsible for smoothing tonal transitions. The optimal setting turned out to be the Average option, which effectively smooths out color gradation issues while not ruining the film grain. This is the setting we recommend for most users, as it provides a balance between improving the fluidity of transitions and maintaining the naturalness of the image.

As for image scaling, the Panasonic W70A performed really well. The test pattern with the model was positively evaluated – details on her clothing were well reproduced, and the contours of her face retained sharpness. In the background, we noticed slight "jaggies" on thin branches, but these are details that only a very observant eye will catch. However, it is worth noting a certain flaw of this model – the television has a tendency to overscan, which means slight cropping of the image edges. This is not a very intense phenomenon and for most users it will be practically unnoticeable, but if we care about perfect framing, it is worth keeping this in mind.

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 digital processing and content scaling. It should be noted right away that we are not talking about the level known from flagship designs; nevertheless, in the price segment represented by the P7K/P79K, the results achieved are more than solid. The feature that smooths tonal transitions performs particularly well, effectively eliminating posterization, which are the characteristic bands often visible in materials with higher compression, such as from the YouTube service. The algorithm can elegantly remove unwanted gradients, which ultimately looks really good. The television also competently handles upscaling, which is the task of raising low-resolution materials to 4K standard. The output image, although it may seem a bit too sharp out of the box, fortunately, is not a problem. The software allows for easy adjustment of this parameter using a sharpness slider, so the final appearance can be easily tailored to personal preferences.

The Panasonic W70A is equipped with a 60 Hz panel, which immediately suggests that the television will perform best when watching movies, series, or everyday TV content. In more dynamic scenes, such as sports broadcasts or games, the panel's limitations become more noticeable. On the positive side, it is worth noting the presence of a motion smoother called "Effect," which offers three levels of adjustment - low, medium, and high.

Each of the settings allows you to adjust motion fluidity to your own preferences, minimizing motion blur and improving clarity in dynamic shots. In practice, the Medium setting seems to be the most versatile - it offers better fluidity without excessive "soap opera effect," which can look artificial in feature films. The High setting may work well for sports broadcasts, but in films, it can disrupt the natural character of movement.

The issue of fluidity and sharpness of the image in motion is inextricably linked to the fundamental parameter of the panel, and in the case of the TCL P7K/P79K, we are dealing with a panel that has a native refresh rate of 60 Hz. This specification already defines its capabilities and makes it difficult to unequivocally recommend it to enthusiasts of dynamic sports broadcasts. During rapid camera movements, the image loses sharpness, and the panel itself also shows a slight tendency to blur, 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 materials recorded at 24 or 30 frames per second. Thanks to a dedicated slider, the user can independently decide on the final character of the motion – from a fully cinematic, slightly juddery image to achieving a very smooth, almost theatrical effect. It is a simple yet effective tool that allows users to tailor the viewing experience to their own preferences.

The Panasonic W70A is a television that will be more suitable for occasional gamers than for avid players. The 60 Hz panel does not allow for full utilization of the potential of new generation consoles, especially in dynamic titles. The lack of HDMI 2.1 somewhat limits its capabilities, but fortunately, we find features such as ALLM, which is automatic switching to game mode, and VRR, which helps minimize screen tearing. It's also worth noting the support for Dolby Vision in games and HGiG, which makes HDR more predictable and looks solid. It's just a pity that the Game Bar is missing. This feature is already standard in many televisions and provides quick access to the most important settings for gamers. The W70A holds up when it comes to gaming, but it has its limitations. It works well with calmer titles, while more demanding players may feel unsatisfied.

Although on paper the native 4K@60Hz matrix might suggest that the TCL P7K/P79K is not a TV tailored for gamers, the reality turns out to be 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 completed 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 TV easily supports high refresh rate signals of 120 Hz, but at lower resolutions – 1080p and 1440p. This is fantastic news for console owners who know full 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 avid tournament gamers, it offers a package of options for the casual or occasional console user that is hard to find among many competitors at this price point.