Panasonic W95B vs TCL C69K / Q6C

The Panasonic W95B is truly a bright screen, capable of achieving peak luminance levels of around 1400 nits. In brighter, well-lit movie scenes, this value translates into spectacular HDR effects that can leave a big impression. However, knowing our test setup, you probably see that in very demanding shots – such as the distant moon or helicopter lights in a scene from Sicario 2 – the TV does not impress. In such situations, brightness drops to around 200 nits, making the HDR effect much less visible. This happens because Panasonic prioritizes maintaining deep black levels without lighting up the background – for many users, this shouldn't be a cause for concern. However, it's important to remember that in these moments, the image starts to resemble SDR content. The coverage of the color palette also deserves praise, as it reaches about 93% of the DCI-P3 color space thanks to the use of the PFS filter (also known from QLED technology). As a result, most movies look very good in terms of saturation and colors, maintaining a cinematic quality of the image.

In terms of brightness, TCL C69K / Q6C is a moderate model. Under optimal movie conditions, it shows its full potential, reaching a maximum of around 600 nits. In scenes with large, intense light sources, the HDR effect can be truly satisfying, providing a cinematic sparkle. However, it should be noted that when managing the backlight zones, there are situations where some elements of the image become dimmed, and sometimes they are barely visible. This suggests that there is still a lack of proper optimization of algorithms, though considering the technical parameters in this price range, the construction still looks very good.

In Filmmaker mode, the Panasonic W95B offers an image with quite accurate color reproduction, although it is not without minor imperfections. The white balance slightly leans towards red, which can cause a subtle warming of the image, and the gamma curve is slightly elevated, making the screen appear somewhat brightened. It’s good that the manufacturer has included this mode – even in its factory configuration, it provides a fairly natural look for movies. However, knowing how susceptible Panasonic televisions are to calibration, we decided to check how much the image could improve after professional tuning.

The Filmmaker mode, which has arrived in this year's TCL televisions (including the C69K / Q6C), is definitely the best choice "to start with." This is the mode we recommend for everyday viewing of movies and series. Unfortunately, as is often the case, best does not mean perfect. In SDR content, the image turned out to be too warm, with a strong red tint in the white balance. We had the opposite impression with HDR content – here the image became cooler than it should have, due to an excess of blue color. Additionally, the brightness characteristics sometimes resulted in overexposure. In practice, this translated to quite noticeable errors in color tests, which is hard to accept in a mode labeled as “by the creators.”

After professional calibration, the Panasonic W95B shows what it is really capable of. Color errors have mostly dropped below 2–3, making them practically invisible to the human eye. The excess red in the white balance has also been corrected, which has eliminated the slight pink tint, and details in dark areas no longer get lost due to overly strong dimming in the gamma. Improvements are also noticeable in HDR content – color saturation is now more stable and does not veer towards blue as clearly as before. It is truly a great television for watching movies and series in the highest possible quality. Although we know that Mini LED screens are not always perfectly suited for this, the W95B is an excellent example that with proper refinement, an OLED-like effect can be achieved.

Through white balance adjustment, we were able to significantly reduce the tendency of C69K / Q6C to distort colors, which resulted in a very good final outcome. After calibration, the issue of excessive warmth in SDR scenes and overly cool images in HDR disappeared. However, it is worth closely analyzing brightness characteristics. While there are few complaints about SDR content - the image looks really good, especially in older movies, TV programs, or on YouTube - the situation is much worse with HDR content. Analysis of the EOTF curve suggests that everything is fine, but in practice (EOTF in films), the limitations of the design become apparent. This model tends to excessively brighten small parts of the frame, while in other situations it dims the entire scene too much. The effect of calibration is undeniable, and in terms of color accuracy, C69K / Q6C gains a lot. Unfortunately, certain limitations resulting from local dimming management simply cannot be overcome.

In terms of image processing, the Panasonic W95B performs excellently. The proprietary processor responsible for digital image processing effectively upscales lower-resolution content to 4K, preserving a great amount of detail and a natural appearance of contours. The final effect is impressive – the upscaling is at a truly high level, and Full HD content can look surprisingly good. The way the television smooths tonal transitions in low-quality materials is also worth noting. The algorithm does not operate as aggressively as in some competing models, but as a result, it does not cause loss of detail or blurring of film grain.

In terms of image scaling, TCL C69K / Q6C performs quite well. Lower quality content is displayed acceptably, and thanks to the lack of overscan issues, the image is presented in full without any cropping. However, one shouldn't expect miracles – very low-quality materials won't gain a new life here, as the image processor has its limitations.

On thin lines and details, one can see characteristic jitter, indicating a lack of more advanced image enhancement algorithms. It's also a pity that the C69K / Q6C lacks the function for smoothing tonal transitions. As a result, in older movies or video materials, color banding can be noticeable and may become distracting during longer viewing sessions.

The 144 Hz panel used in the Panasonic W95B offers excellent smoothness, although in practice, considering how television content looks or the values to which next-generation consoles are limited, it's worth looking at its behavior when refreshing at 120 Hz. In this mode, the TV performs wonderfully – despite it being a VA panel, which is not known for the fastest pixel response times, motion blur here is minimal and difficult to detect with the naked eye.

The use of a 144 Hz panel in TCL C69K / Q6C is a significant advantage in this price range. It represents an important step forward compared to its predecessor (C655 PRO), which only offered 60 Hz at 4K. The difference is particularly noticeable when watching sports or playing games – the ball, players, or dynamic action in games are displayed more clearly and without losing details. An interesting feature is also the ability of the panel to operate at 240 Hz (which the manufacturer does not officially mention) – we will return to this topic in relation to the PC gaming mode. TCL has also added a feature for movie fans: “Motion Clarity.” This allows users to adjust the picture to their preferences using two simple sliders. We can either keep the visible film frame or opt for very smooth, "

Aside from the previously mentioned drawback related to the VRR mode, in which local dimming does not work, the Panasonic W95B is a true gaming monster. The television offers practically everything gamers can expect – except for four HDMI 2.1 ports, as there are only two available. On board, we find an auto low latency mode (ALLM), properly implemented HDR modes for gamers, including HGiG, as well as support for Dolby Vision in games. This is complemented by an interestingly designed Game Bar, presented in the form of circles. While it may not be the most visually appealing, it serves its purpose – allowing a quick glance at key game parameters and adjusting settings without entering the system menu.

TCL C69K / Q6C is a television that can boldly be called equipment created with gamers in mind. Here we have 4K at 144 Hz, VRR support, automatic game mode (ALLM), and Dolby Vision Gaming. Additionally, there's a practical Game Bar, which is a panel with the most important settings right at hand – useful when we want to quickly change something during gameplay (e.g., aspect ratio: Yes, it’s possible!). The wide range of VRR, reaching up to 240 Hz, is noteworthy. This option is primarily for PC gamers who will lower the resolution below native 4K. In that case, the TV can spread its wings and show additional smoothness, especially in fast esports titles. For consoles, we stick to the classic limit of 120 Hz, but the possibilities are still quite broad. The only drawback is slight motion blur that can sometimes be seen in dynamic scenes. Other than that, C69K / Q6C offers everything gamers expect from a television.