Samsung DU8002 (IPS) vs TCL C655 / C69B (43" - 50")

The HDR effect in the DU8002 television leaves much to be desired. A brightness level of 300 nits is not able to provide a true high dynamic range experience, making the content viewed resemble more of a standard SDR than impressive HDR. Scenes that should dazzle with brightness and detail appear muted and lacking in depth. Nevertheless, the television deserves praise for its high coverage of the DCI-P3 color palette at 92%. As a result, the colors are vivid and saturated, which may satisfy viewers who prefer rich hues, even if the HDR effect does not fully meet expectations.

The quality of the HDR effect in the TCL C69B / C655 television is quite average. A brightness level of 350 nits, while not the worst, still does not allow for fully enjoying HDR effects, which require higher luminance to show their strength. Additionally, despite the use of a quantum dot coating (QLED), the television offers average coverage of the wide DCI-P3 color gamut at 91%, which may limit its richness of colors in HDR content.

DU8002 offers a Filmmaker mode, which is supposed to provide authentic image reproduction in line with the creators' intentions. Unfortunately, despite the promising name, the results are far from ideal. The white balance in this mode shows significant drops in blue color, leading to a noticeable yellowing of the image, which can be seen, for example, in our comparison photo. Colour Checker tests confirm these errors. As for brightness, the gamma characteristic is too low compared to the reference line of 2.4, resulting in excessive screen brightness. A similar problem occurs with 4K content – the EOTF responsible for brightness in 4K material shows significant increases above the reference line, leading to excessively bright small light elements. As a result, the Filmmaker mode in DU8002 does not meet expectations and instead of offering high quality, presents an image full of tonal and color inaccuracies.

The television TCL C69B / C655 tested in movie mode unfortunately does not meet expectations regarding color accuracy. Although movie mode suggests better reproduction, it has little in common with film. There are quite a few errors visible, especially in white balance – both for HD and 4K HDR content – where the dominance of the blue color is very apparent. For the viewer, this means that the image becomes unnaturally cool, affecting the overall perception of colors and the visual impression. The color checker confirms these errors, showing that colors shift to cooler shades.

As for brightness characteristics and the associated contrast, gamma is very unstable for material, which can make the image slightly darker. The EOTF curve for 4K material shows some errors, with significant deviations at the end of the chart, negatively affecting the perception of darker areas of the image.

Samsung is one of those companies that offers advanced tools for improving image quality in its televisions, including a 20-point white balance adjustment. Even with the budget model DU8002, with the right adjustments, surprisingly good results can be achieved. The white balance, especially for HD content, performs really well - tests on the Colour Checker palette confirm accuracy at the level of 2–1.5, which demonstrates the significant capabilities of this television in color reproduction. In 4K content, although not as perfect as in lower quality material, the overall picture looks much better.

The gamma brightness has also been heavily adjusted, ensuring that the image is not overly brightened and looks more natural. What about the EOTF curve? At first glance, it seems fine, but upon closer inspection, especially in film tests, it becomes apparent that the television struggles due to its low contrast panel. The EOTF drops below the reference line. Nevertheless, the DU8002 is an example of a budget model where investing in calibration is worthwhile. Although structural flaws, such as the type of backlighting, cannot be completely eliminated, color accuracy is surprisingly good, especially considering its price.

After calibration, the movie mode on the TCL C69B / C655 television improves in quality. The most significant improvement can be seen in tonal quality, and the white balance is much better – without major errors. We will no longer see an excessive dominance of cool tones. Gamma has also been improved, which translates to a more stable representation of brightness and contrast. However, due to the limitations of the television's average color palette, Colour Checker tests for 4K materials did not achieve remarkable results. Despite these technological limitations, the image has become more authentic, positively influencing the reception of film content.

Smoothing tonal transitions on the DU8002 television leaves mixed feelings. Although the menu offers an option for smoothing tonal transitions, in practice it yields no results and can even generate unwanted side effects.

Nevertheless, the television handles upscaling, or digital image processing, excellently. The test chart featuring a model looked really good – the image is not overly jagged, and the overall presentation is decent and pleasing to the eye. This is definitely good news for those planning to watch traditional television on this model.

The "Gradual Smoothing" function works very well on the TCL C69B television and, surprisingly, does not remove desired effects like film grain – unlike some solutions from other manufacturers. Unfortunately, the image scaling looks poor. The TV artificially sharpens the image, causing the edges of objects to be heavily jagged. This state of affairs may appeal to some users who prefer a more "hard" look of the image, but it is not an ideal solution for those who value naturalness and the smoothness of details.

DU8002 with a 60 Hz panel is a television that performs better for watching movies than for intense gaming. The motion smoothing feature acts as a fluidizer, smoothing out motion and giving scenes a more fluid appearance, which is useful for movie screenings. In the context of gaming, this model will rather be suitable only for occasional entertainment.

The TV TCL C69B / C655 in its smallest variants offers decent, although not perfect, results in terms of motion fluidity. In the case of movies, the TV has a "Flicker Reduction" function that allows for motion fluidity adjustment on a scale from 1 to 10. With this option, we can adjust the appearance of the image to cinematic or more theatrical preferences (with lower or higher speed).

DU8002 is a television that will mainly serve as equipment for casual gamers. The 60 Hz panel does not provide the highest motion fluidity, so in dynamic games there may be a lack of that extra smoothness of the image. On the positive side, it features ALLM and HGiG functions, which automatically adjust image settings for HDR games, enhancing the gaming experience. Unfortunately, the television is equipped only with HDMI 2.0 ports, so we have to forget about more advanced features like VRR or support for 4K at 120 Hz. When choosing this equipment, we will have to make do if we expect a full set of gaming features.

The TCL C69B / C655 television in its smallest variants offers a range of features dedicated to gamers, such as ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), Dolby Vision for gamers, and Game Bar. ALLM automatically switches the television to low latency mode, improving responsiveness and minimizing delays in control. VRR allows for synchronization of the screen refresh rate with the number of frames generated by the console, eliminating tearing, resulting in smoother gameplay. Dolby Vision for gamers ensures better color and contrast representation in games that support this format, resulting in better image quality. Meanwhile, Game Bar provides quick access to game settings and allows monitoring of key parameters, such as input lag.

However, the television has certain limitations that may affect gaming comfort. The 60 Hz panel does not allow for displaying signals with a higher refresh rate, which may impact image smoothness in dynamic games. The lack of support for G-Sync technology for PCs may also be noticeable when gaming on a computer, especially with demanding, fast-paced titles.