Sony A95L vs TCL C75B

Sony A95L offers an incredible HDR effect, achieving an impressive brightness level of 1500 nits in scenes such as those from Life of Pi or Sicario 2. These results are truly remarkable – the bright elements in these films practically come to life on the screen, providing the viewer with immersive visual experiences. The only thing to note is minor issues with maintaining brightness in the scene from The Meg, where the entire scene is flooded with light. However, this is a natural effect related to OLED technology. The wide coverage of the BT.2020 color palette at 89% is also a significant advantage, placing A95L Sony among the top TVs in terms of color reproduction. All of this is made possible by the QD-OLED panel from Samsung Displays.

During our luminance test, the TCL C75B "spat out" about 380 nits of brightness. We recorded similar results while watching most of the films we tested. These can be considered average – the television does not perform badly in this segment, but around 400 nits is definitely too low to fully experience the magic of HDR effects. Of course, such results are better than those of budget models, which can achieve nearly half as low brightness values. However, for HDR enthusiasts seeking stronger light effects and greater realism, the C75B may prove insufficient. On the plus side, it's worth mentioning the 95% coverage of the DCI-P3 color palette. This is a very good result that easily suffices to enjoy a wide range of colors in content available on popular streaming platforms. Vivid and rich colors are definitely a strong point of this model.

The best factory mode in terms of color reproduction in Sony A95L is IMAX Enhanced. This is a mode that, at first glance, seems to be well calibrated; however, upon closer examination, several areas requiring improvement can be noticed. First and foremost, the white balance for both SDR and 4K HDR content is skewed with excessive blue and red color, leading to a subtle pink tint, particularly noticeable on neutral tones. As a result, skin tones are inaccurate, affecting the realism of the displayed image. This is clearly visible in the comparison photo below. Additionally, the Colour Checker test confirms the presence of these errors—color samples often deviate from their reference values, indicating some inaccuracies in the factory color reproduction of A95L Sony. The maximum deltaE error values reach up to 5.8, which is a clear indication that colors are not always reproduced as precisely as they should be.

Regarding brightness characteristics, the gamma for HD/SDR content is generally quite correct, maintaining an appropriate balance between brightness and contrast. Unfortunately, there is a significant jump at the end of the graph, leading to a strong brightening of the image when the screen is fully flooded with white. This can make scenes with very bright backgrounds, such as snowy landscapes or intense daylight, appear overly vivid and lose detail. In the case of HDR content, the EOTF curve, which is responsible for controlling luminance, is slightly boosted compared to the reference values. This, in turn, causes the image to be somewhat brighter than it should be, which may affect the perception of more subtle details in the darker areas of the frame.

TCL C75B offers many picture modes, but in our opinion, the best choice is the "Film" mode. Although its settings are quite good, the television struggles with certain color reproduction issues. In tests, we noticed that the image had a noticeably pinkish tint compared to what could be considered correct. This effect was particularly noticeable in skin tones, which appeared unnaturally warm. The main culprit of this phenomenon turned out to be the white balance, characterized by an excessive amount of blue and red in both HD and 4K HDR materials.

Another issue was the way brightness was reproduced. The gamma, which is responsible for the visibility of details in darker materials, was definitely boosted, causing details in the darkest parts of the screen to be invisible, lost in total blackness (e.g., the bottom part of the screen in the comparative photo - the area around the actress's ear). Similarly, the situation was reflected in the EOTF curve, which was below the correct value, suggesting that a similar problem may be encountered in 4K HDR content.

Thanks to our experience and the appropriate tools, we decided to take matters into our own hands and see how much could be extracted from this model after professional calibration. Details are described in the next section.

Sony A95L offers excellent tools for professional screen calibration, allowing you to maximize the capabilities of the IMAX Enhanced mode. We used them to bring the image to a level that will satisfy even the most demanding viewers. After calibration, the white balance for both 4K HDR and SDR content looks simply great – almost perfect. The Colour Checker test confirmed that deltaE errors do not exceed a value of "2", which means that color reproduction is extremely accurate, and any deviations are practically imperceptible to the human eye.

Calibration also brought a significant improvement in terms of brightness – gamma is now perfectly balanced, eliminating the previous issue of excessively brightening scenes with very bright backgrounds. As a result, even the most vibrant moments, such as snowy landscapes or intense daytime scenes, appear natural, without the effect of clipping. The EOTF curve, which is responsible for controlling luminance in HDR content, has also been improved – it now reaches a reference level, both in synthetic tests and in practical movie watching.

As a result of the calibration, A95L Sony offers excellent experiences, whether you're watching material from regular television or your favorite movies. Every detail is reproduced exactly as the creators intended – without unnecessary brightening, with perfectly rendered colors and appropriate depth. This shows that this television, after professional tuning, is capable of competing with the best screens on the market, offering an image that truly impresses.

After calibrating the TCL C75B, it has clearly improved in terms of color reproduction. Although the TV does not offer many options for adjusting the white balance, we were able to refine its settings significantly. As a result, the image has stopped being overly pink, and the colors now look much more natural and harmonious.

The gamma jump, which was previously a problem, has not disappeared completely, but we managed to significantly reduce it. This has made the details in dark scenes more visible – both in HD and 4K HDR material.

Unfortunately, the lack of local dimming is still noticeable. The "glowing black" effect remains, but that's a limitation of the display itself. Despite this, the colors after calibration look vastly better, and the image is much more enjoyable to watch.

The tonal transition smoothing function in Sony A95L works really well and is worth noting. We recommend setting it to the "Medium" level because at this value, you achieve an ideal compromise – there are no artifacts, and the image looks extremely natural and pleasant to the eye. This allows for smooth transitions between different shades while maintaining scene detail, which further enhances viewing comfort.

As for upscaling, you can see the full power of the XR processor here. Sony A95L handled our test material featuring a model excellently – the image is exceptionally clear, there are no excessive jagged edges, and the details in the background are perfectly preserved. The XR processor effectively improves low resolution, providing very good results that allow you to enjoy content in almost high quality, even if its source is not ideal.

The TCL C75B has a tonal transition smoothing feature, but unfortunately, we can't praise it. Regardless of the selected level – low or high – tonal transitions in older materials remained visible, as if the feature didn't work at all. It's hard to say something positive about it because, in practice, it seems completely useless.

The image scaling is better. The TV performs quite decently, although on thinner elements, like branches in the background, you can notice slight halos. However, this is not something that significantly interferes with daily viewing.

Unfortunately, a bigger problem turned out to be overscan, which is the trimming of the image edges. In our tests, it happened that news tickers or other elements close to the edge of the screen were cut off. This is definitely something worth paying attention to, especially if we use the TV for watching news programs or content with text on the screen.

Sony A95L is a TV that should satisfy both gamers and movie lovers. When it comes to watching movies, this model is equipped with Motionflow technology, which allows precise adjustment of whether we want the image to be more "framey," like in traditional cinema, or exceptionally smooth, like in cinema TVs. The "Smoothness" slider allows you to regulate the level of smoothness – from subtle changes to a more noticeable effect, while the "Clearness" slider is responsible for reducing flicker and artifacts, helping to achieve more natural and clearer motion. Regarding gaming and watching sports, the A95L Sony television offers a refresh rate of 120 Hz, making every dynamic action look incredibly smooth. Gamers will appreciate the lack of blur, while sports fans will see every movement in full sharpness. Overall, the TV performs great – both with fast-paced gaming and emotionally charged movie sequences.

TCL C75B definitely has something to offer gamers. The TV is equipped with a panel that can display images with a refresh rate of 144 Hz in 4K, and even 240 Hz in Full HD. These are really great results, especially for a model from the budget range.

Additionally, there are features for improving smoothness and reducing motion blur in films. The "Motion" option allows for precise adjustment of the effect on a 10-step scale, providing a lot of customization options – everyone can set the smoothness to their liking.

Sony A95L is a television that will truly satisfy gamers, thanks to several key features that set it apart from the competition. First of all, a 120 Hz refresh rate – this is something that anyone who loves fast action games, racing, or dynamic shooters will appreciate. This ensures exceptionally smooth visuals, making gameplay more satisfying without annoying stutters. The A95L Sony also has an ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) feature that automatically activates low latency mode when we start up a console. What does this mean? Above all, faster on-screen responses, which is invaluable in games where every second counts. Additionally, there’s VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), which adjusts the refresh rate to match the frame rate generated by the console. The result? No tearing, and everything looks smooth and consistent – even with fluctuating FPS.

It’s worth mentioning the support for Dolby Vision with low input lag in games – something we don’t often encounter in televisions, yet it’s included here. This makes the visuals in HDR-enabled games incredibly vibrant, with rich colors and excellent contrast. Both the brightest and the darkest details are visible, making everything look just as the game developers intended. And let’s not forget the "Game Bar" – a small but very practical feature. It gives us quick access to all the important gaming settings, such as VRR and latency information. There’s no need to interrupt gameplay to adjust settings – everything is at hand.

However, it is important to remember that the A95L offers only two HDMI 2.1 ports with full bandwidth, one of which is designated for eARC. This may pose a limitation if we plan to connect multiple devices – for example, a next-gen console and a soundbar simultaneously. In such cases, the eARC occupying one of those ports may be somewhat troublesome, blocking the ability to connect a second console.

The TCL C75B is undoubtedly a television designed for gamers. It offers almost everything that the most demanding console users need. With the implementation of full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1, the television supports features such as ALLM (automatic low latency mode) and VRR (variable refresh rate) – operating across the full capabilities of the TV, up to 240 Hz in Full HD resolution.

Additionally, the television supports advanced HDR technologies, including Dolby Vision and HGiG, which allows for even better detail representation in HDR-optimized games. The C75B is also equipped with a very convenient interface for gamers in the form of a Game Bar, where you can check all key parameters, such as refresh rate, input lag, or picture settings – all within one click's reach.

In a nutshell: the C75B is an excellent choice for gamers, offering a wide range of features that allow for fully enjoying the capabilities of modern consoles and games.