TCL C655 / C69B (55"-85") vs LG NANO81A / NANO80A

Overall, the quality of HDR performance in TCL C655 / C69B looks quite promising. The average value in test patterns is around 450 nits, which already allows one to feel the effects of lighting and better image dynamics. However, as mentioned earlier, this effect may be partially suppressed by slight differences in bright and dark colors, resulting from the lack of local dimming technology. However, the DCI-P3 color gamut coverage of 94% deserves high praise, and this is made possible by the use of a quantum dot (QLED) panel. As a result, colors are vibrant and well-reproduced when watching HDR content.

If you're counting on HDR in the NANO81A to bring tears to your eyes, I have to disappoint you. This TV is simply too dark to show what this format is really about. With a brightness of just 250 nits, HDR here essentially exists only on paper. In practice, during a viewing session, it's very hard to distinguish whether we're watching high dynamic range content or regular SDR – it simply lacks that "punch" of light in bright areas of the image. But, to not have all criticism, we do have a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel – and it’s quite clear. It's about color gamut coverage. Here, the NanoCell filter shows that it's not just marketing nonsense. Our measurements indicated that the coverage of the DCI-P3 space is around 88%. This is really a solid result that positions this model significantly above typical budget models based on regular white LED lights without any filters. Of course, it's still a bit lacking compared to the level of quantum dot TVs (QLED) or advanced panels with PFS filtering, but for this price range, the colors are surprisingly saturated and vibrant. It's just a shame that this low brightness doesn’t allow them to fully "spread their wings" with the Nano filter.

The TCL C655 / C69B television offers a movie mode that has been tested for color reproduction quality. Although this mode is called movie mode, unfortunately, it has quite a few errors that a director would certainly not want to see while 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, making the colors too warm, and overall it has a pink or yellow tint. This can be seen in the picture below from the movie "Star Wars." The Colour Checker test confirms these errors - the color samples stray into inappropriate shades, affecting the overall color fidelity. A minor issue is the brightness characteristic. However, it is also not free of flaws. The gamma chart shows a strong spike at the beginning, causing the image to be overly bright, and the EOTF curve responsible for brightness in 4K HDR material shows significant fluctuations as well – it is visible how the television tries to maintain proper brightness, but it does not always succeed effectively.

For every movie fan, the natural choice in LG televisions is the Filmmaker Mode. This mode is designed to display the image as the director intended – without unnecessary "enhancements." Unfortunately, in the case of our test unit NANO81A, the factory settings left something to be desired. The main issue turned out to be white balance. Measurements showed a clear deficiency of blue color, which practically translated to many scenes having a slightly yellowish, almost "too yellow" tint. The white was not perfectly clean, which detracted from the freshness of the image. Additionally, brightness management was not ideal either – the factory-set gamma was too low. The image often appeared oversaturated, as if it had been pulled too much from the shadows, losing its naturalness and depth. Fortunately, LG, even in this relatively low price segment, does not block access to advanced settings. The calibration capabilities of this model are immense, which is a big plus for those who like to "dig around" in the menu. We decided to approach the topic in our own way and see how much we could extract from this panel with professional calibration.

After calibrating the movie mode of the TCL C655 / C69B television, the white balance has been equalized, and the colors look as they should – which is confirmed by only slight deviations in the Colour Checker test. The gamma is really accurate, which means the television should not have issues with brightness in low-resolution materials. Unfortunately, a similar EOTF characteristic is still visible, which is a natural phenomenon in televisions that do not have local dimming – they simply struggle to “shine” more brightly in a given part of the screen. Despite this structural limitation that cannot be overcome, we recommend adjustments in the settings, as the overall color representation looks really very good.

After calibrating the NANO81A, it's a completely different television. What LG offers in terms of image enhancement tools even in such an inexpensive model deserves a big plus. We were able to completely eliminate that annoying yellowing of whites and make the colors natural, juicy, and simply "true." In SDR content (such as regular TV, YouTube, or older films), the picture now looks infinitely better – it's clear, well-balanced, and no longer strains the eyes with strange hues. It's evident that this panel has considerable potential, which is simply wasted by poor presets out of the box. However, we have one serious reservation that calibration cannot fully overcome – it's about brightness management in HDR mode. The algorithm LG uses in this model is designed very conservatively. The television deliberately dims the image in HDR to avoid overexposing an already weak black from the IPS panel. The developers faced a choice: either provide more light and accept that black will turn light gray, or reduce the brightness to maintain any contrast. They chose the latter. Nevertheless, after our adjustments, watching anything on the NANO81 is significantly better.

The TCL C655 / C69B television handles tonal transitions in low-quality materials pretty well. The "Gradual Smoothing" feature at a low setting effectively smooths tonal transitions, but at the same time, it blurs important details, such as the texture of objects. On the positive side, it does not negatively affect film grain, allowing for a natural look of the image. As for digital processing, the television adds artificial sharpness, which may appeal to some users who prefer a sharpened image. However, for those who prefer a softer look, this may be a disadvantage. A downside is also that the image has been quite heavily cropped by so-called overscan, which reduces the field of view and cuts off the edges of the image.

It often happens that cheap 4K panels mercilessly bring all the "dirt" and imperfections of lower resolution materials to light. However, in the case of the LG NANO81A, the situation is quite different. It’s a really solid performer when it comes to handling content that is far from ideal. The built-in processor does a great job with upscaling. Even older recordings look quite decent on this screen – the image is coherent, cleaned of digital noise, and simply pleasant to the eye. A big plus is the gradation reduction feature that you will find in the settings. It is exceptionally effective in combating color banding, which is a lifesaver when watching low bitrate materials, for example from some streaming services or older files from the internet. However, it is worth maintaining a certain vigilance. Since we are dealing with a less efficient chip than in LG's top models here, too aggressive an adjustment of this option can sometimes result in minor artifacts or a slight blurring of details. Despite this risk, I definitely encourage experimentation with this feature – in many cases, it can save the viewing experience and make low-quality material fully watchable.

The C655 / C69B TV is equipped with a 4K@60 Hz panel, which means it performs best when watching movies and less dynamic content. It also has a "Flicker Reduction" feature that allows for adjusting the fluidity of the image – users can choose whether they prefer smoother motion or a more cinematic, frame-by-frame effect. The TV can also adapt to lower resolutions, such as Full HD and 2K at 120 Hz, which will definitely please gamers by offering a smoother image at the cost of resolution. It is worth noting that this feature is available in sizes from 55"+. Additionally, the largest variant, 98", is equipped with a 144Hz panel with full motion smoothing.

In terms of motion fluidity, the NANO81A unfortunately has a few drawbacks. The TV is based on a panel with a refresh rate of 60 Hz. If you're looking for perfect sharpness in dynamic football matches or fast-paced action games, you might feel somewhat unsatisfied. With such a low native refresh rate, fast-moving objects on the screen will always be a bit blurry.

The television TCL C655 / C69B offers an almost perfect set of features for gamers, supporting all the most important technologies. It has an ALLM feature that automatically switches the television to low latency mode, significantly improving responsiveness and minimizing signal delays, which is particularly important during dynamic gameplay. The VRR feature allows for synchronizing the screen refresh rate with the number of frames generated by the console, eliminating the tearing effect and ensuring smoother gameplay.

The television also supports Dolby Vision in game mode, providing better color reproduction and contrast in games that support this format, and the Game Bar enables quick access to gameplay-related settings such as response time, delay level, and other parameters. Unfortunately, C655 / C69B does not support 4K resolution at 120 Hz (with the exception of the 98" variant), which may be disappointing for more demanding gamers who expect the highest fluidity in high-resolution games. However, if we are willing to forgo 4K, the television offers support for Full HD and 2K at 120 Hz, providing a smoother image and being a great alternative for those who prefer a higher refresh rate at the expense of resolution.

NANO81A is unfortunately not a device designed for e-sports. The lack of support for a 120 Hz signal is a fact that users planning to purchase this model must simply come to terms with. Nevertheless, LG engineers have worked hard to squeeze the maximum capabilities out of this 60 Hz panel, offering a set of features that genuinely enhance the gaming experience. Above all, the television supports VRR technology (in the range of 48–60 Hz) and ALLM. As a result, the image remains stable and does not "tear," and the device automatically switches to low-latency mode as soon as it detects a signal from the console. Managing these settings is incredibly simple thanks to a dedicated system overlay that allows for a quick overview of parameters without leaving the game. A significant advantage is the support for the HGiG format. This solution is crucial for owners of modern consoles, as it enables the TV to correctly "understand" the intentions of game developers regarding HDR tone mapping. In practice, this helps avoid the effect of "blown out" bright spots, such as clouds or light sources, which unfortunately is a common issue in budget LCD televisions.