TCL C655 / C69B (55"-85") vs TCL C655 / C69B (43" - 50")

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.