TCL C655 / C69B 98' vs LG QNED86A / QNED85A / QNED87A

The quality of the HDR effect on TCL C655 / C69B looks quite promising. The average value in test patterns is about 450 nits, which already allows you to feel the brilliance of light effects and better image dynamics. However, as previously mentioned, this effect can be somewhat muted by slight differences in bright and dark colors, resulting from the lack of local dimming technology. However, the coverage of the DCI-P3 color palette at 94% deserves high praise, and this is possible due to the use of a quantum dot (QLED) matrix. As a result, colors are vibrant and well-reproduced when watching HDR content.

Against the backdrop of contrast and black, the brightness of the QNED86A and the overall HDR effect performs much better. This is a television that can reach around 700 nits in the best conditions, so in terms of brightness alone, there is nothing to be ashamed of. As a result, scenes with strong lights, explosions, flashes, or bright parts of the landscape look clear and can make an impression. Interestingly, even in more challenging moments with small, contrasting elements on the screen, the television handles their backlighting well, and the details are quite visible. The problem resurfaces when there are a lot of dark tones. The lack of effective local dimming causes black to virtually disappear, and instead, we get a gray glow spreading across the entire screen. This kills the sense of depth and makes the image look flat, as if it lacks a cinematic quality. In bright animations or colorful family films, this won't be an issue because colors and bright light dominate there. But in horrors or productions set in darkness, these limitations are very palpable. As a consolation, it’s worth mentioning that the QNED86A is actually a QLED television with a PFS LED filter, which gives it very good coverage of wide color gamuts. Both the DCI-P3 palette and the wider BT.2020 perform really solid here. This ensures that colors in HDR films are saturated, vibrant, and have the right depth – even if the black itself disappoints, the colors can save the viewing experience and make the image look attractive.

The TCL C655 / C69B TV offers a movie mode that has been tested for color reproduction quality. Although this mode is called movie mode, it unfortunately has quite a few flaws that a director would certainly not want to see when 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, which makes the colors too warm, and the overall image takes on a pink or yellow tint. The Colour Checker test confirms these errors – the color samples shift to the wrong shades, affecting overall color fidelity. A lesser issue is the brightness characteristics. However, it is also not without flaws. The gamma chart shows a strong spike at the beginning, which can make the image excessively bright, and the EOTF curve responsible for brightness in 4K HDR content also has significant fluctuations – it is evident that the TV tries to maintain appropriate brightness, but it does not always succeed effectively.

We primarily tested the QNED86A in Filmmaker mode, which is designed to provide the most accurate picture. Unfortunately, right out of the box, there were quite a few shortcomings. The most noticeable issue was the poorly adjusted white balance – there was a lack of blue, causing the overall image to lean slightly yellow, and at times, even orange. An even bigger problem turned out to be the way the television manages brightness. Due to its technical limitations – namely, local dimming that only works along the edges of the screen – the QNED86A tends to over-brighten entire scenes. This is where the flattening effect we mentioned earlier comes from. Instead of distinct depth and contrast, we get something akin to "boosted brightness," which can strain the eye over time.

After calibrating the movie mode of the television TCL C655 / C69B , the white balance has been adjusted, and the colors appear as they should – which is confirmed by only slight deviations in the Colour Checker test. The gamma is really good, which means the television shouldn’t have issues with brightness in low-resolution materials. Unfortunately, a similar EOTF characteristic is still noticeable, which is a natural phenomenon in televisions that do not have local dimming – they simply struggle to "shine" brighter in a given part of the screen. Despite this design limitation that cannot be bypassed, we recommend adjustments in the settings because the overall color presentation is really very good.

What was saved in the QNED86A6A is undoubtedly the colors. After calibration, the white balance was set with great precision, resulting in deviations on the Colour Checker palette mostly not exceeding the threshold of visibility for the human eye. In other words – the colors finally looked natural, without strange yellow or orange tones that previously ruined the experience. Unfortunately, even the best calibration cannot bypass design limitations. The already mentioned very modest number of local dimming zones and their unfortunate placement made the analysis of the EOTF curve in films still show clear over-brightening of scenes. The image tended to flatten, lacking cinematic depth. Fortunately, this effect is not as noticeable in older productions or SDR content. There, calibration really does its job and allows taming the QNED in such a way that the image can be pleasing. However, the specifics of this design – especially the contrast issues – cannot be entirely overcome.

The TCL C655 / C69B TV handles tonal transitions well in lower-quality content. The "Gradual Smoothing" feature at its lowest setting effectively eliminates visible banding, but it also results in a loss of detail, such as in the texture of objects. A plus is that it does not interfere with film grain, allowing the image to maintain a natural look.

In terms of digital processing, the TV adds a considerable amount of artificial sharpness, which may appeal to those who prefer a vivid image. For those who prefer a more subtle representation of details, this could be a drawback. Another downside is the rather aggressive overscan – the image is cropped, which leads to the loss of parts at the edges and limits the field of view.

If someone is worried about possible "steps" when connecting colors, there is a simple way in the QNED86A. Just turn on the feature called Smooth Gradation and set it to medium level. Then the TV really smooths out all those unwanted transitions – especially in older productions – and does it in such a way that the film grain doesn't disappear, nor do strange artifacts appear. In other words, you can use it without worry.

The upscaling itself also turns out quite well. Of course, there are no miracles here – with lower quality sources, you can observe characteristic jaggedness. Fortunately, there is a sharpness slider in the menu, and if someone prefers a more "softer" image, it can be quickly adjusted to their taste.

Unlike the smaller versions, the 98” model stands out with significantly better motion fluidity. Instead of the standard 60 Hz, this colossal screen is equipped with a full-fledged 144 Hz matrix, which opens up completely new possibilities – both for gamers and movie enthusiasts. With full motion smoothing, the TV provides incredible image fluidity, eliminating motion blur and improving the viewing comfort of dynamic scenes. It is worth emphasizing that this technology operates across the full refresh rate range, meaning there is no need to compromise between fluidity and quality. Additionally, the "Flicker Reduction" feature allows you to adjust the fluidity to your own preferences – you can opt for a more cinematic effect with visible frame drops or a maximally smooth image.

The QNED86A is equipped with a 120 Hz refresh rate panel, so right from the start, it's safe to say that it's suitable for both sports and gaming. And indeed, this is true – the image looks smooth, and motion blur is not very noticeable. IPS panels have always had some issues with this, and you can sometimes notice slight blurring here as well, especially in very dynamic scenes, but it's not something that ruins watching a match or a fast-paced game. For movie and sports fans, LG has added the traditional TruMotion smoother. In the menu, we have two sliders – one for movies (De-Judder), the other for sports (De-Blur). The first adds missing frames and allows you to adjust the character of motion – from raw, cinematic to more fluid, "theatrical." The second enhances sharpness during dynamic actions, so it's worth turning it up a bit if you're watching a lot of sports.

The 98-inch TCL C655 / C69B is excellently equipped for gamers. Full-fledged HDMI 2.1 ports and a 144 Hz panel allow you to enjoy games in 4K resolution at 120 Hz, providing smoothness and responsiveness that will impress even the most demanding.

The TV supports Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), which eliminates screen tearing, and the Automatic Low Latency Mode (ALLM) ensures that games start instantly, without the need to manually switch settings. There’s also support for Dolby Vision and HGiG, making the image quality in games even better - details are sharp, colors natural, and contrast perfectly balanced.

Additionally, the TV offers a dedicated gaming panel that allows for quick adjustment of image settings without having to leave the game. It’s a device that meets practically all the requirements of the modern gamer.

In terms of gaming, the LG QNED86A6A is a complete tool. It features four HDMI 2.1 ports with full bandwidth of 48 Gb/s, which means that whether you connect a PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, or a powerful PC – everything will work at full 4K 120 Hz with support for all features. This is a big plus, as some competitors still have only two such ports, which can be problematic with a larger number of devices. It also has VRR, or variable refresh rate, which eliminates screen tearing, and ALLM, which automatically activates game mode when the console is turned on. There’s also Dolby Vision Gaming and a proper implementation of the HGiG format, so titles supporting these formats look more vivid and detailed. Added to all of this is the Game Optimizer – a kind of control center for the gamer. From this level, you can view image parameters in real-time, quickly change modes, activate additional features, or adjust image settings to your preferences. The LG QNED86A6A essentially has everything one can expect from a modern gaming television.