TCL C655 / C69B 98' vs TCL C8L / QM8L

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.

In terms of HDR, the TCL C8L turns out to be a hellishly bright television – and I mean literally. On a synthetic chart of 5%, our measuring equipment indicated a result exceeding 4500 nits. This is a result that is downright cosmic, considering that reference director monitors, which we often refer to in our materials, typically operate around 4000 nits. Does this mean that the C8L breaks barriers and climbs to the technological peak of Mini-LED? Not exactly. Dry synthetic tests are one thing, and real movie images are another. In real, varied scenes, the C8L achieves a peak of around 1600 nits. This is still a very good result, ensuring a very high level of HDR dynamics, but also clearly lower than what the manufacturer boasts in the specifications. The trouble starts with very small flashes of light – then brightness can drastically drop to around 600 nits. The algorithm tries at all costs to maintain deep black and minimize halo effect, but it does so at the expense of HDR impact. This is perfect evidence that laboratory charts rarely correspond to what we ultimately see on the screen.

Huge applause is due for color reproduction, all thanks to the new generation of SQD (Super Quantum Dot) quantum dots. The coverage of the DCI-P3 palette reaches 97%, but the true jaw-dropper is the measurement of the extremely demanding BT.2020 space. The C8L achieves as much as 90% in it, placing it alongside today's top screens that boast RGB backlighting. Importantly, unlike some screens with Micro/Mini RGB backlighting, this effect is stable regardless of the scene displayed. Of course, one must remember that content mastered for such a wide gamut in films or series is still a rarity. However, the mere fact that the panel has such a "color reserve" deserves immense admiration.

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 tested the TCL C8L in the best factory picture mode available in this TV’s menu for image fidelity. That, of course, is Filmmaker Mode, which appeared in this brand’s software relatively recently (a year ago in the "K" series). Thanks to it, an average user can get a pretty good color reproduction straight out of the box, although it is certainly not a perfectly tuned mode. Looking at the factory white balance of our unit, both in SDR and HDR material, the red component was clearly lacking, which made the image noticeably cooler and caused a slight shift toward bluish-green tints. The issue of brightness management is also ambiguous, as we mentioned earlier. While for SDR content the gamma linearity is actually correct and holds steadily at the reference value of 2.4, in HDR things look much worse. Tracking the EOTF curve clearly shows the TV has a significantly boosted brightness across the range, which can make the final image overly bright and inconsistent with the creators’ intent, and that in a mode that by definition should avoid that. Of course, like every sample in our lab, this one also underwent professional calibration, and its results are shown below.

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.

As you can see, the results of a professional calibration of the TCL C8L are really promising, thanks to the extensive adjustment tools the manufacturer put at our disposal in the menu. Above all, we were able to completely correct the white balance — we eliminated the red deficiency, so the image finally stopped drifting toward unwanted cool tones. After that adjustment, errors in the ColorChecker test fell to near-reference levels, regularly landing below a Delta E of 2, which is below the threshold of human perception.

If the test patterns look this perfect, you might ask: why then the lower final score in this category? The answer lies in the brightness management discussed earlier. Although the menu includes sliders that let you precisely straighten the EOTF curve on synthetic signals, when confronted with actual movie material (I recommend enabling the EOTF filter when watching movies), you can see that in most scenarios the TV still reacts to HDR metadata its own way. As a result, the picture can be slightly over-brightened and not faithful to the creators' intent, and it was precisely this lack of consistency with real films that cost the C8L a few points.

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.

This year the C8 series and higher models received probably the biggest and most anticipated upgrade in TCL’s history, and it specifically concerns digital image processing. The C8L is the lowest-end model in the manufacturer's lineup to be equipped with the latest flagship chip, the MediaTek Pentonic 800 (listed in the menu as MT9655). Thanks to its processing power, the feature called "Gradual Smoothing" finally works as it should. The algorithm effectively eliminates unwanted posterization (ugly tonal transitions/color banding), doing so intelligently enough that it does not degrade the sharpness of other details.

The processor also handles upscaling lower-resolution content to 4K very well. Although evaluating this element can be mostly academic, because the differences between today's TVs in this class are very subtle. The most important takeaway is that TCL finally has nothing to be ashamed of compared to the competition.

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 TCL C8L is equipped with a fast panel that has a native 144 Hz refresh rate. That spec will be most appreciated by demanding PC gamers, while most users, who rely on consoles or TV broadcasts, will use a steady 120 Hz. It is at 120 Hz that motion processing algorithms handle image rendering for movies, series, and sports. In the TV’s menu you’ll find a "Motion Clarity" option that lets you adjust the motion smoothing to your preferences. The algorithms handle cinematic material at 24 or 30 frames per second (fps) as well as dynamic sports broadcasts at 50 or 60 fps, maintaining appropriate smoothness.

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.

For gamers – especially for those with powerful PCs and several consoles at the same time – the TCL C8L is a true beast. It’s the first model in the manufacturer’s lineup equipped with four full HDMI 2.1 ports with a maximum bandwidth of 48 Gbps. This is directly thanks to the new Pentonic 800 processor we wrote about earlier. Additionally, the TV seamlessly supports virtually every gaming feature. It has an automatic game mode (ALLM) that reduces latency to minimal levels and full frame synchronization (VRR) operating in an impressive range of up to 288 Hz. We’re also talking about standards like G-Sync or FreeSync from Nvidia and AMD. When it comes to image display standards, there are also no compromises: the C8L offers complete support for HDR formats in games, including gaming Dolby Vision and the HGiG profile. All of these features can be conveniently managed from a very readable game bar (Game Bar), which we can customize according to our preferences. From a purely gaming perspective, there really isn’t anything to complain about in the C8L – well, maybe aside from the previously mentioned slight ghosting. But other than that? It’s an unflawed machine for gamers.