TCL C6K vs TCL P89K / TCL P8K

TCL C6K is a moderately bright TV that can showcase its full potential under the best cinematic conditions – the maximum brightness is around 600 nits. In scenes with large, intense light sources, the HDR effect can be really satisfying, providing a sense of cinematic brilliance. However, it should be noted that when managing the backlighting zones, there are situations where some elements become dimmed and sometimes can even become barely visible. It is clear that there is a lack of proper algorithm optimization here, although looking at the technical parameters in this price range, the design itself performs very well.

The maximum brightness of the TCL P8K is around 300 nits, although in actual movie scenes, the TV maintains more around 250 nits. These values cannot be considered sufficient for achieving a full HDR effect – they are more akin to a solid base for SDR content. Therefore, we won’t see spectacular flashes, bursts of light, or moments when the screen truly “blinds” you, as is the case with more expensive models. The image is somewhat flattened, and the differences between light and shadow are more symbolic than realistic. Fortunately, TCL has a few aces up its sleeve that save the overall impression. One of them is the coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut at around 93–94%. Thanks to an additional QLED layer (PFS LED), colors gain depth and intensity, clearly surpassing standard LCD panels. As a result, although the typical “wow effect” associated with HDR brightness is lacking here, the image can still impress with its saturation and vibrant tones, making movie scenes pulse with colors and avoiding a heavily faded appearance.

This year's TCL televisions feature a Filmmaker mode, and it must be admitted that it is definitely the best choice straight out of the box. This is the mode we recommend for everyday watching of movies and series. Unfortunately, as is often the case, the best doesn't mean perfect. In the case of SDR content, the image was too warm because the red was strongly emphasized in the white balance. On the other hand, with HDR content, we had the opposite impression – the image became cooler than it should have been due to excess blue. Additionally, the brightness characteristic sometimes led to highlights being blown out. In practice, this resulted in quite noticeable color test inaccuracies that are hard to accept in a mode advertised as "by the creators."

In Filmmaker mode, the TCL P8K revealed certain imperfections in image reproduction from the start. We noticed that the television tends to slightly brighten scenes – its gamma was somewhat lowered, which made the image appear slightly "washed out," lacking depth, as if the contrast had slipped out of control. This was most evident in HDR content, where the EOTF brightness curve clearly deviated from the reference values. As a result, the darker parts of the image looked too gloomy, while the brighter sections didn't always reach the proper level of luminance. A second noticeable issue was a slight oversaturation of blue – the television stubbornly boosted this color, which caused some parts of the image, especially skin tones and reds, to have a slight purple tint. This is not a major flaw, but to a discerning eye – noticeable. Fortunately, most of these errors could be corrected during calibration. You can see the results of this adjustment in the graphs and photos below.

Thanks to the white balance correction, it was possible to significantly reduce the C6K's tendency to distort colors, which resulted in a very good final outcome. After calibration, we will no longer observe the effect of excessive warming of scenes in SDR or overly cooling the image in HDR. However, it is worth taking a closer look at the brightness characteristics. In SDR content, there are few complaints – the image looks really good, especially in older movies, TV shows, or materials from YouTube. This is much worse for HDR content. Analysis of the EOTF curve suggests that everything is fine, but in practice (EOTF in films), the limitations of the construction become apparent. The TV tends to overly brighten the smallest parts of the frame, and in other situations, it can dim the entire scene too much. The effect of calibration is therefore evident, and in terms of color, the C6K has gained quite a lot, but certain limitations arising from local dimming and, in fact, its management by the C6K simply cannot be overcome.

After calibration, the TCL P8K showed a completely different face. It managed to achieve nearly perfect, even reference-level color reproduction in both SDR and HDR content. The screen no longer had a tendency towards a cool tint, and the white balance was perfectly balanced. The gamma values for SDR material also finally look as they should – the image has the proper depth and no longer appears washed out. The only remark that can still be made about the P8K concerns its "Chinese" traits, known from most TCL models. The TV still likes to manipulate saturation in HDR content in its own way – sometimes slightly boosting it, sometimes smoothing it out, which means the effect is not always fully predictable. Nevertheless, after calibration, the colors look stunning, and their accuracy is truly surprising. In most cases, measurement errors dropped below values of 1-2, which is a result that significantly more expensive models would not be ashamed of.

The TCL C6K performs quite well in terms of scaling. Lower quality materials look acceptable, and the lack of overscan issues means that the image is displayed in full, without cropping. However, one cannot expect miracles – content of very low quality will not gain new life here, as the image processor has its limitations. On thin lines or details, the characteristic tearing is visible, which reveals the absence of advanced image enhancement algorithms. It is also a pity that the C6K lacks the feature for smoothing tonal transitions – in older films or video materials, color banding can be noticeable and may be bothersome during long viewing sessions.

The TCL P8K performs somewhat worse when it comes to the fluidity of tonal transitions in lower quality materials. The television does offer a feature to smooth out unwanted bands, but its effectiveness leaves much to be desired. Even at the highest setting, it’s hard to say there’s a real improvement – at times the effect is even the opposite of what was intended, as the feature can introduce small artifacts and unnatural blurriness on the screen.

On the other hand, upscaling, or scaling the image to 4K resolution, looks significantly better. The P8K handles this task surprisingly well – HD content, and even SD, is enhanced in an aesthetically pleasing manner without excessive loss of sharpness. There are indeed slight "hard" edges typical of this class of equipment, but this can easily be adjusted with the sharpness slider according to personal preferences. The final effect is more than satisfactory, especially considering the price range in which this model is located.

TCL C6K features a 144 Hz panel, which is a significant advantage in this price range. This is an important step forward compared to the previous model C655 PRO, which offered only 60 Hz at 4K. The difference is especially noticeable when watching sports or playing games – the ball, athletes, or fast action in a game are displayed more clearly and without losing details. An interesting fact is also the ability of the panel to operate at 240 Hz, which the manufacturer does not mention in official materials. We will return to this topic when discussing the game mode for PC.

TCL also added a feature for movie watchers: "Motion Clarity," which allows you to adjust the image to your preferences using two simple sliders. You can keep the movie frame visible or opt for a very smooth, almost theatrical effect. This way, everyone can find settings tailored to their taste.

TCL P8K is one of the cheapest televisions offering a 144 Hz refresh rate, which in itself is already a significant advantage in this price segment. Thanks to the fast panel, this model can confidently be recommended to both sports fans and video gamers – the image is smooth, and movements of the ball or dynamic actions look natural. However, this does not mean that the P8K is only suitable for sports. On the contrary – it can maintain the right dynamics in movies as well, without introducing an artificial effect of "theatricality," as long as we set the parameters wisely. The television is equipped with a motion smoother called "Motion Clarity," which features two sliders: blur reduction and flicker reduction. The first is responsible for smoothing the image by generating additional frames, which increases fluidity but may cause a slight soap opera effect. The second, on the other hand, limits flicker and improves sharpness in motion, although it may slightly darken the screen. Appropriately adjusting these two parameters allows for a really good balance between natural movement and fluidity. The 60 Hz panel is good for dynamic content, although more demanding users will notice that it is not a top-tier display in terms of motion clarity.

The TCL C6K is a TV that can confidently be called equipment designed for gamers. Here we have 4K at 144 Hz, VRR support, automatic game mode (ALLM), and Dolby Vision Gaming. Additionally, there's a practical Game Bar, a panel with the most important settings readily available – useful when we want to quickly change something during gameplay (e.g., screen aspect ratio: Yes, that’s possible!). The wide VRR range, reaching up to 240 Hz, deserves attention. However, this is mainly an option for PC gamers who drop below the native 4K resolution. Then the TV can spread its wings and show additional smoothness, especially in fast-paced e-sports titles. In the case of consoles, we stick to the classic limit of 120 Hz, but the possibilities are still quite broad. The only drawback is a slight ghosting that can sometimes be seen in dynamic scenes. Other than that, the C6K offers everything gamers expect from a TV.

Although the TCL P8K is a budget TV, it certainly can’t be said that it’s not suitable for gaming. On the contrary – this is a screen that can pleasantly surprise any gamer. It features two HDMI 2.1 ports, allowing us to easily output 4K at 120 Hz. For those gaming on PC, they will also appreciate the fact that the TV can even operate at 240 Hz refresh rate in lower resolution – a small thing, but it’s nice. In addition, there’s a full set of gaming-specific features: automatic game mode, Game Bar for quick parameter previews, VRR, HGiG, and support for Dolby Vision in games. All of this makes gaming on the P8K a truly enjoyable experience – the picture is smooth, the response is quick, and the TV communicates well with next-gen consoles. The TCL P8K shows that a cheap screen doesn’t have to mean giving up fun. Definitely not when it comes to gaming.