TCL C855 vs LG OLED C5

The TCL C855 delivers a highly varied HDR effect. At times, the television truly excels, while at other moments, it appears reminiscent of a low-end model equipped with FALD backlighting. Inconsistency is frequently found with this brand, so it didn’t come as a surprise. The first and last scenes, which feature large light elements, are nothing short of spectacular, boasting brightness levels of 1470 and 1820 nits, respectively. Such brightness can make viewers squint their eyes, allowing them to feel the extraordinary dynamism of the scene. It genuinely immerses the audience, creating a sensation of being inside the movie itself. However, the situation shifts dramatically when small or subtle elements with high luminance appear against a dark background. In these instances, the TCL C855 significantly reduces brightness to levels as low as 240 nits to mitigate halo effects. This reduction is disappointing, as it can make the movie appear as if it was not filmed in HDR. Despite these shortcomings, the HDR effect on the TCL C855 enhances the viewing experience during dynamic scenes, making it feel more engaging and allowing the viewer to feel part of the action. Even with smaller high-luminance elements, the television retains details without excessive dimming. Additionally, the TCL C855 adjusts image brightness according to scenes with rich detail, further enhancing viewing comfort.

LG C5 finally does what we have been waiting for years in the C series – it exceeds 1000 nits of brightness! This is a significant change compared to previous models in the series and also very important – because this is exactly the level of luminance around which most HDR content is now created on streaming platforms. The image finally has the right “glow,” and details in bright areas look as they should even without the use of dynamic metadata. However, there are scenes where the C5, like most OLED televisions, has some issues. Especially when the screen needs to illuminate fully. In our test sequences, such as the bright scene from the movie The Meg, brightness clearly decreases. Don’t get us wrong, this result isn’t bad; it’s more of a reminder that OLED technology still has its limitations. They are getting smaller year by year, but still.

Now, what about the colors? They are very good. Although the C5 does not match the OLEDs with QD-OLED or Tandem RGB panels, the DCI-P3 coverage at 97% and 73% BT.2020 will satisfy even the most demanding viewers. The colors are saturated, natural, and very consistent in HDR materials.

The best factory mode for the TCL C855 is the "Film" setting, and all our tests were conducted using this mode. However, like many predefined modes, it has flaws that should be addressed to achieve an image closer to the producer's original vision. In our examination of the colour characteristics for both SDR and HDR materials, issues were found.

Focusing first on SDR content, there is a noticeable dominance of green in the white balance, which leads to an unpleasant greenish tint across the entire image. The gamma chart, crucial for image contrast, shows a significant deviation from the reference line marked at 2.4. Initially, there is a pronounced spike in the measured value, resulting in an over-contrasted image where details can merge into a dark blob. This condition persists for nearly 20% of the chart before it dips below the reference line, causing the image to brighten and resulting in a substantial drop in contrast.

In HDR materials, the factory mode performs somewhat better; the white balance appears more balanced overall, although the green tint resurfaces in the latter half of the spectrum. When we look at the Electro-Optical Transfer Function (EOTF) curve—unlike gamma, which reflects contrast—we identify two main errors: the darkest scenes are too dark, while the brightest ones become overexposed. This discrepancy was evident in our review of the scene from the movie "Pan," further illustrating the TCL C855's HDR performance issues.

LG C5, like other TVs we tested, was checked in the best possible factory mode – which remains Filmmaker Mode. And here we have good news: in SDR materials, LG once again did a solid job. The white balance and color reproduction straight out of the box are at a very high level. Most errors – both in balance and in the color test (Colour Checker) – did not exceed a ΔE value of 3, which is the threshold above which differences become visible to the naked eye. Such factory settings are something we would like to see in many more TVs!

However, the situation is different for HDR content, which is really what the C series was created for. Here the C5 performs weaker. The excessive presence of blue in the white balance causes the image to appear noticeably cooled – which affects, for instance, unnaturally pale skin tones and somewhat shifted tonality of the entire scene. Fortunately, LG provides very precise calibration tools, and we – as always – took advantage of them.

TCL, like most manufacturers, offers advanced calibration tools within its televisions. These include both 2-point and 20-point adjustments for grayscale, as well as a comprehensive colour management system. As a result, we achieved impressive results in SDR materials, bringing the image significantly closer to the reference standard. We successfully eliminated both the green tint and the gamma issue, although a slight "kink" at the very beginning of the gamma curve still persists.

In contrast, the situation with HDR materials was less favourable, as the TCL C855 did not allow for precise modelling. We were only able to make minor adjustments to the EOTF curve while significantly enhancing the overall colour accuracy. This limitation suggests that while calibration tools are effective, they may require further refinement for optimal HDR performance.

We must honestly admit – in the case of the LG C5, it took really very little to achieve an almost perfect picture. After calibration, we managed to achieve compliance with reference screens at a level that impresses even compared to much more expensive models. The picture after our adjustment looks exactly as filmmakers and series creators would want it – without color distortions, with natural depth and subtle texture. LG has done a great job this year regarding factory settings and calibration potential. Hats off!

Once again, we will take a look at the function of smoothing tonal transitions, but this time also image scaling. The latter is particularly important when watching materials of lower quality, such as some television programs or older films. We will focus on the function responsible for tonal transitions. Interestingly, just like in the scenes from the previous test where it performed excellently and smoothed out practically all the inconsistencies, here it had issues. Using the menu responsible for the operation of this function, we found that no setting—even the strongest—was helpful.

Image scaling in TCL C855 is defined as one of the best we have had the opportunity to test so far. The image is sharp, but in a way that could be described as natural to our eye. Even small, fine branches do not have jagged edges, and there is no white halo around figures, a characteristic of weaker scaling systems.

LG C5 handles lower-quality materials really well. One of the main issues older WOLEDs faced was posterization – unwanted "steps" in color transitions. The C5 uses a system feature to smooth these transitions, which works surprisingly effectively. The banding effect is almost completely eliminated, and the image gains consistency. Compared to last year's model, we feel that this feature works slightly weaker – but the good news is that it does not compromise the structure of the image. Film grain, textures, and details remain on the screen – nothing is smoothed out forcefully.

The C5 also does a great job of enhancing the quality of older recordings. Thanks to the α9 Gen6 processor (8th gen), "scaling to 4K" performs really solidly. The image is clear, the details are sharp, and the only minor drawback might be slightly visible jaggedness on some edges. However, there is no issue with overscan here – the image is not artificially cropped or shifted, which is a significant plus and still isn’t a given.

The maximum refresh rate you can set on the TCL C855 is 144 Hz. Naturally, this is only possible after connecting the TCL C855 TV to a very powerful PC. Otherwise, we will be operating at a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz, which is recommended if we want to watch primarily sports or materials with a lot of motion dynamics. For those who require high image fluidity, the manufacturer has implemented a multi-stage motion smoother. It is divided into two separate sliders which control the sharpness of moving images (Motion Blur Reduction) and flicker (Flicker Reduction). Both sliders can be adjusted from 0 to 10, with each level affecting the degree of fluidity, so everyone can find their sweet spot. We present a setting that allows for slight smoothing without the soap opera effect. The matrix of the TCL C855 features a very good response time. This is particularly important since VA panels often struggle with the so-called ghosting effect, where a black halo can be observed behind a fast-moving object. where a black halo can be observed behind a fast-moving object.

The LG C5 is equipped with a 144 Hz panel, and this, combined with the practically zero response time of the OLED pixels, makes it one of the best screens for watching dynamic content. It doesn't matter whether it's sports, fast-paced games, or just action – the image is as sharp as a razor.

And what about movies in 24 frames? LG thought of that too. The built-in "TruMotion" smoother allows you to adjust the image to your own preferences. The "de-judder" slider increases the smoothness in movies, while "de-blur" gently reduces blurring – although to be fair, it is almost imperceptible here anyway.

The TCL C855 TV has fully-featured HDMI 2.1 ports, boasting a full bandwidth of 48 Gb/s. During our testing, we confirmed the seamless operation of all functions included in this connection standard. As highlighted, all checkboxes are illuminated in green, a feature that will undoubtedly be appreciated by gamers, whether on consoles or those using the TV as a computer monitor. Additionally, the TCL C855 supports both AMD FreeSync and NVIDIA's G-Sync, which can be easily activated in the graphics card settings. Those with powerful configurations can feed a 144 Hz signal to the C855, which handles this effortlessly. It is also worth noting the implementation of the HGIG mode, which can be excessively bright due to the shortcomings of the "Game" mode, making proper configuration on the screen challenging. Fortunately, the TV excels with the Dolby Vision format.

TCL, as one of the pioneering manufacturers, has equipped its televisions with a special GameBar, allowing for extensive adjustment of settings "on the fly" without the need to exit the game. This feature includes options like an additional crosshair grid, black level correction, and settings designed for individuals with disabilities. The image showcases the next generation of this solution.

In summary, the TCL C855 TV is an ideal choice for those seeking a screen for all forms of electronic gaming. With comprehensive features supporting such entertainment, it provides an extremely engaging experience. It is also important to emphasise that it maintains very low input lag, regardless of the selected settings, including when using the Dolby Vision HDR format.

LG C5 is a television designed with gamers in mind – and there’s not a hint of exaggeration in that. It's hard to find anything to criticize here. We have 144 Hz refresh rate, full support for VRR, ALLM, and up to four HDMI 2.1 ports with full bandwidth of 48 Gb/s. For those who have an Xbox, PS5, Nintendo, and a gaming PC all in one room – there are no limits, everything can be connected without any hassle.

The HDR configuration for gaming is also problem-free. The television properly supports the HGiG mode, which allows for an image consistent with the creators' intentions. For those interested, there’s also Dolby Vision in Gaming mode, though we still recommend HGiG as the most predictable and “pure” version of HDR for games.

The Game Bar is also included, which serves as the “command center” for the gamer. Everything that’s most important, from VRR settings, to picture modes, to frame rate information – is at our fingertips. The interface is simple and readable. It may look like something out of a space simulator, but it serves its purpose and just works; exactly as it should.

C5 is truly a complete package for every gamer.