TCL MQLED85 / C765 vs SAMSUNG OLED S90F (WOLED)

The TCL MQLED85/C765 television performs well with HDR handling. In the tested movie scenes, where the screen is covered at 100% brightness, the model achieves impressive results around 1000 nits, providing intense and realistic representation of HDR content. However, similar to contrast, the dimming algorithm may show some limitations. Despite the large number of Mini LED zones, the television does not always manage to "stun" the user with brightness in very challenging test scenes. For example, in a scene from "Life of Pi," where a bright moon appears against a dark background, and in another scene from "Sicario 2," where a very bright light effect is visible against a dark background, the television did not reach maximum intensity. For users expecting perfect HDR performance in such extreme cases, the TCL MQLED may be slightly disappointing. However, regarding colors, the television stands out with a very high color gamut coverage of DCI P3 at 95%, which is an impressive result comparable to much more expensive models. The TCL MQLED85 / C765 offers support for various HDR formats, including Dolby Vision and HDR10+, which is essential for cinema image enthusiasts. Although this model achieves brightness over 1000 nits, the TCL MQLED85 may struggle to reflect details in very high contrast scenes. For better HDR quality control, the C765 is equipped with dynamic tone mapping, making the image more realistic and natural depending on the content.

Does the S90F handle not only dark scenes but also bright parts of the image? Definitely yes. Stories about OLEDs as "dark screens" can slowly be regarded as a myth. The Samsung S90F, similar to the LG C5 based on a very similar panel, achieves brightness exceeding 1000 nits. This is a value entirely sufficient to enjoy impressive and dynamic HDR images – both in movies and series. Most of the scenes we tested look stunning, with well-defined lights and high contrast. Of course, OLED technology still has its limitations – with very bright, full-screen sequences, such as the test card from the movie The Meg (5th image), the TV can noticeably dim the image. However, it's worth noting that such scenes are quite rare. One can say that the HDR effect is good enough that even mid-range OLED models, like the S90F, can provide a cinematic experience in the home living room.

TheTCL MQLED85/C765 television was tested in movie mode, which, although it seems to be the best setting from the manufacturer, is not without flaws. The color reproduction in HD/SDR mode MQLED85 shows certain shortcomings. In the analysis of white balance, there is a significant lack of blue color, which can affect the overall picture quality, especially in bright scenes where blue hues are crucial for natural representation. The overall image may then seem too warm. As for gamma contrast, the graph shows a significant jump above the reference line of level 2.4 at the beginning, which may suggest significant dimming of brightness in darker areas, leading to a loss of detail in blacks. Then, for most of the time, the values are below this line, which can lead to a loss of detail in the brighter parts of the image. Such a distribution can negatively affect the perceived image quality, especially when watching regular HD television.

In the case of 4K HDR image quality of the TCL MQLED85/C765, there is a noticeable excess of red color in the analysis of white balance. Such an excess can significantly affect the viewer's experience, leading to several significant effects. First of all, too much red can make other colors, such as green or blue, appear muted or unnatural. This distortion of color balance can result in an overall impression of "oversaturation," which detracts from the image's naturalness and authenticity. Regarding contrast, the EOTF (Electro-Optical Transfer Function) graph indicates that most values are above the reference line, suggesting an intense boost in brightness in the bright areas of the image. However, the exception is the beginning of the graph, where the EOTF line is below the reference one, which may lead to excessive dimming of small light elements.

Users should be aware that despite using the best mode, which is movie mode, the television is not free from flaws in the context of picture settings, so it is worth considering adjusting the settings to achieve better results.

Samsung S90F, like most modern TVs, offers many picture modes, but – in line with our testing tradition – we checked it in its best one, which is the Filmmaker mode. As a result, the image looks much more natural than in the default, often oversaturated settings. It was neither overly saturated nor artificially subdued – just closer to what you should see. Of course, "more correct" doesn’t mean "perfect." Our S90F sample unfortunately had significant issues with white balance, particularly in the blue color range, resulting in a slightly yellowish filter applied to most scenes. Someone might say that it looks more "cinematic" – because it's warmer – but let's be honest, George Lucas didn't film Star Wars in sepia 😉 (you'll find the comparison with the scene as always below).

Additionally, in HDR materials, there was a noticeable issue with brightness management. The EOTF curve showed a distinct "spike" in brightness – the TV brightened the image more than it should have, making some effects look too intense and diverging from the reference. Thankfully, some of these issues can be eliminated with professional calibration – you can read about its effects later in the review.

After professional calibration of the TCL MQLED85/C765 television, its color properties in movie mode have significantly improved, resulting in much more satisfying visual experiences. Both in SDR and HDR modes, the white balance shows no serious errors, and the graph appears much better harmonized. Users can now enjoy natural color reproduction, which is essential for achieving an authentic experience while watching movies. It is worth noting that in HDR content, there may be minor color reproduction errors at the end of the graph, but they are significantly smaller than before calibration. This makes characters and landscapes more realistic, enhancing the depth of immersion in the story.

Regarding contrast, the gamma curve, responsible for HD quality, has been completely free of drops below the reference line, which means better detail visibility in dark scenes. However, there is still a slight boost at the beginning of the graph, which may affect the perception of bright elements. For HDR content, the EOTF curve also shows smaller errors, although certain issues in reproducing midtones may still be noticeable. The EOTF curve measured on real film scenes still shows a significant brightness boost, making the image appear more intense but artificially brightened. This is a typical issue for TCL brand televisions, which may appeal to untrained viewers but can be annoying for those more familiar with the ideal picture.

What benefits does professional calibration bring for movie enthusiasts? Thanks to it, watching becomes even more realistic and immersive, allowing every scene to be experienced fully, maintaining details and natural colors.

After calibration, we managed to eliminate almost all the aforementioned errors. Older movies in SDR quality finally look as they should – without the sepia effect or artificial aging of the image. The atmosphere of the classics is returning to its rightful place (you're welcome, Star Wars fans), and the colors no longer resemble an Instagram filter.

One of the key changes was also the improvement of brightness characteristics in HDR content. We managed to control the EOTF curve in an almost reference way. Yes, the most demanding users may notice minimal deviations in brightness, but to be honest – most viewers won't even notice that. And it’s no wonder, because the vast majority of errors are below the ΔE 3 threshold, which is below the visibility threshold. After calibration, the S90F (WOLED) becomes a truly excellent display – one that you can enjoy nearly perfect image quality on.

We will now take another look at the tone transitions in the TCL MQLED85/C765 television, but in the context of poorer image quality. Despite the presence of the "Gradual Smoothing" option, when set to "low," the effects are practically invisible, disappointing users expecting an improvement in image quality. On the other hand, setting it to "high" brings minimal results, and worse, it can blur significant details, negatively affecting the sharpness and clarity of the displayed image. However, in terms of image scaling, the television successfully displayed the image without overscan, which means we do not lose any part of the view. The image looks quite decent, and details such as tree branches or the outlines of models do not show significant fraying, which positively influences the visual quality.

Digital image processing in the S90F:

Fortunately, Samsung, as in most of its models, can effectively deal with the unwanted posterization effect in the S90F. The function responsible for this element is noise reduction, which quite nicely smooths out tonal transitions and eliminates unnatural color joins – of course, within its capabilities. Unfortunately, it works quite aggressively, so using it comes with compromises. In addition to improving gradation, it may also remove film grain or gently soften facial features. In this case, the choice is yours – do you prefer a more "clean" image, or do you care about preserving the original texture of the material.

Image scaling in the S90F:

In this year's model, Samsung has implemented its own AI processor – NQ4 Gen3, which really manages quite well with upscaling. In our test scenes, the television effectively "pulled up" lower-quality content towards artificial 4K – the image was more pleasant to view, and the differences in sharpness between native and scaled content were minimal. Unfortunately, behind this entire AI marketing façade lies a certain shortcoming. The S90F does not handle overscan well. If you reach for truly archival materials – like a VHS tape of your parents' wedding – you must reckon with the fact that the lower part of the image may be cut off. The image adaptation function to the resolution simply does not work here as it should.

TCL MQLED85/C765 is equipped with a standard refresh rate matrix of 120 Hz, with the possibility of increasing it to 144 Hz when connected to a powerful computer. The television also offers a multi-stage motion smoother, which mainly serves users who want to improve motion smoothness in films. It allows for the adjustment of the effect's intensity on a scale from 0 to 10, enabling precise matching of image smoothness to individual preferences. The matrix's response time is decent but not perfect. We can observe ghosting occurring behind both dark and medium objects.

S90F really handles motion great – after all, it's an OLED with a 144 Hz panel, so sports and games look simply amazing on it. The picture is smooth, clear, and there's no room for ghosting or blurring that sometimes plagues cheaper LCDs.

The TV is also equipped with motion smoothing settings that allow you to tailor everything to your liking. We have motion blur reduction and judder reduction – you can set it up to make the picture super smooth (even to that soap opera effect), or more cinematic, with the classic "choppiness" of 24 frames. The choice is yours; Samsung doesn't impose anything.

TCL MQLED85/C765 has received an impressive rating in the gaming features category, making it an excellent choice for gaming enthusiasts. The television supports all the latest technologies that significantly enhance the gaming experience. Among the key gaming features is ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), which automatically switches the television to low latency mode, minimizing response time and ensuring smooth gameplay. VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) supported in the range from 48 to 144 Hz eliminates stuttering and screen tearing in dynamic gaming scenes. Additionally, the television supports Dolby Vision Game Mode, which provides better image quality in games with exceptional color depth and contrast. TCL MQLED85/C765 also features a decent but not the best implementation of HGiG (HDR Gaming Interest Group), optimizing HDR game display, but in the case of TCL, it causes bright details in white, resulting in some elements blending into a white spot - we can read more about this in the color reproduction section. It supports various resolutions such as 1080p@120Hz, 1440p@120Hz, and 4K@120Hz, allowing gamers to take advantage of higher image quality and better fluidity. The Game Bar feature allows for easy switching between game settings and quick control of parameters, significantly facilitating the adjustment of the television to individual needs. With support for G-Sync and FreeSync technologies, users of NVIDIA and AMD graphics cards will be pleased with the synchronization of refresh rates, eliminating tearing and stuttering issues, providing a smoother and more immersive gameplay experience.

MQLED85/C765 is a television that combines advanced technologies and excellent support for gamers, making it an ideal choice for those who want to maximize their gaming experiences.

When it comes to gaming features – we have absolutely no complaints about the S90F. Aside from the lack of Dolby Vision, which is already the norm for Samsung. The TV operates at 144 Hz, has four HDMI 2.1 ports, so you can easily connect more than one console or PC. It also includes Game Bar – a practical tool that allows you to quickly preview picture settings, VRR status, ALLM mode, and other useful options. Game Motion Plus is also noteworthy – Samsung’s proprietary motion smoother, which uniquely works well in games. The image feels smoother without any artificial effects or slowdowns.

It’s also worth mentioning the HGiG feature, which – surprisingly – works correctly. We mention this because Samsung clearly broke something in one of its recent updates, and in some models, the option responsible for HGiG simply... disappears from the menu. Setting it becomes virtually impossible. Fortunately, our S90F unit did not have this issue, but the situation is dynamic, so it’s worth keeping this in mind and regularly checking for new software versions and information from the manufacturer.