TCL P7K / P79K vs Dreame S100

When evaluating the HDR effect, we must make it clear and without marketing embellishment: the P7K/P79K is not and was never meant to be a master in this field. The maximum peak brightness that this panel can generate is only around 300 nits. This is a borderline value, a sort of thin red line between what can be considered a barely satisfactory HDR signal and what is really not much different from standard dynamic range (SDR), unfortunately leaning towards the latter. Synthetic tests found brutal confirmation in reality – our measurements taken during movie screenings showed that luminance in key bright parts of the content rarely exceeded the threshold of 200-250 nits. Therefore, this is not a television that would allow content produced in a wide tonal range to truly shine, and we must openly acknowledge that.

Unfortunately, the issue of color reproduction is presented equally restrained. Although the manufacturer positions this model in the "QLED" family, thanks to the use of a PFS LED filter, the results do not match the heightened expectations. The coverage of the wide DCI-P3 color gamut is only 86%. Compared to the market, this is at best an average result, as most devices that employ additional layers to expand the color spectrum easily achieve values at a minimum level of 90-92%.

The Dreame S100 is a relatively bright television. In movie mode, the brightness we measured reached about 600 nits. This is a really good result, although not the highest, considering the capabilities of the competition in this price range. In fullscreen scenes, it is evident that the television can generate an image that strikes with brightness. Unfortunately, when more complex scenes appeared on the screen, the local dimming algorithm in this model tried above all to maintain the deepest blacks. However, this came at the expense of HDR effect – and in a drastic way. In such scenes, the brightness of bright elements dropped below 100 nits, which is a truly tragic result, far from any HDR effect. This aspect can be improved, though not without any "buts." It is enough to change the local dimming setting in the television's menu, but then the blacks in such scenes simply turn gray. It’s a pity that Dreame could not refine the local dimming algorithms better, and the S100 is another example that the mere number of local dimming zones does not always translate into better image quality. As a consolation, it is worth adding that the Dreame S100 is advertised as a "QLED" television, although in reality it utilizes a PFS LED filter. As a result, the colors are appropriately saturated, and the color gamut coverage we measured exceeded 94% of the DCI-P3 palette.

Every reliable image quality assessment must begin by selecting the most optimal factory mode. In the case of the tested model P7K/P79K, the choice was confidently made for the "Film" mode. It is this mode that presents an image closest to the creators' intentions, avoiding both the exaggerated brightness of dynamic mode and the excessive dimming known from eco settings. And it must be admitted that, for a device in this price range, the factory calibration is surprisingly decent, although it is not free from a few stumbles. The most noticeable flaw turned out to be an imperfectly adjusted white balance. A slight dominance of the blue component gives the image a subtly cool, chilly character, thus deviating from the exemplary neutrality that the director wanted to show us. The television performs much better in reproducing the grayscale in a standard dynamic range – the gamma curve is executed almost perfectly. A minor reservation can only be made for the darkest parts of the image, where a slight deviation from the norm causes a loss of some detail in the shadows. The most serious challenge for TCL's software, however, was the interpretation of the HDR signal, which is illustrated by the EOTF curve. The television follows its own, rather free path here – the darkest details are disproportionately brightened, followed by a noticeable slowdown in brightness increase for midtones. Fortunately, most of these imperfections are software-related issues that can be eliminated. With this thought in mind, we proceeded to the professional calibration process.

We tested the Dreame S100 in "movie" mode and definitely recommend using this setting for watching all kinds of content. Interestingly, in the deeper settings of the TV, we also find a dedicated "Filmmaker" mode, which is available today from almost every manufacturer. However, in the case of the Dreame S100, we do not recommend using it – it blocks all image-related settings and does not allow any configuration in the menu - not even motion smoothing. So how do the factory colors perform on the S100? Not too bad, but also not great. The TV itself was quite heavily tinted with blue components, which is clearly visible in our white balance measurements. This caused the image to be artificially brightened, and the colors had a slight bluish tint. This is confirmed by the Color Checker palette, which showed how color samples leaned towards blue, generating quite significant color errors. The image in HDR mode looked definitely better, where color errors were not as prominently visible, though they still fell far from ideal. Here, the white balance was also too heavily skewed towards the blue color, which caused quite significant errors in color reproduction.

The calibration process turned out to be a home run, especially in the context of standard dynamic range (SDR) content. We successfully managed to eliminate the TV's tendency to emphasize cool tones, restoring the whites to their natural neutrality. Furthermore, precise adjustments allowed us to correct a slight error in the gamma curve, so the darkest areas of the image regained their proper depth, without a trace of unnatural brightening. The effects are measurable and impressive – in the ColorChecker test, the vast majority of color reproduction errors fell below the perceptual threshold, achieving a deltaE value below 2. This is a result that would not shame much more expensive constructions. Unfortunately, in the case of HDR content, we hit a wall in the form of the inherent limitations of the panel itself. And although we managed to bring the colors in line, the software's specifics mean that the TV still adapts brightness in its own way, as evidenced by the persistent, non-standard EOTF curve. In summary, calibration brings tremendous added value, but one must be aware that it cannot overcome certain physical barriers. A slight boost in black levels, resulting from the lack of local dimming, and limited peak brightness mean that HDR content will not always be able to showcase its full potential. This is simply not the main task of this display; its true strength, especially after professional tuning, lies in the viewing of SDR materials.

The Dreame S100 turned out to be a device very susceptible to professional calibration. In its menu, we found a whole array of advanced options that allowed us to effectively correct factory errors. Thanks to advanced white balance correction – both in SDR and HDR content – we completely eliminated excess blue components. The image immediately became much more natural and pleasant to view. After fully tuning the colors, errors in the Color Checker test dropped below Delta E values of 2-3. For the average viewer, this means that any color distortions have become nearly impossible to notice with the naked eye. This is a really nice surprise, as often new brands in the television market have significant problems with proper implementation and functioning of sliders in the calibration menu. Here, everything worked as it should. The only thing we need to criticize is the way the television manages its brightness in HDR. Due to the specific nature of the local dimming algorithms, we observed anomalies in the EOTF curve we measured. In the areas where high highlights should appear, there is a slight uplift of the curve above the reference line. In practice, this results in unnatural brightening of some of the brightest elements in movies or games. Despite this minor flaw, professional calibration brings a huge, very positive change to this model.

After a series of harsh evaluations, fortunately, the time comes for praise, and this is due to the TCL AiPQ image processor for its work in digital processing and content scaling. It should be noted right away that we are not talking about the level known from flagship designs; nevertheless, in the price segment represented by the P7K/P79K, the results achieved are more than solid. The feature that smooths tonal transitions performs particularly well, effectively eliminating posterization, which are the characteristic bands often visible in materials with higher compression, such as from the YouTube service. The algorithm can elegantly remove unwanted gradients, which ultimately looks really good. The television also competently handles upscaling, which is the task of raising low-resolution materials to 4K standard. The output image, although it may seem a bit too sharp out of the box, fortunately, is not a problem. The software allows for easy adjustment of this parameter using a sharpness slider, so the final appearance can be easily tailored to personal preferences.

The scaling and digital processing in the Dreame S100 is handled by a technology that the manufacturer proudly calls Dreamind™ Pro AI. However, it is essential to clarify that this is not a proprietary processor but merely a marketing name for a chip from MediaTek – specifically, the model MT5889. Unfortunately, we are talking about quite an outdated unit, from the time when MediaTek lagged significantly behind the competition in terms of performance. This, unfortunately, has a direct impact on the image, as this chip is responsible for that as well. The upscaling in the S100 is rather mediocre, and the processor tends to strongly and artificially sharpen edges (fortunately, this can be somewhat tempered with the sharpness slider in the menu). In the options, we also find a "Contour Smoothing" function, which theoretically is supposed to improve tonal transitions. In practice, it brings almost no improvement – setting it to any level rarely eliminates visible color banding but can unnecessarily blur elements of the image that should remain sharp.

A separate problem is the phenomenon of overscan (clipping the edges of the frame), which is almost always visible here. Although there is an option to set the screen to display the full frame in low-resolution materials, it requires activating the aforementioned Filmmaker mode. And as you already know, this mode completely blocks any other adjustments in the image menu. In our test tables, we noted that the television offers the option to disable overscan, as technically such a feature exists in the system – however, in everyday use, with reasonable image settings, you will not be able to take advantage of it.

The issue of fluidity and sharpness of the image in motion is inextricably linked to the fundamental parameter of the panel, and in the case of the TCL P7K/P79K, we are dealing with a panel that has a native refresh rate of 60 Hz. This specification already defines its capabilities and makes it difficult to unequivocally recommend it to enthusiasts of dynamic sports broadcasts. During rapid camera movements, the image loses sharpness, and the panel itself also shows a slight tendency to blur, which may be noticeable to more sensitive viewers. Fortunately, not everything in this aspect has been left to chance. The manufacturer has implemented a simple motion smoothing system, which is primarily used in film materials recorded at 24 or 30 frames per second. Thanks to a dedicated slider, the user can independently decide on the final character of the motion – from a fully cinematic, slightly juddery image to achieving a very smooth, almost theatrical effect. It is a simple yet effective tool that allows users to tailor the viewing experience to their own preferences.

When it comes to motion fluidity, the Dreame S100 performs really well. It features a panel with a 144 Hz refresh rate, although in reality, the vast majority of users using it in a traditional way will still be limited to 120 Hz (because today's equipment, apart from PCs, only allows for such values). Thanks to the high refresh rate, the image in motion remains really sharp, largely due to the well-functioning MEMC fluidity enhancer. In the menu, we find predefined modes that allow the TV to efficiently add artificial frames, which effectively improves the fluidity of dynamic sports shots, but also helps get rid of image stuttering in film and series materials recorded at 24 frames.

Although on paper the native 4K@60Hz matrix might suggest that the TCL P7K/P79K is not a TV tailored for gamers, the reality turns out to be surprisingly different. On the contrary, the manufacturer has ensured a rich package of features that make it a very friendly companion for next-generation consoles. Onboard, we find key technologies such as ALLM, which provides automatic switching to low-latency mode, and VRR, or variable refresh rate, which eliminates screen tearing. The list is completed by support for Dolby Vision Gaming and a simple yet functional Game Bar. However, the real and extremely pleasant surprise is something else. It turns out that the TV easily supports high refresh rate signals of 120 Hz, but at lower resolutions – 1080p and 1440p. This is fantastic news for console owners who know full well how rarely games run in native 4K at a full 120 frames per second. The ability to choose between higher resolution and doubled smoothness is therefore an extremely sensible compromise.

In summary, although the P7K/P79K may not be the target screen for the most avid tournament gamers, it offers a package of options for the casual or occasional console user that is hard to find among many competitors at this price point.

The Dreame S100 seems almost like the perfect screen for gamers. The TV is equipped with 2 HDMI 2.1 ports with a bandwidth of 40 Gbps, which means that features such as Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) synchronization in the range of 48-144 Hz work seamlessly on consoles. It also has a well-designed game panel (Game Bar) that allows you to continuously check the most important parameters – from active picture modes to the number of frames rendered by the console, and even the ability to add a crosshair in the center of the screen. All of this looks great on paper, but the biggest issue with the S100 is the implementation of HDR mode in games. The TV does not have a properly implemented HGiG format. As a result, an unsuspecting user may incorrectly configure the console during the initial setup of the display. A wrong configuration can lead to a picture that is too dark or too bright (as a guideline: we suggest setting the brightness in the Xbox console menu to about 600 nits, and in the PS5 to 12 clicks). The Dolby Vision format is also problematic; it often just would not activate at all when using the XBOX – Dreame S100 line. And when it was managed to be activated, gaming was impossible due to a very high input lag that often exceeded 100ms. If the manufacturer can improve the HDR issue in games through an update, the S100 will be truly excellent equipment for gamers. For now, however, one must reckon with compromises.