TCL P89K / TCL P8K vs Philips MLED920 / MLED910

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.

In our measurements, the Philips MLED920 achieved even around 900 nits in static tests, which is a really solid result for a mid-range TV. In practice, this translates to a lot of satisfaction during viewing sessions – in scenes rich in bright light, such as the first, third, or fifth test screens, the screen was able to generate about 700 nits, which is enough to feel the true "HDR effect." However, it cannot be denied that the limited number of backlighting zones and the compromises of mini-LED dimming algorithms in more demanding scenes reveal their nature. In sequences with small light sources – such as the moon or a scene from the movie Sicario 2 – the television clearly prioritizes maintaining deeper blacks at the expense of the brightness of those small elements. For most viewers, this is still a reasonable compromise, as the dark background tends to look much better, though one must be aware that the details themselves may not impress with intensity. There is also some disappointment regarding colors. Although the applied PFS filter (the equivalent of quantum dots known from QLEDs) does its job and colors appear quite vivid, the coverage of the DCI-P3 color space reaches "only" 90%. In everyday viewing, this will be sufficient, but in extremely colorful productions – such as the latest Disney animations – one can notice that some tones are not as vibrant as they could be in other constructions.

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.

Like every Philips television we tested, we primarily evaluated the MLED920 in Filmmaker mode – this is supposed to be the "most honest" mode, designed for films and to faithfully convey the creators' intentions. Indeed, in terms of colorimetry, it performs the best among all the modes available on the television, but it is not without its flaws. The first thing that stands out is the white balance. The image has a slight tendency to take on purple-pink tones, which gives it a somewhat unnatural character. However, an even bigger problem turned out to be what we mentioned earlier – image clipping. Just look at the gamma or EOTF graphs to see that the line deviates significantly beyond the norm, falling below the value of 1.8. In practice, this means "clipping" the brightest whites, where the image becomes almost milky. Fortunately, most of these issues can be corrected – the MLED920 responds to calibration, and with a few adjustments, the image quality can be significantly improved.

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.

After calibration, we managed to largely tame the white balance – to the extent that the average viewer will not be able to detect color inaccuracies. The characteristic pink-purple glow that previously disturbed the naturalness of the picture has also disappeared. The color palette has been organized, and the colors appear more consistent and neutral. The gamma in SDR content after calibration looks really good – there's no sign of the earlier “bleeding” effect in bright scenes. The picture has become more contrasted and devoid of the milkiness that previously spoiled the perception significantly. In the case of HDR content, the improvement is also noticeable, although it is still evident that the television is “doing its own thing.” The EOTF curve cannot be fully shaped, as Philips simply does not provide tools in its settings that allow for precise control over this parameter. In many films, the television simply still showcases the image “in its own way.” Despite these limitations, calibration has brought quite a lot of good – it has managed to minimize most of the color inaccuracies and significantly improve the overall balance of the picture. However, it must be remembered that certain barriers arise from the very hardware construction and they simply cannot be overcome.

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.

The manufacturer equipped this model with several features that improve signal quality, and although we usually approach such "enhancers" with skepticism, they turn out to be really helpful here. The key option is called "distortion reduction" – it works best at a medium level because, on one hand, it effectively smooths out unwanted banding and color transitions, while on the other, it doesn't excessively cut details, which keeps the image looking natural.

The situation is a bit worse with upscaling. Lower quality materials – such as test videos with models – appeared soft and lacking in sharpness. Yes, this can be somewhat corrected with the sharpness slider in the menu, but the effect still remains far from what competitors in a similar price range offer. Philips therefore still needs to work on this aspect because, in light of the successful improvement of tonal transitions, the upscaling simply performs poorly.

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 Philips MLED920 features a 144 Hz panel, which immediately suggests that we shouldn’t complain about motion smoothness. And indeed – the motion blur is relatively low here for a VA panel, and although one might occasionally notice slight issues on darker backgrounds, they are not something that most people would notice during regular viewing.

A major plus is the presence of a motion smoother called "Motion Style." It allows you to adjust the smoothness to your own preferences – if someone prefers a more “theatrical,” almost television-like image, they can increase the sliders, and if they want to preserve the natural “jitter” of a cinematic frame, they just need to set lower values. This way, everyone can find the perfect balance.

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.

For gamers, the Philips MLED920 is truly a complete tool. The manufacturer has taken care of everything that today is considered standard in televisions designed for consoles and PCs. It features ALLM, so the console automatically switches the screen to game mode, it has VRR and 144 Hz refresh rate, which guarantees smooth gameplay even in fast titles. All key HDR formats are supported – including HGiG and Dolby Vision Gaming for Xbox – which means that regardless of what you are playing and on which console, the TV will be able to extract maximum potential from the image. In everyday gaming, the Game Bar also proves to be useful – a relatively simple implementation by Philips, but a functional panel where you can quickly check image parameters, turn on VRR, or adjust details without leaving the game. It may not be as advanced as the competition's offerings, but it performs its job flawlessly. And lastly, something that distinguishes Philips from its competitors – Ambilight. The three-sided LED backlighting can make a huge impression in games, especially in the evening. It also provides a way to slightly "expand" the screen and feel greater immersion. And since colorful LEDs have recently become almost a mandatory element of a gamer’s room, the MLED920 fits into this trend perfectly.