TCL V6C vs LG QNED80A6A (IPS)

When it comes to HDR, the TCK V6C clearly shows that it is not its strong suit. Peak brightness around 200 nits makes it difficult to talk about true HDR effects – the image simply remains too dark to extract details in bright scenes or convey the appropriate dynamics. Although the TV formally supports many HDR formats, in practice it is not adapted for such demanding content. The lack of additional coatings that enhance colors, such as QLED or PFS LED, further limits the appeal of the image – in more spectacular productions, colors may seem washed out compared to more expensive models. Therefore, the V6C will primarily serve as a television for everyday TV, YouTube, or SDR materials, rather than as equipment for high-quality cinematic experiences.

When it comes to image dynamics and brightness, the QNED80A has its feet firmly on the ground. It is not a "light beast" – during our measurements, peak brightness oscillated around 350-400 nits. To put it plainly: these are values that will not allow HDR formats to fully spread their wings. So don’t expect the glare of the sun or car headlights in movies to blind you. However, this TV has a powerful ace up its sleeve that saves the overall view of the image – it is the colors. LG engineers have implemented an advanced filtration system here (technically likely based on a PFS phosphor, marketed as QNED/NanoCell), which does a fantastic job. Thanks to it, despite the average brightness, the screen can generate exceptionally saturated and pure colors. Our instruments showed coverage of the wide DCI-P3 cinema palette at the level of 93-94%. This result outclasses most standard LCD TVs. In practice, this means that when watching 4K HDR content, the image – while not particularly bright – is very plastic, vibrant, and pleases the eye with the depth of colors.

We started the color reproduction tests with the Filmmaker mode, which in theory should be the best choice right after taking the television out of the box. It certainly performs better than the Eco or Dynamic modes, which heavily interfere with the image and spoil its natural character. As you can see in the charts, the factory tuning of the V6C is not ideal, although it’s not a disaster either. The biggest problem turned out to be a lack of red – the television clearly "cools" the image, which is particularly noticeable on human faces, giving a "corpse skin" effect. This issue was the most bothersome in daily viewing. Looking at the color palette in HDR content, the deficiencies in red are also noticeable, and their source is the relatively narrow coverage of the color space. Of course, every television can be calibrated, so we decided to check how the V6C would perform after such an adjustment.

Here, regardless of whether you encounter the VA or IPS version, the situation looks identical. LG engineers once again served us their vision of a "gaming look," which unfortunately has little to do with accuracy. After switching to console, the white balance automatically drifts into very cold areas. The image is dominated by the color blue, making it seem artificially sharpened, and the white is so aggressive that it is almost burned out. This creates an effect that we associate with bright retail modes – everything is supposed to shine and scream "I am digital." While some may like this, we must say it straight: this is not an accurate image. If you care about naturalness, we suggest checking the settings right away and changing the color temperature to a warmer one.

My dear friends – we haven't had such a difficult "calibration battle" in years. The V6C turned out to be one of the most stubborn TVs we've dealt with in the editorial office. The calibration trials alone took us several working hours and required a lot of patience. We finally managed to slightly warm up the skin tones, which made the faces stop looking like they were straight out of a horror film, a flaw in the factory settings. Unfortunately, that's not the end of it – the TV reacted to our adjustments in white balance in a completely unpredictable way. Where we expected image stabilization in a given area, new errors appeared, and the Color Checker measurements showed deviations that couldn't be rationally explained. It's hard to say whether the software or the construction itself was to blame, but one thing is certain – the V6C offered exceptionally strong resistance. In the end, the calibration brought improvement, especially in SDR content, where the image became more pleasant and natural. However, it must be clearly stated that the design limitations remained. The TV still flattens the image in HDR material and has significant deficiencies in color reproduction. This is equipment rather intended for everyday TV watching or SDR materials than for cinematic screenings in the highest quality.

After professional calibration, the QNED80A in the IPS version has changed beyond recognition, especially in "regular" content (SDR). We managed to eliminate the greenish tint and calm down the overly bright gamma. In classic television or older games, color errors (DeltaE) fell below the threshold of perceptibility (value < 2). The image is now consistent, natural, and truly pleasing to the eye. The situation is somewhat more complicated in HDR mode. Although the colors are already in place, the television has trouble perfectly controlling the brightness (EOTF curve). Due to the limitations of edge lighting and the rather poor adjustment options provided by LG in this area, the television's software sometimes "does what it wants" just to mask the imperfections of black and contrast. However, this is not a cause for concern – despite these technical limitations, the image after calibration is a class better than what you saw out of the box.

When it comes to upscaling, the V6C does not bring anything groundbreaking. Lower quality content is heavily sharpened, making the image look very unnatural, sometimes even artificially. This can be partially mitigated by lowering the sharpness level in the settings, but the effect is not spectacular. The image still remains far from ideal. The digital processing itself performs better. The function responsible for smoothing tonal transitions works quite effectively, especially at the medium setting, where the image indeed appears smoother. Unfortunately, its operation is quite aggressive – it heavily interferes with the overall scene, causing the actors in the foreground to start looking like characters from super smooth telenovelas. Therefore, we would not recommend using this option if natural reception of the image is important to us.

It often happens that cheap 4K TVs mercilessly expose the flaws of low-resolution materials. Here, it's different. The QNED80A is great equipment for watching content that isn't perfect. The processor does a great job of upscaling the image, making even older recordings look quite decent on a 4K screen – they are consistent and free of digital noise. An interesting feature is the gradation reduction available in the settings. It is quite effective in combating so-called banding (color banding) in low-bitrate materials. Of course, one should approach it with some caution. Due to the lower computing power of the chip (compared to the premium series), enabling this option can sometimes result in unwanted artifacts or blurriness. Despite this risk, we encourage experimentation, as in many cases this feature can save a poor-quality viewing experience.

Motion smoothing and motion fluidity is an area where the V6C quickly reveals its limitations. It is a 60 Hz TV, so it was hard to expect miracles here. In dynamic sports scenes, the picture comes off rather average. This is most noticeable in darker scenes, where clear smears and blurry "halos" trail behind moving objects, which can be quite distracting. This is definitely a weaker point of this model. Fortunately, there is also a small plus. The V6C is equipped with motion interpolation, which works while watching movies. Thanks to it, productions recorded at 24 frames per second, meaning practically all cinematic titles as well as series, can look smoother than they were actually recorded. Importantly, the intensity of the effect can be adjusted to personal preferences – from slight smoothing to full "soap opera effect."

In terms of motion reproduction, the QNED80A unfortunately has a tough time. The television is based on a 60Hz refresh rate panel, which in 2025 in the QNED series is quite a disappointment. If you are looking for perfect sharpness in dynamic soccer matches, you might feel a bit unsatisfied. A solution in this situation is the TruMotion system. It allows for artificially adding frames, which smooths out the image in movies and series. In the menu, you will find the De-Judder slider – we recommend setting it to a value of 2, 3, or 4. This is the "golden mean" that improves fluidity without turning the film into a soap opera.

Although the V6C is not a television designed with avid gamers in mind, TCL has included a few features that may appeal to more casual users. There is no 120 Hz panel or HDMI 2.1 ports, but there is an ALLM mode that automatically switches the TV to low-latency mode. Additionally, there is a quite practical Game Bar – a simple panel that allows you to view basic parameters, change the picture mode, or even enable a virtual crosshair on the screen. An interesting feature is also the support for Dolby Vision Gaming, intended for Xbox Series S/X consoles – a nice addition, though in practice it doesn't offer as much as in more expensive models. However, the biggest problem remains HDR configuration. The HGiG feature, which adjusts the brightness and contrast of games to the panel's capabilities, does not respond as we would expect – the image can end up being overly dark or too flat. As a result, a better solution turns out to be simply playing in SDR mode, where the V6C performs stably and does not try to pretend to be an HDR TV.

In the gaming section, we won't sugarcoat it for you – the QNED80A is not e-sports equipment. The lack of support for 120Hz signal is a fact that must be accepted. However, LG engineers have done everything to squeeze the maximum potential out of this 60 Hz panel, providing gamers with a set of desired features. First and foremost, the television supports VRR (in the range of 48-60Hz) and ALLM. This means that the image is smooth, does not stutter, and the television automatically switches to low latency mode as soon as we pick up the controller. Accessing these options is incredibly simple thanks to the dedicated system overlay – Game Dashboard. It is also worth appreciating the support for the HGiG format. This is a nod to owners of modern consoles. Although the screen does not support gaming Dolby Vision, HGiG ensures that the television "understands" how to display games in HDR. This helps us avoid the issue of blown-out clouds, which is unfortunately a plague on cheaper LCD televisions.