TCL C655 / C69B (43" - 50") vs Samsung DU7192 (VA)

The quality of the HDR effect in the TCL C69B / C655 television is quite average. A brightness level of 350 nits, while not the worst, still does not allow for fully enjoying HDR effects, which require higher luminance to show their strength. Additionally, despite the use of a quantum dot coating (QLED), the television offers average coverage of the wide DCI-P3 color gamut at 91%, which may limit its richness of colors in HDR content.

The peak brightness of the television is about 280 nits on the luminance charts. Unfortunately, this value is too low to fully enjoy the effects of HDR, which require significantly higher luminance. In the tested materials, such as The Meg or Gemini Man, the lack of adequate brightness significantly limits the magic of HDR, and the details in the brighter parts of the image are not sufficiently exposed. For users primarily consuming SDR content, this level of quality may be acceptable, but it is definitely insufficient when it comes to HDR. Additionally, the coverage of the DCI-P3 color palette at 82% does not favor the presentation of HDR content in its full glory. The limited color gamut makes it difficult for the television to reproduce vibrant and diverse colors, which is crucial for achieving a cinematic experience.

The television TCL C69B / C655 tested in movie mode unfortunately does not meet expectations regarding color accuracy. Although movie mode suggests better reproduction, it has little in common with film. There are quite a few errors visible, especially in white balance – both for HD and 4K HDR content – where the dominance of the blue color is very apparent. For the viewer, this means that the image becomes unnaturally cool, affecting the overall perception of colors and the visual impression. The color checker confirms these errors, showing that colors shift to cooler shades.

As for brightness characteristics and the associated contrast, gamma is very unstable for material, which can make the image slightly darker. The EOTF curve for 4K material shows some errors, with significant deviations at the end of the chart, negatively affecting the perception of darker areas of the image.

The best factory mode we relied on during testing turned out to be "Filmmaker." Although this mode is the closest to the intentions of filmmakers, it is not without certain imperfections. The white balance chart shows a clear dominance of red in both SDR and HDR, resulting in significant yellowness, particularly noticeable in whites and on the actors' faces. In HDR mode, there is additionally a slight dominance of green, which, however, does not have as much impact on the overall perception of the image. The gamma, responsible for brightness in SDR materials, performed quite well, but with one serious caveat. In the darkest areas of the image, it was too low, leading to excessive brightness in those scenes, depriving the film of drama and contrast. In HDR, the white balance remains at a similar level, but the EOTF curve chart draws attention. At the beginning, the curve clearly bulges, leading to strong brightness in the darkest scenes. Then the result drops sharply below the reference line, resulting in an image that is too dark and a loss of dynamics in the brighter areas.

To summarize, the "Filmmaker" mode, despite its advantages, requires refinement – especially regarding white balance and proper management of brightness in the darkest and brightest areas of the image. In its current form, it may be acceptable for less demanding users, but for viewers expecting precise image reproduction, it may leave much to be desired.

After calibration, the movie mode on the TCL C69B / C655 television improves in quality. The most significant improvement can be seen in tonal quality, and the white balance is much better – without major errors. We will no longer see an excessive dominance of cool tones. Gamma has also been improved, which translates to a more stable representation of brightness and contrast. However, due to the limitations of the television's average color palette, Colour Checker tests for 4K materials did not achieve remarkable results. Despite these technological limitations, the image has become more authentic, positively influencing the reception of film content.

Even with its lower models, Samsung offers extensive tools for image calibration, allowing for significant improvement of factory settings. We undertook this task, and the results proved to be more than satisfactory. The white balance, which previously exhibited strong yellowing in both SDR and HDR, has been significantly improved. Although minor deviations from the norm can be observed, the overall effect is much cleaner and more natural than before calibration. As a result, whites and skin tones look much better. We also managed to appropriately model the gamma in SDR materials, allowing for maximum contrast that this television can offer. The EOTF curve, responsible for HDR materials, has also been improved – the image is no longer brightened or darkened as drastically as it was before calibration. Despite these successes, HDR materials still struggle with high deltaE error values. The main cause lies in the limited brightness of the television, which does not allow for a full representation of HDR content dynamics. Nevertheless, after calibration, the picture is clearly better and more aligned with the creators' intent. For users seeking the best possible quality in this class of equipment, calibration is definitely recommended.

The "Gradual Smoothing" function works very well on the TCL C69B television and, surprisingly, does not remove desired effects like film grain – unlike some solutions from other manufacturers. Unfortunately, the image scaling looks poor. The TV artificially sharpens the image, causing the edges of objects to be heavily jagged. This state of affairs may appeal to some users who prefer a more "hard" look of the image, but it is not an ideal solution for those who value naturalness and the smoothness of details.

The tonal smooth transition function operates in two modes – "off" and "auto." Turning it off causes gradation issues, while the "auto" mode provides smooth transitions but at the expense of grain and details that are often blurred. Due to these limitations, we do not recommend using this function, as confirmed by our tests conducted with it turned off.

Scaling lower resolution materials in this model is not impressive. Details are blurred, and the edges of objects may contain artifacts. This limitation means that the television is better suited for higher resolution content.

The TV TCL C69B / C655 in its smallest variants offers decent, although not perfect, results in terms of motion fluidity. In the case of movies, the TV has a "Flicker Reduction" function that allows for motion fluidity adjustment on a scale from 1 to 10. With this option, we can adjust the appearance of the image to cinematic or more theatrical preferences (with lower or higher speed).

Although the Samsung DU7192 is the lowest model in the manufacturer's offer, it is equipped with a motion smoothing system. While the functionality of this solution is significantly limited compared to more expensive models, its mere presence distinguishes the television from competitors in this price range. The television supports a maximum refresh rate of 60 Hz, which is sufficient for comfortable viewing of movies and series, but may be inadequate for dynamic content such as sports. In the motion smoothing menu, we find, among others, the "Motion Blur Reduction" function. Unfortunately, its performance leaves much to be desired – regardless of the setting, the image exhibits characteristic stuttering known from material recorded at 24 frames per second, which makes this function practically fail to fulfill its role.

The TCL C69B / C655 television in its smallest variants offers a range of features dedicated to gamers, such as ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), Dolby Vision for gamers, and Game Bar. ALLM automatically switches the television to low latency mode, improving responsiveness and minimizing delays in control. VRR allows for synchronization of the screen refresh rate with the number of frames generated by the console, eliminating tearing, resulting in smoother gameplay. Dolby Vision for gamers ensures better color and contrast representation in games that support this format, resulting in better image quality. Meanwhile, Game Bar provides quick access to game settings and allows monitoring of key parameters, such as input lag.

However, the television has certain limitations that may affect gaming comfort. The 60 Hz panel does not allow for displaying signals with a higher refresh rate, which may impact image smoothness in dynamic games. The lack of support for G-Sync technology for PCs may also be noticeable when gaming on a computer, especially with demanding, fast-paced titles.

The Samsung DU7192 is equipped with HDMI 2.0 ports, which is expected in this price range. This limitation means a lack of support for the full capabilities of the latest generation consoles, such as VRR technologies. The television only offers basic features for gamers – automatic switching to low latency mode (ALLM) and support for basic HDR for games in the HGiG standard. HGiG allows for displaying HDR content in games according to manufacturers' guidelines; however, the limited brightness of the television does not allow for fully enjoying the effects that this standard offers. Unfortunately, there is a lack of conveniences such as GameBar, which is increasingly found even in cheaper models and greatly facilitates quick adjustments of settings for games. The presence of this feature could significantly enhance user comfort, especially among those who frequently change display modes.