Compare TCL C855 vs LG OLED C4

The TCL C855 is a standout television in the TV market, showcasing a versatile performance across various applications and excelling in its price range. With Mini LED backlighting, the TV achieves impressive contrast and black levels, resulting in deep, vivid images. Its algorithm effectively maintains black uniformity, minimizing blooming effects, a significant advantage for viewing HDR content.

While the TCL C855 can reach brightness levels of up to 1800 nits, which is commendable, it is worth noting that brightness can significantly drop to around 200 nits when bright but small elements appear on-screen. Additionally, the mid-tone boost can compromise contrast and reduce fidelity to the director's original vision.

For gamers, the TCL C855 shines brightly, offering extremely low latency and high-quality performance thanks to its full implementation of HDMI 2.1 features. The inclusion of the Google TV operating system adds to its appeal, providing nearly limitless options for application installation, including support for APK files from outside the official store.

The TCL C855 is an excellent choice for those seeking a reliable and versatile television. While it may have some drawbacks, its overall image quality, gaming performance, and advanced operating system make it a strong contender in the market.

The LG C4 stands out in its price range, likely offering little competition for many users. With its versatile features, it is perfect for movie and series enthusiasts, as well as gamers. The advanced WebOS system, paired with a remote that functions like a mouse, ensures an excellent user experience, making it a compelling choice for long-term brand loyalty. The OLED panel, built on over a decade of expertise, continues to impress with its ability to deliver a dynamic and immersive viewing experience. The brightness performance on HDR content is exceptional, with a deep and vibrant image. The dynamic tone mapping function is particularly noteworthy, making HDR10 content nearly as stunning as Dolby Vision.

Additionally, LG's televisions are well-suited for calibration, offering flexibility for home users with basic settings and professionals using 3D LUTs. For gaming enthusiasts, the LG C4 is a top choice, like most of the manufacturer’s OLED models. Thanks to HDMI 2.1 support and features like VRR, ALLM, FreeSync, and G-Sync, the gaming experience is incredibly smooth. The panel’s 144Hz refresh rate and advanced motion smoothing make it ideal for high-performance sports broadcasts. Overall, it’s hard to fault the LG OLED C4, as it offers exceptional features at a competitive price.

The TCL C855 features a high-contrast VA matrix, achieving an impressive ANSI contrast ratio of 5238:1 without dimming. This level allows for very good black levels. Furthermore, the panel incorporates multi-zone Mini LED backlighting, divided into 1344 independent dimming zones for the 65-inch model. Such a configuration yields excellent results in our tests. Notably, TCL is among the few manufacturers offering such advanced panel specifications at a reasonable price, unlike the traditional big four brands. In the majority of scenes we evaluated, the performance was impressive, particularly in the first three tests; even in the third, with a ratio of 54,000:1, the black level and contrast were far from weak, demonstrating satisfactory results. However, performance does dip in two specific scenarios: scenes with movie strips and when the screen contains many elements surrounded by black. While the last test scene maintained excellent contrast, the final scenario revealed some blooming in the blacks. A frame from the movie "Oblivion" showcased the TCL C855's capabilities, with black levels that can rival those of OLED screens—a notable achievement. The television also demonstrates commendable light separation, which is no small feat. In our flagship scene from "Sicario 2" the contrast was equally impressive, although some loss of detail in the blacks across the first, second, and third planes was evident. The backlight control algorithm effectively minimizes halo and blooming effects, which is praiseworthy. However, it's important to note that very small elements, like stars, can occasionally be completely dimmed by the TCL C855.

The LG OLED C4, as the name implies, utilises an organic matrix developed in-house, making it one of the most recognisable series on the market. With over 10 years of experience producing self-emissive panels, LG has continually refined its designs, and the 2024 models are the pinnacle of this progress. An OLED screen ensures flawless contrast and black levels, immersing viewers in the director’s vision. OLED technology stands out for its lack of traditional backlighting, instead relying on current flowing through organic pixels. This design allows for precise image control, eliminating issues like dimming of fine details or halo/blooming effects.

In our test scenes, two standout features were immediately apparent: perfect light separation and an abundance of detail in "The Revenant." Crucially, the C4 displayed the distinct green tint some televisions attempt to correct, without issues. The LG OLED C4 excels in delivering exceptional contrast, resulting in incredible depth and richness. Test results confirm that the black levels are flawless, particularly in high-contrast scenes. Ultimately, the LG C4 offers an unmatched contrast ratio, delivering a visually stunning experience whether watching movies or gaming.

The TCL C855 delivers a highly varied HDR effect. At times, the television truly excels, while at other moments, it appears reminiscent of a low-end model equipped with FALD backlighting. Inconsistency is frequently found with this brand, so it didn’t come as a surprise. The first and last scenes, which feature large light elements, are nothing short of spectacular, boasting brightness levels of 1470 and 1820 nits, respectively. Such brightness can make viewers squint their eyes, allowing them to feel the extraordinary dynamism of the scene. It genuinely immerses the audience, creating a sensation of being inside the movie itself. However, the situation shifts dramatically when small or subtle elements with high luminance appear against a dark background. In these instances, the TCL C855 significantly reduces brightness to levels as low as 240 nits to mitigate halo effects. This reduction is disappointing, as it can make the movie appear as if it was not filmed in HDR. Despite these shortcomings, the HDR effect on the TCL C855 enhances the viewing experience during dynamic scenes, making it feel more engaging and allowing the viewer to feel part of the action. Even with smaller high-luminance elements, the television retains details without excessive dimming. Additionally, the TCL C855 adjusts image brightness according to scenes with rich detail, further enhancing viewing comfort.

The HDR performance of the LG OLED C4 is impressive, firmly placing it in the higher tier. Most films exceed 700 nits, delivering a highly realistic image. While none surpass the 1,000-nit mark, the combination of these results with the TV’s infinite contrast and perfect blacks significantly enhances the visual experience. The final scene, with a full-screen flash of sunlight, is slightly less bright than the others but still maintains a solid level of brightness. Another highlight is the excellent DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage, which ensures incredibly vibrant colours. The HDR technology in the LG OLED C4 delivers exceptional colour and detail reproduction. The dynamic tone mapping feature optimises brightness levels, ensuring ideal light reproduction in every scene, even in the most demanding high-dynamic films.

The best factory mode for the TCL C855 is the "Film" setting, and all our tests were conducted using this mode. However, like many predefined modes, it has flaws that should be addressed to achieve an image closer to the producer's original vision. In our examination of the colour characteristics for both SDR and HDR materials, issues were found.

Focusing first on SDR content, there is a noticeable dominance of green in the white balance, which leads to an unpleasant greenish tint across the entire image. The gamma chart, crucial for image contrast, shows a significant deviation from the reference line marked at 2.4. Initially, there is a pronounced spike in the measured value, resulting in an over-contrasted image where details can merge into a dark blob. This condition persists for nearly 20% of the chart before it dips below the reference line, causing the image to brighten and resulting in a substantial drop in contrast.

In HDR materials, the factory mode performs somewhat better; the white balance appears more balanced overall, although the green tint resurfaces in the latter half of the spectrum. When we look at the Electro-Optical Transfer Function (EOTF) curve—unlike gamma, which reflects contrast—we identify two main errors: the darkest scenes are too dark, while the brightest ones become overexposed. This discrepancy was evident in our review of the scene from the movie "Pan," further illustrating the TCL C855's HDR performance issues.

The best factory mode on the tested television was "Filmmaker," which served as the basis for all evaluations. In terms of colour reproduction, this mode performed reasonably well; however, certain flaws significantly detracted from the overall viewing experience. The most fundamental issue was the white balance, which exhibited a noticeable dominance of red, skewing the image characteristics. This resulted in a pronounced yellow tint to whites and a general shift of all colours towards warmer tones.

The gamma, an equally crucial—if not more important—aspect, was notably lowered, leading to a marked reduction in contrast. Additionally, the television frequently lost detail at the start of the gamma curve. These issues were most apparent in SDR content.

When examining HDR materials, the same yellowing effect in the white balance was observed, as seen with SDR content. However, the EOTF curve, which replaces the gamma curve for HDR, was near perfect and left little room for criticism.

TCL, like most manufacturers, offers advanced calibration tools within its televisions. These include both 2-point and 20-point adjustments for grayscale, as well as a comprehensive colour management system. As a result, we achieved impressive results in SDR materials, bringing the image significantly closer to the reference standard. We successfully eliminated both the green tint and the gamma issue, although a slight "kink" at the very beginning of the gamma curve still persists.

In contrast, the situation with HDR materials was less favourable, as the TCL C855 did not allow for precise modelling. We were only able to make minor adjustments to the EOTF curve while significantly enhancing the overall colour accuracy. This limitation suggests that while calibration tools are effective, they may require further refinement for optimal HDR performance.

As mentioned, LG televisions come with advanced tools to facilitate an accurate calibration process. By utilising these tools, we meticulously adjusted the image to align with the director’s original vision. Without overstating, the results were outstanding. Both SDR and HDR content now achieve a level of visual fidelity that reflects how films are intended to be seen.

Examining the colour accuracy on the "ColourChecker" palette reveals impressive results, with almost all colour errors falling below a delta of "1," aside from two minor exceptions. Post-calibration, the LG OLED C4 demonstrated a marked improvement in colour reproduction, particularly in SDR and HDR modes. Testing the TV after calibration highlighted its capacity for delivering exceptionally accurate colours, underlining the high calibre of this model. The LG C41LA offers a stunningly precise colour palette, sure to satisfy even the most discerning viewers.

Another important aspect of assessing image quality is tonal transitions. To achieve a clean image free from posterisation effects, a television must employ highly effective algorithms for smoothing colour gradations. We must acknowledge that the algorithm used in the TCL C855, known as "Gradual Smoothing," ranks among the best we've had the opportunity to test. In nearly every scene, the performance is impressive, leaving little room for criticism. A prime example of this capability is the scene from "The Green Knight," which poses a challenge due to the multitude of fine and subtle transitions in the fog. The C855 successfully smooths out the details within this scene, allowing the viewer to fully appreciate its suspenseful atmosphere. The only instance where slight posterization is noticeable occurs in a frame from "The Green Knight," where the reds in the upper left part of the screen create a contrasting effect.

The fluidity of tonal transitions in LG TVs has long been a delicate issue, as the manufacturer, despite excelling in many areas, has consistently faced challenges in this aspect. However, the tested TV performed notably well in this regard. Issues were primarily confined to darker scenes, particularly the final two, where imperfections were more apparent. Interestingly, this model delivered better results in tonal transitions than LG's flagship model, the G4, showcasing a commendable improvement in this area.

Once again, we will take a look at the function of smoothing tonal transitions, but this time also image scaling. The latter is particularly important when watching materials of lower quality, such as some television programs or older films. We will focus on the function responsible for tonal transitions. Interestingly, just like in the scenes from the previous test where it performed excellently and smoothed out practically all the inconsistencies, here it had issues. Using the menu responsible for the operation of this function, we found that no setting—even the strongest—was helpful.

Image scaling in TCL C855 is defined as one of the best we have had the opportunity to test so far. The image is sharp, but in a way that could be described as natural to our eye. Even small, fine branches do not have jagged edges, and there is no white halo around figures, a characteristic of weaker scaling systems.

Let us revisit the function responsible for smooth gradation and consider its role in improving lower-quality materials. The default smoothing of tonal transitions, while decent, can be further enhanced. The feature includes a slider for adjusting its strength, and we recommend selecting the first option. This setting strikes a balance, offering excellent results without compromising important details through unnecessary blurring.

The image scaling on the LG C4 is commendable, though not entirely without flaws. By default, the image appears slightly sharper, though not to an intrusive degree. While jagged edges on elements like trees are occasionally visible, this issue is relatively minor compared to similar offerings from other manufacturers.

The maximum refresh rate you can set on the TCL C855 is 144 Hz. Naturally, this is only possible after connecting the TCL C855 TV to a very powerful PC. Otherwise, we will be operating at a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz, which is recommended if we want to watch primarily sports or materials with a lot of motion dynamics. For those who require high image fluidity, the manufacturer has implemented a multi-stage motion smoother. It is divided into two separate sliders which control the sharpness of moving images (Motion Blur Reduction) and flicker (Flicker Reduction). Both sliders can be adjusted from 0 to 10, with each level affecting the degree of fluidity, so everyone can find their sweet spot. We present a setting that allows for slight smoothing without the soap opera effect. The matrix of the TCL C855 features a very good response time. This is particularly important since VA panels often struggle with the so-called ghosting effect, where a black halo can be observed behind a fast-moving object. where a black halo can be observed behind a fast-moving object.

The LG G4 supports a maximum refresh rate of 144 Hz, achievable only when connected to a high-performance PC. Otherwise, the television operates at a maximum of 120 Hz, the recommended setting for viewing sports or content with fast-paced motion. For those prioritising smooth image quality, LG has included a versatile motion smoothing feature called "TrueMotion." This function is split into two adjustable sliders: De-Blur, which sharpens moving images, and De-Judder, which reduces jitter. Both sliders offer a range of settings from 0 to 10, enabling users to fine-tune the motion smoothness to their preference.

The LG OLED C4 boasts an impressive average response time of less than 1 millisecond, as confirmed by our measurements. This results in exceptional image clarity, far surpassing LCD televisions, which often have response times of several milliseconds. This clarity is evident in tests like the "UFO Test," where no trailing blur is visible behind moving objects.

The TCL C855 TV has fully-featured HDMI 2.1 ports, boasting a full bandwidth of 48 Gb/s. During our testing, we confirmed the seamless operation of all functions included in this connection standard. As highlighted, all checkboxes are illuminated in green, a feature that will undoubtedly be appreciated by gamers, whether on consoles or those using the TV as a computer monitor. Additionally, the TCL C855 supports both AMD FreeSync and NVIDIA's G-Sync, which can be easily activated in the graphics card settings. Those with powerful configurations can feed a 144 Hz signal to the C855, which handles this effortlessly. It is also worth noting the implementation of the HGIG mode, which can be excessively bright due to the shortcomings of the "Game" mode, making proper configuration on the screen challenging. Fortunately, the TV excels with the Dolby Vision format.

TCL, as one of the pioneering manufacturers, has equipped its televisions with a special GameBar, allowing for extensive adjustment of settings "on the fly" without the need to exit the game. This feature includes options like an additional crosshair grid, black level correction, and settings designed for individuals with disabilities. The image showcases the next generation of this solution.

In summary, the TCL C855 TV is an ideal choice for those seeking a screen for all forms of electronic gaming. With comprehensive features supporting such entertainment, it provides an extremely engaging experience. It is also important to emphasise that it maintains very low input lag, regardless of the selected settings, including when using the Dolby Vision HDR format.

The LG C4, like nearly all OLED televisions from the manufacturer, excels in its compatibility with consoles and PCs. With the inclusion of four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports supporting 48 Gbps, the TV incorporates a range of features to enhance the gaming experience. Notably, it offers simultaneous support for FreeSync and G-Sync, making it an ideal choice for gamers using AMD or Nvidia graphics cards. For those seeking the best possible gaming quality, the integration of HDR Dolby Vision and HGIG mode is particularly impressive. HDR Dolby Vision operates with remarkably low input lag across all settings, ensuring smooth and responsive gameplay.

A standout feature in LG's televisions is the GameBar, which allows users to adjust settings in real-time without leaving the game. This includes options for customising the image for viewers with visual impairments, a thoughtful addition. Additionally, enabling VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) does not result in a loss of contrast—a benefit of the OLED panel's self-emissive technology, eliminating the need for conventional backlighting. While some slight flickering of grey tones may occur, this is a characteristic of VRR technology across all manufacturers.

In summary: The LG C4, like the brand's other OLED models equipped with high-refresh-rate panels and HDMI 2.1, provides a seamless and immersive gaming experience. For gamers demanding top-tier performance, this TV is an outstanding choice.

The input lag of the TCL C855 is impressively low across all scenarios. Even the most dedicated gamers will appreciate the minimal input lag of just 7 ms at demanding 4K 120 Hz settings with HDR. Furthermore, this lag remains consistent when enabling Dolby Vision HDR, which is not always the case with competing models. As such, the TCL C855 merits the highest rating and recommendation.

The latency time of the LG C4 is exceptionally low across all scenarios, making it a standout choice for even the most dedicated gamers. At demanding settings of 4K 120 Hz with HDR, the input lag is an astonishingly low 5 ms, ensuring an incredibly responsive gaming experience. Notably, this low latency remains consistent even when Dolby Vision HDR is enabled—a feature that competitors often struggle to maintain without increasing delay.

This consistency and performance firmly position the LG C4 as a top-tier option for gamers seeking high-quality visuals and minimal lag. It undoubtedly earns the highest rating and strong recommendation for gaming enthusiasts.

When connected to a computer as a monitor, the TCL C855 performs exceptionally well. This is largely due to its very low latency time along the mouse-eye-screen line and excellent font readability, achieved through a chroma 4:4:4 at all resolutions, including 4K@144Hz.

The subpixel layout is BGR, which does not negatively affect usage in the Windows environment. However, this situation may change when using macOS or other software that cannot adjust fonts to accommodate this subpixel layout.

When paired with a PC, the LG C4 delivers excellent performance, largely due to its impressively low latency of 13.5 ms, ensuring a near-instantaneous response between the mouse, eye, and screen. This makes it an ideal choice for tasks requiring precision and speed.

One of the most crucial aspects of using a TV as a monitor is text readability, and in this regard, the LG C4 excels. The text appears sharp and clear, although enabling the passthrough option in the settings is necessary to optimise font sharpness.

The RWBG pixel layout is another advantage, as it does not significantly affect the clarity of fonts or letters—a notable improvement compared to Samsung's QD-OLED panels. Whether using Windows or macOS, the LG C4 ensures a smooth and satisfying user experience for work or general PC use.

A well-known drawback of VA panels without an angle coating is their poor performance regarding viewing angles. This holds true for the TCL C855, where even a slight deviation from the central axis results in noticeable image fading and colour degradation.

One of the undeniable strengths of OLED panels is their exceptional performance for group viewing, allowing for consistent image quality from a range of viewing angles. The LG C4 upholds excellent contrast, colour saturation, and fidelity, ensuring a satisfying experience for viewers in different seating positions.

While it lacks the enhancements provided by MLA (Micro-Lens Array) technology, the C4 still delivers impressive results that most owners are likely to find highly satisfactory. However, at sharper angles, a slight greenish tint can sometimes be observed. This is a known characteristic of LG’s WRGB panels without micro-lens technology and, unfortunately, is an inherent limitation that cannot be mitigated.

The glossy finish of the TCL C855 panel prevents it from achieving the highest rating for daytime viewing performance. However, this finish contributes to impressive black levels during the day. The high brightness in SDR material makes the actress's face stand out prominently against reflections. A downside of this panel is that light falling directly on the screen tends to "spill" rather than being contained in one area. Generally speaking, if sunlight does not directly hit the panel, the TCL C855 remains a solid choice for well-lit rooms.

The maximum brightness of the LG C4 in SDR content reaches 367 nits, which is an impressive result for an OLED television and ensures comfortable viewing, even during the day. Two notable aspects enhance the experience. First, the glossy coating on the panel effectively contains light reflections, preventing them from spreading across the screen and disrupting the image.

Secondly, the brightness of the screen at 100% white fill measures approximately 220 nits, a significant improvement over earlier OLED models, which often struggled to achieve even half this level. This enhancement provides an excellent viewing experience, particularly for bright and vibrant content such as winter sports broadcasts.

The TCL C855 operates on the Google TV platform, which offers a significant advantage over TVs with proprietary systems from other manufacturers, where installing applications from a USB drive can often be challenging or impossible. With Google TV, users can install virtually any application, whether from the official store or directly from online repositories via APK files.

This system also provides various conveniences in terms of control. Users can connect a keyboard with a touchpad, making it easier to enter queries. Additionally, thanks to integration with Google, voice control features via the remote work very well, although minor issues may occasionally arise with function translations. It's worth noting that Google TV regularly receives updates that enhance functionality and introduce new options. However, according to reports from users of older models, the software can sometimes have its off days, leading to occasional performance hiccups.

In summary, Google TV is currently one of the most popular systems on the market. Thanks to its efficient CPU, it runs very smoothly, avoiding freezing and stuttering for the majority of usage. This makes it an excellent choice for those looking to fully utilise the capabilities of the TCL C855 and who appreciate the openness of the system.

LG has used its well-established proprietary WebOS system, a staple in its televisions for many years. This system provides access to virtually all major applications, with only a few notable exceptions, such as CDA or KODI. Additionally, the modern web browser and the remote control with a built-in mouse make streaming services easily accessible, even when specific apps are unavailable. One of WebOS's standout features is its ability to operate using a cursor that appears when the remote control is moved, offering great convenience when entering queries or passwords.

WebOS also includes screen mirroring, AirPlay, and Bluetooth headphone connectivity. For users with hearing impairments, it’s worth noting that WebOS allows the simultaneous use of headphones and the TV speaker, providing added flexibility. For sports fans, the system has a handy alert feature that notifies users of an upcoming match, ensuring they never miss a game.

Another highlight is the home panel, which enables users to control all smart devices connected to their home network. For example, a completed washing cycle will trigger a notification in the upper right corner of the screen.

In conclusion, while WebOS may not be as widely known or feature-rich as Android TV, it offers stable, fast performance and supports the majority of functions that users need. It is a solid and reliable option for those seeking a simple, effective, and user-friendly operating system for their television.

The default file player on the TCL C855 performs admirably with nearly all the media formats tested. Most video formats are supported, providing a versatile viewing experience. However, a notable drawback is the lack of functionality to change font colours. When it comes to photo playback, the TV handles high-resolution images well, but it is worth mentioning that it does not support Apple's HEIC or SVG file formats.

On the audio front, the TCL C855 manages to play various audio files without any issues, although it's unlikely that many users are reliant on formats like AIFF or DSD64. A significant advantage of the C855, alongside its operating system, is the ability to download alternative media players from the app store, ensuring compatibility with a wider range of file types.

The default file player on the LG C4 handles various photo resolutions without issue, making it a reliable option for viewing images. It supports nearly all popular video formats, including Dolby Vision, ensuring compatibility with high-quality content. However, the television does not support H.266 VVC codec, which is relatively rare at this stage, so this limitation is not a significant drawback.

A notable omission is the lack of support for subtitles in the .txt format, which could be inconvenient for users who prefer using text-based subtitle files. In terms of photo formats, the C4 supports only three: JPEG, PNG, and HEIC (the latter being particularly useful for Apple phone users). While this is somewhat limited, it covers the most common formats for everyday use.

The TV excels in audio file compatibility, with no issues playing a wide range of audio formats, ensuring seamless music and sound playback without any compatibility warnings.

When evaluating the sound quality of the TCL C855, several key aspects come into play, such as clarity, balance, and the absence of dominant frequencies. In this case, the sound performance is commendable; it is well-balanced and does not evoke any negative sensations, providing an overall good audio experience.

For those who utilise a home theatre system, the TCL C855 supports a wide range of audio codecs, including the two most significant ones: DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby Atmos. This support ensures high sound quality, making it a suitable choice for users seeking an enhanced audio experience.

The LG C4 audio system is well-tuned, providing strong bass and balanced mid and high tones. It stands out as one of the better-sounding televisions in its price range. However, most buyers will likely already have a dedicated audio setup. The presence of DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby Atmos codecs enhances the overall experience, offering high-quality sound for those who rely on the TV's built-in speakers.

TCL C855 vs LG OLED C4

Advantages

Disadvantages

Our verdict

TV appearance

Where to buy

Contrast and black detail

HDR effect quality

Factory color reproduction

Color reproduction after calibration

Smoothness of tonal transitions

Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions

Blur and motion smoothness

Console compatibility and gaming features

Input lag

Compatibility with PC

Viewing angles

TV efficiency during daytime

Details about the matrix

TV features

Playing files from USB

Apps

Sound