TechRadar Test: TCL C7L Mini-LED Outshines LG B6E OLED on Brightness, LG Wins Blacks

In brightness testing, the C7L measured 2,083 nits HDR peak brightness in Filmmaker Mode, compared with 808 nits for the LG B6E. TechRadar said the B6E's result was a useful increase over the B5's 668 nits but still far below the TCL. With both TVs set to Dolby Vision Filmmaker, a desert scene from Lawrence of Arabia showed more impactful white sands and blue skies on the C7L, while the B6E looked dim by comparison. Switching the B6E to Cinema Home raised brightness, but TechRadar said the C7L still looked brighter. A scene from Speed Racer showed punchier whites on the C7L, though the luminance gap was less obvious than in Lawrence of Arabia.

Both TVs showed mirror-like reflections in bright rooms, according to the test, and neither was perfect in that setting. TechRadar said the C7L performed better in brighter conditions because of its higher brightness, making it the clear winner for pure brightness and visibility in strongly lit rooms.

In dark scenes, the LG B6E used OLED's self-dimming pixels to produce richer, deeper black tones. Watching space scenes from Project Hail Mary, TechRadar found the B6E's blacks consistently strong, while the C7L showed some blooming around stars, a common issue for backlit TVs. The C7L still delivered strong black tones of its own, but not with the same consistency as the OLED.

With contrast-heavy footage from The Batman, the B6E produced a more balanced image through deeper dark tones and well-handled bright tones. The C7L had more impactful highlights, and in one subway platform scene, a rear wall was more legible on the TCL because the LG crushed some shadow detail. Switching the B6E from Filmmaker to Cinema Home corrected that without significantly compromising dark tones, according to TechRadar.

TechRadar said the C7L's black levels were impressive for a mid-range mini-LED and that blooming was greatly reduced compared with previous generations of TCL TVs it had tested. Still, the report said OLED remained king for black handling. The comparison found give-and-take between the two sets: the C7L won on brightness and bright-room visibility, while the B6E won on deeper blacks and black-level consistency.

Editor's Summary

TechRadar's comparison placed TCL's C7L mini-LED and LG's B6E OLED at similar prices, with the C7L showing a large brightness advantage and the B6E retaining OLED's black-level and contrast strengths. The test also found the C7L improved on earlier TCL mini-LEDs in black control, though blooming remained in some dark scenes.