LG UT8100 (IPS) vs Samsung Q6F (IPS)

The LG UT8100 television unfortunately does not meet expectations in the HDR effect category. A peak brightness of only 300 nits on the luminance chart is well below the required value to fully enjoy HDR effects. In practice, the image resembles SDR quality more than true HDR, which is particularly evident in demanding high-contrast scenes. The coverage of the DCI-P3 colour palette is only 82%, which further limits the ability to present vibrant and rich colours. Instead of impressive visual experiences, we receive a muted and washed-out image. For those looking for a television to fully utilise HDR content, the LG UT8100 model turns out to be quite disappointing.

Unfortunately, the Samsung Q6F is a very dark model. Its peak brightness in HDR does not exceed 250 nits, which is definitely too low to even talk about any "high dynamic range" or HDR effect. In practice, it's better to stick to content in SDR format, which simply looks more predictable on this TV. Another issue is the global dimming technique – in scenes with a lot of black, the TV drastically dims the entire screen to artificially improve the black levels. This results in the image becoming even darker, with brightness sometimes dropping below 100 nits. The only consolation is the QLED technology, but even here it's average. The applied quantum dot layer is not of the highest quality, as the coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut does not exceed 90%. Because of this, colours in HDR content may simply appear unsaturated.

The Filmmaker Mode on LG UT8100, while theoretically the best for watching movies, has significant issues. The biggest problem is the white balance – drops in blue cause a noticeable yellowing of the image, visible in both HD and 4K content. These issues are confirmed by measurement results in the Colour Checker test, which indicate significant deviations in colour reproduction.

In terms of brightness characteristics, both HD and 4K content exhibit a large tonal boost. The gamma curve in both cases remains well below the reference value of 2.4, which leads to excessive brightening of darker elements of the image. A similar problem is evident in the EOTF curve – in the case of 4K content, the TV struggles to manage brightness correctly, resulting in issues with screen brightness. This means the factory settings of this model require significant adjustment to achieve better picture quality.

We tested the television in Filmmaker mode, which showed us two completely different sides of this model. Looking at SDR content, we were honestly shocked at how good this television looks straight out of the box. It was really hard to pick on anything here. Despite a slight 'messiness' in white balance and some slightly brightened details in the blacks (which directly stems from the IPS panel construction), colour errors hovered around the '2' level. This is not only a surprisingly good result but rather phenomenal, considering the price of the device.

On the other hand, what the Q6F showed in terms of colours when switched to HDR mode was a very unpleasant surprise. The errors in colour reproduction and palette were so massive that our charts literally ran out of scale. Of course, since Samsung even in such a budget model offers very extensive calibration options, we decided to approach the issue professionally and see what could be done during calibration.

After calibrating the Filmmaker Mode, the gamma has been aligned to practically perfect, reference values, which has significantly improved the overall tonal characteristics in HD content. 4K HDR content also looks better, although some issues are still visible at the extreme ends of the graph, where the curve deviates from the ideal. The EOTF curve performs worse since the TV struggles to maintain the correct brightness values. As a result, the image in some scenes may be too bright or slightly dim, which stems from the device’s design. Nevertheless, the calibration brought significant improvement, particularly for HD content, where the tonal balance and colour reproduction are now at a much higher level.

After our calibration, the colours in SDR mode looked even better – the result is truly surprising, as colour errors at a level of "1" are something typically seen in devices costing several thousand dollars. In this respect, the Q6F is really a great screen for everyday television, less demanding series, or movies. Unfortunately, our intervention in HDR mode did not yield a noticeable improvement. The television, due to its weak blacks and low coverage of a wide colour gamut, still has significant issues with proper colour saturation, especially reds. This is an example of a device where HDR primarily exists as a label on the box – for everyday use, we definitely recommend watching content in SDR format.

The fluidity of tonal transitions is also correct, although the effect depends on the settings. The update improved the operation of the smooth gradation function, smoothing transitions better than before, but introduced minor issues with detail loss, e.g. on textures.

Image scaling on LG UT8100 performs very well. The image presents itself decently, with no major issues regarding edge aliasing. Details are preserved at a satisfactory level, making materials of lower resolution look really solid on this television. As a result, users can enjoy watching older content without any noticeable defects in quality.

Q6F handles upscaling lower resolution content to native 4K very well. The scaling is surprisingly good, even for such an inexpensive QLED model. The only downside is when watching very low-resolution materials like 576p (typical for old DVD players) – the image may appear slightly cropped. This is because the TV does not allow the option to turn off the Overscan feature, which is a common issue with Samsung devices.

The situation is completely different when it comes to digital processing, or the attempt to smooth the image of unwanted artifacts. Here, the TV completely fails. Although in the menu we find a feature called "Noise Reduction," it does not produce any noticeable results regardless of the slider setting. The only thing it seems to do is introduce undesirable errors into the image. Despite its presence in the system, we definitely do not recommend using it.

LG UT8100, equipped with a 60 Hz panel, is particularly suited for those watching movies. The television offers the TruMotion system with a de-judder effect adjustment, which allows users to tailor the smoothness of the picture – from more choppy to exceptionally smooth, resembling a soap opera effect, depending on user preferences.

The 60 Hz panel in the Samsung Q6F is standard in this price range, making it a rather average model for dynamic sports or gaming. However, when it comes to movies, the TV performs quite well thanks to its smoothing feature. The "Motion Vibration Reduction" option allows you to adjust the motion smoothness to your own preferences – from preserving a cinematic feel to full smoothness.

LG UT8100 offers basic features for gamers, such as ALLM and Game Bar, which makes it easier to access settings. The TV also supports HGiG, improving picture quality in HDR games. Unfortunately, the lack of support for Dolby Vision and VRR limits the device's capabilities, as does the 60 Hz panel, which excludes support for 120 Hz resolution. This model is more suited for less demanding gaming applications.

We won’t beat around the bush – the Q6F is not a television designed with gamers in mind. While it does include features like ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) and VRR frame syncing for consoles, that's pretty much where the list of advantages ends. Beyond these basics, the television offers nothing more that could satisfy those who spend a lot of time in front of a console. It's a real shame that a useful tool like Game Bar, which allows for quick control of game parameters in higher-end Samsung models, is missing here. In terms of gaming, this is an absolutely basic model and it will only suit 'casual' gamers.