Samsung DU7192 (IPS) vs IFFALCON U85X

The maximum luminance in HDR materials is 245 nits, which is often surpassed by even lower results. Such values will definitely not be sufficient for comfortable viewing of HDR materials, due to the lack of appropriate image dynamics and colour distortions caused by the low brightness of the unit. Although the manufacturer has equipped its device with an HDR format offering dynamic metadata, HDR10+, which is what we're talking about, is very rarely used compared to Dolby Vision, which Samsung has not yet introduced in its televisions. It’s also worth mentioning that Samsung DU7192 offers only 82% coverage of the wide DCI-P3 colour gamut, which is another reason we shouldn't provide a signal in a wide dynamic range, as colour losses will be very noticeable. Samsung DU7192 delivers high-quality image that will satisfy most users.

iFFALCON U85 handles HDR in a rather dual manner – on one hand, it can surprise with a solid peak brightness of around 650 nits, which places it significantly above average in this price segment. This is particularly evident in bright, full-screen scenes. Examples from movies like Life of Pi or the final test sequences from The Meg prove that the television can maintain the power and essence of the HDR effect when the entire panel needs to “ignite,” providing truly satisfying experiences. However, problems arise in high-contrast scenes, where smaller, bright details appear on the screen; the dimming algorithms prioritise black depth so much that they can crush the brightness of small bright points down to just 100 nits, drastically lowering the image dynamics and depriving us of the real “bite” we expect from HDR standards. However, the question of colours remains a sweetener, as thanks to the use of the PFS phosphor filter (marketed as QLED by the manufacturer), they look very good, achieving nearly 94% coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut, which allows for a rich and vivid image in most content.

The best factory mode we used throughout the testing process was "Filmmaker". This, like the vast majority of modes, had its flaws. Starting with the most basic graph, which is white balance, we can notice a significant dominance of red colour, both in SDR mode and HDR. Although in the latter there was also some green, which didn’t have a major impact on the overall perception. A graph with such results, in both cases, gives us an image characterised by strong yellowing, clearly visible on whites and on the faces of the actors. Another important graph, if not more important, is gamma. This, which is supposed to control contrast in materials with a standard colour palette, was quite good in factory mode with one "but" regarding the beginning. In the darkest scenes, it was significantly lowered, resulting in strong brightening, which left the film lacking contrast and suspense overall. As we mentioned, HDR materials regarding white balance remained at a similar level. The main change is the EOTF curve graph. At the very beginning, we can observe a bulge, which, just like in the case of gamma, strongly brightened the darkest scenes. However, after that, the graph significantly changed its characteristics and the measured result dived below the reference line, causing the film to lose even more dynamism.

We tested the factory colours in the iFFALCON U85X model in “Film” mode, which is definitely the most accurate among all available settings, although it is still far from perfect. The main issue that catches the eye in both SDR and HDR content is the improper white balance – an excess of blue and red contributes to a slight purple tint in the image, detracting from the naturalness of the film scenes. An even greater challenge is how the television manages its brightness. Analysing the gamma chart for SDR signal, we noticed significant instability: instead of adhering to the standard value of 2.4, the device oscillates around 2.2, then suddenly makes an unnatural jump to around 3.0. In practice, this leads to confusing effects – large, bright surfaces on the screen appear too dark, while smaller elements are unnecessarily brightened. A similar characteristic can be found in the EOTF curve, which makes the image unpredictable and loses its cinematic authenticity.

Samsung has equipped even its lowest-end TVs with advanced tools for carrying out the calibration process. So we got to work, and the results of our efforts are more than satisfactory. The white balance, which previously had a strong yellow tint in both scenarios, now looks much, much better, even if there are slight deviations from the norm. The picture will still look significantly cleaner than it did before the calibration process. We managed to model the gamma in SDR materials very well, allowing the image to be as contrasty as the TV permits. The EOTF curve has also changed its face and doesn’t brighten or darken the image in such a drastic manner. However, it is worth mentioning that in the case of HDR materials, the deltaE errors are still very high, but this is due to the unit's insufficient brightness.

After professional calibration of the movie mode, we must admit that the effect is more than satisfactory – the iFFALCON U85X undergoes a true transformation here. Colour errors in SDR content have dropped to a level below 2, making them practically undetectable to the human eye. We managed to set the white balance almost perfectly, and brightness management (gamma) has become almost exemplary. As a result, with standard quality materials, the television simply looks perfect and it's hard to fault it.

In the case of HDR signal, the situation has also improved significantly, although here the nature of the device is a bit more noticeable. Colour errors have been reduced to around 3, which is an outstanding result in this price range. It's worth taking a look at the EOTF chart (available on the right side of the screen in filters: 4K HDR, gamma / EOTF) to see what is not immediately apparent regarding brightness management by the U85. Though the reference line looks decent, in actual film scenes the television still interprets the signal “in its own way” due to very aggressive local dimming zone algorithms. Does that disqualify this model for watching HDR content? Absolutely not. It’s simply a typical issue with nearly every Mini-LED that has to balance high brightness with the attempt to maintain deep blacks. One just needs to be aware of these technical limitations, which are unavoidable in this segment.

Let's return for a moment to the tonal transition smoothing function. We can set it in only two ways - off and auto. As you can easily guess, the first of these causes significant issues with gradation. However, if we set the second option, both movies and series will offer us smooth colour transitions. It is worth mentioning, though, that this function has its drawbacks. It heavily interferes with the director's intent, softens the film grain effect, and worse, often misinterprets small details, blurring them as well. Consequently, we consider that this function does not exist and do not recommend using it, as this is how the smoothness of tonal transitions was tested on the tested display.

The next thing we will check in this paragraph is the image scaling process, which is extremely important when watching material in lower resolution. Unfortunately, as this is the manufacturer's lowest model, this function doesn't work very well. All details are heavily blurred, and a characteristic white halo forms around the characters.

When it comes to scaling images to 4K resolution, the iFFALCON U85X performs solidly. The device effectively boosts low-quality signals, making even older materials look clean and clear on the 4K panel. At extremely low resolutions, such as 480p, you can notice slightly jagged edges (especially on thin lines), but let’s be honest – this is a scenario you'll only encounter while watching very old recordings, so in everyday use, it’s not a real issue.

On the other hand, the digital processing aimed at smoothing tonal transitions performs significantly worse. Although the menu features a function called “Gradual Smoothing”, its effectiveness is at least debatable. In practice, it does not effectively eliminate banding (colour stepping) and, worse yet, can cause more harm than good. This filter can be too aggressive where it shouldn’t be, artificially smoothing out details that shouldn’t be touched, such as the natural texture of the face or the fine details of skin texture. Instead of improving quality, this function can give the image an unnatural, “plastic” look, so it’s best to use it with caution or, preferably: leave it turned off.

Despite the fact that Samsung DU7192 is the lowest model in the manufacturer's portfolio, it has implemented a motion smoothing system. Although it is quite limited in features compared to higher models, its very existence is a significant plus in the context of competition in a similar price range. The maximum refresh rate that we will give to the tested television is 60 Hz, which is entirely sufficient for films and series, although not when it comes to sports. In the motion smoothing menu, we find two functions responsible for improving smoothness. These are "Motion Blur Reduction" and "Clear Motion (LED)". We'll discuss the latter a bit later. Let's focus on the former, as it is quite mysterious. Unfortunately, despite its presence, we did not find any usefulness. At each of the settings, the picture looked the same, characterised by the typical judder known from materials recorded at 24 fps.

The panel Samsung DU7192 features an average response time. It's worth mentioning that due to this specific type of panel, it is better than VA panels in a similar price range. Therefore, it can be said that it won't be the worst in terms of watching sports.

Unlike budget constructions that can resemble a slideshow in dynamic sports scenes, the iFFALCON U85X is a heavyweight player equipped with a panel featuring a native refresh rate of 144Hz. It's worth remembering that in the realm of movies, series, or sports, we'll predominantly operate at 120Hz due to the specifics of image enhancement systems. Such a fast panel is excellent news for gamers and sports fans, as it opens the door to advanced motion settings that simply aren't available in cheaper 60Hz models.

Everything is managed from the menu “Motion Clarity”, where instead of using ready-made, often overly aggressive modes, we strongly recommend a custom configuration based on two sliders. The most important of these, Flicker Reduction, is responsible for fluidity in films – here, it's best to aim for a value around 4, which helps maintain the natural, cinematic character of motion without falling into the artificial “soap opera effect.” Meanwhile, the first slider, Motion Blur Reduction, is key to success in sports broadcasts. In this case, it's worth going all out and setting it to maximum, ensuring that the image remains sharp during fast-paced action on the field, while annoying ghosting is eliminated.

The Samsung DU7192 television is equipped only with HDMI 2.0 ports, which isn’t surprising considering the device’s price and its consumer profile. Therefore, it’s also logical that we won’t achieve maximum quality on the latest generation consoles. That’s why it only features the most basic options for gamers, namely ALLM. It’s a pity the manufacturer didn’t implement at least a GameBar, as this is now standard, even in lower-end TVs, and could offer significant conveniences in terms of quickly changing settings.

iFFALCON U85X is an outstanding piece of gear for gamers that has pretty much everything you could ask for from a modern screen for console or PC. It features two full-fledged HDMI 2.1 ports with a full bandwidth of 48 Gbps, which opens the door to key technologies such as VRR and ALLM, ensuring smooth gameplay without screen tearing and with minimal lag. The TV effortlessly handles high refresh rates at various resolutions, and a real curiosity is the mode that allows for up to 240Hz when dropping down to Full HD quality. Everything is managed by the Game Bar (which is a faithful copy from TCL), allowing for instant switching of picture modes, personalization of the interface appearance, or even adding a virtual crosshair in the middle of the screen.