Samsung DU7192 (VA) vs Panasonic W70A

On the luminance charts, the peak brightness of the television is around 280 nits. Unfortunately, such a 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 severely limits the magic of HDR, and details in the brighter parts of the image are not sufficiently highlighted. For users primarily consuming SDR content, this quality level might be acceptable but it is definitely not enough when it comes to HDR. Additionally, a DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage of 82% does not favour presenting HDR content in its full glory. The limited colour range makes it difficult for the television to reproduce vibrant and diverse hues, which is crucial for achieving a cinematic experience.

HDR on the Panasonic W70A unfortunately does not impress. A brightness level of 250–300 nits is simply too low to feel the true magic of cinematic effects in dynamic, bright scenes. Images that should “explode” with light appear rather flat, and fine details in bright areas often get lost in the average luminance of the panel. On the plus side, the HDR effect is at least stable. The TV does not suffer from excessive brightening nor lose details with sudden scene changes. Everything is predictable and calm, though unfortunately lacking in impact. Another issue is the colour gamut coverage. The W70A is not equipped with an additional layer of quantum dots (often known as QLED), which is why the colours appear rather average. There is a lack of depth in reds, saturation in greens, and precision in reproducing subtle shades.

The best factory mode we relied on during testing turned out to be "Filmmaker." Although it is the mode that most closely aligns with the creators' intent, it still has some imperfections. In the white balance graph for both SDR and HDR, there is a clear dominance of red, resulting in significant yellowing, particularly noticeable in whites and on actors' faces. In HDR mode, there is also a slight dominance of green, which, however, does not have as large an impact on the perception of the image. The gamma, responsible for brightness in SDR materials, performed quite well, but with one serious reservation. In the darkest parts of the image, it was too low, causing excessive brightening of those scenes, depriving the film of drama and contrast. In the case of HDR, the white balance remains at a similar level, but the EOTF curve graph draws attention. At the beginning, the curve noticeably bulges, leading to strong brightening of the darkest scenes. Then, the result sharply drops below the reference line, resulting in an overly dark image and a loss of dynamics in the brighter parts.

In summary, the "Filmmaker" mode, despite its advantages, needs refinement—especially regarding white balance and proper management of brightness in the darkest and brightest parts 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.

The Panasonic W70A was tested in movie mode, which theoretically should guarantee the most natural image reproduction. Unfortunately, as is often the case with budget televisions, reality turned out to be far from ideal.

In HD (SDR) content, the white balance was significantly disrupted by an excess of red and a noticeable drop in blue tones. The result? The image had a distinctly warm, almost yellowish glow, which is clearly visible in the comparison photo. In the case of 4K HDR materials, the situation reversed. Here, the image became excessively cold and bluish, causing scenes to lose their naturalness and depth. The differences are visible even to the naked eye, especially in the bright areas of the image. The Colour Checker palette test confirmed our observations. Most colour samples did not hit their intended points, 'drifting' towards warmer shades in SDR and cooler ones in HDR. In terms of brightness characteristics, both gamma and the EOTF curve showed significant issues. The image tended to excessively brighten certain areas, disrupting the balance and leading to a loss of detail in both darker and brighter regions.

In summary – the factory colour reproduction settings in the Panasonic W70A leave much to be desired. The image is far from neutral, and errors in white balance and gamma mean that solid calibration is needed to extract the full potential from this television.

Even with its lower models, Samsung offers advanced image calibration tools, which allow for significant improvement of factory settings. We took on this task, and the results turned out to be more than satisfactory. The white balance, which previously exhibited a strong yellow tint 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 were also able to properly model the gamma in SDR content, allowing for maximum contrast that this television can offer. The EOTF curve, responsible for HDR content, has also been improved – the image is no longer brightened or darkened as drastically as it was before calibration. Despite these successes, HDR content still struggles with high deltaE error values. The main reason lies in the limited brightness of the television, which does not allow for a full representation of the dynamics of HDR content. Nonetheless, after calibration, the image is clearly better and much closer to the creators' intent. For users seeking the best possible quality in this class of equipment, calibration is definitely recommended.

Panasonic W70A, despite its limitations, gave us plenty of room to manoeuvre during calibration. Thanks to well-developed tools, we were able to achieve a much better white balance in both HD (SDR) and 4K HDR content. The issues with excessive red in SDR and overly cool images in HDR have disappeared. The gamma brightness characteristics have also been improved, now maintaining stability and not leading to excessive brightening or loss of detail in darker areas.

So where is the problem? Unfortunately, there are barriers that even professional calibration cannot overcome. Poor coverage of a wide colour gamut means the television cannot fully convey colours in HDR materials. There is a lack of saturation, and subtle colour transitions still appear somewhat “flattened.” Another limitation is the brightness management due to the IPS panel used. In a comparison photograph with an actress's face in colourful clothing, it is clearly visible how some shades are distinctly muted, and colours lose their depth and vibrancy.

Calibration has extracted from the W70A as much as it could. The image is now much more natural, and the factory setting errors have been effectively corrected. Unfortunately, the hardware limitations in the form of poor colour gamut coverage and an average panel mean that even after calibration, we are unable to achieve spectacular effects, especially in HDR content.

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

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

We checked how the Panasonic W70A handles upscaling content that is lower quality than 4K, and I must admit that the TV performs quite decently in this regard. The feature responsible for smoothing tonal transitions is called "Zeroing Counter." The optimal setting turned out to be the Average option, which effectively smooths out colour gradation issues while not ruining the film grain. This is the setting we recommend for most users, as it provides a balance between enhancing the smoothness of transitions and maintaining the naturalness of the image.

When it comes to image scaling, the Panasonic W70A performed really well. The test chart with the model looked positive – details in her clothing were well reproduced, and the contours of her face maintained sharpness. In the background, we noticed a slight "jagginess" on thin branches, but these are details that only a very attentive eye will catch. However, it's worth noting a certain quirk of this model – the TV has a tendency to overscan, meaning it slightly crops the edges of the image. It’s not a very intense phenomenon, and for most users, it will be practically unnoticeable, but if we care about perfectly framing the shot, it's worth keeping this in mind.

Even though Samsung DU7192 is the lowest model in the manufacturer's range, 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 makes the TV stand out against the competition in this price bracket. The TV 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 sport. In the motion smoothing menu, we find, among other things, a "Vibration Reduction" feature. Unfortunately, its performance leaves much to be desired – regardless of the setting, the image retains the characteristic stutter known from material recorded at 24 frames per second, which means that this feature practically fails to fulfil its purpose.

The Panasonic W70A is equipped with a 60 Hz panel, which immediately suggests that the TV is best suited for watching movies, series, or everyday television content. In more dynamic scenes, such as sports broadcasts or games, the limitations of the panel become more noticeable. However, it is worth noting the presence of a motion smoother called “Effect”, which offers three levels of adjustment – low, medium, and high.

Each setting allows you to adjust the smoothness of motion to your own preferences, minimizing the motion blur effect and improving the clarity of dynamic shots. In practice, the Medium setting seems to be the most universal – it offers better smoothness without the excessive “soap opera effect” that can look artificial in feature films. The High setting may work well for sports broadcasts, but in movies, it can disrupt the natural character of motion.

Samsung DU7192 is equipped with HDMI 2.0 ports, which is expected at this price range. This limitation means there is no support for the full capabilities of the latest generation consoles, such as VRR technology. The TV offers only basic features for gamers – automatic switching to low-latency mode (ALLM), and support for basic HDR for games in HGiG standard. HGiG allows for displaying HDR content in games according to manufacturers' guidelines, however, the limited brightness of the TV does not allow full enjoyment of the effects that this standard offers. Unfortunately, there are no conveniences such as GameBar, which is increasingly common even in cheaper models and significantly facilitates quick adjustment of settings for games. The presence of this feature could significantly enhance the user experience, especially for those who frequently switch display modes.

The Panasonic W70A is a TV that is likely to suit casual gamers more than hardcore players. The 60 Hz refresh rate doesn't fully utilise the potential of next-gen consoles, especially in dynamic titles. The lack of HDMI 2.1 slightly limits its capabilities, but fortunately, it includes features like ALLM, which automatically switches to game mode, and VRR, which helps minimise screen tearing. It's also worth noting the support for Dolby Vision in games and HGiG, making HDR more predictable and looking solid. It's a pity, though, that it lacks Game Bar. This feature is now standard in many TVs and provides quick access to the most important settings for gamers. The W70A performs well for gaming, but it does have its limitations. It will do fine with more laid-back titles, but more demanding gamers may feel unsatisfied.