Samsung DU7192 (VA) vs Philips PUS7009 (VA)

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.

In terms of HDR effect quality, Philips PUS7009 performs very poorly. A brightness level of 250 nits does not allow for an enjoyable HDR experience, and the image resembles more of a standard SDR. There’s no mention of dynamic effects or vivid bursts of light. The coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut is only 75%, which is definitely insufficient. The lack of full colour coverage means that the colours are not as vibrant as they should be, resulting in a flat and unconvincing image. There are no aspects of this model that could be praised in the context of HDR.

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 television was tested in movie mode, which - despite its name - does not provide correct image display. The white balance in both 4K HDR and HD/SDR content shows drops in the red color, making the image cooler and the colors lose their natural warmth. The gamma brightness characteristic and EOTF curve confirm that the television struggles to maintain appropriate brightness - it excessively boosts it, resulting in an unnaturally washed-out image. This effect can be seen in the comparisons below, where everything looks as if a milky filter has been applied. Additionally, the limited coverage of a wide color gamut does not contribute positively to quality - color checker tests indicate significant color fluctuations, making it difficult to achieve faithful image reproduction.

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.

After calibration, the image significantly improved, especially in terms of white balance, which is now more stable, and the hues have gained a natural quality, eliminating the previous impression of an overly cool image. The calibration brought noticeable benefits in tonal quality – shadows and midtones are now more realistic, and the overall appearance seems more harmonious. Unfortunately, hardware limitations still affect image quality. Brightness characteristics remain problematic, despite our efforts, and due to poor coverage of the DCI-P3 and BT.2020 colour gamut, delta E errors are still at a high level. Although calibration improved some aspects, the television still does not provide full satisfaction.

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.

When it comes to tonal transitions in low-quality material, the function called "Distortion Reduction" (setting “minimum”) effectively improves the gradation, eliminating unsightly tonal transitions. However, this setting on Philips televisions is quite aggressive – while it does not blur grain or good quality material, it can introduce unwanted effects and blur elements that should remain clear with a poorer signal.

In terms of image scaling, Philips PUS7009 performs reasonably well. A major advantage is the lack of cropped edges of the image, meaning no overscan, which allows for displaying the full frame without losses. The image is noticeably enhanced, making characters and backgrounds, such as the model or branches in the background, appear quite detailed and natural, even with lower quality signals. Although scaling is not perfect, as it can remove desired details in the distance, the results are good enough to satisfy most users.

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.

Philips PUS7009 does not have motion smoothing features, which means there's no option to adjust the picture for a choppier or smoother, theatrical effect. Such features could positively affect the viewing of dynamic scenes. In terms of motion blur, this model is equipped with a 60 Hz VA panel, which delivers slightly worse results than the IPS panel variant. The VA panel introduces minimally greater motion blur, although the differences are not significant and should not pose a problem for most viewers.

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.

In terms of compatibility with consoles, Philips PUS7009 is likely to satisfy casual gamers. Although equipped with HDMI 2.0, it offers features such as ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), and Game Bar. ALLM automatically switches the TV to low latency mode, which speeds up responses during gaming, and VRR adjusts the refresh rate to minimise screen tearing. The Game Bar provides quick access to game settings and monitors key parameters, although visually it falls short compared to competing solutions. However, more demanding gamers may feel underwhelmed. Philips PUS7009 does not support advanced HDR formats in games, and the 60 Hz panel limits its ability to display smooth and detailed images in dynamic scenes, which may not satisfy fans of fast-paced action games.