Compare: Samsung QLED Q70D / Q74D / Q77D vs TCL C655 Pro

Samsung Q70D performed in the test exactly as it should for its price range – very competently. The strongest aspects of the television are certainly its performance when using a console and colour reproduction after the calibration process. The former will undoubtedly catch the attention of gamers with a range of conveniences that Samsung Q70D can offer, and there are quite a few, including that which is almost exclusive to the manufacturer's units – the ability to smooth out gameplay while still maintaining reasonable input lag, allowing titles running at 30 fps to perform like those at native 60 frames per second. In the context of gaming, one cannot forget the well-implemented HGIG mode, which, when set correctly, is on par with games using Dolby Vision. We must also acknowledge the easy pairing of the television with the Canal+ decoder, which is not such an obvious advantage, but we know that many people experience issues with this. Staying on the topic of television, it must be noted that the Samsung Q70D offers very good brightness in SDR content for its price range, making daytime viewing more than comfortable. A downside for the tested television is the lack of Dolby Vision, which would have significantly enhanced performance at the maximum brightness of the Samsung Q70D. The device's construction flaws should not be overlooked, as they may (though not necessarily) lead to light bleed that can be noticed in dark situations during dimly lit scenes. What cannot be taken away from the Samsung Q70D is the fact that it features one of the better motion smoothers in its price bracket, which works excellently for sports events or fast-paced action scenes. The system responsible for the television's operation runs very smoothly, and the only thing we can criticise it for is the absence of the Tidal app. In summary, the Samsung Q70D represents a good continuation of the manufacturer's seventh series, which year after year is gaining – firstly, in quality, and secondly, in popularity.

TCL C655 PRO is an extension of the basic model in this series, and although the name may suggest only slight differences, the addition of "PRO" truly means a lot here. The biggest change compared to its less advanced sibling is the picture quality. The manufacturer decided to implement local dimming technology, which significantly improves black levels and contrast. The TV is able to offer us a more refined picture. Thanks to this, TCL C655 PRO clearly outperforms the more basic version in this regard. The applied QLED panel further enhances the coverage of a wide color gamut, offering vibrant and saturated colors, which works brilliantly in both movies and dynamic content like games. In terms of gaming, just like the basic version, TCL C655 PRO offers a range of useful features for gamers – including ALLM, VRR, and Game Bar – which greatly enhance gameplay comfort. The TV can also adjust the screen refresh rate to a lower resolution, meaning that despite support for 4K at 60 Hz, in Full HD or 2K you can enjoy a smoother picture thanks to 120 Hz. In everyday use, the Google TV operating system performs excellently. The intuitive interface, personalized recommendations, and wide access to streaming apps like Netflix, YouTube, and Disney+ make the TV enjoyable to use. Because of this, we easily forgive the lack of recording and picture-in-picture (PiP) features, which doesn’t pose a significant problem given the rich app offerings. If we are able to stretch that slight price difference, we definitely recommend the TCL C655 in the PRO version.

Samsung Q70D and its related models, such as Q77D and Q74D, use a VA panel, which should inherently provide decent contrast. Typically, it is several times higher than that of IPS/ADS screens that do not come equipped with an advanced local dimming system. As you can see, contrast results are quite varied, which is caused by the unevenness of the panel. Therefore, we might sometimes get good contrast, and other times it can be significantly worsened, but generally, it remains fairly consistent, aside from light bleed. Let’s take a look at the film scenes we prepared from "Oblivion" and "Revenant." As we can see, in the first one, the lights are well separated, which is a positive phenomenon, as the visibility of details in bright areas in further tests should be equally good. What stands out the most here is the unusual oversharpening of the smoke visible under the light and the navy black in the background. In the frame from the second film, the first thing that stands out is the unevenness of the backlighting of our piece. This was significant and strongly affected the perceived image. Nonetheless, the details in the film were well visible.

The TCL 655 PRO TV, equipped with a VA panel, provides solid contrast; however, the key role in improving image quality here is played by local dimming technology. The tested 55-inch variant has 84 backlight zones, which significantly enhance the contrast compared to the model without the "PRO" suffix, and this effect is clearly visible in the first three tested scenes. It is worth noting that larger versions of this TV naturally have more zones, which translates to even better contrast. Of course, as with any LCD TV, certain shortcomings remain – particularly noticeable on tested screens 4 and 5, where smaller bright elements lose quite a bit of quality. Nevertheless, considering the price of the device, the TCL 655 PRO makes a big impression and stands out well in the categories of black and contrast.

The brightness that the Samsung Q70D can offer is at a rather average level, although it cannot be said that the HDR effect will not be noticeable. Any brightness above 400 nits allows for a clear distinction between SDR and HDR content. As was the case in the paragraph about contrast and black levels, we can also observe here that the first scene, featuring a bright sunny sky and a darker foreground, has the lowest luminance of those measured. The result, which can be considered very good for this price range and display class, is that one. In a scene where we see a large light source filling a significant portion of the frame, the brightness of the TV is at its highest, reaching nearly 500 nits. However, it is worth noting the rather low coverage of the wide DCI-P3 colour gamut, which sometimes results in noticeable shortcomings in the colour reproduction. Additionally, users can enjoy rich colours and high precision in rendering shades, making movie screenings a unique experience. It is also worth mentioning that the Q70D Samsung panel performs excellently in eliminating blur during dynamic action scenes, which enhances the viewing comfort of sports broadcasts or games.

In the HDR effect quality category, the television TCL 655 PRO shows decent capabilities, achieving 550 nits of peak brightness. This allows for enjoying HDR effects, which can be clearly seen in scenes such as the first one from the movie Life of Pi or the final shot from The Meg. However, the limited number of dimming zones causes some issues. While in bright scenes the television performs better than its lower model, in more demanding scenes, such as the second and fourth scenes from Sicario 2, it struggles more. The dimming algorithm aims for deep blacks, but at the cost of brightness – which at those moments can cause a drop in brightness of even half. In these more challenging scenes with small elements, it's hard to find any praise, and the HDR effect resembles SDR. Nevertheless, the coverage of the colour palette deserves recognition, which, like in the version without the PRO suffix, is at a very good level.

The best factory mode in Samsung Q70D is "Filmmaker," and it was this mode that we used during all our tests. Before the calibration process, it had several flaws that effectively hindered the presentation of the director's intentions. In both SDR and HDR material, the white balance was dominated by red and green colours. As a result, there was a characteristic yellow tint on the image, which caused whites to appear yellowed and skin tones to be noticeably too warm. The reduced gamma in standard colour palette materials caused a significant drop in contrast, which was already not the highest. This led to the highlighting of details in the blacks, but also to clipping in brighter scenes. In this case, the EOTF curve proved to be much better and only brightened those scenes with quite low luminance. This was clearly visible in the section where we measured the maximum brightness of the television in HDR materials. At that time, a shot from the film "Billy Lynn" appeared unnaturally bright and lacking depth.

Each of our TV tests is conducted in movie mode, which usually offers the best colour reproduction. However, even this mode is not free from issues, as we noted in the TCL 655 PRO model.

In the case of HD content, the white balance clearly shifts towards red, and this effect becomes particularly noticeable in a scene from Star Wars, where the white elements of the scenery take on a pink hue. For 4K HDR material, the situation looks better, but there is a tendency to overly emphasise the colour blue. As a result, the image can give a sense of artificial sharpness, which proves to be uncomfortable for the eyes over a longer period. The brightness characteristics also leave much to be desired. The Gamma chart indicates serious difficulties with excessive brightening, making the overall presentation appear washed out. Additionally, the EOTF curve reveals significant problems with reproducing very small elements – they are overly dimmed, as we have detailed in the paragraph regarding HDR effects.

Fortunately, Samsung provides a wide range of calibration tools in all its TVs, including 2- and 20-point grey scale adjustments and advanced CMS. As a result, we were able to significantly improve the quality of SDR and HDR content. The vast majority of errors have been corrected, and the image that the Samsung Q70D now delivers is definitely much closer to the reference. Higher deltaE errors in wide dynamic range content primarily result from the display's insufficient luminance.

After calibrating the TCL 655 PRO television, there is a noticeable improvement in white balance, where the tendency for the screen to be overly pink has been completely eliminated, which was previously noticeable in factory mode. The picture has taken on more natural tones, especially in white and bright elements, which positively affects the overall image perception. Regarding brightness characteristics, the Gamma chart has also improved – the screen is no longer excessively bright, which previously made the image appear washed out. Nevertheless, there are still some issues with the EOTF curve, which are difficult to eliminate due to the television's construction and its limited number of backlight zones. These limitations prevent achieving perfect results in this regard. However, despite this minor fault, the overall effect after calibration is truly outstanding, providing high picture quality and very good colour reproduction.

Considering how important lighting is in films and series, the overlapping structures and fluidity of tonal transitions constitute an extremely significant element in assessing image quality. The colour grading on the tested television is at quite a decent level. It cannot be said that it is outstanding, but it is not bad either. We assess it as acceptable. Brighter scenes perform best here, demonstrating the least amount of choppiness. In scenes recorded in darker settings, slight shortcomings in grading can already be noticeable, although it is not an issue that would cause discomfort while watching. This may be disturbed by the leaking backlight, which is clearly visible in the last image.

Tonal transitions are really quite good and would deserve a high rating (8), however, the score has been clearly lowered for another reason - the image is artificially sharpened despite the "sharpness" setting being at 0. As a result, the image is unpleasant to look at.

The function responsible for improving gradation is named "Noise Reduction" in the menu. As we have confirmed, it is worth enabling as it has a beneficial impact on tonal transitions. More importantly, it does not negatively affect film grain or fine details, which sometimes the competition "offers" us.

The image scaling on Samsung Q70D should be rated as average. The manufacturer does not aim to artificially sharpen the image, but rather to keep it naturally softened.

The TCL 655 PRO television handles tonal transitions quite well in lower-quality material. The "Gradual Smoothing" feature at low settings effectively smooths tonal transitions, but this comes at the cost of losing some essential details, such as the texture of objects. On the plus side, it doesn't negatively affect film grain, which helps maintain a natural look to the image.

In the context of digital processing, the television adds artificial sharpness. This may appeal to users who prefer a bolder image. However, individuals who favour a softer, more subtle look may find this a drawback. Additionally, a downside is the image cropping due to overscan, which limits the field of view and cuts off the edges of the frame. This can be problematic in certain scenes - for example, news tickers.

Samsung Q70D is the first model in the manufacturer's portfolio with a 120Hz panel. As a result, its motion smoothing features are more advanced than those in lower-tier models. In the menu, we find three functions responsible for improving fluidity. They are "Blur Reduction," "Judder Reduction," and "Clear Motion (LED)." We'll discuss the third one later. The first function enhances sharpness in motion, while the second adjusts the level of smoothing. The smoothness enhancer in Samsung Q70D works satisfactorily, and each setting makes a noticeable difference. Therefore, those who dislike the characteristic stuttering of films or who passionately watch sports will be able to achieve their preferred level of smoothness. In the image, we present a setting with slight smoothing, without the soap opera effect.

The panel used in Samsung Q70D has a fairly good response time for this type of display. Of course, it won't deliver an image as sharp as a proverbial razor, but at this price point, it is a recommended choice for all kinds of sports.

The TCL C655 PRO television is equipped with a 4K display with a refresh rate of 60 Hz, making it ideal for watching movies. Additionally, the "Flicker Reduction" feature allows for adjusting the smoothness of the picture, giving the user the choice between smoother motion and a cinematic, frame-by-frame effect. Furthermore, the television performs well with lower resolution content, such as Full HD and 2K, offering a refresh rate of 120 Hz, which will surely appeal to gamers who can enjoy a smoother image, albeit at the cost of lower resolution.

The tested television is equipped with four HDMI 2.1 ports. Interestingly, all of them have a bandwidth of 40 Gbps; however, during the testing process, we did not observe any negative effects associated with this situation. More importantly, Samsung Q70D supports all features stemming from the aforementioned standard. This news will surely delight all gamers, as it means that whether using a console or a PC, we can expect the highest possible comfort during gameplay. Given the standard absence of Dolby Vision HDR for this manufacturer, it is significant that the HGIG mode has been implemented correctly and there are no issues with setting up the calibration chessboard. We particularly note that Samsung is the only manufacturer to allow gaming with the smoothness enhancer switched on, without significant degradation. This means that titles running at 30 fps will be perceived like those with native 60 frames per second.

Samsung, as one of the first manufacturers, introduced the Game Bar to its televisions, which has since been consistently refined. It contains all the necessary information regarding gameplay parameters that we can change "on the fly".

In summary: Samsung Q70D will perform excellently both with consoles and with computers. All functions worked brilliantly, and there were no issues with them. The ability to enable the smoothness enhancer without significant increases in input lag is a true gamechanger.

The TCL C655 PRO TV offers an almost perfect set of features for gamers, supporting all key technologies that significantly enhance gameplay comfort. The ALLM feature automatically switches the TV to low-latency mode, improving responsiveness and minimising signal delay – particularly important in fast-paced titles. VRR synchronises the screen refresh rate with the frame rate generated by the console, eliminating screen tearing and ensuring smoother gameplay.

Support for Dolby Vision in game mode enables more detailed colour and contrast representation in games that support this format, while the Game Bar provides quick access to essential settings, such as response time and latency level. Unfortunately, the model does not support 4K resolution at 120 Hz, which may disappoint the most demanding gamers. However, for those willing to forgo 4K, support for Full HD and 2K at 120 Hz offers exceptionally smooth visuals, making it an attractive alternative for high refresh rate enthusiasts.

Results of latency on the Samsung Q70D are at a high level, regardless of the signal or resolution. All gamers will certainly appreciate the manufacturer's efforts, which allow a game running in 4K 120 Hz with HDR to have only 7 ms of latency, which is practically unnoticeable even in online gaming. It's worth adding that lag with the motion smoother turned on roughly doubles, which still means very comfortable gaming in this case.

The TCL C655 PRO TV offers exceptional response times across all supported resolutions and refresh rates. Notably, it supports Dolby Vision with a response time of 13ms, which is rare among competitors. This allows gamers to enjoy excellent responsiveness even when using advanced HDR effects, significantly enhancing the gaming experience.

After connecting the television to the computer and wishing to use it as a monitor, we can expect a low input lag of 13 ms, which is practically unnoticeable on the mouse-screen-eye line. Thanks to the correct implementation of chroma 4:4:4, the readability of fonts is at a high level, so you can confidently connect Samsung Q70D to your computer as a monitor and expect a comfortable experience with text.

The subpixel layout is BGR, which does not negatively affect the use of the television as a monitor. However, as operating systems are not adapted to this type of subpixel format, it may cause slightly less distinct contours. This is, however, something practically negligible, and only a handful of people may notice it.

Collaboration with PC on the TCL C655 Pro TV works quite well, especially thanks to the support for chroma 4:4:4, which ensures good readability of fonts. This is an important advantage if the TV is to be used as a monitor for office work, where precision in displaying text is crucial. Additionally, the low input lag provides smooth performance, which will be appreciated by both gamers and users who need a quick response to mouse or keyboard movements.

One of the minor drawbacks that can be noticed is the fact that in vertical lines, there is occasionally a one-pixel blackout. This can make letters appear slightly broken, which in certain situations might lower work comfort a bit, although generally, this issue should not be very bothersome for less demanding users. The TV does not support 120Hz for its maximum resolution, hence the lower rating compared to higher models. However, TCL has ensured that you can enjoy smooth gameplay at 120Hz in lower resolutions such as 2K and FullHD.

Due to the VA panel, the performance of Samsung Q70D in terms of viewing angles is its Achilles' heel. Even a slight shift off-axis leads to a significant loss of contrast and a substantial degradation of colours.

The viewing angles on the TCL C655 PRO, as with a VA panel, are quite limited. Compared to IPS panels, which maintain image quality better regardless of the viewing angle, the VA panel in this model quickly loses contrast and colour saturation with just a slight deviation from the axis. Watching at an angle causes blacks to appear more grey, and colours lose their depth and intensity. For this reason, the television is better suited for rooms where viewing occurs mainly straight on. It is not a television that is an ideal choice for large spaces where viewers may be sitting at various angles.

The satin finish of the panel in the Q70D allows for quite good performance in a well-lit room. It is worth noting that reflections do not spread beyond their source, and thus do not bleed onto the rest of the panel. We also commend the maximum brightness of the TV in SDR content, which is 450 nits, allowing for comfortable content consumption during the day.

TCL C655 PRO offers quite decent brightness, reaching around 520 nits, which makes using the TV during the day comfortable. This brightness allows for good image visibility even in rooms with higher sunlight exposure. Although the TV performs well in such conditions, the satin finish of the panel has only average capabilities for reducing reflections. In very bright environments, reflections may occur that somewhat impair image visibility, especially in scenes with lower contrast.

The operation of Samsung Q70D is managed by the proprietary Tizen system. This is fairly well-known software, as the manufacturer has been developing it in their TVs for quite a long time. Its main advantage is smooth operation and a lack of significant stutters, which we can confirm through conducted tests. The biggest downside, however, is its closed nature. Although the app store is quite extensive, we are still dependent on the grace or displeasure of the manufacturer. Therefore, we will not be able to install missing items, even from a USB drive. A perfect example of this is this year's discontinuation of support for the Tidal app. On the other hand, a benefit, especially for Apple device users, is the implementation of AirPlay functionality, which allows for easy screen mirroring from a device to the TV. Fortunately, Samsung also provided the option to connect a keyboard and mouse for much quicker navigation through the TV menu. It’s worth mentioning that the manufacturer has thankfully included a remote that connects via Bluetooth this year, which often wasn't the case in the past. The Tizen system has one more advantage. It integrates very well with external devices, such as the NC+ decoder or soundbars. The connection process is very quick and does not require special skills.

In summary: The Tizen system is very efficiently functioning software, which is certainly a strong advantage of the TV. While more advanced users may complain about the lack of something like KODI, the rest will be satisfied.

The TCL C655 PRO television runs on the Google TV system, which is an extension of the popular Android TV. Google TV provides personalised content recommendations based on viewed materials and user preferences, granting easy access to movies, series, and applications. With a clear interface, navigation is simple, and access to popular streaming apps like Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, and Disney+ allows enjoyment of a wide range of content. The system also supports integration with the Google ecosystem, enabling control of the television via voice commands using Google Assistant and synchronisation with other smart home devices.

The TCL C655 PRO offers additional features that enhance user comfort, such as support for Apple AirPlay, allowing quick streaming of content from Apple devices directly to the TV screen. Additionally, the ability to connect peripherals via Bluetooth – such as keyboards, mice, or headphones – makes usage even more convenient. Unfortunately, this model does not have a USB recording feature or a picture-in-picture (PiP) option, which may be a disappointment for those accustomed to these conveniences in traditional television. Nevertheless, the TCL C655 PRO offers many modern solutions that facilitate daily entertainment.

The design of the TCL C655 PRO television presents a modern look, with elegant and slim metal bezels that add solidity and aesthetic appeal to the device. The overall appearance is very good and will certainly fit into most interiors. Although the bezels are minimalist, the television itself is not among the thinnest on the market, especially compared to Korean competitors who often provide even sleeker designs.

The built-in player Samsung Q70D is a significant advantage. It handled nearly all video and audio files prepared for the testing process exceptionally well. The only exceptions in this regard are of course the Dolby Vision format (which is not surprising) and less popular codecs. Additionally, it is worth noting the support for Polish characters and the ability to change font colours as a positive aspect. However, it struggles more with photo formats, as it only supports JPEG among the popular ones. There's definitely a lack of formats like PNG or Apple's HEIC here.

Thanks to the built-in player, the television is capable of playing most file formats found on external drives, making it a versatile tool for consuming multimedia. However, there may be some limitations in supporting certain formats, which can be annoying for more demanding users. Fortunately, the Google TV system allows for the installation of other media players from Google Play, which helps eliminate compatibility issues. As a result, users have the option to choose applications that best meet their needs, significantly increasing the functionality of the television.

The built-in audio system Samsung Q70D, due to its slim design, is not among the most outstanding. Overall, it's fairly balanced, although we wouldn't recommend cranking up the volume to levels higher than 2/4 of the scale. However, if we have a home theatre system, there is a range of codecs available, and we can enjoy the presence of the most important ones, namely DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby Atmos.

The sound on the TCL C655 PRO television is quite good, thanks to the 2x15W audio system supported by a 20W subwoofer branded by Onkyo. This results in fuller sound and deeper bass, which positively impacts the overall audio quality. However, one should not become overly enthusiastic – the television cannot replace a dedicated soundbar, especially for more demanding users expecting cinema-quality audio.

Samsung QLED Q70D / Q74D / Q77D vs TCL C655 Pro

Advantages

Disadvantages

Our verdict

TV appearance

Where to buy

Contrast and black detail

HDR effect quality

Factory color reproduction

Color reproduction after calibration

Smoothness of tonal transitions

Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions

Blur and motion smoothness

Console compatibility and gaming features

Input lag

Compatibility with PC

Viewing angles

TV efficiency during daytime

Details about the matrix

TV features

Playing files from USB

Apps

Sound