Samsung QLED Q70D / Q74D / Q77D vs TCL C75B

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.

During our brightness test, the TCL C75B "spat out" around 380 nits of brightness. We recorded similar results while watching most of the films we tested. These can be considered average – the TV performs decently in this segment, but around 400 nits is definitely too low to fully experience the magic of HDR effects. Of course, such results are better than those of budget models, which can achieve nearly half the brightness values. However, for HDR enthusiasts seeking stronger lighting effects and greater realism, the C75B may prove insufficient. On the plus side, it's worth mentioning the coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut at 95%. This is a very good result that easily suffices to enjoy a wide range of colours in content available on popular streaming platforms. Vivid and rich colours are definitely a strong point of this model.

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.

TCL C75B offers various picture modes, but in our opinion, the best choice is the “Film” mode. Although its settings are quite decent, the TV struggles with certain colour reproduction issues. In tests, we noticed that the image had a noticeably pinkish hue compared to what could be considered correct. This effect was particularly evident in skin tones, which appeared unnaturally flushed. The main culprit of this phenomenon turned out to be the white balance, characterised by an excess of blue and red in both HD and 4K HDR materials.

An additional problem was the way brightness was reproduced. The gamma, which is responsible for the visibility of details in darker materials, was definitely boosted, causing details in the darkest parts of the screen to be invisible, disappearing into complete black (e.g., the bottom part of the screen in the comparison image - the area around the actress's ear). The situation was similar on the EOTF curve, which was below the correct value, suggesting that a similar issue may be encountered in 4K HDR content.

Thanks to our experience and the appropriate tools, we decided to take matters into our own hands and check how much could be extracted from this model after professional calibration. The details are described in the next section.

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 calibration, TCL C75B has clearly improved when it comes to colour reproduction. Although the TV doesn't offer too many options for adjusting the white balance, we managed to improve its settings quite a bit. As a result, the image is no longer overly pink, and the colours now look much more natural and harmonious.

The gamma jump that was previously an issue hasn't completely disappeared, but we were able to significantly reduce it. This has made details in dark scenes more visible – both in HD and 4K HDR content.

Unfortunately, the lack of local dimming is still noticeable. The 'blooming black' effect remains, but that's a limitation of the display itself. Still, the colours post-calibration look significantly better, and the image is much more pleasant to watch.

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.

TCL C75B has a feature for smoothing tonal transitions, but unfortunately, we cannot praise it. Regardless of the selected level – low or high – tonal transitions in older materials remained visible, as if the feature wasn’t working at all. It’s hard to say anything positive about it, as in practice it seems completely useless.

Image scaling is better. The TV handles it quite decently, although on thinner elements, like branches in the background, you can see slight jaggedness. However, this is not something that significantly hinders everyday viewing.

Unfortunately, a bigger problem turned out to be overscan, or cropping of the image edges. In our tests, it happened that news ticker or other elements close to the edge of the screen were cut off. This is definitely something to pay attention to, especially if we use the TV for watching news programs or content with text on the screen.

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.

TCL C75B definitely has something to offer gamers. The television is equipped with a panel that can display images with a refresh rate of 144 Hz in 4K, and even 240 Hz in Full HD. These are really impressive results, especially for a model from the budget range.

On top of that, there are features for improving smoothness and reducing motion blur in films. The "Motion" option allows for precise adjustment of the effect on a 10-point scale, providing significant personalisation possibilities – everyone can set the smoothness to their liking.

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.

TCL C75B is undoubtedly a television designed with gamers in mind. It has almost everything needed for even the most demanding console users. With the implementation of full bandwidth HDMI 2.1, the TV supports features like ALLM (automatic low latency mode) and VRR (variable refresh rate) – operating within the full capabilities of the TV, up to 240 Hz in Full HD resolution.

Additionally, the television supports advanced HDR technologies, including Dolby Vision and HGiG, which allows for even better detailing in HDR-optimised games. C75B is also equipped with a very convenient interface for gamers in the form of Game Bar, where you can check all key parameters such as refresh rate, input lag, or picture settings – all just a click away.

In one sentence: C75B is a great choice for gamers, offering a wide range of features that fully enable enjoyment of the capabilities of modern consoles and games.