Samsung QLED Q80D vs TCL C6KS / C69KS / Q6CS

In the context of HDR, the Samsung Q80D television, as expected, achieves very positive brightness results in the tested movie scenes, where the frame is filled with light, reaching values from 600 to 900 nits, allowing for a great juiciness of the image. Such results enable the user to feel the difference between HDR and SDR quality. Unfortunately, problems arise in situations where small light effects occur against a dark background. In such cases (e.g., the 4th test screen from the film Sicario 2), a noticeable drop in brightness is observed, which is caused by the large size of the dimming zones used here. This limitation, combined with the dimming algorithm, affects how the television handles small bright elements on a dark background. At that point, we may experience an undesired lack of brightness, and the HDR effect resembles that of SDR.

And what about HDR? Here the C6KS performs quite well and – as is becoming the theme of this review – just like in the C6K model. The maximum brightness generated by this television is around 600 nits. In bright scenes, this translates to a really solid, cinematic effect and generally, video materials look good here. However, it's important to keep in mind the specifics of the dimming algorithm in this model. When very small, bright points (e.g. stars) appear on a dark background, the television can quite significantly dim them. The goal is simple: to eliminate blooming and maintain the best possible black. It's a reasonable compromise. Most viewers will definitely appreciate deep, “true black” more than additional microscopic details, the display of which could cause the screen to appear greyed out. Such is the nature of local dimming technology in this price range, and one must be aware of this. It’s also worth noting that the TCL C69KS (C6KS) has an additional PFS coating, which is marketed under the QLED technology slogan. Thanks to this, the colours are saturated and vibrant – our measurements showed that the coverage of a wide colour gamut reaches as much as 92%.

In "Filmmaker" mode, which is the best choice right out of the box, the Samsung Q80D television shows solid colour reproduction. For SDR content, a noticeable drop at the start of the gamma curve suggests that details in dark scenes may be less clear, affecting the overall viewing experience. Regarding white balance in SDR content, while generally correct, significant drops in blue at screen coverage above 70% can result in less natural shades in both bright and dark scenes. Users may notice that some blue elements in the image may appear less vibrant, and the overall colour will have a warmer hue.

In HDR content, the EOTF curve being above the reference line for most of the time indicates that the television may struggle to accurately reproduce brightness and details in the brighter parts of the image, which can be detrimental for the viewer. It is also worth noting the significant drop at the start of this chart, indicating that the television has difficulty reproducing brightness in the darker parts of the image, as seen in the contrast and black test, where several scenes were unable to show the full capabilities of the television’s brightness. In terms of its white balance, the initially good performance on the graph is promising, but the steep decline in red, coupled with a significant increase in blue, can lead to inaccuracies in reproducing some skin tones and other key colours. This phenomenon may be noticeable to viewers in scenes where colour details are crucial.

In contrast to the more expensive C6K model, in the tested C6KS we don't find an option in the menu labelled as Filmmaker Mode. Is this a reason to cry? Absolutely not. Our tests showed that in practice, in terms of colour reproduction, the lack of this specific label makes virtually no difference. The best available Film/Cinema mode here offers an almost identical picture profile to the aforementioned Filmmaker in the more expensive model. So we get a very similar image, just under a different name. Therefore, if you were wondering whether paying extra for the C6K would give you better colours – the answer is: no, in both cases the base is the same and requires slight adjustments.

The movie mode after calibration looks significantly better than the one you see right out of the box. Samsung offers an advanced range of calibration tools in its televisions. Among them are 2- and 20-point greyscale adjustment and CMS (Color Management System). Both in HDR and SDR mode, white balance has improved significantly, although there are slight errors at the end of the graph for HDR content. Contrast has also been greatly improved, and the gamma curve responsible for SDR shows better results. However, when it comes to HDR, the EOTF curve on the television appears to be at an ideal level at first glance. However, when we dig a bit deeper and enable the EOTF graph while watching films, we may notice that all the lines of the curve are above the reference line. You could even say that the television is "cheating" when playing film material. Such a situation, where the EOTF curve is above the reference line, causes the screen – although it may appear brighter, which some users might find appealing – to lose detail in the darker parts of the image. In practice, this means that in scenes with a lot of shadows or dark elements, the television is unable to accurately render the details that should be visible.

Thanks to the white balance adjustment, the C69KS's tendency to distort colours has been effectively limited, leading to a very good final effect. After calibration, we will no longer see excessive warmth in SDR scenes or overly cool tones in HDR. However, it is worth noting the brightness characteristic. In SDR content, there are hardly any objections – the image looks very good, especially in older films, TV shows, or YouTube materials. Evaluating the television's performance in HDR is much more difficult. Analysis of the EOTF curve suggests correct behaviour, but its practical variant shows certain limitations. The C69KS can overly brighten the smallest elements of the frame, while at other times it can dim the entire scene. Calibration has therefore brought clear benefits in terms of colour, but certain limitations resulting from local dimming and the way it is controlled by the C69KS cannot be avoided, which we also observed in the C6K test.

Samsung Q80D performs very well with low-quality materials. The noise reduction works on the principle of gentle gradation, making it very effective in smoothing out unwanted image disturbances. Unfortunately, this same effectiveness also causes it to blur elements that shouldn't be smoothed, such as film grain. For those who prioritise a plastic, smooth image, this can be seen as a significant advantage, especially with lower-quality content.

In terms of image scaling, Samsung Q80D stands out positively in this aspect, significantly enhancing the viewing comfort. The TV handles the conversion of lower-resolution materials, improving their quality and details. For example, in the attached image featuring a model, there are no visible artefacts or excessive fraying of branches, which demonstrates advanced image processing technology.

The C69KS handles upscaling quite well. The tested 576p content looks surprisingly decent – a considerable amount of detail is preserved, and the algorithm adds a subtle ‘rounding’ effect to sharp edges, making the image appear more cohesive. However, it doesn't perform as well when it comes to smoothing tonal transitions. The television practically cannot improve them, leaving the image in a rather raw state. With older materials, this can be simply exhausting, as the lack of additional processing highlights all imperfections.

The Samsung Q80D television stands out very positively in terms of motion fluidity and minimizing blur, mainly due to the 120Hz panel and above-average panel response time. Users have two options for adjusting fluidity: "Motion Smoothing," which allows for adjustments in a 10-step scale, and "Blur Reduction," particularly effective at higher refresh rates, improving the sharpness of fast-moving objects. In the UFO test, there is no blurring behind the moving object, and the image is not cloned forward, indicating the absence of an overshoot effect.

C69KS offers a simplified motion enhancement panel in movies, allowing users to adjust the intensity of the effect using a slider. This makes it easy to tailor the smoothness to personal preferences. It also deserves credit for the ability to utilise higher refresh rates – even though the panel operates natively in 4K at 60 Hz, by lowering the resolution to 1440p, modes of 120 and 144 Hz can be enabled, on both consoles and PC. This sounds like great news, however, in practice, the image at these settings trails exceptionally badly. The effect is so pronounced that the overall experience simply appears mediocre and loses its appeal in everyday use.

The Samsung Q80D TV is a real gem for gamers. It is equipped with four HDMI 2.1 ports, which is a rarity, especially in this price range. This allows users to enjoy features such as ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), and 120Hz at 4K resolution. These features ensure smoothness and responsiveness of the image, which is a key aspect during dynamic gameplay. The TV also supports HGIG (HDR Gaming Interest Group), enabling optimal HDR content display in games. Additionally, it comes with a Game Bar, providing quick access to gaming settings. Users with Nvidia graphics cards will also be pleased with the implementation of G-Sync. This feature eliminates stuttering and screen tearing. The only downside is the lack of support for Dolby Vision, which may be disappointing for users looking for that HDR format. It's also worth mentioning that since 2022, thanks to the collaboration with Microsoft, Samsung TVs offer the Xbox Game Pass app, allowing for cloud gaming. This is an added bonus for gamers who want to take advantage of a wide library of games without needing a console.

If we overlook the smudging and lack of native 4K at 120 Hz, the C69KS is impressive in how well it performs for gaming. You get everything you would expect from a gaming TV: Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), Dolby Vision Gaming mode, and a consistently functioning HGiG. The TV can also operate at 120 or even 144 Hz at lower resolutions, making gameplay on console or PC smoother. Additionally, there's a clear Game Bar that allows you to quickly check key settings while gaming. As a result — despite a few limitations — the C69KS can be a genuinely successful screen for gamers.