Samsung The Frame LS03D vs Panasonic W70A

Samsung The Frame LS03D really does well with brightness. Results at the level of 700 nits make bright elements on the screen look impressive and detailed, whether they illuminate the entire screen or appear as tiny points of light on a dark background. In more demanding scenes, like the fourth sequence from the film Sicario 2, the blacks perform moderately, but we have already discussed this in the section on contrast. However, when it comes to brightness – this television definitely holds its own. An additional advantage is the quantum dot coating, which is QLED technology. Thanks to this, the coverage of the colour palette has been improved, although The Frame does not stand out in this regard compared to the competition.

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.

Samsung offers several picture modes in its televisions, but without a doubt, Filmmaker Mode is the one that should provide the most natural representation of content. Unfortunately, as often happens with mass production, the differences between individual units can be quite significant, and our tested model did not escape a few issues.

In the case of SDR content, the white balance leaned heavily towards red, with a slight boost in blue. This effect was particularly noticeable in comparison photos – for example, in a photograph of a boy whose face was unnaturally flushed. The gamma, or brightness characteristic, also did not perform perfectly – the image was slightly brightened, which robbed it of depth.

In 4K HDR content, the white balance was once again dominated by red, this time combined with green. Meanwhile, blue clearly lost intensity, which could easily be seen on the Color Checker palette, where the colours began to "escape" in the wrong direction. The EOTF curve, responsible for brightness in HDR content, showed that the television tended to overly brighten the image, particularly in the darkest elements of scenes.

Overall, while it did not look terrible, it definitely required correction. Fortunately, Samsung offers extensive calibration options, which provides a chance for a significant improvement in picture quality. Therefore, we proceeded with professional calibration to unlock the full potential of this television.

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.

After professional calibration, the Filmmaker Mode showcases its full potential. The white balance in HD content is exemplary – errors at the level of 0.5 indicate almost perfect accuracy in colour reproduction. The image now appears natural, and the colours are exactly as they should be. In 4K HDR content, the effect is not quite as perfect, but it still maintains a really high standard. The colours are vibrant, well-saturated, and the overall image quality is impressive.

So where does the problem lie, given our praise for the colour reproduction? Unfortunately, the entire experience is disrupted by the brightness characteristics. The gamma in HD content looks decent, but in 4K HDR, it’s not as good. The EOTF curve shows that the television excessively brightens certain parts of the image, which is a result of design limitations. The lack of local dimming means that the television is unable to accurately control the differences between the brightest and darkest areas of the screen. This is a barrier that simply cannot be overcome in this model.

Nonetheless, after calibration, Samsung The Frame LS03D offers excellent colour reproduction, particularly in HD content, and the overall look is significantly better than before the settings were adjusted.

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.

It's time to check how Samsung The Frame LS03D copes with older, lower-quality materials. We already know that the smoothness of tonal transitions is at a very high level, so we were curious to see how the TV would handle smoothing them out.

The noise reduction feature in the “Standard” setting does its job well – tonal transitions are noticeably smoothed out, and the image doesn’t lose too much detail. However, it’s worth noting that this effect also smooths out film grain, so its usage will be a matter of individual preference.

When it comes to image scaling, the TV performed really well too. The tested image came out solid – the model was accurately represented, with clear details. The branches in the background, although slightly frayed in places, generally look natural and do not stand out as a flaw.

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.

To start off, it’s worth noting that the model we tested in the 55-inch size, along with the 65, 75, and 85-inch versions, is equipped with a 120 Hz panel. Unfortunately, the 43 and 50-inch variants of this series only offer 60 Hz panels, which is worth considering when making a purchase. In terms of improving motion fluidity, the TV offers a feature called “Image Clarity.” This is a classic motion smoother that gives users the ability to adjust using two sliders:

Blur Reduction – this controls image sharpening during dynamic scenes. The higher the value, the less blurring occurs during fast camera moves or moving objects. However, setting it too aggressively can make the image look unnatural and resemble a “soap opera.”

Judder Reduction – this slider affects the smoothness of frame playback, especially in materials with lower frame rates, such as movies (24 fps). Higher settings can smooth out motion but can also lead to excessive “plasticity” of the image.

Both sliders operate on a scale from 0 to 10, allowing for precise adjustment of the effect to personal preferences. It’s a good idea to experiment with the settings to find the perfect balance between fluidity and a natural look for the image. We recommend setting them as shown in the picture.

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.

The Frame LS03D in the 2024 version is equipped with four HDMI ports, but only one supports the 2.1 standard with a bandwidth of 40 Gb/s. This is important information if we plan to connect more than one device that requires a 4K@120 Hz signal – for example, two consoles or a console and a gaming PC.

In terms of features for gamers, The Frame truly has a lot to boast about. We have ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) and HGiG. It’s worth mentioning that HGiG has been very well implemented here, which is particularly important as the television does not support Dolby Vision in games (which is only available on Xbox consoles). In this case, HGiG turns out to be a better standard for gaming.

Samsung hasn't forgotten about features that enhance the gaming experience. Game Bar is an expanded panel for gamers that allows quick adjustment of screen settings without having to dig through the television menu. We can even change the aspect ratio from 16:9 to the panoramic 21:9, which can be a significant advantage for some gamers.

However, Samsung's biggest ace up its sleeve is the Game Motion Plus feature. This is a special smoother dedicated to games that adds additional frames of animation without significantly affecting input lag. The effect is really noticeable – the image seems much smoother, which will be particularly appreciated by fans of dynamic titles.

In summary – Samsung The Frame LS03D is a television that offers a solid set of features for gamers. Although the limitation to one HDMI 2.1 port may be a downside, the rest of the solutions make gaming on this television a truly enjoyable experience.

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.