Compare: TCL MQLED85 / C765 vs Samsung QLED Q70D / Q74D / Q77D

TCL MQLED85, or model C765, is a television that can truly surprise, especially in this price range. It is one of the cheapest models featuring mini-LED technology, which is immediately evident in the picture quality. The blacks are deep, and the brightness is sufficient even in a brightly lit room. Thanks to the large number of dimming zones, watching movies in the evening is a pleasure – the blacks are really deep, and the picture in dark scenes looks clear. However, it's not perfect – in some scenes, you may notice minor issues with small bright elements, but this is really a minor detail compared to what this model offers. Google TV performs excellently here – there are plenty of apps, and using the system is simply convenient. Voice control in Polish works flawlessly, which can be particularly useful if you don't want to type movie titles using the remote. Of course, there are minor shortcomings, such as the lack of recording capabilities, but these are not things that interfere with daily use. For gamers, it is also a fantastic option. Support for HDMI 2.1, VRR and low input lag means the television handles consoles well and competes effortlessly with more expensive models from Korean or Japanese manufacturers. At this price, it's hard to find something better when it comes to smooth and responsive gameplay. During testing, we encountered a few minor software issues, but it's hard to say whether that's a serious downside. We hope that TCL will release updates, so there’s a chance this issue will be resolved quickly. TCL MQLED85/C765 is an excellent choice if we are looking for a television with good picture quality and modern features at a reasonable price. It is a model that combines affordable mini-LED technology with a convenient Google TV system, and it’s also great for gaming. Minor software shortcomings are something you can live with, especially considering what this television offers in its class.

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 MQLED85/C765 stands out due to its use of a VA panel and Mini LED backlighting, which makes a huge difference compared to traditional backlighting systems. Mini LED, with its significantly smaller diodes, allows for more precise control of the screen's backlighting, resulting in much better contrast and deeper blacks. The model with a 55-inch diagonal that we are testing has an impressive number of over 700 local dimming zones, providing exceptional precision in image display. It's worth noting, however, that the number of backlighting zones may vary depending on the screen size – for larger diagonals, the number of zones naturally increases due to the larger screen area, allowing larger sizes to achieve better results in terms of contrast and black levels. Thanks to the enormous number of zones, the TCL MQLED85/C765 achieved results comparable to OLED screens on our first test pattern from the movie "Oblivion," offering nearly reference-level contrast. But what happens when we test this model in even more demanding conditions? How will the TV perform in tougher scenarios? Overall, the TCL MQLED85/C765 performs very well with black levels, but in some cases, the local dimming algorithm is not perfect. On dark backgrounds, smaller bright elements can lose clarity and brightness, as confirmed by our latest pattern from the Pioneer Kuro test disc. Despite some imperfections in the local dimming algorithm, and thus a slight occurrence of the HALO effect (which is a bright halo around bright objects on a dark background caused by deficiencies in the screen's local dimming), the results achieved by the TCL MQLED85/C765 are impressive, especially considering its price. This TV offers contrast and black depth that can compete with models that are even twice as expensive.

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 television TCL MQLED85/C765 performs well in handling HDR. In the tested movie scenes, where the screen is at 100% brightness, the model achieves impressive results around 1000 nits, providing intense and realistic rendering of HDR content. However, similar to contrast, the dimming algorithm may show some limitations. Despite a large number of Mini LED zones, the television does not always manage to "wow" the user with brightness in very challenging test scenes. For instance, in the scene from the film "Life of Pi," where a bright moon appears against a dark background, and in another scene from "Sicario 2," where a very bright light effect is visible against a dark background, the television did not reach maximum intensity. For users expecting a perfect HDR effect in such extreme cases, the TCL MQLED may come up a bit short. However, in terms of colours, the television stands out with a very high coverage of the DCI P3 colour gamut at 95%, which is an impressive result comparable to much more expensive models. TCL MQLED85 / C765 offers support for various HDR formats, including Dolby Vision and HDR10+, which is crucial for cinema image fans. Although this model achieves brightness over 1000 nits, the TCL MQLED85 may struggle to reflect details in very high-contrast scenes. For better HDR quality control, the C765 is equipped with dynamic tone mapping, making the image more realistic and natural depending on the content.

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.

The television TCL MQLED85/C765 was tested in movie mode, which, while seeming to be the best setting from the manufacturer, is not without its flaws. The colour reproduction in HD/SDR mode MQLED85 shows certain shortcomings. In the analysis of white balance, there is a significant lack of blue colour, which can affect the overall image quality, particularly in bright scenes where blue shades are crucial for natural representation. The overall image may then appear too warm. As for gamma contrast, the graph shows that there is a large jump above the reference line of level 2.4 at the beginning, which may suggest significant dimming of brightness in darker areas, leading to loss of detail in blacks. Then for most of the time, the values are below this line, which can lead to loss of detail in the brighter parts of the image. Such a distribution may negatively impact the perceived image quality, especially when watching regular TV in HD quality.

In the case of the 4K HDR image quality of the TCL MQLED85/C765 television, there is a noticeable excess of red colour in the analysis of white balance. This excess can significantly impact the viewer's experience, leading to several notable effects. First and foremost, an excessive amount of red can make other colours, such as green or blue, appear muted or unnatural. This distortion of colour balance can result in an overall impression of "oversaturation," which detracts from the image's naturalness and authenticity. In terms of contrast, the EOTF (Electro-Optical Transfer Function) graph indicates that most values are above the reference line, suggesting an intense boost in brightness in the bright areas of the image. However, the exception is the start of the graph, where the EOTF line is below the reference, which may lead to excessive dimming of small light elements.

Users should be aware that despite using the best mode, which is movie mode, the television is not free from flaws in the context of image settings, so it is worth considering adjusting the settings to achieve better results.

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.

After professional calibration of the television TCL MQLED85/C765, its colour properties in film mode have significantly improved, resulting in much more satisfying visual experiences. Both in SDR and HDR modes, the white balance shows no serious errors, and the graph appears to be much better harmonised. Users can now enjoy natural colour reproduction, which is crucial for achieving an authentic experience while watching films. It is worth noting that in HDR content, there may be minor colour reproduction errors at the end of the graph, but these are significantly smaller than before calibration. As a result, characters and landscapes become more realistic, enhancing the depth of immersion in the story.

Regarding contrast, the gamma curve, responsible for HD quality, has been completely free of drops below the reference line, which means better visibility of details in dark scenes. However, there is still a slight boost at the beginning of the graph, which may affect the perception of bright elements. For HDR content, the EOTF curve also shows fewer errors, although some issues with reproducing mid-tones may still be noticeable. The EOTF curve measured on real film scenes still shows a significant brightness boost, so the image may appear more intense but artificially brightened. This is a typical problem for TCL brand televisions, which may appeal to untrained viewers but can frustrate those more familiar with an ideal image.

What benefits does professional calibration bring to film enthusiasts? Thanks to it, viewing becomes even more realistic and immersive, allowing every scene to be experienced fully, preserving details and natural colours.

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.

The fluidity of tonal transitions in the TCL MQLED85/C765 television is decent, although noticeable issues arise in both bright and dark test scenes. Particularly evident are the colour joins in the scene from the film "The Green Knight", where the red colour of the water transitions to black. Despite these imperfections, the overall gradient quality is acceptable and does not overly detract from the visual experience. The television handles most scenes well, offering satisfactory tonal transitions, contributing to an overall satisfying visual experience that won't spoil our cinematic enjoyment.

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.

We will now take another look at the tonal transitions on the TCL MQLED85/C765 TV, but in the context of lower image quality. Despite the presence of the "Gradual Smoothing" option, when set to "low", the effects are practically invisible, disappointing users who expect an improvement in image quality. On the other hand, the "high" setting yields minimal results, and worse still, it can blur important details, negatively impacting the sharpness and clarity of the displayed image. However, in the context of image scaling, the TV successfully displayed the image without overscan, meaning we do not lose any part of the view. The image looks quite decent, and details such as tree branches or the outlines of models do not show significant jaggedness, which positively affects the visual quality.

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 MQLED85/C765 is equipped with a standard refresh rate panel of 120 Hz, with the possibility of increasing it to 144 Hz when connected to a powerful computer. The television also offers a multi-level motion smoother, which is mainly aimed at users wanting to improve the fluidity of motion in films. It allows for adjusting the intensity of the effect on a scale from 0 to 10, enabling precise tailoring of the image smoothness to individual preferences. The response time of the panel is decent, but not perfect. We can observe motion blur occurring behind both dark and medium objects.

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 MQLED85/C765 has achieved an impressive rating in the gaming features category, making it an excellent choice for gaming enthusiasts. The television supports all the latest technologies that significantly enhance the gaming experience. Among the key gaming features is ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), allowing the TV to automatically switch to low latency mode, minimising response time and ensuring smooth gameplay. VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) supported from 48 to 144 Hz eliminates stuttering and screen tearing in dynamic game scenes. Additionally, the TV supports the Dolby Vision Game Mode, which provides better image quality in games with exceptional depth of colour and contrast. TCL MQLED85/C765 also features a decent but not the best implementation of HGiG (HDR Gaming Interest Group), optimising the display of HDR games, however, in the case of TCL, it causes bright details to wash out, resulting in some elements merging into a white blob - more on this can be read in the colour reproduction section. It supports various resolutions such as 1080p@120Hz, 1440p@120Hz, and 4K@120Hz, allowing gamers to enjoy higher image quality and better fluidity. The Game Bar feature allows for easy switching between game settings and quick control of parameters, which significantly simplifies adjusting the TV to individual needs. With support for G-Sync and FreeSync technologies, users of NVIDIA and AMD graphics cards will be pleased with the refresh rate synchronisation capabilities, eliminating tearing and stuttering issues, ensuring smoother and more immersive gameplay.

MQLED85/C765 is a television that combines advanced technologies and excellent support for gamers, making it the ideal choice for those looking to maximise their gaming experiences.

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.

Latency in the TCL MQLED85 television reaches impressively low levels under any conditions. Even the most demanding gamers will surely appreciate the minimal input lag of just 8 ms at 4K 120 Hz settings with HDR. Moreover, the latency remains at the same level even when Dolby Vision HDR is enabled, which is not the case with many competing models.

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.

TCL MQLED85 works well as a computer monitor. Thanks to its support for chroma 4:4:4, the text on the screen is sharp and readable, which is essential for people working with text documents or spreadsheets. One of the biggest advantages of this model is its exceptionally low input lag in "PC" mode, which is just 8 ms. This is a reference-level result that ensures smoothness and responsiveness, crucial for both gamers and those involved in video editing. However, it's worth noting that there is a slight issue related to font display on dark backgrounds. Upon zooming in on the tested font picture, it can be seen that horizontal lines are darker compared to vertical ones. This means that the sub-pixels in the TV may not fully illuminate in such cases, which can affect the quality of displayed text. Nonetheless, the overall performance of TCL MQLED85 as a computer monitor is very good and will certainly meet the expectations of many users.

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.

The viewing angles on the TCL MQLED85 television are not its strong suit. The use of a VA panel causes the image to lose a significant amount of brightness when viewed at an angle. Changing the viewer's position, especially in a larger group setting, can make colours appear less saturated, and contrast may be less distinct. For this reason, it's recommended to sit directly in front of the screen to fully enjoy the picture quality. Although the television offers excellent colour reproduction from a direct view, the loss of brightness and detail at an angle can be problematic for those who plan to use the television in a larger room or from various locations.

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.

MQLED85 performs reasonably well in daylight conditions, and it's worth noting the satin finish of the panel. While it doesn't excel at reducing reflections, it offers decent performance in various lighting conditions. An average brightness level above 600 nits is an impressive result, allowing for comfortable viewing even in well-lit rooms. As a result, the television performs well both during the day and during evening movie screenings, providing satisfactory picture quality.

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 MQLED85 TV offers many features that enhance user comfort, with the central point of its functionality being the Google TV system. This modern interface allows for easy content browsing, as well as access to apps available in the Google Play store. Users can take advantage of voice search in Polish, which greatly simplifies navigation and allows for quick finding of interesting shows, movies, or apps. It's also worth noting that Google TV is currently the only system on the market that does not restrict Polish users' access to apps, offering the greatest availability among all available platforms. However, in the context of traditional TV watching, this television has its limitations. It does not offer a recording function, which may be a significant downside for those who would like to save their favorite programs. Additionally, the lack of Picture-in-Picture (PIP) option limits the ability to simultaneously track multiple video sources. On the other hand, the TV features a "MultiVision" function, which allows for screen splitting between the TV and a mobile device. This way, users can use apps on their phone while still watching a TV program. This solution will certainly appeal to those who enjoy multitasking and want to watch TV while also engaging with social media or browsing the internet on their smartphone. Despite some limitations, the TCL MQLED85 TV presents itself as a solid option for users who value modernity and functionality.

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.

Thanks to the built-in player, the television is able to play most file formats found on external storage, making it a versatile tool for consuming multimedia. However, there may be some limitations in supporting certain formats, which can be bothersome 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. This gives users the ability to choose applications that best meet their needs, significantly increasing the functionality of the television.

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.

The sound of the television TCL MQLED85 can be described as decent, making it sufficient for everyday watching of movies, TV shows, and gaming. The speakers branded with Onkyo offer surprisingly good audio quality, and the sound does not crackle or distort even at higher volume levels.

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.

TCL MQLED85 / C765 vs Samsung QLED Q70D / Q74D / Q77D

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