TCL P755 vs Samsung QN900D Neo QLED 8K

TCL P755 provides average HDR effect quality. The maximum brightness of the TV is slightly below 300 nits. Such brightness limits the intensity of bright areas in HDR content. In practice, this means that bright elements may not be sufficiently pronounced, affecting the overall impression of contrast. However, the TV offers wide coverage of the DCI P3 colour gamut, reaching about 93%. As a result, colours are vibrant and saturated, significantly improving colour reproduction quality in HDR content. Despite the limited brightness, the wide colour range allows for richer and more realistic shades.

The Samsung QN900D easily showcases its high capabilities in light production during synthetic tests – 1400 nits is truly an impressive result. It also demonstrated these capabilities in the first scene of the movie "Life of Pi," where we see a brilliant burst of the rising sun. However, due to issues with the dimming algorithm, some problems can be observed here. In the test scenes from "Sicario 2" and the second scene from "Life of Pi," these values are not as high, averaging around 500-600 nits. While this may not be the worst result among Mini LED TVs, more could be expected given the price of the television. Nevertheless, the television deserves praise for covering a wide colour gamut of DCP P3 at 96%. Although there are technologies offering higher values, this result is still satisfactory.

The colour reproduction in the P755 in "Cinema" mode, although it is the best factory setting, leaves much to be desired. The biggest issue is the white balance, where the chart clearly shows a spike in the red colour and a drop in the green colour. This leads to a shift in colours towards red, causing the colours on the screen to appear less natural and may look incorrect, especially in scenes with a white or neutral background. This is confirmed by the "Colour Checker" test, which reveals that the colours are indeed shifted towards red, affecting the realism of the image and reducing the perception of colour depth. In terms of contrast, the gamma chart analysis shows significant fluctuations, particularly in the dark areas of the image, where values drop below the optimal level of 2.4. As a result, darker areas may be displayed brighter than they should be. Additionally, the EOTF curve, responsible for brightness reproduction, sits slightly above the reference curve. The graph shows a slight increase in brightness to about 50%, after which there is only a minor drop. This leads to excessive brightness enhancement in the mid-range of the image and may result in loss of detail and distortion in brighter scenes.

The QN900D television offers a Filmmaker mode that is designed to watch movies in the most natural way possible; however, this mode is not without its flaws. For HD content, the white balance shows a dominance of red and blue, which causes the image to shift towards pink hues. In contrast, for 4K HDR content, the situation is reversed – the reduction of blue and red levels results in warmer scenes and a shift towards yellow tones. This is confirmed by Color Checker tests, which clearly show that the colour samples veer in that direction.

When it comes to brightness and the associated contrast, the gamma is significantly distorted. The biggest issue is a noticeable jump at the beginning of the curve, indicating that dark details are overly brightened, causing the image to lose depth in the darkest areas - this is due to local dimming. For 4K HDR materials, the EOTF curve looks quite good, but it remains below the reference level, impacting the overall dynamics of the image.

After calibration, the colour reproduction on the television significantly improves when it comes to SDR content. The colour curves are now close to the ideal value, and the gamma is more stable. Although the dip at the beginning of the graph to the values is still present, the overall accuracy of colour reproduction is much better. The “Colour Checker” test shows that most colour samples have errors below level 2, indicating improved colour fidelity. A few deviations are present, but generally, the colours are now more realistic and consistent with reality.

Calibration also brings improvements in HDR content. The white balance has been corrected, translating to more natural colour reproduction. The EOTF curve, although now closer to the reference curve, still shows a slight boost in brightness at the beginning of the graph. This leads to minor distortions in very bright scenes, but the overall tonality and detail have been enhanced. Dynamic tone mapping works more effectively, improving image quality in bright areas and preserving more details.

Although the image from the device does not achieve full perfection, calibration brings significant improvement. After adjusting the settings, the television performs much better, offering more realistic and accurate colour reproduction in SDR and HDR content. While some shortcomings can still be noticed, calibration effectively eliminates many previous issues, ensuring better image quality and more natural colours.

After calibration, the Filmmaker mode can truly be called worthy of its name. The white balance for both HD and 4K HDR content has significantly improved, resulting in colours that are more natural and consistent. The image has gained in realism, with pink hues in HD content effectively eliminated, as well as the yellow haze in 4K HDR content. Thanks to the calibration, the television now offers much better colour reproduction, positively impacting the viewing experience.

When it comes to brightness, the situation with gamma is now the opposite – a clear drop is visible at the beginning of the graph, making the darkest details harder to discern. The EOTF curve for 4K HDR content has remained largely unchanged and is still below the reference level, indicating that the television still struggles to maintain adequate brightness. This is related to the aggressive dimming algorithm that affects the overall brightness of the image. You can see how the television fights to maintain high brightness or perfect black.

Despite the limitations associated with local dimming, the Samsung QN900D has improved in colour reproduction quality, as confirmed by the Color Checker test results – the colour samples are now much closer to the references, making the image more natural and pleasant to the eye.

The “Gradual Smoothing” function works quite well, effectively eliminating visible boundaries between different shades of the same colour. Thanks to it, tonal transitions are smoother. Unfortunately, this function is not available in HDR mode, which can affect the quality of tonal gradation in higher dynamic range materials.

In the case of image scaling, the television does not perform its best. There are noticeable edge cut-offs, particularly evident on the model's figure and the branches of trees. The blurring of details in these areas affects the overall sharpness of the image. This may be noticeable when watching content in a lower resolution. Additionally, SD quality image is displayed with slight cropping at the top as well as the bottom.

The fluidity of tonal transitions in lower-quality materials looks fantastic – the Noise Reduction feature very effectively smooths out tonal transitions while getting rid of film grain. Although the removal of grain isn't always desirable, the overall final effect is very aesthetically pleasing, especially for those who prefer a cleaner image.

When it comes to upscaling, or image scaling, QN900D shows the tremendous capabilities of the new processor with AI technology. Photos and materials in lower resolution are scaled while retaining many details – for example, a photo with a model looks amazing, free of unnecessary jagged edges, and the branches in the background are not overly serrated.

The television offers decent, though not perfect, results in terms of motion smoothness. In the case of movies, the television has a "Flicker Reduction" feature that allows for adjustment of motion smoothness on a scale from 1 to 10. With this option, we can tailor the image appearance to cinema or more theatrical preferences (with lower or higher speed).

Samsung QN900D is currently the fastest television in the world – literally. A refresh rate of 240 Hz in 4K resolution is an amazing value that PC gamers will surely appreciate. As for movie fans, they won't be disappointed either – Samsung offers a 10-level scale in the picture clarity settings, allowing users to adjust the image. We can choose whether the television should provide a smoother, theatrical effect at the highest settings, or a more cinematic one, with a visible frame, at the lowest settings.

The device offers a range of features useful for gamers, such as ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), Dolby Vision for gamers, and Game Bar. ALLM automatically switches the TV to low latency mode, significantly improving responsiveness to commands from the controller and minimising input lag. VRR synchronises the screen refresh rate with the number of frames generated by the console, eliminating the tearing effect and providing smoother gameplay. Dolby Vision for gamers enhances picture quality by offering better colour and contrast reproduction in games that support this format. The Game Bar feature allows quick access to game settings and monitoring of key parameters such as response time.

However, the TV has some limitations. The 60 Hz panel prevents the display of signals with higher refresh rates at different resolutions, which may affect the fluidity of the image in dynamic games. Additionally, the lack of support for G-Sync technology for PC may impact the quality of gameplay on a computer. It is also worth noting that the HGiG mode, which aims to improve image quality in HDR games, does not work correctly on this model, negatively affecting the visual experience in HDR-supported games.

Samsung QN900D is a television that offers excellent compatibility with consoles and a range of features that gamers will appreciate. It has 4 HDMI 2.1 ports, although unfortunately without the full bandwidth of 48 Gb/s. Nonetheless, for the average user, this is more than sufficient. Additionally, the television supports Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), which means smoother images and no screen tearing during dynamic gameplay. The G-Sync and FreeSync technologies are also noteworthy, providing optimal compatibility with consoles and computers equipped with the appropriate graphics cards, minimising stuttering effects and ensuring a smooth picture.

One of the unique features available only in Samsung televisions is the Xbox Game Pass app, which allows for game streaming without the need for a console. This is a very convenient solution that lets you enjoy your favourite games without having to purchase additional hardware. Furthermore, the QN900D has Game Bar – a special panel that enables quick access to gaming-related settings, making game mode setup quick and intuitive.

Another interesting feature is the Auto Motion Plus Game function, which is a special motion smoothing mode that can increase the frame rate (works up to a maximum of 4K@60Hz). Importantly, this does not cause a significant increase in input lag, allowing players to enjoy both greater image fluidity. All these features make the Samsung QN900D an excellent choice for those looking for a gaming television with the highest possible parameters.