Samsung DU7192 (IPS) vs TCL C69K / Q6C

The maximum luminance in HDR materials is 245 nits, which is often surpassed by even lower results. Such values will definitely not be sufficient for comfortable viewing of HDR materials due to the lack of appropriate image dynamics and colour inaccuracies caused by the low brightness of the unit. Although the manufacturer has equipped its device with HDR format offering dynamic metadata, HDR10+, which is what we are referring to, is very rarely used compared to Dolby Vision, which Samsung has not yet introduced in its televisions. It is also worth mentioning that Samsung DU7192 offers only 82% coverage of the wide DCI-P3 colour gamut, which is another reason we should not supply a signal in wide dynamic range, as colour losses will be very noticeable. Samsung DU7192 provides high-quality images that will satisfy most users.

In terms of brightness, TCL C69K / Q6C is a moderate model. In optimal film conditions, it shows its full potential, achieving a maximum of around 600 nits. In scenes with large, intense light sources, the HDR effect can be truly satisfying, providing a cinematic shimmer. However, it should be noted that when managing backlight zones, there are situations where parts of the image become dimmed, and sometimes they are barely visible. This suggests that there is still a lack of proper optimisation of the algorithms; however, considering the technical parameters in this price range, the design itself still presents very well.

The best factory mode we used throughout the testing process was "Filmmaker". This, like the vast majority of modes, had its drawbacks. Starting with the most basic chart, which is the white balance, we can notice a pronounced dominance of red, both in SDR and HDR modes. Although there was also some green in the latter, it did not significantly affect the overall impression. A chart with such results, in both cases, gives us an image characterised by strong yellowing, clearly visible on whites and on the faces of the actors. Another important chart, if not more important, is gamma. This, which is meant to control contrast in materials with a standard colour palette, was quite good in factory mode with one caveat regarding the low end. In the darkest scenes, it was significantly lowered, which led to strong brightening, resulting in the film lacking contrast and all suspense. As we mentioned, HDR materials in terms of white balance remained at a similar level. The main change is the EOTF curve chart. At the very beginning, we can observe a bulge, which, just like in the case of gamma, significantly brightened the darkest scenes. However, the chart then changed its characteristics significantly and the measured result dipped below the reference line, causing the film to lose even more dynamics.

The Filmmaker mode, which has made its debut in this year's TCL televisions (including the C69K / Q6C), is definitely the best choice "to start with." This is the mode we recommend for daily film and series viewings. Unfortunately, as is often the case, best does not mean perfect. In SDR material, the image proved to be too warm, with a pronounced red tint in the white balance. We had the opposite impression with HDR content – here the image became cooler than it should, due to an excess of blue. Additionally, there is the characteristic of brightness, which at times resulted in overexposure. In practice, this translated into quite noticeable errors in colour tests, which is difficult to accept in a mode branded as "from the creators."

Samsung has equipped even its lowest-end televisions with advanced tools for the calibration process. So we got to work, and the results of our efforts are more than satisfactory. The white balance, which previously had a strong yellow tint in both scenarios, now looks much, much better, even if there are slight deviations from the norm. The image will still look significantly cleaner than it did before the calibration process. We managed to model the gamma in SDR materials very well, ensuring that the image will be as contrasty as the television allows. The EOTF curve has also changed its face and no longer brightens or darkens the image in such a drastic way. However, it's worth mentioning that in the case of HDR materials, deltaE errors are still very high, but this is due to the insufficient brightness of the unit.

Through white balance correction, we were able to significantly reduce the tendency of C69K / Q6C to distort colours, which yielded a very good final result. After calibration, the issue of excessive warming of scenes in SDR and excessive cooling of the image in HDR disappeared. However, it is worth analysing the brightness characteristics more closely. While in SDR content it is hard to have major objections – the image looks really good, especially in older films, TV programmes or on YouTube – it performs significantly worse in the case of HDR content. Analysis of the EOTF curve suggests that everything is fine, yet in practice (EOTF in films) the limitations of the design itself become apparent. This model has a tendency to excessively brighten small parts of the frame, only to overly dim the entire scene in other situations. The effect of calibration is therefore undeniable, and in terms of colour reproduction, C69K / Q6C gains a lot. Unfortunately, certain limitations arising from local dimming management simply cannot be bypassed.

Let's return for a moment to the feature of smoothing tonal transitions. We can set it in only two ways - off and auto. As one can easily guess, the former causes significant problems with gradation. However, if we set the latter, both films and series will offer us smooth transitions of colours. It is worth mentioning, though, that this feature has its drawbacks. It greatly interferes with the director's intent, softens the film grain effect, and, what’s worse, often misinterprets small details, also blurring them. In light of this, we conclude that the feature does not exist and do not recommend using it, as this is exactly how the tests of smoothness of tonal transitions were conducted on the tested display.

The next thing we will check in this paragraph is the image scaling process, which is extremely important when watching materials in a lower resolution. Unfortunately, as this is the manufacturer's lowest model, this function does not work very well. All details are heavily blurred, and a characteristic white halo surrounds the characters.

In terms of image scaling, TCL C69K / Q6C performs quite well. Lower quality content appears acceptable, and thanks to the lack of overscan issues, the image is displayed in full without any cropping. However, one should not expect miracles – very low-quality materials will not gain a second life here, as the image processor has its limitations.

Thin lines and details exhibit characteristic tearing, which reveals the absence of more advanced image enhancement algorithms. It is also a pity that the C69K / Q6C lacks a tone transition smoothing feature. As a result, in older films or video materials, banding of colours can be visible and may become distracting during prolonged viewing.

Despite the fact that Samsung DU7192 is the lowest model in the manufacturer's portfolio, it has been implemented with a motion smoothing system. Although it is quite limited in features compared to higher models, its existence is a considerable advantage in the context of competition from similar price ranges. The maximum refresh rate we will provide to the tested television is 60 Hz, which is entirely sufficient for movies and series, although not for sports. In the motion smoothing menu, we find two functions responsible for improving fluidity. These are "Motion Blur Reduction" and "Clear Motion (LED)". We will discuss the latter a bit later. Let us focus on the former, as it is quite puzzling. Unfortunately, despite its presence, we did not find any usefulness. On each of the settings, the image looked the same, with the characteristic judder known from materials recorded at 24 fps.

The matrix of Samsung DU7192 features an average response time. It is worth mentioning that due to this particular type of matrix, it is better than VA matrices in a similar price range. Therefore, it can be exceptionally said that it will not be the worst in the context of watching sports.

The use of a 144 Hz panel in TCL C69K / Q6C is a significant advantage in this price range. It represents an important step forward compared to its predecessor (C655 PRO), which only offered 60 Hz in 4K. The difference is particularly noticeable when watching sports or playing games – the ball, players, or dynamic action in games are displayed more clearly and without loss of detail. Another interesting feature is the panel's ability to work at 240 Hz (which the manufacturer does not officially mention) – we will return to this topic in relation to the PC gaming mode. TCL has also added a feature for movie fans: “Motion Clarity”. This allows users to adjust the picture to their preferences using two simple sliders. We can either keep the visible film frame or opt for very smooth, "

The Samsung DU7192 television is equipped only with HDMI 2.0 ports, which is not surprising given the price of the device and its consumer profile. Therefore, it’s also logical that we won’t achieve maximum quality on the latest generation consoles. Thus, it only has the most basic feature for gamers, which is ALLM. It's a pity that the manufacturer didn’t implement at least GameBar, as it is currently a standard, even in lower-end televisions, and could introduce significant conveniences regarding quick changes to settings.

TCL C69K / Q6C is a television that can confidently be described as equipment created with gamers in mind. Here we have 4K at 144 Hz, VRR support, automatic game mode (ALLM), and Dolby Vision Gaming. Additionally, there is a practical Game Bar, which is a panel with the most important settings conveniently at hand – useful when we want to change something quickly during gameplay (e.g. screen aspect ratio: Yes, it can be done!). The wide range of VRR, reaching up to 240 Hz, is particularly noteworthy. However, this option is mainly for PC gamers who will operate below the native 4K resolution. In that case, the television can spread its wings and show additional smoothness, especially in fast-paced e-sports titles. For consoles, we stick to the classic limit of 120 Hz, but even so, the capabilities are truly extensive. The only downside is a slight ghosting that can occasionally be seen in dynamic scenes. Other than that, C69K / Q6C offers everything that gamers expect from a television.