Samsung Neo QLED QN85D / QNX1D vs TCL C69K / Q6C

Samsung QN85D leaves us with mixed feelings regarding HDR quality. It can shine in synthetic brightness tests, achieving up to 1000 nits – which makes scenes like those from the film 'The Meg' or the beginning of 'Life of Pi', where the screen is entirely bright, look truly impressive. However, in practice, the device has its limitations – especially when smaller bright elements appear on the screen. In such moments, brightness noticeably drops, and the HDR effect loses its impact. At brightness levels around 200-300 nits, the magic of HDR simply fades away, failing to deliver spectacular effects. However, it's not the case that the television completely disappoints – a DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage of 95% is quite decent, although it does not stand out against the best competitors. Colours are well-reproduced, but it's clear that HDR could make a bigger impression if brightness were better controlled.

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.

Samsung QN85D TV has been tested in the best available mode – Filmmaker. Although one might expect that its name suggests a mode perfectly tailored for films, it unfortunately has several significant issues.

In terms of white balance for HD content, there is a clear dominance of red and blue, which causes the entire image to take on a pinkish hue – this is also confirmed by Colour Checker tests. This effect disrupts the naturalness of skin tones and many other elements, particularly noticeable in more challenging scenes. Initially, the white balance for 4K HDR content seems correct, but at the end of the graph, there is a significant spike in blue shades, which impacts the final image quality, making the colours appear unnatural.

The gamma brightness characteristics are also not ideal – although it generally stays close to the reference values, there is a slight drop below the 2.4 level, which can affect the perceived depth of shadows. The EOTF curve responsible for 4K content does not present itself any better. There is a noticeable boost relative to the reference curve, which leads to excessive brightening of the image in some areas, thereby losing the cinematic quality that the Filmmaker mode should provide. Although it might initially seem that the effect is cinematic, unfortunately, the number of errors in colour and brightness reproduction is too significant to call it flawless.

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."

After professional calibration of the Filmmaker mode on the Samsung QN85D television, a significant improvement is noticeable, especially for HD/SDR content. The white balance has been completely stripped of serious errors, and the brightness characteristics for this type of content have been significantly adjusted, allowing for a more natural and realistic image. Television, YouTube movies, and other HD materials now look much better, with appropriately balanced colours and without the excessive hues that previously spoiled the viewing experience.

However, the biggest issues concern 4K HDR content. Despite the calibration, it's difficult to speak of a serious improvement in white balance – the differences are cosmetic rather than crucial. Brightness, which is governed by the EOTF curve, appears to be set in line with the reference level in synthetic tests at first glance, but has its limitations during actual usage in films. When we analyse the EOTF curve in real film scenes, it becomes apparent how the television struggles to maintain brightness consistency. The effect is that mixed scenes still have lifted darkest elements, leading to exaggerated contrasts, while completely dark scenes remain too dark, negatively affecting the visibility of details.

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.

When checking the smoothness of tonal transitions in low-resolution materials on the Samsung QN85D television, it is worth noting the noise reduction feature, which significantly improves problematic tonal transitions. On the other hand, this feature also has its downsides – it removes film grain, which is an important element of many productions, giving them authenticity, and it can also soften the image. This may appeal to those who prefer a more smoothed image; however, for lovers of the authentic look of films, using this feature should be considered carefully.

As for image scaling, the television performs very well. The model's figure is presented correctly, without noticeable distortions, and the branches in the background do not have excessive artificial sharpness, which is often a problem when scaling lower resolution materials. You can see the high capabilities of the image processor, which can effectively process lower quality materials, ensuring good final quality.

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.

Samsung QN85D TV is equipped with a 120 Hz refresh rate panel, which should satisfy both gamers and sports fans by providing a smooth and dynamic picture. There are options to enhance fluidity, such as the motion blur and judder reduction feature, which allows for precise adjustment of motion smoothness on a 10-point scale. Motion blur reduction increases the sharpness of fast-moving objects, making action scenes clearer, while judder reduction smooths movement, eliminating the "stuttering" effect. Smearing is generally well controlled, although there are occasional minor shortcomings that may be visible in more demanding scenes, particularly when an object moves against a dark background. Additionally, the TV offers a BFI (Black Frame Insertion) feature at 60 Hz, which can significantly improve the experience of motion fluidity, although at the cost of image flicker, which may be bothersome to some users.

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 QN85D television is an excellent choice for gamers, offering a wide range of features that enhance the gaming experience and make it even more exciting. With a refresh rate of 120 Hz, the image is incredibly smooth, which is crucial during dynamic scenes in action games. The television also features low input lag, ensuring that reactions to the player's commands are nearly instantaneous, translating to better control over the character and events on the screen.

In addition, the QN85D Samsung supports VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) and ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) technologies, which optimise image fluidity and reduce delays by automatically adjusting the television to meet the needs of gamers. Furthermore, the Xbox app allows access to cloud gaming without the need for a console, which is a significant advantage for those who want to enjoy their favourite titles without additional hardware – a solution that sets Samsung televisions apart.

The Auto Motion Plus Game feature is another element worth highlighting. This motion smoother creates the impression of a higher frame rate – as a result, games running at 30 fps appear smoother, resembling gameplay at 45 fps, while games at 60 Hz come close to 90 Hz. Most importantly, this feature does not introduce significant lag, ensuring that the gaming experience remains undisturbed. This allows players to enjoy a smoother image without compromising on responsiveness.

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.