Samsung Neo QLED QN90D / QN92D vs Samsung DU7192 (VA)

During synthetic tests, Samsung QN92D displayed its incredible capabilities in terms of brightness. The graphs clearly indicate that the television can achieve an impressive 2000 nits, giving it a solid power base to compete with the best models on the market. Such a result places it at the forefront, especially in the context of displaying HDR content, where brightness plays a crucial role. However, what happens when we transfer the tests to real film scenes? Under favourable conditions, such as the first scene from the film Life of Pi or the last scene where the image is entirely flooded with light, Samsung QN92D can achieve nearly laboratory results, impressing with its brightness. The situation looks different, however, when small, bright objects appear on a dark background, as in the fourth scene from the film Sicario. In such cases, the television does not perform as well – brightness drops several times, and the maximum values under the best conditions are around 600 NITS. Similar to the case with contrast, these limitations arise from the use of an aggressive local dimming algorithm. This algorithm aims to reduce the 'halo' effect around bright objects on a dark background, but often at the expense of overall brightness. As a result, while the television excels in brightly lit scenes, its ability to display full brightness is limited when it comes to small, vivid elements.

In the luminance charts, the peak brightness of the television is around 280 nits. Unfortunately, this value is too low to fully enjoy HDR effects, which require significantly higher luminance. In the tested materials, such as The Meg and Gemini Man, the lack of adequate brightness severely limits the magic of HDR, and the details in the brighter parts of the image are not sufficiently highlighted. For users primarily consuming SDR content, this level of quality may be acceptable, but it is definitely not enough when it comes to HDR. Additionally, the coverage of the DCI-P3 colour palette at 82% does not favour presenting HDR content in its full glory. The limited colour gamut makes it difficult for the television to reproduce vibrant and diverse colours, which is crucial for achieving a cinema-like experience.

The best mode that consistently reproduces colours on the Samsung QN92D is, as it has been for years, the Filmmaker mode. Although it generally offers decent colour quality, it is not without significant issues. Let’s start with the analysis of images in HD/SDR quality. The biggest challenge here is white balance – the graphs show considerable instability, with a pronounced red dominance, making the image too warm. This distortion causes shades to be unnaturally shifted towards warmer tones, which can negatively affect the perception of materials with natural colours. The contrast, based on the gamma graph, although not the worst, remains far from ideal, impacting the overall image quality, especially in darker scenes.

This problem persists with 4K materials, such as series or movies of higher quality. In this case, the white balance also proves faulty, with noticeable deficiencies in blue and red colour, leading to tonal shifts. Tests using the Colour Checker tool confirm these issues – all colours tend to shift towards yellow tones, further distorting the natural appearance of the image. Although the Filmmaker mode is one of the best available modes for watching cinematic content, it still requires improvements, especially concerning colour accuracy and white balance.

The best factory mode we relied on during testing turned out to be "Filmmaker". Although this mode is the closest to the creators' intent for films, it is not without certain imperfections. The white balance chart in both SDR and HDR clearly shows a dominance of red, resulting in significant yellowing, particularly noticeable in whites and on actors' faces. In HDR mode, there is also a slight dominance of green, which, however, does not have as much impact on the perception of the image. The gamma, which is responsible for brightness in SDR materials, performed quite well, but with one serious caveat. In the darkest parts of the image, it was too low, causing excessive brightness in those scenes, depriving the film of drama and contrast. For HDR, the white balance remains at a similar level; however, the EOTF curve chart draws attention. At the beginning, the curve clearly bulges, leading to a strong brightness in the darkest scenes. Then the result suddenly drops below the reference line, resulting in an overly dark image and a loss of dynamics in the brighter parts.

In summary, the "Filmmaker" mode, despite its advantages, requires refinement – especially regarding white balance and proper management of brightness in the darkest and brightest parts of the image. In its current form, it may be acceptable for less demanding users, but for viewers expecting precise image reproduction, it may leave much to be desired.

After calibration, the Filmmaker mode on the Samsung QN92D television shows significant improvement, particularly in terms of SDR content. The white balance has been greatly enhanced – the previous colour misalignment and dominance of red have been eliminated, resulting in a more natural colour reproduction. In terms of brightness, although the gamma chart did not require significant adjustments, it has been stabilised, which affects overall picture quality.

Regarding high-quality materials, the white balance has also improved in this case. However, it is important to note the contrast. The EOTF curve, which illustrates values in this area, initially seems correct. However, when we look at the details, the television struggles to maintain appropriate contrast in film materials. The EOTF curve reveals certain discrepancies, suggesting that despite advancements, there are still areas needing improvement in this aspect. The television still strives for excellence in contrast reproduction. One advantage of this television is colour saturation. Skin tones are rendered very well, and although some colours can be slightly oversaturated, the final effect looks truly appealing – the colours appear rich and vibrant.

Despite some shortcomings in contrast, after calibration, the Filmmaker mode on the Samsung QN92D offers excellent picture quality, with natural colour reproduction, making it a great choice for watching films.

Even for its lower models, Samsung offers advanced image calibration tools, which allow for significant improvement of the factory settings. We undertook this task, and the results turned out to be more than satisfying. The white balance, which previously exhibited a strong yellowish tint in both SDR and HDR, was significantly improved. Although slight deviations from the norm can be noticed, the overall effect is much cleaner and more natural than before calibration. As a result, whites and skin tones look much better. We also managed to properly shape the gamma in SDR materials, which allows for achieving the maximum contrast that this television can offer. The EOTF curve, responsible for HDR materials, was also improved – the image is no longer brightened or darkened as drastically as it was before calibration. Despite these successes, HDR materials still struggle with high deltaE error values. The main reason lies in the limited brightness of the television, which does not allow for a complete representation of the dynamics of HDR content. Nevertheless, after calibration, the image is clearly better and more aligned with the creators' intentions. For users seeking the best possible quality in this class of equipment, calibration is definitely recommended.

Let’s check how the Samsung QN92D television performs with tonal transitions in very poor quality materials. The noise reduction feature demonstrates good effectiveness, improving the smoothness of tonal transitions even in challenging conditions. However, it should be noted that, as with other Samsung televisions, the effectiveness of this feature may lead to the removal of desirable elements, such as film grain, which can sometimes affect the authenticity of the image.

Regarding digital processing, the Samsung QN92D television also performs excellently. During testing, the image was presented very well, with the model shown in a natural and correct manner. Details such as branches in the background were reproduced with great precision, highlighting the television's ability to enhance the quality of low-resolution materials.

The tonal smoothing function operates in two modes – "off" and "auto". Turning it off causes gradation issues, while the "auto" mode ensures smooth transitions, but at the cost of grain and detail, which are often blurred. Due to these limitations, we do not recommend using this feature, as confirmed by our tests conducted with it turned off.

Scaling of lower resolution materials in this model is not impressive. Details are blurred, and the edges of objects may contain artifacts. This limitation makes the television perform better with higher resolution content.

The Samsung QN92D television is equipped with a 144 Hz panel; however, when watching content using the smoothness feature, the maximum refresh rate is 120 Hz. This means that both gamers and those who watch a lot of sports will be satisfied with the picture quality. It is also worth mentioning the available image enhancement options, such as the "blur and judder reduction" feature, which allows users to adjust the smoothness to individual preferences on a 10-point scale. Blur reduction is responsible for increasing the sharpness of quickly moving objects, while judder reduction smooths motion, eliminating the "stutter" effect. Thanks to these advanced settings, optimal visual experiences can be achieved, making the Samsung QN92D ideal for both dynamic scenes and intense gaming sessions.

In terms of motion blur, the television performs really well, and it is hard to find anything to criticise. The only comment we might have is a slight overshoot effect noticeable on dark backgrounds during our test with "Ufoludkiem". Nevertheless, with the advanced smoothness settings, the Samsung QN92D is perfect for both dynamic scenes and intense gaming sessions.

Although the Samsung DU7192 is the lowest model in the manufacturer's range, it is equipped with motion smoothing technology. While the functionality of this solution is significantly limited compared to more expensive models, its presence alone distinguishes the television amidst competitors in this price bracket. The TV supports a maximum refresh rate of 60 Hz, which is sufficient for comfortable viewing of films and series, but may be inadequate for dynamic content such as sports. In the motion smoothing menu, we can find, among other things, the "Judder Reduction" feature. Unfortunately, its performance leaves much to be desired – regardless of the setting, the picture exhibits the characteristic stutter known from materials recorded at 24 frames per second, making this feature practically ineffective.

The Samsung QN92/QN90 television is an excellent choice for avid gamers, worthy of the highest recommendations. This model offers virtually all the features available on the market in terms of gaming, making gameplay even more exciting. One of its key features is the 120 Hz panel, which provides exceptional motion smoothness, vital during dynamic action games. The television also has low input lag, ensuring lightning-fast responses to player commands. Additionally, technologies such as VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) and ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) adjust the refresh rate and automatically switch the television to game mode, enhancing the gaming experience even further. An additional advantage is the Xbox app, which allows playing favourite titles directly on the television, eliminating the need for a console. This is a typical feature of Samsung televisions, which makes them unique in the gaming world.

Auto Motion Plus Game is a feature that truly deserves praise for Samsung. It is a motion smoother that performs excellently in games, allowing for the perception of a higher frame rate – a 30 frames per second image looks like 45, and 60 Hz becomes close to 90 Hz. Importantly, this feature does not introduce significant lag (input lag does not exceed 25 ms), so it does not negatively affect gaming comfort, unlike many other motion smoothers available on the market. As a result, players can enjoy a significantly smoother image without compromising on responsiveness.

Samsung DU7192 is equipped with HDMI 2.0 ports, which is expected in this price range. This limitation means there is no support for the full capabilities of the latest generation consoles, such as VRR technologies. The television only offers a basic feature for gamers – automatic switching to low latency mode (ALLM), and support for basic HDR for games in the HGiG standard. HGiG allows for the display of HDR content in games according to manufacturers' guidelines; however, the limited brightness of the television does not allow for full enjoyment of the effects that this standard offers. Unfortunately, there is a lack of conveniences such as GameBar, which is increasingly found even in cheaper models and greatly facilitates quick adjustment of settings for games. The presence of this feature could significantly enhance user comfort, especially for those who frequently change display modes.