Samsung Neo QLED QN90D / QN92D vs Samsung Neo QLED QN70F / QN74F / QN77F

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.

The QN70F is a television that can pleasantly surprise when it comes to brightness. In ideal testing conditions, it reaches up to 800 nits, which – for this price range – is a really solid figure. Of course, this result comes from measurement charts, so we decided to check how it performs in practice, with real films. Here, the television somewhat tempers its capabilities. In most tested scenes – for example, in "The Meg" – the actual HDR brightness hovered around 500 nits. This is still a decent result, allowing for enjoyment of HDR effects, although it is far from perfect. On the other hand, we have a QLED screen with a layer of quantum dots, which means very good colour reproduction capabilities. The colours are vibrant and saturated. The QN70F covers about 94% of the DCI-P3 colour space, and in the wider BT.2020 palette, it exceeds 75%, so in this respect, there is nothing to be ashamed of.

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.

We tested the QN70F in its best default picture mode, which is Filmmaker Mode. I must admit that in this particular test unit, the factory settings performed quite well. The image was calm, natural, and despite minor deviations – pleasant to watch. The biggest flaw was a slight dominance of red in the white balance, which caused a slight pinkish hue across the entire scene. However, this was not a glaring defect – rather subtle and only noticeable when directly compared to a properly calibrated screen. A somewhat larger issue arose in the brightness characteristic. The television tends to underestimate the brightness of parts of the image that should be displayed more brightly. As a result, some details can appear slightly muted – not so much lost completely, but not resonating as clearly as they should. Nonetheless, as far as televisions in this category and in these settings are concerned – we consider the result a good starting point for further calibration.

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.

After calibration, the QN70F shows that it can offer a truly high level of colour reproduction. The white balance was nearly perfectly aligned, and the values in the Color Checker test dropped below level 3 – meaning below the threshold at which the average eye can perceive differences. The image looks natural, and the colours are faithfully rendered, without excessive saturation or the coolness known from factory settings. It must be admitted that Samsung provides very extensive calibration options – not only for enthusiasts but also for professionals. The QN70F takes advantage of this potential and, after proper adjustment, can come close to significantly more expensive models in terms of colour accuracy. The only thing that can still be nitpicked is the brightness characteristic. There is still a tendency to lighten the smallest areas of the image – particularly those that should remain darker. However, this is a design feature of this model, not a calibration error. Despite this, the final effect definitely deserves recognition.

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.

Samsung QN70F offers a distortion reduction feature that enhances the smoothness of tonal transitions. In "Standard" mode, it works quite well – it smooths out problematic transitions without significantly interfering with the structure of the image. Film grain is somewhat reduced, but details such as texture and skin structure remain visible. The "High" mode is much more aggressive. The smoothing is stronger, but it comes at the cost of a noticeable loss of detail. Therefore, in practice, we recommend sticking with the "Standard" setting or completely turning this function off. The improvement in gradation may be less spectacular, but the image retains more naturalness.

When it comes to scaling low-quality content, the QN70F performs very well. Tests with lower resolution images were really very good. Despite slight edge ringing, everything looks clean and clear, even if the original content was very poor. It’s just a pity that the television has an issue with overscan, which cannot be completely turned off. As a result, images with very low resolution may be slightly cropped, which is mainly noticeable on subtitles or interfaces.

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.

The QN70F is a television with a refresh rate of 144 Hz, which in itself places it among the top when it comes to image fluidity. Whether we are watching dynamic sports broadcasts or playing on a console – the picture looks very good. There is no sense of stuttering, choppiness, or the typical "tearing" associated with weaker models during fast motion. Samsung also allows you to adjust the fluidity to your own preferences. In the picture clarity settings, we find options such as blur reduction and judder reduction – each of which we can adjust independently. This is especially useful when watching content with a lower frame rate and wanting to give it a smoother, more theatrical character – or conversely, to maintain the natural cinematic "feel" of 24 frames.

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.

The Samsung QN70F is truly a solid choice for gamers. Here, we find as many as four HDMI 2.1 ports with full bandwidth of 48 Gbps, meaning full support for gaming in 4K at a refresh rate of 144 Hz. Additionally, it includes all the essential features we expect today: automatic game mode (ALLM), variable refresh rate (VRR), and a very well-designed, intuitive Game Bar showing information about mode, resolution, and frame rate.

Also noteworthy is the Game Motion Plus feature, which allows artificial frames to be added to games running at 60 fps or less. This works surprisingly well and in many titles – particularly those where consoles struggle to maintain a stable framerate – it improves the fluidity of gameplay without significant delay.

Unfortunately, there are some drawbacks. The lack of support for Dolby Vision mode is not surprising – it’s a standard with Samsung. However, the absence of the HGiG feature is much more disappointing. Worse still, it was removed with a software update, which may leave users who previously relied on it quite puzzled. Without HGiG, it is impossible to manually set the maximum HDR brightness from the console, resulting in some games appearing slightly washed out – especially if the television misinterprets the tonal range. Why Samsung, a brand that has set standards for gaming features for years, decided to take such a step is hard to say. At the time of writing this review, the tested television was running on software version 1110 – and frankly, if you care about full support for gamers, it’s better to hold off on updates for the time being.