Samsung Neo QLED QN95D vs TCL C75B

Samsung QN95D handles HDR exceptionally well, achieving a peak brightness of around 2000 nits. In the tested movie scenes, where the screen is fully lit, the television provides intense and realistic representation of HDR content, significantly enhancing the visual experience. Nevertheless, similar to contrast, the dimming algorithm may sometimes show limitations. Despite the considerable number of Mini LED zones, the television does not surprise the user with incredible brightness. For instance, in scenes from the film "Life of Pi," where a bright moon appears against a dark background, and in excerpts from "Sicario 2," where a strong light effect occurs on a dark background, the television displays very poor results. At such moments, the television attempts to reduce the halo effect by darkening the image to a level reminiscent of SDR quality. As a result, blacks appear deep and uniform, but this comes at the cost of losing some detail in bright areas. It is a compromise aimed at maintaining the best possible quality of black, although it simultaneously causes the image to lose a bit of its dynamism. Despite certain flaws in the operation of the local dimming algorithm, this television deserves praise for its wide coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut. This is made possible by the use of a quantum dot coating, also known as QLED technology, which allows for vibrant and rich colours.

During our test, the TCL C75B "spat out" around 380 nits of brightness. We recorded similar results while watching most of the films we tested. They can be considered average – the television does not perform poorly in this segment, but around 400 nits is definitely too low to fully experience the magic of HDR effects. Of course, these results are better than those of budget models, which can achieve almost half the brightness values. However, for HDR enthusiasts seeking stronger lighting effects and greater realism, the C75B may prove insufficient. On the positive side, it's worth mentioning the DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage of 95%. This is a very good result that easily suffices to enjoy a wide range of colours in content available on popular streaming platforms. Vivid and rich colours are definitely a strong point of this model.

In the category of factory colour reproduction, the television Samsung QN95D was tested in Filmmaker mode, which offers the best settings from the manufacturer. Nevertheless, it is not entirely free from flaws. In the case of HD content, there is a noticeable colour deviation, particularly in white balance, where the red colour clearly dominates the graph. The situation improves with 4K HDR content; however, there are still significant drops in blue colour reproduction. These effects can be observed in a scene from the film "Star Wars," where the protagonist is depicted in overly warm tones.

As for contrast, we can observe an initial large jump on the gamma graph, indicating that the television effectively highlights the brighter parts of the image. However, at the end of the graph, we notice a distinct drop, which may mean that in darker tones, details can be lost. Such a shape of the gamma curve can affect the way users perceive dark scenes, where some details may become too blurred or too dark, causing the image to lose clarity. It is also worth noting the curve responsible for brightness (EOTF), which is quite correct, except for the initial drop.

Although Samsung QN95D boasts impressive parameters and advanced technologies to deserve the title of one of the best televisions on the market, it requires certain adjustments in colour reproduction and contrast to fully utilise its potential.

TCL C75B offers several picture modes, but in our opinion, the best choice is the “Film” mode. Although its settings are quite decent, the television struggles with some colour reproduction issues. In our tests, we noticed that the image had a noticeably pinkish tint compared to what could be considered accurate. This effect was particularly evident in skin tones, which appeared unnaturally flushed. The main culprit for this phenomenon turned out to be the white balance, characterised by an excessive amount of blue and red in both HD and 4K HDR materials.

An additional problem was the way brightness was rendered. The gamma, which is responsible for the visibility of details in darker materials, was definitely boosted, causing details in the darkest parts of the screen to be invisible, disappearing into complete blackness (e.g., the lower part of the screen in the comparison photo - around the actress's ear). Similarly, the situation was reflected in the EOTF curve, which was below the correct value, suggesting that we might encounter a similar problem in 4K HDR content.

Thanks to our experience and the right tools, we decided to take matters into our own hands and see how much we could extract from this model after professional calibration. We describe the details in the next section.

After calibration, the picture on the Samsung QN95D television achieves truly impressive results. The white balance is perfectly aligned, and error readings rarely exceed 2, which means that colours are displayed very accurately. Most samples from the Color Checker test fall within an acceptable error range, confirming that the television reproduces hues excellently. The contrast has also improved significantly, and the gamma curve is more stable, resulting in better visibility of details in both dark and bright scenes. However, it is worth noting the EOTF (Electro-Optical Transfer Function) curve, which shows some discrepancies in film tests. Although the television performs well in most scenes, details in the blacks can still be lost in more extreme cases – this is due to an aggressive dimming algorithm.

Nevertheless, these minor imperfections do not detract from the overall picture quality. After calibration, the Samsung QN95D impresses with its visual quality, offering an exceptional experience that will certainly satisfy anyone looking for a top-tier television.

After calibrating the TCL C75B, it has clearly improved in terms of colour reproduction. Although the television does not offer many options for adjusting the white balance, we managed to enhance its settings quite significantly. As a result, the image is no longer excessively pink, and the colours now look much more natural and harmonious.

The gamma jump, which was previously an issue, has not completely disappeared, but we have managed to reduce it considerably. This has made details in dark scenes more visible – both in HD and 4K HDR materials.

Unfortunately, the lack of local dimming is still noticeable. The "blooming black" effect remains, but that is a limitation of the display itself. Nevertheless, the colours after calibration look far better, and the image is much more enjoyable to watch.

The Samsung QN95D television handles tonal transitions even in lower quality materials, thanks to the noise reduction feature employed, which functions like a gentle gradation. This feature is extremely effective, smoothing out the image and eliminating unwanted noise while significantly improving the quality of the displayed material. However, as is often the case, too much effectiveness can lead to unintended side effects. In some materials, this feature may also blur elements that should remain sharp, such as film grain.

Despite this, the television performs well in the context of image scaling, eliminating larger jagged edges. In a scene where branches are visible, they are not excessively artificially sharpened, allowing for a natural appearance, and the model does not have an artificial outline. Overall, this means that even in more challenging conditions, the film material presents itself satisfactorily on the Samsung QN95D. The only downside when watching HD/SD content (such as regular terrestrial television) is the fact that we have a slightly cropped image – this is caused by the so-called overscan, which cannot be turned off.

TCL C75B has a tone transition smoothing function, but unfortunately, we cannot commend it. Regardless of the selected level – low or high – tone transitions in older materials remained visible, as if the function wasn't working at all. It's hard to say anything positive about it, as in practice it seems completely useless.

The image scaling is better. The television performs quite decently, although on thinner elements, like branches in the background, you can notice slight jaggedness. However, this is not something that significantly interferes with daily viewing.

Unfortunately, a bigger problem turned out to be overscan, which is cutting off the edges of the image. In our tests, there were instances where news tickers or other elements near the edge of the screen were cut off. This is definitely something to pay attention to, especially if we use the television for watching news programmes or content with text on the screen.

The panel in Samsung QN95 performs very well in terms of motion blur and smoothness of movement. With a refresh rate of 120 Hz and features for reducing blur and judder, the picture settings can be customised to personal preferences, whether for watching films or for dynamic sports broadcasts. The user has the option to adjust the smoothness of the image on a 10-point scale – from a more frame-like appearance reminiscent of traditional film to a smooth, almost theatrical effect, which works particularly well for sports transmissions.

The TCL C75B definitely has something to offer gamers. The television is equipped with a panel that can display images with a refresh rate of 144 Hz in 4K, and even 240 Hz in Full HD. These are really impressive results, especially for a model from the entry-level range.

In addition, there are features for improving fluidity and reducing motion blur in films. The "Motion" option allows precise adjustment of the effect on a 10-point scale, which offers great personalisation possibilities - everyone can set the fluidity as they like.

Samsung QN95D offers quite a few features that gamers will appreciate. First and foremost, the television supports variable refresh rate (VRR), which allows for smoother gameplay, eliminating issues with tearing, especially during dynamic scenes. We also find the auto low latency mode (ALLM) feature, which automatically switches the television to low latency mode when it detects a connected console or computer, ensuring more responsive controls.

Furthermore, the QN95D Samsung has a game mode that reduces input lag to a very low level, which is crucial in games where reflexes play an important role. With a high refresh rate of 120 Hz, the picture is exceptionally smooth, significantly enhancing the experience of fast-paced action games and sports productions. The television also supports G-Sync and FreeSync technologies, which further enhance gameplay smoothness and improve user comfort. An interesting addition is the 'Game Bar' – a special menu that provides quick access to all game-related settings, allowing easy adjustments of picture and parameters to suit user preferences without the need to interrupt gameplay.

Although the Samsung QN95D does not support Dolby Vision – which is quite obvious for Samsung televisions – it does offer the HGiG feature, which ensures appropriate picture quality in HDR games, in line with the creators' vision.

The TCL C75B is undoubtedly a television designed with gamers in mind. It offers nearly everything that even the most demanding console users could need. With the implementation of fully capable HDMI 2.1, the television supports features like ALLM (Automatic Low Latency Mode) and VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) – operating within the full potential of the television, up to 240 Hz in Full HD resolution.

Additionally, the television supports advanced HDR technologies, including Dolby Vision and HGiG, allowing for even better detail reproduction in HDR-optimised games. The C75B is also equipped with a very convenient interface for gamers in the form of Game Bar, where all key parameters such as refresh rate, input lag, and image settings can be checked – all within a single click.

In a nutshell: the C75B is a great choice for gamers, offering a wide range of features that allow users to fully enjoy the capabilities of modern consoles and games.