Compare: Samsung QLED Q70D / Q74D / Q77D vs Samsung The Frame LS03D

Samsung Q70D performed in the test just as it should for its category – very well. The strongest points of the television are undoubtedly its efficiency when using a console and the colour reproduction after undergoing the calibration process. The former will certainly not allow gamers to remain indifferent to the range of benefits that Samsung Q70D can offer, and there are indeed many, including this almost exclusive feature for the manufacturer’s units – the ability to smooth out gameplay while maintaining a reasonable input lag, which allows titles running at 30 fps to perform like those at native 60 frames per second. In the context of gaming, one cannot forget the well-implemented HGIG mode, which, when correctly set up, is on par with games using Dolby Vision. One should also not overlook the ease of pairing the television with the Canal+ decoder, which is not such an obvious advantage, but we know that many people struggle with this issue. Staying on the topic of television, it must be acknowledged that the Samsung Q70D offers very good brightness in SDR materials for its price range, making daytime viewing more than comfortable. A downside for the tested television has to be the lack of Dolby Vision, which would have greatly enhanced the maximum brightness of the Samsung Q70D. One should also not overlook the construction flaws of the device, which may (though not necessarily) lead to light bleed, which can be noticed in dark conditions on less bright scenes. What cannot be taken away from Samsung Q70D is the fact that it features one of the better motion smoothing technologies in its price range, which works excellently in the context of sports events or fast-paced action scenes. The system that operates the television runs very smoothly, and the only complaint one might have is the lack of the Tidal app. In summary, the Samsung Q70D is a good continuation of the manufacturer's seventh series, which year after year gains – both in quality and popularity.

Samsung The Frame LS03D (2024) is not an ordinary television that you can place in the corner and forget after two days. Here, it is immediately evident that the manufacturer has focused on something more than just playing films. First, the “Art” mode captures attention – with just a few clicks, we can turn The Frame into a digital gallery, displaying works that, in combination with the matte screen, truly resemble a real framed painting. And speaking of the frame, we have the option to customise its colour to perfectly match our interior. Additionally, the package includes a wall mount, allowing the television to hang almost “flush”, which further enhances the impression of engaging with an image rather than a typical screen. The matte screen provides excellent protection against reflections, which together with high brightness (650 cd/m²) works well in bright sunlight. Furthermore, we have a VA panel with quite decent contrast and a refresh rate of 120 Hz, so when watching sports or playing dynamic titles, everything appears smooth and pleasant to the eye. If we also add a gaming features package – VRR, ALLM and HGiG – it’s clear that Samsung has also considered console and PC enthusiasts. As a result, Samsung The Frame can be both a picturesque decoration for the living room and a reasonably effective gaming monitor. The mentioned One Connect is another useful gadget – it allows us to hide all the cables in one place, with a thin wire connecting the television to this magical box. If we like order, this solution is made for us. Another advantage is the Tizen system – easy to use, fast, and full of applications. We may not find absolutely everything in it (e.g. the Tidal app), but it still provides a wide range for exploring various streaming platforms. Of course, there’s no rose without thorns. The lack of local dimming is noticeable in dark scenes, where blacks become less pronounced. We also need to remember that there is only one HDMI 2.1 port here, so if we want to connect more devices at 4K and 120 Hz, we may feel limited. Additionally, the viewing angles are rather average, so it’s better for the most important viewer (that is us) to sit directly in front of the television. For fans of Dolby Vision, this will also not be an ideal choice, as The Frame LS03D only supports HDR10 and HDR10+. Furthermore, the sound – as with most slim televisions – is mediocre, so it’s worth considering a soundbar if we care about clearer bass and a bit deeper sound. Despite these weaker points, The Frame still makes a great impression. It is striking, stylish, and versatile – perfect for watching the latest hits as well as displaying reproductions of paintings on the wall. If we value an unusual appearance, high brightness, and at the same time want to play with low input lag, this model will be a perfect choice. And although it is not a leader in terms of value for money nor a technological “monster” in terms of picture quality, it has something that simply makes it likable. It is a device that stands out with its unique character and can blend into any interior, attracting attention both in television mode and as a digital art gallery.

Samsung Q70D and its related models, such as Q77D and Q74D, utilise a VA panel, which in itself should provide decent contrast. Typically, it is several times higher than in IPS/ADS screens that are not equipped with an advanced local dimming system. The contrast results, as you can see, are quite varied, which is caused by the non-uniformity of the panel. Therefore, at times we can achieve good contrast, whereas at other times it is significantly degraded, but generally fairly consistent, not counting light leakage. Let’s take a look at the film scenes we prepared from the films "Oblivion" and "Revenant". As we can see, in the first one, the lights are well separated from each other, which is a positive phenomenon, as visibility of details in the whites in further tests should be equally good. What stands out the most here is the unusual over-sharpening of smoke visible under the light and the navy black in the background. In the frame from the second film, the first thing that stands out is the uneven backlighting of our scene. It was quite significant and heavily affected the perceived image. Nevertheless, the details in the film were well visible.

Samsung The Frame uses a VA panel, which in itself provides quite high contrast. In our tests, the results oscillated around 4000–5000:1, which will be more than enough for most users. However, the lack of local dimming is noticeable, especially on more demanding test slides. In dark scenes, it can be observed that black has a subtle hint of navy blue. During the day or in a well-lit room, this will not be an issue, but during an evening viewing, more discerning viewers may feel a slight deficiency.

The brightness that the Samsung Q70D can offer is at a fairly average level, although it cannot be said that the HDR effect will be unnoticeable. Any brightness above 400 nits allows for a clear distinction between SDR and HDR materials. As was the case in the paragraph about contrast and black levels, this time we can observe that the first scene, featuring a bright sun and a dark foreground, possesses the lowest luminance among the measured ones. The result, which can be considered very good for this price range and class of display, is the latter. In a scene where we see a large light source filling a significant part of the frame, the brightness of the television is at its highest, reaching nearly 500 nits. It is worth noting the quite low coverage of the wide DCI-P3 colour gamut, which occasionally results in noticeable gaps in the colour palette. Additionally, users can enjoy rich colours and high precision in shade reproduction, making movie screenings a special experience. It is also worth noting that the Q70D Samsung panel performs excellently in eliminating blur during dynamic action scenes, which enhances the viewing comfort of sports broadcasts or games.

Samsung The Frame LS03D performs really well with brightness. Results of 700 nits make bright elements on the screen look striking and detailed, whether they illuminate the entire screen or appear as small points of light against a dark background. In more demanding scenes, like the fourth sequence from the film Sicario 2, the black levels are average, but we have already discussed this in the section on contrast. As for brightness – the television definitely excels here. An additional advantage is the quantum dot coating, which is QLED technology. Thanks to this, the colour palette coverage has been improved, although The Frame does not stand out in this regard compared to the competition.

The best factory mode on the Samsung Q70D is "Filmmaker," and it was this mode that we used during all our tests. Before calibration, it had several flaws that effectively prevented it from conveying the director's intentions. In both SDR and HDR materials, the white balance was dominated by red and green. As a result, there was a characteristic yellow tint on the image, causing white to appear yellowed and resulting in skin tones that were noticeably too warm. The lowered gamma in standard colour gamut materials resulted in a significant drop in contrast, which was already not the highest. This caused detail in the blacks to be accentuated but also led to overexposure in brighter scenes. The EOTF curve, in this case, proved to be much better and only brightened those scenes with relatively low luminance. This was perfectly evident in the section where we measured the television's maximum brightness in HDR materials. At that point, the frame from the film "Billy Lynn" was unnaturally bright and lacking in depth.

Samsung offers several picture modes on its televisions, but undoubtedly the Filmmaker Mode is the one that should provide the most natural representation of content. Unfortunately, as is often the case with mass production, the differences between units can be considerable, and our tested model was not free from a few issues.

In the case of SDR content, the white balance leaned heavily towards red, with a slight boost in blue. This effect was particularly noticeable in comparison images – for example, in a photograph of a boy whose face was unnaturally flushed. The gamma, or brightness characteristic, also did not perform perfectly – the image was slightly brightened, which detracted from its depth.

In 4K HDR content, the white balance was again dominated by red, this time in combination with green. Meanwhile, blue clearly lost intensity, which was easy to notice on the Color Checker palette, where colours began to "drift" in the wrong direction. The EOTF curve, responsible for brightness in HDR content, showed that the television has a tendency to excessively brighten the image, especially in the darkest elements of scenes.

Overall, while it did not look terrible, it definitely required adjustment. Fortunately, Samsung offers extensive calibration options, which provides the chance for a significant improvement in image quality. Therefore, we proceeded with professional calibration to extract the full potential from this television.

Fortunately, Samsung provides a wide range of calibration tools in all its televisions, including 2-point and 20-point grey scale adjustment as well as advanced CMS. This allowed us to significantly improve the quality of SDR and HDR content. The vast majority of errors have been corrected, and the image that the Samsung Q70D now generates is definitely closer to the reference. Higher deltaE errors in wide dynamic range content are primarily due to the display's insufficient luminance.

After professional calibration, the Filmmaker Mode shows its full potential. The white balance in HD content is exemplary – errors at the level of 0.5 indicate almost perfect colour reproduction accuracy. The image now looks natural, and the colours are precisely as they should be. In 4K HDR content, the effect is not quite as perfect, but it still maintains a really high level. The colours are vibrant, well-saturated, and the overall picture quality can be impressive.

So where does the problem arise, given our praise for colour reproduction? Unfortunately, the entire experience is marred by brightness characteristics. The gamma in HD content looks decent, but in 4K HDR it's not as good. The EOTF curve shows that the television excessively brightens certain parts of the image, which is a result of construction limitations. The lack of local dimming means that the television cannot accurately control the differences between the brightest and darkest areas of the screen. This is a barrier that simply cannot be overcome in this model.

Nonetheless, after calibration, Samsung The Frame LS03D offers excellent colour reproduction, particularly in HD content, and the overall appearance is considerably better than before the settings were corrected.

Considering how important lighting is in films and series, the overlapping structures and the fluidity of tonal transitions constitute an extremely significant element in assessing the quality of the image. The colour grading in the tested television stands at a fairly decent level. It cannot be said to be outstanding, but it is also not bad. We assess it as adequate. Brighter scenes perform best here, showing the least amount of stuttering. In scenes recorded in darker settings, slight deficiencies in grading can already be noticed, although this is not an issue that would cause discomfort while watching. This may be disrupted by the bleed of the backlighting, which is clearly visible in the last image.

This is one of the best televisions we have had the opportunity to test in terms of the smoothness of tonal transitions. Any potential imperfections are so minor that you really have to strain your eyes to notice them. They are subtle enough that we only deducted a symbolic fraction of points in this category. Without a doubt, this is one of the greatest advantages of this model. It is possible that such a good effect is partly due to the matte screen coating, which gently masks any irregularities in the colour gradation. The smoothness of tonal transitions in Samsung The Frame LS03D is at a level that will satisfy even exceptionally demanding users. Kudos to LS03D!

The function responsible for improving gradation has been named "Noise Reduction" in the menu. As we have confirmed, it is worth enabling, as it has a positive effect on tonal transitions. More importantly, it does not negatively affect the film grain or the fine details, which the competition sometimes "blesses" us with.

The image scaling on Samsung Q70D should be rated as average. The manufacturer does not intend to artificially sharpen the image, but rather to leave it naturally softened.

It’s time to check how Samsung The Frame LS03D performs with older, lower-quality materials. We already know that the fluidity of tonal transitions is at a very high level here, so we were curious to see how the television would handle smoothing them out.

The noise reduction feature in the "Standard" setting does its job well – tonal transitions are noticeably smoothed out, and at the same time, the image does not lose too much detail. However, it is worth noting that this effect also smooths out film grain, so its use will be a matter of individual preference.

When it comes to image scaling, the television also performed really well. The test chart turned out solid – the model was reproduced correctly, with clear details. The branches in the background, though slightly frayed in places, generally appear natural and do not stand out as imperfections.

Samsung Q70D is the first model in the manufacturer's portfolio featuring a 120Hz panel. Consequently, its motion smoothing functions are more advanced than those in lower-tier models. Within the menu, we find three functions responsible for improving smoothness: "Motion Blur Reduction," "Judder Reduction," and "Clear Motion (LED)." We will discuss the third one later. The first function is responsible for sharpness in motion, while the second adjusts the level of smoothing. The smoother in Samsung Q70D performs satisfactorily, and each setting brings noticeable changes. Therefore, those who dislike the characteristic juddering in films or are avid sports viewers will be able to achieve a personalised level of smoothing. In the picture, we present a setting with slight smoothing, without the soap opera effect.

The panel used in Samsung Q70D features a fairly good response time for this type of display. Of course, it won't be as sharp as a proverbial razor, but at this price, it is a recommendable choice for all kinds of sports.

Firstly, it is worth noting that the model we tested in the size of 55 inches, like the 65, 75 and 85-inch versions, is equipped with a 120 Hz panel. Unfortunately, the 43 and 50-inch variants of this series only offer 60 Hz panels, which is worth keeping in mind when making a purchase. As for improving motion fluidity, the television offers a feature called “Picture Clarity”. This is a classic motion smoother that gives users the ability to adjust it using two sliders:

Motion blur reduction – this controls the sharpening of the image in dynamic scenes. The higher the value, the less blur during quick camera movements or moving objects. However, overly aggressive settings may cause the image to become unnatural, appearing like a “soap opera”.

Judder reduction – this slider influences the smoothness of frame playback, particularly in materials with a lower frame rate, such as films (24 fps). Higher settings can smooth motion but may also lead to excessive “plasticity” of the image.

Both sliders operate on a scale from 0 to 10, allowing for precise adjustment of the effect to one’s own preferences. It is worth experimenting with the settings to find the perfect balance between fluidity and a natural appearance of the image. We recommend setting them as shown in the picture.

The tested television is equipped with four HDMI 2.1 ports. Interestingly, all of them have a bandwidth of 40 Gbps; however, during the conducted tests, we did not find any negative effects related to this state of affairs. Moreover, and more importantly, Samsung Q70D supports all functions resulting from the aforementioned standard. This news will surely please all gamers, as it means that whether using a console or a PC, we can count on the highest possible comfort during gameplay. Given the typical absence of HDR Dolby Vision for this manufacturer, it is significant that the HGIG mode has been correctly implemented and there is no issue with setting the calibration checkerboard. We particularly note that Samsung, as the only manufacturer, allows gameplay with the smoothener turned on, without significant degradation. This means that titles running at 30 fps will be perceived like those with native 60 frames per second.

Samsung, as one of the first manufacturers, introduced the Game Bar to its televisions, which it has consistently refined since then. It contains all the necessary information regarding gameplay parameters that we can change "on the fly".

To summarise: Samsung Q70D performs excellently both with a console and a computer. All functions worked perfectly and there were no issues with them. The ability to enable the smoothener without a significant increase in input lag is a true game changer.

The Frame LS03D in the 2024 version has been equipped with four HDMI ports, but only one of them supports the 2.1 standard with a bandwidth of 40 Gb/s. This is important information if we plan to connect more than one device that requires a 4K@120 Hz signal – for example, two consoles or a console and a gaming PC.

In terms of features for gamers, The Frame truly has a lot to boast about. Here we find ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), and HGiG. It is worth highlighting that HGiG has been very well implemented here, which is particularly important as the television does not support Dolby Vision in games (which is only available on Xbox consoles). In this case, HGiG turns out to be a better standard for gaming.

Samsung has also not forgotten about features that enhance gaming comfort. Game Bar is an advanced panel for gamers that allows for quick adjustment of screen settings without the need to dig through the television's menu. We can even change the aspect ratio from 16:9 to a panoramic 21:9, which may be a significant advantage for some gamers.

However, Samsung's biggest ace up its sleeve is the Game Motion Plus feature. This is a special smoothness enhancer dedicated to games that adds additional frames of animation without significantly affecting input lag. The effect is truly noticeable – the image appears much smoother, which fans of dynamic titles will particularly appreciate.

In summary – Samsung The Frame LS03D is a television that offers a solid set of features for gamers. While the limitation to one HDMI 2.1 port may be a downside, the rest of the solutions makes gaming on this television a truly enjoyable experience.

The latency results in Samsung Q70D are at a high level, regardless of the signal or resolution. All gamers will certainly appreciate the manufacturer's efforts, which allow for a game running in 4K 120 Hz with HDR to have a mere 7 ms latency, which is virtually unnoticeable even in online games. It is worth adding that the lag with the smoothness enhancer switched on increases by about twice, which still means very comfortable gaming in this case.

In terms of latency, The Frame LS03D is truly impressive. 13 ms for 60 Hz content and 8 ms for 120 Hz are results that will satisfy even the most demanding gamers. Such low values mean that responses to controller movements are almost instantaneous. In dynamic games, such as shooters or racing games, every fraction of a second matters – this is where Samsung LS03D excels.

After connecting the television to the computer and wanting to use it as a monitor, we can expect a low input lag of 13 ms, which is practically unnoticeable along the mouse-screen-eye line. Thanks to the correct implementation of chroma 4:4:4, the readability of fonts is at a high level, so one can confidently connect the Samsung Q70D to the computer as a monitor and anticipate comfortable work with text.

The subpixel arrangement is BGR, which does not negatively impact the use of the television as a monitor. However, since operating systems are not adapted to such a subpixel format, this may cause slightly less clear outlines. Nevertheless, this is practically negligible and only a handful of people may notice it.

Using a computer on The Frame is truly a pleasant experience. The fonts are clear and well-rendered thanks to support for chroma 4:4:4. There is no blurring or fuzziness, which often occurs in cheaper televisions. Of course, if someone looks very closely at small text, they may notice minimal imperfections, but that's really a minor detail that doesn't interfere with everyday tasks. It is also suitable for PC gaming. The 120 Hz panel, support for G-Sync, and really low input lag ensure that games run smoothly and without delays.

Due to the VA panel, the performance of the Samsung Q70D in terms of viewing angles is its Achilles' heel. Even a slight shift from the axis results in a significant loss of contrast and a substantial degradation of colours.

The viewing angles of the Samsung The Frame LS03D are average, which is typical for a VA panel. Here lies a bit of a problem – this television is supposed to serve as a display for images and works of art, which are not always viewed head-on. When viewed at an angle, colours begin to lose their intensity, and blacks turn into shades of grey. This is not at a level that completely ruins the experience, but if the television is to be placed where it will often be viewed from the side, the effect may be noticeable. It's a shame, as better viewing angles would be a significant advantage for a television of this purpose.

The satin finish of the panel in the Q70D allows for quite good performance in a strongly sunlit room. It is worth noting that the reflections do not extend beyond their source, thus not spilling over onto the rest of the panel. We also commend the maximum brightness of the television in SDR materials, which is 450 nits, allowing for comfortable content consumption during the day.

Samsung The Frame is equipped with a matte panel that excels at suppressing direct light reflections. This means that even in a brightly lit room, the image remains clear, and reflections do not interfere with viewing. Of course, as is often the case with matte finishes, there is a trade-off – colours lose some intensity, and black may appear more washed out during the day. Fortunately, the television compensates for this with a brightness level of 650 cd/m². This ensures that the image is bright, clear, and well visible even in a heavily sunlit room.

The operation of the Samsung Q70D is powered by the proprietary Tizen system. It is quite a well-known software, as the manufacturer has been developing it in its televisions for a really long time. Its main advantage is smooth performance and the absence of significant stutters, which we can confirm through conducted tests. The greatest downside, however, is its closed nature. Although the app store is quite extensive, we are still at the mercy of the manufacturer. Therefore, we will not be able to install missing items, even from a pendrive. A perfect example of this is this year's discontinuation of support for the Tidal app. On the other hand, a benefit, especially for users of Apple equipment, is the implementation of AirPlay, which allows for easy mirroring of content from a device to the television. Fortunately, Samsung has also provided the option to connect a keyboard and mouse for much quicker navigation through the television's menu. It is worth mentioning that the manufacturer has luckily included a remote that connects via Bluetooth this year, which often did not occur in the past. The Tizen system has one more advantage. It integrates very well with external devices such as the NC+ decoder or soundbars. The connection process is very quick and does not require any special skills.

In summary: The Tizen system is very smoothly functioning software, which is certainly a strong advantage of the television. Although more advanced users may complain about the lack of at least KODI, the rest will be satisfied.

Samsung The Frame LS03D is a television that stands out from other models and is difficult to describe in a traditional way. Of course, it includes all the standard Smart TV features thanks to the Tizen system. The system operates responsively, is comprehensive, and offers a wide selection of applications. The remote control supports voice commands in Polish, and additional devices can be connected via Bluetooth – just like in many other televisions. But that's not the essence of this model.

The greatest strength of Samsung The Frame is its design. The "Art" mode allows you to display thousands of high-resolution images, which, combined with a matte display, look truly exceptional. The effect is surprisingly realistic and hard to compare with any other television.

The bezels may not be the thinnest on the market, but you can customise them in terms of colour and style to perfectly blend with your interior. (Sold separately) And while the bezels themselves are not ultra-thin, the entire construction is sleek and elegant. The wall mount, which is included (its value is approximately £80), also deserves special attention. With it, the television can be mounted practically flat against the wall, with no gap, which further emphasises the "picture" effect.

And what about the cables? Samsung thought of that too. The Frame has been equipped with a One Connect module – an external box where all devices are connected. Only one nearly invisible cable runs to the television, which transmits both the signal and power. The box can be easily hidden in a cabinet or behind furniture, which means nothing disrupts the aesthetics of the interior.

Samsung The Frame LS03D is more than just an ordinary television – it is a thoughtfully designed decorative element that combines the modern functionality of Smart TV with exceptional design and practical solutions. Although it lacks typical features such as USB recording or PiP, it is not a model created with a classic approach to television in mind. LS03D the frame is a television that is easy to love for its innovation, originality, and how wonderfully it fits into any interior.

The built-in player Samsung Q70D is one of its major advantages. It handled almost all video and audio files prepared for the testing process excellently. The only exceptions in this regard are, of course, the Dolby Vision format (which is not surprising) and less popular codecs. Additionally, credit should be given for the support of Polish characters and the ability to change font colours. However, it performs worse with photo formats, as it only supports JPEG among the popular ones. There is definitely a lack of formats such as PNG or Apple's HEIC.

The built-in media player in Samsung The Frame handles most popular video and audio formats without major issues. Video files, even those with subtitles that we have added, play smoothly and without interruptions. The same goes for audio files – here too, there are no significant surprises. The situation is somewhat worse when it comes to handling photo formats. The built-in player has certain limitations and does not support all possible types of graphic files. However, nowadays, most people use wireless photo transfer, so for many users, this will not be a major problem.

The built-in audio system Samsung Q70D, due to its slim design, is not among the most outstanding. The overall sound is fairly balanced, although we wouldn't advise increasing the volume above 2/4 of the scale. However, if we have a home cinema system, a number of codecs await us, notably featuring the most important ones, namely DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby Atmos.

The sound on the Samsung The Frame is… well, quite average. The slim design of the television, while looking impressive, doesn’t allow much space for decent speakers. As a result, the sound is flat and lacks dynamism – exactly like most televisions in this category. Samsung is clearly aware of this, as it offers a special series S of soundbars, specifically created for its "lifestyle" televisions, which includes the The Frame.

Samsung QLED Q70D / Q74D / Q77D vs Samsung The Frame LS03D

Advantages

Disadvantages

Our verdict

TV appearance

Where to buy

Contrast and black detail

HDR effect quality

Factory color reproduction

Color reproduction after calibration

Smoothness of tonal transitions

Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions

Blur and motion smoothness

Console compatibility and gaming features

Input lag

Compatibility with PC

Viewing angles

TV efficiency during daytime

Details about the matrix

TV features

Playing files from USB

Apps

Sound