Samsung QLED Q70D / Q74D / Q77D vs SONY BRAVIA 3

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.

Bravia 3 does not hide the fact that it belongs to the group of televisions that are rather modest in terms of brightness. Our measurements showed around 370 nits, which is a value teetering on the edge of where one can still speak of any HDR effect. For some, this is an acceptable level, while for others it is rather typical for SDR content, where spectacular highlights or vivid contrasts are not expected. The impression is that this is not a television for those focused on the highest image quality in demanding cinematic content. However, this does not mean that we cannot find any advantages here. Compared to its predecessor, the X75WL, Bravia 3 has gained an additional PFS filter, which works similarly to solutions known from QLED technology. Thanks to this, the DCI-P3 colour palette has been significantly widened and reaches over 91 percent, which in practice results in more saturated colours and a more pleasing image texture. As a result, even everyday content looks somewhat livelier, and films and series can surprise with vibrant visuals, despite limitations in brightness itself.

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.

Sony Bravia 3 was primarily tested in film mode, which immediately proved to be the best choice among the factory settings. It is not a perfect picture, but compared to the eco mode that the television offers right out of the box, the difference is clear and positive. In film mode, one can notice a certain problem: the image appears too warm, which results from a lack of blue colour in the white balance. Despite this, in SDR content, the final effect can still be considered quite decent and satisfactory for everyday viewing. Much more serious errors occur in HDR materials. The Color Checker analysis showed considerable deviations, and poor brightness management, combined with limited colour gamut coverage, further exposes the shortcomings of the image in this mode. All of this makes HDR on the Bravia 3 appear unconvincing and can spoil the impression left by the quite decent SDR content setting. Fortunately, this is not an insurmountable situation. Various errors can be somewhat mitigated, and some can even be fully corrected through professional calibration. Therefore, we decided to check how the television would perform after such adjustments.

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.

The calibration allowed us to extract significantly more from the Bravia 3 than we could have expected at the beginning. Firstly, it managed to compensate for the deficiency of blue, which had previously caused a noticeable warming of the image. After a slight adjustment to the white balance, most of the errors in the Color Checker measurements for SDR content virtually disappeared. The white tones became more natural, and the brightness management in gamma stabilised to an almost ideal level, not exceeding the threshold of human perception. Thus, it can be confidently stated that in SDR content, after a few adjustments to the settings, the Bravia 3 performs remarkably well. Significantly worse, although still definitely better than before calibration, are HDR contents. The white balance was brought into order, however, the limitations of the IPS panel are insurmountable. The lack of local dimming means that even the smallest elements can be overexposed, which immediately stands out. Colour-wise, the effect is also improved, though far from perfect – many errors still exceed the threshold of four or even five delta E units, meaning they remain visible to the human eye. It was already clear earlier that the Bravia 3 is not a television designed to impress with HDR quality. Nevertheless, it is gratifying that in SDR content, after calibration, the image can look truly excellent, and in this category, the television pleasantly surprised us.

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.

Bravia 3 brings something more to the Sony TV family than just a shared name. It stands out primarily for its ability to enhance the quality of weaker materials thanks to the processor used. Of course, we won’t find the advanced XR chip known from more expensive models here, but even so, it must be admitted that the image in lower resolutions looked surprisingly good. The scaling worked effectively, and most parts of the screen were free from the typical excessive edge tearing found in budget constructions.

Attention should also be paid to the function that improves the smoothness of tonal transitions. In the high setting, it works really well, effectively masking gradation imperfections without significant detail loss. It does happen, however, that the algorithm overly smooths elements that should remain sharp – for example, faces – but overall, the effect is beneficial. The best results were achieved precisely at the highest setting, and this option could be recommended to those watching lower quality content.

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.

The fluidity of motion has never been a strong point of televisions equipped with 60 Hz panels, and the Bravia 3 is no exception. Nevertheless, Sony has added something that may appeal to those more sensitive to the way images are displayed. We are talking about the proprietary motion smoother, Motion Flow, which offers users a considerable range of adjustment options. Thanks to it, one can make the image smoother, even theatrical, or stick to a more cinematic style with the characteristic judder that many simply associate with the filmic atmosphere. These functions work with content at lower frame rates, such as films and series recorded at 24 or 30 frames per second, which are the materials we encounter on a daily basis. It is here that the motion smoother proves to be one of the most important features in everyday use of the television, and this is where the Bravia 3 performs quite well.

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.

Bravia 3 is not equipment for e-sports enthusiasts or fans of night marathons with a controller in hand. The lack of 120 Hz refresh rate and HDMI 2.1 ports closes the topic before it even has a chance to develop. This is a television for casual gamers who will play FIFA or racing games after work, not for someone who measures every frame in a spreadsheet. Nevertheless, Sony has added a few nice extras to ensure it’s not too sparse. ALLM works as it should, automatically switching the television to game mode (low latency). There’s even a simple Game Bar, which is clear. However, the biggest novelty here is the PlayStation Portal app. Thanks to it, you can launch PS5 games wirelessly and view them immediately on the television screen. It sounds great, but just a few minutes is enough to feel significant lag. In our opinion, it’s more of a showcase of capabilities than something that can be used every day. If someone really wants to play, it’s better to connect the console via HDMI cable and forget about wireless issues.