Samsung QN900D Neo QLED 8K vs TCL C75B

The Samsung QN900D television demonstrates its high capabilities in light production in synthetic tests without any issues – 1400 nits is truly an impressive figure. It also showcased these capabilities in the first scene from the film "Life of Pi," where we see a brilliant burst of the rising sun. However, due to problems with the dimming algorithm, some issues can be noticed here. In the test scenes from "Sicario 2" and the second scene from "Life of Pi," these values are no longer as high and amount to around 500-600 nits. While this may not be the worst result among Mini LED televisions, one could expect more given the price of the television. Nonetheless, the television deserves praise for covering a wide colour gamut of DCP P3 at 96%. Although there are technologies offering higher values, this result is still satisfactory.

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.

The television QN900D offers a Filmmaker mode that has been created with the intention of watching films in the most natural way possible, however, this mode is not without certain flaws. For HD content, the white balance shows a dominance of red and blue colours, causing the image to take on pink hues. In contrast, for 4K HDR content, the situation is the opposite – the decrease in blue and red levels warms up scenes and shifts colours towards yellow tones. This is confirmed by Color Checker tests, which clearly show that colour samples are veering in this direction.

As for brightness and the associated contrast, the gamma is significantly impaired. The biggest issue is a noticeable jump at the beginning of the graph, which indicates that dark details are excessively brightened, resulting in a loss of depth in the darkest areas of the image – this is due to local dimming. For 4K HDR materials, the EOTF curve looks quite good, however, it remains below the reference level, impacting the overall dynamics of the image.

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 Filmmaker mode can indeed be called worthy of its name. The white balance for both HD and 4K HDR content has been significantly improved, making colours more natural and consistent. The image has gained in realism, and pink hues in HD content have been effectively eliminated, as has the yellowish glow in 4K HDR content. Thanks to calibration, the television now offers much better colour reproduction, positively affecting the viewing experience.

As for brightness, the situation with gamma is now quite the opposite – at the beginning of the graph, there is a noticeable drop, making the darkest details harder to discern. The EOTF curve for 4K HDR content has remained largely unchanged and is still below the reference level, meaning the television still struggles to maintain proper brightness. This is related to the aggressive dimming algorithm that affects the overall brightness of the image. You can see how the television fights to maintain high brightness or perfect black.

Despite the limitations associated with local dimming, the Samsung QN900D has improved colour reproduction quality, as confirmed by the Color Checker test results – the colour samples are now much closer to the targets, making the image more natural and pleasing to the eye.

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 fluidity of tonal transitions in lower-quality materials is impressive – the Noise Reduction feature effectively smooths tonal transitions while eliminating film grain. Although the removal of grain is not always desirable, the overall final effect looks very aesthetically pleasing, particularly for those who prefer a cleaner image.

When it comes to upscaling, or image scaling, QN900D shows the enormous potential of the new processor with AI technology. Images and materials in lower resolution are upscaled while preserving many details – for example, a photo of a model looks fantastic, free of unnecessary jagged edges, and the branches in the background are not overly jagged.

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.

Samsung QN900D is currently the fastest television in the world – literally. A refresh rate of 240 Hz in 4K resolution is an incredible value that PC gamers will surely appreciate. As for cinema fans, they will not be disappointed either – Samsung offers a 10-step clarity scale in the picture settings, allowing for image adjustments. We can choose whether the television should provide a smoother, theatrical effect at the highest settings, or a more cinematic experience, with visible frames, at the lowest settings.

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 QN900D is a television that offers excellent compatibility with consoles and a range of features that gamers will appreciate. It has 4 HDMI 2.1 ports, although unfortunately without the full bandwidth of 48 Gb/s. Nevertheless, for the average user, this is more than sufficient. Additionally, the television supports Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), which means a smoother image and no screen tearing during dynamic gameplay. The G-Sync and FreeSync technologies also deserve attention, as they ensure optimal cooperation with consoles and computers equipped with the appropriate graphics cards, minimizing stuttering and providing a smooth image.

One of the unique features available only in Samsung televisions is the Xbox Game Pass app, which allows for game streaming without the need for a console. This is a very convenient solution that lets you enjoy your favourite games without the need to purchase additional hardware. Furthermore, the QN900D has a Game Bar – a special panel that enables quick access to game-related settings, making the configuration of game mode fast and intuitive.

Another interesting feature is a function called Auto Motion Plus Game, which is a special motion smoothing mode that can increase the frame rate (operating at a maximum for a 4K@60Hz signal). Importantly, this does not cause a significant increase in input lag, allowing the player to enjoy both greater image smoothness. All these features make the Samsung QN900D an excellent choice for those looking for a gaming television with the highest possible specifications.

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.