Philips OLED809/819 vs Samsung Neo QLED QN70F / QN74F / QN77F

The Philips OLED 809 delivers a highly satisfactory HDR effect. The television can reach luminance levels exceeding 900 nits in most scenes, and in some cases, even surpassing 1000 nits. This brightness ensures a rich and immersive experience for HDR content with a wide tonal range. The only exception occurs in a scene from the movie The Meg, where a large amount of bright white occupies most of the screen, preventing the TV from reaching higher brightness levels. However, this is not a significant issue, as the performance is still a considerable improvement over its predecessor.

Overall, these brightness levels, especially for an OLED panel not equipped with MLA technology, impress. Coupled with excellent coverage of the DCI-P3 colour spectrum, the Philips OLED 809 offers a truly spectacular HDR viewing experience.

QN70F is a TV that can positively surprise when it comes to brightness. In ideal test conditions, it reaches even 800 nits, which – for this price range – is really solid. Of course, that's a result from measurement test patterns, so we decided to check how it performs in practice, with real movies. Here, the TV somewhat tones down its capabilities. In most of the tested scenes – for example, in "The Meg" – the actual HDR brightness was around 500 nits. That's still a good result that allows you to enjoy HDR effects, although it is far from perfect. On the other hand, we have a QLED screen with a quantum dot layer, which means very good color reproduction capabilities. The colors are vivid and saturated. QN70F covers about 94% of the DCI-P3 color space, and in the wider BT.2020 gamut, it exceeds 75%, so in this regard, there's nothing to be ashamed of.

The best factory mode in which we performed all our tests was "Filmmaker," which is quite standard in televisions from this manufacturer. However, let’s first examine its characteristics before the calibration process. The first aspect we will focus on is white balance, as it is critical to ensuring the image remains free from any colour cast. The chart clearly shows that in both SDR and HDR materials, two colours dominated significantly: red and green, resulting in a strong yellow tint that affected the entire image. This was particularly noticeable on the "ColourChecker" palette, where all colours shifted towards their warmer counterparts.

The second aspect we will assess is what we consider to be the two most important charts for evaluating picture quality: gamma and the Electro-Optical Transfer Function (EOTF) curve. Both aim to maintain appropriate brightness and contrast. The first chart, which describes the brightness levels in SDR materials, shows that the brightness was significantly lower than the reference value marked by the orange line. This resulted in a sharp increase in brightness and a notable decrease in contrast, which was inconsistent with typical OLED television behaviour. The EOTF curve, on the other hand, showed greater "moderation," subtly brightening the overall image only up to 50% of the maximum brightness.

We tested the QN70F in the best default picture mode, which is Filmmaker Mode. It must be said that in this particular test unit, the factory settings performed quite well. The picture was calm, natural, and despite minor deviations, pleasant to perceive. The biggest flaw was a slight dominance of red in the white balance, which caused a slight pinkish tint to the entire scene. However, this was not a glaring flaw – rather subtle and only noticeable when directly compared to a properly calibrated screen. A somewhat larger issue appeared in the brightness characteristic. The television tends to understate the brightness of parts of the image that should be displayed more brightly. As a result, some details can appear slightly dimmed – not so much lost entirely, but not as clearly pronounced as they should be. Nevertheless, as far as a television in this category and in these settings goes, we consider the result to be a good starting point for further calibration.

Philips, like most leading manufacturers, has been providing advanced calibration tools for years. The inclusion of 2- and 20-point grayscale adjustments, along with an advanced CMS (Color Management System), has yielded extremely beneficial results and fundamentally improved the perceived image. Nearly every element previously mentioned has undergone a transformation and has been restored to its natural state. This is particularly noticeable in the "ColourChecker" palette, where the measured colour samples align harmoniously. Notably, the white balance has been excellently calibrated, ensuring a pure image free from unwanted tint in both SDR and HDR content. The previously problematic gamma has been well addressed, with only minor errors that do not impact the overall performance. Similarly, the EOTF curve has been refined, removing the subtle brightening effect, and now offers a truly reference-quality presentation.

After calibration, the QN70F shows that it can offer a really high level of color reproduction. It nearly perfectly balanced the white point, and the values in the Color Checker test dropped below 3 – that is, below the threshold at which the average eye can perceive differences. The image looks natural, and the colors are accurately represented, without excessive saturation or the coolness known from factory settings. It must be said 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 much more expensive models in terms of color accuracy. The only thing one could still criticize is the brightness characteristics. There is still a tendency to brighten the smallest parts 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.

Philips OLED 809 struggled significantly in the smooth tonal transitions test. Focusing on the TV's algorithms, particularly the feature responsible for removing posterisation, the results were disappointing. This function, which offers several adjustable settings, proved ineffective in practice. The highest setting, while it does mitigate inconsistencies, it simultaneously blurs the entire image, rendering it virtually useless.

When dealing with lower-quality content, the performance of image upscaling algorithms becomes crucial. In this regard, the algorithms implemented in the OLED 809 perform admirably. They enhance image quality effectively, with minimal visible artefacts. Although slight edge fraying can occasionally be observed, it is unlikely to be noticeable during typical viewing sessions.

Samsung QN70F offers a distortion reduction feature that improves the smoothness of tonal transitions. In "Standard" mode, it works quite well - smoothing problematic transitions without significantly interfering with the image structure. Film grain is partially removed, but details such as texture or skin structure still remain visible. The "High" mode operates much more aggressively. 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 off this feature. 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 impressive. Despite slight aliasing of contours, everything looks clean and clear, even if the original content was very poor. It's just a shame that the TV has an overscan issue that cannot be completely turned off. As a result, the image from very low resolution may be slightly cropped, which is mainly visible on subtitles or the interface.

The maximum refresh rate achievable on the Philips OLED 809 is 144 Hz, a feature that can be fully utilised when connected to a high-performance PC. However, when connected to consoles or used for standard television viewing, the refresh rate remains at typical values. For users seeking enhanced motion fluidity or wishing to eliminate the characteristic choppiness of films shot at 24 fps, Philips provides a sophisticated motion-smoothing system.

In the settings menu, there is a "Smoothness" slider designed to reduce choppiness, along with a "Motion Blur Reduction" option to enhance the sharpness of fast-moving elements. These features perform impressively and allow for granular adjustments, ensuring that each setting has a tangible impact on motion perception. Notably, the system operates effectively at a refresh rate of 120 Hz, taking advantage of multiples of video frame rates. With this comprehensive range of options, users can easily fine-tune the settings to suit their preferences. For example, slight smoothing without inducing the soap opera effect offers a balanced viewing experience.

Motion clarity on the OLED 809 is further bolstered by the exceptional response time of the OLED panel, measured at approximately 0.1 ms. This surpasses the performance of IPS/ADS or VA panels, making OLED technology unrivalled in this area.

The QN70F is a television with a refresh rate of 144 Hz, which puts it at the forefront in terms of image smoothness. Whether we are watching dynamic sports broadcasts or playing on a console, the picture looks very good. There is no feeling of stuttering, chopping, or the typical "tearing" in fast motion that is common in lower-end models. Samsung also allows you to adjust the smoothness to your own preferences. In the picture clarity settings, we find options such as blur reduction and motion smoothing – each of which can be adjusted independently. This is especially useful when watching content with a lower frame rate and we want to give it a smoother, more cinematic character – or on the contrary, maintain the natural film "feeling" of 24 frames.

The Philips OLED 809 fully supports all technologies included in the HDMI 2.1 standard, and during testing, each activated without issue. This makes the TV an excellent choice for gamers, whether on console or PC. Notably, it features HGIG mode as a strong alternative to Dolby Vision, which is less ideal for gaming on this model due to its high input lag.

The TV also includes a dedicated GameBar for monitoring gameplay parameters and adjusting settings quickly. Features like a crosshair overlay for sniper shots, shadow enhancement for better visibility, and a colour filter for gamers with visual impairments further enhance its gaming appeal.

In summary, the OLED 809 is a fantastic choice for gaming, equipped with VRR, ALLM, G-Sync, FreeSync, and HDR Dolby Vision gaming for a deeply immersive experience. The only drawback is the artificial sharpness in game mode, which cannot be fully softened, regardless of settings.

Samsung QN70F is truly a solid choice for gamers. Here we have as many as four HDMI 2.1 ports with full bandwidth of 48 Gbps, which means full support for gaming in 4K at 144 Hz refresh rate. In addition, we have all the basic features we expect today: auto low latency mode (ALLM), variable refresh rate (VRR), and a very well-designed, intuitive Game Bar with information about the mode, resolution, and frame count.

It's also worth highlighting the Game Motion Plus feature, which allows you to add artificial frames to games running at 60 fps or less. It works surprisingly well and in many titles – especially those where consoles struggle to maintain a stable framerate – it improves gameplay smoothness without significant lag.

Unfortunately, there are also some drawbacks. The lack of support for Dolby Vision mode is not surprising – it's a standard for Samsung. But the much bigger disappointment is the absence of the HGiG feature. What's worse, it was removed in a software update, leaving users who previously used it quite shocked. Without HGiG, you can't manually set the maximum HDR brightness from the console, which results in some games looking slightly washed out – especially if the TV misinterprets the tonal range. Why did Samsung, a brand that has set standards in gaming features for years, decide to take such a step? It's hard to say. At the time of writing this review, the tested TV was running on software version 1110 – and frankly, if you care about full support for gamers, it's better to temporarily hold off on updates.