Philips PUS8079 vs Samsung Q6F (IPS)

The Philips PUS8079 has a maximum brightness of just 202 nits in content with a wide tonal range, which is very low and makes it unsuitable for streaming movies and series in the highest quality. Additionally, using HDR with dynamic metadata doesn’t improve the situation, as the only HDR format available on this model is HDR10+, which is rare and has limited content support. The TV also uses WLED backlighting, which is not optimal and results in only 80% coverage of the DCI-P3 wide colour gamut. This limits the intensity of colours in HDR content.

Unfortunately, the Samsung Q6F is a very dark model. Its peak brightness in HDR does not exceed 250 nits, which is definitely too low to even speak of any "high dynamic range" effect, or HDR. In practice, it's better to stick to content in SDR format, which simply looks more predictable on this TV. Another problem is the global dimming technique – in scenes with a lot of black, the TV drastically dims the entire panel to artificially improve the black levels. This causes the image to become even darker, and brightness can drop below 100 nits. The only consolation is the QLED technology, but even here it's average. The applied quantum dot layer is not top-notch, as the coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut does not exceed 90%. As a result, colors in HDR content may just seem under-saturated.

The best factory mode for colour reproduction and fidelity to the director's vision on the Philips PUS8079 was the "Film" mode. However, this setting displayed significant discrepancies between the filmmaker's intent and the actual output. In both SDR and HDR materials (with HDR being less affected), the white balance was off, showing a blue tint similar to store displays, rather than pure whites. When it came to SDR materials, gamma was notably lowered, cutting into the already limited contrast and brightening the overall image. The EOTF curve in HDR content also showed a significant drop below the reference line, making HDR materials appear even darker. The colour accuracy in both SDR and HDR modes was poor, with high deltaE values indicating that the colours were far from their intended representation.

We tested the television in Filmmaker mode, which showed us two completely different faces of this model. Looking at SDR content, we were honestly shocked at how good this TV looks straight out of the box. It was really hard to nitpick anything here. Despite a slight “haze” in the white balance or somewhat brightened details in the blacks (which directly results from the IPS panel's design), color errors hovered around the “2” level. This is surprisingly good, even outstanding, considering the price of this device.

On the other hand, what the Q6F displayed in terms of colors after switching to HDR mode was a very unpleasant surprise. The errors in color reproduction and palette were so huge that our charts literally ran out of scale. Of course, since Samsung even in such an inexpensive model offers very advanced calibration possibilities, we decided to approach the subject professionally and check what could be done about it during calibration.

Fortunately, Philips incorporates advanced image correction tools across its televisions. SDR content benefited the most from these adjustments, with significant improvements in deltaE errors, white balance, and gamma. While the image still isn’t perfect, it is much more watchable, making it easier on the eyes during movie or series viewing. HDR content, however, was more challenging due to the television’s low luminance. While the EOTF curve and white balance improved, the corrections weren’t as effective as with SDR materials. It’s important to note that each unit may have different errors, some larger and some smaller, but the adjustments made were a step in the right direction.

After our calibration, the colors in SDR mode looked even better – the result is quite surprising, as color errors at level "1" are something usually seen in devices costing several thousand dollars. In this regard, the Q6F is really a great screen for everyday television, less demanding series, or movies. Unfortunately, our interference in HDR mode did not bring about a noticeable improvement. The television, due to its poor black levels and low coverage of a wide color gamut, still has significant problems with proper color saturation, especially red. This is an example of a device where HDR mainly exists as a label on the box – for everyday use, we definitely recommend watching content in SDR format.

Let us revisit the topic of tonal transitions, this time in the context of overall image quality enhancement. As shown in the photo on the left, the gradation improvement feature delivers excellent results. It provides multiple settings, each offering noticeable benefits without softening the film grain effect. Once again, it must be emphasised that this feature is the standout advantage of the tested television.

On the other hand, the television’s performance in image scaling leaves much to be desired. Fine details often appear heavily jagged, with a noticeable white halo around figures. Additionally, the significant artificial sharpening detracts from the overall image quality.

The Q6F handles upscaling lower resolution content to native 4K very well. The scaling is surprisingly good here, even for such a budget TV from the QLED series. The only downside is when we watch very low-resolution material, like 576p (typical for old DVD players) – then the image may be slightly cropped. This is because the TV does not allow for the Overscan feature to be turned off, which is a common issue with Samsung devices.

The situation is completely different when it comes to digital processing, which is the attempt to smooth the image from unwanted artifacts. Here, the TV completely fails. Although we find a function in the menu called "Noise Reduction", it yields no visible results regardless of the slider setting. The only thing it seems to do is introduce unwanted errors into the image. Despite its presence in the system, we definitely do not recommend using it.

This paragraph will be notably brief due to the absence of even basic motion-smoothing functionality, which is unsurprising given the device's budget-oriented nature. The VA panel used here is not known for exceptional sharpness and is instead associated with high contrast and slower response times, as confirmed by the matrix analysis results. Photos captured during fast motion reveal typical motion blur for this type of panel. While not ideal, the television could be conditionally suitable for watching sports, though viewers should expect less-than-optimal motion clarity. Additionally, films may exhibit noticeable stuttering due to the lack of any motion-smoothing features, even basic ones.

The 60 Hz panel in the Samsung Q6F is the standard in this price range, which makes it a rather average model for dynamic sports or gaming. However, in the case of movies, the TV performs quite well thanks to the smoothing feature. The "Motion Smoothing" option allows you to adjust the fluidity of motion to your own preferences – from maintaining a cinematic feel to full fluidity.

The Philips PUS8079 provides only basic gaming features, including ALLM, VRR, and a Game Bar. The key highlight is the inclusion of dynamic frequency adjustment, which ensures a smooth image with minimal screen tearing—an impressive offering for this price range.

A notable benefit for gamers is the presence of the Game Bar, allowing adjustments to be made "on the fly" without needing to exit the game. Importantly, this feature retains options found in higher-end models, such as shadow enhancement for improved visibility in darker areas and a colour filter designed to assist gamers with visual impairments.

We won’t beat around the bush – the Q6F is not a television designed with gamers in mind. While it does have features like ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) and VRR frame synchronization for consoles, the list of benefits pretty much ends there. Besides these basics, the TV offers nothing more that might satisfy those who spend a lot of time in front of a console. It’s a real shame that such a useful tool as Game Bar is missing here, which in Samsung’s higher models allows for quick control of game parameters. In terms of gaming, this is an absolutely basic model and is only suitable for "casual" gamers.