Samsung Neo QLED QN90D / QN92D vs TCL C75B

During synthetic tests, the Samsung QN92D demonstrated remarkable brightness capabilities, reaching an impressive 2000 nits—on par with top models in the market. This level of brightness puts it at the forefront for displaying HDR content, where high brightness is essential. But how does it fare in real movie scenes? Under favourable conditions, such as the light-drenched opening and closing scenes of Life of Pi, the QN92D nearly replicates its lab results, delivering striking brightness levels. However, performance changes in scenes featuring small, bright objects against dark backgrounds, such as the fourth scene in Sicario. Here, brightness levels drop significantly, with maximum values capping at around 600 nits.

As with contrast, these limitations are due to the aggressive local dimming algorithm, which aims to reduce the "halo" effect around bright objects in dark scenes but often sacrifices overall brightness. Consequently, while the TV excels in scenes with abundant light, it faces challenges maintaining brightness with smaller, bright elements on dark backgrounds.

During our luminance test, the TCL C75B "spat out" about 380 nits of brightness. We recorded similar results while watching most of the films we tested. These can be considered average – the television does not perform badly in this segment, but around 400 nits is definitely too low to fully experience the magic of HDR effects. Of course, such results are better than those of budget models, which can achieve nearly half as low brightness values. However, for HDR enthusiasts seeking stronger light effects and greater realism, the C75B may prove insufficient. On the plus side, it's worth mentioning the 95% coverage of the DCI-P3 color palette. This is a very good result that easily suffices to enjoy a wide range of colors in content available on popular streaming platforms. Vivid and rich colors are definitely a strong point of this model.

The best mode for colour reproduction on the Samsung QN92D is Filmmaker mode. Although it generally offers good colour quality, it is not without significant issues. Starting with HD/SDR image quality, the main challenge is white balance. The graphs reveal considerable instability, with a dominant red tint that makes the image appear too warm. This imbalance causes shades to shift unnaturally towards warmer tones, potentially affecting the perception of natural colours. Additionally, while contrast, as indicated by the gamma chart, is not the worst, it still falls short of the ideal, impacting overall image quality, especially in darker scenes.

This issue continues with 4K content, such as high-quality series or films. Here too, white balance proves problematic, with noticeable deficiencies in both blue and red, leading to tonal shifts. Tests using the Colour Checker tool confirm these issues, showing a tendency for colours to skew toward yellow hues, further distorting the natural look of the image. While Filmmaker mode remains one of the best options for cinematic content, it could still benefit from improvements, particularly in colour accuracy and white balance.

TCL C75B offers many picture modes, but in our opinion, the best choice is the "Film" mode. Although its settings are quite good, the television struggles with certain color reproduction issues. In tests, we noticed that the image had a noticeably pinkish tint compared to what could be considered correct. This effect was particularly noticeable in skin tones, which appeared unnaturally warm. The main culprit of this phenomenon turned out to be the white balance, characterized by an excessive amount of blue and red in both HD and 4K HDR materials.

Another issue was the way brightness was reproduced. 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, lost in total blackness (e.g., the bottom part of the screen in the comparative photo - the area around the actress's ear). Similarly, the situation was reflected in the EOTF curve, which was below the correct value, suggesting that a similar problem may be encountered in 4K HDR content.

Thanks to our experience and the appropriate tools, we decided to take matters into our own hands and see how much could be extracted from this model after professional calibration. Details are described in the next section.

After calibration, the Filmmaker mode on the Samsung QN92D shows significant improvement, particularly with SDR content. The white balance has been greatly enhanced — previous colour shifts and red dominance have been corrected, resulting in more natural colour reproduction. Although the gamma curve didn’t require major adjustments, its stabilisation has positively impacted overall picture quality.

In high-quality materials, the white balance has also improved. However, contrast remains an area to watch. The EOTF curve initially appears accurate, but closer inspection reveals that the television struggles to maintain consistent contrast in film content, indicating further room for improvement. Despite these areas, one advantage is the TV’s colour saturation. Skin tones are rendered well, and while some colours may be slightly oversaturated, the overall effect is rich and vibrant.

Despite minor contrast limitations, the calibrated Filmmaker mode on the Samsung QN92D delivers excellent picture quality, with natural colours, making it a strong choice for movie watching.

After calibrating the TCL C75B, it has clearly improved in terms of color reproduction. Although the TV does not offer many options for adjusting the white balance, we were able to refine its settings significantly. As a result, the image has stopped being overly pink, and the colors now look much more natural and harmonious.

The gamma jump, which was previously a problem, has not disappeared completely, but we managed to significantly reduce it. This has made the details in dark scenes more visible – both in HD and 4K HDR material.

Unfortunately, the lack of local dimming is still noticeable. The "glowing black" effect remains, but that's a limitation of the display itself. Despite this, the colors after calibration look vastly better, and the image is much more enjoyable to watch.

Let's examine how the Samsung QN92D television manages tonal transitions in low-quality materials. The noise reduction function is highly effective, enhancing the fluidity of tonal transitions even under challenging conditions. However, it’s worth noting that, as with other Samsung televisions, this feature can occasionally remove desirable elements, such as film grain, which may affect image authenticity. 

In terms of digital processing, the Samsung QN92D also performs impressively. During testing, the image appeared natural and well-balanced, with details like background branches precisely reproduced, underscoring the television’s ability to enhance the quality of low-resolution materials.

The TCL C75B has a tonal transition smoothing feature, but unfortunately, we can't praise it. Regardless of the selected level – low or high – tonal transitions in older materials remained visible, as if the feature didn't work at all. It's hard to say something positive about it because, in practice, it seems completely useless.

The image scaling is better. The TV performs quite decently, although on thinner elements, like branches in the background, you can notice slight halos. However, this is not something that significantly interferes with daily viewing.

Unfortunately, a bigger problem turned out to be overscan, which is the trimming of the image edges. In our tests, it happened that news tickers or other elements close to the edge of the screen were cut off. This is definitely something worth paying attention to, especially if we use the TV for watching news programs or content with text on the screen.

The Samsung QN92D TV features a 144 Hz panel, however, when using the motion smoother, the maximum refresh rate adjusts to 120 Hz. This setup ensures excellent picture quality for both gamers and sports enthusiasts. Additionally, the TV offers a range of image enhancement options, such as the "blur and judder reduction" feature, which lets users fine-tune smoothness on a 10-point scale. Blur reduction sharpens fast-moving objects, while judder reduction smooths out motion, eliminating the "stutter" effect. With these advanced settings, the Samsung QN92D provides optimal visual experiences for dynamic scenes and intense gameplay alike.

The TV performs impressively in terms of motion blur, with minimal issues. The only minor drawback is a slight overshoot effect noticeable on dark backgrounds in our "Ufoludkiem" test. Nonetheless, with its advanced smoothness settings, the Samsung QN92D delivers outstanding performance for both fast-paced scenes and immersive gaming sessions.

TCL C75B definitely has something to offer gamers. The TV 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 great results, especially for a model from the budget range.

Additionally, there are features for improving smoothness and reducing motion blur in films. The "Motion" option allows for precise adjustment of the effect on a 10-step scale, providing a lot of customization options – everyone can set the smoothness to their liking.

The Samsung QN92/QN90 TV is an outstanding choice for avid gamers and is highly recommended. This model provides virtually every gaming feature currently available, enhancing the excitement of gameplay. A standout feature is the 120 Hz panel, delivering impressive motion smoothness, which is especially beneficial during action-packed games. The TV also boasts low input lag, ensuring quick responses to player commands. Additionally, VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) and ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) optimise refresh rates and automatically activate gaming mode, further elevating the gaming experience. An additional bonus is the Xbox app, enabling users to play directly on the TV without needing a console—an exclusive feature in Samsung TVs, adding to their appeal in the gaming world.

Samsung’s Auto Motion Plus Game feature deserves particular praise. This motion smoother is highly effective in gaming, making lower frame rates appear smoother—30 frames per second can look like 45, and 60 Hz can resemble 90 Hz. Crucially, it achieves this without introducing noticeable input lag (keeping it below 25 ms), so gameplay remains highly responsive, unlike many other motion-smoothing options on the market. As a result, players can enjoy a smoother visual experience without sacrificing responsiveness.

The TCL C75B is undoubtedly a television designed for gamers. It offers almost everything that the most demanding console users need. With the implementation of full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1, the television supports features such as ALLM (automatic low latency mode) and VRR (variable refresh rate) – operating across the full capabilities of the TV, up to 240 Hz in Full HD resolution.

Additionally, the television supports advanced HDR technologies, including Dolby Vision and HGiG, which allows for even better detail representation in HDR-optimized games. The C75B is also equipped with a very convenient interface for gamers in the form of a Game Bar, where you can check all key parameters, such as refresh rate, input lag, or picture settings – all within one click's reach.

In a nutshell: the C75B is an excellent choice for gamers, offering a wide range of features that allow for fully enjoying the capabilities of modern consoles and games.