Samsung Q60D / Q67D / Q68D vs Samsung U8000F (IPS)

The Samsung Q60D consistently achieves brightness levels above 500 nits, which is above average for its class of devices. This level of brightness enhances the viewing experience, providing a more immersive home cinema feel, with clearly visible details in bright areas of the image and well-rendered contrast dynamics, especially when watching content from streaming platforms or Blu-ray discs. As a result, movie screenings gain added depth and realism, particularly in well-lit scenes.

However, despite incorporating quantum dot technology (QLED), the TV does not excel in colour reproduction. The DCI-P3 colour space coverage is limited to 90%, which may become apparent in more demanding scenes where the richness and saturation of colours are crucial for image quality. While the Q60D offers solid performance, those seeking more vibrant and accurate colour reproduction may notice some limitations.

Better does not mean good – and that perfectly summarizes the capabilities of the U8092F when it comes to displaying bright movie scenes in HDR mode. The brightness of the panel is just under 250 nits, which is definitely too little to enjoy any lighting effects. An interesting situation was noted during the measurement of the fourth scene from the movie Sicario 2 – the television clearly dimmed the entire screen in an attempt to achieve better black levels (which are still weak). One could even suggest that the device uses some form of "global dimming," but unfortunately, the results are still very poor. To make matters worse, the television does not support a wide color gamut – the coverage of the DCI-P3 space is about 80%, so there’s no hope for truly vibrant colors. HDR images here look rather like lightly brightened SDR, and that's the form we would suggest sticking to when it comes to this television.

For several years, Samsung has included a "Filmmaker" mode in its televisions, designed to deliver picture settings that remain true to the original vision of filmmakers straight out of the box. This is undoubtedly a significant move towards achieving cinematic quality at home, but it's important to note that this mode is not without its drawbacks.

For instance, the white balance in both SDR and HDR modes tends to show an excessive amount of red, resulting in an overly warm image. This can cause actors' skin tones and brighter scenes to appear unnaturally pink. The Colour Checker test confirms this issue, as colour samples often shift towards red hues, deviating from the neutral colour representation that would be preferred in a professional context.

In terms of contrast, there is a noticeable dip at the start of the gamma curve, where values below 2.4 fall to around 2.1. This can make darker scenes look less detailed, diminishing their depth. When displaying HDR content, the EOTF curve (which handles brightness representation) shows a significant peak at the beginning of the graph, potentially leading to excessive brightness in lighter areas of the image and disrupting the natural tonal balance.

The Samsung U8000F was tested in the best possible picture mode built into the TV, which is Filmmaker Mode. This mode should – at least in theory – offer a cinematic, reference-quality image without unnecessary enhancements. For SDR content (mainly HD/SD), the TV performed surprisingly well straight out of the box. White balance errors hovered around a value of 3, which is roughly at the threshold of perception. The only complaint could be about brightness management – the gamma chart showed a slight tendency to brighten or darken certain areas, but overall it performed quite well for this price segment.

Unfortunately, it looks much worse in HDR mode. Although the white balance wasn't terrible, the TV had significant color errors – particularly noticeable on the Color Checker chart, where almost every sample landed outside the target point. The HDR image simply looks unnatural, and colors can be shifted, dull, or too cool. This largely stems from the fact that the U8000F does not support a wide color gamut (DCI-P3). The TV is physically incapable of displaying accurate colors in HDR standard – and this unfortunately shows in every more demanding material.

After professional calibration of the Samsung Q60D in film mode, users can experience a notable enhancement in image quality. Samsung TVs have long featured both 2- and 20-point grayscale adjustments, and an advanced Colour Management System (CMS), enabling precise tuning of colour and hue. Following calibration, the white balance for both SDR and HDR content is free from significant peaks and red tone shifts, resulting in a more natural image. Although a few larger errors may still be evident in HDR mode, the overall improvement in colour accuracy is impressive.

In terms of contrast, despite the inherent limitations of the TV’s technology, there has been a marked improvement. Calibration enhances the visibility of details in darker scenes and accentuates the differences between lighter and darker elements, making the image appear more dynamic. This leads to a more satisfying viewing experience, with improved depth and realism in the displayed content.

Although the U8000F offered quite a decent picture in SDR right out of the box, we were able to adjust it a little more. We managed to eliminate a slightly purplish tint and calibrate the gamma to a more reasonable level. However, the television still tends to overemphasize the smallest and brightest parts of the image – the gamma chart shows a characteristic "dip" that is difficult to completely correct.

Unfortunately, the situation looks worse in HDR. It's hard to talk about any significant improvement here – the television is simply not designed for HDR content. We tried to adjust the picture in the advanced settings, but despite everything, the color errors remained quite large – a delta E above 7 indicates noticeable deviations. It's a bit of a shame, but that's the charm of a budget design. In SDR, the U8000F performs just fine, while HDR is simply not its league.

However, when it comes to processing and scaling lower-quality content, the TV performs quite well. The image is displayed without overscan, ensuring the full use of the available screen space. Additionally, the edges of models or tree branches are not overly jagged, resulting in satisfactory content quality. While noise reduction could be more effective, the overall processing of lower-quality materials is positive and meets expectations.

When it comes to how the Samsung U8000F handles lower-quality materials, we have to admit that Samsung has made progress compared to its predecessor from last year – the DU7192 model, which theoretically occupies the same place in the lineup.

This year's model is equipped with a function to improve the fluidity of tonal transitions, which has been implemented much better than last year. Yes, the television still uses quite strong algorithms that can distort details or remove film grain, but even so – it can be confidently said that it works effectively.

However, not everything went perfectly. The U8000F has noticeable issues with slight frame cutting when watching very old content in very low resolution. If someone plans to play their old VHS tape, they should be prepared for the image to appear slightly “cut off.”

The Samsung Q60D is equipped with a 60 Hz panel and includes a feature known as "Motion Reduction," designed to minimise motion blur and improve the overall fluidity of the image. This addition is particularly beneficial for users who enjoy watching films and series, providing a smoother visual experience even during dynamic action scenes where detail is essential. However, while "Motion Reduction" enhances the viewing experience for cinematic content, it is important to note that this panel may not be the optimal choice for gaming due to a noticeable motion blur effect, which can become apparent during fast-paced gameplay.

The Samsung U8000F is equipped with a 60 Hz panel, so right from the start, it’s clear that we shouldn’t expect any miracles. This is simply the standard in this class – sufficient for everyday viewing, but without any fireworks.

The TV offers one motion smoothing slider – a feature called "Motion Blur Reduction", which allows us to adjust the smoothness of the image in movies. Higher settings provide a more "theatrical" and smoothed effect, while lower settings help retain the original character of the film with a slight 24p effect. Interestingly, there is a feature called "Clear Motion LED", which is a BFI mode – that inserts black frames between the frames of the picture to improve motion clarity. However, in practice, the screen flickers significantly when activated, and it should be regarded more as an experiment than something that realistically enhances gaming comfort.

The Samsung Q60D has gaming features such as ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), HGiG (HDR Gaming Interest Group), and Game Bar, which contribute positively to gaming experiences by optimising response times and enhancing HDR visuals. However, the absence of HDMI 2.1 support limits the TV's potential, preventing the use of VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) which could further boost smoothness and image consistency. For casual gamers the Q60D should suffice, delivering satisfactory performance during typical gameplay. On the other hand, for more discerning gamers, models with a higher refresh rate and HDMI 2.1 support are recommended. Such upgrades enable full functionality and better compatibility with the latest games, ensuring smoother motion and superior image quality – essential for an immersive and top-tier gaming experience.

Samsung U8000F offers a basic set of features for gamers, which nonetheless may be sufficient for less demanding users. We have an automatic game mode here – when a game is launched on the console, the TV automatically switches to low latency mode, which significantly improves response time. We also find the VRR feature, or variable refresh rate, which operates within a range of 48 to 60 Hz. This means that both Xbox and PS5 will not produce the "tearing" effect, as long as we stay within this range.

And unfortunately, that's about it for the advantages. Add-ons like Game Bar or higher refresh rates are reserved for the higher models of Samsung from the 2025 line. In theory, the TV also supports the HGiG feature, which should adjust HDR images to the intentions of game developers. Unfortunately – even though this feature appears in promotional brochures and store materials – its configuration on the Xbox console turned out to be... impossible in practice.