Samsung QLED Q70D / Q74D / Q77D vs TCL V6C

The brightness of the Samsung Q70D is fairly average, yet it delivers a noticeable HDR effect. With brightness exceeding 400 nits, the distinction between SDR and HDR materials becomes evident. As observed in the discussion about contrast and black levels, the TV's performance varies across different scenes. In a scene featuring a bright sun against a darker foreground, the measured luminance is lower. However, in a scene with a large, bright light source dominating the frame, the TV achieves its peak brightness, reaching nearly 500 nits—a commendable result for its price range and display class.

Despite these strengths, the relatively low coverage of the wide DCI-P3 color gamut occasionally results in less vivid color reproduction. Even so, the TV offers rich colors and precise shade reproduction, enhancing the movie-watching experience. Furthermore, the Q70D excels in motion blur elimination during dynamic scenes, making it a solid choice for enjoying sports broadcasts and gaming.

When it comes to HDR, the TCK V6C clearly shows that it is not its strong suit. Peak brightness around 200 nits makes it difficult to talk about true HDR effects – the image simply remains too dark to extract details in bright scenes or convey the appropriate dynamics. Although the TV formally supports many HDR formats, in practice it is not adapted for such demanding content. The lack of additional coatings that enhance colors, such as QLED or PFS LED, further limits the appeal of the image – in more spectacular productions, colors may seem washed out compared to more expensive models. Therefore, the V6C will primarily serve as a television for everyday TV, YouTube, or SDR materials, rather than as equipment for high-quality cinematic experiences.

The best factory mode on the Samsung Q70D is "Filmmaker," and it is the one we used when conducting various tests. Before the calibration process, it had several flaws that effectively prevented the conveyance of the director's intentions. In both SDR and HDR materials, the white balance was dominated by red and green colors. As a result, there was a characteristic yellow tint on the image, causing whites to appear yellowed and creating issues with skin tones, which were noticeably too warm. The reduced gamma in the standard color gamut materials caused a significant drop in the already low contrast. This resulted in an emphasis on details in the blacks but also in blown-out images in brighter scenes. The EOTF curve, in this case, turned out to be much better and only lightened those scenes with relatively low luminance. This was clearly visible in the section where we measured the maximum brightness of the television in HDR materials. At that time, the frame from the movie "Billy Lynn" was unnaturally bright and lacking depth.

We started the color reproduction tests with the Filmmaker mode, which in theory should be the best choice right after taking the television out of the box. It certainly performs better than the Eco or Dynamic modes, which heavily interfere with the image and spoil its natural character. As you can see in the charts, the factory tuning of the V6C is not ideal, although it’s not a disaster either. The biggest problem turned out to be a lack of red – the television clearly "cools" the image, which is particularly noticeable on human faces, giving a "corpse skin" effect. This issue was the most bothersome in daily viewing. Looking at the color palette in HDR content, the deficiencies in red are also noticeable, and their source is the relatively narrow coverage of the color space. Of course, every television can be calibrated, so we decided to check how the V6C would perform after such an adjustment.

Fortunately, Samsung provides a wide range of calibration tools in all its televisions, where we can find 2-point and 20-point grayscale adjustments as well as advanced CMS. Thanks to this, we were able to significantly improve the quality of SDR and HDR materials. The vast majority of errors have been corrected, and the image that the Samsung Q70D now generates is definitely closer to the reference. Higher deltaE errors in the high dynamic range materials are primarily due to the display's insufficient luminance.

My dear friends – we haven't had such a difficult "calibration battle" in years. The V6C turned out to be one of the most stubborn TVs we've dealt with in the editorial office. The calibration trials alone took us several working hours and required a lot of patience. We finally managed to slightly warm up the skin tones, which made the faces stop looking like they were straight out of a horror film, a flaw in the factory settings. Unfortunately, that's not the end of it – the TV reacted to our adjustments in white balance in a completely unpredictable way. Where we expected image stabilization in a given area, new errors appeared, and the Color Checker measurements showed deviations that couldn't be rationally explained. It's hard to say whether the software or the construction itself was to blame, but one thing is certain – the V6C offered exceptionally strong resistance. In the end, the calibration brought improvement, especially in SDR content, where the image became more pleasant and natural. However, it must be clearly stated that the design limitations remained. The TV still flattens the image in HDR material and has significant deficiencies in color reproduction. This is equipment rather intended for everyday TV watching or SDR materials than for cinematic screenings in the highest quality.

The function responsible for improving gradation is named "Noise Reduction" in the menu. As we have confirmed, it is worth activating as it has a positive effect on tonal transitions. More importantly, it does not negatively affect film grain or fine details, which sometimes the competition "offers" us.

Image scaling in Samsung Q70D should be rated as average. The manufacturer aims not to artificially sharpen the image but to leave it naturally softened.

When it comes to upscaling, the V6C does not bring anything groundbreaking. Lower quality content is heavily sharpened, making the image look very unnatural, sometimes even artificially. This can be partially mitigated by lowering the sharpness level in the settings, but the effect is not spectacular. The image still remains far from ideal. The digital processing itself performs better. The function responsible for smoothing tonal transitions works quite effectively, especially at the medium setting, where the image indeed appears smoother. Unfortunately, its operation is quite aggressive – it heavily interferes with the overall scene, causing the actors in the foreground to start looking like characters from super smooth telenovelas. Therefore, we would not recommend using this option if natural reception of the image is important to us.

The Samsung Q70D is the first model in the manufacturer's range to feature a 120Hz panel, resulting in more advanced motion smoothing capabilities compared to lower-category models. Within the menu, three functions are dedicated to improving motion fluidity: "Motion Blur Reduction," "Judder Reduction," and "Clear Motion (LED)." The third option will be discussed separately. The first function enhances sharpness during motion, while the second adjusts the degree of smoothing. The smoothness feature on the Samsung Q70D performs well, with each setting delivering a noticeable effect. This allows viewers to customise the level of fluidity, making it suitable for those who dislike the typical stuttering of films or enjoy watching sports. The accompanying picture illustrates a configuration with mild smoothing, avoiding the soap opera effect.

The panel employed in the Samsung Q70D offers a commendable response time for its class. While it won't deliver razor-sharp motion clarity, it is a strong choice for sports enthusiasts at this price point.

Motion smoothing and motion fluidity is an area where the V6C quickly reveals its limitations. It is a 60 Hz TV, so it was hard to expect miracles here. In dynamic sports scenes, the picture comes off rather average. This is most noticeable in darker scenes, where clear smears and blurry "halos" trail behind moving objects, which can be quite distracting. This is definitely a weaker point of this model. Fortunately, there is also a small plus. The V6C is equipped with motion interpolation, which works while watching movies. Thanks to it, productions recorded at 24 frames per second, meaning practically all cinematic titles as well as series, can look smoother than they were actually recorded. Importantly, the intensity of the effect can be adjusted to personal preferences – from slight smoothing to full "soap opera effect."

The tested television, Samsung Q70D, has four HDMI 2.1 ports, all offering a bandwidth of 40 Gbps. Despite this, no negative effects were noticed during testing. More importantly, the TV supports all features associated with the HDMI 2.1 standard. This will certainly please gamers, as it ensures optimal gaming performance using a console or a PC. While HDR Dolby Vision is absent, the correct implementation of HGIG mode and the absence of any calibration checkerboard issues are noteworthy. Additionally, Samsung stands out by allowing gaming with the smoothness enhancer activated without significant performance degradation. This means that 30 fps titles are perceived similarly to those running at a native 60 frames per second.

Samsung was one of the first manufacturers to introduce the Game Bar, which has been consistently improved. It provides all necessary gameplay information and allows users to adjust "on the fly."

In summary, the Samsung Q70D performs excellently with both consoles and computers. All functions worked seamlessly, and there were no issues. The ability to activate the smoothness enhancer without a noticeable increase in input lag is a game-changing feature.

Although the V6C is not a television designed with avid gamers in mind, TCL has included a few features that may appeal to more casual users. There is no 120 Hz panel or HDMI 2.1 ports, but there is an ALLM mode that automatically switches the TV to low-latency mode. Additionally, there is a quite practical Game Bar – a simple panel that allows you to view basic parameters, change the picture mode, or even enable a virtual crosshair on the screen. An interesting feature is also the support for Dolby Vision Gaming, intended for Xbox Series S/X consoles – a nice addition, though in practice it doesn't offer as much as in more expensive models. However, the biggest problem remains HDR configuration. The HGiG feature, which adjusts the brightness and contrast of games to the panel's capabilities, does not respond as we would expect – the image can end up being overly dark or too flat. As a result, a better solution turns out to be simply playing in SDR mode, where the V6C performs stably and does not try to pretend to be an HDR TV.