Samsung QLED Q80D vs Philips PML8709

In the context of HDR, the Samsung Q80D television delivers impressive brightness performance in tested movie scenes, achieving levels between 600 to 900 nits when the frame is filled with light. This brightness enhances the vibrancy of the image and allows users to perceive the differences between HDR and SDR quality. However, challenges arise when small light effects appear against a dark background. For instance, in specific scenes, such as test slide 4 from Sicario 2, there is a noticeable drop in brightness due to the larger size of the dimming zones employed by the television. This limitation, coupled with the local dimming algorithm, affects the TV's ability to accurately display small bright elements on dark backgrounds, leading to a lack of brightness that can diminish the HDR effect, making it appear similar to SDR quality.

Looking at the contrast results, we expected that the algorithms responsible for the zones in the Philips PML8709 would be at least decent. However, what we encountered during testing is hard to explain. The maximum brightness we were able to achieve was only 350 nits, which is definitely too low to fully enjoy HDR effects. In practice, the TV barely stands out against an average SDR. The situation becomes even more surprising in the case of test scenes, such as the second one from the movie Life of Pi or Sicario 2. Small light elements reach only 120 nits there, making them practically invisible. Such a level of brightness is completely inadequate to modern HDR standards and significantly diminishes the viewing experience of high-quality content. The only bright spot in this category is the very good coverage of wide color gamuts – 97% DCI-P3 and 83% BT.2020. This ensures that colors are saturated and well reproduced, which can improve the overall viewing experience of HDR materials, even if just a little. However, the lack of appropriate brightness means that even this cannot save the Philips PML8709 in this category.

In "Filmmaker" mode, which is considered the best out-of-the-box choice, the Samsung Q80D demonstrates solid colour reproduction. However, when viewing SDR content, there is a visible drop at the beginning of the gamma curve, suggesting that details in dark scenes may be less clear, which could detract from the overall viewing experience. While the white balance in SDR content is generally accurate, significant drops in blue at screen coverage above 70% can lead to less natural hues in both bright and dark scenes. Users might notice that some blue elements appear less intense, resulting in a warmer tint to the colour presentation.

For HDR content, the EOTF (Electro-Optical Transfer Function) curve being above the reference line most of the time indicates that the TV may struggle to accurately reproduce brightness and detail in the brighter areas of the image, which can be less than ideal for viewers. Additionally, there is a notable drop at the beginning of this graph, signifying the TV's difficulty in reproducing brightness in dark areas; this limitation is apparent in contrast and black tests, where several scenes fail to showcase the TV's full brightness potential.

Regarding white balance, the initial performance on the chart is promising, however, a sharp drop in red, coupled with a significant rise in blue, may lead to inaccuracies in reproducing certain skin tones and other key colours. This issue can be particularly noticeable in scenes where colour details are essential, potentially affecting the viewer's overall experience.

Although theoretically the Filmmaker mode on the Philips PML8709 should provide natural color reproduction, in reality it resembles a store mode more. In the white balance, both for HD and 4K content, there is a clear dominance of blue. This makes the image appear washed out and cold, which is particularly noticeable in the comparison picture below.

The brightness characteristics also leave much to be desired. Both the gamma and the EOTF curve show excessive screen brightness. As a result, there is a loss of detail in both the brighter and darker parts of the image, which further diminishes its credibility and naturalness. Bright elements appear unnaturally flat and little varied.

These significant problems in white balance and brightness characteristics lead to noticeable color reproduction errors, which can be easily seen in films as well as in the Colour Checker test. The colors are imprecise, affecting the overall image quality and visual experience. The factory settings require substantial improvement to fully enjoy the potential of this television.

After calibration, the Samsung Q80D’s Movie mode offers a noticeable improvement over the out-of-the-box settings. Samsung provides an advanced suite of calibration tools, including 2- and 20-point grayscale adjustments as well as a CMS (Colour Management System), allowing for precise control over both SDR and HDR content. The calibration greatly enhances white balance, although minor errors remain in HDR content toward the end of the graph. Contrast has also improved, and the gamma curve for SDR content now aligns well with expected levels.

In HDR, the EOTF curve initially appears to sit ideally, however, closer examination reveals all lines are slightly above the reference line, a phenomenon that may be seen as the TV "enhancing" brightness for added appeal. This effect, however, comes at a cost: while the screen may appear brighter overall, it sacrifices detail in darker areas, leading to a loss of subtle textures in shadowed scenes. As a result, scenes with deep shadows or dark elements may lose some finer visual details that would enhance the viewing experience.

Philips offers advanced image calibration tools in its televisions, which we decided to fully utilize. The effects? While we managed to improve many aspects, it was not without difficulties. White balance was one of the biggest challenges – despite our efforts, it can be called a battle against windmills. We managed to correct it significantly, making the image look much better than in the factory settings, but it is still far from perfect. Particularly in some scenes, a subtle dominance of blue is noticeable, though not as intense as before. We achieved significant improvement in brightness characteristics – gamma now presents itself much more stably. The EOTF curve looks correct at first glance; however, when analyzing film content, it becomes evident that the television has difficulty maintaining the appropriate characteristics. The algorithms "struggle" to adjust brightness, which may result from the limited number of dimming zones that do not always cope with more complex scenes. Overall, the image after calibration looks much more pleasant to the eye – colors are more natural, and errors in color reproduction have been minimized. Although it's still not perfect, the Philips PML8709 now presents itself much better than in the factory settings.

Performing admirably with low-quality content, the Q80D’s noise reduction feature uses gentle gradation to smooth out unwanted image disturbances. However, this technique can also soften certain details, like film grain, that some viewers might prefer to retain. For those who appreciate a more polished and smoother image, particularly with lower-resolution material, this becomes a significant advantage.

In terms of image scaling, the Q80D stands out, enhancing both quality and detail for lower-resolution media. Advanced processing technology reduces artefacts and maintains clarity, as seen in the clean edges and absence of fraying in elements like branches during test scenes. This capability makes it an excellent option for viewers seeking an enhanced and comfortable viewing experience, even with less-than-ideal content quality.

The distortion reduction function in the Philips PML8709 smooths tonal transitions, but its effectiveness leaves much to be desired. We recommend setting this option to "Medium" – at this level, the effect is noticeable but not excessive. Unfortunately, compared to other Philips models, the smoothing effect is less effective, meaning that some tonal transitions may still appear slightly uneven. An additional drawback is that this function also smooths other details, such as material textures like shirts, which can affect image sharpness.

As for image scaling, the television performs very well. The image appears plastic and free of noticeable "jaggies." This effect may appeal to many users, although some may prefer a more pronounced look. Fortunately, the television allows for adjusting the sharpness parameter, enabling us to tailor the image to individual preferences.

Motion smoothness and blur reduction are standout features on the Samsung Q80D TV, thanks to its 120Hz panel and impressive response time. Users have two customisation options to enhance smoothness: "Motion Blur Reduction," adjustable on a 10-step scale for refined control, and "Blur Reduction," which works particularly well at higher refresh rates, enhancing clarity in fast-moving scenes. In the UFO test, the panel performs without trailing or forward-cloning effects, indicating a lack of overshoot and delivering clear, sharp visuals during rapid motion.

Philips PML8709 is one of the few models with mini-LED technology on the market that offers a refresh rate of 60 Hz. Although it is not a panel for the most demanding gamers, it should satisfy those who mainly watch movies. The television is equipped with the "Motion Style" feature, which is a motion smoother that allows you to adjust the fluidity of motion according to your preferences – from a more "plastic" appearance to a cinematic aesthetic with clearly visible frames.

The Samsung Q80D is a fantastic choice for gamers, offering a range of advanced gaming features that are rare in this price category. Equipped with four HDMI 2.1 ports, it enables key functionalities like ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), and 120Hz support at 4K resolution, ensuring smooth and responsive visuals, essential for fast-paced gaming. The TV also supports HGIG (HDR Gaming Interest Group) for optimal HDR display in games and includes a Game Bar for quick access to gaming settings. Gamers with Nvidia graphics cards will appreciate the G-Sync support that eliminates screen stuttering and tearing.

Although it lacks Dolby Vision support, which may disappoint those seeking that HDR format, Samsung has partnered with Microsoft since 2022 to provide the Xbox Game Pass app, enabling cloud gaming access to a wide library of games without a console.

Philips PML8709 is a television aimed more at occasional gamers, mainly due to its 60 Hz panel, which does not meet the expectations of the most demanding users. However, for those who appreciate gameplay at a more measured pace, this model may prove sufficient.

The television offers several gamer-friendly features, such as ALLM (automatic switching to game mode) and VRR (variable refresh rate), which help in displaying images more smoothly without annoying stutters. Moreover, in terms of HDR, we find here the implementation of HGiG, which adjusts the HDR effect to the specifics of games, providing a more natural image in appropriately optimized titles. Unfortunately, there is no support for Dolby Vision mode, which may be felt in games that utilize this format.

A nice addition is the presence of a basic "Game Bar," which allows for quick preview and modification of key settings related to gaming. It's a simple yet helpful feature, especially for those who often change their setup between different types of gameplay. Despite certain limitations, the Philips PML8709 offers a solid set of features for less demanding gamers.