Sharp GP7 vs Samsung Q6F (IPS)

In terms of HDR, the Sharp GP7 can pleasantly surprise us. The maximum brightness around 500 nits is the threshold at which the real advantages of high dynamic range become visible. During our tests, we achieved stable values between 430 and 500 nits, which translated to clearer distinction of elements in both bright and slightly darker scenes. Additionally, there is a DCI-P3 color gamut coverage of around 95%, which allows for vibrant, visually pleasing colors. Of course, this is not the highest league, but for this price range – a big plus.

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.

Upon taking it out of the box, in movie mode, the GP7 doesn’t perform badly at all. In HD materials, we noticed slight disturbances in white balance – drops in red and blue, which made the image have a slightly greenish tint. This is visible, for example, on the faces of characters, which become less three-dimensional. The gamma is somewhat brightened in places, resulting in less deep blacks. In 4K HDR content, a cooler, bluish tone additionally emerges, making colors appear less natural. On the other hand, looking from the "out of the box" perspective, these settings are not bad – just minor adjustments are needed, and we will try to improve them with special tools.

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.

Calibration really makes a difference in GP7. After implementing the adjustments, we achieved a better white balance in HD content, and the colors started to look much more natural, with minimal deviations and without a clear dominance of individual colors. In 4K HDR, the change is not as spectacular, but still noticeable. The gamma has been brought to a more neutral level, although there is still a visible issue with a slight boost in the brightest details on the screen. The lack of control over dynamic tone mapping limits our maneuvering room, but nonetheless, this is a significant step forward compared to the factory settings.

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.

The TV can quite well scale lower quality content. Our test panels were well reproduced, and although there was minimal aliasing on small, delicate shapes (for example, thin branches), it still looked satisfactory. Additionally, the GP7 offers a "10-bit color reproduction" feature to smooth out tonal transitions in poor quality materials. It is useful, but at the expense of some details, which is why we recommend turning it on only when we are really watching something of poor 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.

With a 60 Hz refresh rate and an average response time, it's hard to expect miraculous smoothness. In dynamic tests, like the one with the "little green man," it is evident that the image can blur and occasionally lose sharpness. For watching movies and series, this is acceptable, especially since one can use a motion smoother with three levels of adjustment. However, if we care about ultra-smooth sports broadcasts or super responsive gaming, we may feel underwhelmed.

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.

Let's not kid ourselves – the GP7 is not a television for the most demanding console gamers. Yes, it has ALLM that will automatically switch the TV to low latency mode, but it lacks VRR or G-Sync. There is also no advanced menu to facilitate the adjustment of settings during gameplay. Dolby Vision in games? Yes, but with such high input lag that it's hard to talk about comfort. If we play occasionally and do not aim for the highest standards, we can get by, but fans of technical innovations will be disappointed.

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.