Samsung QLED Q70D / Q74D / Q77D

Q70D / Q74D / Q77D

Available screen sizes: 55”65”75”85”

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Panel technology: LCD VA | Brand: SAMSUNG | Resolution: 3840x2160 | Operating system: Tizen | Model year: 2024

Our verdict

6.8

Overall rating

Samsung Q70D performed in the test exactly as it should for its price range – very competently. The strongest aspects of the television are certainly its performance when using a console and colour reproduction after the calibration process. The former will undoubtedly catch the attention of gamers with a range of conveniences that Samsung Q70D can offer, and there are quite a few, including that which is almost exclusive to the manufacturer's units – the ability to smooth out gameplay while still maintaining reasonable input lag, allowing titles running at 30 fps to perform like those at native 60 frames per second. In the context of gaming, one cannot forget the well-implemented HGIG mode, which, when set correctly, is on par with games using Dolby Vision. We must also acknowledge the easy pairing of the television with the Canal+ decoder, which is not such an obvious advantage, but we know that many people experience issues with this. Staying on the topic of television, it must be noted that the Samsung Q70D offers very good brightness in SDR content for its price range, making daytime viewing more than comfortable. A downside for the tested television is the lack of Dolby Vision, which would have significantly enhanced performance at the maximum brightness of the Samsung Q70D. The device's construction flaws should not be overlooked, as they may (though not necessarily) lead to light bleed that can be noticed in dark situations during dimly lit scenes. What cannot be taken away from the Samsung Q70D is the fact that it features one of the better motion smoothers in its price bracket, which works excellently for sports events or fast-paced action scenes. The system responsible for the television's operation runs very smoothly, and the only thing we can criticise it for is the absence of the Tidal app. In summary, the Samsung Q70D represents a good continuation of the manufacturer's seventh series, which year after year is gaining – firstly, in quality, and secondly, in popularity.

Advantages

Excellent performance with consoles and computers
Colour reproduction after the calibration process
Very good performance in sports - advanced motion smoothing system
Smooth and trouble-free operation of the Tizen system
Very good tonal transition quality within this budget

Disadvantages

Possible noticeable light leaks
No Dolby Vision support

Movies and series in UHD quality

6.0
Classic TV, YouTube

6.0
Sports broadcasts (TV and apps)

6.5
Gaming on console

8.7
TV as a computer monitor

8.0
Watching in bright light

5.4
Utility functions

7.1
Apps

9.3
Sound quality

6.3

TV appearance

HDMI inputs: 0 x HDMI 2.0, 4 x HDMI 2.1 (40Gbps) Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI) Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps

Review Samsung QLED Q70D / Q74D / Q77D Appearance of the TV

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Contrast and black detail

Viewing mode Game mode

5.4/10

Viewing mode Game mode

Local dimming function: No

Review Samsung QLED Q70D / Q74D / Q77D Contrast and black detail

Contrast between the black background and the bright spotlight illuminating Jack. Scene from the movie Oblivion (Universal Pictures).

Result

2,450:1

Contrast between the glare on the chameleon's skin and the black near the edge of the screen below. Scene from the Spears&Munsil test disc.

Result

5,150:1

Contrast between the reflection on the helmet and the black on the black film strip. Scene from the movie Arrival (Paramount Pictures).

Result

6,550:1

Contrast between the actress's face and the black film strip at the top edge of the TV. Scene from the movie Gravity (Warner Bros. Pictures).

Result

5,850:1

Contrast between the colorful balloon and the black slice between the falling objects. Scene from the Pioneer Kuro test disc (2008).

Result

2,800:1

Visibility of details in the lights:

Samsung Q70D and its related models, such as Q77D and Q74D, use a VA panel, which should inherently provide decent contrast. Typically, it is several times higher than that of IPS/ADS screens that do not come equipped with an advanced local dimming system. As you can see, contrast results are quite varied, which is caused by the unevenness of the panel. Therefore, we might sometimes get good contrast, and other times it can be significantly worsened, but generally, it remains fairly consistent, aside from light bleed. Let’s take a look at the film scenes we prepared from "Oblivion" and "Revenant." As we can see, in the first one, the lights are well separated, which is a positive phenomenon, as the visibility of details in bright areas in further tests should be equally good. What stands out the most here is the unusual oversharpening of the smoke visible under the light and the navy black in the background. In the frame from the second film, the first thing that stands out is the unevenness of the backlighting of our piece. This was significant and strongly affected the perceived image. Nonetheless, the details in the film were well visible.

Halo effect and black detail visibility:

HDR effect quality

Viewing mode Game mode

5.2/10

Viewing mode Game mode

Supported formats: HDR10, HDR10+, HLG Color gamut coverage: DCI P3: 92.2%, Bt.2020: 68.7%

Luminance measurements in HDR:

Review Samsung QLED Q70D / Q74D / Q77D Brightness measurement

The measured point is the setting sun against a bright sky. Scene from the movie Life of Pi (20th Century Fox).

Result

433 nit

The measured point is the moon against a dark, starry sky. Scene from the movie Life of Pi (20th Century Fox).

Result

461 nit

The measured point is the flashlight on the rifle, which shines directly at the camera. Scene from the movie Gemini Man (Paramount Pictures).

Result

477 nit

The measured point is the tail light of a helicopter flying at night. This is a very small light point, the essence of the HDR effect. Scene from the movie Sicario 2: Soldado (Lionsgate).

Result

475 nit

The measured point is the sun visible directly between the clouds. The scene is very bright and should blind the viewer as in nature. Scene from the movie The Meg (Warner Bros. Pictures).

Result

490 nit

The brightness that the Samsung Q70D can offer is at a rather average level, although it cannot be said that the HDR effect will not be noticeable. Any brightness above 400 nits allows for a clear distinction between SDR and HDR content. As was the case in the paragraph about contrast and black levels, we can also observe here that the first scene, featuring a bright sunny sky and a darker foreground, has the lowest luminance of those measured. The result, which can be considered very good for this price range and display class, is that one. In a scene where we see a large light source filling a significant portion of the frame, the brightness of the TV is at its highest, reaching nearly 500 nits. However, it is worth noting the rather low coverage of the wide DCI-P3 colour gamut, which sometimes results in noticeable shortcomings in the colour reproduction. Additionally, users can enjoy rich colours and high precision in rendering shades, making movie screenings a unique experience. It is also worth mentioning that the Q70D Samsung panel performs excellently in eliminating blur during dynamic action scenes, which enhances the viewing comfort of sports broadcasts or games.

Scene from the movie “Pan” (about 2800 nits)

Scene from the movie “Billy Lynn” (about 1100 nits)

To thoroughly assess the televisions in our tests, we prepared two varied scenes designed to showcase different aspects of a good image. The first, from the film "Mr.", featuring light effects reaching up to 2800 nits, performed very well. The function of dynamic tone mapping is clearly perceptible, meaning that light effects beyond the television's reach did not "kill" it. Although there are some instances of detail loss in the clouds, this result cannot be considered bad. The same cannot be said for the film "Billy Lynn," which looked completely different than intended. The scene is overly bright and lacks its suspense, and more importantly, deep contrast. There are also significant losses in colour reproduction, particularly skin tones.

HDR luminance chart:

The tone mapping feature in movies worked quite well; however, it's worth testing it in one more challenging scenario, which is scenes with a lot of white and details. This time it didn't handle it as smoothly as before and failed to recover the details. Naturally, the situation changes once HDR signals supported by dynamic metadata are provided, which have no such problem and can show us all the details that were previously unavailable. Another issue with the television, which became quite apparent in this case, is the uneven backlighting, resulting in grey spots on a uniform background.

Static HDR10

Dynamic: HDR10+

Smoothness of tonal transitions

6.9/10

Considering how important lighting is in films and series, the overlapping structures and fluidity of tonal transitions constitute an extremely significant element in assessing image quality. The colour grading on the tested television is at quite a decent level. It cannot be said that it is outstanding, but it is not bad either. We assess it as acceptable. Brighter scenes perform best here, demonstrating the least amount of choppiness. In scenes recorded in darker settings, slight shortcomings in grading can already be noticeable, although it is not an issue that would cause discomfort while watching. This may be disturbed by the leaking backlight, which is clearly visible in the last image.

Review Samsung QLED Q70D / Q74D / Q77D Smoothness of tonal transitions

Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions

7/10

Smooth transition function

Image without overscan on the SD signal

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

The image scaling on Samsung Q70D should be rated as average. The manufacturer does not aim to artificially sharpen the image, but rather to keep it naturally softened.

Blur and motion smoothness

7.4/10

Maximum refresh rate of the panel: 120Hz

Film motion smoothing option: Yes

Blur reduction option: Yes

BFI function 60Hz: Yes, 60Hz (image flickers)

BFI function 120Hz: No

Brightness drop with BFI: 30%

Samsung Q70D is the first model in the manufacturer's portfolio with a 120Hz panel. As a result, its motion smoothing features are more advanced than those in lower-tier models. In the menu, we find three functions responsible for improving fluidity. They are "Blur Reduction," "Judder Reduction," and "Clear Motion (LED)." We'll discuss the third one later. The first function enhances sharpness in motion, while the second adjusts the level of smoothing. The smoothness enhancer in Samsung Q70D works satisfactorily, and each setting makes a noticeable difference. Therefore, those who dislike the characteristic stuttering of films or who passionately watch sports will be able to achieve their preferred level of smoothness. In the image, we present a setting with slight smoothing, without the soap opera effect.

The panel used in Samsung Q70D has a fairly good response time for this type of display. Of course, it won't deliver an image as sharp as a proverbial razor, but at this price point, it is a recommended choice for all kinds of sports.

Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate):

Blur (BFI function enabled):

Image flickers in this mode

In the context of motion fluidity, it’s worth mentioning BFI (Black Frame Insertion) technology, which involves inserting a black frame between film frames. Its purpose is to "reset" the retina of the eye, thereby enhancing image sharpness. The manufacturer decided to implement this solution, which has not gone particularly well, as we are confronted with a significant drop in brightness and strong flickering. It is also worth noting that this function, in the case of 50Hz materials, shows specific image flickering. Thus, we do not recommend using this function.

Console compatibility and gaming features

9.5/10

ALLM: Yes
VRR: Yes
VRR range: 48 - 120Hz
Dolby Vision Game Mode: No
Correct implementation of HGIG: Yes
1080p@120Hz: Yes
1440p@120Hz: Yes
4K@120Hz: Yes
Game bar: Yes

The tested television is equipped with four HDMI 2.1 ports. Interestingly, all of them have a bandwidth of 40 Gbps; however, during the testing process, we did not observe any negative effects associated with this situation. More importantly, Samsung Q70D supports all features stemming from the aforementioned standard. This news will surely delight all gamers, as it means that whether using a console or a PC, we can expect the highest possible comfort during gameplay. Given the standard absence of Dolby Vision HDR for this manufacturer, it is significant that the HGIG mode has been implemented correctly and there are no issues with setting up the calibration chessboard. We particularly note that Samsung is the only manufacturer to allow gaming with the smoothness enhancer switched on, without significant degradation. This means that titles running at 30 fps will be perceived like those with native 60 frames per second.

Samsung, as one of the first manufacturers, introduced the Game Bar to its televisions, which has since been consistently refined. It contains all the necessary information regarding gameplay parameters that we can change "on the fly".

In summary: Samsung Q70D will perform excellently both with consoles and with computers. All functions worked brilliantly, and there were no issues with them. The ability to enable the smoothness enhancer without significant increases in input lag is a true gamechanger.

Input lag

10/10

Results of latency on the Samsung Q70D are at a high level, regardless of the signal or resolution. All gamers will certainly appreciate the manufacturer's efforts, which allow a game running in 4K 120 Hz with HDR to have only 7 ms of latency, which is practically unnoticeable even in online gaming. It's worth adding that lag with the motion smoother turned on roughly doubles, which still means very comfortable gaming in this case.

SDR	HDR	Dolby Vision
1080p60: 13 ms	2160p60: 13 ms
1080p120: 7 ms	2160p120: 7 ms
2160p60: 13 ms
2160p120: 7 ms

Compatibility with PC

8/10

Chroma 444 (maximum resolution and refresh rate): Yes

Font clarity: Very Good

Readability of dark text and shapes: Average

Input lag in PC mode (4K, maximum refresh rate): 13ms

Max refresh rate: 120Hz

G-Sync: Yes

After connecting the television to the computer and wishing to use it as a monitor, we can expect a low input lag of 13 ms, which is practically unnoticeable on the mouse-screen-eye line. Thanks to the correct implementation of chroma 4:4:4, the readability of fonts is at a high level, so you can confidently connect Samsung Q70D to your computer as a monitor and expect a comfortable experience with text.

The subpixel layout is BGR, which does not negatively affect the use of the television as a monitor. However, as operating systems are not adapted to this type of subpixel format, it may cause slightly less distinct contours. This is, however, something practically negligible, and only a handful of people may notice it.

Viewing angles

2.9/10

Brightness drop at an angle of 45 degrees: 71%

Due to the VA panel, the performance of Samsung Q70D in terms of viewing angles is its Achilles' heel. Even a slight shift off-axis leads to a significant loss of contrast and a substantial degradation of colours.

TV efficiency during daytime

5.4/10

Matrix coating: Satin

Reflection suppression: Average

Black levels during daytime: Good

The satin finish of the panel in the Q70D allows for quite good performance in a well-lit room. It is worth noting that reflections do not spread beyond their source, and thus do not bleed onto the rest of the panel. We also commend the maximum brightness of the TV in SDR content, which is 450 nits, allowing for comfortable content consumption during the day.

Matrix brightness

Average luminance SDR

Samsung QLED Q70D / Q74D / Q77D: 449 cd/m2

Details about the matrix

Software version during testing: T-NKM2DDEUC-1053.2

Subpixel Structure:

Panel uniformity:

Backlight Type: QLED

TV features

7.1/10

System operacyjny: Tizen
TV reception: DVB-T, DVB-T2, DVB-S, DVB-S2, DVB-C
Recording to USB (terrestrial TV): No
Recording programming: No
Picture in Picture (PiP): Yes
Screen mirroring (Windows Miracast): Yes
AirPlay: Yes
Voice search in native language: Yes
Ability to connect a keyboard and mouse: Yes
Possibility to connect Bluetooth headphones to the TV: Yes
Possibility to simultaneously use Bluetooth headphones and the TV speaker: Yes
Audio only mode: No
RF remote control (no need to aim at the screen): RF
Backlit remote control: No
Teletext: Yes

Review Samsung QLED Q70D / Q74D / Q77D TV features

The operation of Samsung Q70D is managed by the proprietary Tizen system. This is fairly well-known software, as the manufacturer has been developing it in their TVs for quite a long time. Its main advantage is smooth operation and a lack of significant stutters, which we can confirm through conducted tests. The biggest downside, however, is its closed nature. Although the app store is quite extensive, we are still dependent on the grace or displeasure of the manufacturer. Therefore, we will not be able to install missing items, even from a USB drive. A perfect example of this is this year's discontinuation of support for the Tidal app. On the other hand, a benefit, especially for Apple device users, is the implementation of AirPlay functionality, which allows for easy screen mirroring from a device to the TV. Fortunately, Samsung also provided the option to connect a keyboard and mouse for much quicker navigation through the TV menu. It’s worth mentioning that the manufacturer has thankfully included a remote that connects via Bluetooth this year, which often wasn't the case in the past. The Tizen system has one more advantage. It integrates very well with external devices, such as the NC+ decoder or soundbars. The connection process is very quick and does not require special skills.

In summary: The Tizen system is very efficiently functioning software, which is certainly a strong advantage of the TV. While more advanced users may complain about the lack of something like KODI, the rest will be satisfied.

Playing files from USB

Video Photos Audio

9.1/10

Video Photos Audio

Maximum photo resolution:	Supported photo formats:
4 Mpix	JPEG
6 Mpix	HEIC
8 Mpix	PNG
10 Mpix	GIF
12 Mpix	WebP
16 Mpix	TIFF
20 Mpix	BMP
24 Mpix	SVG
28 Mpix
32 Mpix

The built-in player Samsung Q70D is a significant advantage. It handled nearly all video and audio files prepared for the testing process exceptionally well. The only exceptions in this regard are of course the Dolby Vision format (which is not surprising) and less popular codecs. Additionally, it is worth noting the support for Polish characters and the ability to change font colours as a positive aspect. However, it struggles more with photo formats, as it only supports JPEG among the popular ones. There's definitely a lack of formats like PNG or Apple's HEIC here.

Apps

9.3/10

Sound

6.3/10

Subjective sound quality

Dolby Digital Plus 7.1

Dolby True HD 7.1

Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC)

Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD

DTS:X in DTS-HD MA

DTS-HD Master Audio

The built-in audio system Samsung Q70D, due to its slim design, is not among the most outstanding. Overall, it's fairly balanced, although we wouldn't recommend cranking up the volume to levels higher than 2/4 of the scale. However, if we have a home theatre system, there is a range of codecs available, and we can enjoy the presence of the most important ones, namely DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby Atmos.

Quantum Dot Technology: Quantum Dot technology delivers 100% colour intensity, offering a billion perfect shades regardless of brightness levels.
Quantum Processor 4K: An advanced processor utilizing artificial intelligence optimises picture and sound quality in real-time, providing an exceptional visual experience.
4K AI Upscaling: Image upscaling technology approaching 4K resolution, making even lower quality content look better on a large screen.
Motion Xcelerator 120Hz: A feature ensuring smooth motion with a refresh rate of 120 Hz, ideal for dynamic sports scenes and video games.
Dual LED: Backlighting technology with warm and cool LEDs, adjusting colour tones according to displayed content, offering a more realistic image with deeper contrast.
Quantum HDR: Support for HDR technology, highlighting details and enhancing contrast, allowing for deep blacks and bright details in every scene.
Samsung Smart TV Tizen: An intuitive operating system providing access to a wide range of apps and streaming services, such as Netflix, YouTube, and TVP Sport.
Design AirSlim: A slim and elegant design that fits perfectly with modern interiors, minimising the gap between the television and the wall.
Gaming Features: Support for FreeSync Premium Pro technology, low input lag, and 4 HDMI 2.1 ports provide smooth and responsive gameplay without delays and stuttering.
Samsung Knox Security: A platform securing your passwords and sensitive data from malware and information leaks.

Samsung Q70D test shows that the television offers clear dialogues and solid bass tones, satisfying most users. Moreover, in the Q74D model, surround sound is automatically adjusted to the room size, making every movie more immersive.

One of the standout features of the Samsung Q70D in tests is the speed of app performance, which load almost instantly, eliminating annoying delays. Additionally, users can take advantage of the built-in voice assistant, simplifying navigation and content search.

Samsung QLED Q70D / Q74D / Q77D

Our verdict

Advantages

Disadvantages

Competing TVs in this price range

TV appearance

Buy in the best price

Contrast and black detail

HDR effect quality

Factory color reproduction

Color reproduction after calibration

Smoothness of tonal transitions

Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions

Blur and motion smoothness

Console compatibility and gaming features

Input lag

Compatibility with PC

Viewing angles

TV efficiency during daytime

Details about the matrix

TV features

Playing files from USB

Apps

Sound