Philips The One (PUS8959 / PUS8919 / PUS8909 / PUS8949) vs Samsung QLED Q70D / Q74D / Q77D

The luminance chart for Philips PUS8959 shows that the television can achieve around 550 nits of brightness, which can be considered a satisfactory level. This brightness allows the effects of HDR to be felt, particularly standing out in more demanding scenes. In the tested patterns, the television performed quite well, even in challenging sequences like those from "Sicario 2". Due to the lack of local dimming, the television does not dim small bright elements, and they shine with the full "power" of the television but at the cost of the silverish blacks we mentioned in the paragraph about blacks. It is also worth praising Philips PUS8959 for its good coverage of the DCI-P3 color palette, which amounts to around 94.5%. This makes the colors vivid and close to the creators' intentions, further enhancing the quality of HDR effects and the viewing experience of high dynamic range content.

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.

The Philips PUS8959 television was tested in the best, theoretically most precise picture mode – Filmmaker. Although the name suggests cinematic quality, it unfortunately falls far short of the ideal. The biggest issue in this mode is white balance, both in HD and 4K content. It is characterized by a significant dominance of the red color and dips in the green level, resulting in an unnatural color reproduction. For example, white elements of the image have a distinctly pinkish hue, and the green is less intense, causing the overall image to lose its naturalness and color balance. The ColorChecker test confirms these errors – it is clearly visible how the color samples "deviate" from the correct values, which can be best observed on the sample squares that should accurately reproduce colors. The lack of accuracy in this regard affects the realism and fidelity of the image, which is particularly undesirable in Filmmaker mode.

Regarding brightness characteristics, the gamma chart resembles a real roller coaster – with small elements displayed on the screen, the brightness is excessive, causing details to become overly highlighted. Meanwhile, at higher gamma values, the image loses contrast and becomes too dark, making the overall appearance look less dynamic. Similar issues can be noticed in the EOTF characteristics – the television is unable to correctly reproduce the brightness level, negatively affecting the overall image quality.

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.

After calibration, the Philips PUS8959 television shows a significant improvement in color reproduction, especially in HD content. The white balance is exceptionally even, and the Delta E error values are below 1, which can be considered an outstanding result. Additionally, the gamma, which is responsible for brightness in lower-quality materials, performs very well, maintaining a stable level at 2.4, leading to an appropriate balance between bright and dark areas of the image.

Regarding 4K HDR materials, a significant improvement is also noticeable. The white balance, although not as perfect as in HD content, no longer shows issues with excessive red exposure, making the image appear more natural and harmonious. Unfortunately, in the EOTF characteristics, it is difficult to speak of any significant improvement, due to the design limitations of the television that prevent significant enhancement in this aspect.

Nevertheless, the overall performance is much better after calibration, making the Philips PUS8959 one of those televisions where it is truly worth spending time on precise calibration to achieve satisfactory image quality.

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.

When it comes to smoothing tonal transitions, the "Distortion Reduction" function at the minimal setting performs quite well, effectively smoothing tonal transitions without excessive influence on other elements of the image. In tests, I did not notice that the reduction negatively affected the image structure, such as film grain or object details – everything remains in place, which is a big plus for users who appreciate the natural look of film materials.

On the other hand, regarding digital processing, the image looks quite good, although it is characterized by very softened contours, giving it an almost "misty" quality. This effect can evoke mixed feelings – some users may enjoy the fluidity and delicacy of this type of presentation, while others may find it too gentle, losing detail. It is a matter of individual preferences, but it must be admitted that the Philips PUS8959 provides quite subtle yet effective tools for improving tonal transitions without excessive interference in the natural character of the image.

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.

Philips TV PUS8959 is equipped with a 120 Hz panel, which should satisfy more demanding users, especially those who love watching dynamic sports broadcasts or playing games. Such a high refresh rate allows for a significantly smoother image, being a key aspect during dynamic scenes and fast actions.

For those who prefer watching movies, the TV offers an additional motion smoother that allows adjusting the frame rate of the film according to personal preferences. The Philips PUS8959 has a 10-step adjustment for the functions called "Smoothness" and "Motion Blur Reduction." The "Smoothness" function is responsible for increasing the number of frames through interpolation, making motion on the screen smoother, resembling the effect of so-called "soap opera." Meanwhile, "Motion Blur Reduction" focuses on minimizing blurring and improving motion sharpness, which is particularly noticeable in dynamic sequences, such as action scenes or fast sports shots.

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.

Philips PUS8959 is a television that will certainly satisfy gaming enthusiasts. It supports most modern technologies useful during gameplay, such as HGiG, allowing for better HDR effect reproduction in games. As a result, the image is closer to what the game developers intended to achieve.

The television also supports 120 Hz image display, ensuring smoothness and dynamism, which is particularly important during action games and sports broadcasts. The Game Bar feature provides quick access to game settings, making it easier to adjust the image according to user preferences without interrupting gameplay.

Unfortunately, the Dolby Vision mode does not offer low input lag, which may be noticeable during dynamic scenes. Nevertheless, thanks to the HGiG feature and high refresh rate, the Philips PUS8959 remains an attractive choice for gamers, offering good image quality and appropriate smoothness during gameplay.

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.