Samsung Q60T QLED Review 05/2020
The famous Samsung QLED series returns
Last year’s Samsung Q60R will be followed by the Samsung Q60T QLED in 2020 – but is this successor worthy of the entry level device in Samsung’s renowned QLED range? On this page you can find out all about the features and characteristics that the Samsung Q60T offers – and how it stands up to its predecessor, the Samsung Q60R. On tvfindr you will find – as always – all the info you need.
Fantastic, modernist design of the Samsung Q60T
The Samsung Q60T’s workmanship is very high quality and makes a robust impression. The screen’s frame hardly distracts from the picture itself as the edges are very thin, which looks fantastic on a wall. Compared to the Samsung Q60R, assembly is much easier because the feet don’t have to be screwed down. Instead, they are pushed into the frame and click into place. In addition, cables can be hidden behind the feet, giving the TV a minimalist design.
- Simple mounting
- High quality design
- Cable management
- Made of plastic and metal
Great picture quality
The image quality is as good as with the predecessor. The Samsung Q60T uses a VA panel and thus has a very even and deep black, which looks great in dark rooms. Thanks to sufficient peak brightness, however, it can also take on strongly lit rooms with many windows. Unfortunately, contrast ratio and brightness are not sufficient to display HDR content impressively. Enthusiasts and fans of cinematic picture quality will have to dig a little deeper into their pockets, as the Q60T does not support local dimming, for example. Nevertheless, it is better than the Q60R in terms of picture quality thanks to the Dual LED feature.
Unfortunately, the VA panel also means that the TV’s viewing angle is significantly limited. In this case, it’s advisable to place the device just in front of the sofa, as the luminosity of the colors would otherwise noticeably decrease.
- 10 Bit VA-Panel (8 Bit + FRC)
- Maximum brightness ~500 Nits
- Black level
- Wide Color Gamut
- Contrast 7000:1
- No local dimming
- Poor viewing angle
Decent motion handling
In comparison to its predecessor, the Samsung Q60T has become a bit worse in terms of motion handling. The response time is still very good, at 7.8ms, and the dimming frequency is also 600 Hz, which means that flickering is not noticeable to the naked eye. In gaming mode, the dimming frequency drops to 120 Hz, which is still very high and should hardly be noticeable. Motion interpolation to 60 fps works well, but Black Frame Insertion can cause a few problems – which aren’t too bad, though.
For content with a lower frame rate – for example movies shot at 24 fps by default – stuttering is almost non-existent, but the Samsung Q60T is not capable of removing judder. We think that’s a pity, as the Q60R had this feature.
- 50/60Hz
- Fast response time ~7.8ms
- No flickering backlight
- Can't remove judder
Good enough for action packed gaming
Gaming is fun with the Samsung Q60T – no question about it. Gamers who own a Playstation 4 Pro or an Xbox One X will enjoy the full gaming experience with 4K HDR games. The input lag is extremely low at 9.6ms and there is an Auto Low Latency Mode. The performance potential is already exhausted with that, though, because the Q60T can’t make use of the possibilities of the Playstation 5 or Xbox Series X.
For example, HDMI 2.1 is missing, so 4K @ 120 fps is not possible. This is no wonder in the price range of the TV, but both Sony and Microsoft have both announced that both consoles will support this resolution.
What is surprising in this price range, however, is that the Q60T doesn’t support VRR. Its predecessor was able to do so and could therefore be the better alternative for gamers with AMD graphics cards or an Xbox One X or S.
- No HDMI 2.1
- Auto Low Latency Mode
- Extremely low input lag ~9.6ms
- No VRR
Average, completely sufficient sound
The sound is, simply put, nothing special. There are two speakers, each with 10 W, which are loud enough to fill the living room with sound and reproduce dialogues clearly. Only Dolby formats are supported and, as usual for Samsung, no DTS. However, thanks to the HDMI eARC connection, there is Dolby Atmos via Dolby True HD – which is a nice thing.
Especially because of the latter feature, it makes absolute sense to think about a soundbar. From small devices for smaller living rooms to fully-grown sound systems, there is everything on the market that the heart of the sound enthusiast desires. We have discussed the available options in another article about soundbars.
- 2.0 channels with 20W (RMS)
- Understandable sound, but hardly any bass
- HDMI eARC
- Dolby Atmos via Dolby True-HD
- No DTS
Modern smart features on the Samsung Q60T
As usual for the 2020 Samsung QLED series, the Samsung Q60T runs on Smart OS Tizen 5.5, which enables voice control with a number of assistants: Samsung Bixby, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa (third device required). Apple AirPlay 2 is also supported. There is no Twin Tuner, but PVR and Time-Shift are supported.
For streaming fans there are a plethora of streaming services from which you can choose freely: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ – everything comes already pre-installed. New in the T-series of QLED TVs is support for smart home applications, for which Samsung Smart Things acts as the control center. There is also the Smart OneRemote.
Update: It has been revealed that there is a way to block annoying ads on Samsung Smart TVs: To do so, add the two URLs ads.samsung.com and samsungads.com to the Internet router’s blocking list – and the advertising should finally disappear.
- Intuitive Tizen 5.5 OS
- Apple AirPlay 2
- supports all current streaming services
- Voice control
- Samsung Smart Things
Is the Samsung Q60T better than its predecessor? We're not sure...
As an entry-level model, the Samsung Q60T is a good TV. Compared to the Samsung TU8000, the Q60T has a better picture and, above all, more contrast thanks to dual LED and Wide Color Gamut. However, we are surprised that in contrast to the Q60R, some features have been removed: e.g. there is no longer variable refresh rate. This is also missing on the Samsung RU8000. The Q60T’s picture is better for this. So you can decide freely according to your own priorities.
- Deep blacks
- Low input lag
- Great Smart Features
- Smart Home availability
- Dolby Atmos via Dolby True HD
- Kein Local Dimming
- Kein DTS
- No VRR
Then benefit from its discount price now!
Alternatives to the Samsung Q60T QLED
Samsung Q60R
The predecessor from 2019
The Samsung Q60R is the entry level QLED from last year. Although the Q60T has better picture characteristics, such as deeper, more uniform black and better contrast, the Q60R is generally the better TV. For example, it has Variable Refresh Rate and better motion handling, which is important for movies and video games. However, the support for Dolby Atmos is missing here.
Samsung RU7409
The affordable alternative to the Q60T
At first glance, these two TVs are only distantly related, but in fact their characteristics are comparable, making the Samsung RU7400 a more affordable alternative to the Q60T. The RU7409 doesn’t have VRR either – but has better motion handling, a good picture for dark rooms and supports wide color gamut.
It comes with a Smart Remote and good Smart Features based on Tizen 5.0, but these are surpassed by the Q60T with Tizen 5.5. However, those who don’t need this will get a very good TV at a low price with the RU7400.
Samsung Q60T
The newer, more affordable version of the Q60T
The Samsung Q60T offers some features that not every user needs. So if you’re not interested in the amenities of Samsung’s Q range, you should take a look at the Samsung TU8000. Both TVs have the same operating system, Tizen 5.5, and their picture characteristics are reasonably comparable. In contrast to the Q60T, it lacks Dual LED as well as Wide Color Gamut, so the color coverage is not as good. Moreover, the Q60T is much brighter and therefore basically better suited for HDR content.
