Samsung Q60T QLED Review 09/2020

The Samsung Q60T’s makes a very high quality 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. Unfortunately, the Q60T is completely made of plastic, which is well made, but doesn’t look as high-quality as metal. 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.

The image quality is as good as with the predecessor. The Samsung Q60T uses a VAVertical Alignment, type of LCD Panel panelThe panel is the actual screen of a television. There is different types of panels like OLED, LCD or Micro LED and different sub-types of LCD like VA or IPS. and thus has a very even and deep black, which looks great in dark rooms.Despite a good contrast ratio, HDRHigh Dynamic Range – image/video with more dynamic range (contrast range) content is not displayed very well because the peak brightness of 500 nitsSI unit of luminance: 1 nit = 1 cd/m2 – The best way of measuring and comparing a TVs brightness   is not high enough to make highlights of HDRHigh Dynamic Range – image/video with more dynamic range (contrast range) content stand out. For normal use the brightness should be sufficient. In bright rooms, the peak brightness is not sufficient and the image quality is not as good anymore, which can also be due to the display’s moderate reflection behavior. 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 VAVertical Alignment, type of LCD Panel panelThe panel is the actual screen of a television. There is different types of panels like OLED, LCD or Micro LED and different sub-types of LCD like VA or IPS. 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.

In comparison to its predecessor, the Samsung Q60T has become a bitThe color depth is measured in Bit. 8 Bit stands for 28 different values for each color channel, for TVs those are red, green and blue. By combining the 3 rgb channels 28*28*28=16.777.216 colors are possible. HDR10 or the dynamic HDR formats work with 10 or even 12 Bit. worse in terms of motion handlingDisplaying fast moving objects. The response timeTime it takes for a pixel to change color is still very good, at 8ms, and the dimming frequencyHertz is the derived SI-unit of frequency with 1Hz=1/s – When talking about TVs this means how many different pictures a TV can display in one second. is also 600 HzHertz is the derived SI-unit of frequency with 1Hz=1/s – When talking about TVs this means how many different pictures a TV can display in one second., which means that flickering is not noticeable to the naked eye. In gaming mode, the dimming frequencyHertz is the derived SI-unit of frequency with 1Hz=1/s – When talking about TVs this means how many different pictures a TV can display in one second. drops to 120 HzHertz is the derived SI-unit of frequency with 1Hz=1/s – When talking about TVs this means how many different pictures a TV can display in one second., which is still very high and should hardly be noticeable. Motion interpolationArtificial calculation of more frames than the source material has to offer 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 judderInconsistent time frame due to the input frequency not mismatching the TV’s frequency (e.g. 24p via 60Hz). We think that’s a pity, as the Q60R had this feature.

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 HDRHigh Dynamic Range – image/video with more dynamic range (contrast range) games. The input lagTime it takes for the input signal to appear on the screen (delay) is extremely low at 10ms 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 VRRVariable Refresh Rate – synchronizes the display’s refresh rate with the output refresh rate of the graphics card. 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.

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.

As usual for the 2020 Samsung QLED series, the Samsung Q60T runs on Smart OS Tizen 5.5, which enables voice control with Samsung Bixby, Amazon Alexa (third device required) or Google Assistant. Apple AirPlay 2 is also supported. There is no Twin Tuner, but PVRPersonal Video Recorder, recording TV programs to a USB-Memory Device 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.