If you’ve envied the quantum dot colour and interface perquisites supplied by Samsung’s QLED TVs, however thought they had been out of your worth vary, assume once more. The 55-inch Q60R reviewed right here prices simply $700, and it delivers the wealthy colour and stylish expertise of its pricier QLED siblings. You may even get it in a 43-inch mannequin for $500. Yes, for many who have requested, there’s a QLED that can truly match someplace apart from your front room wall.
You ought to, nonetheless, mood the keenness I simply inspired—the Q60R’s picture isn’t fairly in the identical league as Samsung’s different QLEDs by way of brightness or element. This is basically as a result of it’s an edge-lit mannequin, and never a direct array-lit set, as Samsung’s product description would possibly lead you to imagine (extra on that in a bit). But the Q60R nonetheless delivers top-of-the-line photographs in its class, and the lushest general expertise by far for the cash.
Design and specs
The Q60R that I examined was a 55-inch class (54.5-inches measured diagonally) that includes 3840 x 2160 (4K UHD) decision and 10-bit quantum dot colour. It weighs roughly 43 kilos, together with the 2 removable legs. Sorry, there’s no iMac-like pedestal such as you’ll discover on the more-expensive Q90R.
The Q60R is a skinny design with a slender bezel; it can look equally good sitting on its stand or mounted to your wall.
With TV distributors, you need to all the time take note of the advertising spin. The Q60R product web page talks about Ultra Slim Array and Supreme UHD dimming, however it’s not the complete array native dimming (FALD) direct back-lighting that you simply would possibly construe these phrases to imply. Unless, after all, you’re considering of an “array” of tunnels and lights on the sting of the TV that may be dimmed.
Slim Type: Slim? Quantum HDR 4X? 100% Color Volume with Quantum Dot? Which of the dozen or so colour areas are we speaking about? Yes, the TV is edge lit. It’s additionally “Motion Rate 240,” which implies it’s a 120Hz panel. Or has historically. I wasn’t so positive after witnessing the movement compensation. Samsung and the remainder of the business have to have a gathering and cease the advertising nonsense.
The Q60R options 4 HDMI 2.0 ports, one among which helps the audio return channel (ARC), in addition to two USB ports, coaxial (TV/cable/satellite tv for pc), ethernet, optical digital out, and an RS-232C port. There’s additionally Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on board.
Remote and interface
I used to be anticipating a motel-quality distant management given the Q60R’s worth, however darned if the corporate didn’t embrace its elegant One Remote, like people who ship with its pricier QLEDs. The One Remote is amongst my favorites: diminutive, intelligent, and properly laid out. I’m not even going to complain in regards to the promoting shortcuts. At this worth, I’m not going to complain in regards to the interface not returning to your final place, both. Actually, it’s wonderful how a lot a lower cost will ameliorate irritation.
Samsung’s Smart Hub interface being browsed utilizing the newest model of the corporate’s One Remote common distant management.
The interface is the usual Smart Hub, bottom-row-of-icons that’s featured on all of Samsung’s higher TVs. It’s straightforward to make use of, you’ll be able to customise the order delete icons that aren’t related to you, and the ecosystem helps all the favored apps customers search for, together with, Apple TV+. There’s an digital program information, Bixby voice management, Alexa assist, and naturally machine studying of your preferences—when you’re into that form of factor. DLNA streaming works nice, the system acknowledges when mass media is plugged in or units are turned on, and setup begins scanning for TV channels even earlier than you attain that step within the course of.
The wallpaper and picture-frame modes are current, together with all the opposite little creature comforts that the QLEDs are identified for. Overall, the Q60R affords by far essentially the most lux expertise in its worth vary, and a greater expertise than TVs costing significantly extra.
Picture and sound
If you overview sufficient TVs, you discover traits with picture processing. Sony likes a cool, elegant palette; LG opts for clean and luxurious over element; and Samsung likes to spotlight colour, distinction, and high-quality element. The Q60R is not any exception to the rule, although it’s edge lighting prohibits it from producing the height brightness and perceived element of its pricier siblings. I measured round 520 nits, which is roughly half what you’ll see from its massive brothers. That’s nonetheless sufficient to generate the HDR impact, although it clearly received’t be as vivid as it could be with the 1,000- to 1,200 nits you’ll see from different QLED’s.
My Q60R hands-on occurred in two levels, as per regular. I begin with mundane materials, corresponding to over-the-air broadcast TV and lightweight HDR that almost all viewers will likely be watching the overwhelming majority of the time. During that preliminary part, I used to be considering QLED all the way in which. The processing was nearly the identical because the Q80R and Q90R for many issues. The solely distinction I actually observed was that particulars didn’t fairly pop the way in which they usually do. They are nonetheless excellent, however…
Samsung
That’s largely attributable to the sting lighting and decrease peak brightness, which I didn’t truly learn about at that time. Edge lit didn’t actually happen to me at this level, even with massive areas of black. The backlighting is that good.
Once I began with the second-phase stress exams, the Q60R’s weaknesses rapidly turned obvious. Moiré and shimmer in detailed pans was about the identical as all of the QLEDs (excepting Samsung’s 8K UHD Q900, which is vastly superior), however movement was positively not QLED-like irrespective of how far I boosted the anti-judder setting. Anti-aliasing of colour bands was weaker at 8-bit than regular (10-bit was clean), and there have been higher points rendering high-quality traces in shut proximity than regular.
Screen uniformity was excellent. There was some delicate bleed from the sting lighting, however no cloudiness from erratically utilized coatings. There was a noticeable distinction within the image the minute I moved even a little bit off axis, which is a reasonably good signal that there’s no superior anti-glare tech at work. And there was, after all, the decrease brightness.
When I actually dug in with HDR, there was a noticeable lack of depth in comparison with the Q80R sitting proper subsequent to it. That’s probably not honest, because the Q80R is $600 extra in the identical dimension, however this isn’t about honest. Note that every one of Samsung’s costs have dropped, with the tip of the mannequin yr arising and CES product bulletins being proper across the nook.
Sound is clearer and higher outlined than common, although missing in thump, as is the norm. I by no means felt the necessity to connect one thing higher or hoist a set of Bluetooth headphones, however I might have given extra time with the unit. Bottom line on audio: It’s not dangerous, however it’s not nice.
In a nutshell, the Q60R brings glorious QLED colour to the combo, the brightness is common for the value vary, the general picture processing is barely higher than the competitors, and the movement compensation is barely worse.
A lush expertise general
The Samsung Q60R’s colour and general person expertise are finest at school, and it’s the one QLED out there within the smaller 43-inch type issue. It needs to be on each discount hunter’s brief listing and is a good TV for the common viewer.
Video aficionados, however, ought to store the higher-priced blends that provide all of Samsung’s top-tier picture applied sciences.