Samsung QN65Q60RAFX | Electronics Showcase

Samsung QN65Q60RAFX

Samsung QN65Q60RAFX; Hi, I'm Daniel from rtings.com Today we're testing the Samsung Q60R, also known as the Q60. It is a 2019 TV, and the lowest end model in Samsung's QLED range. We bought the US fifty-five inch model to test, but it is also available in a range of sizes from forty-three inches up to eighty-two inch. We expect these other sizes to have very similar picture quality, but some tests like the gray uniformity do vary between units.  

Samsung QN65Q60RAFX

We will go over this later in the review. While we haven’t tested the European models with the same model numbers, we expect these to also offer the same performance. We’ll start by going over the design of the TV and then move on to the picture quality. We'll look at the motion handling and input lag, and then compare to these competing models which are currently available. If you want to skip straight to our results, then use the links in the description below. The design of the Q60R is great but simple. The TV has a typical Samsung design, and looks a lot like the NU7100 from last year. The controls are located on the front of the TV, under the logo. 

There is only a single button, but this is enough to do basic commands like power on or off the TV, or change between inputs. It has a wide-set stand which is made of plastic but supports the TV fairly well. The borders of the TV are relatively thin so look good. Moving around to the side, the TV appears quite thin which is good for those mounting it on a wall because it doesn’t stick out much. If you care about neat cables, then at the rear of the stand you can place these plastic clips to secure cables and mostly hide them out of the way. 

samsung qn65q60rafxza review

The inputs are also on the rear of the TV, directed out the side. Like many new models, there is no component or composite input from older devices, opting instead for four HDMI ports. Looking at a thermal image of the TV, we can see that most of the heat is generated from the LEDs at the bottom of the screen. While this does get quite warm, it isn't like to be an issue for normal use. Now we'll move on to the picture quality. We'll be comparing to currently available TVs, 

But at the time of this video there are new models getting released so competing models will change throughout the rest of the year. For an updated comparison with new models as we buy and test them, see the review page on our website which is linked below. One of the most important aspects of good dark room performance is a high contrast ratio. High ratios result in a big difference between dark and bright areas within the same scene, and a better looking image with deeper blacks. We measure this in our completely dark testing room, with our o screen. The Q60R has a high native contrast ratio of about sixty-three hundred to one, which is excellent. 

It is almost the same as the Q6FN from last year, which is better than most TVs and much better than TVs with IPS panels like the LG SK8000. Unfortunately though, this TV doesn’t support local dimming. On TVs that do support local dimming, the LEDs which light up the screen can be controlled independently to produce deep blacks in dark areas and bright areas or highlights when required, boosting the displays effective contrast. Lack of this feature on the Q60R is disappointing, because the Q6FN from last year did include this feature although it didn't work well. Now, the image of every display that we've tested degrades when viewed at an angle but the amount of degredation varies a lot depending on the panel types and technologies use. 

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As a result, a good viewing angle is important for those who watch off to the side to enjoy the best image. To test this in our dark room, we take measurements of the color and lightness for many different slides starting from directly in-front and then in ten-degree increments off axis. Like most other TVs with VA-type panels, the Q60R experiences color shift and washout, as well as raised blacks when viewed from the side. This can also be seen in our comparison video. For those with wide seating, a TV with an IPS type panel like the LG SK8000 may be a better choice as they keep more accurate colors. Now if you’re in a bright room, then it is important for your TV to handle reflections well with a good anti-reflective screen finish. 

We measure this with a device called an integrating sphere, in a dark room. This sphere allows us to light up the surface of the display uniformly, and then measure the amount of indirect reflections as well as the total amount of light reflected as a percentage of the incident light. The Samsung Q60 offers a good result, which is in the same ballpark as the Q6FN from last year. It should be fine for most rooms, but for a bright room a display with better reflection handling like the X950G or SK8000 may be a better choice. Another important factor for those in a bright room is the peak brightness of the TV. A high SDR peak brightness doesn’t mean that the display will be too bright, but rather you will be able to turn up the backlight to increase the brightness in a bright room or with lots of glare. 

samsung q60 55 inch

With a full screen brightness of about three-hundred and seventy nits, the Q60R offers a very good result but it is less than the Q6FN from last year. This should be fine for those in a well-lit room. Note that this can vary between sizes if a different backlight is used. If you watch HDR content, then the ability to produce bright highlights can enhance the picture quality. The measurement of our HDR real scene test pattern provides a good example of what might be a typical, as it shows a bright highlight which covers about two percent of the screen area. Unfortunately, the Q60R only offers mediocre performance and this is less than the Q6FN of last year. 

This means that bright highlights won't stand out as much as on other TVs. Now, another important aspect of picture quality is the uniformity of the screen. This is because uniformity issues can cause a distracting phenomenon called the dirty screen effect, which is especially noticeable when watching sports or playing video games as the image pans across a uniform surface. This does vary between units due to manufacturing tolerances so if you buy the Q60R then yours could be better or worse. On our unit though, the sides of the screen are darker which is very common on edge-lit models. There isn't much dirty screen effect from issues near the center of the screen though, which is good. 

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Now, if you plan to watch HDR content then a wide color gamut is important to take advantage of the more saturated colors that are possible in HDR, due to the wider mastering color space. We measure this performance in a dark room with a colorimeter, and can plot the results on this CIE xy diagram. The 60R has a good wide color gamut, so can produce more saturated colors than you'll find in SDR. Unfortunately though, it is worse than its predesessor the Q6FN. This is strange, because other QLED TVs we’ve tested tend to perform better. This result is about the same as the Sony X950G. So now on to the motion handling. 

A fast response time is important to reduce the amount of motion blur, which can be visible as a smearing or trailing behind fast moving objects. We measure the response time of a number of different transitions to produce an average which can be compared between TVs. A low measurement is better, and our 80 percent result corresponds to the amount of smearing, while our 100 percent measurement corresponds to the length of a blur trail. The Q60R produces an excellent result, which is confirmed by the photo taken of our moving logo on each display. 

This has been improving for all TVs for a few years though, so it is in the same ballpark as the Q6FN from last year or these Sony and LG models. Now, if you want the clearest image possible then it helps to flicker the backlight and reduce the amount of persistence blur. The Q60R can flicker at sixty hertz to match most fast paced content, which is great, and results in our very clear moving logo image. Now, a low input lag is very important for gamers or those who plan to use this TV as a PC monitor to ensure the most responsive performance. To measure this, we use the same response time tool that we developed and send an image to the TV. We then measure the time between the signal sent via HDMI and the first sign of a change at the center of the screen. We test this for many different resolutions, and refresh rates. 

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The Q60R like most other Samsung TVs performs excellently, with a very low input lag regardless of the input signal. This is great, and results in responsive gaming performance. The Q60R also supports auto low latency mode, which means that it will automatically change to provide low input lag when sent a signal from a new Xbox or PS4. Another neat gaming feature on newer Samsung TVs including the Q60R is variable refresh rate support. This allows the refresh rate of the TV to change and match the source content, which provides a smoother gaming experience and reduces an artifact known as screen tearing. This is great for gamers on a new Xbox, or those with a graphics card that supports FreeSync compatibility. Like other Samsung TVs, the Q60R has the Tizen smart platform. 

It works well, and is easy to use. It feels a bit more smooth than previous year models which is great, and comes with a smart remote that works well. Unfortunately though, like many new TVs there can be ads in the smart platform including the home screen. Whether you see ads depends on if someone is paying to advertise to you, so you might have different results. Like most TVs, the Q60R has mediocre sounding speakers. It doesn’t get very loud, and also doesn’t have thump or rumble in the bass. If you care about sound then a soundbar or external speakers is the way to go. So overall, the Samsung Q60R is a very good TV with some neat gaming features. Unfortunately though, it does feel like a small step down from the Q6FN as it doesn't have even basic local dimming, and can’t get as bright or display as

 saturated colors.  

If you can find the Q6FN for a good price then this is probably the way to go for most people. Compared to the Sony X950G, the Samsung has some neat gaming features like variable refresh rate and lower input lag which is nice. The Sony has local dimming to improve the dark scene performance though, and has a better reflective coating for those in a bright room. Between these two, the best TV will depend on your usage. IPS TVs like the LG SK8000 offer a more accurate image when viewed off-axis, which is good for those who might sit off to the side. This comes at the expense of the contrast ratio though, so if you are in a dark room then the Samsung is a better choice. So that's it! What do you think of the Samsung Q60R? Have you bought it? 

Let us know what you think below. You can see a link in the description to our website to check out how we test and all of the measurements. If you like this video, subscribe to our channel, or become a contributor. Also, we are currently hiring in our offices in Montreal for various positions. So, if you want to help people find the best product for their needs, have a look at the careers page on our website. Thank you for watching and see you next time. 

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