The Samsung Q70D QLED series will be the replacement for the 2023 Q70C. But all these models in the mid- and entry-level segment have a lot in common. So it will be interesting to see if there are any significant improvements to the Q70D, or if Samsung has decided to release another model under the rebranding umbrella. A quick look at the specs reveals that this TV is the latest in the QLED lineup to feature a VA panel with a 100/120Hz refresh rate.
The Samsung Quantum Processor 4K is used for video processing, and the OTS Lite system is used for audio. It features four HDMI 2.1 ports and uses the latest Tizen 2024. So on paper the only upgrade is that the new Q70D comes with the Tizen 8.0 platform. Is this the only real change? In our Samsung QE65Q70DAUXRU 4K QLED HDR review, we’ll test its core capabilities to find out.
Samsung Q70D review
Design
At first glance, the design of the Samsung QE65Q70D TV is very similar to the Q70C . If we look closely, we will see that these are definitely identical TVs. There are slight differences in design: the new TV is made in black tones. One thing to keep in mind is that the Q70D is an Edge LED TV and it looks good thanks to its slim silhouette.
The use of Edge LED backlighting allowed Samsung to use the familiar AirSlim design. This is the same as what we have seen in some previous models with the same backlight. So the Q70D has a very good thickness of 2.8cm and will look great when mounted on a wall. The black frames remain the same with a thickness of 1.2 cm, which is excellent for this category.
Samsung still uses matte textured plastic. On the left we see all the connection ports, and on the right the power connector. There are special grooves right above the stand to make cable management easier. And closer to the center, the only visible element is the VESA holes. In most regions, the Samsung Q70D TV is sold with a center stand, in which two small legs connect the panel to the base.
This is a rectangular plate connected to the TV with a massive leg in the center. So both modifications may occur. There is enough space under the panel to place a soundbar. But this depends on the diagonal of the TV. And you better measure before buying, just in case.
The TV comes with Samsung’s SolarCell remote control, which charges its battery using a miniature solar panel on the back. Essentially, it is identical to those. which we described in our reviews of the S95D , QN90D or Q60D . It has few buttons, so in some regions the kit includes an additional TM1240A push-button remote control.
Image quality
Technically, the Samsung 65Q70D TV has good specifications for its price. When measured in Filmmaker mode, its Delta-E (a measure of how different the source’s colors are from what appears on screen) of 1.97 is noticeably lower than the Hisense U8NQ or TCL QM8 . This color accuracy is ensured by image formation using quantum dots. The Q70D is also doing quite well in terms of brightness. Its peak value in a 10% white window approaches 450 nits.
The VA matrix of the TV, unlike IPS, has a high native contrast of more than 6000:1. This means that in a dark room the image will look good due to its deep blacks. The downside is that the Q70D does not have a local backlight dimming system. Therefore, around bright objects on a dark background, black appears slightly blue.
Samsung calls the side lighting system used Dual LED. The essence of dual backlighting is that it uses LEDs of two different colors. Thus, it can adjust the color tone according to the displayed image. Otherwise, this type of system has the usual advantages and disadvantages.
Due to the use of a VA matrix, viewing angles are not very good. The QE65Q70D TV does not have an additional layer that improves angles. As a result, it has a very narrow field within which it can maintain image integrity to an acceptable level. A maximum of 30 degrees is all this TV is capable of.
The panel uniformity of the Q70D is not very good. The uniformity of the gray color reveals very noticeable differences between the corners and the center of the screen. This is an effect called vignetting. There is also some noticeable dirty screen effect. On the other hand, when displaying black and darker colors on the screen, some brightening of the backlight was observed.
HDR support is another area where things haven’t changed. Samsung traditionally does not support Dolby Vision, promoting its standard with HDR10+ dynamic metadata. HDR10+ Adaptive mode uses artificial intelligence algorithms to analyze your viewing environment. This includes lighting, brightness and even reflections read from sensors installed on the TV. After completing the following steps, the brightness and contrast of the scene are optimized.
Motion and Game Processing
A 100Hz panel is what you need for gaming. HDMI 2.1 ports provide a full range of essential gaming features, including Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM). Samsung’s built-in Game Bar 4.0 is convenient for quickly making changes to game-oriented settings. G-Sync and FreeSync Premium Pro are supported .
The 65Q70D TV did not demonstrate ultra-low image output latency. Its result of almost 12 ms exceeds the 9 ms range of the company’s other models (and the generally accepted 10 ms threshold for high-end games). The panel response time is good – 11.5 ms. Fast moving objects have some blur, but it’s not annoying.
To improve the display of motion, the TV uses interpolation to increase the frame rate. But this function does not work very well; ghosting of contours and other artifacts are observed. The black frame insertion feature helps reduce blur. But it also bifurcates the contours of moving objects and reduces the overall brightness.
Smart TV
The Q70D TV runs on the latest Tizen 8.0 OS. While not everyone is a fan of Samsung’s menus, navigating through the various options is intuitive and takes place with a few button presses. The newly updated Home screen includes an auto-generated For You tab, some live streaming content from Samsung TV Plus (or antenna), and an Apps tab.
The new Daily+ menu allows you to access the content that Samsung is trying to promote, such as some workout videos. Bixby and Amazon Alexa voice control systems are supported. It is possible to use several user profiles. So different family members can create their own home pages and see content that matches that person’s individual browsing habits.
Sound
Like most brands, Samsung has developed its own audio system for use in many high-end and mid-range models. It’s called Object Tracking Sound. The Q70D gets an Object Tracking Sound Lite (OTS Lite) variant. It has a 2.0 channel configuration with an output power of 20W.
The TV supports Dolby Audio, but does not have Dolby Atmos built-in. But at least you can stream Dolby Atmos over eARC to some Dolby Atmos soundbar or separate sound system. As always, there is no DTS support. Samsung made this decision several years ago and it seems to be firm. Sony and LG are the only ones who support it.
The Adaptive Sound option analyzes the content and can determine and reproduce the best type of sound for each scene. This entire process starts with separating and classifying the input audio signals. Once key characteristics are identified, the algorithm phonetizes them to best fit the scene.
There is also an active voice amplifier (AVA). Using it, the Q70D can detect ambient noise and improve the sound of dialogue in the content you watch. And the obvious highlight of the Samsung Q70D series is Q-Symphony. You can use this feature to combine your TV’s audio system with a compatible soundbar.
Connections
Samsung has been using the same layout in many of its TVs for several years now. And the Q70D is no different. Starting at the top, there are two USB ports, one digital optical output, four HDMI 2.1 ports (one with eARC ), an Ethernet port for a wired LAN connection, and the usual antenna jacks. In terms of wireless capabilities, the Samsung Q70D TV supports Wi-Fi5 (802.11ac) and Bluetooth 5.2, which is the same for all Samsung TVs in 2024.
Conclusion
It’s not a bad TV, and it even has a few key features to recommend: good SDR color processing, reasonable output lag, and a 100Hz panel and four HDMI 2.1 ports. This is not the best TV if you want to watch it with friends on a wide sofa, as the viewing angle is poor. But it’s Samsung’s most affordable 100Hz TV in 2024, so it will find its audience among budget-conscious gamers.