The Samsung QE65Q60D is a part of Samsung’s 2024 lineup, representing their QLED technology at an affordable price point. This 65-inch TV offers a blend of cutting-edge features and robust performance, making it an attractive option for consumers looking for a high-quality viewing experience without delving into the premium price ranges of flagship models. In this comprehensive review, we’ll dive into the various aspects of this television, covering its design, display quality, audio performance, smart features, gaming capabilities, connectivity, and overall value for money.
Design and Build Quality
AirSlim Design
The Samsung QE65Q60D TV boasts an “AirSlim” design, which is a standout feature in its category. This design approach prioritizes a sleek and minimalist aesthetic, with a profile that is noticeably thin, making it easy to mount on a wall or fit into any modern living space. The TV’s bezel-less design enhances the viewing experience by minimizing distractions, allowing the display to take center stage. The Titan Gray finish adds a touch of elegance, blending well with most interior decors.
Stand and Mounting Options
The TV comes with a “NEW SIMPLE STAND” that is both functional and stylish. The stand provides sturdy support while maintaining a minimalist look that complements the overall design of the TV. Additionally, the VESA-compatible mount allows for flexible wall-mounting options, catering to users who prefer a more streamlined setup.
Display Performance
QLED Technology
At the heart of the Samsung QE65Q60D’s display is Samsung’s Quantum Dot technology, which enhances color accuracy and brightness. The QLED (Quantum Dot LED) panel offers vibrant and lifelike colors, making it suitable for a wide range of content, from high-octane sports to cinematic movies. The color reproduction is excellent, with deep reds, rich greens, and vivid blues that bring images to life.
Resolution and Clarity
The 4K resolution (3840 x 2160 pixels) ensures sharp and detailed visuals, even on a 65-inch screen. This level of resolution is perfect for large screens, providing clarity that is noticeably superior to Full HD. The TV’s “Quantum Processor Lite 4K” further enhances image quality by upscaling lower-resolution content to near-4K quality, ensuring that all content looks its best.
Contrast and HDR Performance
The QE65Q60D features “Dual LED” backlighting technology, which optimizes the color tone to match the content, providing improved contrast and a more realistic picture. The TV supports “Quantum HDR” and HDR10+ (Adaptive), offering a broader range of colors and contrast levels, particularly in scenes with a mix of dark and bright elements. HDR performance is a critical factor for movie lovers and gamers, and the QE65Q60D does a commendable job, although it falls slightly short of the performance seen in Samsung’s higher-end models with more advanced dimming technologies.
Motion Technology
The “Motion Xcelerator” feature enhances the clarity of fast-moving scenes, making it an excellent choice for watching sports or action-packed movies. While the TV has a 50Hz refresh rate, which might seem modest compared to higher-end models, the motion technology helps reduce blurring and judder, providing smoother visuals.
Filmmaker Mode
One of the highlights of this model is the inclusion of “Filmmaker Mode” (FMM). This feature allows users to experience movies as intended by the creators, with minimal post-processing, and maintaining the original aspect ratio, colors, and frame rates. For cinephiles, this mode is a significant addition, ensuring that the visual integrity of the content is preserved.
Audio Performance
Adaptive Sound and Object Tracking Sound Lite (OTS Lite)
Audio performance is often a crucial factor in the overall viewing experience, and the Samsung QE65Q60D delivers a decent audio output with its 2-channel, 20W speaker system. The “Adaptive Sound” feature automatically adjusts the sound profile based on the type of content being viewed, ensuring that dialogues are clear, and sound effects are impactful.
“Object Tracking Sound Lite” (OTS Lite) is another audio feature that enhances the immersion by simulating a surround sound experience, albeit in a more basic form compared to the full OTS systems found in premium models. This feature creates a sense of audio movement that follows the action on the screen, providing a more dynamic sound experience.
Q-Symphony
The TV also supports “Q-Symphony,” a feature that allows the TV’s built-in speakers to work in harmony with a compatible Samsung soundbar, creating a more immersive and fuller sound experience. This integration is seamless and easy to set up, making it a valuable addition for those who want to enhance their audio setup without replacing the TV’s speakers entirely.
Smart Features and User Interface
Tizen OS and User Experience
The Samsung QE65Q60D is powered by the Tizen™ Smart TV platform, which is known for its intuitive interface and robust app ecosystem. Navigating through menus is smooth, and the interface is user-friendly, offering quick access to popular streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and more. The TV also comes with a built-in web browser, providing additional versatility.
Voice Assistants
The TV is equipped with multiple voice assistant options, including Samsung’s Bixby, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant (region-specific). This wide range of options ensures that users can choose their preferred assistant for voice commands, whether it’s controlling the TV, searching for content, or managing smart home devices.
SmartThings Integration
Samsung’s SmartThings platform is integrated into the QE65Q60D, allowing it to act as a hub for controlling other smart devices in your home. This feature is particularly beneficial for users who already have a Samsung ecosystem of products or other SmartThings-compatible devices. The integration is seamless, and controlling connected devices from the TV is straightforward.
Multi-View and Mobile Connectivity
The “Multi-View” feature allows users to split the screen and watch up to two different contents simultaneously. This is particularly useful for multitaskers who might want to watch TV while keeping an eye on social media or gaming. The TV also supports various mobile connectivity options, including “Mobile to TV” mirroring, “Tap View,” and Apple AirPlay, making it easy to stream content from your smartphone or tablet.
Gaming Features
For gamers, the Samsung QE65Q60D offers a suite of features that enhance the gaming experience. The “Auto Game Mode” (ALLM) automatically switches the TV to low latency mode when a gaming console is connected, reducing input lag and providing a more responsive gaming experience. “Game Motion Plus” and “Super Ultra Wide Game View” enhance the visuals, offering a more immersive gaming environment, particularly for fast-paced games.
The TV also supports the “Gaming Hub” (available in select regions), which centralizes access to cloud gaming services, consoles, and other gaming-related features. This hub is designed to provide gamers with quick and easy access to all their gaming needs in one place.
Connectivity and Ports
Comprehensive Connectivity Options
The Samsung QE65Q60D offers a solid array of connectivity options, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of devices. The TV features three HDMI ports, including support for 4K 60Hz on all HDMI inputs. This makes it suitable for connecting multiple devices like gaming consoles, Blu-ray players, and streaming devices without compromising on quality.
Additionally, the TV comes with two USB-A ports for connecting external storage devices, an Ethernet (LAN) port for wired internet connectivity, and a digital audio out (optical) for high-quality audio output to external sound systems. The inclusion of an RF input (for terrestrial/cable input) and a CI slot further enhances its versatility.
Wireless Connectivity
Wireless connectivity is also well-supported, with Wi-Fi 5 providing stable internet connectivity for streaming and browsing. Bluetooth 5.2 ensures a strong connection to wireless peripherals like headphones, game controllers, and keyboards, allowing for a more flexible setup without the clutter of cables.
Additional Features
Ambient Mode
Samsung’s “Ambient Mode” is a feature that allows the TV to blend into your living space when not in use. Instead of displaying a black screen, the TV can show customizable content such as artwork, photos, or weather information. This feature adds a level of sophistication to the TV, turning it into a functional piece of décor when not actively being used for viewing content.
NFT Integration
An interesting addition to the QE65Q60D is the “Nifty Gateway” integration, which allows users to display their NFT (Non-Fungible Token) art collections on the TV. This feature is part of Samsung’s broader push to integrate blockchain technology into their products, catering to tech-savvy users who are into digital art and cryptocurrencies.
Smart Calibration and Picture Adjustments
The TV comes with “Basic Smart Calibration” tools, allowing users to fine-tune the picture settings to their preference. While it may not offer the advanced calibration features of higher-end models, it provides sufficient control for most users to achieve the picture quality they desire.
Samsung Health
For users in the UK and Ireland, the Samsung Health app is available on the TV, offering a range of fitness and wellness content. This feature is particularly useful for those who prefer working out at home, providing access to workout videos, tracking fitness goals, and more.
Performance in Various Use Cases
Movies and Streaming
The Samsung QE65Q60D excels in delivering a cinematic experience at home. The 4K resolution combined with QLED technology and HDR support ensures that movies and streaming content look vibrant and detailed. Filmmaker Mode is particularly useful for movie enthusiasts who want to experience films as intended by the creators, without the added effects of motion smoothing or artificial enhancements.
Sports Viewing
For sports fans, the TV’s motion handling capabilities, enhanced by Motion Xcelerator, ensure that fast-moving action is displayed smoothly. The large 65-inch screen provides an immersive viewing experience, making it feel as though you’re in the midst of the action. The good contrast levels and vibrant colors also help in making sports broadcasts look dynamic and engaging.
Gaming
The gaming features on the QE65Q60D make it a solid choice for gamers, particularly those who prioritize low input lag and a responsive gaming experience. While the 50Hz refresh rate may not appeal to competitive gamers who prefer higher frame rates, the Auto Game Mode and Game Motion Plus features help to mitigate this by optimizing the display for gaming.
General TV Watching
For everyday TV watching, the Samsung QE65Q60D performs admirably. Whether you’re watching news, reality shows, or your favorite sitcoms, the TV delivers consistent performance with good picture quality and sound. The smart features and easy access to streaming apps also make it convenient for everyday use.
Value for Money
Price-Performance Ratio
The Samsung QE65Q60D offers a compelling package for its price point. It brings a host of premium features found in more expensive models, such as QLED technology, HDR10+, and an intuitive smart TV platform, without the hefty price tag. This makes it an excellent choice for consumers who want a high-quality TV that delivers solid performance across various use cases without breaking the bank.
2024 65” Samsung QE65Q60D price: £899
Competitors and Alternatives
In the highly competitive mid-range TV market, the QE65Q60D faces stiff competition from other brands like LG, Sony, and TCL. However, Samsung’s reputation for quality and the additional features like SmartThings integration, Multi-View, and Ambient Mode give it an edge over many of its rivals. That said, if you’re looking for a TV with a higher refresh rate or more advanced local dimming, you might need to consider options in a slightly higher price bracket.
Potential Drawbacks
Limited Refresh Rate
One of the few drawbacks of the Samsung QE65Q60D is its 50Hz refresh rate. While this is adequate for most content, it might not satisfy users who are accustomed to the 120Hz refresh rates available on higher-end models, particularly for fast-paced gaming and sports.
Basic Audio Setup
The 20W, 2-channel speaker system, while decent, may not be powerful enough for those who seek a more immersive audio experience. Users who prioritize sound quality might want to consider investing in an external soundbar or a home theater system to complement the TV’s visual capabilities.
HDR Performance
While the QE65Q60D supports HDR10+ and Quantum HDR, its performance in this area doesn’t quite match up to higher-end models that feature more advanced dimming technologies and higher peak brightness. This might be a consideration for those who are particularly discerning about HDR content.
The Samsung QE65Q60D is a well-rounded TV that offers a great mix of features, performance, and design at a reasonable price. It’s an excellent choice for users who want the benefits of QLED technology, robust smart features, and solid gaming capabilities without investing in a top-tier model. While it has a few limitations, such as a modest refresh rate and basic audio setup, these are minor drawbacks in the context of the overall package.
For most users, particularly those interested in streaming, casual gaming, and general TV watching, the QE65Q60D provides a satisfying and immersive viewing experience. Its sleek design, comprehensive connectivity options, and user-friendly smart platform make it a versatile addition to any living room.
In summary, the Samsung QE65Q60D strikes an impressive balance between quality and affordability, making it one of the best options in the mid-range 65-inch TV market. Whether you’re upgrading from an older TV or setting up a new entertainment system, this model is worth serious consideration.
