Samsung Q60A QLED TV did better than it's brother, feels premium

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If you want good picture quality without sacrificing design or snappy processing, the Q60A is a great choice.

Of course, being one of the more affordable options in this year’s Samsung QLED lineup doesn’t mean it’s affordable on the whole. Even the 43-inch version of this TV costs $600 right now; put into perspective, you could get a really solid 4K/HDR TV in a larger size for that kind of money.

However, performance isn’t all you’re paying for with the Q60A. Its handsome design is peerless in this price bracket, and Samsung’s expertise with quantum dots make it delightfully colorful. If you want good picture quality without sacrificing design or snappy processing, the Q60A is a great choice as long as you know why you’re paying more. And if the price is giving you cold feet, you could keep an eye out for a price drop later in the year.

Samsung’s Q60A TV series is available in a full range of sizes, a whopping eight in all:

• 43-inch (Samsung QN43Q60A), MSRP $599.99
• 50-inch (Samsung QN50Q60A), MSRP $699.99
• 55-inch (Samsung QN55Q60A), MSRP $849.99
• 60-inch (Samsung QN60Q60A), MSRP $999.99
• 65-inch (Samsung QN65Q60A), MSRP $1,099.99
• 70-inch (Samsung QN70Q60A), MSRP $1,349.99
• 75-inch (Samsung QN75Q60A), MSRP $1,499.99
• 85-inch (Samsung QN85Q60A), MSRP $2,799.99

Despite the huge range of sizes (and price points), you’re getting the same basic hardware and software experience across the whole TV series. Here are the key specs at a glance:

• Resolution: 4K (3,840 x 2,160)
• Display type: QLED (quantum dot + dual-LED backlight)
• Dimming technology: Supreme UHD Dimming
• HDR support: HDR10, HDR10+, HLG
• eARC support: Yes
• Native refresh rate: 60Hz
• Smart platform: Tizen Smart TV
• Color: DCI-P3 color space/10-bit chroma resolution
• Processor: Quantum Processor 4K Lite
• HDMI 2.1-compatible: No
• Other features: AirSlim design, Q-Symphony, Bluetooth audio, Bixby, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Ambient Mode, Accessibility Features

Some things to note about the Q60A TVs is that you’re losing a few high-end performance features off of the flagship Q90A series. You’re not getting 120Hz refresh rates with the Q60A series (important primarily for fast content like gaming, and sometimes sports), nor are you getting Samsung’s new mini-LED backlight. However, you’re still getting 4K resolution, quantum dot color, and a whole bunch of other cool stuff.

Performance Data

We test TVs in a light-controlled lab at our HQ in Cambridge, MA, but beforehand, we assemble it and run a moving test pattern on the screen for a minimum of 24 hours, which gives it time to warm up and settle into continuous operation.

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The performance data below is gathered during our suite of test procedures, most of which rely on objective lab data gathered via light-measuring meters aimed at the screen during test patterns. Currently, we use different meters to measure luminance (black/white data) and color, but both utilize the QuantumData 780a signal generator to provide 4K test patterns to the TV. We use SpectraCal’s CalMan Ultimate software to tabulate test patterns and perform measurement sweeps.

For the Samsung Q60A, we took SDR and HDR measurements in the “Movie” picture mode. Here are the key takeaways from the testing process:

• HDR checkerboard contrast (reference black level/brightness): 0.078 / 414.90 nits
• SDR checkerboard contrast (reference black level/brightness): 0.044 / 238.90 nits
• HDR peak brightness (sustained): 424.10 nits
• HDR (DCI-P3) color gamut coverage: 89.4%
• SDR (rec.709) color gamut coverage: 99.5%

We tested a 55-inch version of the Q60A, purchased from Amazon.

[MangoTango]

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