Samsung Q60T

When it comes to Samsung’s TV 2020 lineup, the Q60T is the cheapest of its QLED sets, which makes it effectively the worst of the brand’s QLED sets to date.

There’s a lot to like about the Q60price, T’s which starts at $529 / £599 for the smallest 43-inch model (or $1,495 in Australia for a 55-inch model). The Q60lower T’s price tag means it will be more widely available than Samsung’s flagship Q950TS 8K and Q95T 4K QLED models.

There are, of course, some drawbacks to that, as well. When compared to the previous year’s Q60R, which had a Quantum Processor 4K chip, this year’s model has the Quantum Processor Lite chip. While edge lighting, which illuminates the picture from both sides, is a low-cost option, it has drawbacks such as inconsistent brightness, poor HDR object strength in off-axis viewing and a lack of uniformity in the brightness of HDR objects.

For the low price of the Q60T, you’ll have to put up with some mild motion blur in order to get HDR.

HD images are free from video noise, even if Samsung’s processing causes a slightly flat picture in order to achieve this upscaling. This is a strong point of Samsung’s.

Amplify sound mode for accentuating dialogue and eARC (enhanced audio return channel) compatibility for lossless audio passthrough to external audio hardware are two ways to improve the quality of the audio. With a soundbar or surround-sound setup, you won’t have any issues with the Q60T sound quality.

In general, Samsung sets tend to fall short on all fronts, but the Q60T is a good example of a compromise-laden set that still meets acceptable viewing standards. The price isn’t too bad either.

Price and availability

With prices starting at $529 / £599, the Q60T QLED can be purchased in 43-inch, 50-inch, 55-inch, and 58-inch sizes. The 65-inch model costs $949 / £1,199, the 75-inch model costs $1,499 / £1,699, and finally the 85-inch model costs $2,199 / £2,199.

For AU$1,495, AU$1,895, and AU$2,895, respectively, you can purchase a 55-inch model from Australia.

As a result, there is a wide range of sizes and price points to choose from. In addition to the Q60T, there is the Q65T, which is silver instead of black, but that is the only difference.

Design

The black plastic casing, thin bezel, and elegantly curved back of the Samsung Q60T are all fairly standard design features. As a transitional set between Samsung’s LED and QLED ranges, the Q60’s design is reminiscent of Samsung’s 7000 or 8000 series.

Two USB ports, satellite, AIR/CABLE, and ethernet are all found on the set’s back. Even if you don’t plan to use all three HDMI ports, you should know that only two are within easy reach of the TV’s sides, and the third will be completely out of reach if the TV is wall-mounted.

There is also an HDMI 2.1 port on this set, but it isn’t very useful.

Because the Q60T has a 60Hz panel, HDMI 2.1 does not allow for 4K/120Hz or 8K/60Hz video passthrough, which is not possible because the Q60T is a 4K TV. However, eARC support is available.

Instead of a central stand, the Q60T is supported by two feet that can be easily inserted without the use of screws at all.

A full numerical keypad is included in the standard remote for Samsung QLED TVs, but there is also a slimmed-down version that has only the most frequently used buttons. You’ll be able to access Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Rakuten TV through dedicated buttons on both models.

In spite of its sleeker design, the remote on this QLED appears to be made of lower-quality materials, with a cheap-feeling plastic casing. There’s a narrow directional beam and a delay in TV tracking inputs when the IR sensor is used, so you have to point the remote at the TV pretty much head-on to get it to work.

At 65 inches, the Q60T isn’t too heavy, but all but the smallest 43-inch model will probably require two people to lift it properly.

Smart TV (OS)

Slick and well-organized, Samsung’s Tizen OS makes a triumphant return on its 2020 televisions.

When you press the home button, Tizen displays an overlay of horizontally-arranged app icons, with Netflix and Amazon listed first, before YouTube or web browser apps. Additionally, if you connect an Xbox or PlayStation console, Tizen will register the hardware with its own dedicated icon, which you can place anywhere in this row.

Our preference was to turn off HDMI-CEC in the TV’s external hardware settings because it automatically turns on connected games consoles when the TV is turned on, but it may be a helpful feature for others.

With Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV Plus and even Disney Plus on display (in contrast to Panasonic’s My Home Screen OS, which is still missing the Disney app), Tizen has a wide range of app support.

It doesn’t come pre-installed, so you’ll need to download it from the app store and then place it in the home bar as desired. Even if you don’t see Disney Plus at the beginning, don’t worry – it’s still there and accessible.

Only for linked services like Disney Plus, Samsung TV Plus or Alexa has Samsung snuck some small ads into its home row. A slippery slope is possible, but having ads on the user interface of paid hardware is an unwelcome reminder that you’re paying for a product.

There are some rows of free content and some rows of paid-for content on the Samsung TV Plus section, which can make the interface feel a little crowded. It’s still worth looking into, especially if you’re looking for family-friendly programming or sports coverage.

As an option for voice navigation, you can choose between Amazon Alexa or Samsung’s own Bixby AI assistant, both of which support AirPlay 2. In general, Alexa is more intelligent, but Samsung includes a comprehensive list of Bixby voice commands in the settings for those who are curious.

Picture quality

Compared to last year’s Q60R, the processor is the main difference. Compared to the Q60R, the Q60T has a Quantum Processor Lite, which is less powerful.

This is due to Samsung’s 2020 TV lineup, which prioritizes its 8K TV models over its 4K ones, saving the best performance for the latter.

What does this mean for the Q60T in terms of its performance? It’s not a lot. Even on the Q60larger T’s screens, HD upscaling is still excellent (like the 65-inch mode reviewed here). The Q604K T’s display made the HD footage from Community on the US sitcom look sharp and clear. Even if you have a 4K TV, you won’t be unable to tell the difference between HD and 4K content because of the process Samsung uses to smooth over video noise in HD images.

Additionally, you’ll be getting Samsung’s Wide Viewing Angle technology, which debuted in 2019 on its higher-end sets and has since spread to more affordable QLED models. Despite the fact that images aren’t lit evenly in all directions due to the use of edge lighting, we found that a 45-degree angle was still not ideal for maintaining good color and contrast when viewed from the side.

According to my tests, the Q60display T’s appears to be heavily blue-light-based, with a greater emphasis on the blues and greens, rather than red or brown hues. There is a tendency to make darker skin tones appear reddish when using Samsung’s The Frame (2020) in our earlier review of this phone, and this is also true of the Q60T.

A lot of excitement ensues when you upgrade to 4K/HDR. However, there is still a flatness to the image with individual objects or areas lacking the brightness needed to make them stand out from the rest of the picture, even though there is an obvious increase in the palette available.

The Q60panel T’s was able to show vividly the bright blues of the Piscine Molitor swimming pool and the relative lightness of the film’s earlier scenes in Ang Lee’s Life of Pi (4K Blu-ray). Nevertheless, the problem of skin tone is clearly visible here, with Irrfan Khan’s face appearing to match the color of his kitchen cabinets.

There’s also a little blur in this shot. As the processor tried to keep track of fast-moving objects, images of a monkey scurrying through branches or schoolchildren shoving each other in a playground appeared a little messy. Despite Samsung’s Quantum Processor Lite’s ability to keep these issues under control and prevent them from being as problematic as they were on the Hisense U8QF, they are still noticeable and detract from the experience.

Perhaps because of the mid-range processor and edge lighting, HDR colors appear muted. Colorful films like Life of Pi suffer from a lack of nuance when it comes to greys and browns, which is a shame.

Q60T is shown at its best when viewed through Netflix’s High Score gaming documentary (in 4K/HDR), which features a fusion of static interviews and bright animations. To be fair, the Q60limited T’s appeal only serves to highlight the device’s flaws in areas where it truly shines.

You’ll need at least 1,000 nits for better HDR performance, if not more, and the Q60T falls far short of that standard. Consider upgrading to the Q80T (900 nits) or Q95T (950 nits) if you want a truly bright HDR display (2,000 nits).

Audio performance

Regarding the Q60audio T’s output, there isn’t much to say. Built-in speakers are limited to a modest 20 watts, which is adequate for most music and movies, but falls short when playing back action movies or orchestral soundtracks.

There are a variety of sound settings available on Samsung QLEDs. Standard is the default setting, while Adaptive makes adjustments based on what’s displayed on the screen. The Amplify mode, on the other hand, emphasizes the dialogue.

When watching an ocean storm rage in Life of Pi, we felt it necessary to use Amplify to ensure that the dialogue could be heard over the chaotic weather – and while the setting works perfectly well, and the audio is general audible, the need for Amplify stems from a lack of clear separation between lows, mids and highs. Compared to the Q90T and Q950TS OTS audio systems, which provide a true sense of depth, width, and verticality to the sound.

Through the single HDMI 2.1 port, though, you do get eARC, for lossless audio passthrough to a soundbar or external audio setup – and the Q60T is a set that’s crying out for ramped-up audio.