Get insider access
Preferred store
Your browser is not supported or outdated so some features of the site might not be available.
To try to better understand how long a TV should last, we're running 100 TVs through an accelerated longevity test for the next two years. We've just posted our 1-year video update with our latest findings on temporary image retention, burn-in, and more!

Samsung Q60C [Q60, Q60CD] QLED TV Review

Tested using Methodology v1.11
Reviewed May 17, 2023 at 09:43 am
Latest change: Writing modified Feb 16, 2024 at 01:51 pm
Samsung Q60C [Q60, Q60CD] QLED Picture
7.1
Mixed Usage
Value for price beaten by
: Hisense U7K [U7, U75K]
6.9
TV Shows
Value for price beaten by
: Hisense U7K [U7, U75K]
6.9
Sports
Value for price beaten by
: Vizio Quantum Pro QLED
7.2
Video Games
Value for price beaten by
: Hisense U7K [U7, U75K]
7.1
HDR Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Hisense U7K [U7, U75K]
7.4
HDR Gaming
Value for price beaten by
: Hisense U7K [U7, U75K]
7.1
PC Monitor
Value for price beaten by
: Vizio Quantum Pro QLED
This TV was replaced by the Samsung Q60/Q60D QLED

The Samsung Q60C QLED is an entry-level TV in Samsung's 2023 lineup and is the lowest-end model in their QLED, or Quantum Dot LED lineup. It sits below the Samsung Q70C QLED, replacing the Samsung Q60B QLED from 2022. As an entry-level model, it's limited in features as it doesn't have local dimming, HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, or variable refresh rate (VRR) support. Although it runs a slightly simplified version of Samsung's Tizen smart platform, it's still easy to use and has a ton of available apps, so you're sure to find your favorite streaming service.

Our Verdict

7.1 Mixed Usage

The Samsung Q60C QLED is a decent TV overall. It's best suited for watching shows or sports during the day, as it has very good peak brightness in SDR and decent reflection handling. It's okay for watching movies, as dark scenes look good overall thanks to its high native contrast ratio, but it lacks a local dimming feature and can't get bright in HDR, so bright highlights don't stand out. It has low input lag for a responsive gaming or desktop experience, but it's just alright for gaming due to its slow response time.

Pros
  • High native contrast for deep blacks.
  • Incredible black uniformity.
  • Bright enough to overcome glare in a moderately-lit room.
Cons
  • Narrow viewing angle.
  • Bad low-quality content smoothing.
6.9 TV Shows

The Samsung Q60C QLED is an okay TV for watching shows during the day. It gets bright enough to overcome glare in a moderately-lit room, and thanks to its decent reflection handling, visibility isn't an issue. It has decent upscaling and sharpness processing, which is great if you like to watch older shows. Sadly, it has a sub-par viewing angle, so it's not ideal for a wide seating arrangement, as the image degrades when viewed from the side.

Pros
  • Bright enough to overcome glare in a moderately-lit room.
  • Good selection of streaming apps.
Cons
  • Narrow viewing angle.
  • Bad low-quality content smoothing.
6.9 Sports

The Samsung Q60C QLED is just okay for watching sports during the day. Visibility in a moderately-lit room isn't an issue, as it gets bright enough to overcome glare and it has decent reflection handling. Sadly, it has a slow response time, so fast action looks blurry, and it's hard to make out fine details. It also has a narrow viewing angle, so it's not a good choice for watching the big game with a large group of friends, as the images fades and looks washed out from the sides.

Pros
  • Bright enough to overcome glare in a moderately-lit room.
  • Good selection of streaming apps.
Cons
  • Narrow viewing angle.
  • Slow response time results in very noticeable motion blur.
7.2 Video Games

The Samsung Q60C QLED is just alright for playing video games. It has very low input lag in Game Mode, ensuring a responsive gaming experience with little delay between your actions and the action on-screen. Sadly, it has a slow response time, and there's a long blur trail behind fast-moving objects. It also lacks any advanced gaming features like VRR, and it's limited to a 60Hz refresh rate, so you can't take full advantage of the latest consoles.

Pros
  • High native contrast for deep blacks.
  • Incredible black uniformity.
  • Low input lag.
Cons
  • Lacks a local dimming feature to improve contrast.
  • Slow response time results in very noticeable motion blur.
  • No advanced gaming features like VRR.
7.1 HDR Movies

The Samsung Q60C QLED is a decent TV for watching movies. It has a high native contrast ratio and superb black uniformity, so blacks are deep and uniform in dark scenes. It can display a wide color gamut, making colors look vivid and lifelike. On the other hand, it lacks a local dimming feature and has low peak brightness in HDR, so bright highlights don't stand out, and dark areas are washed out in bright scenes. It also has limited processing, so it can't smooth out low-quality content very well, and there's noticeable banding in gradients.

Pros
  • High native contrast for deep blacks.
  • Incredible black uniformity.
  • Displays a wide range of colors.
Cons
  • Lacks a local dimming feature to improve contrast.
  • Low HDR peak brightness.
  • Bad low-quality content smoothing.
7.4 HDR Gaming

The Samsung Q60C QLED is an okay TV overall for gaming in HDR. It has a high native contrast ratio, so blacks are deep and uniform in dark scenes. It lacks a local dimming feature, though, and it can't get very bright in HDR, so bright highlights don't stand out. It has a great color gamut, so colors are vibrant and lifelike overall, but again, they're not very bright. Finally, it delivers an alright gaming experience overall, with low input lag for a responsive feel but no advanced gaming features and a slow response time, so motion is blurry.

Pros
  • High native contrast for deep blacks.
  • Incredible black uniformity.
  • Low input lag.
  • Displays a wide range of colors.
Cons
  • Lacks a local dimming feature to improve contrast.
  • Slow response time results in very noticeable motion blur.
  • No advanced gaming features like VRR.
  • Low HDR peak brightness.
7.1 PC Monitor

The Samsung Q60C QLED is decent for use as a PC monitor. It displays chroma 4:4:4 signals properly, which is essential for clear text from a PC. It has low input lag, so your cursor movements feel responsive, but sadly, it has a slow response time, and motion is blurry. It has very good peak brightness in SDR and can overcome glare in a moderately-lit room, and it has decent gray uniformity, with very little dirty screen effect in the center of the screen. Unfortunately, it has a narrow viewing angle, so the sides of the screen fade and look washed out if you're sitting too close.

Pros
  • Low input lag.
  • Chroma 4:4:4 is displayed properly for clear text from a PC.
Cons
  • Narrow viewing angle.
  • Slow response time results in very noticeable motion blur.
  • No advanced gaming features like VRR.
  • 7.1 Mixed Usage
  • 6.9 TV Shows
  • 6.9 Sports
  • 7.2 Video Games
  • 7.1 HDR Movies
  • 7.4 HDR Gaming
  • 7.1 PC Monitor
  1. Updated Feb 16, 2024: Added mention of the Samsung store online exclusive QE1C variant in the Differences Between Sizes and Variants.
  2. Updated Sep 11, 2023: We corrected a typo in the introduction and fixed two broken links.
  3. Updated Aug 21, 2023: Mentioned the newly reviewed Samsung Q70C QLED in the Supported Resolutions section of this review.
  4. Updated Jun 22, 2023: Updated the text regarding HDR Native Gradient.
  5. Updated May 17, 2023: Review published.
  6. Updated May 11, 2023: Early access published.
  7. Updated Apr 26, 2023: Our testers have started testing this product.
  8. Updated Apr 21, 2023: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  9. Updated Apr 18, 2023: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We bought and tested the 65-inch Samsung Q60C, and it's also available in 32-inch, 43-inch, 50-inch, 55-inch, 70-inch, 75-inch, and 85-inch sizes. All sizes offer similar picture quality and overall performance.

Note that with Samsung TVs, the six letters after the short model code (AFXZA in this case) vary between specific retailers and regions and even between different retailers. The Samsung QE1C is a Samsung store online exclusive that performs the same, but it's only available in 70-inch and 85-inch sizes. There are also a few international variants of this TV that perform roughly the same. The Samsung Q65C has a slightly better global dimming feature, and the Samsung Q67C has a center-mounted stand.

Size US Model
32" QN32Q60CAFXZA
43" QN43Q60CAFXZA
50" QN50Q60CAFXZA
55" QN55Q60CAFXZA
65" QN65Q60CAFXZA
70" QN70Q60CAFXZA
75" QN75Q60CAFXZA
85" QN85Q60CAFXZA

Our unit was manufactured in March 2023; you can see the label here.

Compared To Other TVs

The Samsung Q60C is a basic entry-level 4k TV with just okay picture quality and few extra features. It's overpriced, and you can get cheaper TVs from budget brands like Hisense and TCL that are just as good and offer a better selection of features, like the Hisense U6/U6H, Hisense U7H, or TCL 5 Series/S555 2022 QLED.

See our recommendations for the best Samsung TVs, the best 65-inch TVs, and the best TVs for movies.

Samsung Q70C [Q70, Q70CD] QLED
55" 65" 75" 85"

The Samsung Q70C QLED is better than the Samsung Q60C QLED. The Q60C has slightly better contrast and vastly better black uniformity, but is worse in every other category. The Q70C is also a fully featured gaming TV, with four HDMI 2.1 bandwidth ports for up to 4k @ 120Hz gaming and support for every VRR technology, while the Q60C is limited to up to 4k @ 60Hz on its four HDMI 2.0 ports, and has no VRR support.

Samsung CU8000
43" 50" 55" 65" 75" 85"

The Samsung Q60C QLED is a bit better than the Samsung CU8000. The Q60C gets a lot brighter, so it can better overcome glare in a moderately-lit room, and HDR looks better.

Samsung CU7000/CU7000D
43" 50" 55" 58" 65" 70" 75" 85"

The Samsung CU7000/CU7000D and the Samsung Q60C QLED are similar TVs, but the Q60C is better in some ways. The Q60C has a higher SDR peak brightness, so it overcomes glare better in a bright room. The Q60C also supports a wide color gamut and has better color volume, so colors in HDR content are more vibrant and lifelike than on the CU7000. However, the CU7000 has a faster response time, so it has less blur behind fast-moving objects on the screen.

Samsung Q80C [Q80, Q80CD] QLED
50" 55" 65" 75" 85" 98"

The Samsung Q80C is better than the Samsung Q60C. The Q80C gets brighter in both SDR and HDR, so it can overcome more glare in a well-lit room with SDR content, and highlights stand out more in HDR content. The Q80C is also better for watching TV as a group due to its wider viewing angle, and there is much less blur behind quick motion due to its faster response time. The Q80C has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, so it's a much better choice to pair with modern gaming consoles because it can do 4k @ 120Hz and VRR.

Samsung Q60B [Q60, Q60BD] QLED
43" 50" 55" 60" 65" 70" 75" 85"

The Samsung Q60C QLED and the Samsung Q60B QLED are nearly identical. Most of the differences between them are within the margins of individual panels.

Sony X80K/X80CK
43" 50" 55" 65" 75" 85"

The Samsung Q60C QLED and the Sony X80K/X80CK each have strengths over the other. The Samsung has better contrast and black uniformity, so blacks are deeper when viewed in a dark room, and it has better SDR brightness, so it can overcome more glare in a bright room. However, the Sony has a wider viewing angle, so it's the better choice for watching TV as a group. The Sony also has a faster response time, so there is less blur behind quick motion.

Sony X85K
43" 50" 55" 65" 75" 85"

The Sony X85K is significantly better than the Samsung Q60C QLED. The Sony gets a lot brighter in both SDR and HDR, so it can better overcome glare in a bright room, and HDR content is more impactful. The Sony also has much better motion handling, with significantly less blur behind fast-moving objects, so it's a better choice for sports, gaming, or for use as a PC monitor.

Hisense U7H [U7, U75H]
55" 65" 75" 85"

The Hisense U7H is better than the Samsung Q60C QLED. Thanks to its better contrast and the inclusion of a local dimming feature, blacks are much deeper on the U7H, so it performs better in a dark room. The U7H gets much brighter in HDR, so bright highlights pop more than on the Q60C. The U7H also gets brighter in SDR, so it overcomes glare better in a bright room. Finally, the U7H is the better option for gaming because of its faster response time, so there is less blur behind fast-moving objects when compared to the Q60C.

LG NANO75 2022
43" 50" 55" 65" 70" 75" 86"

The Samsung Q60C QLED is better than the LG NANO75 2022. The Samsung has much better contrast and looks better in a dark room. The Samsung also gets significantly brighter in SDR, so it can handle more glare in a bright room, and HDR looks better. The Samsung also has a wider color gamut, making HDR content more vivid and lifelike.

LG QNED80 2022
50" 55" 65" 75" 86"

The Samsung Q60C QLED is better than the LG QNED80 2022 regarding overall picture quality. The Samsung doesn't have a local dimming feature but has a much higher native contrast ratio, so it looks better in dark rooms, with deeper blacks and better black uniformity. The Samsung also gets brighter, and HDR content looks better in general. The LG does have a much better viewing angle, which can be useful if you regularly watch content in a group setting. The LG is also more compatible with modern gaming consoles, as it supports VRR and 4k @ 120Hz.

Samsung AU8000
43" 50" 55" 60" 65" 70" 75" 85"

The Samsung Q60C QLED and the Samsung AU8000 are both decent TVs, but the Q60C is slightly more polished overall. The Q60C displays a wider range of colors and has much better out-of-the-box accuracy. It also has higher peak brightness, but the AU8000 has better reflection handling. The Q60C is better for dark rooms as it has a higher native contrast and improved black uniformity. In terms of smart features, they both have Tizen, but the Q60C has a few extra features that the AU8000 doesn't have, like the support for different voice assistant features.

+ Show more

Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Curved No

Although it's an entry-level 4k TV, the Samsung Q60C looks surprisingly premium, with thin bezels and a modern design.

Design
Accelerated Longevity Test
Uniformity Pictures N/A

This TV isn't part of our long-term accelerated longevity test, but its predecessor, the Samsung Q60B QLED, is.

Design
Stand

The stand has wide-set plastic feet which support the TV well. Because the stand is so wide, you'll need a big table to place it on. The stand can be placed in the lower position as shown, which raises the screen about 1.9" above the table, or in the raised position (shown here), which raises the screen about 2.9" above the table. Most soundbars fit in front of it in the raised position without blocking the screen.

Footprint of the 65-inch TV: 42.4" x 10.9".

Design
Back
Wall Mount VESA 400x300

The back of the TV is made of plastic and has a nice brushed finish. Unfortunately, there are no clips or guides for cable management, so it's hard to maintain a clean setup. Sadly, the inputs are recessed into the TV, so they're hard to reach if you wall-mount the TV with a fixed bracket, so a mounting arm is recommended.

Design
Borders
Borders 0.39" (1.0 cm)
Design
Thickness
Max Thickness 1.14" (2.9 cm)
7.0
Design
Build Quality

The Samsung Q60CD has decent build quality. The stand supports the TV fairly well but wobbles front and back easily. The TV is almost entirely made of plastic, and there's some flex to the large panel on the back, but this won't cause any issues. Overall, its build quality has no major flaws or issues, but it's not very premium, and some of the materials used feel a bit cheap.

Picture Quality
6.8
Picture Quality
Contrast
Contrast
7,262 : 1
Native Contrast
7,262 : 1

The Samsung Q60CD QLED has okay contrast. Its native contrast ratio is great, so blacks look very good in a dark room. Dark scenes look washed out when bright highlights are present due to the lack of local dimming.

10
Picture Quality
Blooming

This TV doesn't have a local dimming feature, so there's no blooming around bright objects or subtitles in dark scenes. But as the TV can't brighten highlights without impacting the rest of the image, dark scenes look washed out.

10
Picture Quality
Lighting Zone Transitions
Local Dimming
No
Backlight
Edge
Dimming Zones Count Of Tested TV
N/A

This TV doesn't have a local dimming feature, so it can't adjust the backlight of individual zones to brighten up highlights without impacting the rest of the image. But this means that there's no distracting flicker or brightness changes as bright highlights move between zones.

7.5
Picture Quality
Contrast And Dark Details In Game Mode

Switching to Game Mode makes no noticeable difference in dark scene performance.

5.3
Picture Quality
HDR Brightness
Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
346 cd/m²
Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
104 cd/m²
Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
100 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
445 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
445 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
445 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
445 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
445 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
444 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
444 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
445 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
445 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
445 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.000

Unfortunately, this TV has poor peak brightness in HDR. Highlights don't stand out, and it doesn't have a local dimming feature to help make bright objects pop.

These measurements are after calibrating the HDR white point, with the following settings:

  • Picture Mode: FILMMAKER Mode
  • Brightness 50
  • Contrast: Max
  • Color Temperature: Warm 2
  • HDR Tone Mapping: Static

Changing HDR Tone Mapping to 'Active' results in a slightly dimmer image overall.

SceneBrightnessPhoto
Hallway Lights294.7 cd/m²
Yellow Skyscraper111.3 cd/m²
Landscape Pool84.3 cd/m²

5.7
Picture Quality
HDR Brightness In Game Mode
Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
360 cd/m²
Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
109 cd/m²
Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
142 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
452 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
452 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
453 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
453 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
453 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
452 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
452 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
452 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
452 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
452 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.000

Switching to Game Mode increases the peak brightness a bit, but it's not a noticeable difference, and it's still too low for a good HDR experience.

These measurements are after calibrating the HDR white point, with the following settings:

  • Picture Mode: Game
  • Brightness 50
  • Contrast: Max
  • Color Temperature: Warm 2
  • HDR Tone Mapping: Static
  • Game HDR: Basic

9.0
Picture Quality
PQ EOTF Tracking
600 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0060
1000 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0062
4000 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0063

The PQ EOTF tracking is superb on this TV. Dark scenes and midtones are displayed close to the content creator's intent. Like most LED TVs, near-blacks are raised a bit, but other than that, it tracks the content creator's intent well. There's a sharp cutoff near the TV's peak brightness, though, which causes a loss of fine details in bright highlights.

7.8
Picture Quality
SDR Brightness
Real Scene Peak Brightness
411 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
263 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
447 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
444 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
444 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
443 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
258 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
444 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
442 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
442 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
442 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.035

The Samsung Q60CD QLED has very good peak brightness in SDR. It's bright enough to overcome glare in a moderately-lit room, and there's no variation in brightness between most scenes. The TV's global dimming feature (also known as CE dimming) dims fine details in low APL scenes, though.

These measurements are after calibration with the following settings:

  • Picture Mode: Movie
  • Backlight: Max
  • Gamma: 2.2
  • Color Tone: Warm 2

8.0
Picture Quality
Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
Yes
DCI P3 xy
88.66%
DCI P3 uv
94.74%
Rec 2020 xy
64.56%
Rec 2020 uv
72.09%

The HDR color gamut is great. It has excellent coverage of the DCI-P3 color space, which is used in most HDR content. The TV's tone mapping is great with saturated colors, but muted colors are slightly off. However, it's not future-proof because it has limited coverage of the Rec. 2020 color space, which more content will start to use, and its Rec. 2020 tone mapping with green and cyan is off. You can see the spectral power distribution (SPD) for this TV here.

7.2
Picture Quality
Color Volume
1,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage ITP
63.4%
10,000 cd/m² Rec 2020 Coverage ITP
27.4%
White Luminance
444 cd/m²
Red Luminance
85 cd/m²
Green Luminance
309 cd/m²
Blue Luminance
21 cd/m²
Cyan Luminance
227 cd/m²
Magenta Luminance
115 cd/m²
Yellow Luminance
363 cd/m²

Although it can display a wide color gamut, this TV's color volume is just decent. It can display dim colors well for the most part, but bright shades of blue aren't as bright as other colors.

8.1
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
White Balance dE
2.85
Color dE
1.63
Gamma
2.29
Color Temperature
6,091 K
Picture Mode
Movie
Color Temp Setting
Warm 2
Gamma Setting
2.2

The Samsung Q60 has great accuracy in SDR even before calibration. Color accuracy is excellent, with no noticeable issues. The white balance is slightly off in all shades of gray, but not noticeably. Gamma doesn't follow the 2.2 target for a moderately-lit room, especially in dark scenes, which are crushed a bit.

9.4
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
White Balance dE
0.45
Color dE
1.11
Gamma
2.22
Color Temperature
6,452 K
White Balance Calibration
20 point
Color Calibration
Yes

The accuracy after calibration is fantastic. It's a bit tricky to calibrate, and although the white balance after calibration is nearly perfect, colors are still a bit off, and gamma below 30% is still a bit too dark.

You can see our full calibration settings here.

7.4
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
3.859%
50% DSE
0.173%
5% Std. Dev.
0.963%
5% DSE
0.112%

The gray uniformity is decent. The sides of the screen are a bit darker than the center, but it's not noticeable with most real content. There's a bit of dirty screen effect in the center of the screen, which is distracting when watching sports. Near-dark scenes look much better, with no significant issues.

10
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Std. Dev.
N/A
Native Std. Dev.
0.346%

The black uniformity of this TV is superb. There are a few cloudy patches on the screen, but they're barely noticeable, even in nearly black scenes.

5.5
Picture Quality
Viewing Angle
Color Washout
27°
Color Shift
31°
Brightness Loss
32°
Black Level Raise
18°
Gamma Shift
19°

Sadly, the viewing angle of the Samsung Q60CD QLED is sub-par. The image fades rapidly as you move off-center, and colors shift, giving the image a more yellow tint. Black levels rise rapidly, and brightness decreases, causing the image to appear washed out. Overall, this isn't a good TV for a wide seating arrangement or if you like to move around with the TV.

7.4
Picture Quality
Reflections
Screen Finish
Semi-gloss
Total Reflections
5.3%
Indirect Reflections
1.1%
Calculated Direct Reflections
4.1%

The reflection handling is decent. The semi-gloss coating helps reduce the intensity of strong light sources but doesn't eliminate glare entirely.

6.3
Picture Quality
HDR Native Gradient
100% Black to 50% Gray
8.0
50% Gray to 100% White
6.0
100% Black to 50% Red
6.0
50% Red to 100% Red
6.0
100% Black to 50% Green
6.0
50% Green to 100% Green
4.0
100% Black to 50% Blue
8.0
50% Blue to 100% Blue
6.0

The Samsung Q60 has mediocre gradient handling in HDR. There's bad banding in bright greens, and noticeable banding in dark greys, reds, and greens, as well as in light grays, reds, and blues.

4.8
Picture Quality
Low-Quality Content Smoothing
Smoothing
3.0
Detail Preservation
9.0

Unfortunately, this TV has poor low-quality content smoothing. Even with all processing settings enabled, macro-blocking and pixelization are still very noticeable. On the other hand, fine details are still preserved well.

7.0
Picture Quality
Upscaling: Sharpness Processing

The Samsung Q60 QLED has decent upscaling and sharpness processing. Fine details in low-resolution content are displayed well, but text is a bit blurry, and the image is a bit soft overall.

The optimal sharpness settings for low-resolution or low-bitrate content, with no over-sharpening, are as follows:

  • Sharpness: 6
  • Picture Clarity: Off

Picture Quality
Pixels
Subpixel Layout
BGR
Type LED
Sub-Type
VA

This TV uses a BGR subpixel layout, which doesn't impact the image quality, but it makes text look blurry in some applications that don't support the BGR layout, which is important if you want to use it as a PC monitor. You can read more about it here.

Motion
5.6
Motion
Response Time
80% Response Time
9.2 ms
100% Response Time
16.0 ms

Unfortunately, the Samsung Q60 QLED TV has an inadequate response time. All motion looks blurry, and there's noticeable black smearing with dark objects, so dark scenes and shadow details look even worse.

7.9
Motion
Flicker-Free
Flicker-Free
No
PWM Dimming Frequency
480 Hz

The Samsung Q60 TV uses pulse width modulation (PWM) to dim the backlight at all brightness levels. It flickers at 480Hz in Movie mode, which can be distracting if you're sensitive to the flicker, and it drops down to 120Hz in the 'Dynamic', 'Standard', 'Filmmaker', and 'Game' modes, or with Picture Clarity enabled. This lower flicker causes image duplication with 60 fps content and can cause headaches if you're sensitive to image flicker.

Motion
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
Optional BFI
Yes
Min Flicker For 60 fps
60 Hz
60Hz For 60 fps
Yes
120Hz For 120 fps
N/A
Min Flicker for 60 fps in Game Mode
60 Hz

There's an optional feature to introduce backlight strobing to reduce persistence blur, commonly known as Black Frame Insertion (BFI). It flickers at 60Hz when enabled, but the timing is off, resulting in noticeable image duplication. This feature also reduces the panel's brightness.

Motion
Motion Interpolation
Motion Interpolation (30 fps)
Yes
Motion Interpolation (60 fps)
No

There's a motion interpolation feature to bring lower-frame-rate content up to 60 fps, but it doesn't look very good on this TV. There are tons of artifacts on screen with any fast motion, and there's haloing present around characters in pretty much any scene.

7.9
Motion
Stutter
Frame Hold Time @ 24 fps
25.7 ms
Frame Hold Time @ 60 fps
0.7 ms

Thanks to its slow response time, this TV has very little 24p stutter.

7.8
Motion
24p Judder
Judder-Free 24p
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via 60p
No
Judder-Free 24p via 60i
No
Judder-Free 24p via Native Apps
Yes

The Samsung Q60C can remove judder from any 24p source, like a Blu-ray player or a streaming device with a 'Match Frame Rate' feature. Unfortunately, it can't remove judder from 60Hz sources, like most cable boxes.

0
Motion
Variable Refresh Rate
Native Refresh Rate
60 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
No
HDMI Forum VRR
No
FreeSync
No
G-SYNC Compatible
No
4k VRR Maximum
N/A
4k VRR Minimum
No VRR support
1080p VRR Maximum
N/A
1080p VRR Minimum
No VRR support
1440p VRR Maximum
N/A
1440p VRR Minimum
No VRR support
VRR + Local Dimming No Local Dimming

This TV is limited to a 60Hz refresh rate and doesn't support a variable refresh rate to reduce screen tearing.

Inputs
9.7
Inputs
Input Lag
1080p @ 60Hz
12.0 ms
1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
78.5 ms
1080p @ 120Hz
N/A
1080p @ 144Hz
N/A
1440p @ 60Hz
10.3 ms
1440p @ 120Hz
N/A
1440p @ 144Hz
N/A
4k @ 60Hz
10.3 ms
4k @ 60Hz + 10-Bit HDR
10.0 ms
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
10.4 ms
4k @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
61.5 ms
4k @ 60Hz With Interpolation
61.0 ms
4k @ 120Hz
N/A
4k @ 144Hz
N/A
8k @ 60Hz
N/A

The Samsung Q60C has fantastic low input lag, ensuring a responsive gaming or desktop experience.

7.1
Inputs
Supported Resolutions
Resolution 4k
480p @ 59.94Hz (Widescreen)
Yes
720p @ 59.94Hz
Yes
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
No
1080p @ 144Hz
No
1440p @ 60Hz
Yes (forced resolution required)
1440p @ 120Hz
No
1440p @ 144Hz
No
4k @ 60Hz
Yes
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
No
4k @ 120Hz @ 4:4:4
No
4k @ 144Hz
No
8k @ 30Hz or 24Hz
No
8k @ 60Hz
No

The Samsung Q60C supports all common resolutions up to 4k @ 60Hz. It displays chroma 4:4:4 properly with any signal, which is important for reading clear text from a PC, but you need to ensure you're in PC Mode. If you'd like a similar TV but with up to 4k @ 120Hz support, check out the higher-tier Samsung Q70C QLED instead.

Inputs
PS5 Compatibility
Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
No
1440p @ 120Hz
No
1080p @ 120Hz
No
HDR
Yes
VRR
No

As this TV has HDMI 2.0 bandwidth and no VRR support, it has limited compatibility with the advanced gaming features of the PS5. The Auto Low Latency Mode automatically switches the TV into Game Mode when you play a game from a compatible device, and you don't need to change any settings.

Inputs
Xbox Series X|S Compatibility
Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
No
1440p @ 120Hz
No
1080p @ 120Hz
No
HDR
Yes
VRR
No

Since this TV has HDMI 2.0 bandwidth and no VRR support, it has limited compatibility with the advanced gaming features of the Xbox Series X and S. The Auto Low Latency Mode automatically switches the TV into Game Mode when you play a game from a compatible device; you don't need to change any settings.

Inputs
Inputs Specifications
HDR10
Yes
HDR10+
Yes
Dolby Vision
No
HLG
Yes
HDMI 2.0 Full Bandwidth
Yes (HDMI 1,2,3)
HDMI 2.1 Class Bandwidth
No
CEC Yes
HDCP 2.2 Yes (HDMI 1,2,3)
ATSC Tuner
1.0
USB 3.0
No
Variable Analog Audio Out No
Wi-Fi Support Yes (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)
Inputs
Input Photos
Inputs
Total Inputs
HDMI 3
USB 2
Digital Optical Audio Out 1
Analog Audio Out 3.5mm 0
Analog Audio Out RCA 0
Component In 0
Composite In 0
Tuner (Cable/Ant) 1
Ethernet 1
DisplayPort 0
IR In 0
Inputs
Audio Passthrough
ARC/eARC Port
eARC
eARC: Dolby Atmos Over Dolby Digital Plus
Yes
eARC: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Yes
eARC: LPCM 7.1 Over Dolby MAT
Yes
eARC: Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Yes
eARC: DTS:X Over DTS-HD MA
No
eARC: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
No
eARC: LPCM Channels (Bitstream)
7.1
ARC: Dolby Digital 5.1
Yes
ARC: DTS 5.1
No
Optical: Dolby Digital 5.1
Yes
Optical: DTS 5.1
No

The Samsung Q60C has eARC support, allowing you to passthrough lossless Dolby Atmos audio to a compatible receiver. However, as it doesn't support any DTS or DTS:X signals and many Blu-rays use this audio format, you'll need to connect your Blu-ray directly to your receiver to get the best audio experience.

Sound Quality
6.5
Sound Quality
Frequency Response
Low-Frequency Extension
126.99 Hz
Std. Dev. @ 70
2.68 dB
Std. Dev. @ 80
3.08 dB
Std. Dev. @ Max
5.30 dB
Max
88.1 dB SPL
Dynamic Range Compression
4.32 dB

This TV has an okay frequency response. The sound profile is well-balanced at moderate listening levels, so most dialogue is crisp and easy to understand. It doesn't get very loud, though, and like most TVs, there's very little bass. A soundbar or a dedicated surround sound setup is recommended for the best sound possible. See the best soundbars for watching movies.

6.5
Sound Quality
Distortion
Weighted THD @ 80
0.128
Weighted THD @ Max
0.348
IMD @ 80
10.86%
IMD @ Max
21.52%

The distortion handling is okay. There's very little noticeable distortion at moderate listening levels. It's a bit worse at max volume, but still not distracting.

Smart Features
8.0
Smart Features
Interface
Smart OS Tizen
Version 2023 (with reduced features)
Ease of Use
Easy
Smoothness
Very Smooth
Time Taken to Select YouTube
2 s
Time Taken to Change Backlight
5 s
Advanced Options
Many

The TV has the same Tizen smart interface as higher-end models but a simpler interface with fewer animations. It doesn't have a room correction feature or Intelligent Mode settings, but it's user-friendly, and navigating the menus feels smooth and easy.

0
Smart Features
Ad-Free
Ads
Yes
Opt-out
No
Suggested Content in Home
Yes
Opt-out of Suggested Content
No

Sadly, there are ads throughout the interface, and there's no way to disable them.

8.5
Smart Features
Apps and Features
App Selection
Great
App Smoothness
Average
Cast Capable
Yes
USB Drive Playback
Yes
USB Drive HDR Playback
Yes
HDR in Netflix
Yes
HDR in YouTube
Yes

The Samsung app store has an impressive selection of apps in its app store, with apps for all major streaming services.

8.5
Smart Features
Remote
Size
Small
Voice Control
Many Features
CEC Menu Control
Yes
Other Smart Features
Yes
Remote App Samsung SmartThings

The remote is compact and has very few buttons. It has built-in voice control, though, which you can use to change inputs, launch apps, or search for content. The remote has a built-in battery; you can recharge it via USB-C or the solar panel on the back.

Smart Features
TV Controls

A single button underneath the Samsung branding on the bottom right side lets you turn the TV on/off, adjust the channel and volume, and change inputs.

Smart Features
In The Box

  • Remote control
  • Power cable
  • User guides

Smart Features
Misc
Power Consumption 44 W
Power Consumption (Max) 137 W
Firmware 1018