- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Design
- Picture Quality
- Motion
- Inputs
- Sound Quality
- Smart Features
- Sizes and Variants
- Compared
- Conclusion
- Discussions
Samsung Q6FN / Q6F Q6 2018
TV REVIEW
The Samsung Q6F QLED is a 4k TV with great performance for a wide range of different usages. It has very good picture quality due to the high native contrast ratio so blacks appear deep in a dark room, but the local dimming doesn't work well to improve dark scene performance further. It can get bright to overcome glare in a bright room, and also has good reflection handling. Gamers will be pleased by the excellent low input lag and support for variable refresh rates, and the TV can also interpolate low frame rate content with low input lag for a smooth gaming experience. Unfortunately, the image loses accuracy when viewed at an angle.
Note that this is a different TV to the 2017 QLED Q6F. The 2018 Q6FN is also called Q6F or Q6.
- Blacks are deep and uniform
- Low input lag for gamers
- Supports FreeSync for Variable Refresh Rates
- Image degrades when viewed at an angle
| Design | 9.0 |
| Picture Quality | 7.8 |
| Motion | 8.4 |
| Inputs | 9.4 |
| Sound Quality | 6.4 |
| Smart Features | 7.8 |
Update 11/15/2018:
Update 6/5/2018: The 49" Q6FN has a 60 Hz panel, and some results will be slightly different
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Design
The design of the Samsung Q6FN is very good. Some of its features like the stand, the back, and the cable management system resemble the higher-end Q8FN. Just like the Q8FN, the Q6FN does not come with the external One Connect box, so you do not have to plan for it if you decide to wall mount it. The TV is thin with nice borders and operates at a reasonably cool temperature. The build quality is okay but lacks those finishings that premium models have.
The stand of the Samsung Q6F is metallic, supports the TV well and look very much like the Q8FN only slightly bulkier.
Footprint of the 55" TV stand: 38.3" x 9.8"
The back of the Samsung Q6F 55 is plastic, and nearly identical to the Q8FN and the NU8000.
It has nice cable management planning. There are some grooves for guiding all of the cables either through the legs or through the bottom of the TV when wall-mounted.
The Samsung Q6 is a thin TV. Although it is slightly thicker than the Q8FN, it will still not protrude when wall mounted.
The Q6FN runs fairly cool and at pretty steady temperature. The warmest area is where the LEDs are hosted, on the lower end of the screen.
The build quality of the Q6 is okay. It does not have any gaps and feels solid. It lacks the premium feeling that the Q8FN has.
Picture Quality
- 11% Contrast
- 6% Local Dimming
- 6% SDR Peak Brightness
- 6% HDR Peak Brightness
- 6% Gray Uniformity
- 7% Viewing Angle
- 4% Black Uniformity
- 6% Reflections
- 4% Pre Calibration
- 1% Post Calibration
- 6% 480p Input
- 9% 720p Input
- 11% 1080p Input
- 5% 4k Input
- 4% Color Gamut
- 4% Color Volume
- 2% Gradient
- 1% Temporary Image Retention
- 1% Permanent Burn-In Risk
The Samsung Q6F has great picture quality. With a high contrast ratio, the TV produces deep black scenes and will perform well both in a dark room and in a bright room, although there are some issues with reflections. Both SDR and HDR content looks good and the peak brightness will keep most people happy. Gray uniformity is good and although some dirty screen effect is visible when viewing sports, this should not be an issue for most. The narrow viewing angles are typical for a VA panel and as such the TV is not well suited for wide viewing environments.
The contrast of the Samsung Q6F 55 is excellent. Just like most Samsung TVs, the contrast level is high. Even with local dimming disabled the contrast is excellent and blacks appear black in a dark room.
Note: This TV does not allow the switching off of Local Dimming from the regular menu. To take our measurements of native contrast and black uniformity we had to deactivate it through the service menu.
Local Dimming performance is poor, and it is very conservative. It doesn't dim areas of the screen very much, likely to reduce the amount of visible blooming. If you find that it bothers you, you can set it to low as it cannot be turned off completely from the regular menu.
- 64% SDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
- 5% SDR Peak 2% Window
- 5% SDR Peak 10% Window
- 5% SDR Peak 25% Window
- 5% SDR Peak 50% Window
- 5% SDR Peak 100% Window
- 2% SDR Sustained 2% Window
- 2% SDR Sustained 10% Window
- 2% SDR Sustained 25% Window
- 2% SDR Sustained 50% Window
- 2% SDR Sustained 100% Window
- 1% SDR ABL
Superb peak brightness with SDR content. Bright highlights that stand out, and real scenes bright enough for most rooms. This is in-line with other 2018 Samsung QLEDs we have tested so far.
- 63% HDR Real Scene Peak Brightness
- 5% HDR Peak 2% Window
- 5% HDR Peak 10% Window
- 5% HDR Peak 25% Window
- 5% HDR Peak 50% Window
- 5% HDR Peak 100% Window
- 2% HDR Sustained 2% Window
- 2% HDR Sustained 10% Window
- 2% HDR Sustained 25% Window
- 2% HDR Sustained 50% Window
- 2% HDR Sustained 100% Window
- 2% HDR ABL
The HDR peak brightness performance of the Q6FN is very good. Just like the rest of the 2018 Samsung QLEDs, it will display small highlights very well, and the screen remains uniformly bright throughout all the test window sizes.
- 40% 50% Std. Dev.
- 40% 50% DSE
- 10% 5% Std. Dev.
- 10% 5% DSE
Gray uniformity is decent. At 50% gray, some clouding is visible and the center of the screen is slightly brighter. Dirty screen effect is noticeable when watching sports or playing video games. However, results improve significantly at darker shades of gray and the uniformity is much better, and almost no clouding or DSE can be seen.
- 20% Color Shift
- 40% Brightness
- 40% Black Level
The Samsung Q6F has a poor viewing angle, typical for a VA panel. When looking at an angle one notices blacks turning gray and colors shifting, even at small angles. These results are in line with results from other QLEDs. This TV is not a good option if the intended usage involves wide room seating.
- 75% Native Std. Dev.
- 25% Std. Dev. w/ L.D.
Black uniformity is outstanding on the Q6F, surpassing the already good performance of the Q8FN. There is almost no clouding even close to the test cross.
With LD activated the results are slightly worse as we can see some clouding around the test cross area, but in general, they are still very good.
Note: This TV does not allow the switching off of Local Dimming from the regular menu. To take our measurements of native contrast and black uniformity we had to deactivate it through the service menu .
The overall reflection handling is good. The Semi-gloss screen of the Q6FN manages to diffuse well most indirect reflections. It fails, however, to perform as well in the total reflections, therefore you should expect some glare in bright rooms.
- 46% White Balance dE
- 45% Color dE
- 9% Color Temperature
The pre-calibration out of the box settings are pretty good for the Q6. Best results are with the picture mode set to Movie.
At low input levels, the image appears slightly dark as white is missing luminosity. Colors, however, are quite accurate, and just a little warmer due to the 6318K color temperature. The gamma is off at 2.45.
Here are the white balance and gamma pictures measured with 100% windows. These perform better, as the local dimming cannot be disabled and affects the calibration results of smaller window sizes.
- 46% White Balance dE
- 45% Color dE
- 9% Color Temperature
The post-calibration image is excellent. The color temperature is very close to our target, and gamma follows our target almost exactly.
Calibration is done with a 100% window instead of our standard 18% window, as the local dimming causes inconsistent readings of smaller windows.
You can see our recommended settings here.
- 25% DCI P3 xy
- 25% DCI P3 uv
- 25% Rec 2020 xy
- 25% Rec 2020 uv
The Q6F has a wide color gamut as it covers more than 90% of the DCI P3 color space and just above 67% of the Rec.2020 color space.
It is not as wide as the Q7FN or the Q8FN and it also suffers when it comes to the representation of cyan, green and yellow.
It tracks the EOTF line well almost up to about 700 nits or 65% of the input signal, after which some compression is taking place. This will not be bothersome to most people.
The PC and Game mode EOTFs do not follow our input stimulus as well. This effectively makes shadows in dark scenes look slightly darker, but it shouldn't be an issue for most people.
- 25% Red (Std. Dev.)
- 25% Green (Std. Dev.)
- 25% Blue (Std. Dev.)
- 25% Gray (Std. Dev.)
The Samsung Q6F 2018 has very good gradient performance. There is some slight banding everywhere, especially in gray and green, but hardly noticeable.
Even if you do notice a case of major banding that bothers you, you can set Digital Clean View to Auto to reduce it, but this could result in a loss of some fine details.
There was no temporary image retention on the 2018 Q6.
This is typical of TVs with VA panels.
We don't expect VA panels to experience burn-in, as the VA panel in our long-term test appears immune.
Motion
- 53% Response Time
- 11% Flicker-Free
- 3% Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
- 5% Motion Interpolation
- 12% Stutter
- 11% 24p Judder
- 5% Variable Refresh Rate
The Samsung "Q6" has great motion handling, very similar to the other 2018 Samsung QLEDs. The response time is very good and fast moving objects have very little motion blur. The backlight flickers at all brightness levels, and the flicker changes depending on the motion interpolation options enabled. The 2018 Q6 supports a variable refresh rate, which works best with 1080p content since the 4k range of 48-60 fps won't work with graphics intensive games that target 30 fps.
- 50% 80% Response Time
- 50% 100% Response Time
Excellent response time with almost no overshoot. The response time is slightly slower than the Q7FN, but still excellent. There is a very slight motion trail behind fast-moving objects, but most of the blur (as seen in the photo above) is due to persistence.
The Samsung Q6F uses PWM to dim the backlight, and there is visible flicker at all backlight levels. The flicker frequency is quite high at 240 Hz, but the flicker is still noticeable to some, especially at low backlight levels where the backlight is off for longer periods of time.
Like the other 2018 Samsung QLEDs, the backlight flicker varies quite a bit depending on the motion settings used, as shown here.
The Samsung Q6 can reduce the backlight flicker as low as 60 fps, even in Game Mode. This results in some duplications, as seen in the photo above, but there will be less motion blur.
To enable the black frame insertion feature on the Samsung Q6FN, set Auto Motion Plus to Custom, and set LED Clear Motion to On.
Like the other 2018 Samsung QLEDs, the backlight flicker varies quite a bit depending on the motion settings used, as shown here.
The Samsung Q6 can interpolate lower frame rate content up to 120 fps. Performance is similar to the other 2018 Samsung QLEDs. There are some visible artifacts in scenes with fast motion, and in some scenes when the motion gets too intense the Q6FN stops interpolating.
Interpolation is activated by setting 'Auto Motion Plus' to 'Custom'. The 'Judder Reduction' can be adjusted for low frame rate content, and the 'Blur Reduction' slider can be adjusted to help clear up motion on 60 fps content.
Like the other 2018 Samsung QLEDs, the backlight flicker varies quite a bit depending on the motion settings used, as shown here.
Update 06/05/2018: The 49" model has a 60 Hz panel, as such it can only interpolate as high as 60 fps.
Low frame rate content like 24p Blu-rays stutters a bit, this is mostly noticeable in wide spanning landscape scenes. If stutter bothers you, it can be reduced by enabling motion interpolation or the optional black frame insertion feature.
The Samsung Q6F 55 is effective at removing Judder from 24p content from all sources, including when sent in a 60 fps signal from a cable box. This is different from the other Samsung QLED TVs we have reviewed this year like the Q7FN and Q9FN.
To enable the Judder reduction feature, set Auto Motion Plus to Custom, with both sliders set to 0 as shown here.
Like the other 2018 Samsung QLEDs, the backlight flicker varies quite a bit depending on the motion settings used, as shown here.
- 25% 4k VRR Maximum
- 25% 4k VRR Minimum
- 25% 1080p VRR Maximum
- 25% 1080p VRR Minimum
The Samsung Q6F supports FreeSync from our Xbox One S and Radeon RX 580 GPU, at 4k, 1440p and 1080p resolutions. At 1080p its range is wide enough to support Low Frequency Compensation, thus extending its lower limit below 20 Hz; unfortunately its 4k range is a much smaller 60-48 Hz, but good enough for Xbox One games that target 60 fps.
On the TV, Freesync is enabled by turning on Game Mode and setting FreeSync to On. Game mode must be on for VRR to work. Even when set to 'Auto', the TV will stay in game mode as long as Freesync is enabled. The auto function will not turn off game mode when watching a movie on an Xbox One for example.
Update 11/05/2018: The 49" model has a 60 Hz panel and does not support FreeSync.
Inputs
- 86% Input Lag
- 14% Supported Resolutions
The Samsung Q6FN QLED TV has excellent low input lag. It supports a variable refresh rate when connected to a compatible source (some PCs, Xbox One S or X), and has extremely low 1080p input lag when VRR is enabled. It supports most common resolutions including the relatively new 1440p @ 120 Hz, but does not support 1440p @ 60 Hz. Chroma 4:4:4 works perfectly as long as the input label is set to PC, great for use as a PC monitor.
- 35% 1080p @ 60Hz
- 3% 1080p @ 60Hz + HDR
- 37% 4k @ 60Hz
- 19% 4k @ 60Hz + HDR
- 3% 4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
- 3% 4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4 + 8 bit HDR
1440p @ 120 Hz: 9.3 ms
The Samsung Q6F has excellent low input lag when in PC or Game mode. The Q6 supports a variable refresh rate, and the 1080p input lag is extremely low with VRR enabled, which is great for Xbox One gaming.
Like the other 2018 Samsung TVs, the Q6FN can interpolate lower frame rate games up to 60 or 120 Hz. When interpolating up to 60Hz (Judder Reduction -> 10, Blue Reduction -> 0), there is 21.3 ms of input lag. When interpolating up to 120 Hz (Judder Reduction -> 10, Blur Reduction -> 10), there is 27.6 ms of input. Both of these are still low enough for most gamers and can be enabled to help motion appear smoother.
When the input label is set to 'PC' and Game mode is enabled, Game Motion Plus becomes available and the Q6FN supports a variable refresh rate when connected to a compatible PC.
- 17% 1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
- 17% 1080p @ 120Hz
- 17% 1440p @ 60Hz
- 17% 4k @ 30Hz @ 4:4:4
- 16% 4k @ 60Hz
- 16% 4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
The Samsung Q6FN supports most of the common resolutions without issue. Strangely, it supports 1440p @ 120 Hz without issue as long as Chroma 4:4:4 is not used, but 1440p @ 60 Hz is not supported.
4k @ 60 Hz with Chroma 4:4:4 or 4:2:2 require HDMI UHD Color enabled for the port used. For all resolutions Chroma 4:4:4 requires the input label to be set to PC
Update 06/05/2018: The 49" model has a 60 Hz panel, and does not support 120 Hz input.
CEC must be enabled and the sound output must be set to 'Receiver (HDMI)' for the audio return channel to work. Like other 2018 Samsung TVs, there is no DTS passthrough. If you are using an external speaker system (receiver), it is better to connect your player directly to the receiver.
Sound Quality
- 75% Frequency Response
- 25% Distortion
The sound is mediocre. This TV doesn't get very loud, and doesn't have any thump or rumble in its bass either. However, it produces a decent amount of punch and relatively clear dialogs. For a better sound, dedicated speakers or soundbars are recommended.
Update 09/25/2018: The Q65FN has a 4.1 sound system rather than the 2.1 system found on the Q6FN.
- 30% Low-Frequency Extension
- 5% Std. Dev. @ 70
- 20% Std. Dev. @ 80
- 15% Std. Dev. @ Max
- 20% Max
- 10% Dynamic Range Compression
The frequency response is about average. LFE (low-frequency extension) is at 76Hz, which is decent. It means that this TV will produce a decent amount of punch, but no thump or rumble. The response above the LFE point is also decent, but may lack a little bit of clarity and presence for dialogs. Additionally, this TV doesn't get very loud, and doesn't have a room correction system either. That's why it wasn't able to remove the modes of our test room around 200Hz.
- 40% Weighted THD @ 80
- 25% Weighted THD @ Max
- 10% IMD @ 80
- 25% IMD @ Max
The distortion performance is mediocre. The overall amount of harmonic distortion is elevated, even at moderate volumes.
Smart Features
- 42% Interface
- 2% Ad-Free
- 37% Apps and Features
- 16% Remote
- 3% Remote App
The Samsung Q6FN runs Samsung's 2018 Tizen smart platform, also called Smart Hub. It has a modern design and is easy to use, but some options can be long to get to. The interface has a lot of animations and is very polished, but the animations lag frequently and can be choppy at times. The voice control features work well and most basic TV functions can be accessed, but they are not supported by most apps.
The Samsung Q6F has an easy to use, polished interface, but the large number of animations causes some performance issues. Like the other 2018 Samsung TVs, there are dropped frames and lag in the animations, and the interface freezes occasionally for a few seconds.
Like all Samsung TVs, there are intermittent ads in the main interface and they can't be disabled.
The ads are not always present and during testing we were not able to photograph them, but they appear similar to the Q8FN ad photo.
Samsung has one of the widest assortment of apps available. Apps are fast and smooth and the built-in apps can play most of the more common audio and video formats.
The remote is the same as the one included in all high-end Samsung TVs, including the other QLEDs and the NU8000. There are very few buttons, most of them open other menus on the TV.
The remote is also used for the TV's voice control. It can control most of the TV's settings and answer basic questions, like looking up weather. Unlike LG's voice control, Samsung's voice control can't search within apps.
The Samsung SmartThings app is quite basic, but has been updated with some more advanced features including the ability to cast content from the TV to your phone. The app can work as a replacement remote. It is also used to control the new QLED Ambient Mode.
The remote app can also be used to send voice commands to the TV, but only in the main interface. If an app that doesn't support voice commands is open, the remote function and voice commands don't work.
The controls are more similar to the NU8000 than to the other QLEDs. There is a single button that brings up a menu that can power toggle the TV, control the volume and change channels and inputs.
Differences between Sizes and Variants
We tested the 55" (QN55Q6FN) version FA01. For the most part, we expect our review to be valid for the 65" version (QN65Q6FN), 75" version (QN75Q6FN) and 82" version (QN82Q6FN). Note that larger TVs are typically more prone to uniformity issues.
The 49" model (QN49Q6FN) is not yet available but likely has a 60 Hz panel as documented by the Samsung Support Page, as such some results may be slightly different including the motion interpolation. We have also received confirmation from a reader that the 49" Q6FN does not support FreeSync. For the most part, we still expect our review to be valid.
The warehouse variant of the 2018 Q6F is known as the Q65FN. The stand is black instead of chrome, and depending on the specific warehouse model it might have a simpler remote. We don't expect any other differences and our review should still be valid.
Update 09/25/2018: The Q65FN has a 4.1 sound system rather than the 2.1 system found on the Q6FN.
If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their Samsung Q6FN doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we will update the review.
| Size | Model | Model Short | US | Warehouse Model | Canada | UK |
| 49" | QN49Q6FN | QN49Q6 | QN49Q6FNAFXZA | N/A | QN49Q6FNAFXZC | QE49Q6FNATXXU |
| 55" | QN55Q6FN | QN55Q6 | QN55Q6FNAFXZA | QN55Q65FNFXZA | QN55Q6FNAFXZC | QE55Q6FNATXXU |
| 65" | QN65Q6FN | QN65Q6 | QN65Q6FNAFXZA | QN65Q65FNFXZA | QN65Q6FNAFXZC | QE65Q6FNATXXU |
| 75" | QN75Q6FN | QN75Q6 | QN75Q6FNAFXZA | QN75Q65FNFXZA | QN75Q6FNAFXZC | QE75Q6FNATXXU |
| 82" | QN82Q6FN | QN82Q6 | QN82Q6FNAFXZA | N/A | QN82Q6FNAFXZC | QE82Q6FNATXXU |
Update 11/15/2018: We've been contacted by a reader who bought a 55" Q6FN with version FB02 that has an IPS panel. We expect this to have a much lower contrast ratio and worse dark room performance, but a more accurate image when viewed at an angle.
Update 11/16/2018: We have received confirmation that the 55" Q6FN with version FB02 has a VA type panel. We expect performance in the same ballpark as the version VA01 we reviewed. You can see a photo of the pixels here.
Compared to other TVs
See our recommendations for the best 4k TVs.
The overall performance of the Samsung Q6FN and the Samsung NU8000 is very similar, but the Q6FN is slightly better across the board. The differences are marginal though.
The Sony X900F is better than the Samsung Q6FN. The X900F has a faster response time, so motion is clearer and has less blur. The X900F has a more advanced full array local dimming feature, great for dark room viewing, and better reflection handling. The Samsung Q6FN has less input lag and supports more advanced features for gamers, including VRR and automatic low latency mode.
The Samsung 2018 Q7FN is a bit better than the Samsung Q6FN for most people. While overall performance is similar, the Q7FN has a better anti-reflective coating that is better for overcoming glare in a bright room. The Q7FN uses the external One Connect box for all of its input. If space is a concern, some people may prefer the simpler installation of the Q6FN with all of the inputs on the TV.
The Samsung Q8FN is better than the Samsung Q6FN. The Q8FN has better local dimming and can produce better blacks which is great for movies in a dark room. It also has better reflection handling so you can place in a bright room with no issues. The Samsung Q8FN handles fast action and sports slightly better as it has a better response time.
The Sony X900F is better than the Samsung Q6FN. The Sony X900F has better local dimming performance and can display dark scenes better in a dark environment. When placed in the same bright room, the Sony X900F handles reflections better than the Q6FN. The X900F has a faster response time, and thus there is less blur in fast content. The Samsung Q6FN, on the other hand, is slightly better for gaming as it incorporates FreeSync VRR support and has a lower input lag that makes it very responsive.
The LG B8 is much better than the Samsung Q6FN for most people unless you are too concerned about burn-in. The LG B8 has perfect blacks and is amazing for dark room viewing. The LG B8 has better reflection handling and better viewing angles, so if you have a large room with many small light sources, then it is a better choice. The Samsung Q6FN, on the other hand, can fight better bright room glare, has a lower input lag and supports FreeSync which is great for gaming.
The LG C8 is significantly better than the Samsung Q6FN. The LG C8 is an OLED TV with perfect blacks which has remarkable picture quality that looks amazing in a dark room. The LG C8 has better reflection handling and wider viewing angles and is more suitable for a wide room with many light sources. On the other hand, the VA panel of the Samsung Q6FN does not have a permanent burn-in risk, like the OLEDs, and the TV incorporates the Freesync variable refresh rate and a low input lag which is great you are a fan of video games.
The Samsung Q6FN is slightly better than the TCL R617, but the differences are minor and not worth it for most people. The R617 has some uniformity issues that aren't present in the Q6FN, so for sports or TV shows during the day the Q6FN is a better choice. The Samsung Q6FN also has a wider color gamut and better color volume, so if you want the absolute best HDR colors get the Samsung. Overall, the R617 is better for most people as it is brighter, has a better local dimming feature, and has nearly identical input lag.
