The Samsung Q70D is the mid-range option in Samsung's 2024 QLED lineup and replaces the Samsung Q70C. It sits between the lower-end Samsung Q60D and the higher-end Samsung Q80D. Like its predecessor, it's a 120Hz model and has modern gaming features like HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on all four ports, 4k @ 120Hz, and VRR support. The TV doesn't have a local dimming feature to improve contrast. Although it supports Samsung's HDR10+, it doesn't support Dolby Vision or DTS audio formats. It does feature Samsung's Multi View feature that allows for two sources to be displayed on the screen at the same time, and has other features like voice control. The TV runs the 2024 version of Samsung's Tizen OS and has a built-in 20W 2.0 channel speaker system. We bought and tested the 65-inch model, but it's also available in 55, 75, and 85-inch sizes.
Our Verdict
The Samsung Q70D is passable for mixed usage. It's bright enough in SDR to handle glare from indirect light sources in a well-lit room, and the TV has modern gaming features, so it can take advantage of most of the features offered by modern consoles. However, this model isn't the best choice at all for reference conditions, since it has poor black levels. Furthermore, HDR content doesn't look as impactful as it should, since the TV lacks the contrast and HDR brightness to really make content pop. Unfortunately, the TV's narrow viewing angle means it's unsuitable for wide seating arrangements.
Good enough SDR brightness to handle glare in well-lit rooms.
- HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, 4k @ 120Hz, and VRR support.
- Narrow viewing angle leads to a degraded image when viewed from the sides.
No local dimming to improve contrast, resulting in poor black levels.
- Struggles with reflections from direct light sources.
The Samsung Q70D is mediocre for a home theater. Although the TV has alright HDR brightness and color volume, its poor black levels really hold back its performance in a dark room, since blacks are raised and look gray during most scenes. The TV does a good job upscaling low-resolution content. However, even though it does an alright job cleaning up low-quality content, there are still artifacts present. Fortunately, there's only some minor stutter during scenes with slow camera movements.
Good pre-calibration SDR color accuracy.
- Good upscaling capabilities.
- Doesn't remove 24p judder from external sources.
No local dimming to improve contrast, resulting in poor black levels.
- No Dolby Vision or DTS audio support.
The Samsung Q70D is decent for use in a bright room. It has good SDR brightness, so it overcomes glare from indirect light sources in most well-lit rooms. However, direct reflections are quite visible on this model, since it doesn't do a very good job of lessening the intensity of mirror-like reflections. Fortunately, colors and black levels are mostly unaffected by ambient lighting, so you get similar image quality as you do in a dark room.
Good enough SDR brightness to handle glare in well-lit rooms.
Black levels and colors are barely affected by ambient lighting.
- Struggles with reflections from direct light sources.
The Samsung Q70D is decent for watching sports. It has the SDR brightness needed to overcome glare from indirect light sources in a well-lit room, but it doesn't do the best job handling mirror-like reflections, so it's best to avoid placing a light source directly in front of the screen. Low-resolution feeds and streams are upscaled well enough that the image doesn't look sharp, but the TV doesn't completely remove artifacts from heavily compressed feeds. There's little blur behind fast-paced action thanks to the TV's decent response time, but there's some dirty screen effect towards the centre of the screen that's a bit distracting. Unfortunately, the TV's viewing angle is too narrow for wide seating arrangements.
Good enough SDR brightness to handle glare in well-lit rooms.
- Good upscaling capabilities.
- Narrow viewing angle leads to a degraded image when viewed from the sides.
Some noticeable dirty screen effect towards the center of the screen.
- Struggles with reflections from direct light sources.
The Samsung Q70D is an alright gaming TV. It supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, 4k @ 120Hz, and VRR, so it has solid compatibility with modern consoles. Pixel response times are fairly quick for an LED model, so there's only some minor blur behind fast motion. Unfortunately, the TV's image quality doesn't make games look as good as they can, since it has poor black levels, only adequate colors, and mediocre HDR brightness.
- HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, 4k @ 120Hz, and VRR support.
Low input lag.
No local dimming to improve contrast, resulting in poor black levels.
The Samsung Q70D has okay brightness overall. Its SDR peak brightness is good, so it handles glare from indirect lighting in most well-lit rooms. On the other hand, its HDR brightness is mediocre, so highlights and bright scenes don't pop nearly as much as they should in HDR.
Good enough SDR brightness to handle glare in well-lit rooms.
The Samsung Q70D has poor black levels. Its contrast is inadequate to display anything resembling deep blacks outside of purely dark scenes, so blacks look gray most of the time. The TV's black uniformity is passable, but there are patches of cloudiness during scenes with uniform blacks.
No local dimming to improve contrast, resulting in poor black levels.
The Samsung Q70D has adequate colors overall. The TV's overall color volume is unremarkable, so even though most SDR content looks vibrant enough to please, it doesn't display very bright or very dark colors in HDR. Colors have good accuracy in SDR and decent accuracy in HDR out of the box, so most people will be pleased with color accuracy, but enthusiasts will feel the need to get the TV calibrated.
Good pre-calibration SDR color accuracy.
Note: We're in the process of improving our tests related to image processing, but this score should give you a general idea of how a TV performs overall with its image processing capabilities.
The Samsung Q70D has reasonable image processing overall. The TV has good upscaling capabilities, so low-resolution content looks detailed enough that it doesn't look soft. It does an alright job reducing artifacts in low-quality content, but it doesn't eliminate them completely, so you still see macro-blocking during dark scenes. Its PQ EOTF tracking is decent, but blacks are raised, and highlights are displayed a bit dimmer than intended by the filmmaker. Unfortunately, its gradient handling is mediocre, so there's some visible banding in most color gradients.
- Good upscaling capabilities.
The Samsung Q70D has good responsiveness in its dedicated gaming mode. It has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, 4k @ 120Hz, and VRR, making it compatible with the features offered by modern consoles. The TV's input lag is low, so gaming feels snappy, especially at 120Hz. Although there's some motion blur when the actions ramp up, it's not too bad for an LED model, so motion in fast-paced games isn't distractingly blurry.
- HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, 4k @ 120Hz, and VRR support.
Low input lag.
We're in the process of fixing the way we evaluate a TV's overall motion handling. This section is currently broken, and the score isn't indicative of how well a TV handles motion overall.
Performance Usages
Changelog
- Updated Sep 24, 2025: Converted to Test Bench 2.0.1. We did this to fix an issue with our scoring in the Supported Resolutions section, since TVs with a refresh rate higher than 144Hz were being penalized for not supporting 144Hz.
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Updated Sep 24, 2025:
We wrote text for the new tests and rewrote text throughout the review after updating pre-existing tests and scores for Test Bench 2.0.
- Updated Sep 24, 2025: We converted the review to Test Bench 2.0. With this new methodology, we've added new tests to expand the scope of our testing, adjusted our scoring to better align with current market conditions, and added performance usages that group related tests together to give more insight into specific aspects of a TV's performance. You can find a full list of changes in the TV 2.0 changelog.
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Updated Nov 12, 2024:
Mentioned the newly-reviewed LG QNED85T in the Response Time section.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We've bought and tested the 65-inch Samsung Q70D, which is also available in 55, 75, and 85-inch sizes. All sizes offer the same picture quality and overall performance. Note that with Samsung TVs, the five letters after the short model code (AFXZA in this case) vary between different retailers and regions, but there's no difference in performance.
Costco and Sam's Club sell a variant of this TV known as the Samsung Q72D. This variant performs the same but comes with an extended warranty and other store-specific perks.
| Size | US Model | Warehouse Model (US) |
|---|---|---|
| 55" | QN55Q70DAFXZA | QN55Q72DDFXZA |
| 65" | QN65Q70DAFXZA | QN65Q72DDFXZA |
| 75" | QN75Q70DAFXZA | QN75Q72DDFXZA |
| 85" | QN85Q70DAFXZA | QN85Q72DDFXZA |
Our unit was manufactured in March 2024.
Popular TV Comparisons
The Samsung Q70D is a decent TV overall, but it's really held back by its lack of a local dimming feature. It's also very overpriced for what it does, and it doesn't do anything special that makes it stand out in the sea of mid-range QLEDs. You're much better off saving some money and going with TVs like the Hisense U75QG or the TCL QM7K, as those models are brighter, support 144Hz, display a wider range of colors with less banding, support Dolby Vision and DTS audio formats, and have effective local dimming features to drastically increase their black levels.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best TVs under $1,000, the best QLED TVs, and the best TVs for gaming.
The Samsung Q70D is noticeably better than the Samsung Q7F 2025. The most significant difference between them is peak brightness; the Q70D gets significantly brighter in HDR, so bright scenes are brighter and more vibrant. Both TVs lack the contrast necessary to deliver a truly impactful HDR experience, but the Q70D looks better overall.
The Samsung Q80D is better than the Samsung Q70D, as it offers a noticeable upgrade in every way. The Q80D has a local dimming feature, giving it way better contrast than the Q70D. The Q80D is also brighter in HDR and SDR, and has better color volume, so all content is more impactful on that model.
The Samsung Q70D is better than the Samsung Q60D in most ways. The Q70D gets brighter in SDR, so it fights more glare in a well-lit room. The Q70D also gets brighter in HDR and has better PQ EOTF tracking, so it delivers a more impactful and accurate HDR experience. The Q70D is the better gaming TV, as it has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, 4k @ 120Hz, and VRR; it pairs much better with modern consoles. However, the Q60D has better contrast, so its blacks are deeper in a dark room.
The Samsung Q70D is a bit better than the 2023 Samsung Q70C. The Q70D is brighter overall, so it overcomes more glare in a bright room and displays brighter highlights in HDR content. It also has a slightly better contrast ratio for deeper blacks during dark scenes and is the more accurate TV.
We buy and test dozens of TVs yearly, taking an objective, data-driven approach to deliver results you can trust. Our testing process is complex, with hundreds of individual tests that take over a week to complete. Most of our tests use specially designed test patterns that mimic real content, but we also use the same sources you have at home to ensure our results match the real-world experience. We use two main tools for our testing: a Colorimetry Research CR-100 colorimeter and a CR-250 spectroradiometer.
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