Samsung QE49Q7C
FOR Crisp, bright picture; vivid colours; plenty of features AGAINST Blacks could be darker; motion issues; pricey
Never one to let its rivals steal a march, Samsung has taken a direct swipe at the ever-increasing popularity of OLED screens with its 2017 range of QLED TVS. Premium designs, top-tech specifications, picture quality that dazzles – QLED vs OLED is set to be the biggest grudge-match of the year.
This is our first proper look at a Samsung QLED, and we’re excited. Can the Samsung QE49Q7C live up to expectations? A different angle This Q7 set sits at the lower end of the QLED range, with the flagship Q9 and Q8 TVS above it. The 49in TV may not be imposing, but it packs the latest technology – Ultra HD 4K picture with High Dynamic Range – into its smart, curved design.
Compared with last year’s quantum dot sets (such as the Award-winning Samsung UE65KS9000), this year’s QLED (quantum dot light emitting diode) uses more advanced dots with a metal shell and core. Samsung claims this delivers improved brightness, colour and contrast, as well as giving better viewing angles.
At their heart, QLED TVS are still LCD sets with LED backlighting. In the QE49Q7C’S case, it’s an edge-lit set. Unlike Panasonic, Sony, Philips and LG, Samsung has resisted the call of OLED, insisting that its QLED technology is at least equal, if not better.
When it comes to specifications, it's impressive. Samsung claims 1500 nits of peak brightness – that’s well over the Ultra HD Premium specification’s 1000-nit minimum standard for LCD TVS. The 49in Q7C set is claimed to display 100 per cent colour volume (that represents the colour gamut and all shades displayed up to peak brightness), so should show far subtler and more accurate hues than before.
This 4K screen is also Hdr-compatible, supporting the standard HDR10 format and the broadcast variant Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG). There’s no Dolby Vision HDR support as Samsung has its own rival, called HDR10 Plus – which is currently supported by Amazon Video – built into the QLED sets. Tickled pink The 49Q7C shines with 4K HDR content. The picture is bright and punchy, with lens flares, sunlight and lamps giving off the right amount of intensity. The vibrant shades of colour leap off the screen, but it's the clarity and detail that really impresses.
Watching Planet Earth II on 4K Blu-ray, the plump white and pink feathered bodies of the flamingos are so textured and packed with subtle colours that you want to reach out and touch them. It’s mostly a smooth picture, too. There are some judder issues when confronted with slow-panning scenes, but that can be smoothed over by tweaking the custom settings. We’d suggest ‘Standard’ mode, and then fine-tune the options to get the 49Q7C looking its best.
Detail levels are high whether you’re watching 4K or 1080p content. From rusty metal and dust floating in a room to skin tones and textures of clothes and furniture – the 49Q7C coaxes out as much nuance as possible in its well balanced picture.
Sometimes, however, the colours are just a tad overdone. A too-perfect blue sky, traffic lights glowing red, unsubtle blocks of bright green leaves – there are times when the colours look inconsistent. This happens scene by scene, too, and can be distracting.
The 49Q7C may deliver an appealing contrast thanks to its brightness, but blacks aren’t particularly solid-looking. Toning down the backlight to achieve a more substantial darkness only dims the dazzling brightness we like so much. We’re not expecting inky, pitch-black levels as seen on LG’S OLED65E7V, but the Samsung’s greying blacks don’t entirely convey the space scenes in Star Trek films. Sony’s 2017 sets, such as the KD49XE9005, manage to deliver darker, if not more subtle, blacks. Near-zero bezel On the plus side, the curved screen isn’t as pronounced as in previous years, and viewing angles are better than we’ve seen on many LCD screens. Whether streaming Stranger Things on Netflix or watching
Antiques Roadshow, colours don’t tail off as drastically when viewed off-centre.
Drop down to DVDS or terrestrial TV, and the Samsung’s vivid and detailed character remains. HD channels are pin-sharp and bright, and even early Top Gear episodes are fine to watch in the lower resolution.
When it comes to sound, Samsung hasn’t tried to do anything fancy like vibrate the panel or add a soundbar to the TV. The 49Q7C sounds clear and is easy to listen to when it comes to dialogue-heavy shows.
The speakers (powered by 40W of amplification) aren’t thin or harsh, but they don’t compare to the kind of body, dynamics and detail you get with a good soundbar or 5.1 speaker package. We’d recommend investing in a good sound system to go with your premium 4K TV.
The QE49Q7C itself is a sleek set. The near-zero bezel means the 49in 4K HDR screen reaches the very edges of the TV’S frame. The elegant metal stand is easy to attach and should fit on to most TV stands.
Where Samsung gets it right is in the TV’S ease of use. Everything is designed to be neat and tidy, from the One Connect box, which keeps your sources and connections out of sight, to the ultra-thin cable that connects the box to the back of the TV.
The remote control has been given a makeover, too. The new One Remote is similar to last year’s smart remote, but flat and silver. The TV responds instantly and smoothly to every command. The slim wand may not have a multitude of buttons, but using it soon becomes second nature.
Voice commands, on the other hand, are still hit and miss. It either registers words too slowly (even when accurate) or simply doesn’t work at all. Pressing the home button on the remote brings up Samsung’s streamlined smart hub. The apps that pop up in a row from the bottom of the screen are easy to navigate, and the whole interface and EPG works seamlessly.
It doesn’t take long to switch sources or skip to live TV, or fire up Netflix and continue watching from where you left off – especially when you can customise the order of the apps for quicker access.
Not blown away
Netflix and Amazon Prime Video apps come installed in the 49Q7C, with 4K and HDR content working from the start. The built-in wi-fi works fine, but we’d recommend the wired ethernet route for greater stability. On the connections side, Samsung offers four HDMI inputs (all compatible with 4K and HDR sources), an optical output, three USB ports, and Freeview HD and Freesat HD tuners.
It’s a mixed bag for Samsung's first QLED of 2017. The superb level of detail and crispness are the real highlights of the 49Q7C, but it’s not a perfect set. The blacks aren’t as deep as we’d like, the colours don’t always look natural and motion can be tricky to optimise. As a run of five-star ratings shows, it’s been a while since we’ve had a less-thanrounded Samsung TV. But the price gets in the way of a fifth star – £2200 is a lot to pay for a 49in TV. In comparison, last year’s Samsung 49in screen – the Award-winning UE49KS8000 – cost £1400.
Samsung’s QLEDS may be positioned as premium sets above the rest of its 4K TV range, but we haven't been blown away by the 49Q7C. Certainly not enough to justify that high price anyway.
“A superb level of detail is the highlight of the QE49Q7C. But the blacks aren’t as deep as we’d like and colours don’t always look natural”