The worst thing about Samsung’s gargantuan 75″ Q9FN is having to send it back once you’ve reviewed it.
I’ve had many TVs over years. I’m somewhat infamous for buying a new one nearly every year; a quirk evidenced by pretty much my entire close family now owning my previous purchases. None of the TVs I’ve ever owned though, have impressed me as much as the Q9FN.
It’s a good job the Samsung 75Q9FN is so good though, as getting it out of the box and ready for set up in your living room is an ordeal. For a start, it’s big – and I really mean big – which means removing the box from over the top of it as suggested can be trying depending on how tall your ceilings are. Expect to hit a light fitting or two. Also, the TV alone weighs over 46 kilos (!), which means you’re going to need two fairly strong people to move it around comfortably. Once you’ve got it out of the box and got the stand connected onto it though, you’re good to go, and if you’ve bought one then you can just forget about it. You’ll rue the day that it needs to be moved or repackaged though.
Thankfully, after getting it out of the box, setting up the TV is a doddle. Instead of having connectors on the back of the TV, the 75Q9FN has what is called a ‘One Connect’ box. It means that devices such as soundbars, consoles, hard drives and set top boxes can be easily connected into what is essentially a hub, which is then connected to the TV itself by a cable that is near invisible. Obviously, it’s made with those who want to mount their TV to the wall in mind, but even if you have your TV on a unit, the One Connect box will have you proclaiming “oh, that’s clever”.
Once everything has been connected, you’ll have the Samsung 75Q9FN up and running in a matter of minutes. During set-up, you’ll be prompted to connect your TV to the internet, and if you’ve got an aerial it’ll scan for channels. All I was really bothered about was how 4K images would look on the thing though, so the first thing I did was power up the Xbox One X and try some games that make use of its power. It was a good choice; the recently released Shadow of the Tomb Raider demonstrated the strengths of the Samsung 75Q9FN perfectly.
With the Samsung 75Q9FN’s QLED technology, blacks are deep, whites are truly bright, and every colour in between is stunningly vivid. Its HDR performance brings images to life. There’s no detail lost in shadows, and whether you’re looking at the screen during the day or at night, everything is crisp and clear. Full array local dimming means that there are no light spots, and also means that bloom is kept to a minimum when white text is displayed on a black background, like say during intro scenes or credits. It’s hard to not be impressed by whatever’s on the screen of the 75Q9FN, no matter the conditions.
It’s not just the picture quality of the 75Q9FN that makes it a winner though; it has some other great features too. For gamers, it has a input lag of around 15 ms in game mode, which makes it one of the most responsive available. Also, if you have a PC with AMD graphics or an Xbox One S/X, it support FreeSync, which further reduces response times and eliminates screen tearing. And that’s on top of the TVs ability to detect the devices that are connected to it, and even turn many of them on by simply selecting their input. the 75Q9FN really is a gamer’s dream.
Even if you’re not a gamer though, the 75Q9FN is undoubtedly one of the best TVs available right now. Samsung’s operating system is a delight to use, giving you quick access to must-have apps such as YouTube and Netflix. And while you get a standard remote in the box, you also get a fancier smart remote that supports voice controls. Everything is simple and easy to pick up; this is a TV that want to make your life easier and more extravagant, and it manages to do so with aplomb.
Whether you’re pumping a 4K or 1080P image through it, the 75Q9FN creates scenes that are lifelike straight out of the box. I never once felt the urge to fiddle with the TV’s settings, and as my partner will attest, that’s something I usually do with frightening regularity. It’s only when displaying standard TV content that you’ll see anything ugly on the screen, but even then it does its best to beautify it for you. Its speakers are pretty good too; you might actually get away without a soundbar unless you really are finickety about your audio. If that’s the case, you can connect it to a Samsung sound bar wirelessly for best results.
Honestly, the only thing stopping me from rushing out and buying a Samsung Q9 right now is its price. The 75″ model will currently set you back about £5,500, which is a hell of a lot of money for a TV. It’s more than I paid for my nearly new car. You do, however, get what you pay for; I can comfortably say that I think the Samsung 75Q9FN is the best TV available at this moment in time, especially for 4K gaming when paired with an Xbox One X. Sure, you can opt for a smaller screen size to reduce the cost, but 75″ makes every time you sit in front of the thing an event. It’s like having your own personal cinema screen, only better.
Basically then, if money is no object and you’re in the market for a new TV, the Samsung 75Q9FN is what you need. Everyone else is probably better looking further down Samsung’s Q range to find something that’s friendlier on the bank balance, or simply waiting for a lottery win to come through. It has got to happen eventually, right?
Find out more information about the Samsung 75Q9FN on the Samsung website.
