Samsung Q6FN Review (2018 4K UHD QLED TV)

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For 2018 having lost a considerable percentage from it’s market share Samsung promoted heavily their top of the line QLED lineup of TVs that would go head to head to the superior OLED technology that is mainly being offered by LG. In doing so they created several models in order to catch different price ranges and offer more variety. From the top of the line Q9FN (you can find our review HERE) to the lowest denominator of their QLED series, the Q6FN, Samsung is offering different specs but keep a few key technologies in all of them in order to differentiate this series from the lower non-quantum dot series.

Is the Q6FN worthy of being part of this top of the line series with it’s performance and most importantly is the price good enough for what it offers? We will see all this and more in our Samsung Q6FN review that follows.

Design

The Q6FN looks very good overall. There are a few design elements that resemble very much the more expensive Q8FN model like the cable management system, the design of the stand as well as the back of the TV. There is no OneConnect box here so this might be a bit of a problem if you are determined to wall mound it as all the cables will show coming out of the back.

The Q6FN has some nice and thin metallic borders with a silver finish. They may not be the most thin borders we have seen but are thin enough to give the TV a nice overall look. The thickness of the TV is good with it being just a bit thicker than the Q8FN making it good enough for wall mounting.

Being an edge LED lighting TV with the LEDs being placed at the bottom makes the bezel there a bit larger in order to accommodate the LEDs undermining a little the Ambient mode the TV has. Also where the LEDs are placed the TV is running at low temperatures at all times even after heavy use.

The TV is using a bench type stand with two metallic legs at both ends of the TV holding it steady. The stands have on the back some type of groove where you can hide the cables coming out of the TV. It may not be as good a solution as having a OneConnect box with just one cable but at least it shows that Samsung tried to hide as much as possible all the connection and power cables that otherwise would show hanging on the back.

In the back we find all the connections in one side. The rest of the back is all covered in plastic and looks very identical to the Q8FN as well as the NU8000. Overall the impression it gave us is that the Q6FN tries to look premium and at the most part succeeds. But being the most affordable of the QLED series it means that some corners had to be cut thankfully with nothing major that would compromise it’s overall look.

Video Quality

As far as image quality is concerned the results we get from the Q6FN is a mixed bag. On the one hand even if it supposed to be the lowest denominator of the QLED series, is still supposed to offer premium image quality that the QLED series is advertised for. But being offered at a competitive price meant that it wouldn’t be able to reproduce the amazing results of it’s other siblings. As with the Q7FN, what we get here is an Edge-lit lighting TV with all the disadvantages this brings to the image quality.

As with all the QLED models the Q6FN is equipped with Quantum Dot Display and with the combination of 10 bit support as well as a theoretical 1,000 nits brightness the overall result can be very good. Peak brightness may not be as impressive as the higher models but 1,000 nits are still enough to create impressive HDR and vivid highlights. Of course when you compare the Q6FN directly with a higher QLED model as the Q7FN the lower brightness is evident with colors appearing a bit more dull but looking it by itself the result is very pleasing.

Q6F also supports Wide Color Gamut (WCG) even if it is not as impressive as the Q7FN or the other top tier QLED models. Nevertheless it still manages to cover more than 90% of the DCI-P3 color space and around 65% of the Rec 202o color space making colors look very good and very vivid. Q6FN supports HDR10 and HLG and for this year Samsung added HDR10+ but still no Dolby Vision something to be expected.

One of the most obvious weaknesses of all LCD panels is the limited viewing angles and this applies for all VA panels that Samsung is using for all their models, either QLED or non premium ones. For the Q6FN we measured around 25 degrees from the center to be the maximum accepted viewing angle as anything more would have a drastic decrease in image quality making viewing almost impossible.

The Q6FN excels in motion performance and this in part has to do with the 120Hz panel it is equipped with except the 49″ model that is equipped with a 60Hz panel. The combination of the panel’s frequency and the Q Engine processor gives a very satisfying result. Fast movements of the camera appear smooth and clear and you can minimize the judder and blur by enabling the Auto Motion Plus and Blur Reduction features. Input lag is also great making gaming ideal on this TV as we measured it at around 16ms at 4K resolution with HDR and Game Mode turned on.

For a model that is supposed to be the most cost friendly in the QLED series we were not expecting to get any kind of sound reproduction out of it that would blow our minds. The Q6FN sound capabilities are limited but adequate for those that don’t care for anything else other than having a good looking TV.

If you want to create an immersive sound experience then you will definitely need a dedicated sound system or soundbar for that. Nevertheless when testing the sound capabilities of the Q6FN we would say that it can get the job done offering clear sound but it lacks the dynamics and power something natural for a flat TV.

Inputs

One major omission of the Q6FN is that it doesn’t have the OneConnect that the more expensive Q7FN and Q9FN models have which is a real shame to be honest. We would expect that being a premium QLED model, even if it is the most affordable one in the lineup, to carry this wonderful and very practical feature.

Unfortunately this isn’t happening so we have to make do with all the connections being placed on the back of the main body posing some difficulty in managing and hiding all of them. All cable ports look sideways and there is a groove in the plastic under them that leads to the groove at the back of one of the stand legs. All these help a little with positioning and management of the cables especially if you are planning to wall mount it.

Having said this what we get is more or less standard having four HDMI IN ports all of them being HDCP 2.2 and one of them supporting ARC. We also get two USB ports, one optical digital audio out, an EX-LINK port as well as an Ethernet port for wired connection to the internet. Lastly there is the Antenna port for terrestrial broadcasting.

In general not having the Samsung One Connect box creates several problems that otherwise we wouldn’t have to deal with. But even like this Samsung tried to position everything in a way that would help cover the cables as much as possible. The amount and type of connections is enough for most people with the four HDMI ports helping connect all the devices you will ever need.

OS, Apps and Features

For 2018 Samsung has updated their Smart TV platform called Tizen and it is offered in most medium to top tier TV models. If you have ever used a Samsung TV the last few years the user interface will look familiar although Samsung made sure to throw a fresh hand of paint on it in order to make it more modern and in line with their new lineup.

What we have here is minor upgrades from the previous years but why change dramatically something that is already very good and functional? On the bottom of the screen we get all the options, shortcuts and apps grouped in a ribbon line and the upper part of the screen unfolds every time you choose a specific option. With so many options and shortcuts it was only natural for a customization feature to be included in order to be able to change the place of the shortcuts you use the most and are more important to you.

One thing we saw was that there is a small amount of lag when animations are playing and this probably has to do with the large amount of apps making it a bit hard for the TVs processor to handle all at once. There are a lot of streaming apps and services on offer like Amazon Videos, YouTube, Web Browser. Cloud Games and Netflix among many others that you can download from the Samsung Apps Store.

The Q6FN is equipped with the new Ambient Mode feature like all the QLED models that lets you blend the TV into the environment by displaying a picture of the back of the TV and running it with lower power consumption. We have expressed our opinion about the Ambient Mode when we reviewed the Q9FN and Q7FN so our opinion will not change here. It’s a feature that is good to have as the more features on offer the better but we believe this to be more like a gimmick than a very practical feature to use all the time.

The remote that is being offered with the Q6FN is the same One Remote that Samsung is offering for most of their top of the line models with only a minimal amount of buttons as most of the controls are being made through the on-screen user interface. There is added voice-control functionality that you can use to issue commands and search for apps. In addition to that for 2018 Samsung has added Bixby voice assistant functionality which means that you can not only issue commands for the TV functions but also use the TV as a hub for all your smart home appliances and devices making the Q6FN a more integral part of your smart home functionality.

Final Thoughts

The Samsung Q6FN is making valiant efforts to offer more with a lower price. What you get is a 4K TV that supports HDR10+, has good image quality with excellent contrast and wide color gamut covering more than 90% of the DCI-P3 color space, low input lag making it ideal for gaming and offer a complete smart TV functionality with all the various streaming and smart apps available. In addition you get the Ambient mode feature that helps mask the TV in the environment.

On the other hand peak brightness could be better as it barely reaches 1,000 nits and in no circumstances can it compete with the higher models in the QLED lineup. Local dimming is also very mediocre making blooming very visible and the fact that you cannot turn it off completely just makes it all the worse. Viewing angles are also bad as with all LCD TVs and as with all Samsung TVs there is no Dolby Vision support. Lastly the is no One Connect box making cable management more difficult to handle.

We would say that the Q6FN is good for mixed use. For those of you that want to watch movies in 4K with HDR and play video games but don’t care to spend big money to get the latest tech then the Q6FN is more than enough to satisfy your needs. It looks good, it performs good without reaching extraordinary quality heights and all these in a very good price. If you want better performance you can go for the Q7FN which has better image quality but also good pricing and you can read our review HERE. Otherwise the Q6FN is good enough and we definitely recommend it for the price it is being offered.

For more reviews you can check our dedicated 4K LED LCD TV reviews list or even look at our Product Reviews Table where you can find the brand and specific product you are looking for.

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Cheapest Places to Buy :

*We are a reader-supported website. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. Home Media Entertainment does not accept money for reviews.*

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Specifications

• Screen sizes (US): 49″ Q6FN (QN49Q6FNAFXZA), 55″ Q6FN (QN55Q6FNAFXZA), 65″ Q6FN (QN65Q6FNAFXZA), 75″ Q6FN (QN75Q6FNAFXZA), 82″ Q6FN (QN82Q6FNAFXZA)
• Screen sizes (Europe): 49″ Q6FN (QE49Q6FNATXXU), 55″ Q6FN (QE55Q6FNATXXU), 65″ Q6FN (QE65Q6FNATXXU), 75″ Q6FN (QE75Q6FNATXXU), 82″ Q6FN (QE82Q6FNATXXU)
• Resolution: 3,840 x 2,160 pixels UHD Flat panel
• Processor: Quad-Core Processor
• Color : Q Color
• 10 bit Support : Yes
• HDR (High-Dynamic Range) : Q HDR – HDR10, HDR10+ and HLG support
• Picture Engine : Q Engine
• HD to UHD upscaling: Yes
• Motion Rate : 240
• Screen Lighting: Edge Lit LED
• Depth Enhancing Technology: Contrast Enhancer
• Smart TV: Tizen Smart TV platform
• Connectivity: 4 HDMI 2.0a – HDCP 2.2 ports, 2 USB ports, 1 Ethernet port, 1 Digital Audio Out, 1 RS232
• Built-in WiFi, Bluetooth and Ethernet port
• Sound: 40W, 2.1 channels
• Remotes: Samsung One Remote Smart Remote
• TV dimensions (65 inch model): 56.9″ x 32.8″ x 2.2″ inches w/o stand, 56.9″ x 35.8″ x 11.2″ w stand
• TV weight (65 inch model): 54.7 lb w/ Stand, 53.4 lb without stand

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