What's Good About It?

This Samsung smart TV delivers exceptional overall image quality, featuring deep black levels, abundant light output, accurate color, and robust video processing. It also offers a remarkable picture for bright rooms. The sleek design and extensive feature list outclass most TVs in its range. The price point, although not extremely low, is relatively affordable for the features and quality it offers.

What's Not So Good?

While the Samsung Q70R Series 49" Class HDR 4K UHD Smart QLED TV offers a myriad of features, there are a few areas where it falls short. Less expensive alternatives like the TCL and Vizio TVs offer comparable and in some aspects better picture quality. Additionally, Samsung's Bixby digital assistant doesn’t quite match up to Google Assistant and Alexa found on LG and Sony rivals.

Why You Should Consider It?

The Samsung Q70R Series 49" Class HDR 4K UHD Smart QLED TV offers high-end picture quality, design, and features for a midrange price. It's a valuable proposition for those interested in the QLED series. While it's not cheap, it is the least costly Samsung QLED TV that features full-array local dimming (FALD), which results in an excellent picture.

The QLED vs OLED Debate

If you're confused between Samsung's QLED and LG's OLED, you're not alone. Despite the similar sounding names, QLED and OLED are indeed not the same. In our tests, OLED has always managed to surpass QLED. However, higher-end QLED TVs like the Q80 and Q90, along with Samsung's 8K models, are quite expensive, occupying the same high end of the market as OLED TVs.

Performance Against Competitors

The Samsung Q70R Series 49" Class HDR 4K UHD Smart QLED TV holds its own against other sets equipped with FALD like the cheaper Vizio M8 and the more expensive Sony X950G. The overall image quality is fantastic, and even though the black levels aren't as profound as some competitors, brightness and pop are still exceptional, especially in bright rooms. The Q70's color and video processing also score high points.

Features and Extras

Samsung has also loaded the Q70 with a myriad of features, extras, and design perks. It boasts Ambient Mode, a kind of screensaver for when you're not watching TV, a slick cable management system, and an excellent Smart TV suite. The suite is spearheaded by the Apple TV app and AirPlay, both exclusive to Samsung (for now). However, the only built-in voice system is Bixby, which may not be as versatile as Google Assistant or Alexa.

Design and Aesthetics

Samsung TVs are known for their extra effort in design, looking and feeling a step above many others, and the Q70 is no exception. This smart TV by Samsung has a sleek back with a channel that stretches the length of the TV to hide cables and even run them through the legs. This design feature provides a clean, clutter-free aesthetic that many homeowners will appreciate.

Bixby on TV

The topmost remote key summons Bixby, Samsung's voice assistant. Bixby is fine for basic commands like launching apps and changing volume. However, Bixby is disabled completely within Netflix. That's not the case with Google Assistant, which functions normally whether or not you are in Netflix. If you care about smart home integration, Bixby ties into Samsung's SmartThings universe but can't work with nearly as many devices as Google Assistant or Alexa.

The Apple-Samsung Alliance

Aside from Bixby, Samsung's smart TV system is excellent, with quick responses and plenty of apps. The biggest addition for 2019 Samsung smart TVs is the ability to work with Apple content and devices, namely the Apple TV app and iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers via AirPlay.

Features and Connectivity

Full-array local dimming sets the Q70 apart from cheaper Samsung TVs. This technology boosts black levels and contrast by making certain areas of the picture dimmer or brighter in reaction to what's on the screen.

Gaming Features

Samsung's gaming features go beyond most TVs. The Q70 is compatible with variable refresh rates, called FreeSync, from some devices, including select PCs and the Xbox One X and One S. The Q70 allows rates up to 120Hz or resolutions up to 4K -- but not both at once.

Picture Quality

The Q70 is an excellent performer overall, with very good local dimming and contrast, excellent brightness, color and video processing. It fell short of the black levels of some less-expensive TVs like the Vizio M8 and TCL 6 series with HDR material, but delivered superior brightness for similar overall contrast.

Conclusion

All in all, the Samsung Q70R Series 49" Class HDR 4K UHD Smart QLED TV offers a compelling balance between price, picture quality, and the kinds of features and design you can only get from a Samsung TV. It might not be as good a value as the TCLs and Vizios of the world, but it's not really trying to be. Its aim is to offer high-end picture quality, design, and features for a midrange budget that delivers a feature-rich TV that's hard to ignore. 

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