Samsung Q80B 4K HDR TV Review

 

QN65Q80B QLED Smart LED TV (120Hz)

Intro

The Q80B is part of Samsung’s latest entry-level/regular QLED displays. This lineup is accompanied by the Q60B which sits below the Q80B. QLED TVs are capable of producing better color when compared to traditional LED TVs. This is due to the quantum dot pixel structure within the TV panel.

The Q80B is available in 50” ($999.99), 55” ($1,099.99), 65” ($1,199.99), 75” ($1,699.99) and 85” ($2,199.99) screen sizes. The 50” and 85” models use VA panels. The 55”, 65” and 75” models use ADS (IPS) panels. VA panels typically provide better contrast and black levels when compared to ADS panels. All models have a 120Hz refresh rate except the 50” which has a 60Hz panel.  These specs apply to US models only.

Design & Features

The overall design of the Q80B is typical of what is found on most flat panel TVs by today’s standards which means very thin bezels and slim panel thickness. The Q80B consists of solid build quality and is made of sturdy plastic that doesn’t appear or feel cheaply made. The screen contains a semi-gloss coating and is illuminated by direct full-array LED backlighting with local dimming.

The Q80B uses a center-mounted pedestal stand. On the 65” screen size tested here, the TV had more wobble with this type of stand when compared to other TVs that use a “feet” type stand design which supports the TV from either end and typically has less wobble than the pedestal design used on the Q80B. That being said, the Q80B’s stand provides enough stability to prevent the TV from tipping over.

Feature Highlights:

• Direct Full Array LED backlight with Supreme UHD Dimming (local dimming)
• Wide Viewing Angle film layer improves off-angle viewing for a vibrant picture no matter where you sit
• Eye Comfort Mode evaluates your room’s brightness and adjusts the TV’s contrast settings accordingly
• Quantum HDR 12X (HDR10, HDR10+ Adaptive/Gaming, and HLG) for excellent picture contrast and brightness when viewing HDR content
• Quantum Dot technology provides 100% color volume — full color with full brightness
• Quantum Processor 4K improves contrast, shadow detail, and color accuracy
  • 4K AI Upscaling enhances standard-def and high-def video signals for optimum display on a 4K screen
• Filmmaker Mode automatically adjusts picture settings to preserve the director’s intent
• Motion Xcelerator Turbo+ blur reduction
• Object Tracking Sound uses speakers built into the TV’s frame to create sound that tracks every motion on the screen
• Built-in 2.2.2-channel speaker system (60 watts total power)
• SolarCell Remote can be charged using your home’s lighting or USB

Smart TV features

• Built-in Bixby, Google Assistant, and Amazon Alexa voice control assistants
• TV is also compatible with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa devices (sold separately)
• Built-in Apple AirPlay 2 allows wireless streaming from your Apple device
• Apple TV app lets you rent, buy, and watch titles from Apple’s video library, and subscribe to Apple TV channels, without connecting a separate device
• Tizen OS Smart Hub makes navigating to your favorite content easy with a sidebar with preset categories (Media, Gaming Hub, Ambient)
• Samsung TV Plus lets you enjoy subscription-free TV with 150+ channels
• Google Duo – make video calls with Google Duo. Make video calls with up to 32 people from the Google Duo app on your TV. ( requires a camera, sold separately)

Gaming features

• Game Motion Plus optimizes settings for smooth gameplay
• All HDMI inputs support 4K/120Hz
• Supports variable refresh rate via FreeSync Premium Pro and ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode)
• Super Ultrawide GameView lets you adjust the aspect ratio from 21:9 to 32:9 and move the screen position to eye level for compatible PC games, optimizing your playing experience
• Game Bar on-screen menu lets you double-check your input lag and make adjustments to your fps (frames per second), HDR, wireless headset settings, etc.
• Gaming Hub lets you stream games from Xbox Game Pass, NVIDIA GeoForce Now, Google Stadia, Utomik, and Luna directly on your TV with a compatible controller (sold separately; subscriptions required)
  

  Rear Ports

Connectivity

• 4 HDMI 2.1 inputs / HDCP 2.2 compliant
• 1 Digital optical output
• 2 USB 2.0 inputs
• 1 RF input for antenna/cable signals
• 1 Ethernet input
• eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) HDMI input 3
• Dual-band Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
• Bluetooth wireless audio streaming to a compatible speaker or set of headphones

Performance

The performance of the Q80B was a mixed bag. I’ll start with its positive attributes.

Its standout performance traits were its color rendering, detail, clarity, and image transparency.

QLED TVs are known for their great color reproduction due to the use of quantum dots. So as expected, the Q80B produced excellent color straight out of the box without the need for any calibration. The color palette was very accurate while displaying strong, rich, and vibrant colors with very good overall tonal balance. To achieve the most accurate picture quality, use the “Movie” or “Filmmaker” picture modes and the “Warm 2” color temperature setting.

Picture detail and clarity were very good on the Q80B when viewing high-quality 4K or 1080p content. For example, I could see the fine detail and texture in people’s clothing in close-up shots. Additionally, the clarity of these shots allowed for more refined detail to be seen. Furthermore, image transparency was very good and allowed for good image depth which gave certain images a three-dimensional quality.

SDR peak brightness was excellent on this TV which made it ideal for viewing in a room with a fair amount of natural lighting and it does a good job resisting screen glare in a well-lit room.

HDR peak brightness was good on this TV but fell below what is typically produced on higher-end models. That being said, small specular highlights in HDR content were still rendered well and made for good HDR viewing. My only concern with viewing HDR content on the Q80B is it can’t process Dolby Vision HDR signals. This is a Samsung issue as they still choose not to implement DV and instead offer HDR10+ on their TVs. Samsung created HDR10+ and DV is its direct competitor.

*SDR peak brightness: 10% window 898 nits

*HDR peak brightness: 10% window 839 nits

The Q80B had good wide-angle viewing performance thanks to its ADS (IPS) panel and its wide viewing angle film layer, which allowed the picture image to remain consistent at wide viewing angles without the picture appearing washed out and losing color saturation.

Motion handling appeared to perform quite well on this TV. With sporting events, I didn’t experience any motion artifacts. However, if you do encounter motion issues; you can apply the TV’s motion control settings to your liking to reduce or eliminate motion artifact issues.

Input lag is excellent on this display: approx 10.0 ms with 1080p and 4K signals @ 60Hz. With 1080p and 4K signals @ 120Hz, input lag was approx. 5.5 ms.

The sound quality on the Q80B was surprisingly good for a flat-panel TV. The sound was spacious and enveloping and spread well beyond the TV screen. The audio output was clean and detailed and dialogue was clear and easy to discern. And what truly made the sound quality above average for the Q80B was its solid bass output. Although the bass output wasn’t deep, it still had a decent amount of impact and punch. This made for a well-rounded audio presentation.

The Tizen OS Smart Hub smart TV platform has been updated and sports a revamped interface. The interface now fills the entire screen instead of the bar that appeared on previous versions. The operation was smooth and intuitive with easy access to the content of my choice. The new interface has also added a new sidebar with preset categories. Furthermore, the Smart Hub now allows you to video chat with friends and family while watching your favorite shows and movies. Video chat requires an external USB-enable camera (sold separately).

Now, on to the Q80B’s negative attributes: The contrast and black levels were mediocre on this display due to the use of an ADS (IPS) panel which is known for its inability to produce good contrast and black levels.

That being said the Q80B’s picture image with appear grayish when displaying dark content in a dark room. However, this will not be an issue when viewing the same content in a well-lit room since the room’s lighting offsets this issue and makes it harder to see. So if you want to see and enjoy dark scenes in movies as they were intended to be seen in a dark room, I suggest you choose the 50” or 85” Q80B version as they both use VA panels and will provide very good contrast and deep black levels.

Shadow detail will also be lacking on this display and will not be as well resolved while leaving objects less defined. This again is due to the ADS panel.

Black screen uniformity was also disappointing on this display due to the ADS panel. On a full-field black screen, there was clouding throughout the entire screen. Furthermore, when a bright white object was displayed on a black screen, a fair amount of blooming could be seen. When watching real content blooming can be an issue around bright objects as well as subtitles. These issues should only be a problem when viewing dark content in a dark room.

Conclusion

Samsung’s Q80B is a good 4K TV. The Q80B offers a bright and vibrant picture image that is well-suited for well-lit viewing environments. Its wide color capability delivers rich, vibrant and accurate color straight from the box. HD images are rendered with exceptional picture detail and clarity. These performance attributes make for an enjoyable viewing experience on the Q80B.

Additionally, the Q80B’s Tizen OS smart TV platform is well-designed and easy to navigate while offering an endless amount of entertainment options.

It’s also a great TV for video gaming and offers all of the advanced gaming features that will take your gaming experience to the next level.

There are, however, some drawbacks to the Q80B’s performance: It’s not the best TV for viewing dark content in a dark room. These types of images will have a grayish tone instead of deep black. You will also experience some blooming around bright objects set against a black or dark background. Yet, as I mentioned earlier, these drawbacks won’t be an issue when viewing this TV in a room with sufficient ambient or natural lighting.

So is the Q80B right for you? Well, if its positive attributes are what you are looking for in your next TV and you can live with and/or adapt to its shortcomings, then certainly put Samsung’s Q80B on your radar of TVs to check out.

You may also like this review of the Samsung QN85B

All image credit Samsung

*Source: Rtings.com