Samsung Q80C QLED 4K HDR TV Review

QN75Q80C QLED Smart LED TV (120Hz)

Intro

Samsung’s Q80C is the top-end model in the company’s mid-tier QLED lineup and sits between the premium/high-end Neo QLED and entry-level Crystal UHD LED displays. The Q80C is available in a variety of screen sizes which consist of 50” ($999), 55” ($1,199), 65” ($1,299), 75” ($1,999), and 85” ($2,999) models.

As with last year’s Q80B models the Q80C lineup uses different display panel types, and according to my source, Display Specifications, the 50” and 85” models use VA panels, whereas the 55″,65” and 75” models use ADS (IPS) panels. VA panels typically provide better contrast and black levels when compared to IPS panels.

Design & Features

The overall design of the Q80C is very similar to last year’s Q80B and 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 Q80C 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 Q80C uses a center-mounted pedestal stand, and with the 75” 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 Q80C. That being said, the Q80C’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
• EyeComfort Mode evaluates your room’s brightness and adjusts the TV’s contrast settings accordingly
• Quantum HDR+ (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
• Neural 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
• Built-in 2.2-channel speaker system (40 watts total power)
• Object Tracking Sound Lite helps locate sounds where they appear on-screen
• Active Voice Amplifier analyzes ambient room noise and enhances voices for clear dialogue
• Ambient Mode+ helps the TV blend into your room when it’s wall-mounted or shows screen savers featuring photos, artwork, or info like weather
• 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 easily with a sidebar with preset categories (Media, Gaming Hub, Ambient)
• Samsung TV Plus lets you enjoy subscription-free TV with 150+ channels
• Google Meets – make video calls with Google Meets. Make video calls with up to 32 people from the Google Meets 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 3.0 on-screen menu lets you double-check your input lag and make adjustments to your fps (frames per second), HDR, wireless headset settings, etc.

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

From the start my initial impressions of the Q80C’s overall picture quality were positive. However, as my evaluation dug deeper, I did encounter a few shortcomings that had a major impact on its picture quality. First, its contrast: although the Q80C’s contrast ratio was good with local dimming enabled, however, when viewing dark content in a dark room the Q80C’s contrast and black levels suffered due to the use of an ADS (IPS) panel. This issue was readily apparent when viewing dark content in a dark room environment in the form of the black levels having a grayish overtone instead of being a deep black which is typically the case with TVs that use VA panels. But on the flip side, as I always like to mention, these visual shortcomings will be substantially reduced when viewing this TV in a well-lit room.

Even though the Q80C has more local dimming zones than the Q80B, blooming was still an issue when viewing bright highlights or white text against a black background or dark scenes. And depending on the content you are viewing, this can be a bit distracting.

Black screen uniformity on this TV was a bit disappointing when viewing bright white text or objects against a black screen as blooming was quite obvious around the white picture elements. This, however, will be less of an issue when viewing regular content.

The Q80C did have its positive performance attributes which included very good color rendering due to the use of quantum dots allowing the Q80C to produce 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 was also a strong performance trait of the Q80C when viewing high-quality 4K and 1080p content. For example, I could see the fine detail and texture in outdoor landscapes containing grass and tree leaves. Additionally, 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 decent on this TV but fell short of what is needed to produce a full HDR experience. 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 Q80C 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 813 nits

*HDR peak brightness: 10% window 819 nits

The Q80C 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 with only a slight loss of color saturation and picture brightness.

Motion handling was rendered quite well on the Q80C, and 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 artifacts.

Input lag was excellent on this display: approx 10.0 ms with 1080p and 4K signals @ 60Hz. With 1080p and 4K signals @ 120Hz, input lag was approx. 6.0 ms.

The sound quality from the TV’s speakers was decent for flat panel TV standards. The audio remains clean and clear, and dialogue remains discernible even at high volumes. Bass output, however, is lacking which is typical for most flat-panel TVs. A soundbar is recommended for a much better sound presentation.

The Tizen OS smart TV platform delivers smooth and intuitive operation with easy access to the content of your choice.

Conclusion

The Samsung Q80C is a good 4K TV. It 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 colors 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 Q80C.

Furthermore, the Q80C’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, including four 4K/120Hz HDMI 2.1 inputs that will take your gaming experience to the next level.

There are, however, some drawbacks to the Q80C’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. Furthermore, many non-critical TV viewers may not mind or even notice the less-than-stellar black-level performance when viewing in a dark room.

So is the Q80C right for you? Well, if its positive attributes are what you are looking for in your next TV and you can live with its shortcomings, then most certainly put Samsung’s Q80C on your shortlist of TVs to check out.

Check out HDTVs and More’ YouTube video review for the Samsung Q80C 4K TV

Source: *Rtings.com