Samsung QN85B 4K HDR TV Review

QN65QN85B Neo QLED Mini LED Smart TV (120Hz)

Intro

The QN85B is positioned as the entry-level model of Samsung’s premium 4K Neo QLED displays. It’s available in 55” ($1,399.99), 65” ($1,999.99), 75” ($2,599.99) and 85” ($3,799.99) screen sizes. All models use ADS (IPS) panels with the exception of the 85” model which uses a VA panel.

The QN85B is an upgrade in many areas over last year’s QN85A and delivers better local dimming and blooming control. Upscaling is also better than last year’s model. All HDMI inputs are 2.1 4K 120Hz. There’s also the updated game hub mode and Tizen OS. You also get a smartphone calibration app to calibrate the TV’s picture quality.

Design & Features

The QN85B features an aesthetically pleasing design and is par for the course where flat-panel TVs are concerned and is fashioned with very thin borders giving it a virtually bezeless appearance. Around the back, the panel is made of well-constructed plastic which yields a very solid build quality. There are recessed channels built into the rear panel for cable management.

The panel depth is very thin and measures just slightly over 1” deep. My only gripe about the design of this TV is its stand design. I personally don’t like the hexagonal shape, as it reminds me of similar stand designs of the past from other manufacturers, therefore giving the QN85B an outdated appearance, in my opinion. Additionally, since the stand is center-mounted and has a small footprint, it had a bit more wobble than I would normally encounter. That being said, the TV was never at risk of tipping over.

The QN85B uses an ADS (IPS) panel and is illuminated with 720 mini LED zones / full-array local dimming

Feature Highlights:

• Mini LED backlight with Supreme UHD Dimming for focused brightness control (local dimming)
• EyeComfort Mode evaluates your room’s brightness and adjusts the TV’s contrast settings accordingly
• Quantum HDR 24X (HDR10, HDR10+, HLG) for extended picture contrast and brightness when viewing HDR content
• Quantum Dot technology provides 100% color volume — full color with full brightness
• Neo Quantum Processor 4K improves contrast, shadow detail, and color accuracy:
• -Real Depth Enhancer increases foreground contrast to make the contentfeel more lifelike
• -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
• NeoSlim design
• Ultra Viewing Angle
• Samsung Smart Hub – Tizen OS
• Smartphone picture calibration
• Dolby Atmos and Object Tracking Sound
• Built-in Voice Assistant – Bixby, Alexa, Google Assistant
• Built-in Apple AirPlay 2 allows wireless streaming from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac
• 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
• Free Sync Premium ProGame Motion Plus optimizes settings for smooth gameplay
• 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.
• SolarCell Remote w/ voice control – the remote can be charged using your home’s lighting or USB
• HDMI 2.1 – 4K 120fps (all HDMI inputs)

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

Since the QN85B uses an IPS panel, I assumed it would have mediocre contrast and black levels considering the fact that IPS panels typically produce poor contrast and black levels. I must say, however, that the QN85B delivered very good performance in these critical criteria elements for good picture quality. Samsung has done a great job with its local dimming technology and processing algorithms to deliver this level of performance from an IPS panel.

When viewing this TV in a dark room environment, the contrast was extended and dynamic which in turn produced deep and dark black levels. Shadow detail was also good allowing for well-defined objects in many dark scenes.  However, I did experience some slight black crush which showed itself in a scene with small dim highlights such as a star field where stars didn’t appear very bright and ended up being crushed.

With local dimming set to “High” the QN85B’s local dimming feature did a very good job and delivered precise and tightly controlled dimming for its 720 mini LED zones. Black levels retained a deep and dark presence in content that required such execution, while scenes with peak bright highlights were rendered with a brilliant shade of white. However, all was not perfect…I did experience some minor blooming which presented itself when showing white text or bright white objects against a black background.

Black screen uniformity was good on this panel. And with local dimming set to “High” the screen retained a uniform level of black across the entire screen.

Gray uniformity was decent on this panel. There was some minor DSE but nothing that I would consider distracting when watching sporting events such as hockey game. As a side note, DSE can vary greatly from panel to panel.

Color reproduction: Overall I was impressed with the QN85B’s color gamut. Samsung displays tend to have highly saturated colors which may appear unnatural to some viewers. That being said, it really comes down to personal preference, and for me, I personally like the color rendering on Samsung displays. As for the QN85B, color accuracy out of the box was very good. Colors appeared very vivid with plenty of dynamic pop.

Note: To get the most accurate picture quality use either the “Filmmaker” or “Movie” picture modes.

The overall picture quality of the QN85B was very good. Image detail and clarity were impressive delivering a sharp and well-defined image. And generally speaking, images had a very three-dimensional quality which added greatly to the picture image depth of many of the scenes I viewed on this TV.

The attributes I mentioned above were possible thanks in part to Samsungs excellent video processing via their Neo Quantum Processor 4K.

SDR and HDR content when viewed on the QN85B were very good. And thanks to the display’s high peak brightness output, HDR content was very impressive, allowing small specular highlights to stand out extremely well. My only gripe with the QN85B’s HDR performance 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.

Rtings.com has posted “real scene peak brightness” SDR (standard dynamic range) peak brightness at 952 nits, and HDR (high dynamic range) “real scene highlight” at 1,116 nits.

The QN85B uses an ADS (IPS) panel which generally improves wide-angle viewing and was the case with this display. However, at very wide angles the picture image did dim somewhat, yet its color intensity remained mostly intact.

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.

Gaming – I’m not much of a gamer so I usually don’t comment on any given TV’s gaming performance. Nevertheless, I know this is very important performance criterion. That being said, I did some internet research and found the QN85B to be a great gaming TV which is related to its gaming features mentioned above. I suggest you do your own research to learn more about its gaming capabilities.

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. 6 ms.

Sound quality was ok on this TV and didn’t have any impressive attributes while listening. However, the TV does play loud and outputs clear dialogue. I recommend using a soundbar with the QN85B to experience much better sound quality.

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).

Conclusion

Samsung’s QN85B is a great TV for most uses including watching movies and TV shows in a bright room thanks to its high brightness output. It’s also a good choice for watching movies in a dark room due to its mini LEDs and refined local dimming control. Its motion handling ability makes it a great TV for watching sports and other fast-paced content. Its also well equipped with all the advanced and latest gaming technology for all those who want to take their gaming to the highest levels.

There is a lot to like about the QN85B and very little to dislike, in my opinion. And if you’re in the market for a high-end name brand TV, then put Samsung’s QN85B Neo QLED 4K HDR TV on your shortlist.

HDTVs and More recommended.