LG 55 B4 vs Samsung Neo QLED QN85D / QNX1D

The brightness results in HDR materials LG B4 are very good. It is true that none of them exceed 1000 nits, although the luminance stability is excellent and looks practically the same in every scenario. The only moment where the tested television performs worse is the last scene, although this should not come as a surprise. Large frames filled with a lot of white have always been, and will likely continue to be, somewhat of a weakness for OLED televisions. However, the combination of perfect contrast, black levels, and brightness in the LG B4 allows for a full spectrum of the HDR effect. Additionally, the incredibly high coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut, which reached 99%, deserves recognition. As a result, colours look incredibly vibrant and stunning.

Samsung QN85D leaves us with mixed feelings regarding HDR quality. It can shine in synthetic luminance tests, reaching even 1000 nits – which makes scenes like those from 'The Meg' or the start of 'Life of Pi', where the screen is all bright, look truly impressive. However, in practice, the device has its limitations – especially when smaller bright elements appear on the screen. In such moments, brightness noticeably drops, and the HDR effect loses its punch. At brightness levels around 200-300 nits, the magic of HDR simply fades away, not delivering spectacular effects. However, it’s not that the television completely disappoints – coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut at 95% is quite decent, although it doesn’t stand out against the best competitors. Colours are well-rendered, but it's clear that HDR could make a bigger impression if brightness could be better controlled.

The best factory mode prepared by the manufacturer is "Filmmaker," and we used it throughout the entire testing procedure. We must admit that the unit we received straight out of the box had quite decent colour reproduction. The biggest issue in both SDR and HDR content turned out to be white balance. In the former, there was a strong dominance of red, resulting in a noticeable yellow tint in the displayed image, particularly evident on skin tones and whites. In high-quality materials, this colour was also pronounced, but due to a lack of blue, there were also signs of green visible. Besides these shortcomings, we also encountered issues with greyscale and the colours themselves.

Samsung QN85D TV has been tested in the best available mode – Filmmaker. While one might expect its name suggests a mode perfectly suited for films, unfortunately, it has several significant issues.

When it comes to white balance for HD content, there is a noticeable dominance of red and blue, which makes the entire image take on pinkish hues – this is also confirmed by Colour Checker tests. This effect disturbs the naturalness of skin tones and many other elements, which is particularly evident in more demanding scenes. Initially, the white balance for 4K HDR content seems correct, but at the end of the graph, there is a significant spike in blue hues, affecting the final image quality and making the colours appear unnatural.

The gamma brightness characteristic is also not ideal – although it generally stays close to the reference value, there is a slight drop below 2.4, which can impact the perceived depth of shadows. The EOTF curve responsible for 4K content does not perform any better. There is a clear boost compared to the reference curve, leading to excessive brightness in some areas, thus losing the cinematic quality that the Filmmaker mode should provide. While it might initially seem that the effect is cinematic, unfortunately, the number of errors in colour and brightness reproduction is too significant to call it flawless.

LG B4 has been providing very advanced calibration tools in its TVs for years. We can even say that as the only manufacturer on the market, it allows for such deep intervention in image adjustment. Thanks to these, we were able to calibrate the device so well. The evidence of this is the extremely low deltaE errors, which can be said to stand at a reference level. Both SDR and HDR materials now look exactly as the film director intended. It is no coincidence that TVs of this brand are most often used as preview screens for various graphic or post-production studios.

After professional calibration of the Filmmaker mode on the Samsung QN85D television, a significant improvement is noticeable, especially for HD/SDR content. The white balance has been completely free of major errors, and the brightness characteristics for this type of content have been significantly adjusted, allowing for a more natural and realistic image. Television, YouTube films, and other HD materials now look much better, with appropriately balanced colours and without the exaggerated hues that previously marred the experience.

However, the biggest issues arise with 4K HDR content. Despite the calibration, it's hard to speak of significant improvement in white balance here – the differences are cosmetic rather than essential. Brightness, governed by the EOTF curve, seems to be set according to the reference level in synthetic tests at first glance, but has its limitations during actual viewing in films. When analysing the EOTF curve in real film scenes, it becomes clear that the television struggles to maintain consistency in brightness. The effect is that mixed scenes still have their darkest elements boosted, leading to exaggerated contrasts, and completely dark scenes remain too dark, which negatively affects the visibility of details.

In this paragraph, we will take another look at the tonal transition smoothing feature, but we will also check how the TV handles lower quality material. As we have managed to check, the setting responsible for smooth gradation works quite effectively, although it has its weaker moments. While the feature works well with SDR content, it becomes less useful with HDR content. Even at the lowest of options, it blurs essential details, so we advise against using it.

The image scaling on LG B4 is rated fairly moderately positively. Although there is no edge splitting, the image itself is naturally "soft". We can change this by adjusting the sharpness slider.

When checking the fluidity of tonal transitions in low-resolution materials on the Samsung QN85D television, it’s worth noting the noise reduction feature, which significantly improves problematic tonal transitions. On the other hand, this feature also has its downsides – it removes film grain, which is an important element of many productions, giving them authenticity, and it can also soften the image. This may appeal to those who prefer a smoother picture; however, for lovers of the authentic look of films, using this feature should be considered carefully.

Regarding image scaling, the television performs very well. The model's figure is presented correctly, without noticeable distortions, and the branches in the background do not have excessive artificial sharpness, which is often a problem when scaling lower resolution materials. The high capabilities of the image processor are evident here, which can effectively process lower quality materials, ensuring good final quality.

The maximum refresh rate we can set on the LG B4 is 120 Hz. This is the absolute minimum for those who require high image smoothness. The manufacturer has implemented a multi-level motion smoother called "TruMotion". It has been divided into two separate sliders that adjust the sharpness of moving images (De-Blur) and stuttering (De-Judder). Both sliders can be set in the range from 0 to 10, with each level affecting the degree of smoothness, so everyone can find their sweet spot.

The LG OLED B4 panel features an average response time of 0.1 ms (which directly results from our measurements), allowing for an incredibly clear image, unattainable for LCD TVs, which have response times of even several milliseconds. This can be clearly seen in images from the "UFO Test", showing no trace of blur trailing behind the object.

Samsung QN85D TV is equipped with a 120 Hz refresh rate panel, which should satisfy both gamers and sports enthusiasts by offering a smooth and dynamic image. There are options to enhance fluidity, such as the blur and judder reduction feature, which allows precise motion fluidity adjustments on a 10-point scale. The blur reduction increases the sharpness of fast-moving objects, making action scenes more readable, while judder reduction smooths out motion, eliminating the “judder” effect. Ghosting is generally well controlled, though minor imperfections can be visible in more demanding scenes, especially when an object moves against a dark background. Additionally, the TV offers a BFI (Black Frame Insertion) feature at a 60 Hz refresh rate, which can significantly improve motion fluidity experience, although at the cost of image flicker, which might be bothersome for some users.

The LG B4 television is equipped with four full-fledged HDMI 2.1 ports with a full bandwidth of 48Gbps. All functions corresponding to this standard activated without any issues, and throughout the entire testing procedure, they caused no problems. The combination of such extensive functionality and low input lags leads us to say that the tested television is truly designed for gaming. This is not surprising, considering that the manufacturer has always placed great emphasis on this. Therefore, we can enjoy both a properly implemented HGIG mode and gameplay in Dolby Vision with low latency. Such a tandem will surely attract the attention of all passionate gamers for whom quality is the most important.

A standard feature in televisions from the Korean manufacturer is also the implementation of GameBar, allowing for quick adjustments of settings "on the fly," without the need to exit the game. It also enables image adjustments for individuals with visual impairments, which is an extremely nice touch. Another important piece of information is that when the VRR technology is turned on, we will not experience a drop in contrast. This is, of course, due to the construction of the panel and the lack of conventional backlighting. However, it is normal for shades of grey to flicker slightly, although this is a characteristic feature of this function regardless of the manufacturer and the television.

In summary: The LG B4, like all OLEDs from the manufacturer equipped with 120Hz panels and HDMI 2.1 ports, creates a harmonious whole with the console. In practice, it is a complete television, and if we expect the highest possible efficiency in gaming, the B4 will be the ideal choice.

The Samsung QN85D television is an excellent choice for gamers, offering a wide range of features that enhance the gaming experience and make it even more exciting. With a 120 Hz refresh rate panel, the image is incredibly smooth, which is crucial during dynamic scenes in action games. The television also boasts low input lag, allowing for nearly instant reactions to player commands, which translates into better control over characters and events on the screen.

In addition, the QN85D Samsung supports VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) and ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) technologies, which optimise image smoothness and reduce delays by automatically adjusting the television to the needs of gamers. Moreover, the Xbox app allows for cloud gaming without the need for a console, which is a big plus for those who want to enjoy their favourite titles without additional hardware – a feature that sets Samsung televisions apart.

The Auto Motion Plus Game feature is another aspect worth highlighting. This motion smoothing technology creates the illusion of more frames per second – as a result, games at 30 fps appear smoother, resembling gameplay at 45 fps, while games at 60 Hz come closer to 90 Hz. Most importantly, this feature does not introduce significant lag, ensuring that gaming comfort is not compromised. This allows gamers to enjoy a smoother image without compromising responsiveness.