Panasonic Z95B vs Samsung S85H

Direct comparison

S85H

Available screen sizes: 55”65”77”

Available screen sizes: 48”55”65”77”83”

Panel type: WRGB OLED

Resolution: 3840x2160

System: Amazon FireTV

Model year: 2025

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Panel type: WRGB OLED

Resolution: 3840x2160

System: Tizen

Model year: 2026

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Overall rating

8.5

7.9

  • Movies and series in UHD quality

    9.0

    8.0

  • Classic TV, YouTube

    8.8

    8.6

  • Sports broadcasts (TV and apps)

    8.5

    8.5

  • Gaming on console

    9.6

    9.6

  • TV as a computer monitor

    8.6

    7.6

  • Watching in bright light

    7.4

    5.1

  • Utility functions

    6.8

    7.3

  • Apps

    7.2

    9.3

  • Sound quality

    8.9

    7.2

Advantages

  • Stunning black

  • Amazing brightness - over 2000 nits in HDR

  • Almost reference factory colours

  • Support for multiple HDR formats including Dolby Vision and HDR10+

  • Phenomenal motion smoothness - OLED panel, 144Hz

  • A brilliant choice for gamers, HDMI 2.1, VRR, ALLM, Dolby Vision Gaming and HGiG

  • Good compatibility with PC – 144 Hz, G-Sync and FreeSync

  • Very good sound from the built-in soundbar

  • Decent viewing angles

  • Perfect blacks and infinite contrast, OLED

  • Decent HDR brightness of up to around 800 nits

  • High image fidelity after calibration

  • Very good motion handling, 120 Hz OLED panel

  • Rich set of gaming features: VRR, Game Bar, low input lag

  • 4 HDMI 2.1 ports with full 48 Gbps bandwidth

  • Feature-rich, smoothly running Tizen system

  • Solar-powered remote with many features

  • Support for Dolby Atmos spatial audio

Disadvantages

No like
  • Fire TV – no app, strange errors, untranslated menu

  • No support for DTS:X

  • No ability to enable external subtitles from USB memory

  • Only two HDMI 2.1 ports, which is definitely too few for this class

  • Price clearly higher than competitors, which often lack such system issues

  • Poorer anti-reflective performance than its predecessor, a characteristic of the new OLED SE panel

  • Average SDR brightness, best suited to a room with controlled lighting

  • No DTS:X support, mainly a downside for owners of Blu-ray collections

  • No Dolby Vision, not essential but would be welcome 🙂

Our verdict

Panasonic Z95B is equipment that makes it hard not to raise your eyebrows in delight. From the very first moments, it's clear that we're dealing with an absolutely exceptional screen, capable of bringing out the best in films and games. The black levels are perfect, brightness in HDR is stunning, and the colours – whether in movie mode or gaming – show that the factory calibration at Panasonic has reached a level that other manufacturers can only aspire to. Add to this the fantastic sound from the built-in soundbar and excellent viewing angles, and you have a television picture that, in terms of image quality and overall audiovisual immersion, seems to be complete. But the longer we used it, the more the impression grew that we were encountering a device that was somewhat split. On one hand, it acts like a reference monitor, perfect for assessing video material and enjoying films or series, and even for gaming; on the other hand, it's a television that can disappoint in its everyday functionality. FireTV in its current version can be frustrating, there are far fewer apps than competitors, some won't install at all, and the system can easily stumble. There are also strange system problems like the lack of support for basic subtitles in films from USB – these may seem like minor details, but they contribute to the overall impression of a device that is far from ideal in daily use. And this is where the biggest paradox of the Z95B appears. It's a television that probably offers one of the best images currently available in showrooms, while also being one that is hard to recommend as a typical "television" without reservations. The competition, although often visually slightly weaker, tends to be simply more user-friendly and costs significantly less. Therefore, the Z95B is a proposition for image purists, for those who seek a reference screen and are willing to accept all the compromises related to the non-functioning features. For them, it will be a dream device. For others – a demonstration of Panasonic's strength and more of a curiosity.

Samsung S85H is a very successful continuation of the S85 series and a TV that still performs its main role well: to be an affordable entry into the world of OLEDs. The biggest change from its predecessor is the use of LG Display's new OLED SE panel, but the overall character of this model remains practically unchanged. Its greatest strengths are still perfect blacks, very high contrast and a picture that can look truly excellent in the evening. Add to that good colors and the ability to achieve a high degree of fidelity to the director's vision. The S85H also works very well as a versatile TV. Gamers get four HDMI 2.1 ports, 120 Hz, VRR, very low input lag and Game Motion Plus, so there is little to complain about here. Tizen runs fast and is user-friendly, and the whole system clearly targets users who today mainly use Netflix, YouTube and other streaming services, while traditional broadcast TV is treated as an extra.

However, the new OLED SE panel is not without flaws. This is most noticeable when watching during the day, because its glare handling is worse than previous OLED panels. Its peak brightness is also not high enough for the S85H to perform particularly well in a very sunlit living room. It is still a TV that shows its strengths best in the evening or in a room with at least partial control over ambient light. And that is probably the best way to look at the S85H. It is not an OLED meant to break brightness records or compete with the most expensive panels. It simply aims to offer what people like most about the technology, but at a lower price. Perfect blacks, very good movie picture quality, excellent gaming features and a convenient smart system make the S85H one of the easiest ways to get into OLED without spending a fortune.

TV appearance

HDMI inputs
2 x HDMI 2.0, 2 x HDMI 2.1 (48Gbps)
0 x HDMI 2.0, 4 x HDMI 2.1 (48Gbps)
Other inputs
Outputs
Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI), Mini-Jack (Headphones)
Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI)
Network Interfaces
Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
Build quality
Super Premium
Good
Stand type
Central
Legs
Bezel color
Graphite
Graphite
Stand
Swivel
Base adjustment
Flat design
Yes
No
Accessories
Stand
Stand

Contrast and black detail

10/10

10/10

Contrast:

Review Panasonic Z95B Contrast and black detail

Result

:1

Review Panasonic Z95B Contrast and black detail

Result

:1

Review Panasonic Z95B Contrast and black detail

Result

:1

Review Panasonic Z95B Contrast and black detail

Result

:1

Review Panasonic Z95B Contrast and black detail

Result

:1

Review Samsung S85H Contrast and black detail

Result

:1

Review Samsung S85H Contrast and black detail

Result

:1

Review Samsung S85H Contrast and black detail

Result

:1

Review Samsung S85H Contrast and black detail

Result

:1

Review Samsung S85H Contrast and black detail

Result

:1

Halo effect and black detail visibility:

Check the visibility of bright lights on a dark background. Mini-LEDs often struggle with this. The photo does not compare black levels – that’s what the video below is for.

The black level and contrast in the Panasonic Z95B can be summed up in one word – perfection. As with every OLED TV, the panel controlling individual pixels allows for complete dimming of parts of the image, resulting in absolute black. This means the Z95B offers perfect separation between bright and dark elements of the scene, with no visible halos, brightenings or halo effects on the screen. Even in the most demanding sequences, where other LCD TVs reveal their limitations, the picture here remains clear and readable. In practice, it’s hard to imagine that in this category OLEDs could improve any further, as the technology of self-dimming pixels simply has no weak points when it comes to contrast. The Panasonic Z95B follows this trend and demonstrates that when it comes to black levels, there is no room for significant improvements – it sets a reference level that is hard to surpass.

The switch to LG Display's new WOLED SE panel has essentially changed nothing in terms of black levels and contrast. And it was hard to expect any major improvement here, because it’s still OLED, a technology that can completely switch off each individual pixel. In practice that means perfect black and huge image depth, especially in darker scenes. Black bars are truly black, there’s no haloing around bright elements, and contrast remains practically infinite. Even very expensive Mini-LEDs with thousands of local dimming zones still can’t offer the same precision as the S85H. And that’s exactly its biggest advantage. The S85H may be Samsung’s cheapest OLED, but when it comes to black levels it can show exactly the same as much pricier models using organic panels.

HDR effect quality

8.7/10

6.3/10

Supported formats
HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, Dolby Vision IQ, HLG
HDR10, HDR10+, HLG
Color gamut coverage
DCI P3: 99.8%, Bt.2020: 81.3%
DCI P3: 95.2%, Bt.2020: 70.9%

Luminance measurements in HDR:

Review Panasonic Z95B Brightness measurement

Result

2069 nit

Review Panasonic Z95B Brightness measurement

Result

2118 nit

Review Panasonic Z95B Brightness measurement

Result

2131 nit

Review Panasonic Z95B Brightness measurement

Result

2114 nit

Review Panasonic Z95B Brightness measurement

Result

1442 nit

Review Samsung S85H Brightness measurement

Result

733 nit

Review Samsung S85H Brightness measurement

Result

744 nit

Review Samsung S85H Brightness measurement

Result

837 nit

Review Samsung S85H Brightness measurement

Result

755 nit

Review Samsung S85H Brightness measurement

Result

404 nit

Scene from the movie “Pan” (about 2800 nits)

Scene from the movie “Billy Lynn” (about 1100 nits)

The photos show two HDR10 movies. 'Pan' is one of the brightest productions ever made, while 'Billy Lynn' (soldier) has brightness typical of streaming (Netflix, Prime, HBO MAX). Notice the intensity of effects and detail in whites.

Static HDR10

The photos present the visibility of white details in various HDR formats. They do not show brightness differences between TVs (these can be compared in the previous gallery).

Dynamic: Dolby Vision

Dynamic: HDR10+

The photos present the visibility of white details in various HDR formats. They do not show brightness differences between TVs (these can be compared in the previous gallery).

HDR luminance chart:

Samsung S85H

Panasonic Z95B

Luminance of RGB colors

Luminance of RGB colors

The HDR effect quality in the Panasonic Z95B is among the absolute best. Thanks to the latest generation panel, named Primary RGB Tandem OLED by the manufacturer, the television can achieve over 2000 nits of brightness in movie scenes. The effect is impressive and can amaze with its intensity of light, giving a sense of contact with the screen that goes beyond previous experiences. Similar feelings were only experienced during tests of the LG G5, Samsung S95F, or Philips OLED910. Of course, there are moments when the device's algorithms decide to limit luminance – this especially applies to full-screen bright sequences, such as the ending credits in the movie The Meg. Even then, the Z95B maintains a level of around 1500 nits, which is still an extremely impressive result. Thus, it can be said that HDR in this model has been brought to a masterful form. A significant step forward is also visible in the reproduction of the colour palette. The new tandem OLED panel does not yet match the best QD-OLED screens in terms of gamut coverage, but the gap between these solutions has significantly decreased. When watching films, the differences are subtle enough that under normal conditions it's hard to notice them, and the colours remain vibrant and saturated.

Interestingly, the new WOLED SE panel has brought a slight improvement in brightness to the S85 lineup. In the same film scenes last year’s model sat closer to about 700 nits, while the S85H can reach roughly 800 nits. That’s not a change that completely transforms the HDR experience, but the extra headroom is noticeable, especially with point highlights, reflections or stronger special effects. Around 800 nits is a very good result for an entry-level OLED and in most films it’s enough for HDR to have the necessary punch. Bright elements can clearly stand out against perfect blacks, and that contrast is still doing most of the work here. However, you need to remember the typical limitation of OLED technology. When a very bright scene covers a large portion of the screen, brightness can drop to almost half. This is the result of panel protections that limit its output with large bright areas.

Colours

The S85H can deliver very pleasant, saturated colours and in most HDR films it looks really good in that regard. We measured around 95% coverage of DCI-P3, so the palette most commonly used in films is reproduced to a very high degree. Skin tones, greens and stronger reds still have appropriate intensity and under normal viewing it’s hard to have major complaints. Only when you look more broadly at BT.2020 do the limitations of the new WOLED SE panel become apparent. Coverage was about 70%, a bit less than WOLEDs of the previous generation and noticeably less than QD-OLED panels. In films this isn’t a big loss, since most productions rarely use such heavily saturated colours. You’re more likely to notice it in games, where developers more often opt for more intense colours.

Factory color reproduction

9.5/10

7/10

This gallery shows how colors change after professional TV calibration. If you notice the difference, we recommend ordering this service at SkalibrujTV.com.

Factory Mode

After calibration

This gallery shows how colors change after professional TV calibration. If you notice the difference, we recommend ordering this service at SkalibrujTV.com.

Factory Mode

After calibration

The factory colour reproduction in Filmmaker mode, my dear friends, is a true phenomenon in the case of the Panasonic Z95B. I'm talking about our test sample, but the results were so good that it's hard to believe. The only detail that one could nitpick is a slight lack of blue in the white balance, but apart from that, the television straight out of the box presented an image like we have never seen in factory mode. Colour palette tests, Color Checker – everything indicated values below Delta 2. This is a much lower result than the threshold of human eye perception, which means, to put it simply, that the viewer has no chance of noticing serious deviations. It looks as if Panasonic actually calibrated this model at the factory stage. Of course, we cannot exclude the possibility that we got an exceptionally well-set specimen, but the result still makes a stunning impression. We are very strict when it comes to assessing factory calibration, and here our jaws simply dropped.

To evaluate colours we of course used Filmmaker mode, and in SDR our S85H unit was set very well from the factory. The largest deviation appears in the white balance, where as brightness increases it starts to lose a bit of blue. In practice this means whites and greys have a slightly warmer tint than they should. However, it's not a big fault and during normal viewing it generally isn't very noticeable. Gamma also stays close to the reference value, so the picture is neither overly bright nor unnecessarily dim. The S85H's SDR picture therefore looks really good straight out of the box. A few more imperfections appear in HDR. Here the white balance shifts more with rising brightness, with blue starting to dominate and the red component clearly lacking. This also results in larger errors in some colours. These aren't yet colour errors that completely change the character of the picture, but in direct comparison with the reference the difference is easier to spot. Overall, Filmmaker mode is a very good starting point before professional calibration.

Color reproduction after calibration

9.8/10

9.1/10

The photos show how movies look on the TV. Pay attention to black detail visibility, colors, and shadow tint.

The photos show how movies look on the TV. Pay attention to black detail visibility, colors, and shadow tint.

The colour reproduction after calibration on the Z95B is a topic that’s hard to elaborate on, as there wasn’t much to do here. A slight adjustment of the white balance was enough to eliminate the lack of blue, and at that moment, the picture jumped to an almost reference level. It must be said that we haven’t had such a small range of adjustments in a long time. If any of you are particularly perceptive, you might notice minimal deviations in the EOTF curve, but this is more related to the functioning of the dynamic tone mapping feature we mentioned earlier. In reality, this isn’t a flaw, but a characteristic of this solution, which intentionally alters the brightness profile depending on the scene. In summary, we are extremely impressed. The Panasonic Z95B is a television that looks great right out of the box, and after calibration, it reaches a level where we really struggle to find anything to improve.

Calibration delivers really good results on the S85H. First and foremost, we were able to set the white balance almost perfectly, which removes the slightly too-warm picture tone previously seen in SDR. Colour reproduction also improves significantly, with most errors falling to very low levels, and in everyday viewing it's hard to find any visible inaccuracies. You can also improve HDR quite a bit, although some issues remain that stem from the TV's inherent characteristics. The S85H doesn't always hold the luminance curve perfectly. The darkest parts are slightly boosted, while, as you approach the panel's limits, you can see small deviations in the brightest highlights. Add to that the limited coverage of the wider BT.2020 colour gamut, which of course cannot be overcome by any calibration. Despite that, the end result is very good, and after calibration the S85H can deliver a really well-tuned, natural image.

Smoothness of tonal transitions

7.8/10

7/10

These are selected scenes that show smooth tonal transitions from one color to another. If you see distinct banding, it’s the TV panel’s fault.

These are selected scenes that show smooth tonal transitions from one color to another. If you see distinct banding, it’s the TV panel’s fault.

These are selected scenes that show smooth tonal transitions from one color to another. If you see distinct banding, it’s the TV panel’s fault.

These are selected scenes that show smooth tonal transitions from one color to another. If you see distinct banding, it’s the TV panel’s fault.

Posterisation, or colour banding, was the Achilles' heel of Panasonic's flagship last year, the Z95A. In the new Z95B, it's clear that the manufacturer has made an effort to improve this issue related to gradation, and the problem has largely been corrected. In most scenes, colour banding is no longer visible, and tonal transitions are smooth and look natural. However, this doesn't mean that the problem has completely disappeared. In extremely challenging sections, especially in very dark scenes like those from the film Green Knight, some imperfections can still be detected. Nevertheless, it's gratifying that Panasonic approached the issue seriously and made a significant step forward, as the difference compared to the previous model is truly noticeable.

The smoothness of tonal transitions is definitely not a strong suit for the S85H compared with other OLEDs. This is most noticeable in bright gradients, where fairly obvious banding appears between successive shades. Instead of a perfectly smooth transition you can see distinct colour bands, and you don't have to look hard to find them. Gradients in motion fare even worse. When tonal transitions move the imperfections become more visible and the image looks simply average in that respect. Dark gradients aren't perfect either. You can also notice irregularities here, so the problem isn't limited to the brightest areas of the picture. Of course, in a normal film you won't see this all the time, but scenes with large areas of similar colour, like sky, fog, sunsets or dark backgrounds, can expose the panel's limitations. Compared with older WOLEDs there's still some improvement, but looking at the TVs we tested this year the S85H is average in this respect, as is its competitor the LG B6 that uses the same panel. And it's one of those characteristics where the difference compared with last year's QD-OLED panel becomes very clear. QD-OLEDs handle the smooth blending of successive shades much better and, in terms of gradation, clearly beat the WOLED SE panel used here.

Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions

6/10

7.5/10

Image without overscan on the SD signal
OK
No
Smooth transition function
OK
OK

Smooth transition function

The match photo shows how the TV smooths weak tonal transitions in low-quality video.

Image scaling SD (576i)

The model photo shows how it handles upscaling of SD material.

Let's start with what works well. The upscaling in the Z95B is at a very high level – the image in lower resolutions is clear and sharp, and the only minor shortcomings are slight banding in some areas of the picture. It's also important that the television doesn't crop the material in any way and maintains its proportions, which is not always an obvious fact even in 2025.

The situation looks worse when it comes to digital processing. Features like "gradation smoothing" or "block noise reduction" essentially do not work – the tested material looked identical regardless of the settings. We might as well say that this feature simply doesn't exist. It's a bit disappointing, especially since Panasonic heavily promotes its HCX Pro AI II processor, boasting the presence of artificial intelligence improving image quality. Meanwhile, in such a basic matter, the television does not deliver a real effect and it looks weaker than one would expect from top-tier equipment.

Samsung's S85H uses the same proprietary AI processor, AI NQ4 Gen2, as last year’s S85F, and in terms of digital image processing it performs quite well. Upscaling is one of the model's stronger points. Lower-resolution material is well sharpened, edges look natural and the picture doesn't come across as overly artificial. Just remember a common quirk of Samsung TVs: at very low resolutions you can't completely turn off overscan, so the TV may slightly crop the left edge of the picture. The "noise reduction" function, that is smoothing weaker tonal transitions, also works very well. The processor can effectively remove posterisation and other artefacts visible in lower-quality material. However, be careful with the strength of this function, because Samsung can be fairly aggressive here. When it's activated, along with unwanted artefacts, fine details such as skin or clothing texture also start to disappear.

Blur and motion smoothness

8.5/10

8.5/10

Maximum refresh rate of the panel
144Hz
120Hz
Film motion smoothing option
OK
OK
Blur reduction option
OK
OK
BFI function 60Hz
Yes, 60Hz (image flickers)
Yes, 60Hz (image flickers)
BFI function 120Hz
No
No
Brightness drop with BFI
37%
49%

Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate):

Blur (BFI function enabled):

Image flickers in this mode

Image flickers in this mode

Blur (4K@144Hz):

Blur (4K@60Hz):

The OLED panel with very high refresh rates already provides an incredibly sharp image even in dynamic sports scenes, such as football or basketball matches, and the Z95B is no exception. It's also very important that the television is equipped with the proprietary motion smoothing system 'Intelligent Frame Creation'. Among the available sliders, the most crucial one turns out to be the one called 'film smoothness', as it allows for adjusting the motion to personal preferences with 24-frame content, meaning films – from a more 'choppy' appearance to a smooth, almost theatrical effect. It's a bit disappointing that Panasonic didn't opt to push the latest OLED panel to 165 Hz, as Samsung did with the S95F or LG with the G5, because we know that the panel is technically capable of it. On the other hand, it mainly benefits PC gamers, so in everyday viewing, it's not a significant drawback as we are limited to 120Hz.

The S85H uses an OLED panel, so it performs brilliantly when it comes to motion blur. Pixels respond almost instantly, so moving objects don't produce the characteristic ghosting seen on some LCD TVs. This is especially noticeable with sport or fast-paced games, where the picture stays very clean even during rapid motion. The panel itself runs at 120 Hz. That's more than enough for movies, TV shows, sport or console gaming. It's a shame Samsung didn't include a higher refresh rate aimed at PC gamers, as more and more TVs now offer 144 or even 165 Hz at 4K. However, that doesn't affect motion handling in films or sport.

There's also the classic motion smoothing feature with two settings: blur reduction and judder reduction. So you can choose whether films should keep their cinematic 24 frames per second, or whether you'd prefer to smooth them a bit. The S85H gives plenty of freedom here, and the interpolation itself works well and, with sensible settings, doesn't generate too many artefacts.

Console compatibility and gaming features

10/10

9.6/10

  • ALLM
    Yes
    Yes
  • VRR
    Yes
    Yes
  • VRR range
    40 - 144Hz
    48 - 120Hz
  • Dolby Vision Game Mode
    Yes
    No
  • Correct implementation of HGIG
    Yes
    Yes
  • 1080p@120Hz
    Yes
    Yes
  • 1440p@120Hz
    Yes
    Yes
  • 4K@120Hz
    Yes
    Yes
  • Game bar
    Yes
    Yes

The Panasonic Z95B is fully equipped for gaming. Two HDMI 2.1 ports with a full bandwidth of 48 Gb/s guarantee support for everything you can expect from a modern screen. It features VRR frame syncing, an automatic game mode (ALLM), and full compatibility with HDR formats used in gaming. The TV supports both Dolby Vision for Xbox and the popular HGiG, which in this case has been implemented correctly, so it actually works as it should.

Although the brand is mainly associated with home cinema and equipment for filmmakers, there’s also space for gamer conveniences here. Onboard is the Game Bar (or rather Game Circles) – it looks a bit unusual visually, but it does its job and allows you to quickly check the most important image parameters. The only thing missing for complete satisfaction is actually having four HDMI 2.1 ports instead of two. It’s a minor detail, but with a TV of this class, one could expect a full set.

Samsung S85H is very well prepared for gaming, essentially regardless of whether you connect a console or a computer. The manufacturer didn’t skimp on connectors and all four HDMI ports support full HDMI 2.1. That means you can use 4K at 120 Hz, VRR and ALLM without worrying which input to plug your console into. With multiple devices that matters a lot, since you don’t have to choose between a console, a PC or a soundbar connected via eARC. The feature set itself is very complete. The S85H supports VRR, FreeSync and automatic switching to Game Mode, and Samsung also offers its expanded Game Bar, which lets you quickly view the key signal parameters and change settings without leaving the game. The only real omission is Dolby Vision, which will matter mainly for Xbox owners. That’s a typical trait of Samsung TVs. Game Motion Plus performs very well and it’s one of the features that has set Samsung TVs apart for years. It smooths motion in games running at 30 or 60 fps, but does so without as large an increase in input lag as a classic motion interpolator. In practice, for slower-paced games, racing or action titles it can genuinely improve motion perception, especially if you’re sensitive to low frame rates.

Input lag

10/10

10/10

SDR

1080p60
13 ms
10 ms
1080p120
5 ms
5 ms
2160p60
13 ms
10 ms
2160p120
5 ms
5 ms

HDR

2160p60
13 ms
10 ms
2160p120
5 ms
5 ms
4320p60

Dolby Vision

2160p60 DV
13 ms
2160p120 DV
5 ms

Regardless of the content being watched, the input lag on the Z95B is exceptionally low – even in Dolby Vision the TV operates at 120 Hz with a delay of less than 5 ms. This result places it at the very top of the screens for gaming. If we could, we would comfortably give it a score of 11/10. 😉

Samsung S85H also performs very well in terms of input lag. At 120 Hz we measured input lag below 5 ms, which is at a level where the TV's response to controls is practically instantaneous. At 60 Hz the delay is of course higher, but still remains very low, about 10 ms, so in that respect the S85H gives little cause for complaint.

Compatibility with PC

8.6/10

7.6/10

Chroma 444 (max. resolution and refresh rate)
Yes
Yes
Font clarity
Good
Good
Readability of dark text and shapes
Very Good
Very Good
Input lag in PC mode (4K, max. refresh rate)
5ms
5ms
Matrix subpixel arrangement
BWRG
RGWB
Max refresh rate
144Hz
120Hz
G-Sync
Yes
Yes

The photo shows the legibility of small fonts. Ideally, lines should be the same thickness on both light and dark text, with minimal pixel gaps.

The Z95B can easily be connected to a computer and used as a large monitor. Sure, with the WOLED pixel arrangement, the fonts don't look as perfectly sharp as on typical monitors with IPS panels, and this can be noticed during office work, but it's hard to consider it a serious problem. Not many people buy such a TV for Excel. 😉 When it comes to gaming on PC, there’s nothing to complain about. The 144 Hz mode works brilliantly, and we have full support for G-Sync and AMD FreeSync, so frame synchronization works flawlessly with any graphics card. Despite minor issues with font display, it's hard for the Z95B to struggle in this role – it performs simply phenomenally as a gaming screen.

The Samsung S85H also performs very well as a large PC monitor. Text readability is good and, from the typical viewing distance for such a large screen, text looks really good. You just need to remember the four-subpixel layout of the WOLED panel, which means that up close the edges of letters aren't quite as perfectly sharp as on a traditional RGB monitor. However, that's a characteristic of OLED technology itself and, during normal TV use, it shouldn't be an issue.

The S85H also has plenty to offer PC gamers. You get 120 Hz, G-Sync support, very low input lag and, of course, the lightning-fast response time of the OLED panel. The only thing missing for a truly complete experience is the ability to run the panel at a higher refresh rate. More and more TVs already support 144 or 165 Hz at 4K, so an additional mode like that would be welcome here.

Viewing angles

8/10

7.5/10

Brightness drop at an angle of 45 degrees
11%
34%

In this respect, the Z95B performs really well. The drop in brightness at an angle is just 11 percent, which is exactly what the best QD-OLED panels and the previous generation MLA from LG Display are recording. This means that even when watching the TV from the side, there’s no impression that the image becomes washed out or difficult to read.

Colors do fade slightly at extreme angles and aren’t as stable as in QD-OLEDs, but it’s hard to consider that a serious issue. The picture still looks great, and you can be confident that when watching the Z95B from a large angle, everything remains clear. It's also worth noting the swivel stand in terms of viewing angles, as this practical solution allows you to easily adjust the screen so that everyone in the room has the best possible view.

Viewing angles are one of the big advantages of the S85H and OLED panels in general. Even when you view the screen from well off to the side, the picture still retains good contrast, brightness and colour saturation. In this respect the S85H performs decidedly better than practically any LCD or Mini-LED TV on the market today. Only QD-OLED panels really do even better, keeping colours even more stable at wide angles. Those, however, are only found in higher-end models.

Daytime performance

7.4/10

5.1/10

Panel finish
Glare
Satin
Reflection suppression
Decent
Average
Black levels during daytime
Very Good
Good

Panel brightness

Samsung S85H: 350 cd/m2

Panasonic Z95B: 623 cd/m2

The year 2025 is the time when it can be confidently said that OLEDs are suitable for viewing even in brightly lit rooms. The new generation of WOLED panels, used in the Z95B, can achieve truly high brightness – the average value for the Z95B in SDR mode is as much as 623 nits. This is a result that just a few years ago was beyond the reach of this technology. Of course, it is not at the level of the best LCD televisions designed for bright lounges, and the panel itself, glossy with a gentle filter, handles glare suppression moderately well. Nevertheless, it’s hard to have major objections. The Z95B easily copes in most daylight conditions, and you can comfortably watch TV or movies even when a lot of light is coming into the room.

Samsung S85H is a moderately bright TV. In our measurements the average SDR brightness was around 350 nits, so it should be enough for normal daytime viewing unless the TV is in a very sunlit living room. In a moderately lit room the picture remains viewable, but with large windows and light falling directly on the screen the S85H’s capabilities start to run out. We have a few more comments about the WOLED SE panel itself. The panel design change compared with the previous generation has affected how the screen handles reflections, and unfortunately it’s not for the better. Reflections are more noticeable than on earlier WOLED panels. LG Display tried to partly mask this effect with a more satin screen finish that diffuses light, but it doesn’t solve the issue completely. With a strong light source the reflection becomes quite large and a characteristic greyish halo appears around it. Photos clearly show that such a reflection can occupy a large part of the image and strongly affect how it’s perceived. So the S85H doesn’t really change the approach compared with cheaper OLEDs when it comes to daytime viewing. It performs best in the evening or in a room where you have at least partial control over the light. You can still use it comfortably during the day, but it’s definitely not a TV designed for a very bright living room.

Panel details

Backlight Type
WRGB OLED
Software version during testing
Fire OS 8.1.4.1 (RS8141/3009)
1204
Image processor

Subpixel Structure:

Panel uniformity and thermal imaging:

Review Panasonic Z95B TV Panel details
Review Samsung S85H TV Panel details

Panasonic Z95B

Samsung S85H

TV features

6.8/10

7.3/10

  • System
    Amazon FireTV
    Tizen
  • System performance
    Average
    Very good
  • HDMI inputs
    2 x HDMI 2.0, 2 x HDMI 2.1 48Gbps
    0 x HDMI 2.0, 4 x HDMI 2.1 48Gbps
  • Outputs
    Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI), Mini-Jack (Headphones)
    Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI)
  • Network Interfaces
    Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
    Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
  • TV reception
    DVB-T, DVB-T2, DVB-S, DVB-S2, DVB-C
    DVB-T, DVB-T2, DVB-S, DVB-S2, DVB-C

Classic features:

  • Recording to USB (terrestrial TV)
    Yes
    No
  • Recording programming
    No
    No
  • Picture in Picture (PiP)
    No
    No
  • RF remote control (no need to aim)
    Yes
    Yes
  • Backlit remote control
    No
    No
  • Teletext
    Yes
    Yes
  • Audio only mode
    Yes
    Yes
  • Bluetooth headphones support
    Yes
    Yes
  • Simultaneous Bluetooth headphones & TV audio
    Yes
    Yes

Smart features:

  • AirPlay
    Yes
    Yes
  • Screen mirroring (Windows Miracast)
    Yes
    Yes
  • Voice search
    Yes
    Yes
  • Voice search in native language
    No
    Yes
  • Ability to connect a keyboard and mouse
    Yes
    Yes
Review Panasonic Z95B TV features
Review Panasonic Z95B TV features
Review Panasonic Z95B TV features
Review Samsung S85H TV features
Review Samsung S85H TV features
Review Samsung S85H TV features
Review Samsung S85H TV features

Sound connection options

  • HDMI audio
    eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI)
    eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI)
  • Other audio outputs
    Toslink (Optical audio), Mini-Jack (Headphones)
    Toslink (Optical audio)
  • Wireless audio
    Bluetooth
    Bluetooth

Supported audio formats (external HDMI eARC audio):

  • Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
    Yes
    Yes
  • Dolby True HD 7.1
    Yes
    Yes
  • Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC)
    Yes
    Yes
  • Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD
    Yes
    Yes
  • DTS:X in DTS-HD MA
    No
    No
  • DTS-HD Master Audio
    No
    No

Senior accessibility

  • Numeric keyboard on TV
    Yes
    No
  • Font size adjustment
    No
    Yes
  • Audio description
    Yes
    Yes

Smart TV: Amazon FireTV

Panasonic's Z95B uses the Fire TV system, which is a platform created by Amazon. This is a significant change because just two years ago the company relied on its own Linux-based system. At first glance, everything looks good – the interface is clear, and the operation is quite simple. Additionally, we have AirPlay, which allows you to stream photos or videos from your iPhone, as well as screen mirroring from both Windows and Android phones. The TV also works with Amazon Alexa voice assistant, but here a rather strong limitation quickly arises. In practice, only a few of the most popular languages work well, such as English, while Polish is still not available, and there’s no indication of when it will be.

Classic Features

Here things become at least strange. During testing in the editorial office, the TV refused to find any channels – neither satellite nor terrestrial. As a result, we couldn’t check the functionality of PiP or the operation of the tuner itself. The only certain thing is USB recording, as right after connecting a USB drive, the TV immediately asked if we wanted to format it for this purpose. The remote looks quite classic – it’s large, with a full numeric keypad, and a plus is that you don’t have to aim at the screen since it operates with RF technology.

Everyday Usage Issues

The biggest disappointment, however, arises with the apps and system stability. Some apps are simply unavailable in Poland, others can be found but cannot be downloaded as they are tied to specific markets. On top of that, there are strange bugs, untranslated menu elements, and occasional "freezes," which can effectively diminish the enjoyment of using such a good screen as the Z95B. So, it can be said that while the Z95B impresses with its picture quality as a "monitor," as a smart TV it can be frustrating and disappointing across the board.

Tizen

The Samsung S85H runs on Tizen and it's hard to fault its smart features. The system is fast, responsive and offers one of the largest app selections on the market. Besides the major streaming platforms, you'll also find plenty of less popular services, so it's unlikely you'll miss anything essential. Samsung is also expanding SmartThings, integration with other devices and an increasing number of AI-powered features. There are really a lot of capabilities here and some users will probably never even explore half of them. A big plus is Samsung's promised seven years of system updates. For a TV, which we typically keep much longer than a phone or computer, that matters. Tizen should therefore keep receiving new features and fixes for a long time, rather than being abandoned after two or three years. The S85H doesn't feel like a cheaper model either – you essentially get the same extensive ecosystem that Samsung offers in its more expensive TVs.

Traditional features

Samsung's approach to traditional TV features looks completely different. It's clear the company has been increasingly prioritising "modern" services over traditional ones for several years. So the S85H isn't a TV that will especially appeal to people used to full-featured handling of regular broadcast TV. The included remote illustrates this well. It's small, minimalist and only has the essential buttons, but lacks a traditional number pad. For streaming this is convenient, but for frequent viewing of traditional broadcast TV without a set-top box, not everyone will like it. It's simply a consequence of the direction Samsung is taking with its TVs...

Apps

7.2/10

9.3/10

OK
Disney_Plus
OK
Amazon_Prime_Video
No
Player_TVN
OK
Polsat_Box_Go
OK
Canal_Plus_Online
No
TVP_VOD
OK
Apple_TV_Plus
No
SkyShowtime
No
Rakuten
OK
CDA_Premium_Browser
OK
Spotify
No
Tidal
OK
Netflix
OK
YouTube
OK
HBO_MAX
No
Kodi
No
Apple_music
No
Eleven_sports
No
Xbox Game Pass
No
GeForce NOW
OK
Amazon Luna
No
Boosteroid
No
Steam Link
OK
Disney_Plus
OK
Amazon_Prime_Video
OK
Player_TVN
OK
Polsat_Box_Go
OK
Canal_Plus_Online
OK
TVP_VOD
OK
Apple_TV_Plus
OK
SkyShowtime
OK
Rakuten
OK
CDA_Premium_Browser
OK
Spotify
No
Tidal
OK
Netflix
OK
YouTube
OK
HBO_MAX
No
Kodi
OK
Apple_music
OK
Eleven_sports
OK
Xbox Game Pass
OK
GeForce NOW
OK
Amazon Luna
OK
Boosteroid
No
Steam Link

Playing files from USB

3.5/10

9.1/10

Supported photo formats:

JPEG
Yes
Yes
HEIC
No
No
PNG
Yes
Yes
GIF
Yes
No
WebP
No
No
TIFF
No
No
BMP
Yes
Yes
SVG
No
No

Maximum photo resolution:

4 Mpix
Yes
Yes
6 Mpix
Yes
Yes
8 Mpix
Yes
Yes
10 Mpix
Yes
Yes
12 Mpix
Yes
Yes
16 Mpix
Yes
Yes
20 Mpix
Yes
Yes
24 Mpix
Yes
Yes
28 Mpix
Yes
Yes
32 Mpix
Yes
Yes

Here we also encountered another issue with the Fire TV system. The built-in player handles popular audio and video files without any problems, so at first glance, everything seems fine. However, the problem starts when we want to enable subtitles in movies. We were unable to launch any format – neither .srt, nor .sub, nor .txt. Regardless of the settings, the subtitles simply did not appear. So if you have a film with a separate subtitle file, you are forced to watch it in the original language unless the subtitles have been permanently embedded in the image. Considering the quality of this television, it's quite a disappointment and further proof that Fire TV still has plenty of shortcomings that can ruin the joy of use.

The USB file player on the Samsung S85H works quickly and without major problems. The TV handles both videos and photos well, and with the latter we had no issues with unusual resolutions or high megapixel counts. Subtitle support is also a plus, as Polish characters display correctly and nothing extra needs to be set up. The only thing we really missed was support for HEIC, the image format commonly used by Apple devices. Aside from that, the built-in player performs very well and will be more than enough for most people for everyday use with a USB stick or USB drive.

Sound

8.9/10

7.2/10

  • Maximum volume
    91dB
    86dB
  • Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
    Yes
    Yes
  • Dolby True HD 7.1
    No
    No
  • Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC)
    Yes
    Yes
  • Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD
    No
    No
  • DTS:X in DTS-HD MA
    No
    No
  • DTS-HD Master Audio
    No
    No

The built-in audio system in the Panasonic Z95B is truly impressive. The manufacturer has added an extra soundbar that completely changes the audio experience of the television – this time, it can confidently be said that no external equipment is needed to enjoy full and dynamic sound. The bass is clear and surprisingly strong, dialogues remain intelligible even during louder action scenes, and the television can play quite loudly, reaching levels of up to 91 decibels. Another positive is the full support for Dolby Atmos, so if you’re using films or streaming services that support this format, you can expect spatial and impressive sound. A certain limitation is the lack of support for DTS:X – if someone plans to connect a home theatre or Blu-ray player with this standard, they must consider that the television will not play it, but this shouldn't be a major concern looking at how all manufacturers approach this standard. I suppose we have to come to terms with that.

Sound-wise the S85H hasn’t really changed compared with its predecessor. It still uses a fairly basic 2.0 setup with a total output of 20 W, which sounds fine and, for such a slim TV, can even add a bit of bass. It’s perfectly adequate for everyday TV viewing, but it doesn’t reach the level of pricier models that can deliver fuller, more immersive sound. With that picture, it practically begs for at least a soundbar. All the more so as the S85H supports Dolby Atmos and Samsung’s proprietary Q-Symphony, which lets a compatible Samsung soundbar work with the TV speakers rather than completely replace them. If you want to get more from this setup for movies, an external sound system is the most sensible addition.

Sound Quality Test

No sound test video

Acoustic Measurements

91dBC (Max)

75dBC

86dBC (Max)

75dBC

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