Samsung QLED Q80D vs Haier K85F

Direct comparison

Q80D

K85F / K85FUX

Available screen sizes: 50”55”65”75”85”

Available screen sizes: 55”65”75”

Panel type: LCD VA

Resolution: 3840x2160

System: Tizen

Model year: 2024

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Panel type: LCD VA

Resolution: 3840x2160

System: Google TV

Model year: 2025

Complete the survey to find out the result

Overall rating

7.2

5.4

  • Movies and series in UHD quality

    6.8

    5.2

  • Classic TV, YouTube

    6.7

    5.2

  • Sports broadcasts (TV and apps)

    6.6

    4.6

  • Gaming on console

    8.7

    6.4

  • TV as a computer monitor

    7.6

    6.0

  • Watching in bright light

    6.0

    4.1

  • Utility functions

    8.0

    5.5

  • Apps

    9.3

    9.6

  • Sound quality

    6.6

    4.8

Advantages

  • Great choice for gamers - lots of functionality, low input lag, 120Hz

  • High brightness of the panel - good performance during the day

  • Good blacks and contrast - VA panel with local dimming

  • Excellent tonal transitions

  • Advanced "Tizen" smart system

  • Pleasant sound from the built-in speakers

  • Low input lag, great for gaming

  • Surprisingly good file player from USB

  • High contrast and decent blacks (VA panel)

  • Good text readability in PC monitor mode

  • Presence of features for gamers: ALLM and VRR

  • Access to many apps thanks to GoogleTV

Disadvantages

No like
  • Average viewing angles

  • No recording function

  • No DTS (may hinder connection to home theatre)

  • Catastrophic image quality in HDR mode

  • Low quality of workmanship and fit of materials

  • Slow, glitchy, and poorly translated Google TV system

  • Very poor sound quality from built-in speakers

  • Problematic remote (and no batteries included)

  • Poor viewing angles

  • Low brightness and weak anti-reflective coating

  • Low colour gamut coverage

Our verdict

Samsung Q80D is a very versatile television. It’s definitely a piece of equipment that can easily adapt to the needs of both gamers and those looking for a device for everyday viewing. As for the former - namely gamers. Thanks to HDMI 2.1 support, a 120 Hz refresh rate, and low input lag, it makes playing on console or PC pure pleasure. Additionally, the Game Bar feature allows for quick adjustments without the need to exit the game – a small thing, but it makes a difference. It’s also worth mentioning a fantastic feature in the form of an efficient motion smoother that works well in games. It gives the impression that playing on such a television adds a few FPS, thus providing an advantage in the game. During everyday use, the Q80D performs very well too. The Tizen system offers access to popular apps such as Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+, so nothing is lacking here. The high brightness of the screen ensures that the television performs very well even in well-lit rooms. A nice and interesting addition is the solar remote, which not only does not require battery replacements but also allows control of other devices (e.g. set-top boxes, consoles, soundbars). When it comes to picture quality, the Q80D has a lot to offer. Although it lacks Dolby Vision support, after calibration, the colours look fantastic, and the contrast and black level thanks to FALD technology (full array local dimming) impressed us greatly, considering the television's segment. Thanks to the VA panel enhanced with quantum dots (QLED), the colours on the Q80D can look truly excellent. Watching movies or series in the evening is a real pleasure – especially if we care about good details. However, there are little things that might be bothersome. The lack of a recording feature is a certain limitation, although it may not be a problem for everyone. Another obvious issue will be its viewing angles. These are typical results for this type of panel, so one must reckon with the fact that at the cost of great blacks, the Q80D simply performs average when looked at from the side. Nevertheless, the Samsung Q80D is a great television that performs well in every situation. It offers excellent picture quality, many useful features, and solid build quality for its price range. A few minor shortcomings, however, do not take away its charm, as overall it’s a model that will comfortably meet the expectations of most users – both those who game on consoles and those who simply enjoy evening screenings with good visuals.

The debut of the Haier brand in the European television market with the K85F model feels quite rushed, and after thorough testing – almost unfinished. Analyzing this product leads to a fundamental conclusion: its biggest problem is not the quality of the panel used. Considering the price segment, it is simply average, with typical VA technology advantages such as high contrast and equally typical disadvantages like poor viewing angles. What truly disqualifies this model as a home entertainment centre is the glaring lack of engineering and, above all, software refinement. The list of shortcomings is long and starts with the first contact with the device. Shoddy assembly, which could have been avoided at the quality control stage, a terribly optimised and poorly translated Google TV system, or annoying issues with basic functions like pairing the remote – all contribute to an impression of a product that seems to have been launched without due diligence. Catastrophic picture quality in HDR mode, resulting not only from low brightness but also from a complete lack of smart adaptation to the signal, only adds to this disappointing picture. However, it turns out that this model has a surprising second face. Just looking at it not through the lens of a home television, but rather as a large and inexpensive display for special tasks, shifts its shortcomings to the background, bringing unexpected strengths to the forefront: a fantastically functioning media player with USB, excellent font readability from a PC, and access to a vast array of applications. In such a role – as a screen in a conference room, hotel lobby or a simple advertising player – the Haier K85F performs surprisingly well. For a typical user searching for a reliable and simply well-functioning television for the living room in 2025, however, the Haier K85F is a proposition that is extremely hard to recommend with a clear conscience. It is a product full of contradictions, which fails in too many areas in its primary, intended function as designed by the manufacturer.

TV appearance

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

Contrast and black detail

6.7/10

5.6/10

Local dimming function: Yes, number of zones: 100 (10 x 10)

Local dimming function: No

Contrast:

Review Samsung QLED Q80D Contrast and black detail

Result

37,350:1

Review Samsung QLED Q80D Contrast and black detail

Result

8,850:1

Review Samsung QLED Q80D Contrast and black detail

Result

20,350:1

Review Samsung QLED Q80D Contrast and black detail

Result

4,300:1

Review Samsung QLED Q80D Contrast and black detail

Result

3,800:1

Review Haier K85F Contrast and black detail

Result

3,550:1

Review Haier K85F Contrast and black detail

Result

5,200:1

Review Haier K85F Contrast and black detail

Result

5,350:1

Review Haier K85F Contrast and black detail

Result

5,400:1

Review Haier K85F Contrast and black detail

Result

3,500:1

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 video accurately shows differences in contrast and black levels between TVs, as well as potential issues: halo around bright objects or Mini-LED zone operation visible as brightness jumps.

The Samsung Q80D television is equipped with a VA panel, which immediately affects the difference in contrast and black reproduction compared to IPS panels. VA panels offer significantly better contrast and deeper blacks, while IPS panels have better viewing angles but poorer contrast. For the 55" model, the television has 100 local dimming zones, and it should be noted that this number may vary depending on the screen size. Thanks to local dimming, blacks look good, but it's worth mentioning that the algorithm of this technology, combined with a limited number of zones, can sometimes go a bit "haywire." Bright objects can be dimmed to achieve better blacks. During testing in a scene from the film Oblivion, the lights merged into one blot, regardless of the dimming settings, showing the limitations of this technology. In the movie Sicario 2, large dimming zones were particularly noticeable, for example, with small helicopter lights, indicating how large the areas controlled by a single dimming zone are. Despite these imperfections, the local dimming technology still offers significantly better picture quality than televisions without this feature or with edge lighting. With the ability to completely turn off individual zones, the television can provide a noticeable boost in brightness in selected areas, which can give the image a cinematic effect, especially in dark rooms.

Alright, but let's get to the meat of it, that is, how the Haier K85F handles black and contrast. The key information is that the television uses a VA panel, which is crucial for image quality in dark scenes. Thanks to this, the contrast is really solid – our measurements indicated values around 5000:1, which is much better than popular IPS panels.

However, it is important to remember that we're discussing budget equipment. So, we shouldn't expect any advanced technologies like local dimming. The backlighting operates across the entire screen surface at all times. How did it look during viewing? We took the film "Oblivion" with its cosmic landscapes for a test, and we also checked classic black bars in other productions. The effect was quite decent. The black had good depth, but it wasn't perfectly inky – a slight blue glow could be noticed, indicating that the panel's backlighting was still active.

HDR effect quality

5.8/10

3.4/10

Supported formats
HDR10, HDR10+, HLG
HDR10
Color gamut coverage
DCI P3: 93.0%, Bt.2020: 73.0%
DCI P3: 81.8%, Bt.2020: 61.4%

Luminance measurements in HDR:

Review Samsung QLED Q80D Brightness measurement

Result

927 nit

Review Samsung QLED Q80D Brightness measurement

Result

423 nit

Review Samsung QLED Q80D Brightness measurement

Result

612 nit

Review Samsung QLED Q80D Brightness measurement

Result

242 nit

Review Samsung QLED Q80D Brightness measurement

Result

856 nit

Review Haier K85F Brightness measurement

Result

217 nit

Review Haier K85F Brightness measurement

Result

212 nit

Review Haier K85F Brightness measurement

Result

278 nit

Review Haier K85F Brightness measurement

Result

250 nit

Review Haier K85F Brightness measurement

Result

273 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).

HDR luminance chart:

Haier K85F

Samsung QLED Q80D

In the context of HDR, the Samsung Q80D television, as expected, achieves very positive brightness results in the tested movie scenes, where the frame is filled with light, reaching values from 600 to 900 nits, allowing for a great juiciness of the image. Such results enable the user to feel the difference between HDR and SDR quality. Unfortunately, problems arise in situations where small light effects occur against a dark background. In such cases (e.g., the 4th test screen from the film Sicario 2), a noticeable drop in brightness is observed, which is caused by the large size of the dimming zones used here. This limitation, combined with the dimming algorithm, affects how the television handles small bright elements on a dark background. At that point, we may experience an undesired lack of brightness, and the HDR effect resembles that of SDR.

Let’s now move on to one of the hottest topics in the world of televisions, which is the quality of HDR performance. In the case of the Haier K85F model, we unfortunately have to make it clear: if you’re looking for equipment to watch content in a wide dynamic range, you should steer clear of this model. The main issue is its very low peak brightness, which during our tests barely reached 250 nits. To give you a better idea of what that means – this level is fine for watching standard SDR content, but it’s absolutely insufficient to show any real benefits of HDR. The image simply doesn’t have the "power" to generate bright, striking highlights. All of our measurements and tests on specialised test patterns confirmed this. As if that wasn’t enough, the television also struggles with colour reproduction. In this budget build, there are no technologies that broaden the colour gamut, such as quantum dot layers (marketed as "QLED"). As a result, the coverage of the DCI-P3 colour space, which is crucial for HDR content, is only around 80%. In practice, this means that the image will not only be dark but also devoid of the vibrant, saturated colours that the director wanted to show us.

Factory color reproduction

6.8/10

3.8/10

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

In "Filmmaker" mode, which is the best choice right out of the box, the Samsung Q80D television shows solid colour reproduction. For SDR content, a noticeable drop at the start of the gamma curve suggests that details in dark scenes may be less clear, affecting the overall viewing experience. Regarding white balance in SDR content, while generally correct, significant drops in blue at screen coverage above 70% can result in less natural shades in both bright and dark scenes. Users may notice that some blue elements in the image may appear less vibrant, and the overall colour will have a warmer hue.

In HDR content, the EOTF curve being above the reference line for most of the time indicates that the television may struggle to accurately reproduce brightness and details in the brighter parts of the image, which can be detrimental for the viewer. It is also worth noting the significant drop at the start of this chart, indicating that the television has difficulty reproducing brightness in the darker parts of the image, as seen in the contrast and black test, where several scenes were unable to show the full capabilities of the television’s brightness. In terms of its white balance, the initially good performance on the graph is promising, but the steep decline in red, coupled with a significant increase in blue, can lead to inaccuracies in reproducing some skin tones and other key colours. This phenomenon may be noticeable to viewers in scenes where colour details are crucial.

Alright, how does the television handle colours straight out of the box, without any intervention from our side? The Haier K85F offers a whole range of picture modes, such as Dynamic or Eco, but for anyone wanting to watch films according to the creators' intentions, there's essentially only one that matters: Film mode. This is where we focused our tests, and unfortunately, its name has little to do with reality. The picture on factory settings is very far from what we could call cinematic fidelity and requires many adjustments. Let's start with the white balance, which has a clear deficiency of red colour. In practice, this means the entire image has a cool, bluish tint. Even worse is the issue of brightness management, that is, the gamma curves (for SDR) and EOTF (for HDR). Their graph resembles a true rollercoaster, which terribly impacts the viewing experience. This results in unnatural dimming of SDR content, causing details in the shadows to be lost, and in the case of HDR – an excessive brightening that further exacerbates the problem of clipping. Such a combination, which consists of too cool white combined with chaotic brightness and too much blue colour saturation, leads to enormous errors in colour reproduction. Our measurements on a specialist ColourChecker chart showed errors (Delta E) regularly reaching and exceeding values of 8-9. To put it simply: errors above the threshold of 3 are easily noticeable to the naked eye, so such a result means that the colours on the screen are simply heavily distorted.

Color reproduction after calibration

8.1/10

6.2/10

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 movie mode after calibration looks significantly better than the one you see right out of the box. Samsung offers an advanced range of calibration tools in its televisions. Among them are 2- and 20-point greyscale adjustment and CMS (Color Management System). Both in HDR and SDR mode, white balance has improved significantly, although there are slight errors at the end of the graph for HDR content. Contrast has also been greatly improved, and the gamma curve responsible for SDR shows better results. However, when it comes to HDR, the EOTF curve on the television appears to be at an ideal level at first glance. However, when we dig a bit deeper and enable the EOTF graph while watching films, we may notice that all the lines of the curve are above the reference line. You could even say that the television is "cheating" when playing film material. Such a situation, where the EOTF curve is above the reference line, causes the screen – although it may appear brighter, which some users might find appealing – to lose detail in the darker parts of the image. In practice, this means that in scenes with a lot of shadows or dark elements, the television is unable to accurately render the details that should be visible.

No good, but can anything be done about this picture? Is professional calibration able to save the situation? The answer is both yes and no. It needs to be said clearly that there are certain things we cannot overcome. The limitations of the construction itself, namely a poor panel and its narrow colour coverage, mean that you can forget about a sensible HDR effect – we won't be pulling the wool over your eyes on that. The biggest beneficiary of our adjustments is undoubtedly the SDR mode, and it is for watching such content, after calibration, that this television starts to make sense. We managed to tame the white balance in our own way. Although the television only offers basic, 2-point adjustment (rather than precise, 20-point), it's not perfect, but we successfully eliminated that unpleasant, cold "chill" in the picture. Above all, though, we noted a huge improvement in brightness management. The gamma curve, which previously resembled a rollercoaster, looks like an almost perfectly straight line after calibration. This is a sign that the television can finally display an image without artificially dimming or brightening it. The conclusion is simple: even with such a cheap television, professional setting correction can achieve a great deal and extract the maximum potential from it.

Smoothness of tonal transitions

8.8/10

7.6/10

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.

The tonal gradation on the Samsung Q80D television is excellent and can be considered one of its strong points. Even in the most demanding scenes from the films we tested, it performs superbly. Any potential issues with smoothing transitions in colours are minimal and subtle. The average viewer is unlikely to notice them, which translates to an overall positive visual experience in everyday use.

It's time to address an issue that is often overlooked by many but can be quite irritating to the discerning (and not just discerning) eye. We're talking about the smoothness of tonal transitions, or how seamlessly the screen displays transitions between very similar shades of one colour – for instance, on a clear blue sky. We have to admit that in this category, the Haier K85F, considering its price, performs quite decently. In bright scenes, such as the aforementioned sky or expansive landscapes in the film "The Martian," there are no stark, contrasting bands. Yes, if we scrutinise closely, we can spot minimal imperfections, but generally, the effect is more than satisfactory. However, the situation changes when darker scenes make an appearance on the screen, such as gloomy corridors in games or nighttime landscapes. Here, banding, or the effect of posterization, becomes much more evident. Transitions in shadows and greys are no longer as smooth and can become quite bothersome to a more sensitive eye. It's not a level that would completely disqualify the television, but it is clear that this is an area where costs were saved.

Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions

7/10

4/10

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

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.

Samsung Q80D performs very well with low-quality materials. The noise reduction works on the principle of gentle gradation, making it very effective in smoothing out unwanted image disturbances. Unfortunately, this same effectiveness also causes it to blur elements that shouldn't be smoothed, such as film grain. For those who prioritise a plastic, smooth image, this can be seen as a significant advantage, especially with lower-quality content.

In terms of image scaling, Samsung Q80D stands out positively in this aspect, significantly enhancing the viewing comfort. The TV handles the conversion of lower-resolution materials, improving their quality and details. For example, in the attached image featuring a model, there are no visible artefacts or excessive fraying of branches, which demonstrates advanced image processing technology.

Let’s move on to digital processing and image scaling, specifically how the Haier K85F handles lower resolution signals, such as from regular television. Right off the bat, we encounter an incredibly annoying and completely incomprehensible issue – the overscan is enabled by default. This means the television artificially enlarges the image, cutting off its edges on every source, even 1080p. To see the full frame, you have to dig into the screen settings each time and manually switch the format to "stretch to 16:9." It's a minor detail, but devilishly frustrating. The scaling of content to 4K resolution can be described in one word: acceptable. And that's about it. The image processor doesn't strip detail from the image, nor does it generate jagged edges or other artifacts. It simply does its job, without any bells and whistles. It’s alright, but nothing more. The most significant and noticeable shortcoming in the digital processing section is, however, the absence of a tone transition smoothing feature. This is an algorithm that could significantly reduce the annoying banding effect we mentioned earlier. Unfortunately, the manufacturer did not foresee such a solution, condemning us to watch the imperfections of the panel and low-quality material in all their glory.

Blur and motion smoothness

7.3/10

4.5/10

Maximum refresh rate of the panel
120Hz
60Hz
Film motion smoothing option
OK
OK
Blur reduction option
OK
No
BFI function 60Hz
Yes, 60Hz (image flickers)
-
BFI function 120Hz
No
-
Brightness drop with BFI
69%
-%

Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate):

Blur (BFI function enabled):

Image flickers in this mode

The Samsung Q80D television stands out very positively in terms of motion fluidity and minimizing blur, mainly due to the 120Hz panel and above-average panel response time. Users have two options for adjusting fluidity: "Motion Smoothing," which allows for adjustments in a 10-step scale, and "Blur Reduction," particularly effective at higher refresh rates, improving the sharpness of fast-moving objects. In the UFO test, there is no blurring behind the moving object, and the image is not cloned forward, indicating the absence of an overshoot effect.

The panel in the K85F model operates at a native refresh rate of 60 Hz, which sets certain expectations for image smoothness right from the start. However, we must admit that we were very positively surprised when we found two separate motion control sliders in the settings menu: one labelled "Motion Blur Reduction" and the other "De-Judder." Such generosity in this price segment is an absolute rarity, as manufacturers usually offer at most one shared option. Unfortunately, our enthusiasm faded as quickly as it appeared. It soon became clear why Haier was so "generous" – the slider responsible for reducing motion blur is simply a decoy. Sliding it makes absolutely no visible difference on the screen, so only one of the two options works.

Console compatibility and gaming features

9.5/10

4/10

  • ALLM
    Yes
    Yes
  • VRR
    Yes
    Yes
  • VRR range
    48 - 120Hz
    48 - 60Hz
  • Dolby Vision Game Mode
    No
    No
  • Correct implementation of HGIG
    Yes
    No
  • 1080p@120Hz
    Yes
    No
  • 1440p@120Hz
    Yes
    No
  • 4K@120Hz
    Yes
    No
  • Game bar
    Yes
    No

The Samsung Q80D TV is a real gem for gamers. It is equipped with four HDMI 2.1 ports, which is a rarity, especially in this price range. This allows users to enjoy features such as ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), and 120Hz at 4K resolution. These features ensure smoothness and responsiveness of the image, which is a key aspect during dynamic gameplay. The TV also supports HGIG (HDR Gaming Interest Group), enabling optimal HDR content display in games. Additionally, it comes with a Game Bar, providing quick access to gaming settings. Users with Nvidia graphics cards will also be pleased with the implementation of G-Sync. This feature eliminates stuttering and screen tearing. The only downside is the lack of support for Dolby Vision, which may be disappointing for users looking for that HDR format. It's also worth mentioning that since 2022, thanks to the collaboration with Microsoft, Samsung TVs offer the Xbox Game Pass app, allowing for cloud gaming. This is an added bonus for gamers who want to take advantage of a wide library of games without needing a console.

Let’s move on to the features for gamers, although we must point out straight away that this is more of a proposal for the "occasional" ones. The manufacturer does boast in the specifications about having HDMI 2.1 ports, which looks impressive on paper, but in reality, it’s largely a marketing ploy. What good is a modern port when the heart of the television is a panel with a refresh rate of 60 Hz? It physically cannot display a signal at 120 frames per second, even at lower resolutions, which takes away HDMI 2.1’s key advantage. What a shame. (That’s why in our tests we note this as HDMI 2.0 ports). Another odd issue is the TV's response to an attempt to calibrate HDR from the console. Changes to brightness settings result in very unnatural image behaviour, which could suggest incorrect implementation of the HGiG standard. To be honest, one shouldn’t worry too much about this, as we have repeatedly mentioned, we simply do not recommend using any HDR content on this screen. However, to counterbalance the negatives, the Haier K85F does have two big and unexpected advantages. The first is the presence of ALLM, or automatic game mode, which switches the TV to low latency mode as soon as it detects a connected console. The second, even bigger surprise, is support for VRR, or variable refresh rate. While it operates within a very modest range of 48-60 Hz, its mere presence is commendable. Thanks to this, the image in games can “tear” less, which realistically improves the gaming experience.

Input lag

9.8/10

10/10

SDR

1080p60
18 ms
13 ms
1080p120
9 ms
2160p60
18 ms
13 ms
2160p120
9 ms

HDR

2160p60
16 ms
13 ms
2160p120
8 ms
4320p60

Dolby Vision

2160p60 DV
13 ms
2160p120 DV

What more can I say, the input lag at this level is simply outstanding. It's hard to achieve a better result that will satisfy gamers! The television performed excellently at every tested resolution and refresh rate, both in SDR and HDR.

We must give credit where it's due – there is one parameter where this television absolutely shines and puts to shame many more expensive models. We're talking about input lag, or signal delay. Our measurements showed a remarkably low result of just 13 ms. This is a huge plus that makes gaming control lightning-fast and incredibly responsive. In this regard, the K85F performs excellently.

Compatibility with PC

7.6/10

6/10

Chroma 444 (max. resolution and refresh rate)
Yes
Yes
Font clarity
Very Good
Very Good
Readability of dark text and shapes
Average
Very Good
Input lag in PC mode (4K, max. refresh rate)
9ms
13ms
Matrix subpixel arrangement
BGR
BGR
Max refresh rate
120Hz
60Hz
G-Sync
Yes
No

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.

Samsung Q80D performs well as a computer monitor. With support for chroma 4:4:4 (only works in "Game" mode), text on the screen is sharp and readable, which is very important for those who want to work on such a TV with text documents or spreadsheets. One of the biggest advantages of this model is its exceptionally low input lag in “PC” mode, which is only 9 ms. This is a reference-level result that ensures smoothness and responsiveness, which is crucial for both gamers and video editing professionals. The only thing we can nitpick is that there is a certain issue with font rendering on dark backgrounds. When we zoom in on the tested font image, we notice that the horizontal lines are darker compared to the vertical ones. This means that the sub-pixels in the TV do not fully illuminate in this case. This could be due to an oversight by the manufacturer regarding the optimisation of the algorithm responsible for displaying thin lines, which affects the quality of details in text rendering on dark backgrounds. Nevertheless, Samsung Q80D is a very good choice as a PC monitor.

And what if we tried using this Haier as a computer monitor? Here, what was a big surprise for us was that the television performs exceptionally well. For office work, it’s perfect. All thanks to the fact that it correctly handles the so-called 4:4:4 chroma sampling. To put it simply: every little letter on the screen is sharp, without annoying coloured edges or blurriness. Sure, let’s be frank – this is not equipment for PC gamers. 60 Hz is too low for them. But if you just need a big screen for text work, browsing the internet, coding or displaying presentations, the K85F excels in this role. This is one of its strongest and, let’s face it, most unexpected applications.

Viewing angles

3/10

2.8/10

Brightness drop at an angle of 45 degrees
82%
67%

Samsung Q80D, equipped with a VA panel, unfortunately doesn't perform well with viewing angles. When we watch the screen at a 45-degree angle, there is a noticeable loss of brightness. The image becomes less sharp, which can be problematic if we plan to watch TV from different spots in the room. However, the VA panel has its advantages. When we look directly at the screen, black is deep and well-saturated. Moreover, even at an angle, dark colours retain their depth, which is rare for this type of panel.

At nearly the very end of the evaluation of the panel itself, we left out the viewing angles, which unfortunately are one of its biggest weaknesses. It must be honestly admitted that this is not surprising – it is simply a natural and commonly known feature of VA-type panels. In the unit we tested, interestingly, the brightness of the image did not drop drastically when we moved away from the centre of the screen. However, the real problem lies with the colours, which instantly begin to fade. A slight change in position on the couch is enough for the hues to lose their saturation and become washed out. In this regard, the Haier K85F presents a very average, typical level for this technology.

Daytime performance

6/10

4.1/10

Panel finish
Satin
Satin
Reflection suppression
Average
Average
Black levels during daytime
Good
Good

Panel brightness

Haier K85F: 276 cd/m2

Samsung QLED Q80D: 550 cd/m2

The Samsung Q80D television stands out with very good brightness, averaging 550 nits, which is an impressive result, especially as it maintains this brightness across the entire surface of the screen. As a result, the picture is sharp and clearly visible even in bright rooms, which is a big plus when watching television during the day. However, despite the matte coating on the panel, the television struggles somewhat with glare suppression. In bright lighting conditions, unwanted reflections can occur, which may disrupt viewing comfort. This is particularly noticeable when there are light sources in the room that directly hit the screen.

And how does the television perform in confrontation with daylight, for example in a brightly lit living room? Unfortunately, we don't have good news here. As we have established, it is a television with relatively low brightness, which becomes a serious drawback when faced with sunlight. The situation is further worsened by the screen coating used. Instead of effectively suppressing reflections, its satin structure tends to unfavourably scatter them. In practice, this means that the reflection of a window or lamp turns into a large, blurred, milky haze that degrades contrast and effectively hinders viewing. The conclusion is therefore clear: if the television is to be placed in a bright room, the K85F model will not be a good choice.

Panel details

Backlight Type
QLED
White LED
Software version during testing
1106
UKN2.241219.053
Image processor
mt5896

Subpixel Structure:

Panel uniformity and thermal imaging:

Review Samsung QLED Q80D TV Panel details
Review Haier K85F TV Panel details

Samsung QLED Q80D

Haier K85F

TV features

8/10

5.5/10

  • HDMI inputs
    0 x HDMI 2.0, 4 x HDMI 2.1 48Gbps
    4 x HDMI 2.0, 0 x HDMI 2.1
  • Other inputs
    RCA (Chinch)
  • Outputs
    Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI)
    Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI), Mini-Jack (Headphones)
  • 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)
    No
    No
  • Recording programming
    No
    No
  • Picture in Picture (PiP)
    Yes
    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
    No

Smart features:

  • AirPlay
    Yes
    No
  • Screen mirroring (Windows Miracast)
    Yes
    Yes
  • Voice search
    Yes
    Yes
  • Voice search in native language
    Yes
    Yes
  • Ability to connect a keyboard and mouse
    Yes
    Yes
Review Samsung QLED Q80D TV features
Review Samsung QLED Q80D TV features
Review Haier K85F TV features
Review Haier K85F TV features
Review Haier K85F TV features

The Samsung Q80D television offers a range of features that significantly enhance user comfort. The Tizen system is an advanced platform that provides users with an intuitive and smooth experience. Thanks to its user-friendly interface, navigating through apps and settings is quick and easy. Tizen supports a rich set of applications, including popular streaming services, allowing access to a wide range of entertainment content without the need for additional devices, and a new feature for 2024 is support for the Polish language. It's also worth mentioning the solar remote control, which is not only eco-friendly but also convenient for everyday use. The solar cell remote can easily control other devices such as home theatres, set-top boxes (e.g., Canal+), or gaming consoles, which is quite a challenge for other manufacturers. Returning to the console, Samsung Q80D offers several features that gamers may appreciate. Firstly, the television supports VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) technology, which enables smoother game display, eliminating issues like tearing and stuttering. Additionally, with low input lag, reactions in games are quick and precise. The Samsung Q80D is also equipped with a Game Bar feature, which allows quick access to key gaming settings without the need to exit the game. From this interface, we can check and adjust parameters like VRR, input lag, frames per second (FPS), as well as screen ratios and sound settings. This means gamers can continuously optimise their experience by adjusting settings according to their current gaming needs. The television supports AirPlay, allowing easy content sharing from Apple devices, and enables connection to various Bluetooth devices such as mice or headphones, increasing its versatility. The only downside is the lack of USB recording support and the fact that the Q80D unfortunately does not support the DTS sound format. This means that if we have content encoded in this format, the device will not be able to properly play back the audio track. This could pose a problem for those using Blu-ray discs or media files that often utilise DTS to provide high-quality surround sound. To achieve complete audio experiences, it may be necessary to use an external player or soundbar that supports this format.

GoogleTV on Haier K85F

The heart of the television is the Google TV system, which in theory should be a huge advantage. Access to thousands of apps and a wealth of features are promises we are familiar with. Unfortunately, in Haier's execution, this is one of the worst implementations of this software we have encountered. The system operates painfully slowly, and the interface notoriously freezes. However, the real nightmare is the incorrect and often downright comical translations of some menu options, making it difficult to figure out what is being referred to at times. To make matters worse, during our testing, we couldn't get the AirPlay feature to work at all.

Classic Features on Haier K85F

Let's move on to the classic functions and ports, because the story here is even more interesting. A plus is definitely the rich array of ports, including four HDMI connections and the increasingly rare mini-jack headphone output. Unfortunately, the television does not offer either USB recording or Picture-in-Picture mode. However, the real ordeal begins with the remote. Our initial attempts to pair it via Bluetooth to activate radio (RF) control and voice functions ended in total failure. After dozens of attempts, we were convinced it was simply a manufacturing defect. And then the surprise: after a long struggle, we discovered that the remote can be paired, but it must be done from the native Google TV settings, completely bypassing Haier's dysfunctional system overlay. This is a perfect example of how terrible software can ruin basic functionality. Oh, and one more thing. In the box... there weren't even batteries for the remote.

Apps

9.3/10

9.6/10

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
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
OK
Tidal
OK
Netflix
OK
YouTube
OK
HBO_MAX
OK
Kodi
No
Apple_music
OK
Eleven_sports
No
Xbox Game Pass
OK
GeForce Now!
No
Amazon Luna
OK
Boosteroid
OK
Steam Link

Playing files from USB

9.1/10

9.4/10

Supported photo formats:

JPEG
Yes
Yes
HEIC
No
Yes
PNG
No
Yes
GIF
No
Yes
WebP
No
Yes
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

The built-in player in the Samsung Q80D television is definitely one of its strong points. It handles almost all video and audio files that we tested exceptionally well. The only exceptions are the Dolby Vision format, which is not surprising, and less common codecs. On the plus side, it supports Polish characters and offers the ability to customise font colours. On the downside, the TV struggles a bit with photo formats, as it only supports JPEG among the popular ones, while lacking support for formats like PNG or Apple HEIC.

After all our complaints about the unfinished software, the moment came when we were absolutely shocked. It turns out that within this buggy and slow-running system, there is a function that works almost perfectly and puts industry veterans to shame. We are talking about the built-in media player for USB drives. It is a true multimedia powerhouse that played practically every video format we threw at it without the slightest hiccup – from the most popular to the completely niche. Haier, a newcomer to the TV market, has achieved something that many manufacturers with decades of experience have struggled with for years. Who knows, perhaps it was originally intended as a reliable player for conference rooms? Regardless of its origins, the result is outstanding!

Sound

6.6/10

4.8/10

  • Maximum volume
    -
    83dB
  • 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
    No
  • DTS:X in DTS-HD MA
    No
    No
  • DTS-HD Master Audio
    No
    No

The Samsung Q80D television is equipped with a decent audio system with a power of 40W in a 2.2 configuration, providing quite good sound experiences. This system supports all popular Dolby codecs, allowing for the use of advanced audio formats during movie watching or gaming. However, it is worth noting one drawback: the television does not support DTS functionality. Nonetheless, the lack of this feature can be bypassed by connecting an external audio system, which can significantly improve sound quality and provide a more immersive audio experience. Additionally, Samsung offers a wide portfolio of soundbars that can be integrated with the television, as well as the Q-Symphony system, which allows for sound synchronization between the television and soundbar.

When it comes to sound, the review will unfortunately be very short. The biggest advantage of the built-in speakers of the K85F is that they simply exist and produce sound. Other than that, the sound is completely flat, lacking any bass and just anemic. Yes, on the TV's box we will find the Dolby Atmos logo, but against the physical capabilities of these drivers, it is a feature that exists only on paper. Therefore, the verdict can only be one: when planning to purchase this TV, a soundbar should immediately be added to the budget.

Sound Quality Test

No sound test video

Acoustic Measurements

No acoustic data

83dBC (Max)

75dBC