Compare: Samsung QLED Q80D vs Sony X85L

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.

Sony X85L is a model from 2023 that will continue to be available in the 2024 range from the Japanese manufacturer. Its biggest advantage is the Google TV system. It currently provides the greatest access to applications, so we don’t have to worry about missing any of our favourite apps. The intuitive interface and voice control feature using Google Assistant make daily use of the television convenient and modern. As for picture quality, Sony X85L performs well. Thanks to local dimming (albeit with a very mediocre number of zones), black levels look quite decent. Additionally, its fairly high brightness allows for comfortable TV viewing during the day, even in well-lit rooms. Moreover, the television offers a program recording feature from built-in tuners, which is a great convenience for those wanting to control what and when they watch. In terms of motion smoothness, X85L also does not disappoint. The 120 Hz panel and Motionflow system provide smooth display of dynamic scenes, which will satisfy both movie lovers and sports fans. The television is also equipped with a range of features for gamers, including VRR, Game Bar, and G-Sync support, making it an attractive choice for gaming enthusiasts. Of course, the television is not without its flaws. The lack of HGiG support and high input lag in Dolby Vision mode may be disappointing for more demanding gamers. Additionally, the compromise between font readability and smoothness of the image when connected to a PC may not appeal to everyone. Nevertheless, Sony X85L is a decent piece of equipment that is particularly worth considering if it can be purchased on sale.

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.

The Sony X85L television is equipped with a VA panel, which offers quite decent contrast on its own. Additionally, this model features local dimming technology – in the 55-inch version, it includes 24 zones. Although this number isn’t impressive, it naturally increases with the size of the television. The contrast in the X85L is good, though not the best, especially compared to other televisions also equipped with advanced local dimming technology. Results at a level of 8000:1 are satisfactory, but they average out against the competition. In some cases, such as the third scene from the movie Arrival, the contrast is promising and performs quite well. This is thanks to the very good dimming algorithm that Sony has been using in its televisions for years. Unfortunately, due to the limited number of local dimming zones, the television struggles with noticeable blooming, which can be seen in scenes with the helicopter from the movie Sicario 2.

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.

The Sony X85L TV offers solid HDR performance with a brightness of 750 nits, which is sufficient to enjoy vibrant effects. In scenes of moderate difficulty, such as the first, third, or fifth test scenes, a brightness of around 600 nits allows you to fully experience the HDR effect. Unfortunately, in more demanding segments, like the scene from the film Sicario 2, the TV reveals its limitations. Drops in brightness to 250 nits make the HDR effect lose its impressive quality and resemble ordinary SDR. Nonetheless, it is worth highlighting the very good coverage of the DCI-P3 colour palette at 95%, which definitely deserves praise and positively impacts the overall image quality.

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.

The television Sony X85L has been tested in IMAX Enhanced mode, which, while associated with world-class cinema, does not guarantee an image consistent with the director's intent. The main issue is the white balance – there is a noticeable strong dominance of blue and significant deficiencies in red. As a result, the image becomes unnaturally cool and looks artificial. Errors in colour reproduction were confirmed by the Colour Checker test, which showed significant discrepancies – colours were "scattered" like shots from a rifle, and only a few samples hit the target values. This clearly shows that the precision of colour reproduction leaves much to be desired.

The brightness of the image is one of the positive features of the television. The gamma for HD content is at an acceptable level, although minor errors occur, but generally it is quite good. However, the issue remains the brightness characteristic for 4K materials, controlled by the EOTF curve. It is evident here that very small, bright elements of the image are too dim, which is the result of the limited number of backlight zones due to the design of the television.

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.

Thanks to the use of calibration tools offered by Sony X85L, it has been possible to significantly improve the image quality. After calibration, the white balance for HD content is much more stable, making colours look more natural and enhancing the authenticity of the image. Although it's not perfect, these changes allow viewers to enjoy a more realistic representation of colours, eliminating the earlier cool tone. The gamma, which already performed reasonably well, has been adjusted to an even better version. As a result, tonal transitions and brightness are more consistent, positively impacting the depth and detail of the image.

As for 4K content, despite efforts, the white balance still struggles with a lack of red, which can cause overly warm colours in some scenes. Synthetic tests showed that the EOTF curve in HDR is fairly stable, with a slight boost in mid-bright scenes. However, in actual film material, the TV can still be too bright with fine, light details, which is a result of the limitations of large local dimming technology.

Nonetheless, the calibration has brought significant benefits, particularly in terms of colour accuracy, improving overall image quality and providing a more natural and consistent directorial vision.

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.

The fluidity of tonal transitions in Sony X85L is at a good level – the colour gradation is smooth, even in more demanding areas, making the perception of scenes positive and natural. The biggest issues arise in shadow areas, where subtle colour joins can be visible. Despite this, the television performs well enough that most viewers should not notice these minor imperfections.

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.

In terms of smoothing tonal transitions, the Sony X85L television doesn’t offer any dedicated enhancement options, which is a bit of a downside. On the other hand, the image scaling performs quite well – the television adds a touch of artificial sharpness, which can make details such as tree branches more pronounced, although sometimes with visible jagged edges. This type of effect may appeal to some viewers who prefer a more detailed image.

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.

Sony X85L, equipped with a 120 Hz panel, will meet the expectations of a wide range of users – from sports and gaming fans to movie enthusiasts. Movie lovers will surely appreciate the presence of one of the best motion smoothing systems, known as Motionflow. This system offers adjustment using smoothness and clarity sliders – smoothness is responsible for fluid motion, eliminating the stuttering effect, while clarity enhances the sharpness of fast scenes, reducing blur.

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.

Sony X85L offers a fairly solid set of features for gamers, making it an attractive choice for gaming enthusiasts. First and foremost, the television has a 120 Hz panel, which translates to smooth and dynamic image display, ideal for both fast-paced action games and more demanding sports titles. It is equipped with two HDMI 2.1 ports with full bandwidth of 48 Gb/s, allowing for the full capabilities of next-generation consoles to be utilised. Additionally, Sony X85L supports VRR (variable refresh rate) technology, which helps reduce stuttering and artifacts during gameplay, ensuring a smooth experience. The television also supports G-Sync, which is particularly beneficial for gamers using NVIDIA graphics cards, allowing for screen refresh rate synchronization with GPU performance, eliminating screen tearing. It’s worth mentioning the Game Bar feature, which facilitates quick access to important game-related settings, such as VRR, brightness levels, or display modes, making it convenient and useful during gameplay.

However, there are some limitations. The television does not support HGiG, which may be a downside for some gamers, as HGiG optimises HDR effect rendering in games, providing a more authentic visual experience. Additionally, the Dolby Vision mode, although available, is not practical for gaming due to very high input lag.

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.

Generally speaking, the input lag on the Sony X85L is very good, which is crucial for smooth gameplay and quick reactions in games. In standard modes, particularly when using HDMI 2.1 and playing at 4K resolution at 120 Hz, the input lag is minimal.

Unfortunately, the Dolby Vision mode is an exception to this rule. In this case, the input lag reaches as high as 95 ms. Such a high level of latency makes the Dolby Vision mode practically unplayable, as responses to commands are noticeably delayed.

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.

The collaboration of the television Sony X85L with a PC involves a bit of balancing between image quality and user comfort. If we want to use the TV for work, where clear fonts matter, we need to set the refresh rate to 60 Hz. In this mode, text looks good and doesn't strain the eyes, which is crucial if we plan to spend a longer time in front of the screen.

On the other hand, if the TV is intended for gaming, where we can take full advantage of its capabilities at 120 Hz, we must consider that the readability of the fonts noticeably decreases. The image becomes less sharp and the text harder to read, which can be frustrating. In short – Sony X85L works well for occasional connection to the computer, but if we need it daily for work and gaming, this compromise may not appeal to everyone.

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.

Viewing angles on the Sony X85L, as is often the case with VA panels, are not the best. The picture looks great when you’re watching the TV head-on, but all it takes is a slight shift to the side to notice that the colours lose their vibrancy and the contrast noticeably weakens. This could be a problem if the TV is meant for watching in larger groups, where viewers are seated at different angles. For those who typically watch solo or from one central spot, it won't be a major downside, but the picture quality unfortunately drops when watching from the side.

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.

The performance of the television Sony X85L during the day is quite decent. Its satin screen coating handles light reflection moderately well, which means that in bright rooms there may be some glare, but it is not bothersome enough to significantly interfere. The brightness in SDR mode at 570 nits is sufficient for comfortably watching TV during the day, even with natural light coming in through the windows. This ensures that colours remain vibrant and the picture is clearly visible, making the television suitable for everyday use.

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.

Sony X85L operates on the Google TV system, which is a significant advantage for many users. The television offers wide access to apps, and using streaming platforms is smooth and user-friendly. The interface is intuitive and easy to master, allowing for quick switching between apps and searching for favourite content. Google TV allows for personalization of the home screen, enabling each user to tailor it to their preferences. Google Assistant further enriches the experience by offering voice control and quick changes to settings or searching for films without using the remote.

In terms of user features, Sony X85L offers many useful options. The television has the capability to record programs, which is a great convenience for those wanting to watch their favourite content at any time. AirPlay support allows seamless streaming of content from Apple devices, which iPhone and iPad owners will appreciate. In addition, with built-in Bluetooth, various devices such as headphones or keyboards can be connected. However, one drawback is the absence of the PiP (picture in picture) function, which may disappoint users who prefer multitasking on the screen.

The design of the Sony X85L TV, while perhaps not the slimmest, is sturdy and elegant. The metal base with adjustable legs is one of its strong points, allowing for the height and width of the television to be adjusted to fit various furniture and spaces. This practical solution enhances the interior and adds a modern character to it.

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.

Sony X85L handles playback of most popular file formats from USB without any issues, which is a big plus for those who often access external content. However, it's worth mentioning a minor drawback – the built-in player does not allow for changing the font colour in subtitles, which may be troublesome for some. Fortunately, thanks to the extensive Google TV system, users have a wide range of options. Alternative media players can be easily installed, offering more personalisation options.

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.

The sound on the Sony X85L is good – it's clear across the entire scale, allowing enjoyment of both dialogue and music. The bass, though light, is noticeable and adds some depth to the overall sound. However, it should be emphasised that this is a subjective assessment – some may be satisfied with this sound profile, while others might require additional audio equipment to fully experience the stronger tones and a more spacious sound.

Samsung QLED Q80D vs Sony X85L

Advantages

Disadvantages

Our verdict

TV appearance

Where to buy

Contrast and black detail

HDR effect quality

Factory color reproduction

Color reproduction after calibration

Smoothness of tonal transitions

Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions

Blur and motion smoothness

Console compatibility and gaming features

Input lag

Compatibility with PC

Viewing angles

TV efficiency during daytime

Details about the matrix

TV features

Playing files from USB

Apps

Sound