LG QNED87T6B vs Samsung Q8F

LG QNED87T6B delivers truly decent visual experiences when it comes to HDR. During our tests on test patterns, the television achieved brightness close to 500 nits, which is a satisfactory result and allows for good visibility of details in high dynamic scenes. Support for basic HDR formats, such as HDR10 and HLG, ensures appropriate image quality. Unfortunately, the television does not support more advanced standards, such as Dolby Vision or HDR10+, which are particularly important at this screen brightness. The lack of support for dynamic metadata means that in certain scenes, the television may struggle to fully reproduce details, especially in very bright areas – precisely when dynamic metadata could significantly improve image quality. Nevertheless, it is worth noting the excellent coverage of the wide DCI-P3 colour gamut, reaching as high as 96.4%. This ensures that the colours displayed by the QNED87T6B model are more vibrant and natural, enhancing the quality of 4K content with a wide colour palette.

In terms of brightness, the Samsung Q8F performs surprisingly well for a television without local dimming. In measurements, it reaches up to 500 nits, which in practice means that most movie and series scenes look pleasing, and it cannot be accused of lacking the 'HDR effect'. In films such as Life of Pi or The Meg, the screen was able to burst with brightness and deliver a light effect at a satisfying level. It struggles more in difficult moments — during dark scenes with individual bright points. The global dimming used causes the television to dim the image to maintain deep blacks, but at the expense of detail brightness. This is clearly visible in the scene from Sicario 2, where the helicopter lights dropped to around 200 nits. This is a conscious design decision that gives the impression of deeper blacks, but somewhat takes away the brightness from individual elements, and one must simply keep this in mind. In terms of colour reproduction, the Q8F uses quantum dot technology, which widens the colour gamut. A coverage of the DCI-P3 palette at 91% can be considered a decent result, although it is not a record-breaking figure compared to other QLEDs.

The colour reproduction in the LG QNED, even in Filmmaker Mode, which is the best factory setting, is not without flaws. The main issue is the white balance – we noticed that the level of blue on the graph tends to decrease. This results in a shift towards yellow tones, making the image appear warmer than it should. This deviation affects the naturalness of colour reproduction, especially in scenes with a white or neutral background. The Color Checker test confirmed that some colours are distorted and deviate from reality. Such distortion can make cinematic scenes seem less realistic, and details are represented in incorrect colours, which negatively impacts the overall picture quality.

In terms of contrast, the analysis of the gamma graph revealed significant drops, while the optimal value should be 2.4. This means that the television may display darker parts of the image brighter in certain scenes, which reduces their depth and dynamism. Additionally, on the EOTF curve, which is responsible for brightness reproduction, an unnatural drop was noted at the beginning. This phenomenon may result in less accuracy in reproducing dark scenes, which in turn affects the overall picture quality. The television may not convey the full depth of black, causing more demanding scenes to lose realism and detail. As a result, viewers may notice that details in the darker areas of the image become less distinct.

We decided to check out the Filmmaker mode, as it provided us with the best image straight out of the box. However, this does not mean it was perfect. The white balance had too much blue and red, resulting in the white taking on a slight mauve-pink hue. Such an imbalance affected the visibility of practically all colours, as can be seen in the comparison photo below. The brightness characteristics in SDR content were quite well adjusted, though in HDR material we noticed that the television did not always manage its global dimming effectively — at times the screen was too dim, while at other moments it could suddenly brighten. Fortunately, issues related to colours can be effectively corrected with calibration tools, so we decided to get to work.

After calibration, the colours in SDR content look very good. The improved white balance translates to natural and harmonious shades in various scenes. Thanks to the precise adjustment of the gamma, details in shadows and bright areas of the image are accurately reproduced. The television performs excellently in everyday use, offering vivid, well-balanced images and solid colour quality in HD quality. The greatest beneficiary here is also the contrast. The gamma chart has been freed from very large errors, so here the television has gained a second face.

As for the white balance in 4K HDR, it has also been significantly improved. However, certain errors still appear at the end of the chart. This could be due to the overly aggressive operation of the television's local dimming, which affects the accurate reproduction of colour in certain scenes. It is difficult to speak here of an improvement in brightness represented by the EOTF curve. Due to its construction limitations, the television has certain disadvantages and we are not able to overcome them. The Color Checker test confirms the issue with colour saturation – despite the television offering a wide colour palette, it is not able to fully convey what the director intended.

Despite these shortcomings, the overall picture quality after calibration is significantly better than before. Improvements in white balance and gamma adjustment make images more vivid, and colours closer to reality.

After calibration, we managed to correct the white balance to near perfection. Older SDR content looks fantastic — most errors fall within a value range of 2, which is well below the threshold of perceivability for the human eye. In HDR, we also brought the white balance to an acceptable level, but another issue arises here. So why are there still relatively large errors in colour reproduction? This mainly stems from the limited colour palette and the way the television manages brightness. The global dimming technique used does not give the user control in the settings, so when analysing the EOTF curve in HDR films, it is apparent that the Q8F can modify luminance independently. This can be regarded as a certain limitation, but despite this, the picture after calibration is still much more pleasant to view than in the factory version.

When it comes to lower quality materials, the gradation looks really good. A feature called "Smooth Gradation" effectively smooths out the most problematic areas of the image without negatively affecting the film grain. For the best effect, it’s worth setting it to a low level. This solution significantly improves the quality of the displayed content and makes watching lower resolution materials more enjoyable and smoother.

In terms of digital processing, the image is displayed without cropping, known as overscanning. Although slight fringing of the branches against the model’s background can be noticed, the overall presentation is very good. Users should be satisfied with the image quality when watching low-quality materials, such as standard television. The television handles this task exceptionally well, providing a satisfying visual experience even with lower quality content.

Let’s check how the Q8F performs with older content, which often has poor quality. Let's start with the positives: the upscaling, or raising the image to a higher resolution, works really well. The television handles both traditional television and YouTube material quite competently, without giving the impression that we are dealing with something completely unattractive. It performs less well with very low resolutions, such as 576p — the image can be cropped, and unfortunately, the overscan issue cannot be turned off. Moreover, the digital processing itself appears less effective. The noise reduction feature, instead of eliminating unwanted disturbances, smooths out almost everything: film grain (which is desirable for many viewers) disappears along with the texture of the image, and the faces of the actors start to resemble characters from cheap Turkish soap operas. Therefore, it’s hard to consider this option useful — it’s best to leave it completely turned off. Perhaps Samsung will refine the operation of this function in future updates, but for now, it’s difficult to view it as anything other than an unnecessary addition.

The television provides decent smoothness when watching films, thanks to the "Tru Motion" feature that allows for adjustment of the motion smoothing level on a scale from 0 to 10. De-Judder adjusts motion smoothness, while De-Blur regulates motion sharpness. The user has the option to choose between a traditional, cinematic effect with slight judder (lower settings) and a smoother, theatrical image. Although the latter slightly deviates from the cinematic standard, it may be appealing to many viewers.

As for gamers and sports fans, the LG QNED87 television with a 120Hz panel will certainly not disappoint them. And with the use of an IPS panel, the response time is generally better than that of VA panels available at a similar price. This guarantees smoother gameplay and dynamic experiences when watching sports events.

Due to the applied 60 Hz matrix, it is difficult to call the Q8F a television designed for gaming or watching sports. The panel is not particularly fast, which makes motion blur noticeably visible. If you were hoping for spectacular, even 'stadium-like' experiences during broadcasts, you may feel slightly disappointed. Fortunately, in the case of films and series, Samsung has not abandoned the motion blur reduction feature. This is nothing but a motion smoother that allows you to improve the fluidity of productions recorded at 24 or 30 frames per second. This way, you can decide for yourself whether you prefer a smoother, 'television' image or to maintain a cinematic character. It all depends on the viewer's preferences, and the ability to adjust this parameter is undoubtedly a plus.

LG QNED offers a range of features that make it an excellent choice for gamers looking for a high-performance television. The television is equipped with four HDMI 2.1 ports, allowing for connection to the latest consoles, such as PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, and taking full advantage of features including Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM). With the Game Bar feature, gamers can quickly and easily manage all their game settings without having to navigate through complicated menus. It is possible to adjust parameters such as VRR, ALLM, Multi View, and monitor frame rates. The television also supports G-Sync and FreeSync technologies, which is particularly important for owners of Nvidia and AMD graphics cards. G-Sync and FreeSync synchronise the television's refresh rate with the graphics card. The 120Hz panel ensures incredible motion smoothness and image clarity. Combined with the Black Frame Insertion (BFI) feature, available at 60Hz and 120Hz, gamers can enjoy an even clearer and smoother picture. LG QNED87 is a television that will meet the expectations of even the most demanding gamers, offering modern technologies and features that significantly enhance comfort and satisfaction in gaming.

It is not entirely clear what Samsung has meddled with this year regarding its televisions, but the Q8F is not free from all the confusion surrounding updates and shortcomings. While its older cousin, the Q67D, could still be recommended to casual gamers with a clear conscience, it is difficult to find a reason to do so here. Apart from the automatic game mode and the attractively designed Game Bar, we receive practically nothing that could attract gaming enthusiasts. The lack of proper HGiG implementation is a significant issue, especially since after the 1126 update, the feature simply disappeared. The situation regarding VRR is even worse. Although it is listed in the manufacturer's brochures and appears in the Game Bar, we were unable to activate it. The Xbox Series X console did not allow activation at all, and the option remained greyed out and inactive. It is hard to praise such a television even to casual gamers, which is a pity, as Samsung had a strong bargaining chip in the gaming segment for years.