Compare: Samsung QN85F vs LG NANO81A / NANO80A

The Samsung QN85F is a television that perfectly showcases the purpose of the Neo QLED line. On one hand, it provides everything that a modern user expects – high brightness, excellent smoothness, and full support for gamers. On the other hand, it is still LCD, meaning that the technology requires certain compromises. The question is whether these compromises actually hinder everyday use. In practice, it is hard not to be impressed with how the QN85F performs in HDR films. With brightness levels of 1700–1800 nits, watching dynamic scenes truly gives us the 'HDR spark' that many competing televisions lack. The lighting effects in movies or series can literally overwhelm with intensity while the television does not lose detail and does not turn the entire image into a washed-out blur. This is the kind of spectacularity that viewers investing in a new screen seek. Gamers also have reasons to be satisfied. There is support for 144 Hz, variable refresh rate VRR, and automatic game mode ALLM. This already constitutes a must-have set in this class, but Samsung goes further and adds the unique Game Motion Plus feature. Thanks to it, images in games become smoother, resembling the effect of motion smoothing in films, but without a noticeable increase in latency. This solution truly distinguishes the QN85F from its competitors. On top of all this, there is everyday convenience. The Tizen system is fast, stable, and filled with applications that we actually use – from Netflix to Apple TV, YouTube, and Disney+. Additionally, there is AirPlay support, a comprehensive SmartThings platform, and a remote that, instead of overwhelming us with dozens of buttons, offers simple control and quick access to the most important features. This makes the QN85F a television that we simply want to reach for every day. Of course, one could enumerate its shortcomings. There is no Dolby Vision, no USB recording, nor PiP, and the viewing angles typical of a VA matrix may not impress if we sit at a steep angle. But all of this pales in comparison to how versatile and refined the QN85F is. During the day, it performs excellently in bright rooms, in the evening it delivers cinematic emotions in HDR, and in games, it ensures smoothness and low input lag, which other models could envy. Overall, the QN85F is a television that not only successfully continues the tradition of value for money set by its predecessor, the QN85D, but even develops it with several strong points. It is equipment that is hard to define otherwise than as a 'safe choice' – one that will not disappoint in any scenario and is likely to meet the expectations of even the most demanding users.

LG NANO81A is essentially a continuation of the NanoCell series, which has hardly changed at all over the past few years. Apart from the new operating system, refreshed remote control, and a few marketing additions, we are dealing with practically the same design we have known for years. Thanks to the nanostructure filter, the television can display better, cleaner colours than standard budget televisions, and the IPS panel guarantees really decent viewing angles. Unfortunately, for these advantages, we pay for very poor blacks and low contrast, which is immediately noticeable during night screenings. Although webOS is still one of the best systems on the market, the biggest problem with the NANO81A is its price, which we simply do not understand. In 2025, this model faces enormous competition not just from brands like TCL or Hisense, but... from LG itself. The model we previously tested, QNED80A, is equipped with local dimming technology, has a brighter panel, and offers a wider colour gamut. Interestingly, at the time of writing this review, the technically superior QNED80A is often much cheaper than the NANO81A. In this situation, the existence of the NanoCell model makes no sense – unless your priority is solely wide viewing angles, but in our opinion, the price you have to pay for that (at the cost of tragic blacks and higher expenditure) is simply too high.

Our editorial office received a 55-inch model with a VA panel. In the case of NeoQLEDs, which are televisions with Mini-LED backlighting, size is of immense importance, as the larger the screen, the more local dimming zones it can contain. This directly translates to higher contrast. In the variant we tested, we counted as many as 240 dimming zones, which is twice as many as last year's QN85D. Theoretically, such an increase should bring an equally impressive improvement in contrast. Unfortunately, practice showed something different – the QN85F offers results very similar to its predecessor. Indeed, in certain scenes with a lot of black or in areas where details in the highlights are crucial, you can see progress, but it is not proportional to the number of zones themselves. Mini-LED technology can be capricious, and sometimes a slight halo appears around small bright objects. This is a typical compromise one must accept with such a solution. Nevertheless, the contrast in the QN85F is at a very high level and will comfortably satisfy most users, even those who are more demanding. However, we have the impression that Samsung could refine the algorithms controlling the dimming, as we know from experience that they can perform exceptionally well in other models.

The NanoCell series, including the model NANO81 we tested, is based on an IPS panel. For anyone who is somewhat familiar with screen technology, this means one thing: significant problems with black levels and contrast. Our measurements are merciless in this regard. A result of 800:1 is, to put it bluntly, a tragic outcome. In practice, this means that what should appear on the screen as deep black looks like a dark grey patch at night. Watching dark films or series in a completely dark room will be downright torturous – the image will lose all its depth and appear flat. If you do decide on this model, we have one key piece of advice for you: do not watch it in complete darkness. To salvage the situation somewhat, it is best to leave a gentle light on in the room, and the ideal solution would be to install LED strips behind the television. Such backlighting will trick your eye (this is known as simultaneous contrast) and make that grey on the screen seem a little darker. Nevertheless, the start of the test for cinematic experiences looks bleak.

Although more than twice the number of dimming zones compared to its predecessor did not translate into a spectacular jump in black levels and contrast, we definitely felt it in the HDR effect itself. The QN85F is up to 50% brighter than last year's model, making a huge impression in dynamic scenes. The peak brightness can reach almost 1700–1800 nits, which is truly impressive for Mini-LED in this class. The best part is that almost regardless of the scene being watched, the HDR effect remains strong and vibrant. In four out of five test scenes, brightness was maintained around 1000 nits, a level that in most cases allows the viewer to experience the true magic of this format. Of course, in scene number 4 from the film Sicario 2, the limitations of Mini-LED technology become apparent – the brightness of the helicopter’s small light drops to around 500 nits. This result is not stellar, but it is still much more acceptable than last year's model. Samsung therefore deserves applause, as the improvement in brightness in the QN85F is drastic compared to its predecessor. However, it is a shame about a certain trend visible in this year's televisions – the manufacturer has worsened the colour gamut coverage. Although the QN85F has a QLED panel, its score of around 90% DCI-P3 is average, and in the most demanding films, it can lead to less vibrant colours than its predecessor. Despite this shortcoming, the overall HDR effect stands at an excellent level and truly makes a big impression in this class of devices.

If you are counting on HDR in the NANO81A to bring tears to your eyes, I must disappoint you. This television is simply too dark to truly show what this format is all about. With a brightness of only 250 nits, HDR exists here mainly on paper. In practice, during viewing, it is very difficult to distinguish whether we are watching high dynamic range content or regular SDR – it simply lacks that ‘punch’ of light in the bright parts of the image. However, to give credit where it’s due, we do have a glimmer of hope here – and quite a clear one at that. It concerns the colour gamut coverage. Here, the NanoCell filter shows that it is not just marketing nonsense. Our measurements indicated that the coverage of the DCI-P3 space is around 88%. This is a really solid result that places this model significantly higher than typical budget options based on standard white LEDs without any filters. Of course, it still falls short of the level of quantum dot (QLED) TVs or advanced panels with PFS filters, but for this price point, the colours are surprisingly saturated and vibrant. It's just a shame that this low brightness prevents them from fully ‘spreading their wings’ with the Nano filter.

Samsung QN85F offers several preset picture modes, but by default, when the television is turned on, it starts in "Eco" mode. And we could actually end the discussion here, because for such a model, using this setting makes no sense – the picture is washed out, unpleasant, and far from what we expect from a television of this class. We therefore carried out our tests in the best of the available modes, which is the Filmmaker mode. Its purpose is to faithfully reproduce what the directors saw during the filming of the movies, and indeed this is the setting that performs best among all factory options. However, this does not mean that it is without flaws.

Both in SDR and HDR, the QN85F quite strongly emphasised warm colours. This resulted from deficiencies in white balance, where there was a distinct lack of blue. Additionally, the picture was sometimes overexposed – as indicated by both the gamma brightness characteristic and the EOTF curve, which showed that the television tends to blow out scenes. In SDR, the colour reproduction errors (Delta E levels of 4-5) were still acceptable, but in HDR the discrepancies became quite large and clearly deviated from what the creators intended to show us. Fortunately, Samsung provides a wide range of calibration tools in its televisions, so – as always – we proceeded with professional calibration to see how much could be improved.

For every film fan, the natural choice in LG televisions is the Filmmaker Mode. Its aim is to display images as the director intended – without unnecessary "enhancements". Unfortunately, in the case of our test unit NANO81A, the factory settings left something to be desired. The main issue turned out to be the white balance. Measurements showed a distinct deficiency of blue colour, which in practice meant that many scenes had a slightly yellowish, even "yellowed" tint. The white was not perfectly pure, which detracted from the freshness of the image. Additionally, brightness management was also not ideal – the factory-set gamma was too low. The picture often appeared oversaturated, as if overly lifted from the shadows, which caused it to lose naturalness and depth. Fortunately, LG, even in this relatively low price category, does not block access to advanced settings. The calibration possibilities of this model are enormous, which is a big plus for those who enjoy "digging" in the menu. We decided to approach the topic in our own way and see how much we could squeeze out of this panel with professional calibration.

After calibrating the film mode, we managed to tame the colours in both modes to near perfection – most of them did not exceed an error value of 3, which is the threshold of perception by the human eye. The image became more natural, fuller, and at the same time free from bloom, which was noticeable right after taking the television out of the box. This shows the great potential of the QN85F and how well it responds to precise settings. However, this does not change the fact that certain technological barriers cannot be overcome. Despite the enormous benefits of calibration, there are still limitations of the panel itself. Although the number of dimming zones has doubled compared to its predecessor, the algorithms controlling the backlighting can manipulate brightness in their own way. Sometimes this leads to slight colour inaccuracies or gently visible halo effects around bright objects. Nevertheless, the experience after calibration is truly pleasant and demonstrates how good a screen the QN85F can be if we just take a moment for proper settings.

After calibration, the NANO81A is a completely different television. What LG offers in terms of image enhancement tools even in such an affordable model deserves a big plus. We managed to completely eliminate that annoying yellowing of whites and make the colours natural, vibrant, and simply "true". In SDR content (that is, regular television, YouTube, or older films), the picture now looks worlds better – it is clear, well-balanced, and no longer strains the eyes with strange hues. It is clear that this panel has significant potential, which is simply wasted by poor presets out of the box. However, we do have one serious reservation that calibration cannot fully overcome – it concerns brightness management in HDR mode. LG's algorithm in this model is constructed very conservatively. The television intentionally dims the HDR picture to avoid overexposing the already weak blacks of the IPS panel. The programmers faced a choice: either to provide more light and accept that the blacks would become light grey or to reduce the brightness to maintain any contrast. They chose the latter. Nevertheless, after our adjustments, watching anything on the NANO81 is significantly better.

Slight colour errors are often practically unnoticeable; it is the fluidity of tonal transitions that is a category to which even a less experienced viewer will pay attention. Unfortunate bands and artificial lines can completely spoil the perception of the image. Fortunately, the QN85F handles this aspect almost perfectly. Gradients are smooth, transitions between colours seamless, and there are no artificial streaks or harsh lines separating the hues on the screen. The image remains coherent, and nothing distracts our attention from the content. Only under very extreme conditions did we notice slight issues in the grey palette, but this is a drawback typical of most televisions and is hard to consider a serious negative. In practice, while watching films, we encountered no problems.

The fluidity of tonal transitions is an element in which the NANO81A truly shines. LG proves here that it can refine image processing algorithms even in its cheaper models. During testing, we practically noted no occurrences of banding, that is, the annoying "steps" visible where one colour should transition smoothly into another. Everything appears incredibly natural and smooth. This is particularly evident in the bright scenes from the film Kingsman, where the backgrounds remain clean and free from digital artefacts. However, what is even more impressive is how the television handles the extremely difficult, dark, and misty shots in The Revenant. Where many budget panels falter and serve up ugly patches instead of smooth mist, the NANO81A holds its ground, offering very velvety transitions. The only downside is the fact that with darker shades, you will notice more of the weak blacks of this television rather than any issues with colour blending.

Although the native tonal transitions on the QN85F with 4K material perform excellently, we do not always deal with content in the highest resolution. At that point, it becomes crucial how the television handles upscaling and digital image processing. This process is managed by Samsung's proprietary processor – AI NQ4 Gen2. In practice, it operates very efficiently. If visible colour banding or other undesirable phenomena occur on the screen, for instance, in materials from YouTube, they can easily be smoothed out using the "noise reduction" feature. Set to a medium level, it improves tonal transitions without excessively blurring desired details. However, it is important to remember that – as with most Samsung televisions – this function heavily interferes with the film grain. Therefore, during cinematic screenings, it is wise to use it cautiously to avoid losing the natural character of the image.

The upscaling itself looks very good. Test materials in lower resolutions were displayed sharply and clearly, with a great deal of detail. The only downside remains the issue of overscan, which is the trimming of the edges of the screen. In most situations, this is not noticeable, but with very old materials below HD quality, there may be cases where a fragment of the image from the left side gets slightly cut off.

It often happens that cheap 4K panels mercilessly bring to light all the "dirt" and imperfections of lower-resolution content. However, with the LG NANO81A, the situation is quite different. This is truly a solid performer when it comes to handling content that is far from ideal. The built-in processor does a great job with upscaling. Even older recordings look quite decent on this screen – the image is coherent, cleaned of digital noise, and simply pleasant to the eye. A significant advantage is the gradation reduction feature that you will find in the settings. It is extraordinarily effective in combating colour banding, which is a lifesaver when watching materials with a low bitrate, for instance, from some streaming services or older files from the web. However, it is worth maintaining a certain level of caution. Since we are dealing with a less powerful chip than in LG's top models, setting this option too aggressively may sometimes result in minor artefacts or slight blurring of details. Despite this risk, I definitely encourage experimenting with this feature - in many cases, it can save the viewing experience and make low-quality material fully watchable.

Motion smoothing and fluidity in the QN85F is a topic worth discussing in more detail, as the television is equipped not with a standard 120 Hz panel, but with a 144 Hz one. The extra hertz will mainly be appreciated by PC gamers, but the mere presence of such an option can be seen as a nice addition and a sign of the times – it’s hard to complain about the trend towards faster panels, as in practice, each of us would prefer the image to be as smooth as possible. However, the most important thing is how the television handles typical 120 Hz refresh rates – in the case of consoles, sports, or films recorded at 24 or 30 frames per second. Here, the QN85F performs really well. In films, one can easily adjust the character of the image thanks to the "image clarity" function, where we find two adjustable sliders. Key for screenings is the one responsible for reducing judder. Lower values give the image a more cinematic character with preserved "frame rate," while higher values lead to strong smoothing reminiscent of television theatre.

When it comes to motion fluidity, the NANO81A unfortunately has a hard time. The television is based on a panel with a refresh rate of 60 Hz. If you are looking for perfect sharpness in dynamic football matches or fast action games, you may feel a bit disappointed. With such a low native refresh rate, fast objects on the screen will always be a little blurred.

The Samsung QN85F makes a really great impression in terms of gaming features. It has four HDMI 2.1 ports, so we can easily connect multiple devices simultaneously. There is also variable refresh rate (VRR) which prevents screen tearing, as well as an automatic game mode (ALLM) that allows the television to switch to the appropriate settings when we start the console. Additionally, it supports refresh rates of up to 144 Hz – something that PC gamers will particularly appreciate, but the mere fact that such an option is available shows that Samsung is fully committed to supporting gamers. The Game Bar panel also deserves praise. It provides a quick overview of the most important parameters – from frame rate to refresh mode, even including shortcuts to picture settings. Instead of navigating through the entire menu, everything is at hand, which proves to be very convenient in practice. However, the most interesting addition is the Motion Plus gaming feature. It's effectively a motion smoother adapted for the gaming world. When enabled, the image becomes smoother, sometimes looking as if we've gained several extra frames, and importantly – the response time doesn’t increase enough to hinder gameplay. This solution truly sets Samsung's 120Hz televisions apart from competitors.

[UPDATE] We have updated our tests of Samsung televisions from the 2025 model year due to the release of software version 1131, which restored the crucial gaming feature HGiG.

The only major downside remains the lack of proper HGiG support. This is a standard responsible for correct tone mapping in HDR games, meaning that brightness and contrast are displayed as intended by the creators. Without HGiG, we have to adjust brightness manually, which doesn’t always yield perfect results. The feature was available in previous models, but it vanished from the QN85F after one of the updates. We hope that Samsung will quickly resolve this issue, and we will keep checking to see if it has been fixed.

NANO81A is unfortunately not hardware designed for e-sports. The lack of support for a 120 Hz signal is a fact that users planning to purchase this model simply have to come to terms with. Nevertheless, LG's engineers have made an effort to maximise the potential of this 60 Hz panel, offering a set of features that genuinely enhance the gaming experience. Firstly, the television supports VRR technology (within the range of 48-60 Hz) and ALLM. As a result, the image remains stable and does not "tear", and the device automatically switches to low-latency mode as soon as it detects a signal from a console. Managing these settings is extremely simple thanks to a dedicated system overlay, which allows for quick viewing of parameters without leaving the game. A very significant advantage is the support for the HGiG format. This solution is crucial for owners of modern consoles because it enables the television to correctly "understand" the intentions of game developers regarding HDR tone mapping. In practice, this helps avoid the effect of "blown-out" bright spots, such as clouds or light sources, which is unfortunately a common issue in budget LCD televisions.

The input lag on the QN85F is at a very high level. With content at 120 or 144 Hz, the values often oscillated below 10 ms, which is a truly remarkable result. Naturally, when gaming at 60 Hz, the lag doubles, but it still remains low enough that in practice it is virtually unnoticeable. This means that the QN85F will perform well both in dynamic e-sports games and in more tranquil console titles.

In terms of response speed, the LG NANO81A performs exceptionally well. The input lag we measured is around 12 ms. This result is at a very low level, which for a gamer means one thing – the delay between moving the stick on the controller and the reaction on the screen is practically imperceptible. The television excels in fast-paced titles, where every millisecond counts, and in this regard, it does not lag behind significantly more expensive models.

The QN85F performs really well in terms of cooperation with a computer. Thanks to the PC mode with a refresh rate of up to 144 Hz, support for G-Sync, and low input lag, playing on a personal computer is very enjoyable and shouldn't cause irritation even for more demanding gamers. The readability of the fonts is also good – the television supports chroma 4:4:4, so standard texts look sharp and clear. The problem arises only with very thin letters. Regardless of the refresh rate setting – whether it's 144, 120, or 60 Hz – horizontal, thin lines were poorly visible. Reducing the refresh rate slightly improved the situation, but never enough to say that they were displayed perfectly.

Nano81A is truly a solid monitor for working with text. Thanks to the IPS panel and proper Chroma 4:4:4 implementation, fonts are very clear and sharp – practically everyone will be satisfied with how this screen performs as a monitor. We noticed just one minor detail that we picked up with our laboratory meticulousness: the vertical lines of dark text are slightly darker than the horizontal ones. However, this phenomenon is so minimal that we did not decide to deduct points for it. The scores only went down when it came to features typical for PC gamers – the lack of G-Sync support and high refresh rates above 60 Hz will be a significant downside for those looking for a screen for dynamic computer games.

The viewing angles on the QN85F are the classic Achilles' heel of most LCD televisions with VA panels. Looking at the screen from an angle, the drop in brightness becomes noticeable quite quickly, the whites start to grey, and the colours lose their intensity. This is the price to pay for the high contrast that this technology offers. Samsung could have included a better coating to widen the viewing angles in this model, but it is not present here. In practice, this means that the best viewing experience is achieved when sitting directly in front of the television, and any significant deviation will result in a noticeable loss of image quality.

This is the moment when the LG NANO81A can finally "breathe" and make up for the points lost in the categories of black levels and contrast. Thanks to the use of an IPS panel, the viewing angles here are simply very good. It is in this section that the tested model gains the most and clearly shows its advantage over competing televisions equipped with VA panels. In practice, this means that the image does not lose quality, even when viewed from a sharp angle. This makes the NANO81A a great option for those who have a wide furniture arrangement in their living room or often watch matches and films with larger groups.

The QN85F performs excellently during the day. The satin finish of the panel combined with high brightness makes it a television designed for bright rooms. Colours do not lose their intensity, and the picture does not fade even when a lot of light enters. The television itself is bright enough to handle a living room with large south-facing windows without any issues. Therefore, the QN85F provides us with an image that allows us to watch films or matches during the day without annoying reflections and the feeling that the picture disappears in the sunlight.

NANO81A is a relatively dark television, so it works best in rooms where you have control over the lighting. With a brightness of around 250 nits, it is difficult to recommend it wholeheartedly for very bright, strongly sunlit living rooms – in such conditions, the picture will simply lack punch. Nevertheless, LG deserves a small plus for the screen finish. The satin panel used here does a decent job of suppressing reflections. Thanks to this, even if there is a bit of light in the room, you won’t see every detail of your surroundings reflected on the screen. So if you can slightly close the blinds, a daytime viewing is certainly possible, but this model simply wasn’t designed to "fight" full sunlight.

Smart TV and Tizen System

The Samsung QN85F runs on the proprietary Tizen operating system, which has been one of the strongest points of the Korean manufacturer for years. The platform operates quickly, is well-developed, and provides access to virtually all necessary applications. It supports AirPlay, allows screen mirroring, voice search, and has a very clear interface. It is all controlled by a remote with a minimal number of buttons, designed for quick access to the most important applications.

Classic TV Features

In terms of classic television functions, the QN85F offers a rather basic set. The EPG interface is readable and easy to use, resembling a traditional teletext programme list. A drawback is the lack of USB recording and the absence of PiP functionality, which Samsung has offered in many other models. This is due to the use of single tuners in the QN85F. For some, this may be a disadvantage, but considering how few viewers today use traditional linear television, it may not matter much to the majority of users.

SmartThings and Device Support

A strong element of the entire platform is the SmartThings application. Thanks to it, we can integrate the television with other home devices – not just those from Samsung. We can connect smart lighting such as Philips Hue or Yeelight, video doorbells, and many other devices to the system. SmartThings also allows us to control the television without using a traditional remote – we can use the app on a smartphone, mouse mode, or gesture control if we have a Samsung watch. This makes the QN85F part of a larger ecosystem and fits perfectly into the smart home IoT trend.

Smart Features: WebOS

One of the biggest advantages of the NANO81A model is its "brain", which is the operating system. LG has implemented a full-fledged WebOS version for 2025 here, which in terms of fluidity and user experience is on par with the more expensive models of this brand. Applications launch smoothly, and navigating through the menu is pure pleasure – there are no annoying stutters, which often occur with budget competitors. All of this is thanks to the unique remote with a pointer function (cursor), which has undergone a visual makeover this year. The manufacturer has opted for minimalism – the new Magic remote is significantly smaller and more ergonomic than its predecessors. It fits perfectly in the hand, but this change also has a downside. The physical numeric keypad has completely disappeared from the casing. For younger users, accustomed to streaming and selecting tiles, this will be no problem at all. However, older household members, attached to entering channel numbers by heart, will have to change their long-standing habits.

Everyday Use

In terms of functions that we would call "classic", the NANO81A sticks to a tried-and-true standard. It is not a multimedia powerhouse that will surprise you with exotic additions, but in everyday television tasks, it performs flawlessly. The handling of traditional terrestrial or cable television, including even the old faithful Teletext, is correct and intuitive. Wireless communication also deserves praise. The Bluetooth module works very reliably, allowing for quick and stable connection of a game controller or wireless headphones and speakers. It is simply a television that "works" – it is stable, predictable, and does not cause unnecessary complications during daily use.

The player in the QN85F works as most people expect; it supports practically all popular formats and is more than sufficient for even the more demanding users. Movies, music, photos – everything runs smoothly. The only hiccup occurs with HEIC files, which are photos from Apple devices. According to the specifications, they should work, but in practice, they simply do not open. Thumbnails are visible, but the file refuses to launch. This seems to be a common software glitch. Aside from that one issue, the player performs well and does not give rise to complaints.

Many users still use their own USB drives to display movies or photos on a large screen. In this regard, the NANO81A performs quite decently – the built-in player supports a wide range of video and audio codecs, so most film libraries will work "straight out of the box". However, one must bear in mind the specifics of the WebOS system. Since it is a closed environment, we are limited to what the manufacturer has prepared for us. There is no possibility to install alternative players (like the popular VLC), so if the system player cannot handle something, not much can be done about it. During testing, we encountered a few specific limitations. Firstly, support for HEIC files is lacking. If you take photos with an iPhone and want to view them directly from a USB drive, the television simply won't see them – it's worth changing the file format to JPG on the phone immediately. We also noticed that the player has difficulties processing very large image files. Photos with a resolution of 20–28 Mpix may fail to load or cause system errors. Aside from these exceptions, everyday multimedia handling is smooth.

The Samsung QN85F is equipped with a 2.2 system with a power of 40 W, and when it comes to built-in speakers, it performs really well. The bass is pleasant, and the dialogues are clear and easily heard even during louder scenes. Even at maximum volume, the television does not produce any unwanted vibrations and nothing crackles. At the bottom of the casing, there is a subwoofer responsible for the bass – therefore, when installing, it is worth ensuring that it is not obstructed by anything.

As for formats, the QN85F does not support DTS:X audio, which has been a standard from Samsung for several years now, forcing Blu-ray enthusiasts to connect audio devices first to the home cinema and then to the television. However, in return, we receive support for the more popular Dolby Atmos format, which can add additional space to sound in films and series.

In terms of audio, the LG NANO81A pleasantly surprises compared to its higher-end sibling, the QNED80A model. Interestingly, NanoCell sounds a bit better, which is likely due to its slightly thicker casing. The greater volume allows for the extraction of any hints of low tones – the bass may not be powerful, but it is more clearly defined than in thinner constructions. However, one should not expect miracles. It is still a standard 2.0 speaker configuration with a total power of 20 W, so the overall sound characteristics remain similar to other models in this price range. The mid and high tones are adequate, making dialogues in films and news programmes clear. Although this slight improvement in the lower registers is pleasing, for true home cinema or listening to music, it is still worth considering purchasing at least a basic soundbar.

Samsung QN85F vs LG NANO81A / NANO80A

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

Daytime performance

Panel details

TV features

Classic features:

Smart features:

Smart TV and Tizen System

Classic TV Features

SmartThings and Device Support

Smart Features: WebOS

Everyday Use

Apps

Playing files from USB

Sound

Sound Quality Test

Acoustic Measurements