Samsung QN990F vs LG MRGB85B

The Samsung QN990F belongs to the bright televisions category, and this is immediately evident in tests. In measurements, it achieved around 1300 nits, which in practice allows for enjoying films as their creators intended. Bright scenes have the right intensity, lights shine, and the experience is truly cinematic. In standard test patterns, sequences number 1, 3, and 5 performed best – there, brightness maintained around 800-1000 nits, and the image looked very natural. In more challenging segments, it could drop to around 600 nits, but even so, the level remained sufficient for details to be clearly visible. However, it should be added that in highly contrasting shots, the halo effect returns – the same one we mentioned regarding black levels. Bright elements can leave a halo on dark backgrounds, and this stands out immediately. Since we are dealing with a QLED, the colour palette is expanded, and the colours appear striking. The problem is that with such a flagship model, we expected better numbers. 91% DCI-P3 coverage and about 67% BT.2020 are results that can be considered solid, but not outstanding. This gives a vibrant and appealing image, yet the competition in this and lower price tiers can showcase even more.

LG MRGB85 offers moderate brightness. On test patterns it reaches about 700 nits, which by itself is a decent result. In actual movie scenes the values are lower and most often fall between 400 and 600 nits. Bright, expansive shots perform best. In scenes with a lot of black the TV noticeably limits luminance, trying to maintain the highest possible contrast. The HDR effect is therefore visible, but it is far from the level offered by more advanced Mini-LED designs. Especially in darker parts of films the limitations of edge-lit backlighting and imprecise local dimming become noticeable again.

HDR Colors

A much stronger suit of the MRGB85 is its colors. The TV covers about 95% of the DCI-P3 color space and 74% of BT.2020, allowing HDR material to look vivid and striking. Colors are well saturated, and the difference compared with basic LCD TVs is clearly visible. It is worth noting, however, that this is not a classic RGB backlight, where each of the three primary colors is generated by a separate diode. Red is produced by a PFS phosphor, which expands the palette and yields more saturated red shades. This solution works well for color reproduction, but it does not change the limitations of dimming itself. The LEDs are not driven independently in the way the series name might suggest... so it turns out that Mini RGB is not the same as Mini-LED RGB!

We tested the QN990F in Filmmaker mode, which is the best available right out of the box. Right from the start, we noticed several significant errors. The biggest issue concerned white balance. Due to too little blue, and also improper ratios between red and blue, the image – especially in scenes with a lot of white – appeared too yellow, and at times even orange. On the Color Checker palette, these errors didn't look dramatic as they hovered around a value of 4, but in everyday viewing, especially with strong whites, they were most noticeable. We also observed issues with brightness management – the television struggled to maintain detail in the smallest parts of the image, mainly due to the way it controls the backlighting zones. Fortunately, Samsung offers a lot of room for adjustment when it comes to calibration settings. We know that with the right calibration, much more can be extracted from this screen.

We tested the TV in Filmmaker Mode, because among the available settings it offered the image closest to the reference. However, the out-of-the-box colour reproduction was not perfect. The largest deviations concerned the white balance, with the image showing too much red and not enough blue, which caused the whole picture to shift noticeably towards warmer tones. Whites took on a slightly yellowish tint, and skin tones and bright parts of the image did not always look natural. It was not a fault that completely ruined the viewing experience, but in direct comparison with the same screen after calibration the difference was readily apparent.

After completing the calibration, we managed to bring the white balance back to order and eliminate the previous shortcomings in the shades of blue. As a result, the image no longer looked as if it had a slightly yellowish filter applied – the whites are purer, and the overall presentation is much more natural. We also managed, to some extent, to tame the brightness characteristics in HDR content. The television now handles detail retention in blacks significantly better and does not lose them to the same degree as before. However, when we look at the EOTF curve and the way the QN990F reproduces brightness in films, it is evident that it still tends to accentuate details in dark areas more strongly. This is a characteristic feature of Mini-LED technology and, more specifically, the way it is managed by the QN990F, which is practically impossible to completely eliminate. Despite this, after calibration, the image appears much more natural, mainly due to the correct exposure of white light. The final effect is definitely more pleasant to perceive and closer to what we expect from a flagship television.

Calibration primarily allowed us to correct the white balance and remove the previously noticeable warm tint. After adjustment the whites stopped leaning towards a yellow cast and the colours became more neutral and natural. The biggest improvement was seen in SDR material, where the picture looked even and much closer to reference. A similar effect was achieved in HDR. After calibration the image became more organised, although not all of the TV's limitations could be eliminated. The greatest reservations still concerned intense reds, which were not always reproduced with sufficient precision. In practice the MRGB85 handles everyday SDR content very well, whereas in more demanding HDR material its limitations remain clearly visible.

The biggest praise for the QN990F should be given for its upscaling. The processor responsible for "lifting" classic television to 8K resolution does quite well. While watching material in 576p signal, we had no illusions that we would suddenly see a miracle in advertising style, where the image magically transforms into crystal-clear 8K. Nevertheless, the end result was surprisingly good; the image looked clean and sharp. It’s just a shame that the television, like most Samsung models, has an overscan issue, slightly cropping the edges of the screen from the left side.

When it comes to image processing, Samsung offers a feature called "noise reduction," which in theory should improve tonal transitions in older materials, where they are usually more visible. Unfortunately, we felt quite disappointed here. The feature performs poorly – it does not handle unwanted stripes and can introduce its own artifacts. On the plus side, the television does not remove film grain when using this feature, but in practice, that is a poor consolation since the noise reduction itself proves to be virtually useless.

Upscaling and digital image processing perform quite well on the LG MRGB85. The Alpha 8 AI 4K Gen7 processor efficiently upscales lower-resolution content, and regardless of source you can also easily disable overscan. The TV also copes well with compression artefacts. The "Smooth Gradation" feature can effectively reduce visible banding and tonal unevenness, but it is not always precise. At higher settings it can also smooth out fine details, for example surface textures. On the plus side, it does not remove film grain. It's safest to use the "Low" or "Medium" setting, which gives the best compromise between artefact reduction and preserving detail.

QN990F can comfortably be called one of the fastest televisions in the world. In 4K mode, it is capable of displaying images at a frequency of up to 240 Hz, which until now has been more associated with gaming monitors than with televisions in the living room. However, in everyday viewing, what matters more is how it handles the 8K signal at 120 Hz – and here it performs very well too. Motion remains smooth, and the television manages without a hitch even with the most demanding content. Additionally, there is the motion smoother, i.e. "Picture Clarity". Thanks to it, one can adjust the image to their own preferences – leaving a slightly cinematic judder or switching to maximum fluidity, which works exceptionally well, for example, in sports broadcasts.

The LG MRGB85 is equipped with a VA panel with a native 144 Hz refresh rate, so it performs very well in terms of motion handling. The TV easily handles 120 Hz content from consoles and higher refresh rates when connected to a PC. That matters not only for gaming but also when watching sport, where camera movement is noticeably smoother than on basic models with 60 Hz panels. We also have TruMotion, which lets you set the level of motion smoothing yourself. You can keep a more cinematic feel to motion or increase smoothness, which works well for sports broadcasts and TV programmes. The adjustment range is wide, so you can easily tailor the smoothing to your own preferences.

It must be said outright – the QN990F is one of those televisions that practically scream that they were designed with gamers in mind. Samsung has been developing its gaming solutions for years, but here we have a truly comprehensive set. Sure, it lacks Dolby Vision support in games, which is a downside that will always come up in discussions. However, aside from that, the list of features is impressively extensive. To begin with, we have the Game Bar – a handy menu that allows you to quickly check and change gaming-related settings. You can see, for example, the enabled VRR, frame rate, or aspect ratio settings. It’s like a little “dashboard,” making it unnecessary to dig deep into the menu to make adjustments. Speaking of VRR: yes, variable refresh rate is present here and works flawlessly. And there's ALLM, which automatically switches the television to game mode as soon as the console is powered on. These may seem like small details, but together they make using the QN990F simply comfortable and hassle-free.

However, the most impressive aspect is the number of ports. Four wireless HDMI 2.1 ports are already great news, as there is no need to choose whether to connect the console, the amplifier, or perhaps even a PC. There’s ample space for everything here. And if we add another micro HDMI (which we recommend connecting directly to the console), hidden in the casing, we practically have five inputs in full 2.1 standard. Let’s also add support for high refresh rates – 120 Hz at 8K and even 240 Hz at 4K – and we get a television that not only keeps up with the new consoles but also feels ready for consoles that are not yet available.

When it comes to gaming, the LG MRGB85 performs by far the best. The manufacturer didn't skimp on features and has essentially brought the full suite of functions from pricier TVs to this model. You get three HDMI 2.1 ports with the full 48 Gbit/s bandwidth. Each supports 4K at 120 Hz from a console, and when connected to a PC also 4K at 144 Hz. So you don't need to worry which port to plug your console or PC into, because they all offer the same capabilities. Also on board are VRR, AMD FreeSync Premium, NVIDIA G-Sync Compatible, ALLM and HGiG. There's also Dolby Vision Gaming, which means in supported games you can use high refresh rates and dynamic HDR simultaneously on Xbox. The package is rounded off by Game Optimizer, a handy in-game menu for gamers. Without leaving the game you can change the picture profile, brighten shadow details or check the current frame rate. In terms of gaming features, the MRGB85 therefore offers almost the same as much more expensive LG models.