Samsung S85F (WOLED) vs IFFALCON U85X

For the majority of the time, let's say in 90% of film scenes, viewers will see virtually no difference between the versions of the S85F. When small, but very bright light points appear on the screen – a lantern in a dark alley, an explosion, the sun breaking through the clouds – this WOLED panel (similar to the smaller S85F) performs exceptionally well. Our measurements indicated a peak brightness of around 750 nits. We can state with full confidence: this is a great result that guarantees fantastic HDR effects. The problem arises in a very specific, uncomfortable situation for any OLED. We're talking about the moment when the entire screen must light up at full power brightly. Examples include a scene with a white background, a skiing scene, or our test sequences (5) from the film The Meg. And here, unfortunately, the results diverge significantly to the detriment of the variant with the WOLED panel. Our measurement equipment was able to register a maximum brightness of around 250 to 300 nits in such conditions. To be clear: the same model with a QD-OLED panel in the same test is nearly twice as bright. The second matter: colours. And here, we also have to be honest – QD-OLED has a structural advantage. Why? It's simple. QD-OLED generates colours from three components (red, green, and blue) and does not require an additional white subpixel. The WOLED panel we are testing here uses that white subpixel mainly to boost overall brightness. The effect is that QD-OLED is able to show a slightly wider colour palette and the colours are somewhat "purer". But to be clear: it's not that the colours on this WOLED panel are bad! On the contrary, they are really very good. The coverage of the DCI-P3 film palette at 97% and 71% for the broader BT.2020 palette is still high-end. We just need to honestly admit that this few percentage points of advantage in colour coverage lies with QD-OLED technology and may be noticeable in very specific moments.

iFFALCON U85 handles HDR in a rather twofold manner – on one hand, it can surprise with solid peak brightness of around 650 nits, which places it well above average in this price segment. This is especially evident in bright, full-screen scenes. Examples from films such as Life of Pi or the final test sequences from The Meg prove that the television can maintain the power and essence of HDR effect when the entire panel needs to "ignite," delivering truly satisfying experiences. However, problems arise in high-contrast scenes, where smaller, bright details appear on the screen; the dimming algorithms prioritize black depth to such an extent that they can stifle the brightness of small light points to just 100 nits, which drastically reduces image dynamics and deprives us of the true "bite" we expect from HDR standards. On a brighter note, however, the colours remain impressive, as the use of the PFS phosphor filter (marketed as QLED by the manufacturer) showcases them very well, achieving nearly 94% coverage of the DCI-P3 colour palette, allowing for a vibrant and rich image in most content.

When it comes to factory colour reproduction, our test sample in SDR mode suffered from a slight deficit of red and yellow colours. This resulted in a faint yellowish tint visible in shades of white. However, this is not the biggest problem with the S85F. As with the variant with a QD-OLED panel, the main issue with this model is the way it presents HDR content. When we look at the EOTF curve chart, it is easy to see that the television has quite significant problems with strong image clipping. Such behaviour causes the final image in many scenes to become very unnatural.

We tested the factory colours on the iFFALCON U85X model in 'Film' mode, which is definitely the most reliable among all available settings, although it is still far from perfect. The main issue that stands out in both SDR and HDR content is the incorrect white balance – an excess of blue and red components gives the image a slight purple tint, which disrupts the naturalness of the film scenes. An even greater challenge is the way the television manages its brightness. Analyzing the gamma chart for the SDR signal, we noticed significant instability: instead of adhering to the standard value of 2.4, the device oscillates around 2.2, only to suddenly make an unnatural jump towards 3.0. In practice, this leads to confusing effects – large, bright areas on the screen appear too dark, while smaller elements are unnecessarily brightened. A similar characteristic can be found in the EOTF curve, which makes the image unpredictable and loses its cinematic authenticity.

After conducting calibration in Filmmaker mode, we managed to eliminate most of the unwanted effects. In SDR content, the television performs excellently, with its colour reproduction errors not exceeding a value of 2, which is an outstanding result. HDR content looks slightly worse, though still very good. Although we were able to eliminate the significant unnaturalness of the image caused by the excessively high EOTF curve, the most discerning observers may notice that it is not perfectly aligned. It runs slightly below the reference curve, which would suggest that the S85F has minor difficulties in showcasing all the details in the image. We must emphasise here that it is very unlikely that the average viewer will notice any shortcomings in the image. The final effect after calibration is evaluated as exemplary.

After professional calibration of the movie mode, we must admit that the result is more than satisfactory – the iFFALCON U85X undergoes a true transformation. Colour errors in SDR content have dropped to a level below 2, which makes them virtually imperceptible to the human eye. We have managed to set the white balance almost perfectly, and brightness management (gamma) has become nearly exemplary. As a result, with standard quality materials, the television simply looks perfect and it is difficult to fault it.

In the case of HDR signal, the situation has also significantly improved, although here the nature of the device becomes a bit more evident. Colour errors have been reduced to around 3, which is an outstanding result in this price range. However, it is worth taking a look at the EOTF graph (available on the right side of the screen in the filters: 4K HDR, gamma / EOTF) to notice what is not immediately visible regarding the brightness management by the U85. Although the reference line looks decent, in real film scenes, the television still interprets the signal “in its own way” due to very aggressive local dimming algorithms. Does this disqualify this model for watching HDR content? Absolutely not. It's simply a typical affliction of almost every Mini-LED, which must reconcile high brightness with the attempt to maintain deep blacks. One simply needs to be aware of these technical limitations, which are unavoidable in this segment.

The processing of tonal transitions (gradients) in the S85F is at a high level. The television effectively handles posterisation (the "banding" effect of colours), even with heavily compressed content, e.g., from streaming services. However, using this feature requires a certain compromise. We noticed that the noise reduction algorithm is quite aggressive – even at the lowest setting, it can eliminate natural film grain, which for many viewers is part of the film's aesthetics. The "Standard" setting seems to be a happy medium, not causing a noticeable loss of important details, which is why we can recommend it. However, we advise against using the "High" level, which, in addition to noise, also removes desirable details such as texture or structure of objects on the screen.

The upscaling process of lower resolution content works very well in the S85F. The image is sharpened and clear. The only minor imperfection we managed to observe is occasional, subtle aliasing on the edges. The television still exhibits characteristics typical of this manufacturer, namely active "overscan" (slight image enlargement). It is worth keeping this in mind, especially when watching older content, as it may result in minimal clipping of the original frame.

When it comes to upscaling the image to 4K resolution, the iFFALCON U85X performs well. The device efficiently enhances low-quality signals, making even older materials look clean and clear on the 4K panel. At extremely low resolutions, such as 480p, one can notice slightly jagged edges (especially on fine lines), but let's be honest – this is a scenario that you will encounter only when watching very old recordings, so in everyday use, it is not a real problem.

Much worse is the digital processing aimed at smoothing tonal transitions. Although in the menu we find the “Gradual Smoothing” function, its effectiveness is at least questionable. In practice, it does not effectively eliminate banding (colour banding), and worse, it can cause more harm than good. This filter can be too aggressive in areas where it shouldn’t, artificially smoothing details that should not be altered, such as the natural texture of the face or fine details of skin texture. Instead of improving quality, this function can give the image an unnatural, “plastic” appearance, so it is best to use it with great caution or, preferably, leave it switched off.

S85F is a model with impressive speed. The use of a 120 Hz OLED panel ensures that dynamic scenes, both in games and during sports broadcasts, meet expectations: smoothly, sharply, and without loss of clarity. A key role here is played by the instant response time of the pixels, which is a natural advantage of OLED technology. Frame transitions are instantaneous, and the image remains clear even during the fastest camera movements. Moving objects, such as a ball on the pitch or a car in a chase scene, are clear and devoid of the characteristic motion blur associated with LCD panels (the so-called "ghosting").

In contrast to budget constructions, which in dynamic sports scenes can resemble a slideshow, the iFFALCON U85X is a heavyweight contender equipped with a panel that has a native refresh rate of 144Hz. However, it is worth noting that in the world of films, series, or sports, we will primarily operate at 120Hz due to the specifics of how image enhancement systems function. Such a fast panel is excellent news for gamers and sports fans as it opens the door to advanced motion settings that simply do not exist in cheaper 60Hz models.

We manage everything from the menu “Motion Clarity”, where instead of using pre-set, often overly aggressive modes, we definitely recommend our own configuration based on two sliders. The most important of these, motion blur reduction, is responsible for fluidity in films – here, it’s best to aim for a value of around 4, which will maintain a natural, cinematic character of motion without falling into the artificial “soap opera effect.” Meanwhile, the first slider, motion blur reduction, is the key to success in sports broadcasts. In this case, it’s worth going all out and setting it to maximum, ensuring that the image during fast actions on the field remains sharp, while troublesome trailing is eliminated.

The 85F has practically everything on board to become the dream screen for gaming. It features four full-fledged HDMI 2.1 ports with a bandwidth of 48 Gb/s, support for VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) and ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode). Additionally, there's a super-detailed Game Bar, which clearly displays all the key parameters. However, the real gem is the Game Motion Plus feature. This motion smoother dedicated to games makes animations more pleasant to the eye while only slightly increasing input lag. This is a rare and well-working combination, for which Samsung deserves great applause.

Now for the moment where we have to complain a bit. The lack of Dolby Vision in Samsung TVs is already a standard, so there's no point in holding out hope (unless something changes in the future). Unfortunately, it's much harder to explain the disappearance of support for HGiG after one of the software updates. HGiG (HDR Gaming Interest Group) is a key mode that allows for precise brightness representation in HDR games, according to the creators' intent. Without it, HDR calibration on consoles becomes less precise, potentially leaving us with images that are too dark in the shadows or excessively blown out in the bright areas. Perhaps Samsung will fix this in the next update – we have high hopes for that. Because if HGiG returns, the S85F will become nearly the perfect TV for gamers.

[UPDATE] We have updated our tests of Samsung TVs from the 2025 model year due to the release of software version 1131, which has restored the HGiG feature essential for gamers.

iFFALCON U85X is an outstanding piece of equipment for gamers that has just about everything one can expect from a modern screen for consoles or PCs. We find here two full-fledged HDMI 2.1 ports with full bandwidth of 48 Gbps, which opens the door to key technologies such as VRR and ALLM, ensuring smooth gameplay without tearing the image and with minimal latency. The television handles high refresh rates in various resolutions without any problems, and a real curiosity is the mode that allows for achieving up to 240Hz when dropping down to Full HD quality. The whole thing is managed by the Game Bar (which is a faithful copy from TCL), allowing for instant switching of picture modes, customising the interface appearance, or even adding a virtual crosshair in the middle of the screen.