Sharp GP6765 vs Samsung R85H / R86H

In film mode, the television Sharp GP6765 reaches a brightness level of 300 nits, unfortunately, this is quite an average result. Such brightness is closer to the standard SDR image than to what should be offered by a full HDR experience. As a result, the television is unable to convey the full depth and dynamics of the image that one could expect from a good HDR mode. The visual effects that appear vivid and detailed in other models may seem muted here, and high-contrast scenes will not look as impressive. However, it is worth noting that when comparing this result with televisions in this budget, it is a decent score. A positive feature is the fact that the television supports a wide colour gamut of DCI-P3 at 92.5% thanks to the implementation of quantum dots (Quantum Dot/QLED). This is quite a respectable result, especially in this price category. As a result, the colours are vibrant and more saturated, which certainly affects the picture quality, although it does not fully salvage the HDR experience due to limited brightness.

When it comes to brightness, the R85H performs really respectably. In most of our test scenes the TV reaches around 800 to 900 nits, and with larger bright elements it can exceed 1000 nits. These are not, of course, levels on a par with the pricier Mini-LEDs, but they are more than enough for watching films and TV shows in HDR, and the effect can already be quite noticeable. The problem reappears in more demanding scenes where there is a small bright element on a very dark background. Here the TV can significantly limit its brightness so as not to light up too large a portion of the screen. In our measurements such small highlights fell even to around 200 to 250 nits, so it is clear that a small number of zones combined with the particular behaviour of the algorithm has consequences here. Fortunately, this is not something that disturbs viewing all the time. In typical mixed HDR scenes the R85H looks good and can deliver appropriate image dynamics. It's just that with very small points of light you shouldn't expect an effect as strong as on TVs with many more zones or on OLEDs.

Sharp GP6765 was launched in movie mode, which is the best setting for colour reproduction. Unfortunately, despite this, the quality still falls short of ideal standards. Starting with white balance, in SDR mode, the graph shows significant increases in the case of the red colour. This effect can make the image appear slightly yellowed, leading to distortion of natural skin tones. As a result, viewers may notice that some scenes seem unnatural, and colours lose their authenticity. In HDR mode, the situation changes dramatically – the dominant colour becomes blue. Such a strong shift towards blue also negatively affects the colour balance of the image, which can lead to loss of detail in cool tones. Viewers may feel that the image is somewhat cold and out of balance, which further emphasises the fact that the television does not achieve optimal colour reproduction. Tests carried out using the Colour Checker tool confirm these shifts in several tested samples.

As for contrast, in HD mode, the range shows a significant jump at the beginning of the graph, but then remains close to the reference line at 2.4. This means that in most scenes, the television is able to deliver a satisfactory level of contrast. For the viewer, this translates into better perception of details in shadows and greater depth of the image, which affects their overall experience when watching films and TV programmes. In HDR mode, however, the EOTF curve displays large fluctuations both at the beginning and at the end of the graph. Such fluctuations can lead to inconsistencies in the reproduction of details in bright and dark areas of the image. For the viewer, this means that in scenes with intense light, such as explosions or dynamic actions, crucial details may disappear, and the image can appear blurred. Conversely, in darker parts of the image, the lack of clear differences in shades can cause details to merge into a uniform blob, significantly reducing the quality of viewing. Although movie mode offers the best factory settings in the GP6765, both in terms of colour reproduction and contrast, it still has significant issues.

In Filmmaker mode our R85H sample performed acceptably in SDR, but a few things stood out immediately in the measurements. In the white balance red increased with rising brightness while blue decreased. As a result the brighter parts of the picture had a slightly too warm tint. Gamma only held to the target value at the start. It then gradually fell, which left most of the image a little too bright. The combination of these two effects also showed up in the colours, with errors growing particularly in the brighter and more saturated samples. It did not look bad, but for Filmmaker mode we had expected a bit more accuracy. Interestingly, in HDR our sample fared noticeably better. The white balance was much more even and, over most of the range, the individual components stayed close together. Only in the very brightest areas did red start to be lacking, causing white to shift subtly. The EOTF curve, by contrast, looked very good and followed the target luminance levels across almost the entire range. That does not mean HDR colours were perfect. The Colour Checker still showed some deviations, especially for some of the more saturated hues, but the errors were clearly smaller than in SDR.

After calibration, in film mode, the white balance on the Sharp GP6765 television for SDR content shows a significant improvement. All lines in the graph approach the reference line. Although they are not perfectly straight, the results achieved are satisfactory, considering the price range of this model. Such an improvement in white balance translates to a more natural and accurate colour reproduction, positively affecting the overall visual experience and immersion in the films being watched. As for the gamut, the initial spike on the graph was not removed; however, after this error, the rest of the lines represent the expected effect much better, making the picture more consistent and enjoyable to perceive.

In the case of HDR content, the white balance performs somewhat worse compared to SDR content, but it is still significantly better than before calibration. The improvement in white balance in HDR contributes to greater colour consistency, making watching films more enjoyable, even though there may be some shortcomings. Speaking of contrast, it is difficult to mention a significant improvement here. Our specialists noted that the lack of control over the dynamic tone mapping settings hindered achieving a significant improvement in EOTF, leading to uneven brightness representation.

Despite some shortcomings related to the lack of settings options for dynamic tone mapping, the Sharp GP6765 television has gained a new identity after proper calibration. The enhanced white balance and better colour reproduction in SDR mode make the image more natural and pleasing to the eye. Although there are still areas that require improvement, especially in HDR content, the television offers a satisfying visual experience, making it an interesting choice within its price range.

After calibration the R85H shows it has genuinely substantial capabilities in colour reproduction. It performed best in SDR, where the white balance could be brought almost perfectly into line and the gamma stays very close to the target value across most of the range. This also translated into very low errors on the Colour Checker, so there is really little to pick fault with. HDR also shows a clear improvement, although some things can no longer be corrected as well. At the highest brightness levels the character of the backlight begins to make itself felt and the individual components of the white balance start to drift apart. The same applies to the most saturated colours, which do not always land exactly where they should. Despite these limitations the overall image is much more accurate than with the factory settings, and the biggest difference is definitely seen in SDR. There is, however, one thing calibration cannot fix. With heavily saturated elements the colour can slightly bleed onto adjacent bright areas of the image. It is easiest to notice this on white, which can pick up a faint tint of a neighbouring colour. It does not appear in every scene, but when the material is demanding the effect can be visible. This is more a characteristic of the way the RGB backlight works than a matter of picture settings.

On the Sharp GP6765 television, the "10-bit colour reproduction" feature performs well in the tested scene with light bulbs. Setting this option to "medium" yields satisfactory results, as there are no issues with grain smoothing or blurring of significant elements of the image. Setting it to "low" also produces positive results, offering a clear picture without negatively impacting the details. Such smoothing options for tonal transitions contribute to an improvement in visual quality, enabling more natural colour transitions.

In the context of image scaling, the Sharp GP6765 television has its strengths, such as the absence of overscan when displaying test material. This allows viewers to enjoy a full picture without losing any detail from the edges. However, in the tested scene with the model, there are some shortcomings. The branches and trousers do not look their best. Their outlines appear slightly jagged, suggesting that effective edge smoothing techniques have not been applied. This causes some details to look slightly distorted, which can affect the overall visual experience.

In the R85H image processing is handled by the Micro RGB AI Processor. The name is new, but when it comes to upscaling lower-quality material the TV’s behaviour is very similar to what Samsung has shown before. And that’s not a bad thing, because the manufacturer has dealt with this aspect quite well for years. Lower-resolution content is displayed cleanly, edges do not become excessively soft, and the TV does not try to artificially extract details at any cost. The result is simply well balanced, and with regular broadcasts or older recordings the R85H performs as you would expect from a Samsung in this class. There remains only a minor drawback in the form of overscan, which cannot be completely turned off at the lowest resolutions. A separate matter is the additional processing of weaker sources. The R85H can smooth posterisation and somewhat tidy up heavily compressed footage, but it is worth emphasising that it does this relatively aggressively. At stronger noise reduction settings it begins to remove not only compression artefacts but also fine details and the natural film grain. It is therefore best used only when the material truly needs it.

When it comes to trailing and motion smoothness, the Sharp GP6765 television performs rather mediocrely. It is equipped with a 60 Hz refresh rate panel, which suffices in the context of films. The television has a motion enhancement feature called "Motion Improvement". Thanks to this feature, we can control the fluidity of motion, allowing us to choose whether the image should appear with film-like frames or be smoother - theatrical. This enhancer should satisfy most users who focus on film content. However, when it comes to sports or gaming, Sharp does not perform at its best. In the tested scene with the UFO alien, there is noticeable blurriness, suggesting that the low response time of the panel negatively impacts the sharpness of moving objects. Such effects can be particularly frustrating during dynamic sequences where quick movements are common. For those who prefer watching sports or intense video games, the limitations in motion smoothness may be discouraging, making the Sharp GP6765 not necessarily the ideal choice in this category.

The R85H has a 144 Hz panel, so motion is really smooth here. Just bear in mind that the extra hertz above 120 are mainly used when connected to a PC, so in this category we don't treat them as any particular advantage. For films and TV, what's more important is that the panel is fast enough to provide access to an advanced motion-smoothing feature, "Motion Clarity", which lets you set motion anywhere from more film-like to very smooth. The panel's response time is a bit worse. Because it's a VA panel, fast-moving objects can leave a slight trail. On bright backgrounds this isn't very noticeable, but the darker the scene, the more pronounced the smearing becomes. This is a typical trait of this type of panel and it's easiest to notice in dark shots.

The functionality of Sharp's GP6765 for gamers leaves much to be desired. Although this model is equipped with HDMI 2.1 ports, which in theory should offer a range of modern conveniences, in practice the situation is far worse. The only feature that truly utilises the capabilities of this standard is Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM). Unfortunately, the lack of support for key features such as Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) or HDR Gaming Interest Group (HGIG) makes this television a less attractive choice for gamers. VRR is crucial for eliminating issues with tearing and stuttering, which is particularly important in dynamic games where image fluidity is key. Meanwhile, HGIG allows for optimal HDR reproduction, enhancing immersion and visual quality. While it might seem that the implementation of Dolby Vision would bring significant benefits, it is completely useless for gamers due to the very high input lag in this mode.

One could say that the presence of HDMI 2.1 ports in Sharp GP6765 is a marketing trap that may mislead users into thinking that the HDMI standard automatically entails all its conveniences. Expecting full functionality, which should go hand in hand with HDMI 2.1, could lead to disappointment.

Samsung has been steadily expanding its gaming features for several years, and the R85H really doesn't miss anything important here. The TV supports 4K at 120 Hz, VRR and ALLM, so we can easily take advantage of the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X. HGiG also works correctly, so with HDR properly set on the console, games retain the correct brightness and we don't unnecessarily lose detail in the brightest parts of the picture. The only major omission is Dolby Vision Gaming, which Samsung does not support on any of its TVs. The Game Bar is also very useful — a handy menu you can bring up without leaving the game. We can quickly check the frame rate, VRR status or change key picture settings. Samsung also adds a few less obvious features, such as the ability to change the aspect ratio and Game Motion Plus, which can further smooth games running at 30 or 60 frames per second. Of course this comes at the cost of higher input lag (around 55 ms), but for slower-paced titles it may be an interesting addition for some people.