Samsung Q8F Review

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This TV was tested by:

Maciej Koper

Paweł Koper

Last updated::

9/13/2025 11:45:21 AM

The Samsung Q8F is the highest representative of the QLED series for 2025. The Koreans have mixed up the naming convention quite a bit, so at first glance, it is easy to confuse it with the Q80 television series. Meanwhile, in reality, we are dealing with a continuation of the well-received Q60D line from last year. What improvements and surprises has the manufacturer prepared? Is the Q8F just a facelift of an old model, or could it be something that truly transforms the everyday watching of films and series?

SAMSUNG Q8F - Our verdict

6.3

Overall rating

Samsung Q8F is quite a successful continuation of the Q67D model. It offers similar image quality in HDR content, and with a brightness of around 500 nits, it can create an effect that is hard to call average. The support for the HDR10+ format also helps, as it has been realistically competing with Dolby Vision for some time and delivers comparable experiences in many productions. The contrast is another positive aspect – for a VA panel, it performs solidly and allows for enjoyable blacks in films and series. However, the greatest advantage of the Q8F remains the operating system. Tizen operates quickly, provides access to many applications, and works well with the SmartThings ecosystem, allowing the television to easily integrate into a larger network of home devices. Interestingly, the Q8F also has a niche application – thanks to its very good font readability, it performs excellently as a screen for working with text. Additionally, there is an adjustable stand that allows the television to be set on practically any desk or narrower TV cabinet. The biggest drawback, in our opinion, is not the image quality itself – as it is difficult to expect miracles in this price range – but rather what has happened to the gaming features. Options such as VRR and HGiG have disappeared with updates, which were available even in simpler constructions in previous generations. Indeed! The manufacturer even boasts about the availability of these features in its catalogue. This makes it difficult to recommend the Q8F to anyone today who plans to connect a console and expects full support for new technologies. Thus, the Q8F is a television that can be appealing – primarily for its design, above-average image quality, and efficient Tizen system. But at the same time, one can see a step backward compared to its predecessor. Let us hope that Samsung will manage to quickly rectify these shortcomings, as otherwise even such a successful 'everyday' television may leave some users with a sense of dissatisfaction.

Advantages

Solid contrast thanks to the VA panel
Quite good brightness in SDR and HDR (up to around 500 nits)
Satin finish handles reflections well
Tizen operating system – fast, intuitive, with a rich selection of applications
Solar remote with USB-C charging
Integration with the SmartThings ecosystem
Excellent input lag
Good font readability when working with a PC, suitable as a monitor for text tasks
Adjustable stand on multiple planes

Disadvantages

Severely limited features for gamers (no VRR in practice, no HGiG)*,
No USB recording or PiP functionality
Average digital image processing

*We hope that the promises on the promotional brochures will be quickly fulfilled through software updates.

Movies and series in UHD quality

6.3
Classic TV, YouTube

6.0
Sports broadcasts (TV and apps)

5.6
Gaming on console

7.0
TV as a computer monitor

6.0
Watching in bright light

5.6
Utility functions

7.3
Apps

8.7
Sound quality

6.0

SAMSUNG Q8F - Competing TVs in this price range

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Philips OLED770 65”

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Sony BRAVIA 5 (XR5) 65”

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Samsung Q7F 65”

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Philips OLED910 65”

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Philips OLED820 65”

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Samsung QN990F 65”

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Samsung QN900F 65”

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Hisense U8Q 65”

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SAMSUNG Q8F - TV appearance

HDMI inputs: 3 x HDMI 2.0, 0 x HDMI 2.1 Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI) Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps

Build quality: BuildQuality-Good

Stand type: Legs

Bezel colour: Graphite

Stand: Height adjustment, Base adjustment

Flat design: Yes

Accessories: Stand

Looking at the Samsung Q8F, it is hard not to get the impression that it is almost a twin of last year's Q60D. The television immediately makes a good impression — and not only because Samsung has been focusing on aesthetics as the first point of contact with the customer for years. Considering the price range, the build quality is really solid. The bezels are plastic, but slim and lend the entire structure an air of lightness. The design itself is very slim, making the television almost look like a painting when mounted on the wall. However, if someone prefers a classic stand, there is a handy solution available: the feet can be installed in various positions — wider or closer together, which will be appreciated by owners of narrower cabinets. Furthermore, their height can also be adjusted, allowing a soundbar to be easily tucked under the screen without the risk of blocking the picture. The whole thing presents itself neatly and solidly, giving the impression of a well-thought-out product.

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SAMSUNG Q8F - Contrast and black detail

Viewing mode Game mode

5.5/10

Viewing mode Game mode

Local dimming function: No

Review Samsung Q8F Contrast and black detail

Result

5,200:1

Result

4,650:1

Result

3,650:1

Result

4,100:1

Result

4,150:1

Visibility of details in the lights:

Samsung Q8F uses a VA LCD panel, which immediately puts it in a good position when it comes to contrast. By nature, such panels offer deeper blacks than IPS displays, and this effect is indeed noticeable here. In the test patterns, the contrast maintained itself in the range of around 4000:1 to even 6000:1, which in practice results in a surprisingly engaging image, especially in a slightly dimmed living room. Of course, it does not reach the level of LCD screens with local dimming, let alone OLED — sometimes the black can shift to a shade of blue, making the overall image appear flattened. However, Samsung employs a simple trick: so-called global dimming, which dims the entire screen when a lot of dark areas appear. The effect can be impressive, but it comes at the cost of losing some detail, which may not appeal to everyone. Despite this, the Q8F still presents itself significantly better than televisions with IPS panels, offering solid contrast and blacks that can draw you into the cinematic atmosphere.

Halo effect and black detail visibility:

The video accurately shows differences in contrast and black levels between TVs, as well as potential issues: halo around bright objects or Mini-LED zone operation visible as brightness jumps.

SAMSUNG Q8F - HDR effect quality

Viewing mode Game mode

5.2/10

Viewing mode Game mode

Supported formats: HDR10, HDR10+, HLG Color gamut coverage: DCI P3: 90.7%, Bt.2020: 66.2%

Luminance measurements in HDR:

Review Samsung Q8F Brightness measurement

Result

473 nit

Result

417 nit

Result

457 nit

Result

210 nit

Result

471 nit

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.

Scene from the movie “Pan” (about 2800 nits)

Scene from the movie “Billy Lynn” (about 1100 nits)

The photos show two HDR10 movies. 'Pan' is one of the brightest productions ever made, while 'Billy Lynn' (soldier) has brightness typical of streaming (Netflix, Prime, HBO MAX). Notice the intensity of effects and detail in whites.

Of course, we didn't just stop at measurements — we also checked how the Q8F performs in practice during screenings. We tested both demanding productions like Pan and Billy Lynn, as well as a few more everyday titles. To our surprise, the television performed really well. The brightness doesn't match top screens, but the picture was still able to capture attention. The fireworks in Billy Lynn didn't blend into a single patch of light, and the sunset in Pan looked coherent and natural. Yes, there are some colour deficiencies compared to reference displays, but in this price range, it's hard to consider that a serious drawback. A significant contribution came from the dynamic tone mapping feature, which we left on this time, unlike other Samsung models. Thanks to this, the Q8F managed to recover a lot of details in difficult scenes, without the effect of artificially brightening the entire picture.

HDR luminance chart:

HDR luminance

The films we tested earlier were recorded in standard HDR10, so those observations were specifically about that format. And although HDR10 on the Q8F provides a pleasant effect, it is noticeable that in the brightest scenes, full of details, classic tone mapping can be insufficient. That's when HDR10+ comes into play — a dynamic format, increasingly present on platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Apple TV. Thanks to it, the image gains an additional portion of details and appears fuller than in static HDR. It's a pity that Dolby Vision was missing, which is more widespread, but considering the growing significance of HDR10+, it's hard to regard this absence as a serious flaw. One could even suspect that in the near future, most content will be available in a version with Samsung's dynamic metadata anyway. At least we hope so.

Static HDR10

Dynamic: HDR10+

The photos present the visibility of white details in various HDR formats. They do not show brightness differences between TVs (these can be compared in the previous gallery).

SAMSUNG Q8F - Smoothness of tonal transitions

9/10

The fluidity of tonal transitions in the Q8F performs really very well. The television beautifully blends colours, both in bright patches of sky and in darker scenes, where it is easy to spot visible "steps" in colours. Admittedly, there are occasional errors, but you have to look closely to catch them. In practice, when watching films or series, the image appears cohesive and does not distract with any artefacts. Therefore, the rating in this category had to be high. 😉

Review Samsung Q8F Smoothness of tonal transitions — These are selected scenes that show smooth tonal transitions from one color to another. If you see distinct banding, it’s the TV panel’s fault.

Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions

5/10

Smooth transition function

Image without overscan on the SD signal

The match photo shows how the TV smooths weak tonal transitions in low-quality video. The model photo shows how it handles upscaling of SD material.

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.

SAMSUNG Q8F - Blur and motion smoothness

5.7/10

Maximum refresh rate of the panel: 60Hz

Film motion smoothing option: Yes

Blur reduction option: No

BFI function 60Hz: Yes, 120Hz (double contours)

Brightness drop with BFI: 50%

Review Samsung Q8F Blur and motion smoothness — The photo presents the motion smoothing settings in the tested TV.

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.

Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate):

Blur (BFI function enabled):

SAMSUNG Q8F - Console compatibility and gaming features

3.7/10

ALLM: Yes
VRR: No
VRR range: No
Dolby Vision Game Mode: No
Correct implementation of HGIG: No
1080p@120Hz: No
1440p@120Hz: No
4K@120Hz: No
Game bar: Yes

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.

SAMSUNG Q8F - Input lag

9.9/10

Fortunately, in terms of gaming, Samsung did not attempt to 'enhance' anything and the input lag remained at an excellent level. Results hovering around 10–15 ms mean that delays are practically imperceptible. The controls are instant, and the responses from the console or computer appear on the screen with no noticeable delay. In this respect, the Q8F performs excellently and it is difficult to fault it in any way.

SDR	HDR	Dolby Vision
1080p60: 14 ms	2160p60: 12 ms
2160p60: 14 ms

SAMSUNG Q8F - Compatibility with PC

6/10

Chroma 444 (maximum resolution and refresh rate): Yes

Font clarity: Very Good

Readability of dark text and shapes: Good

Input lag in PC mode (4K, maximum refresh rate): 14ms

Matrix subpixel arrangement: BGR

Max refresh rate: 60Hz

G-Sync: No

The photo shows the legibility of small fonts. Ideally, lines should be the same thickness on both light and dark text, with minimal pixel gaps.

Although gaming on the Q8F is not particularly attractive — there are no modes with lower resolution and higher refresh rates, and it also has issues with VRR (G-Sync) as well as a limitation of the panel to 60 Hz — it performs excellently as a work monitor. The readability of the fonts is very high, so working with text or Excel spreadsheets is a pure pleasure. In this regard, the Q8F can be a real alternative to a large office monitor.

SAMSUNG Q8F - Viewing angles

3.4/10

Brightness drop at an angle of 45 degrees: 79%

The viewing angles on the Q8F can be described as average, which is due to the use of a VA panel. When watching the television straight on, the picture looks very good, but just moving slightly to the side causes it to start fading and losing contrast. Colours gradually lose their saturation, and black takes on a shade of grey. This is a typical limitation of this type of panel, and one cannot expect miracles here. Compared to IPS panels, the difference is clear — although they are weaker in contrast, they hold colour better at an angle. The Q8F will perform best in a classic setup, where viewers are seated centrally in front of the screen. If you plan to watch with a larger group, with people spread out across the living room, the effect may not be as satisfying.

SAMSUNG Q8F - TV efficiency during daytime

5.6/10

Matrix coating: Satin

Reflection suppression: Good

Black levels during daytime: Good

The Q8F performs quite well during the day. Its brightness hovers around 450 nits, which proves to be a sufficient level for moderately bright living rooms. It is not a television that will win a battle against sunlight streaming directly through the window, but under typical home conditions, the picture remains clear and appealing. A significant advantage is the satin finish of the panel, which effectively reduces reflections and helps maintain colour saturation even when the room is bright. As a result, watching series during the day or evening sports broadcasts with the lights on poses no problems. The Q8F does not aspire to be a cinema television in full sunlight, but as an everyday screen in normal home conditions, it performs really well.

Matrix brightness

Average luminance SDR

Samsung Q8F: 430 cd/m2

SAMSUNG Q8F - TV features

7.3/10

System: Tizen

System performance: Good

HDMI inputs: 3 x HDMI 2.0, 0 x HDMI 2.1
Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI)

Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
TV reception: DVB-T, DVB-T2, DVB-S, DVB-S2, DVB-C

Classic features:

Recording to USB (terrestrial TV): No
Recording programming: No
Picture in Picture (PiP): No
RF remote control (no need to aim at the screen): RF
Backlit remote control: No
Teletext: Yes
Audio only mode: Yes
Bluetooth headphones support: Yes
Simultaneous Bluetooth headphones & TV audio: Yes

Smart features:

AirPlay: Yes
Screen mirroring (Windows Miracast): Yes
Voice search: Yes
Voice search in native language: Yes
Ability to connect a keyboard and mouse: Yes

SmartTV Features: Tizen

In terms of smart features, the Q8F does not lag behind what Samsung has accustomed us to. On board, we have the Tizen system – fast, intuitive, and well integrated with other devices. AirPlay, screen mirroring, and simple voice commands work seamlessly, so the basics are checked off perfectly. Additionally, there is SmartThings, an app that turns the television into the centre of a home ecosystem. You can connect a washing machine, vacuum cleaner, light bulbs, or speakers and control everything from one place, including the television. There is also no shortage of apps within Tizen for watching films or series – Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, and Prime Video are readily available. However, it is worth noting that Tizen is a closed system, so anyone hoping to install less popular programmes may be disappointed.

Traditional Television

Traditional television fares worse. The Q8F will simply act as a screen here – it will display the image, but we won't find additional functions such as USB recording or PiP mode. The remote is small and strongly minimalist. It looks modern and can be charged with solar batteries on the back cover or via USB-C, but it must be recognized that it may not appeal to everyone – particularly older users may miss traditional buttons. However, it must be noted honestly that Samsung has been consistently steering its televisions (as has the competition, which copies some of their ideas) towards the smart home, rather than towards equipment "for grandparents." Considering the tremendous popularity of the brand, it can be assumed that most users, even the older ones, have already got used to the fact that the era of remotes with a full array of rubber buttons is slowly coming to an end.

Sound connection options

HDMI audio:

eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI)

Other audio outputs:

Toslink: Yes

Wireless audio:

Bluetooth: Yes
Samsung Q-Symphony (Speaker extension): Yes

Obsługiwane formaty audio:

Dolby Digital Plus 7.1: Yes
Dolby True HD 7.1: No
Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC): No
Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD: No
DTS:X in DTS-HD MA: No
DTS-HD Master Audio: No

Ułatwienia dla seniorów

Numeric keyboard on TV: No
Font size adjustment: Yes
Audio description: Yes

SAMSUNG Q8F - Apps

8.7/10

SAMSUNG Q8F - Playing files from USB

Video Photos Audio

9.1/10

Video Photos Audio

Maximum photo resolution:	Supported photo formats:
4 Mpix	JPEG
6 Mpix	HEIC
8 Mpix	PNG
10 Mpix	GIF
12 Mpix	WebP
16 Mpix	TIFF
20 Mpix	BMP
24 Mpix	SVG
28 Mpix
32 Mpix

Samsung Q8F handles playing files from USB quite efficiently. It supports virtually all popular video formats as well as photos, so you can easily load a holiday video or a family album. There are occasional exceptions with less common photo formats, but the most important JPEG works perfectly, which will be crucial for the majority of users. It's just a pity that Tizen does not allow for the installation of alternative players, such as VLC. Even then, less popular formats would not pose any problem.

SAMSUNG Q8F - Sound

6/10

84dB

Maximum volume

Supported codecs

(TV speakers)

Dolby Digital Plus 7.1

Dolby True HD 7.1

Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC)

Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD

DTS:X in DTS-HD MA

DTS-HD Master Audio

The sound on the Q8F can be described as acceptable. A slightly defined bass can be heard, but it is really minimal – the slim design of the television simply does not provide space for the pair of 2 × 10 W speakers to spread their wings. This is a typical scenario for most televisions: if someone cares about truly cinematic experiences, it is worth considering a soundbar. Samsung has a really wide range in this category across various budgets, so it's easy to find something suitable. The television itself will work for watching classic TV and series from time to time, but for greater sound excitement, one should not expect much.