Samsung QN80F Review

Available screen sizes: 55”65”75”85”

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This TV was tested by:

Maciej Koper

Paweł Koper

Last updated::

8/5/2025 5:48:46 PM

The Q80 series has long been regarded as a solid mid-range option in Samsung's lineup, but in 2025 it undergoes a significant transformation. The QN80F is the first representative of this line to receive the nickname NeoQLED – which automatically raises the question: is this a real leap in quality or merely a cosmetic facelift? Does the "Mini LED" backlighting truly enhance contrast compared to its predecessors? And can the QN80F confidently compete with the best televisions in its class?

We checked this for you in a full test!

SAMSUNG QN80F - Our verdict

7.2

Overall rating

The QN80F is the first "eighty" from Samsung to enter the series of televisions with Mini LED backlighting. And it does this very well. Although the number of dimming zones isn't particularly impressive, the quality of black levels is solid, and combined with high brightness, it allows for a very decent picture in HDR content. Additionally, there's a 144Hz panel that ensures excellent motion fluidity, and the set of gaming features – VRR, ALLM, Game Motion Plus – makes the QN80F a model practically designed for those gaming on consoles or PC. The television operates quickly and responsively, and the Tizen system runs like lightning – whether you're searching for apps or switching sources. Is there anything to criticise? Of course, as always – there are shortcomings in the system (like USB recording), there's no DTS support, and Mini LED isn't without its limitations. But the QN80F is a fantastic television for everyday use – versatile, refined, and... with great pricing potential. Because looking at the history of this series, we can expect that this "eighty" will mix things up significantly once it hits the first sensible promotions. At that point, it could be virtually unmatched in its price range – especially if Samsung resolves the minor teething issues.

Advantages

Impressive blacks and contrast - VA panel combined with MINI-LED backlighting.
Great brightness - up to 1000 nits in HDR
Fast and responsive panel - 144 Hz
Rich support for gamers - 4xHDMI 2.1, VRR, ALLM, GameBar, Game Motion Plus
Very good usability in daylight
Advanced Tizen operating system
Simple operation
PiP function

Disadvantages

No support for DTS format – a limitation when connecting a home cinema
No recording function to USB
Relatively few dimming zones
Issues with the HGiG function (for gamers) – the update removed this option*

Movies and series in UHD quality

6.9
Classic TV, YouTube

6.8
Sports broadcasts (TV and apps)

6.8
Gaming on console

8.5
TV as a computer monitor

8.8
Watching in bright light

6.6
Utility functions

7.5
Apps

8.3
Sound quality

6.7

SAMSUNG QN80F - Competing TVs in this price range

7.8

LG OLED B5 55”

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LG OLED G5 55”

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7.4

Hisense U7Q PRO 55”

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Hisense U7Q 55”

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7.0

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Samsung The Frame 2025 (LS03F) 55”

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SAMSUNG S90F (WOLED) 55”

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Samsung U8000F (IPS) 55”

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PHILPS PUS9060 55”

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Philips PUS8500 55”

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SAMSUNG QN80F - TV appearance

HDMI inputs: 0 x HDMI 2.0, 4 x HDMI 2.1 (48Gbps) Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI) Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps

Build quality: Good

Stand type: Central

Kolor ramki: Graphite

Review Samsung QN80F Appearance of the TV

Regulacja podstawy: stand-Fixed
Montaż na płasko: Yes
Akcesoria: accessories-Stand

The Samsung QN80F is a television that makes a very good impression at first glance. The slim aluminium frame – or its quite successful imitation – gives the device an elegant and modern character. Although the television itself is not as ultra-thin as its cheaper cousin, the QN70F, its flat design allows it to be mounted completely flush with the wall, which many users will certainly appreciate. However, if we do not plan to hang the QN80F, the manufacturer includes feet – (or rather a central stand?) Once the cover is on, it creates one neat central leg. The whole thing looks tidy, although the back is dominated by plastic. It is not premium level, but nevertheless, the television looks fresh and contemporary – especially from the front, where the screen is surrounded by a thin frame and nothing distracts the attention.

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SAMSUNG QN80F - Contrast and black detail

Viewing mode Game mode

6.8/10

Viewing mode Game mode

Local dimming function: Yes, number of zones: 88 (8 x 11)

Review Samsung QN80F Contrast and black detail

Result

34,100:1

Result

8,200:1

Result

32,500:1

Result

4,550:1

Result

3,800:1

Visibility of details in the lights:

QN80F is a representative of the Neo QLED series, meaning it is a television with Mini LED backlighting. Unlike its cheaper cousin, the QN70F model, the diodes here are placed directly behind the panel (rather than at the edges), which gives it a solid advantage right from the start when it comes to contrast control. In the 65-inch variant we tested, we counted 88 dimming zones – a result that may not be particularly impressive, but as it turned out, sufficient to achieve quite decent results.

In tests based on scenes from films such as Oblivion and The Meg, the QN80F performed well – blacks were deep, and the overall image consistency was visually appealing. However, in more demanding moments (e.g., scenes with a large number of bright details on a dark background), a halo effect appeared. This is where the limitation of the number of zones becomes evident – bright elements could bleed into one another, and some details in the dark areas lost visibility. In one scene featuring a helicopter (The Meg), we even noticed slight brightness flickering, as if the television was trying its best to maintain detail visibility at the expense of black depth.

However, these issues are not exclusive to this model – halo effects or drops in contrast during very complex scenes are challenges faced by most Mini LED televisions, even the more expensive ones. In its class, the QN80F performs positively and offers significantly better contrast than the QN70F model with edge backlighting. For most users, this will be a level more than sufficient – although not perfect.

Halo effect and black detail visibility:

SAMSUNG QN80F - HDR effect quality

Viewing mode Game mode

5.6/10

Viewing mode Game mode

Supported formats: HDR10, HDR10+, HLG Color gamut coverage: DCI P3: 93.1%, Bt.2020: 72.3%

Luminance measurements in HDR:

Review Samsung QN80F Brightness measurement

Result

799 nit

Result

533 nit

Result

717 nit

Result

245 nit

Result

656 nit

QN80F is quite a bright screen – in synthetic tests, it achieved nearly 1000 nits, which allows for justified expectations regarding HDR content. And indeed, in many scenes, the television can truly shine. Sequences with a lot of light – like shots from the film Life of Pi or wide, bright surfaces in The Meg – look impressive. Brightness remains around 700 nits, which provides a solid effect, sufficient to feel the true "HDR magic." Unfortunately, not every scene looks that good. In materials with small, bright details on a dark background, such as in Sicario 2, the television has issues – it can significantly dim certain elements, sometimes to the point where they disappear from the image. This is the result of a limited number of dimming zones, which forces the device to make compromises: either maintain inky blacks or sacrifice some detail. QN80F usually chooses the former. As a consolation, there is quite decent coverage of a wide colour gamut – DCI-P3 at 93%. This is not the highest score on the market, but it is more than adequate for most content on streaming platforms.

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

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

We conducted all tests on actual films in the highest possible image quality. And I must admit straight out – the QN80F performed really quite well. Despite some colour deviations and slightly lower colour saturation compared to reference screens, the television represented even the most difficult scenes fairly well, such as dynamic shots from films like Pan or Billy Lynn. There were moments when small elements could appear slightly too muted or – on the contrary – slightly overexposed compared to the reference. But it is hard to expect perfection from equipment that is meant to compete in the mid-range class, rather than with mastering monitors. For this segment, the QN80F shows itself very solidly and should not disappoint you in everyday film watching.

HDR luminance chart:

Luminancja HDR

Luminance of RGB colors

The Samsung QN80F supports two HDR formats: the basic HDR10 and the dynamic HDR10+. And although one might cringe at the absence of Dolby Vision – as it is the most recognisable standard today – there's no need to panic. More and more platforms and films support HDR10+, so we are not doomed to watch everything in a "static" version. Dynamic metadata really makes a difference – the television better adjusts brightness and contrast to each scene, which makes challenging moments (e.g. a character in shadow against a bright sky) simply look more sensible. The test scene with horses is a great example – previously rather washed out, it now has depth and detail. Admittedly, Dolby Vision still has an edge in availability, but with the rapid development of HDR10+, it's hard to talk about a significant shortfall. The end result is very similar, and on the QN80F it simply looks good.

Static HDR10

Dynamic: HDR10+

SAMSUNG QN80F - Smoothness of tonal transitions

9/10

In this respect, the QN80F truly impresses. The transitions between colours are smooth, nothing is torn, and there are no annoying stripes in the sky or strange blotches in the shadows. Film scenes in darker tones performed particularly well – and this is where most televisions tend to struggle. If one is very determined, they may notice slight banding in the brightest sections, but that is really stretching for an issue. In everyday viewing, no one should have a problem with this. To put it plainly: the tonal transitions are so good that one can forget about them – and simply enjoy the film.

Review Samsung QN80F Smoothness of tonal transitions

Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions

7/10

Smooth transition function

Image without overscan on the SD signal

If, while watching lower quality materials – for example from YouTube – we notice strange colour transitions or unwanted artefacts, it's worth checking the settings and turning on the noise reduction feature. In our opinion, the best setting is at “medium” – it effectively smooths out problematic colour transitions while not blurring the entire image too much. However, one must know this: this option tends to remove film grain. If someone cares about preserving this effect (e.g. in older films), it’s better to simply turn it off – regardless of the level, the grain always disappears.

When it comes to resolution scaling (or so-called upscaling), Samsung – as usual – performs very well in this area. The QN80F may not compete with top models costing tens of thousands, but for its price class, it really does impress. Materials of very low quality (e.g. from SD television or older video files) are noticeably improved and look surprisingly decent. The only noticeable drawback is the typical Samsung issue with overscan – that is, slight cropping of the image edges in very low resolutions, e.g. 576p.

SAMSUNG QN80F - Blur and motion smoothness

7.5/10

Maximum refresh rate of the panel: 144Hz

Film motion smoothing option: Yes

Blur reduction option: Yes

BFI function 60Hz: Yes, 60Hz (image flickers)

BFI function 120Hz: No

Brightness drop with BFI: 69%

Review Samsung QN80F Blur and motion smoothness

QN80F is truly a "fast" television. The applied panel offers a refresh rate of up to 144 Hz, which in practice means that the screen keeps up with the action – whether we're watching a film, playing games, or browsing dynamic content online. The image doesn’t stutter, isn’t excessively smeared, and overall looks simply smooth and pleasing to the eye. Of course, the manufacturer hasn’t forgotten about cinema fans – in the settings, we’ll find an option to adjust motion smoothness, allowing us to tailor the effect to our personal preferences. We can maintain a more "framey" appearance (for those who enjoy the classic cinematic vibe) or ramp up the smoothness to a higher level for a theatrical smoothing effect. Importantly, the choice is ours. Watching films and playing on the QN80F is simply a delight.

Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate):

Blur (BFI function enabled):

Image flickers in this mode

When it comes to motion blur, the QN80F performs quite decently. In everyday use, there is no excessively large trailing behind objects, even in faster scenes – like our test classic with the little green man. Of course, if we look at really challenging segments (dark background + bright, quickly moving element), the typical limitations of VA panels start to become apparent. However, it must be fairly noted that the QN80F does not perform worse than other LCD televisions in this class. If motion blur would be particularly bothersome to someone, Samsung provides the "Clear Motion LED" feature – that is, classic BFI (black frame insertion). And although it theoretically improves motion clarity, in practice the image flickers significantly, and the edges become double. Quite few people will make use of this, but it is worth knowing that such an option exists – more as a curiosity than a real improvement.

SAMSUNG QN80F - Console compatibility and gaming features

8.2/10

ALLM: Yes
VRR: Yes
VRR range: 48 - 144Hz
Dolby Vision Game Mode: No
Correct implementation of HGIG: No
1080p@120Hz: Yes
1440p@120Hz: Yes
4K@120Hz: Yes
Game bar: Yes

The Samsung QN80F is a television that delivers on almost every front when it comes to gaming. We have a 144 Hz panel, four full-fledged HDMI 2.1 ports, support for gamers in the form of variable refresh rate (VRR), automatic game mode (ALLM), and even one of the best-designed game bars on the market. The cherry on top is the motion smoother, which – uniquely in the world – works in games without significantly increasing input lag. Sounds like an almost perfect television for gamers? And indeed, it is almost that.

As usual, Samsung does not support Dolby Vision in games, but that no longer surprises anyone. However, it is considerably more surprising that... the HGIG function has disappeared – that is, the system that allows the console (e.g., PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X) to precisely match HDR tone mapping to the television’s capabilities. In the latest firmware update for the 2025 models, this option has simply vanished. This looks more like a mistake than a deliberate move, but it must be noted fairly that as of the date of writing this review, the HGIG function is simply not available.

And it is precisely because of this one missing feature that the QN80F transforms from an almost perfect gaming television into a “nearly” perfect device. It’s a shame – because everything else suggested that Samsung could once again set the bar very high in this generation.

SAMSUNG QN80F - Input lag

9.8/10

The QN80F does not disappoint when it comes to response time. The input lag for 120 Hz content drops below 10 ms, which can be considered an almost perfect result – it is hard to expect more in this class of TVs. Gaming is smooth, responsive, and without delays that could annoy even the most sensitive players. For 60 Hz materials, the lag is higher, around 19 ms, but this is a completely natural phenomenon and still falls within comfortable limits.

SDR	HDR	Dolby Vision
1080p60: 19 ms	2160p60: 17 ms
1080p120: 9 ms	2160p120: 9 ms
2160p60: 19 ms
2160p120: 9 ms

SAMSUNG QN80F - Compatibility with PC

8.8/10

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): 9ms

Matrix subpixel arrangement: BGR

Max refresh rate: 144Hz

G-Sync: Yes

Review Samsung QN80F Compatibility with PC

Playing on the QN80F with a connected computer is pure pleasure. The television effortlessly works with NVIDIA graphics cards (thanks to G-Sync support) and AMD (thanks to FreeSync Premium), and the 144 Hz refresh rate only enhances comfort during dynamic gameplay. Everything works immediately, without unnecessary fiddling with settings – exactly as it should.

When it comes to work, it is also very good. The readability of fonts is at a high level, and texts appear sharp and clear. With very thin horizontal lines, some minor imperfections in shading can be noticed, but honestly – you really have to look closely. Unless, like us, you sometimes enjoy looking at the screen with a magnifying glass… then you might spot something 😉.

SAMSUNG QN80F - Viewing angles

3.1/10

Brightness drop at an angle of 45 degrees: 81%

QN80F, like most TVs with a VA panel, does not impress in terms of viewing angles. All it takes is a slight lean to the side to notice a significant drop in brightness and lost colour saturation. The picture loses its "depth" and "vibrancy", and darker scenes may appear slightly washed out. However, this is a typical characteristic of VA panels, which provide significantly better native contrast than IPS panels in return. In short: something for something. If you are sitting directly in front of the screen, there will be no problem. But when watching together in a larger group, it is worth keeping this in mind.

SAMSUNG QN80F - TV efficiency during daytime

6.6/10

Matrix coating: Satin

Reflection suppression: Good

Black levels during daytime: Very Good

The QN80F is truly a bright television. The average brightness in SDR content is around 550 nits, regardless of the scene, which in practice means that you can comfortably watch content even in a well-lit room – and you don’t have to close the blinds every time you turn on a film. The new satin coating on the panel also deserves praise, as it performs significantly better at reducing reflections compared to last year’s QN80D. Glare is less bothersome, and the screen maintains readability in various lighting conditions. It’s hard to find fault here – the QN80F performs simply excellently during the day.

Matrix brightness

Average luminance SDR

Samsung QN80F: 543 cd/m2

SAMSUNG QN80F - TV features

7.5/10

System: Tizen

System performance: Very Good

HDMI inputs: 0 x HDMI 2.0, 4 x HDMI 2.1 48Gbps
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): Yes
RF remote control (no need to aim at the screen): RF
Backlit remote control: No
Teletext: Yes
Audio only mode: Yes
Possibility to connect Bluetooth headphones to the TV: Yes
Possibility to simultaneously use Bluetooth headphones and the TV speaker: Yes

Smart features:

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

SmartTV QN80F: Tizen

In terms of smart features, the QN80F has nothing to be ashamed of. On the contrary – Tizen is one of the richest operating systems when it comes to functionality. We have voice search, support for AirPlay, Miracast, and all the major streaming platforms at our fingertips. But Samsung's true advantage reveals itself in the smart home – SmartThings. Here you can not only synchronise light bulbs and vacuum robots but also integrate devices from other manufacturers, thanks to support for the Matter standard. And suddenly it turns out that the QN80F can serve as a home command centre. There is just one "but" – Tizen is a closed system, so we may not find a few lesser-known applications. Although in practice it has everything that 99% of users need.

Classic TV features:

When it comes to classic features, it is just as good – well, almost. The QN80F supports picture-in-picture, which is a rarely seen but still useful PiP function. We can easily find the EPG, good old teletext (yes, it works!), and the ability to connect external devices via Bluetooth – whether it's headphones or a soundbar. Unfortunately, there is a lack of the option to record to USB from the built-in tuners. This is a minor setback, especially since the competition at a similar price increasingly offers this feature. It may not be a must-have function, but since everything else works so well, it's a pity that this feature is missing a dot over the i.

SAMSUNG QN80F - Apps

8.3/10

SAMSUNG QN80F - Playing files from USB

Video Photos Audio

8.4/10

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

The built-in media player in the QN80F handles most popular video formats – from classic MP4 to slightly more demanding containers. It may not be a powerhouse like VLC, but it's perfectly adequate for home use. The situation is less impressive with photographs – here, unfortunately, it's rather modest. Support is mainly limited to the JPG format, but hey, at least that's the most important one 👌. During our tests, there was also a slight issue with subtitles. The QN80F could only handle the simple text format .txt – other, more advanced formats (like .srt or .sub) were unfortunately not recognised.

SAMSUNG QN80F - Sound

6.7/10

Subjective sound quality

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

Supported codecs

(external HDMI eARC audio)

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

For a television of this class, the QN80F sounds surprisingly good. It supports the Dolby Atmos format, which is worth noting, as this is still not a given in many models in this range. Unlike the thinner QN70F, here you can even feel a slight bass – all thanks to the thicker casing, which simply provides more space for the sound to "breathe." It's perfectly adequate for everyday viewing and series, and with the right settings, one can even be tempted to listen to music without the need for external equipment. However – as is often the case with Samsung, there is unfortunately a lack of support for the DTS:X format, so if we are using audio devices that support this format, we will first need to connect them to the amplifier and only then to the television.