- Matching (Score) |
- Our verdict |
- Competing TVs |
- TV appearance |
- Where to buy |
- Contrast and black detail |
- HDR effect quality |
- Factory color reproduction |
- Color reproduction after calibration |
- Smoothness of tonal transitions |
- Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions |
- Blur and motion smoothness |
- Console compatibility and gaming features |
- Input lag |
- Compatibility with PC |
- Viewing angles |
- Daytime performance |
- TV features |
- Apps |
- Playing files from USB |
- Sound |
- Panel details
Samsung R85H / R86H Review
R85H / R86H / Micro RGB
Available screen sizes:
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Panel type: LCD VA Refresh rate: 144Hz Brand: SAMSUNG Resolution: 3840x2160 System: Tizen Model year: 2026
This review is an English translation of the Polish original. Read the original on Wybierz.tv.
Samsung R85H is the cheapest model in the manufacturer's line-up this year to use a Micro RGB backlight. That is precisely why it is particularly interesting: it shows how much of Samsung's new technology has been preserved in a TV positioned significantly below the flagship R95H. So we're checking not only how the R85H performs on its own, but above all where the advantages of Micro RGB come to an end when the number of zones and backlight capabilities are considerably more limited.
SAMSUNG R85H - Our verdict
7.7
Overall rating
The Samsung R85H is, above all, a very versatile television that performs well in almost any use. You can place it in a bright living room, connect a console, watch a film or series in the evening, and use it for everyday broadcast TV, and each time you’ll get a picture of a good standard. It may not be a model that makes as strong an impression from the first minutes as Samsung’s best OLEDs, but it’s hard to point to a single feature that would significantly limit its use. That versatility is probably its greatest strength. Naturally, the most attention around the R85H goes to the new "Micro RGB" backlight. From our tests, we’d say it can indeed give some advantage over conventional Mini-LED, although not always in the areas the manufacturer emphasises most. On measurement charts its colour reproduction capabilities are impressive, but in real, more complex scenes the TV is not always able to exploit the full potential of the three-colour backlight. Its strength is most evident in simpler parts of the image, where intense reds, greens or blues can look really striking. Viewing angles are also a little better, as colours viewed at an angle retain their saturation longer than on classic LCD TVs. However, Micro RGB does not solve all the limitations of RGB technology. With very saturated elements you can sometimes notice slight colour bleeding onto neighbouring bright parts of the image, and a relatively small number of local dimming zones means the backlight cannot always operate as precisely as its on-paper capabilities would suggest. The R85H therefore shows that RGB genuinely has potential and could be the next step in the development of LCD televisions, but simply using coloured LEDs does not automatically deliver a huge jump in picture quality. For that reason we would treat the R85H primarily as a slightly better and more interesting alternative to the QN80H, rather than a TV you must buy at all costs just because it carries the Micro RGB badge. If the price difference between the models is reasonable, we would choose the R85H. We would not, however, pay a large premium solely for the new backlight, because its advantage in everyday viewing is not always as great as marketing materials might suggest. Regardless, the R85H is a successful all-purpose TV and that is probably the best way to view it.
Advantages
- Good black levels and contrast, VA panel with local dimming - High HDR brightness, approx. 1000 nits - Very wide colour gamut and colour volume - Matte anti-reflective coating - 144 Hz / 240 Hz panel (DLG) - 4x HDMI 2.1 - Extensive gaming features (ALLM, VRR, low input lag, G-Sync) - Fast and functional Tizen system (7 years of support) - Good viewing angles (for a VA panel) - Adjustable stand width and height
Disadvantages
Limited number of local dimming zones
RGB backlighting isn't always able to realise its full potential
Visible smearing on the VA panel
No Dolby Vision / DTS:X
Movies and series in UHD quality7.3
Classic TV, YouTube7.6
Sports broadcasts (TV and apps)7.2
Gaming on console8.9
TV as a computer monitor8.0
Watching in bright light7.3
Utility functions7.3
Apps9.3
Sound quality7.1
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SAMSUNG R85H - Competing TVs in this price range
SAMSUNG R85H - 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: Legs
Bezel color: Graphite
Stand: Height adjustment, Base adjustment
Flat design: Yes
Accessories: Stand
The R85H stylistically resembles Samsung's well-known Neo QLED models, such as the QN80H. It does not try to pass for a high-end design; the cabinet is solid and tidy, but the plastic feet fairly quickly give away that this is not a flagship. The bezels are narrow on three sides, the bottom edge is noticeably thicker, and the TV itself is not among the slimmest. On the plus side, the flat rear makes the R85H well suited to mounting close to the wall. When placed on a piece of furniture, it's useful that the feet can be adjusted both in width and in height.
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SAMSUNG R85H - Contrast and black detail
7.9/10
Local dimming function: Yes, number of zones: 150 (10 x 15)
Result
182,800:1
Result
46,750:1
Result
22,450:1
Result
10,900:1
Result
9,050:1
The Samsung R85H uses a Micro RGB backlight with local dimming and can perform very well in terms of blacks. In the 55-inch version we tested we counted about 150 zones, so it’s not on a par with the most advanced Mini-LEDs, where that number can run into the thousands. Even so, in many scenes the local dimming algorithm handles things quite effectively. With larger, clearly separated bright objects on a dark background the blacks are deep and the contrast can be very impressive. The halo effect is also reasonably well controlled, so during typical viewing the R85H does demonstrate the benefits of local dimming. The limitations of the small number of zones do show up with more demanding material, particularly when the screen contains many very small bright elements. A good example are scenes with starry skies. In such situations the TV can practically abandon local dimming, causing the black level to rise noticeably and the image to lose a large part of its contrast. Interestingly, we observed similar behaviour even when the bright points were already much fewer, so it appears to be more a quirk of how the algorithm works than solely a physical zone count. Overall, however, the R85H’s blacks are good. It’s not at the level of the most expensive Mini-LEDs with thousands of independently controlled zones, and in difficult scenes the difference is clear. In most material the local dimming nevertheless does its job and delivers significantly better blacks.
Halo effect and black detail visibility:
SAMSUNG R85H - HDR effect quality
5.6/10
Supported formats: HDR10, HDR10+, HLG
Luminance measurements in HDR:
Result
860 nit
Result
214 nit
Result
758 nit
Result
235 nit
Result
912 nit
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.
BT.2020 color gamut coverage and primary color luminance
| Data set | BT.2020 | P3 | R | G | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synthetic patterns | 92.6% | 96.6% | 76% | 74% | 43% |
| Film measurements | 86.3% | 93.2% | 62% | 55% | 73% |
BT.2020 BT.2020 and P3 – average color gamut coverage (percent of the target gamut).
R, G, B – average primary color luminance relative to target (percent).
Scene from the movie “Pan” (about 2800 nits)
Scene from the movie “Billy Lynn” (about 1100 nits)
Numbers alone aren't everything, of course, so we also checked how the R85H performs with ordinary film material. It looks best with content mastered to around 1000 nits. The tonal balance here is really good, the brightest details remain visible, and the picture has good dynamics and can look very impressive. With more demanding material it's still quite good, although the R85H then has to work a bit harder to manage brightness. It can still retain a lot of detail in the brightest parts of the image, but occasionally it tends to blend them together. We saw this, for example, in 'Pan' (2015), where some sunbeams are not as well separated. With such material you may be tempted to switch on active tone mapping, because the TV will then adapt HDR more to its own capabilities. For content mastered to 4000 nits this can produce a more contrasty and generally more impressive image. The problem is that with 1000‑nit material the same mode performs much worse and can seriously spoil the whole picture. That's why for everyday use we still recommend static tone mapping.
HDR luminance chart:
The R85H does not support Dolby Vision, but Samsung has favoured HDR10+ for years, and in the right material that can actually make a difference. In our test scene the difference is visible mainly in the brightest parts of the picture. With standard HDR10 the snow and the bright background sometimes start to merge, causing some details to simply disappear. With HDR10+ the TV handles them better, the snow shows more detail and the whole image no longer looks so flat in the brightest areas. Of course this is not a difference you will see in every film and every scene, but here the dynamic format really showed its advantage over standard HDR10, despite the TV being relatively bright.
Static HDR10
Dynamic: HDR10+
Factory color reproduction
5.4/10
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.
Color reproduction after calibration
8.6/10
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.
SAMSUNG R85H - Smoothness of tonal transitions
8.9/10
Samsung R85H handles tonal transitions quite well, and during normal viewing this is not something that particularly draws attention. On bright gradients the transitions are mostly smooth, and only on closer inspection can slight steps between some brightness levels be noticed. These are not pronounced and do not noticeably affect the viewing experience. It is very similar in darker areas. Here you can also sometimes pick up small steps between similar shades, but there is no issue with heavy banding or obvious breaking up of gradients. Bright skies, fog and darker shadows are all displayed smoothly and without major problems.
Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions
7.5/10
Smooth transition function
Image without overscan on the SD signal
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.
SAMSUNG R85H - Blur and motion smoothness
7.4/10
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: 73%
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.
Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate):
Blur (1080p@240Hz):
A welcome addition is the ability to boost the refresh rate up to 240 Hz when switching the resolution to Full HD. That sounds great on paper and may be particularly useful for PC gamers, but you should not expect 240 Hz alone to solve motion clarity issues. The limitation of the panel used in the R85H remains the panel's response time, and even at such a high refresh rate fast-moving objects still show fairly pronounced motion blur.
SAMSUNG R85H - Console compatibility and gaming features
9.6/10
- ALLM:
Yes
- VRR:
Yes
- VRR range:
48 - 240Hz
- Dolby Vision Game Mode:
No
- Correct implementation of HGIG:
Yes
- 1080p@120Hz:
Yes
- 1440p@120Hz:
Yes
- 4K@120Hz:
Yes
- Game bar:
Yes
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.
SAMSUNG R85H - Input lag
9.6/10
Input lag on the R85H is low, though not record-breaking. At 120 Hz it is around 12–13 ms, and at 60 Hz around 17–18 ms. In practice this makes little difference; the controls are responsive and you won't notice any lag during normal gaming.
| SDR | HDR | Dolby Vision |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p60: 18 ms | 2160p60: 17 ms | |
| 1080p120: 13 ms | 2160p120: 12 ms | |
| 2160p60: 18 ms | ||
| 2160p120: 13 ms |
SAMSUNG R85H - Compatibility with PC
8/10
Chroma 444 (max. resolution and refresh rate): Yes
Font clarity: Average
Readability of dark text and shapes: Poor
Input lag in PC mode (4K, max. refresh rate): 13ms
Matrix subpixel arrangement: BGR
Max refresh rate: 144Hz
G-Sync: Yes
The R85H has a lot to offer when connected to a PC as well. In 4K we can use the full 144 Hz, and if you prioritise frame rate above all else, dropping to Full HD lets the TV push the refresh rate up to 240 Hz. It also supports G-Sync and FreeSync and has low input lag, so the R85H can easily double as a large gaming monitor. Text legibility is somewhat weaker, though. The TV correctly supports 4:4:4 chroma subsampling, so in theory it has everything needed to render fonts sharply. In practice, however, some fonts show small colour artefacts, especially with dark text and high-contrast edges. It’s not a problem that prevents normal use, but if you plan to sit close to the screen and use the R85H mainly as a monitor for text, it’s worth bearing in mind. It is far better suited to PC gaming.
SAMSUNG R85H - Viewing angles
4.8/10
Brightness drop at an angle of 45 degrees: 80%
Viewing angles on the R85H are rather acceptable and that's basically all the praise they get. It's still a VA panel, and panels of this type are not the best choice if you often watch the television from a wide angle. As you move to the side the image loses contrast and blacks start to look increasingly grey. The R85H does, however, have an advantage over conventional VA TVs. Thanks to its tri-colour RGB backlight, colours viewed at an angle don't lose saturation as quickly and the 'washed-out' effect is somewhat less noticeable. If you often watch the television with a larger group and some people sit well to the side, there are screens on the market that handle this task much better.
SAMSUNG R85H - Daytime performance
7.3/10
Panel finish: Satin
Reflection suppression: Good
Black levels during daytime: Good
In a bright room the R85H performs quite well, although much depends on the local dimming setting. For daytime viewing we recommend setting it to High, because the TV noticeably increases its brightness then. On large bright areas it reaches around 600 nits, and on smaller sections it can approach 1000 nits, so the picture remains easy to see even with stronger light in the living room. The satin coating handles reflections reasonably well and in most cases does not turn the screen into a mirror, although strong light sources will of course still be visible.
However, bear in mind that the High setting means the local dimming algorithm works more aggressively. Therefore for evening viewing we recommend switching it to Low. The TV won't be as bright then, but it preserves details in the brightest parts of the image better, which at night we think is much more important than maximum brightness.
Local dimming | 5% | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% | 100% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Low | 445 | 485 | 517 | 532 | 537 | 542 | 551 | 556 | 556 | 573 | 556 |
Panel brightness
Samsung R85H / R86H: 726 cd/m2
SAMSUNG R85H - TV features
7.3/10
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): No
- RF remote control (no need to aim): 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
Television features
If the R85H is also to be used for watching traditional broadcast TV, Samsung offers pretty much everything you would expect from a modern model. Channel navigation is convenient, the programme guide is clear, and switching between channels doesn't take too long. There is also the standard set of tuners and support for CI+ modules. It's a pity, though, that Samsung has for some time been limiting some of the more traditional features that once distinguished feature-rich TVs. It's clear that streaming and the whole Smart TV ecosystem have become far more important to the manufacturer today. For example, you won't find the ability to record TV channels to USB storage or to split the screen using PiP.
Smart TV features
This is handled by the well-known Tizen. The system runs smoothly and provides access to virtually all popular VOD apps, so Netflix, Disney+, Max, Prime Video, YouTube and other local services are available without much trouble. The interface itself is fairly feature-rich and takes a moment to get used to, but afterwards navigating it is very straightforward. Samsung is also developing features that go beyond simply watching films and series. SmartThings lets you connect the R85H to smart home devices and control them directly from the screen. There is AirPlay, smartphone screen mirroring, and Multi View if you want to display two different sources side by side. So it's hard to fault the system in terms of capabilities.
Sound connection options
HDMI audio:
Other audio outputs:
- Toslink: Yes
Wireless audio:
- Bluetooth: Yes
- Samsung Q-Symphony (Speaker extension): Yes
Supported audio formats (external HDMI eARC audio):
- Dolby Digital Plus 7.1: Yes
- Dolby True HD 7.1: Yes
- Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC): Yes
- Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD: Yes
- DTS:X in DTS-HD MA: No
- DTS-HD Master Audio: No
Senior accessibility
- Numeric keyboard on TV: No
- Font size adjustment: Yes
- Audio description: Yes
SAMSUNG R85H - Apps
9.3/10
SAMSUNG R85H - Playing files from USB
9.1/10
| 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 handles most popular video, audio and photo formats. The on-screen menu runs smoothly, and thumbnails load without delay even in folders containing hundreds of files. For photos you can open JPEG, PNG or BMP files in high resolution without any problem, although the list of supported formats has gaps. The most noticeable omission is support for HEIC (iPhone photos) and some more niche formats such as WebP, GIF or TIFF. For a traditional holiday photo slideshow the player is entirely adequate.
SAMSUNG R85H - Sound
7.1/10
89dB
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 audio section of the R85H is a replica of the setup from the QN80H. It uses the same 2.0 stereo kit with 30 W of power, which easily handles dialogue clarity in news programmes and TV series, though for movie blockbusters it's definitely worth adding a soundbar. On board are support for Dolby Atmos, Q-Symphony technology (for pairing with Samsung soundbars) and an "AI Football" mode. The latter lets you use sliders to boost or almost completely remove the commentator's voice relative to the stadium crowd, and although the algorithm can sometimes hesitate, it can be a great addition for fans.
Sound Quality Test:
Acoustic Measurements
89dBC (Max)
75dBC
SAMSUNG R85H - Panel details
Software version during testing: 1204
Panel uniformity and thermal imaging:
Backlight Type: Mini-LED RGB
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Journalist, reviewer, and columnist for the "ChooseTV" portal
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