Samsung Neo QLED QN85D / QNX1D vs Panasonic Z85A

The HDR performance of the Samsung QN85D is a mixed bag. While it excels in synthetic luminance tests, reaching up to 1000 nits, and delivers impressive results in scenes with full-screen brightness – like in The Meg or the opening of Life of Pi – the limitations become apparent when smaller bright elements are introduced. In these cases, the brightness level noticeably dips, weakening the HDR effect and reducing its impact. When brightness hovers around 200-300 nits, the immersive “wow factor” of HDR tends to diminish, and visuals lose some of their intended brilliance.

That said, the QN85D still manages to deliver decent colour quality, covering 95% of the DCI-P3 colour space, which, while respectable, doesn’t set it apart from its top competitors. Colours appear accurate and vibrant, but the HDR experience could be more compelling if the brightness was consistently well-balanced across various content types.

The Panasonic Z85A is an OLED television, so you can expect great effects in movies right away. And indeed – our tests show that the WOLED panel can achieve around 800 nits of peak brightness in optimal conditions. This is a solid result that performs well in most demanding HDR scenes, allowing you to enjoy a dynamic and detailed image. However, like every OLED, the Z85A has its limits. In very bright scenes that cover the entire screen – like the final sequence from the movie The Meg – the television reduces brightness to about 400 nits. This is standard behavior for this technology, so if someone plans to watch movies in a brightly lit living room, it's worth keeping this in mind. The coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut at 98% also deserves a big plus. As a result, the television delivers a wide range of colors that stand out with vibrancy and depth, and details in HDR scenes are sharp and precise. In short – the Panasonic Z85A provides a solid HDR effect that will satisfy any movie enthusiast.

The Samsung QN85D, when tested in Filmmaker Mode, falls short of expectations for film accuracy due to several notable issues in colour and brightness reproduction. In HD content, the white balance is skewed by an excess of red and blue, causing a pinkish tint across the image. This effect, confirmed by Colour Checker tests, impacts the realism of skin tones and other details, becoming particularly distracting in complex scenes.

For 4K HDR content, while the white balance intially appears accurate, there is a pronounced shift towards blue tones at the upper end of the spectrum. This deviation results in colours that lack natural appeal, subtly detracting from the viewing experience. The gamma, although close to the standard reference, slightly dips below the ideal 2.4 level, reducing shadow depth. Moreover, the EOTF curve for 4K content is noticeably elevated above the reference line, leading to excessive brightness in certain image areas. This undermines the cinematic look Filmmaker Mode aims to deliver, creating a visual experience that feels over-bright rather than authentically nuanced.

In summary, while Filmmaker Mode on the QN85D initially presents a cinematic effect, the inaccuracies in colour balance and brightness are too significant to achieve the true-to-source quality that the mode promises.

The Panasonic Z85A offers many picture modes, but the Filmmaker mode definitely stands out from the rest. It is rare for a television to be so well-tuned straight out of the box, and the unit we had the opportunity to test really impressed us positively.

However, there were some minor shortcomings. In the SDR signal, we noticed a slight deficiency in red and blue colors, which made the image have a cooler shade than it should. This is particularly evident in the comparative photo. Conversely, in 4K HDR materials, the situation was the opposite – the excess of red made the image seem warmer than the creators intended. In terms of brightness characteristics (gamma) and maintaining the appropriate EOTF curve, it is hard to find fault. There are some minor deviations, but they are so minimal that the average viewer is unlikely to notice them.

It is also worth emphasizing that our observations pertain to a specific unit of the television. Two identical models can differ from each other due to natural production variations. Nevertheless, the unit we had in hand is really solid and deserves praise. Now it's time for our calibration – we'll see if we can squeeze even more from this screen!

After professional calibration of the Samsung QN85D’s Filmmaker Mode, there's a noticeable enhancement in HD/SDR content quality. The calibration eliminates major issues with white balance, and adjustments to the brightness characteristics result in a more natural and lifelike picture. Regular HD content, like television broadcasts and YouTube videos, now benefits from well-balanced colours, free from the distracting hues that previously impacted image quality.

However, challenges remain with 4K HDR content. Despite calibration, improvements in white balance for HDR are minor, and more cosmetic than transformative. The EOTF curve initially aligns with reference standards in test conditions, but the television struggles to maintain consistent brightness during film scenes. As a result, dark elements appear overly boosted in mixed scenes, creating excessive contrast. In fully dark scenes, the image often becomes too dim, obscuring finer details and diminishing the overall viewing experience. This inconsistency in brightness affects the depth and accuracy of HDR performance, especially in more challenging scenes.

The Panasonic Z85A offers truly wide possibilities when it comes to image settings, so we enthusiastically set about calibration. Although we mainly focused on white balance correction, the final effect exceeded our expectations. Both HD and 4K HDR content now present nearly perfect color reproduction, with minimal errors that are difficult to catch with the naked eye. Well-calibrated televisions are rare, and we must admit – it is truly gratifying. Although gamma and EOTF curve did not require drastic adjustments, we managed to further stabilize their characteristics across the entire brightness scale. After calibration, the Panasonic Z85A is a true gem for home cinema enthusiasts. The image is precise, colors are natural, and every scene looks exactly as the director intended.

When assessing the fluidity of tonal transitions in low-resolution materials on the Samsung QN85D, it's important to consider the noise reduction feature, which significantly improves problematic tonal transitions. However, this feature also has its drawbacks – it removes film grain, a crucial element in many productions that adds authenticity, and it can also soften the image. While this may appeal to those who prefer a smoother image, film enthusiasts who favour the authentic look of films may want to use this feature sparingly.

In terms of image scaling, the television performs very well. The model's figure is presented correctly, without noticeable distortions, and the branches in the background do not suffer from excessive artificial sharpness, a common issue when scaling lower-resolution content. The high capabilities of the image processor are evident, as it effectively handles lower-quality materials, ensuring a high-quality final image.

Now that we know how the Panasonic Z85A handles tonal transitions in 4K materials, it's time to look at its "Gradation Smoothing" feature. It works, but unfortunately not entirely effectively. Regardless of the selected value – whether low, medium, or high – we were unable to achieve perfectly smooth tonal transitions in our test sequence. We recommend setting this feature to an intermediate level. While it may slightly blur fine details, it at least avoids the problem of losing film grain, which can be crucial for many viewers when watching classic productions.

When it comes to image scaling, the television performs quite well. It is evident that the image is slightly sharpened, and thin lines can sometimes appear somewhat jagged. However, this is standard in most televisions and fortunately, it can be adjusted using the sharpness slider. This gives us full control – we can achieve a more plastic, blurred image or a clearer one, though more "harsh" and artificially sharp. It all depends on the user’s preferences and the type of content we are watching. Overall, the scaling is at a solid level and should satisfy most users who are using lower resolution materials.

The Samsung QN85D’s display boasts a 120 Hz refresh rate, which should satisfy both gamers and sports enthusiasts, providing a smooth and dynamic viewing experience. There are options for further improving fluidity, including a blur and judder reduction feature that allows precise adjustment of motion smoothness on a 10-point scale. Blur reduction enhances the sharpness of fast-moving objects, making action scenes clearer, while judder reduction smooths motion to eliminate the "stuttering" effect. Ghosting is generally well-controlled, although minor drawbacks may be noticeable in more demanding scenes, particularly when an object moves against a dark background. Additionally, the television features a BFI (Black Frame Insertion) option at a 60 Hz frequency, which can significantly enhance motion smoothness, although it comes with the potential downside of flicker, which may be bothersome for some viewers.

The Panasonic Z85A has a 120 Hz panel, which will surely please both gamers and sports fans. Sure, it's not 144 Hz like some gaming TVs, but in practice, the difference is really hard to notice. In games, the image is stable and clear, and during fast action, there's no sign of any motion blur. The same goes for sports – a quick run by a soccer player or a dynamic car maneuver looks smooth and natural. The TV also has an "Intelligent Frame Creation" feature, which is a motion smoother. There are two sliders – one for reducing motion blur and the other for motion smoothness. With these, you can adjust the picture to your personal preferences – whether you prefer a more cinematic effect with gentle transitions between frames or a maximally smooth image perfect for watching sports.

The Samsung QN85D is an excellent choice for gamers, offering a wide range of features that elevate gameplay quality and make it even more immersive. With a 120 Hz refresh rate, the image remains incredibly smooth, crucial during fast-paced action scenes in games. The TV also boasts low input lag, making player responses to commands almost instantaneous, enhancing control over characters and events on screen. Additionally, the Samsung QN85D supports VRR (variable refresh rate) and ALLM (auto low latency mode) technologies, optimising image fluidity and reducing lag by automatically adjusting the TV to meet gamers' needs.

The Xbox app, which enables cloud gaming without requiring a console, is another significant advantage, offering a seamless gaming experience without the need for additional hardware – a feature that sets Samsung TVs apart. The Auto Motion Plus Game feature is another notable addition. This motion smoother simulates a higher frame rate, making 30 fps games appear smoother, akin to 45 fps, while games at 60 Hz are upgraded to a 90 Hz experience. Most importantly, this feature does not introduce significant lag, ensuring the comfort of gameplay remains intact. It allows gamers to enjoy a smoother image without compromising responsiveness.

Panasonic is mainly associated with home cinema televisions, but the Z85A shows that it can also enter the gaming world with a really strong punch. This is equipment that can easily be called a gaming beast - it has everything needed for comfortable gameplay.

Even though we only have two HDMI 2.1 ports, both operate at full bandwidth, so we can easily connect both a next-gen console and a gaming PC. All key features are supported: ALLM automatically switches the TV to game mode, VRR ensures smooth images without stuttering and tearing, and with properly implemented HGIG and Dolby Vision, HDR games look really good - colors are vivid, details clear, and dark scenes readable. There is also a Game Bar in the form of a clear, circular menu. It may not look as impressive as with the competition, but it is intuitive and contains all the most important settings that we would like to have at hand during gaming.

In summary - the Panasonic Z85A is equipment that really surprises with its gaming capabilities. It is a television where both console gamers and PC gamers will feel at home. It's smooth, dynamic, and simply good.