Samsung Neo QLED QN85D / QNX1D vs Samsung Q8F

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.

In terms of brightness, the Samsung Q8F performs surprisingly well for a television without local dimming. It measures up to 500 nits, which practically means that most movie and series scenes look pleasant, and it definitely cannot be accused of lacking the "HDR effect." In films like Life of Pi or The Meg, the screen was able to glow and deliver light effects at a satisfying level. It struggles more during challenging moments—with dark frames containing single bright points. The global dimming used causes the television to darken the image to maintain deep blacks, but at the cost 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 from the brilliance of individual elements, and this should simply be kept in mind. When it comes to color reproduction, the Q8F utilizes quantum dot technology, which broadens the color range. A DCI-P3 coverage of 91% can be considered a decent result, although it is not a record-breaking achievement compared to other QLEDs.

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.

We decided to check the Filmmaker mode because it provided us with the best picture right out of the box. However, this does not mean it was perfect. The white balance had too much blue and red tint, causing the white to take on a slight purple-pink hue. Such an imbalance affected the visibility of practically all colors, as can be seen in the comparison photo below. The brightness characteristic in SDR content was quite well adjusted, although in HDR materials, we noticed that the television did not always manage its global dimming—at times, the screen was too dim, while at other times it suddenly brightened. Fortunately, issues related to colors can be effectively corrected with calibration tools, so we decided to get to work.

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.

After calibration, we managed to correct the white balance almost to perfection. Older SDR content looks stunning — most errors are within a threshold of 2, which is definitely below the human eye's perception limit. In HDR, we also brought the white balance to the correct level, but a different problem arises here. So why are there still relatively large errors in color reproduction? This is mainly due to the limited color palette and the way the television manages brightness. The applied global dimming technique does not give the user control in the settings, so when analyzing the EOTF curve in HDR films, it is clear that the Q8F can independently modify luminance. This can be considered a certain limitation, but despite this, the image after calibration is still much more enjoyable than in the factory version.

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.

Let's see how the Q8F handles older content, which often has poor quality. Let's start with the positives: the upscaling, which means raising the image to a higher resolution, works really well. The TV handles both classic television and materials from YouTube without giving the impression that we are dealing with something completely unattractive. Materials in very low resolutions, such as 576p, perform worse — the image can be cropped, and unfortunately, the overscan phenomenon cannot be turned off. However, the digital processing itself looks worse too. The noise reduction function, instead of removing unwanted interference, 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 begin to resemble characters from cheap Turkish soap operas. It is therefore hard to consider this option useful — it's best to leave it completely turned off. Perhaps Samsung will refine the operation of this feature in updates, but for now, it’s difficult to regard it as anything other than an unnecessary addition.

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.

Due to the 60 Hz panel, it's hard to call the Q8F a television made for gaming or watching sports. The panel isn't particularly fast, making motion blur clearly visible. If you were counting on spectacular, almost "stadium-like" experiences during broadcasts, you might feel a slight disappointment. Fortunately, in the case of movies and series, Samsung has not abandoned motion smoothing features. This is nothing other than a motion smoother that allows improving the fluidity of productions recorded at 24 or 30 frames per second. Thanks to this, one can decide whether they prefer a smoother, "television" image or to maintain a cinematic quality. It all depends on the viewer's preferences, and the ability to adjust this parameter is undoubtedly a plus.

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.

It is not entirely clear what Samsung has mixed up this year with its televisions, but the Q8F is not free from all the confusion with updates and shortcomings. While its older cousin, the Q67D, could still be recommended to casual gamers with a clear conscience, it's hard to find a reason to do so here. Aside from the automatic game mode and the attractively designed Game Bar, we practically get nothing that could attract gamers. The lack of proper HGiG implementation is a big problem, especially since function simply disappeared after the 1126 update. The issue with VRR is even worse. Although it is featured in the manufacturer's brochures and appears in the Game Bar, we couldn't activate it. The Xbox Series X console did not allow it to be activated at all, and the option remained grayed out and inactive. It's hard to praise such a television even to casual gamers, which is a shame because Samsung has had a strong bargaining chip in the gaming segment for years.