Samsung Neo QLED QN85D / QNX1D vs Sony X85L

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 Sony X85L TV offers solid HDR performance with a brightness level of 750 nits, which is sufficient to enjoy vivid effects. In scenes of moderate difficulty, such as the first, third, or fifth test scenes, a brightness of around 600 nits allows one to fully experience the HDR effect. Unfortunately, in more demanding segments, such as the scene from the movie Sicario 2, the TV shows its limitations. Drops in brightness to 250 nits make the HDR effect lose its impressive quality and resemble regular SDR instead. Nevertheless, it is worth highlighting the very good coverage of the DCI-P3 color palette at 95%, which definitely deserves praise and positively affects the overall image quality.

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 Sony X85L television was tested in IMAX Enhanced mode, which, although associated with world-class cinema, does not guarantee an image that aligns with the director's vision. The main issue is the white balance – there is a noticeable strong dominance of blue color and significant lack of red. As a result, the image becomes unnaturally cool and appears artificial. The color reproduction errors were confirmed by the Colour Checker test, which showed significant discrepancies – colors were "scattered" like shots from a rifle, and only a few samples hit the target values. This clearly shows that the precision of color reproduction leaves much to be desired.

The brightness of the image is one of the positive features of the TV. The gamma for HD content is at an acceptable level, although there are minor errors, but generally, it is quite good. However, the brightness characteristics for 4K materials remain an issue, controlled by the EOTF curve. It is evident that very small, bright elements of the image are too dim, which is a result of the limited number of dimming zones due to the design of the television.

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.

Thanks to the use of calibration tools offered by Sony X85L, the image quality has been significantly improved. After calibration, the white balance for HD content is much more stable, making colors look more natural and the image gains authenticity. Although it is not perfect, these changes allow viewers to enjoy a more realistic representation of colors, eliminating the earlier cool tone. The gamma, which already performed decently, has been adjusted to an even better version. As a result, tonal transitions and brightness are more consistent, positively affecting the depth and detail of the image.

As for 4K content, despite efforts, the white balance still struggles with a deficiency of red, which can result in overly warm colors in some scenes. Synthetic tests showed that the EOTF curve in HDR is quite stable, with a slight boost in mid-bright scenes. However, in real film materials, the TV can still be too bright with fine, light details, which is a result of the limitations of large local dimming technology.

Nonetheless, calibration has brought significant benefits, particularly in color accuracy, improving overall image quality and providing a more natural and cohesive directorial vision.

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.

In terms of smoothing tonal transitions, the Sony X85L television does not offer any dedicated enhancement options, which is a downside. On the other hand, image scaling performs quite well – the television adds a bit of artificial sharpness, which can make details such as tree branches more pronounced, although sometimes with noticeable jaggedness. This type of effect may appeal to some viewers who prefer a more detailed image.

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 Sony X85L, equipped with a 120 Hz panel, will meet the expectations of a wide range of users – from sports and gaming fans to movie buffs. Movie enthusiasts will surely appreciate the presence of one of the best motion smoothing systems, Motionflow. This system offers adjustment via smoothness and clarity sliders – smoothness is responsible for motion fluidity, eliminating stutter, while clarity enhances the sharpness of fast scenes, reducing blur.

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.

Sony X85L offers quite a solid set of features for gamers, making it an attractive choice for gaming enthusiasts. First and foremost, the TV has a 120 Hz panel, translating to smooth and dynamic image display, ideal for both fast-paced action games and more demanding sports titles. It is equipped with two HDMI 2.1 ports with full bandwidth of 48 Gb/s, allowing for the full utilization of next-gen console capabilities. Additionally, the Sony X85L supports VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) technology, which helps reduce stuttering and artifacts during gameplay, providing a fluid experience. The TV also supports G-Sync, which is particularly beneficial for gamers using NVIDIA graphics cards, allowing for screen refresh rate synchronization with GPU performance, eliminating the tearing effect. It is worth mentioning the Game Bar feature, which facilitates quick access to essential gaming-related settings such as VRR, brightness levels, and display modes, making it convenient and useful during gameplay.

However, there are certain limitations. The TV does not support HGiG, which may be a downside for some gamers, as HGiG optimizes HDR effect rendering in games, providing a more authentic visual experience. Additionally, while Dolby Vision mode is available, it is not practical for gaming due to very high input lag.