Samsung QN900D Neo QLED 8K vs LG MRGB85B

Under synthetic testing conditions, the television showcased its impressive light output, achieving 1400 nits, which is undeniably remarkable. This capability was also evident in the opening scene of Life of Pi, featuring a vibrant sunrise. However, due to certain dimming algorithm issues, some drawbacks are noticeable. For instance, in test scenes from Sicario 2 and the second scene of Life of Pi, the brightness levels dropped to an average of 500-600 nits. While this performance isn't poor by Mini LED standards, expectations were higher given the premium price of the TV. Nonetheless, the set should be commended for covering a wide colour gamut of DCI-P3 at around 96%. Although some technologies offer higher coverage, this is still a commendable result.

LG MRGB85 offers moderate brightness. On test patterns it reaches about 700 nits, which by itself is a decent result. In actual movie scenes the values are lower and most often fall between 400 and 600 nits. Bright, expansive shots perform best. In scenes with a lot of black the TV noticeably limits luminance, trying to maintain the highest possible contrast. The HDR effect is therefore visible, but it is far from the level offered by more advanced Mini-LED designs. Especially in darker parts of films the limitations of edge-lit backlighting and imprecise local dimming become noticeable again.

HDR Colors

A much stronger suit of the MRGB85 is its colors. The TV covers about 95% of the DCI-P3 color space and 74% of BT.2020, allowing HDR material to look vivid and striking. Colors are well saturated, and the difference compared with basic LCD TVs is clearly visible. It is worth noting, however, that this is not a classic RGB backlight, where each of the three primary colors is generated by a separate diode. Red is produced by a PFS phosphor, which expands the palette and yields more saturated red shades. This solution works well for color reproduction, but it does not change the limitations of dimming itself. The LEDs are not driven independently in the way the series name might suggest... so it turns out that Mini RGB is not the same as Mini-LED RGB!

The television includes a Filmmaker mode, intended to present films in the most authentic way possible, but it does come with some issues. For HD content, the white balance shows a dominance of red and blue, giving the image a pinkish hue. Conversely, for 4K HDR content, the levels of blue and red drop, resulting in a warming effect that shifts colours towards yellow tones. Colour Checker tests confirm this tendency, with colour samples visibly drifting in this direction.

In terms of brightness and contrast, the gamma is notably disrupted. The main issue is a marked spike at the start of the graph, indicating that dark details are excessively brightened, which reduces depth in the darkest parts of the image due to zone dimming. For 4K HDR content, the EOTF curve performs reasonably well but falls below the reference level, affecting the overall image dynamics.

We tested the TV in Filmmaker Mode, because among the available settings it produced the image closest to the reference. Factory color reproduction was not perfect. The biggest deviations were in the white balance, with too much red and not enough blue, which pushed the picture noticeably toward warmer tones. Whites took on a slightly yellowish cast, and skin tones and bright areas did not always look natural. It wasn’t a flaw that completely ruined the viewing experience, but in a direct comparison with the same screen after calibration the difference was clearly visible.

After calibration, the Filmmaker mode truly lives up to its name. The white balance for both HD and 4K HDR content has been significantly improved, resulting in more natural and consistent colours. The pink hues in HD content and the yellow tint in 4K HDR have been effectively eliminated, enhancing the realism of the image. As a result, the television now offers much better colour reproduction, positively impacting the overall viewing experience.

However, when it comes to brightness, the gamma curve now reveals a noticeable drop at the beginning, making the darkest details more difficult to discern. The EOTF curve for 4K HDR content remains largely unchanged and still falls short of the reference level, meaning the television continues to struggle with maintaining appropriate brightness. This issue is tied to the aggressive dimming algorithm, which affects overall brightness and black levels.

Despite the limitations associated with local dimming, the television has seen an improvement in colour reproduction quality. The Color Checker test results confirm that the colour samples are now much closer to the standards, resulting in a more natural and visually pleasing image.

Calibration primarily corrected the white balance and removed the previously visible warm tint. After the adjustment, whites no longer had a yellow cast and colors became more neutral and natural. The biggest improvement was seen in SDR content, where the picture looked even and much closer to the reference. A similar effect was achieved in HDR. After calibration the picture became more controlled, although not all of the TV's limitations could be eliminated. The biggest issue remained the intense reds, which were not always reproduced with the necessary precision. In practice the MRGB85 handles everyday SDR content very well, but in more demanding HDR material its limitations remain clearly visible.

The smoothness of tonal transitions in lower-quality materials looks great – the Noise Reduction function effectively smooths tonal transitions while eliminating film grain. Although removing grain is not always desired, the final effect looks very aesthetic, especially for those who prefer a cleaner image.

As for upscaling, the Samsung QN900D demonstrates the enormous capabilities of the new AI technology processor. Photos and materials in lower resolution are upscaled while retaining many details – for example, a photo with a model looks great, devoid of unnecessary jagged edges, and the branches in the background are not overly aliased.

Upscaling and digital image processing perform quite well on the LG MRGB85. The Alpha 8 AI 4K Gen7 processor efficiently upscales lower-resolution content, and you can easily disable overscan regardless of the source. The TV also handles compression artifacts fairly well. The "Smooth Gradation" feature can effectively reduce visible banding and tonal unevenness, but it doesn't always work precisely. At higher settings it can smooth over fine details, for example material textures. On the plus side, it doesn't remove film grain. It's safest to use the "Low" or "Medium" setting, which provides the best compromise between artifact reduction and detail retention.

The Samsung QN900D is currently the fastest television in the world – quite literally. With an impressive refresh rate of 240 Hz at 4K resolution, it offers a remarkable performance that PC gamers will undoubtedly appreciate. Movie enthusiasts will also find much to admire, as Samsung provides a 10-level scale in the picture clarity settings, allowing for extensive image customisation. Users can choose whether they want the television to deliver a smoother, more fluid effect at the highest settings, or a more cinematic experience with visible frames at the lowest settings.

The LG MRGB85 is equipped with a VA panel with a native 144 Hz refresh rate, so it performs very well in terms of motion smoothness. The TV easily handles 120 Hz content from consoles and higher refresh rates when connected to a PC. That matters not only for gaming but also when watching sports, where camera movement is noticeably smoother than on basic 60 Hz models. There's also the TruMotion system, which lets you set the level of motion smoothing yourself. You can keep a more cinematic motion or increase smoothness, which works well for sports broadcasts and TV shows. The range of adjustment is wide, so you can easily tailor the motion smoothing to your preferences.

The Samsung QN900D is excellent for console gaming, packed with features gamers will truly appreciate. It comes with 4 HDMI 2.1 ports, but they do not support the full 48 Gb/s bandwidth. However, for most users, this bandwidth is more than adequate. The TV also supports Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), which ensures smoother gameplay and eliminates screen tearing during fast-paced action. Features like G-Sync and FreeSync are also supported, enhancing compatibility with both consoles and PCs equipped with compatible graphics cards, helping to reduce stuttering and provide a smooth image.

A standout feature exclusive to Samsung is the Xbox Game Pass app, allowing users to stream games directly to the TV without needing an Xbox console. This is a very convenient option for gamers who want to enjoy their favourite games without purchasing additional hardware. The Samsung QN900D also features a Game Bar, which provides quick access to gaming-related settings, making it easy to configure the TV for optimal performance.

The Auto Motion Plus Game function offers a special motion smoothing mode that increases the frame rate (up to 4K@60Hz). Importantly, this does not raise input lag significantly, so players can enjoy smoother visuals without sacrificing responsiveness. With all these features, the Samsung QN900D is a top-tier choice for gamers seeking a television with the best possible specifications.

When it comes to gaming, the LG MRGB85 performs best by far. The manufacturer didn’t skimp on the feature set and essentially brought the full suite of functions from higher-end TVs to this model. You get three HDMI 2.1 ports with full 48 Gbps bandwidth. Each of them supports 4K 120 Hz from consoles, and when connected to a PC also 4K 144 Hz. So you don’t have to worry about which port to plug your console or PC into, since they all offer the same capabilities.

It also includes VRR, AMD FreeSync Premium, NVIDIA G-Sync Compatible, ALLM, and HGiG. Dolby Vision Gaming is present as well, allowing supported games to use high refresh rates and dynamic HDR simultaneously on Xbox. Rounding it out is Game Optimizer, a handy in-game menu for gamers. Without leaving the game you can change the picture profile, brighten shadow details, or check the current frame rate. In terms of gaming features, the MRGB85 therefore offers almost the same as much more expensive LG models.