TCL A300W NXTVision vs Samsung QN85F

Direct comparison

A300W / A300W PRO / NXTVision

Info

QN85F

Available screen sizes: 55”65”75”

Available screen sizes: 55”65”75”85”

Panel type: LCD VA

Resolution: 3840x2160

System: Google TV

Model year: 2024

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Panel type: LCD VA

Resolution: 3840x2160

System: Tizen

Model year: 2025

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Overall rating

6.5

7.6

  • Movies and series in UHD quality

    6.3

    7.3

  • Classic TV, YouTube

    6.0

    7.1

  • Sports broadcasts (TV and apps)

    5.9

    6.7

  • Gaming on console

    8.2

    9.0

  • TV as a computer monitor

    8.2

    8.4

  • Watching in bright light

    4.7

    6.9

  • Utility functions

    7.0

    7.3

  • Apps

    9.6

    9.3

  • Sound quality

    6.0

    7.6

Advantages

  • Frames styled like a painting included

  • Mount included

  • VA matrix with decent contrast

  • Supports all popular HDR formats, including Dolby Vision and HDR10+

  • Great for gamers: VRR, G-Sync, ALLM, low input lag

  • High refresh rate - 144Hz

  • Free "picture mode"

  • Supports DTS:X and Dolby Atmos

  • GoogleTV operating system with the largest app base

  • High HDR brightness (even 1700–1800 nits)

  • Very good contrast and deep blacks

  • 2 times higher number of dimming zones than its predecessor (55")

  • 144 Hz panel with VRR and ALLM support

  • Original Game Motion Plus feature – a unique smoother in gaming

  • Low input lag

  • Satin finish of the panel works great during the day combined with high brightness

  • Extensive Tizen platform: with AirPlay, SmartThings, and convenient solar remote

  • Beautifully designed base. Hybrid – can be a central stand or side legs

  • Solid sound with pleasant bass and Dolby Atmos support

Disadvantages

No like
  • Low brightness

  • Motion blur issues

  • Missing USB recording feature or PiP

  • Worse image quality in "art mode" than Samsung The Frame

  • Colors and blacks significantly fade under sunlight

  • No VESA standard

  • Software bugs

  • No Dolby Vision and DTS:X support

  • No recording function from built-in tuners and PiP

  • Issue with HEIC files in the player

Our verdict

At first glance, it's clear that the TCL A300 NXTVision wants to be more than just an ordinary television. It offers an image display mode that – unlike its competitors from Korea, Samsung The Frame – is completely free of charge. Additionally, like its rivals, freebies are included. In the package, in addition to the television, we find extra frames imitating light wood as well as a flat wall mount, allowing the television to truly resemble a gallery piece. In terms of everyday use, the Google TV system makes the biggest impression – it's extensive, fast, and offers access to a vast number of applications. And if we feel like stepping out of the digital museum and jumping straight into the gaming world, the A300 can surprise us. Two HDMI 2.1 ports, 144 Hz, VRR, ALLM, and very low input lag mean that even demanding gamers can feel at home here. Well... maybe except for those who are sensitive to ghosting – because that's still one of the model's major issues. There are also downsides. Although the picture mode is free – and that's worth appreciating – the quality of the available graphics clearly falls short of what Samsung offers in its paid ART Store. The images displayed resemble photos rather than realistic reproductions of artworks. Unfortunately, the A300 – like the competing Hisense S7NQ – performs poorly in this regard and additionally has some software issues. The brightness of the television itself also leaves much to be desired – it is the darkest television of the entire “frame trio,” which translates to average experiences during the day and limited HDR effects. Nevertheless, the TCL A300 NXTVision is a quite reasonable alternative to Samsung The Frame or S7NQ – especially if we are looking for a more affordable solution without additional fees for access to the "gallery" mode and with an operating system that doesn't limit us in terms of the number of applications. However, it should be noted that this is a proposition with a lot of compromises. If we want to save a bit and aren’t expecting top-end picture quality, then the A300 could be a picture-perfect choice. Otherwise, it’s worth looking at its competition.

The Samsung QN85F is a television that perfectly shows why the Neo QLED line was created in the first place. On one hand, it offers everything that a modern user expects – high brightness, excellent fluidity, and full support for gamers. On the other hand, it's still an LCD, which means a technology that requires certain compromises. The only question is whether these compromises actually interfere with everyday use? In practice, it’s hard not to be impressed by how the QN85F handles HDR movies. With a brightness level of 1700–1800 nits, when watching dynamic scenes, we truly feel the "HDR spark" that many competing televisions lack. The lighting effects in movies or series can literally overwhelm with intensity, while at the same time, the television does not lose details and doesn’t turn the whole image into a washed-out spot. This is the kind of spectacularity that viewers investing in a new screen are looking for. Gamers also have reasons to be pleased. There’s support for 144 Hz, Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM). This is already a must-have in this class, but Samsung goes further and adds the unique Game Motion Plus feature. Thanks to this, the image in games becomes smoother, resembling the action of a motion smoother, but without a noticeable increase in latency. This is a solution that truly distinguishes the QN85F from the competition. On top of all this, there is everyday convenience. The Tizen system is fast, stable, and full of applications that we actually use – from Netflix, through Apple TV, to YouTube or Disney+. Additionally, it supports AirPlay, has an extensive SmartThings platform, and the remote, which instead of intimidating us with dozens of buttons, provides simple controls and quick access to the most important functions. This makes the QN85F a television that you just want to reach for every day. Of course, one could list shortcomings. There’s no Dolby Vision, no USB recording, or Picture-in-Picture, and the viewing angles typical of VA panels won’t impress if you sit at a large angle. But all of this pales in comparison to how universal and refined the QN85F is. During the day, it performs excellently in bright rooms, in the evening, it delivers cinematic emotions in HDR, and in games, it provides fluidity and low input lag that other models could envy. Overall, the QN85F is a television that not only successfully continues the cost-effectiveness tradition of its predecessor, the QN85D, but also develops it with several strong points. It's hardware that is hard to define as anything other than a "safe choice" – one that won’t disappoint in any scenario and is likely to meet the expectations of even the most demanding users.

TV appearance

HDMI inputs
2 x HDMI 2.0, 2 x HDMI 2.1 (48Gbps)
0 x HDMI 2.0, 4 x HDMI 2.1 (48Gbps)
Other inputs
Outputs
Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI)
Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI)
Network Interfaces
Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
Build quality
Good
Good
Stand type
stand-type-
Legs
Bezel color
White
Silver
Stand
Height adjustment, Base adjustment
Flat design
Yes
Yes
Accessories
Stand, Changeable frames
Stand

Contrast and black detail

5.5/10

7/10

Local dimming function: No

Local dimming function: Yes, number of zones: 240 (20 x 12)

Contrast:

Review TCL A300W NXTVision Contrast and black detail

Result

5,000:1

Review TCL A300W NXTVision Contrast and black detail

Result

5,450:1

Review TCL A300W NXTVision Contrast and black detail

Result

3,800:1

Review TCL A300W NXTVision Contrast and black detail

Result

4,000:1

Review TCL A300W NXTVision Contrast and black detail

Result

3,950:1

Review Samsung QN85F  Contrast and black detail

Result

101,800:1

Review Samsung QN85F  Contrast and black detail

Result

18,650:1

Review Samsung QN85F  Contrast and black detail

Result

47,050:1

Review Samsung QN85F  Contrast and black detail

Result

9,700:1

Review Samsung QN85F  Contrast and black detail

Result

4,350:1

Halo effect and black detail visibility:

Check the visibility of bright lights on a dark background. Mini-LEDs often struggle with this. The photo does not compare black levels – that’s what the video below is for.

The video accurately shows differences in contrast and black levels between TVs, as well as potential issues: halo around bright objects or Mini-LED zone operation visible as brightness jumps.

TCL A300, also known as NXTVision, uses a VA panel, so right from the start, decent contrast could be expected. In our test patterns, the television did indeed show typical results for this type of panel – in the best case, the contrast reached about 5000:1, which is not a bad result for this segment.

However, it should be noted that the model is not equipped with any local dimming technology, which unfortunately shows in practice. Black, although at times quite deep, often shifts to blue or gray – especially in darker scenes. In short: for a television without local dimming, it's not bad, but there’s no point in comparing it to models that already have that feature on board.

Our editorial team received a 55-inch model with a VA panel. In the case of NeoQLEDs, which are TVs with Mini-LED backlighting, size is incredibly important because the larger the screen, the more local dimming zones it can have. This directly translates to higher contrast. In the variant we tested, we counted as many as 240 dimming zones, which is twice as many as in last year's QN85D. Theoretically, such an increase should bring an equally impressive improvement in contrast. Unfortunately, practice showed something different – the QN85F offers results very similar to its predecessor. Yes, in some scenes with a lot of black or in areas where details in the highlights are crucial, there is progress, but it is not proportional to the number of zones. Mini-LED technology can be capricious, and sometimes around small, bright objects, there are subtle halos. This is a typical compromise that one must accept with such a solution. Nevertheless, the contrast in the QN85F is at a very high level and will easily satisfy most users, even the more demanding ones. However, we have the impression that Samsung could refine the algorithms controlling dimming because we know from experience that they can perform really well in other models.

HDR effect quality

5/10

6.9/10

Supported formats
HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, Dolby Vision IQ, HLG
HDR10, HDR10+, HLG
Color gamut coverage
DCI P3: 94.2%, Bt.2020: 71.0%
DCI P3: 89.7%, Bt.2020: 69.8%

Luminance measurements in HDR:

Review TCL A300W NXTVision Brightness measurement

Result

357 nit

Review TCL A300W NXTVision Brightness measurement

Result

348 nit

Review TCL A300W NXTVision Brightness measurement

Result

338 nit

Review TCL A300W NXTVision Brightness measurement

Result

350 nit

Review TCL A300W NXTVision Brightness measurement

Result

389 nit

Review Samsung QN85F  Brightness measurement

Result

1248 nit

Review Samsung QN85F  Brightness measurement

Result

860 nit

Review Samsung QN85F  Brightness measurement

Result

1093 nit

Review Samsung QN85F  Brightness measurement

Result

465 nit

Review Samsung QN85F  Brightness measurement

Result

957 nit

Scene from the movie “Pan” (about 2800 nits)

Scene from the movie “Billy Lynn” (about 1100 nits)

The photos show two HDR10 movies. 'Pan' is one of the brightest productions ever made, while 'Billy Lynn' (soldier) has brightness typical of streaming (Netflix, Prime, HBO MAX). Notice the intensity of effects and detail in whites.

Static HDR10

The photos present the visibility of white details in various HDR formats. They do not show brightness differences between TVs (these can be compared in the previous gallery).

Dynamic: Dolby Vision

Dynamic: HDR10+

The photos present the visibility of white details in various HDR formats. They do not show brightness differences between TVs (these can be compared in the previous gallery).

HDR luminance chart:

Samsung QN85F

TCL A300W NXTVision

When it comes to brightness, the TCL A300W is definitely the darkest TV among all frame-style models, such as Samsung The Frame or Hisense CanvasTV – and unfortunately, this is immediately noticeable. In our measurements, the peak luminance reached only about 400 nits, and on test film screens, this value dropped to 350 nits. This is definitely too little to feel the true "magic" of bright HDR effects. As a consolation – the TV is equipped with a PFS LED coating (which is something like QLED), which provides very good coverage of a wide color palette, both DCI-P3 and BT.2020. Additionally, there is full support for all popular HDR formats – HDR10, HDR10+, HLG, and Dolby Vision – which somewhat compensates for the shortcomings in brightness and helps improve the overall perception of materials in this quality.

Although the more than double number of dimming zones compared to its predecessor has not translated into a spectacular jump in black levels and contrast, we definitely felt it in the HDR effect itself. The QN85F is up to 50% brighter than last year's model, making a huge impression in dynamic scenes. The peak brightness can reach nearly 1700–1800 nits, which is truly impressive in this Mini-LED class. The best part is that almost regardless of the scene being viewed, the HDR effect remains strong and vibrant. In four out of five test scenes, the brightness was around 1000 nits, a level that in most cases allows viewers to feel the true magic of this format. Of course, in scene number 4 from the movie Sicario 2, the limitations of Mini-LED technology become apparent – the brightness of the helicopter's spotlight drops to around 500 nits. It's not an outstanding result, but it's still much more acceptable than in last year's model. Samsung deserves applause, as the improvement in brightness in the QN85F is substantial compared to its predecessor. However, it's a pity about a certain trend seen in this year’s televisions – the manufacturer has worsened the color gamut coverage. Although the QN85F has a QLED panel, its result of around 90% DCI-P3 is average, and in the most demanding films, it can lead to less vibrant colors than in the predecessor. Despite this shortcoming, the overall HDR effect is at an excellent level and really makes a big impression in this class of devices.

Factory color reproduction

5.9/10

4.8/10

This gallery shows how colors change after professional TV calibration. If you notice the difference, we recommend ordering this service at SkalibrujTV.com.

Factory Mode

After calibration

This gallery shows how colors change after professional TV calibration. If you notice the difference, we recommend ordering this service at SkalibrujTV.com.

Factory Mode

After calibration

TCL A300 offers several picture modes, but without a doubt, the movie mode performs the best. Unfortunately, although it is the best choice among the available options, it is not free from errors. Both in HD and HDR content, the image has a noticeably too warm tint – leaning slightly towards pink, which is particularly noticeable in snowy scenes. Instead of pure white, we get a pinkish hue that spoils the natural perception of colors.

The brightness management doesn't perform well either. For older HD materials, the image often seems too dark – as confirmed by the inflated gamma value. Conversely, with HDR content, the effect is reversed – the image is overly brightened, which we observed in scenes from the movie Pan. This lack of consistency also affects color reproduction accuracy – a test with the ColorChecker showed that many samples deviate significantly from the reference values.

Fortunately, TCL allows manual adjustment of the settings, so we decided to check how the television would perform after our professional calibration. The effects of this correction are described below.

The Samsung QN85F offers several preset picture modes, but out of the box, the television starts in "Eco" mode. We could actually end the discussion here, because for such a model, using this setting makes no sense – the picture is washed out, unpleasant, and far from what we expect from a television of this class. Therefore, we conducted our tests in the best available mode, which is the Filmmaker mode. Its purpose is to faithfully reproduce what the directors saw while filming, and indeed, this setting performs best among all the factory options. However, this does not mean it is free of flaws.

Both in SDR and HDR, the QN85F strongly highlighted warm colors. This stemmed from a lack of white balance, with a noticeable absence of blue. Additionally, the picture sometimes appeared overexposed – both the gamma brightness characteristic and the EOTF curve indicated that the television has a tendency to blow out scenes. In SDR, the color reproduction errors (Delta E at levels of 4–5) were still acceptable, but in HDR, the inaccuracies became really significant and clearly deviated from what the creators intended to show us. Fortunately, Samsung provides a wide range of calibration tools in its televisions, so – as always – we proceeded with professional calibration to see how much could be improved.

Color reproduction after calibration

8/10

8.5/10

The photos show how movies look on the TV. Pay attention to black detail visibility, colors, and shadow tint.

The photos show how movies look on the TV. Pay attention to black detail visibility, colors, and shadow tint.

After our professional calibration, the TCL A300 literally got a new lease on life. The image is no longer too warm, and the colors finally look the way they should – which was confirmed by the ColorChecker test, where the color samples finally started hitting their marks, at least to some reasonable degree. It was also possible to partially correct the brightness management – the image is now more balanced and less "wobbly" between different types of content. Of course, certain limitations cannot be overcome – a slightly noticeable blooming effect still occurs, but that's a characteristic of the technology, not something that can be eliminated even after professional settings.

Generally: after calibration, the A300 looks significantly better and gains a completely new quality.

After calibrating the movie mode, we managed to tame the colors in both modes to nearly perfection – most of them did not exceed an error value of 3, which is the limit of visibility to the human eye. The image became more natural, fuller, and at the same time devoid of the blooming that was noticeable right after taking the TV out of the box. This shows how much potential lies in the QN85F and how well it responds to precise settings. However, this does not change the fact that certain technological barriers cannot be overcome. Despite the significant benefits of calibration, limitations of the panel itself still remain. Although the number of dimming zones has doubled compared to its predecessor, the algorithms controlling the backlighting can manipulate brightness in their own way. Sometimes this leads to slight color distortions or subtly visible halo effects around bright objects. Nonetheless, the reception after calibration is really pleasant and shows how good a screen the QN85F can be if we just take a moment for the right settings.

Smoothness of tonal transitions

8.6/10

9/10

These are selected scenes that show smooth tonal transitions from one color to another. If you see distinct banding, it’s the TV panel’s fault.

These are selected scenes that show smooth tonal transitions from one color to another. If you see distinct banding, it’s the TV panel’s fault.

These are selected scenes that show smooth tonal transitions from one color to another. If you see distinct banding, it’s the TV panel’s fault.

These are selected scenes that show smooth tonal transitions from one color to another. If you see distinct banding, it’s the TV panel’s fault.

TCL A300 NXTVision is another frame-style television that really handles the smoothness of color transitions well. It's hard to find clear bands or sharp transitions between shades of the same color here – the overall look is natural and smooth.

However, it must be honestly admitted that among the three tested models (The Frame and S7NQ), TCL performs the weakest in this category. In darker and lighter scenes, delicate imperfections can be noticed. Nevertheless, looking at it as a whole, for a TV in this price range – it really presents itself solidly. It may not be the best among all, but it maintains a very good level.

Minor color errors are practically unnoticeable; it is the smoothness of tonal transitions that is a category that even a less experienced viewer will notice. Unfortunate bands and artificial lines can completely ruin the perception of the image. Fortunately, the QN85F handles this aspect almost perfectly. Gradients are smooth, transitions between colors are seamless, and there are no artificial strokes or clear lines separating the hues on the screen. The image remains cohesive, and nothing distracts our attention from the content. Only under very extreme conditions did we notice slight issues in the gray palette, but this is a drawback typical of most televisions and it's hard to consider it a serious downside. In practice, while watching movies, we encountered no problems.

Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions

5.5/10

7.5/10

Image without overscan on the SD signal
OK
No
Smooth transition function
OK
OK

Smooth transition function

The match photo shows how the TV smooths weak tonal transitions in low-quality video.

Image scaling SD (576i)

The model photo shows how it handles upscaling of SD material.

TCL A300 handles tonal transitions in high-quality films very well, but the question arises – how does it perform with weaker materials? The television is equipped with a tonal transition smoothing feature, but its effectiveness can be described in one word: "random." In one scene it may work and improve the gradation, and when turned off… the effect remains the same. There is a lack of consistency and predictability.

Image scaling is also not one of the A300's strong suits. In the test pattern, the main character actually looked better than on the raw signal, but with thin lines – like fonts or background details – there was noticeable jaggedness and aliasing. On the plus side, the television does not cut off the image and has no issues with overscan, but the overall quality of scaling is rather average.

Although the native tonal transitions on the QN85F perform excellently with 4K materials, we don't always deal with content in the highest resolution. That's when it becomes crucial how the television handles upscaling and digital image processing. This process is managed by Samsung's proprietary processor – AI NQ4 Gen2. In practice, it works very efficiently. If visible color banding or other undesirable phenomena appear on the screen, for example in materials from YouTube, they can be easily smoothed out using the "noise reduction" function. Set to medium, it improves tonal transitions while not excessively blurring desired details. However, it's important to remember that – as with most Samsung televisions – this feature significantly affects the film grain. Therefore, during movie screenings, it's advisable to use it cautiously to maintain the natural character of the image.

The upscaling itself looks very good. Test materials in lower resolutions were displayed sharply and clearly, with a lot of detail. The only drawback remains the issue of overscan, which is cutting off the edges of the screen. In most situations, this is not noticeable, but with very old materials below HD quality, there may be instances where part of the image on the left side is slightly cropped.

Blur and motion smoothness

6.4/10

7/10

Maximum refresh rate of the panel
144Hz
144Hz
Film motion smoothing option
OK
OK
Blur reduction option
OK
OK
BFI function 60Hz
No
Yes, 60Hz (image flickers)
BFI function 120Hz
No
No
Brightness drop with BFI
0%
68%

Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate):

Blur (BFI function enabled):

Image flickers in this mode

Blur ():

Blur (4K@144Hz):

The TCL A300 is equipped with a 144 Hz panel, which should immediately satisfy practically everyone – both gamers and sports fans. The motion is smooth, and the picture is clear even in fast scenes. Additionally, the television offers a motion enhancement feature called "Motion," where we can find two sliders on a 10-point scale. These allow for adjusting the effect to personal preferences – from a classic, cinematic look with visible frames to a very smooth (though already unnatural) image reminiscent of a soap opera effect. Thanks to this, everyone can find a setting that suits them.

Motion blur and fluidity of motion in the QN85F is a topic worth discussing in more detail, as the television is equipped not with a standard 120 Hz panel, but with a 144 Hz panel. The additional hertz will primarily be appreciated by PC gamers, but the mere presence of such an option can be seen as a nice addition and a sign of the times – it’s hard to complain about the trend towards faster panels, since in practice, each of us would like the image to be as fluid as possible. However, the most important thing is how the television handles typical 120 Hz refresh rates – in the case of consoles, sports, or films recorded at 24 or 30 frames per second. And here, the QN85F performs really well. In movies, you can easily adjust the character of the image thanks to the “picture clarity” function, where we find two adjustable sliders. Key for viewing sessions is the one responsible for reducing motion blur. Lower values give the image a more cinematic character with preserved “frame rate,” while higher values lead to a strong smoothing that resembles television theater.

Console compatibility and gaming features

9.8/10

9.6/10

  • ALLM
    Yes
    Yes
  • VRR
    Yes
    Yes
  • VRR range
    48 - 144Hz
    48 - 144Hz
  • Dolby Vision Game Mode
    Yes
    No
  • Correct implementation of HGIG
    Yes
    Yes
  • 1080p@120Hz
    Yes
    Yes
  • 1440p@120Hz
    Yes
    Yes
  • 4K@120Hz
    Yes
    Yes
  • Game bar
    Yes
    Yes

TCL A300 is a television designed not only to transport us to a digital art museum but also to a full-fledged gaming world. It offers practically everything you would expect from gear for gamers: two HDMI 2.1 ports with full bandwidth, 144 Hz refresh rate, VRR support, and ALLM.

The correct implementation of the HGIG mode is also a plus – something that competing Hisense sometimes struggles with. The television easily handles lower resolutions (e.g., Full HD) while maintaining high refresh rates, which will be appreciated by owners of older consoles or PCs.

In addition, there’s an attractive and clear GameBar that facilitates quick access to settings for gamers. The A300 is truly well-prepared for gaming at the highest level – it's just a shame that issues with motion blur slightly tarnish its overall image as a gaming device.

The Samsung QN85F makes a great impression in terms of features for gamers. It has four HDMI 2.1 ports, so we can easily connect several devices at once. There is also variable refresh rate (VRR) to prevent screen tearing, as well as automatic game mode (ALLM), which allows the TV to switch to the appropriate settings automatically when we start the console. Additionally, it supports refresh rates of up to 144 Hz – something that PC gamers will particularly appreciate, but the mere fact that such an option is available shows that Samsung is fully supporting gamers. The Game Bar panel deserves praise as well. It's a quick glance at key parameters – from frame rate to refresh mode to shortcuts for picture settings. Instead of sifting through the entire menu, everything is at our fingertips, which turns out to be really convenient in practice. However, the most interesting addition is the Game Motion Plus feature. It's nothing more than motion smoothing, transferred into the gaming world. When enabled, the picture becomes smoother, sometimes it even looks as though we're getting several more frames, and importantly, the response delay does not increase enough to interfere with gameplay. This solution truly sets Samsung's 120Hz TVs apart from the competition.

[UPDATE] We have updated our tests of Samsung TVs for the 2025 model year due to the release of software version 1131, which restored the crucial feature for gamers, HGiG.

The only serious downside remains the lack of proper HGiG support. This is a standard responsible for correct tone mapping in HDR games, ensuring that brightness and contrast are displayed as intended by the creators. Without HGiG, we have to adjust the brightness manually, which doesn’t always yield ideal results. The feature was available in previous models, but it disappeared from the QN85F after one of the updates. We hope that Samsung will quickly fix this issue, and we will keep checking to see if it has been resolved.

Input lag

9.7/10

9.8/10

SDR

1080p60
18 ms
16 ms
1080p120
9 ms
9 ms
2160p60
18 ms
16 ms
2160p120
9 ms
9 ms

HDR

2160p60
18 ms
13 ms
2160p120
9 ms
12 ms
4320p60

Dolby Vision

2160p60 DV
23 ms
2160p120 DV
12 ms

In terms of input lag, the TCL A300 performs really well. Values below 10 ms at a 120 Hz refresh rate are something many gamers dream of – such low lag is practically imperceptible, both during everyday gaming and in more demanding esports titles. One could indeed point out the result of 23 ms in Dolby Vision mode at 60 frames, but it is still a low enough value that it's hard to have serious objections. In this category, the A300 truly excels.

The input lag on the QN85F is at a very high level. With content at 120 or 144 Hz, the values often oscillated below 10 ms, which is an absolutely remarkable result. Naturally, when playing at 60 Hz, the lag doubles, but it still remains low enough that in practice it is virtually unnoticeable. Thanks to this, the QN85F will be suitable for both dynamic e-sports games and calmer console titles.

Compatibility with PC

8.2/10

8.4/10

Chroma 444 (max. resolution and refresh rate)
Yes
Yes
Font clarity
Good
Very Good
Readability of dark text and shapes
Average
Average
Input lag in PC mode (4K, max. refresh rate)
11ms
9ms
Matrix subpixel arrangement
BGR
BGR
Max refresh rate
144Hz
144Hz
G-Sync
Yes
Yes

The photo shows the legibility of small fonts. Ideally, lines should be the same thickness on both light and dark text, with minimal pixel gaps.

If we plan to use the TCL A300 as a monitor for a computer, we may be pleasantly surprised. The television performs really well in this role. It is equipped with a 144 Hz panel, supports G-Sync, and, as we mentioned, offers very low input lag, so gaming on it with a connected PC is pure pleasure.

Working with text is also possible, although with some limitations. The TCL A300 has slight issues displaying dark fonts and thin lines – this stems from the structure of the subpixels, which can be somewhat bothersome in everyday use, even though it looks better in pictures than in reality.

The television supports chroma 4:4:4, but only up to 120 Hz. That's why we noted that this feature is available, but with a limitation – if we care about perfectly legible fonts, it's worth sticking to a refresh rate of 120 Hz. At 144 Hz, the sharpness of the text may suffer slightly.

The QN85F performs really well in terms of cooperation with a computer. Thanks to the PC mode with a refresh rate of up to 144 Hz, support for G-Sync, and low input lag, gaming on a personal computer is very enjoyable and should not cause irritation even for more demanding players. The readability of fonts also looks good – the television supports chroma 4:4:4, so standard texts appear sharp and clear. A problem arises only with very thin letters. Regardless of the refresh rate setting – whether it’s 144, 120, or 60 Hz – horizontal, thin lines were hardly visible. Reducing the refresh rate slightly improved the situation, but never enough to say that they were displayed perfectly.

Viewing angles

3.2/10

3.2/10

Brightness drop at an angle of 45 degrees
79%
73%

The viewing angles on the TCL A300 NXTVision are – let's be honest – average. The television is equipped with a VA panel, which inherently has quite limited angles, and unfortunately, you can clearly see that here. The film below speaks for itself – even a slight deviation from the axis results in a noticeable drop in contrast and color saturation. It’s a pity that this is another frame-style television that hasn’t done anything about it. After all, we don’t always have the option to sit perfectly straight in front – especially if the device is also meant to serve a decorative function in the living room.

The viewing angles on the QN85F are a classic Achilles' heel of most LCD TVs with VA panels. When looking at the screen at an angle, there is a noticeable drop in brightness fairly quickly, and whites begin to gray out while colors lose their intensity. This is the price to pay for the high contrast that this technology offers. Samsung could have aimed for a better coating to widen the viewing angles in this model, but it is not found here. In practice, this means that the best viewing experience will be achieved when sitting directly in front of the TV, and any significant deviation will result in a clear loss of image quality.

Daytime performance

4.7/10

6.9/10

Panel finish
Matte
Satin
Reflection suppression
Good
Good
Black levels during daytime
Poor
Good

Panel brightness

Samsung QN85F : 690 cd/m2

TCL A300W NXTVision: 388 cd/m2

The TCL A300 NXTVision is equipped with a matte panel very similar to the one found in one of its Chinese competitors – the Hisense S7NQ model. Such a surface does quite well in suppressing reflections, although it must be admitted that it performs worse than Samsung's The Frame, which offers a definitely higher level in this respect. As is often the case with matte displays, blacks during the day lose depth and appear more gray than black – and this is no different here. Unfortunately, the fact that the A300 is the darkest television among the tested trio does not help either. As a result, it has a real problem standing out in heavily sunlit rooms.

QN85F performs excellently during the day. The satin coating of the panel combined with high brightness makes it a television designed for bright rooms. Colors do not lose their intensity, and the image does not wash out even when a lot of light comes in. The television itself is bright enough to handle a living room with large south-facing windows without any problems. Thus, the QN85F provides an image that allows us to watch movies or games during the day without annoying reflections and the feeling that the picture is fading in the sunlight.

Panel details

Backlight Type
PFS LED
Mini-LED QLED
Software version during testing
TVM6.0.1_549fe6714_240813
T-PTMFDEUC-0090-1126.0, E2540300, BT-S
Image processor
mt5896 2,5GB RAM

Subpixel Structure:

Panel uniformity and thermal imaging:

Review TCL A300W NXTVision TV Panel details
Review Samsung QN85F TV Panel details

TCL A300W NXTVision

Samsung QN85F

TV features

7/10

7.3/10

  • HDMI inputs
    2 x HDMI 2.0, 2 x HDMI 2.1 48Gbps
    0 x HDMI 2.0, 4 x HDMI 2.1 48Gbps
  • Outputs
    Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI)
    Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI)
  • Network Interfaces
    Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
    Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
  • TV reception
    DVB-T, DVB-T2, DVB-S, DVB-S2, DVB-C
    DVB-T, DVB-T2, DVB-S, DVB-S2, DVB-C

Classic features:

  • Recording to USB (terrestrial TV)
    No
    No
  • Recording programming
    No
    No
  • Picture in Picture (PiP)
    No
    No
  • RF remote control (no need to aim)
    Yes
    Yes
  • Backlit remote control
    No
    No
  • Teletext
    Yes
    Yes
  • Audio only mode
    Yes
    Yes
  • Bluetooth headphones support
    Yes
    Yes
  • Simultaneous Bluetooth headphones & TV audio
    Yes
    Yes

Smart features:

  • AirPlay
    Yes
    Yes
  • Screen mirroring (Windows Miracast)
    Yes
    Yes
  • Voice search
    Yes
    Yes
  • Voice search in native language
    Yes
    Yes
  • Ability to connect a keyboard and mouse
    Yes
    Yes
Review TCL A300W NXTVision TV features
Review TCL A300W NXTVision TV features
Review TCL A300W NXTVision TV features
Review TCL A300W NXTVision TV features
Review Samsung QN85F  TV features
Review Samsung QN85F  TV features
Review Samsung QN85F  TV features
Review Samsung QN85F  TV features

TCL A300 is a television styled like a painting, which in everyday use can successfully imitate a work of art hanging on the wall. It is equipped with a special image display mode, additional frames in a light wood tone, and a flat wall mount that allows the TV to be hung like a real painting – flush against the wall.

A significant advantage of the picture mode is that it is completely free. We have access to dozens of artworks from which we can choose what should be displayed in standby mode – instead of a black screen, the image selected by us stays on the wall. The quality of the graphic reproduction is decent, but it must be admitted that it clearly falls short compared to that of Samsung's ART Store. Although access to the images there is paid, the quality of the scans is significantly better – you can see the texture of the paint, canvas, and details. In the TCL A300, it resembles high-quality photos more than realistic reproductions of artworks. Additionally, the implementation of the picture mode in the system leaves much to be desired. For example – if we set the brightness in picture mode to 10%, this same value automatically transfers to the regular viewing mode, where we could easily set the brightness to 50% or even 100%. It also works the other way around – when we set the brightness to 100% in regular mode, after switching to gallery mode, the images are displayed with that same maximum brightness, shining too intensely and losing the entire effect of "a picture on the wall." These are minor but annoying errors that can ruin the impression of what was supposed to be visually subtle and elegant.

Moving on to more classic features – the A300 runs on the Google TV system, which currently offers by far the largest selection of applications (full list available below). The well-functioning voice assistant with support for the Polish language is also a significant plus. As is standard – as in most TCL televisions – there is a lack of USB recording functionality or picture-in-picture (PiP) mode.

Smart TV and Tizen System

The Samsung QN85F runs on the proprietary Tizen operating system, which has been one of the strongest points of the Korean manufacturer for years. The platform operates quickly, is comprehensive, and provides access to virtually all necessary applications. We have AirPlay support, the ability to mirror the screen, voice search, and a very clear interface. Everything is controlled by a remote with a minimal number of buttons, designed to give us quick access to the most important applications.

Classic TV Features

When it comes to classic television functions, the QN85F offers a rather basic set. The EPG interface is readable and easy to use, resembling a traditional teletext program list. A downside is the lack of USB recording and the absence of PiP functionality, which Samsung offered in many other models. This is because the QN85F uses single tuners. For some people, this may be a drawback, but looking at how few viewers today use traditional linear television, it will not matter much for most users.

SmartThings and Device Support

A strong element of the entire platform is the SmartThings application. With it, we can integrate the television with other home devices—not just those from Samsung. We can connect Philips Hue or Yeelight smart lighting, video intercoms, and many other devices to the system. SmartThings also allows us to control the television without using the traditional remote— we can use the app on our smartphone, mouse mode, or gesture control if we have a Samsung smartwatch. This makes the QN85F part of a larger ecosystem and fits excellently into the trend of the IoT smart home.

Apps

9.6/10

9.3/10

OK
Disney_Plus
OK
Amazon_Prime_Video
OK
Player_TVN
OK
Polsat_Box_Go
OK
Canal_Plus_Online
OK
TVP_VOD
OK
Apple_TV_Plus
OK
SkyShowtime
OK
Rakuten
OK
CDA_Premium_Browser
OK
Spotify
OK
Tidal
OK
Netflix
OK
YouTube
OK
HBO_MAX
OK
Kodi
No
Apple_music
OK
Eleven_sports
No
Xbox Game Pass
OK
GeForce Now!
No
Amazon Luna
OK
Boosteroid
OK
Steam Link
OK
Disney_Plus
OK
Amazon_Prime_Video
OK
Player_TVN
OK
Polsat_Box_Go
OK
Canal_Plus_Online
OK
TVP_VOD
OK
Apple_TV_Plus
OK
SkyShowtime
OK
Rakuten
OK
CDA_Premium_Browser
OK
Spotify
No
Tidal
OK
Netflix
OK
YouTube
OK
HBO_MAX
No
Kodi
OK
Apple_music
OK
Eleven_sports
OK
Xbox Game Pass
OK
GeForce Now!
OK
Amazon Luna
OK
Boosteroid
No
Steam Link

Playing files from USB

8.9/10

9.1/10

Supported photo formats:

JPEG
Yes
Yes
HEIC
No
No
PNG
Yes
Yes
GIF
Yes
No
WebP
Yes
No
TIFF
No
No
BMP
Yes
Yes
SVG
No
No

Maximum photo resolution:

4 Mpix
Yes
Yes
6 Mpix
Yes
Yes
8 Mpix
Yes
Yes
10 Mpix
Yes
Yes
12 Mpix
Yes
Yes
16 Mpix
Yes
Yes
20 Mpix
Yes
Yes
24 Mpix
Yes
Yes
28 Mpix
Yes
Yes
32 Mpix
Yes
Yes

The built-in player in the TCL A300 works as it should – most popular video and photo files play without any issues. Although it lacks support for the HEIC format from Apple (which is quite common in many TVs), most users still rely on the AirPlay feature, so it shouldn't pose a major problem. If someone is not satisfied with the default player, the Google TV system offers considerable options – it's easy to install an alternative app that better matches our preferences. Nonetheless, it must be admitted that the factory solution is completely sufficient for everyday use.

The player in the QN85F works as most people expect, supporting virtually all popular formats and is sufficiently capable even for more demanding users. Movies, music, photos – everything launches without issues. The only hiccup occurs with HEIC files, which are images from Apple devices. According to the specifications, they should work, but in practice, they simply do not open. Thumbnails are visible, but the file itself refuses to launch. This seems to be just a regular software bug. Apart from that one case, the player performs well and gives no reasons for complaints.

Sound

6/10

7.6/10

  • Maximum volume
    -
    84dB
  • Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
    Yes
    Yes
  • Dolby True HD 7.1
    No
    No
  • Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC)
    Yes
    Yes
  • Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD
    No
    No
  • DTS:X in DTS-HD MA
    Yes
    No
  • DTS-HD Master Audio
    Yes
    No

When it comes to sound, the TCL A300W – like its competitors – sounds quite... flat, after all, we are talking about a super slim TV. For everyday watching of news or series, this level is completely sufficient, but during movie screenings, it may clearly lack depth and space. On the plus side, it’s worth noting that the TV supports both Dolby Atmos and the increasingly rare DTS:X – which provides more options when connecting an external audio system. It’s also worth mentioning that the A300 PRO model is equipped with a dedicated, flat soundbar. And it's no ordinary one – it sounds better than most of the TVs we tested.

The Samsung QN85F is equipped with a 2.2 system with a power of 40 W and performs really well for built-in speakers. The bass is pleasant, and the dialogues are clear and easy to hear even during louder scenes. Even at maximum volume, the television does not produce any unwanted vibrations, and nothing creaks. At the bottom of the housing, there is a subwoofer responsible for the bass, so it’s important to ensure that it is not obstructed during installation.

As for formats, the QN85F does not support DTS:X audio, which for Samsung has been a standard for several years now, forcing Blu-ray enthusiasts to connect audio devices first to the home theater and then to the television. In return, however, we get support for the more popular Dolby Atmos format, which can add extra space to the sound in movies and series.

Acoustic Measurements

No acoustic data

84dBC (Max)

75dBC