Compare TCL MQLED85 / C765 vs Samsung QN85F

TCL MQLED85, or model C765, is a television that can really surprise, especially in this price range. It is one of the cheapest models with mini-LED technology, which is immediately evident in the picture quality. The blacks are deep, and the brightness is sufficient even in a brightly lit room. With a large number of dimming zones, watching movies in the evening is a pleasure – the blacks are truly deep, and the image in dark scenes looks clear. However, it is not perfect – in some shots, minor issues can be noticed with small bright elements, but this is really a minor detail compared to what this model offers. Google TV works wonderfully here – there are plenty of apps, and using the system is simply convenient. Voice control in Polish works flawlessly, which can be particularly useful if you don’t want to type in movie titles using the remote. Of course, there are minor shortcomings, such as the lack of recording, but these are not things that hinder day-to-day use. For gamers, it is also a great option. HDMI 2.1 support, VRR, and low input lag mean that the television handles consoles well and competes without issues with more expensive models from Korean or Japanese manufacturers. In this price range, it is hard to find something better when it comes to smooth and responsive gameplay. During testing, we encountered a few minor software issues, but it’s hard to say if that’s a serious downside. We hope that TCL will release updates, so there is a chance that this issue will be quickly addressed. TCL MQLED85/C765 is an excellent choice if we are looking for a television with good picture quality and modern features at a reasonable price. It is a model that combines affordable mini-LED technology with a user-friendly Google TV system and also performs excellently in gaming. Minor software shortcomings are something one can live with, especially considering what this television offers in its class.

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.

TCL MQLED85/C765 stands out with its use of a VA panel and Mini LED backlighting, which makes a huge difference compared to traditional backlighting systems. Mini LED, thanks to significantly smaller diodes, allows for more precise control of the screen's backlighting, resulting in much better contrast and deeper blacks. The 55-inch model we are testing boasts an impressive number of over 700 local dimming zones, providing exceptional precision in displaying images. It is worth noting that the number of backlighting zones may vary depending on the screen size - for larger diagonals, the number of zones naturally increases due to the larger screen area, allowing larger sizes to achieve better results in terms of contrast and black levels. Thanks to the vast number of zones, the TCL MQLED85/C765 achieved a result comparable to OLED screens on our first test slide from the movie "Oblivion," offering nearly reference-level contrast. But what will happen when we test this model in even more demanding conditions? How will the TV perform in tougher scenarios? Overall, the TCL MQLED85/C765 performs very well in displaying blacks, but in some cases, the local dimming algorithm is not perfect. On dark backgrounds, smaller bright elements can lose sharpness and brightness, as confirmed by our recent slide from the Pioneer Kuro test disc. Despite some imperfections in the local dimming algorithm and the slight presence of the HALO effect (a bright halo around bright objects on a dark background caused by imperfections in the screen's local dimming), the results achieved by the TCL MQLED85/C765 are impressive, especially considering its price. This TV offers contrast and black depth that can compete with models that are even half again as expensive.

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.

The TCL MQLED85/C765 television performs well with HDR handling. In the tested movie scenes, where the screen is covered at 100% brightness, the model achieves impressive results around 1000 nits, providing intense and realistic representation of HDR content. However, similar to contrast, the dimming algorithm may show some limitations. Despite the large number of Mini LED zones, the television does not always manage to "stun" the user with brightness in very challenging test scenes. For example, in a scene from "Life of Pi," where a bright moon appears against a dark background, and in another scene from "Sicario 2," where a very bright light effect is visible against a dark background, the television did not reach maximum intensity. For users expecting perfect HDR performance in such extreme cases, the TCL MQLED may be slightly disappointing. However, regarding colors, the television stands out with a very high color gamut coverage of DCI P3 at 95%, which is an impressive result comparable to much more expensive models. The TCL MQLED85 / C765 offers support for various HDR formats, including Dolby Vision and HDR10+, which is essential for cinema image enthusiasts. Although this model achieves brightness over 1000 nits, the TCL MQLED85 may struggle to reflect details in very high contrast scenes. For better HDR quality control, the C765 is equipped with dynamic tone mapping, making the image more realistic and natural depending on the content.

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.

TheTCL MQLED85/C765 television was tested in movie mode, which, although it seems to be the best setting from the manufacturer, is not without flaws. The color reproduction in HD/SDR mode MQLED85 shows certain shortcomings. In the analysis of white balance, there is a significant lack of blue color, which can affect the overall picture quality, especially in bright scenes where blue hues are crucial for natural representation. The overall image may then seem too warm. As for gamma contrast, the graph shows a significant jump above the reference line of level 2.4 at the beginning, which may suggest significant dimming of brightness in darker areas, leading to a loss of detail in blacks. Then, for most of the time, the values are below this line, which can lead to a loss of detail in the brighter parts of the image. Such a distribution can negatively affect the perceived image quality, especially when watching regular HD television.

In the case of 4K HDR image quality of the TCL MQLED85/C765, there is a noticeable excess of red color in the analysis of white balance. Such an excess can significantly affect the viewer's experience, leading to several significant effects. First of all, too much red can make other colors, such as green or blue, appear muted or unnatural. This distortion of color balance can result in an overall impression of "oversaturation," which detracts from the image's naturalness and authenticity. Regarding contrast, the EOTF (Electro-Optical Transfer Function) graph indicates that most values are above the reference line, suggesting an intense boost in brightness in the bright areas of the image. However, the exception is the beginning of the graph, where the EOTF line is below the reference one, which may lead to excessive dimming of small light elements.

Users should be aware that despite using the best mode, which is movie mode, the television is not free from flaws in the context of picture settings, so it is worth considering adjusting the settings to achieve better results.

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.

After professional calibration of the TCL MQLED85/C765 television, its color properties in movie mode have significantly improved, resulting in much more satisfying visual experiences. Both in SDR and HDR modes, the white balance shows no serious errors, and the graph appears much better harmonized. Users can now enjoy natural color reproduction, which is essential for achieving an authentic experience while watching movies. It is worth noting that in HDR content, there may be minor color reproduction errors at the end of the graph, but they are significantly smaller than before calibration. This makes characters and landscapes more realistic, enhancing the depth of immersion in the story.

Regarding contrast, the gamma curve, responsible for HD quality, has been completely free of drops below the reference line, which means better detail visibility in dark scenes. However, there is still a slight boost at the beginning of the graph, which may affect the perception of bright elements. For HDR content, the EOTF curve also shows smaller errors, although certain issues in reproducing midtones may still be noticeable. The EOTF curve measured on real film scenes still shows a significant brightness boost, making the image appear more intense but artificially brightened. This is a typical issue for TCL brand televisions, which may appeal to untrained viewers but can be annoying for those more familiar with the ideal picture.

What benefits does professional calibration bring for movie enthusiasts? Thanks to it, watching becomes even more realistic and immersive, allowing every scene to be experienced fully, maintaining details and natural colors.

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.

The fluidity of tonal transitions in the TCL MQLED85/C765 television is decent, although certain issues are noticeable in both bright and dark test scenes. In particular, color transitions are visible in a scene from the movie "The Green Knight," where the red color of the water transitions to black. Despite these imperfections, the overall quality of gradation is acceptable and does not overly spoil the visual experience. The television handles most scenes well, offering satisfying tonal transitions, which contributes to an overall enjoyable visual experience that will not ruin our cinematic impressions.

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.

We will now take another look at the tone transitions in the TCL MQLED85/C765 television, but in the context of poorer image quality. Despite the presence of the "Gradual Smoothing" option, when set to "low," the effects are practically invisible, disappointing users expecting an improvement in image quality. On the other hand, setting it to "high" brings minimal results, and worse, it can blur significant details, negatively affecting the sharpness and clarity of the displayed image. However, in terms of image scaling, the television successfully displayed the image without overscan, which means we do not lose any part of the view. The image looks quite decent, and details such as tree branches or the outlines of models do not show significant fraying, which positively influences the visual quality.

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.

TCL MQLED85/C765 is equipped with a standard refresh rate matrix of 120 Hz, with the possibility of increasing it to 144 Hz when connected to a powerful computer. The television also offers a multi-stage motion smoother, which mainly serves users who want to improve motion smoothness in films. It allows for the adjustment of the effect's intensity on a scale from 0 to 10, enabling precise matching of image smoothness to individual preferences. The matrix's response time is decent but not perfect. We can observe ghosting occurring behind both dark and medium objects.

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.

TCL MQLED85/C765 has received an impressive rating in the gaming features category, making it an excellent choice for gaming enthusiasts. The television supports all the latest technologies that significantly enhance the gaming experience. Among the key gaming features is ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), which automatically switches the television to low latency mode, minimizing response time and ensuring smooth gameplay. VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) supported in the range from 48 to 144 Hz eliminates stuttering and screen tearing in dynamic gaming scenes. Additionally, the television supports Dolby Vision Game Mode, which provides better image quality in games with exceptional color depth and contrast. TCL MQLED85/C765 also features a decent but not the best implementation of HGiG (HDR Gaming Interest Group), optimizing HDR game display, but in the case of TCL, it causes bright details in white, resulting in some elements blending into a white spot - we can read more about this in the color reproduction section. It supports various resolutions such as 1080p@120Hz, 1440p@120Hz, and 4K@120Hz, allowing gamers to take advantage of higher image quality and better fluidity. The Game Bar feature allows for easy switching between game settings and quick control of parameters, significantly facilitating the adjustment of the television to individual needs. With support for G-Sync and FreeSync technologies, users of NVIDIA and AMD graphics cards will be pleased with the synchronization of refresh rates, eliminating tearing and stuttering issues, providing a smoother and more immersive gameplay experience.

MQLED85/C765 is a television that combines advanced technologies and excellent support for gamers, making it an ideal choice for those who want to maximize their gaming experiences.

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 on the TCL MQLED85 television reaches impressively low levels under any conditions. Even the most demanding gamers will surely appreciate the minimal input lag of only 8 ms at 4K 120 Hz settings with HDR. Moreover, the delays remain at the same level even with Dolby Vision HDR turned on, which is not the case with many competitive models.

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.

TCL MQLED85 performs well as a computer monitor. Thanks to 4:4:4 chroma support, text on the screen is clear and readable, which is important for people working with text documents or spreadsheets. One of the greatest advantages of this model is its exceptionally low input lag in "PC" mode, which is only 8 ms. This is a reference-level result that ensures smoothness and responsiveness, crucial for both gamers and those engaged in video editing. However, it is worth noting that there is a certain issue related to font display on dark backgrounds. When zooming in on the tested font image, it can be seen that horizontal lines are darker compared to vertical ones. This means that the sub-pixels in the television do not fully illuminate in this case, which can affect the quality of the displayed text. Nevertheless, the overall performance of TCL MQLED85 as a computer monitor is very good and will certainly meet the expectations of many users.

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.

The viewing angles on the TCL MQLED85 television are not its strongest point. The use of a VA panel means that the picture loses a significant amount of brightness when viewed at an angle. When the viewer's position changes, especially when watching with a larger group, colors may appear less saturated, and the contrast may be less pronounced. For this reason, it is recommended to sit directly in front of the screen to fully enjoy the picture quality. Although the television offers excellent color reproduction from a direct view, the loss of brightness and detail at an angle can be problematic for those planning to use the TV in a larger room or from various positions.

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.

MQLED85 performs decently in daylight conditions, and it's worth noting the satin finish of the panel. Although it doesn't excel at reducing reflections, it offers satisfactory performance in various lighting conditions. An average brightness level above 600 nits is an impressive result, allowing for comfortable viewing even in well-lit rooms. As a result, the television works well both during the day and for evening movie sessions, providing satisfactory image quality.

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.

Brak funkcji PIP, obecne "MultiVision" czyli dzielenie ekranu między tv a urządzenie mobilne

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.

Thanks to the built-in player, the television is capable of playing most file formats available on external storage devices, making it a versatile tool for consuming multimedia. However, there may be certain limitations in the support of some formats, which can be inconvenient for more demanding users. Fortunately, the Google TV system allows for the installation of other media players from Google Play, which helps eliminate compatibility issues. This gives users the option to choose applications that best meet their needs, significantly increasing the functionality of the television.

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.

The sound of the TCL MQLED85 television can be described as decent, making it sufficient for everyday viewing of movies, TV shows, and games. The speakers branded with Onkyo offer surprisingly good audio quality, and the sound does not hiss or distort even at higher volume levels.

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.

TCL MQLED85 / C765 vs Samsung QN85F

Advantages

Disadvantages

Our verdict

TV appearance

Where to buy

Contrast and black detail

HDR effect quality

Factory color reproduction

Color reproduction after calibration

Smoothness of tonal transitions

Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions

Blur and motion smoothness

Console compatibility and gaming features

Input lag

Compatibility with PC

Viewing angles

Daytime performance

Panel details

TV features

Classic features:

Smart features:

Smart TV and Tizen System

Classic TV Features

SmartThings and Device Support

Apps

Playing files from USB

Sound

Acoustic Measurements