Samsung Q8F Review

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Samsung Q8F 65”

$897

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This TV was tested by:

Maciej Koper

Paweł Koper

Last updated::

9/13/2025 11:45:21 AM

Samsung Q8F is the highest representative of the QLED series for 2025. The Koreans have mixed up the naming quite a bit, so at first glance, it’s easy to confuse it with the Q80 series of televisions. Meanwhile, in reality, we are dealing with a continuation of the well-received Q60D line from last year. What improvements and surprises has the manufacturer prepared? Is the Q8F just a facelift of an old model, or could it be something that truly transforms the everyday viewing of movies and series?

SAMSUNG Q8F - Our verdict

6.3

Overall rating

Samsung Q8F is quite a successful continuation of the Q67D model. It offers similar picture quality in HDR content, and with a brightness of around 500 nits, it can create an effect that is hard to call average. It is also aided by support for the HDR10+ format, which has been realistically competing with Dolby Vision for some time and provides comparable experiences in many productions. The contrast is also a plus—given its VA panel, it performs solidly and allows for pleasant blacks in movies and series. However, the biggest advantage of the Q8F remains the operating system. Tizen works quickly, provides access to many applications, and integrates well with the SmartThings ecosystem, making it easy to connect the television to a larger network of home devices. Interestingly, the Q8F also has some niche use—thanks to its very good font readability, it works great as a screen for text work. Additionally, the adjustable stand allows the TV to be positioned on practically any desk or narrower TV cabinet. The biggest drawback, in our opinion, is not the image quality itself—because in this price range it's hard to expect miracles—but rather what has happened to the features for gamers. Through updates, options such as VRR and HGiG, which were available even in simpler designs in previous generations, have disappeared. In fact, the manufacturer even boasts about the availability of these features in its catalog. This makes it difficult to recommend the Q8F to anyone planning to hook up a console and expecting full support for new technologies. Thus, the Q8F is a TV that can please—primarily with its design, above-average picture quality, and efficient Tizen system. But at the same time, it shows a step back compared to its predecessor. Let’s hope that Samsung can quickly rectify these shortcomings, as otherwise, even such a successful “everyday” TV may leave some users feeling unsatisfied.

Advantages

Solid contrast thanks to the VA panel
Pretty good brightness in SDR and HDR (up to about 500 nits)
Satin finish handles reflections well
Tizen operating system – fast, intuitive, with a rich selection of apps
Solar remote with USB-C charging
Integration with the SmartThings ecosystem
Great input lag
Good font readability when working with a PC, suitable as a monitor for text work
Adjustable stand on multiple planes

Disadvantages

Heavily limited features for gamers (no VRR in practice, no HGiG)*,
No recording function on USB or PiP
Average digital image processing

*We hope that the promises made in the advertising brochures will be quickly fulfilled through software updates.

Movies and series in UHD quality

6.3
Classic TV, YouTube

6.0
Sports broadcasts (TV and apps)

5.6
Gaming on console

7.0
TV as a computer monitor

6.0
Watching in bright light

5.6
Utility functions

7.3
Apps

8.7
Sound quality

6.0

SAMSUNG Q8F - Competing TVs in this price range

7.1

Review Samsung Neo QLED QN70F / QN74F / QN77F Main photo

Samsung Neo QLED QN70F / QN74F / QN77F 65”

$937.00

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7.7

Sony X90L 65”

$948.00

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6.8

Review Samsung QLED Q70D / Q74D / Q77D Main photo

Samsung QLED Q70D / Q74D / Q77D 65”

$977.00

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7.7

Hisense U8NQ 65”

$849.00

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SAMSUNG Q8F - TV appearance

HDMI inputs: 3 x HDMI 2.0, 0 x HDMI 2.1 Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI) Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps

Build quality: BuildQuality-Good

Stand type: Legs

Bezel colour: Graphite

Stand: Height adjustment, Base adjustment

Flat design: Yes

Accessories: Stand

Looking at the Samsung Q8F, it's hard not to feel that it's almost a twin of last year's Q60D. The television immediately makes a good impression—not only because Samsung has been focusing on aesthetics as the first point of contact with customers for years. For a model in this price range, the quality is very solid. The bezels are indeed plastic, but slim and give the entire structure a sense of lightness. The construction itself is very slim, which makes the television hung on the wall look almost like a painting. However, if someone prefers a classic stand, there’s a handy solution here: the legs can be mounted in different configurations—wider or closer together, which will be appreciated by owners of narrower cabinets. Furthermore, their height can also be adjusted, allowing for a soundbar to be freely slid under the screen without the risk of obstructing the image. The whole thing looks neat and sturdy, giving the impression of a well-thought-out product.

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SAMSUNG Q8F - Contrast and black detail

Viewing mode Game mode

5.5/10

Viewing mode Game mode

Local dimming function: No

Review Samsung Q8F Contrast and black detail

Result

5,200:1

Result

4,650:1

Result

3,650:1

Result

4,100:1

Result

4,150:1

Visibility of details in the lights:

Samsung Q8F uses an LCD VA panel, which immediately puts it in a good position in terms of contrast. By nature, such panels offer deeper blacks than IPS panels, and you can really see this effect here. On test patterns, the contrast maintained a range of about 4000:1 to even 6000:1, which in practice results in a surprisingly engaging picture, especially in a slightly dimmed living room. Of course, this is not the level of LCD screens with local dimming, let alone OLEDs — sometimes the black can shift to a shade of navy blue, and the overall image seems flattened. However, Samsung employs a simple trick: the so-called global dimming, which means dimming the entire screen when a lot of dark areas appear on it. The effect can be impressive but comes at the cost of losing some detail, which may not appeal to everyone. Despite this, the Q8F still presents itself significantly better than televisions with IPS panels, offering solid contrast and blacks that can draw you into the cinematic atmosphere.

Halo effect and black detail visibility:

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.

SAMSUNG Q8F - HDR effect quality

Viewing mode Game mode

5.2/10

Viewing mode Game mode

Supported formats: HDR10, HDR10+, HLG Color gamut coverage: DCI P3: 90.7%, Bt.2020: 66.2%

Luminance measurements in HDR:

Review Samsung Q8F Brightness measurement

Result

473 nit

Result

417 nit

Result

457 nit

Result

210 nit

Result

471 nit

In terms of brightness, the Samsung Q8F performs surprisingly well for a television without local dimming. It measures up to 500 nits, which practically means that most movie and series scenes look pleasant, and it definitely cannot be accused of lacking the "HDR effect." In films like Life of Pi or The Meg, the screen was able to glow and deliver light effects at a satisfying level. It struggles more during challenging moments—with dark frames containing single bright points. The global dimming used causes the television to darken the image to maintain deep blacks, but at the cost of detail brightness. This is clearly visible in the scene from Sicario 2, where the helicopter lights dropped to around 200 nits. This is a conscious design decision that gives the impression of deeper blacks but somewhat takes away from the brilliance of individual elements, and this should simply be kept in mind. When it comes to color reproduction, the Q8F utilizes quantum dot technology, which broadens the color range. A DCI-P3 coverage of 91% can be considered a decent result, although it is not a record-breaking achievement compared to other QLEDs.

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.

Of course, we didn't just stop at measurements — we also checked how the Q8F performs in practice during screenings. Both demanding productions like Pan and Billy Lynn and a few more everyday titles were put to the test. To our surprise, the television performed really well. The brightness doesn't match the top screens, but the image still managed to capture attention. The fireworks in Billy Lynn did not blend into one light spot, and the sunset in Pan looked coherent and natural. Yes, there are some color deficiencies compared to reference displays; however, in this price range, it's hard to consider it a serious downside. The dynamic tone mapping feature, which we left on this time, played a significant role here, unlike other Samsung models. Thanks to it, the Q8F managed to recover a lot of details in difficult scenes without the effect of artificially brightening the entire image.

HDR luminance chart:

HDR luminance

The movies we tested earlier were recorded in standard HDR10, so those observations were specifically about that format. And while HDR10 on the Q8F delivers a pleasant effect, it is noticeable that in the brightest scenes, full of details, classic tone mapping can be insufficient. That's where HDR10+ comes into play — a dynamic format, increasingly present on platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Apple TV. Thanks to it, the image gains an extra dose of detail and looks fuller than in static HDR. It’s a pity that Dolby Vision is absent, which is more widespread, but considering the growing importance of HDR10+, it’s hard to treat this absence as a serious flaw. One might even suspect that in the near future, most content will be available in versions with Samsung's dynamic metadata anyway. At least we hope so.

Static HDR10

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).

SAMSUNG Q8F - Smoothness of tonal transitions

9/10

The fluidity of tonal transitions in the Q8F is really very good. The TV blends colors very nicely, both in bright segments of the sky and in darker shots, where "steps" in color can easily be visible. Yes, there are occasional errors, but you have to look closely to catch them. In practice, while watching movies or series, the picture looks cohesive and is not distracting with any artifacts. Therefore, the rating in this category had to be high. 😉

Review Samsung Q8F Smoothness of tonal transitions — 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.

Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions

5/10

Smooth transition function

Image without overscan on the SD signal

The match photo shows how the TV smooths weak tonal transitions in low-quality video. The model photo shows how it handles upscaling of SD material.

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

SAMSUNG Q8F - Blur and motion smoothness

5.7/10

Maximum refresh rate of the panel: 60Hz

Film motion smoothing option: Yes

Blur reduction option: No

BFI function 60Hz: Yes, 120Hz (double contours)

Brightness drop with BFI: 50%

Review Samsung Q8F Blur and motion smoothness — The photo presents the motion smoothing settings in the tested TV.

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

Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate):

Blur (BFI function enabled):

SAMSUNG Q8F - Console compatibility and gaming features

3.7/10

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

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

SAMSUNG Q8F - Input lag

9.9/10

Fortunately, when it comes to gaming, Samsung didn't try to "enhance" anything, and the input lag remained at an excellent level. Results oscillating around 10–15 ms mean that the delays are practically imperceptible. The controls are instant, and the responses from the console or computer appear on the screen with no noticeable delay. In this regard, the Q8F performs exceptionally well, and it's hard to find any faults with it.

SDR	HDR	Dolby Vision
1080p60: 14 ms	2160p60: 12 ms
2160p60: 14 ms

SAMSUNG Q8F - Compatibility with PC

6/10

Chroma 444 (maximum resolution and refresh rate): Yes

Font clarity: Very Good

Readability of dark text and shapes: Good

Input lag in PC mode (4K, maximum refresh rate): 14ms

Matrix subpixel arrangement: BGR

Max refresh rate: 60Hz

G-Sync: No

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.

Although playing on the Q8F is not particularly attractive — it lacks modes with lower resolutions and higher refresh rates, and there are issues with VRR (G-Sync) along with a matrix limited to 60 Hz — as a work monitor, the television performs excellently. The readability of fonts is at a very high level, so working with text or spreadsheets in Excel is a pure pleasure. In this regard, the Q8F can be a real alternative to a large office monitor.

SAMSUNG Q8F - Viewing angles

3.4/10

Brightness drop at an angle of 45 degrees: 79%

The viewing angles on the Q8F can be described as average, which stems from the use of a VA panel. When watching the TV straight on, the image looks very good, but as soon as you shift a bit to the side, it starts to fade and lose contrast. The colors gradually lose saturation, and black takes on a grayish hue. This is a typical limitation of this type of panel, and it's hard to expect miracles here. Compared to IPS panels, the difference is clear — although they are weaker in contrast, they maintain color consistency better at an angle. The Q8F performs best in a classic setup, where viewers sit directly in front of the screen. If you plan on watching with a larger group, with people spread out more widely in the living room, the effect may not be as satisfying.

SAMSUNG Q8F - TV efficiency during daytime

5.6/10

Matrix coating: Satin

Reflection suppression: Good

Black levels during daytime: Good

The Q8F performs quite well during the day. Its brightness hovers around 450 nits, which proves to be sufficient for moderately bright living rooms. It is not a television that will win the battle against sunlight streaming directly through the window, but under typical home conditions, the picture remains clear and appealing. A major plus is the satin finish on the screen, which effectively reduces light reflections and allows for color saturation to be maintained even when the room is bright. As a result, watching series during the day or evening sports broadcasts with the lights on is not a problem. The Q8F does not aspire to be a cinema television in full sunlight, but as a daily screen in normal home conditions, it performs really solidly.

Matrix brightness

Average luminance SDR

Samsung Q8F: 430 cd/m2

SAMSUNG Q8F - TV features

7.3/10

System: Tizen

System performance: Good

HDMI inputs: 3 x HDMI 2.0, 0 x HDMI 2.1
Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI)

Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
TV reception: DVB-T, DVB-T2, DVB-S, DVB-S2, DVB-C

Classic features:

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

Smart features:

AirPlay: Yes
Screen mirroring (Windows Miracast): Yes
Voice search: Yes
Voice search in native language: Yes
Ability to connect a keyboard and mouse: Yes

SmartTV Features: Tizen

In terms of smart features, the Q8F is on par with what Samsung has accustomed us to. On board, we have the Tizen system – fast, intuitive, and well-integrated with other devices. AirPlay, screen mirroring, and simple voice commands work without issues, so the basics are perfectly covered. Additionally, there’s SmartThings, an app that turns the TV into the center of the home ecosystem. You can connect a washing machine, vacuum cleaner, bulbs, or speakers and control everything from one place, including the TV. There’s no shortage of apps within Tizen for watching movies or series either – Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, and Prime Video are readily available. However, it’s worth remembering that Tizen is a closed system, so anyone hoping to install less popular programs may be disappointed.

Classic Television

Classic television fares worse. The Q8F simply serves as a screen here – it will display the image, but we won’t find additional features like USB recording or PiP mode. The remote is small and minimalist. It looks modern, can be charged via solar batteries on the back cover, or through USB-C, but it's important to note that it may not appeal to everyone – especially older users may miss traditional buttons. However, it must be honestly admitted that Samsung has consistently directed its TVs (as well as competitors, who have copied some ideas from them) towards smart home integration, rather than equipment "for grandma and grandpa." Given the immense popularity of the brand, it can be assumed that most users, even older ones, have already grown accustomed to the fact that the era of remotes with a whole range of rubber buttons is slowly coming to an end.

Sound connection options

HDMI audio:

eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI)

Other audio outputs:

Toslink: Yes

Wireless audio:

Bluetooth: Yes
Samsung Q-Symphony (Speaker extension): Yes

Obsługiwane formaty audio:

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

Ułatwienia dla seniorów

Numeric keyboard on TV: No
Font size adjustment: Yes
Audio description: Yes

SAMSUNG Q8F - Apps

8.7/10

SAMSUNG Q8F - Playing files from USB

Video Photos Audio

9.1/10

Video Photos Audio

Maximum photo resolution:	Supported photo formats:
4 Mpix	JPEG
6 Mpix	HEIC
8 Mpix	PNG
10 Mpix	GIF
12 Mpix	WebP
16 Mpix	TIFF
20 Mpix	BMP
24 Mpix	SVG
28 Mpix
32 Mpix

Samsung Q8F handles playback of files from USB quite efficiently. It supports almost all popular video formats and photos, so you can easily upload a holiday movie or a family album. There are occasional exceptions for less popular photo formats, but the most important JPEG works perfectly, which will be crucial for most users. It's just a shame that Tizen does not allow for the installation of alternative players like VLC. Then even less popular formats would not pose any problem.

SAMSUNG Q8F - Sound

6/10

84dB

Maximum volume

Supported codecs

(TV speakers)

Dolby Digital Plus 7.1

Dolby True HD 7.1

Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC)

Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD

DTS:X in DTS-HD MA

DTS-HD Master Audio

The sound on the Q8F can be described as acceptable. You can hear a slightly defined bass, but it is really minimal – the slim design of the TV simply doesn't allow the pair of 2 × 10 W speakers to spread their wings. This is a typical scenario for most TVs: if someone cares about truly cinematic experiences, it's worth considering a soundbar. Samsung has a really wide range in this category across various budgets, so it's easy to find something suitable. The TV itself will work for watching traditional television and series from time to time, but you shouldn't expect much more in terms of sound excitement.