Samsung QE55QN85A Review: Mini LED, big fun
Verdict
Samsung has slightly democratised its 'Neo QLED' (mini-LED by whatsoever other proper noun) technology by slightly lowering the asking cost with very trivial discernible effect on operation. This is a fine and watchable Goggle box, with a real facility with contrasts and a much slimmer frame than seems feasible.
Pros
- Vivid, naturalistic 4K image quality
- Slim and elegant
- Predictably outstanding smart Tv set interface
Cons
- No Dolby Vision
- Very occasional motion-handling travails
- Sound isn't anything special
Key Features
- Quantum Matrix technology Mini-LED brandish for brighter images and deeper blacks
- Object Tracking Sound Congenital-in audio system tracks sounds across the screen
- FreeSync Premium Pro Supports AMD'southward advanced VRR technology for smoother gameplay
Introduction
Samsung would rather y'all call this a 'Neo QLED' TV, but nosotros know the truth: it'southward a mini-LED TV. What's more, it'due south part of Samsung'southward well-nigh affordable range of mini-LED TVs. This is good news, because although the company's QN95A mini-LED Telly that we tested earlier this year is a great performer, information technology'south pretty pricey.
Of course, no ane's suggesting that the QN85A is a bargain; it's a little more than affordable than its big brother. However, the existent question has to be whether the QN85A is a faux economy?
Availability
- United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland RRP: £1799
- United states RRP: $1599
- Europe RRP: €1699
- Canada unavailable
- Commonwealth of australia RRP: AU$2499
The Samsung QE55QN85A is on sale now. Since its launch a month or 2 ago, we've seen prices fluctuate somewhat – but as of right now, it can be yours for £1499.
If y'all like the idea of the engineering science merely remember a 55in screen is on the tentative side, the QN85A is also available in 65in (£1999), 75in (£2499), and an intimidating 85in (£3999) screen size.
These prices bring the QN85A into more-or-less straight competition with some of the best OLED TVs around. The likes of LG, Panasonic and Sony – to name just 3 – all offer a high-performance Tv set of this size for very like money.
Design
- 27mm deep
- Primal pedestal stand
- Space for a soundbar
Naturally, when yous're spending proper money (equally this is) on a Idiot box, your primary concern is likely to be picture quality – just physical looks are of import, also. Happily, the Samsung scores pretty highly here, thanks to a winning combination of a minimal bezel surrounding the screen and a consistent depth of just 27mm.
This makes the QN85A an authentic option for wall-hanging, unlike the majority of its OLED rivals whose incredibly thin rear is frequently interrupted by a big bulge where all the electronic componentry is stashed.
Should yous decide against wall-hanging, though, the Samsung features a central human foot on which to stand. This means you don't need a surface as wide as the screen itself on which to identify information technology. Plus, there'south space betwixt the support and the bottom of the screen to position a soundbar (and, every bit we shall come across, you might well want to requite consideration to a soundbar sooner rather than later).
Features
- Choice of remote controls
- Aplenty connectivity, including HDMI two.1
- Exemplary Tizen smart Idiot box interface
It's the console technology that'due south the about obvious headline here, so that'south where we'll kickoff. The mini-LED TVs I've seen so far have fabricated good on their promise of improved black levels, meliorate targeted and controlled backlighting, and tiptop effulgence figures that put any and every OLED TV to shame – so fingers crossed the QN85A continues this brief but proud tradition. The panel here is of the IPS type, which ought to translate to 'good viewing angles' and 'considerable reflectivity'.
In that location are four HDMI inputs here, i with eARC compatibility and another that accommodates all the HDMI ii.1 features that tin maximise a next-gen games console'due south performance. These are joined by a couple of aerial bounden posts for TV reception, an Ethernet input, and a couple of USB sockets. The digital optical output is handy, if for no other reason than you may have a soundbar that predates HDMI ARC. And in that location's wireless connectivity, as well, in the shape of Bluetooth 5.2 and dual-band Wi-Fi.
Samsung has fitted the QN85A with its 4K Neo Breakthrough processor, which is more than capable of dealing with every HDR standard. But this is Samsung, so there's no Dolby Vision HDR. With every mean solar day that passes, this seems a more wilful, more eccentric and more annoying decision – but Samsung is nothing if not bloodyminded.
Control is available via either of the two remote controls that accompany the TV, or vocalization command, or Samsung's Smart Things app. 1 remote handset is a disappointingly ordinary, inexpensive-feeling device with a multitude of buttons, many of which are too small, merely with a comprehensive range of functionality. The other unit is svelte, solar-powered, quite expensive-feeling and a little more restricted in what it tin do. Vocalism command is yours via Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa or Samsung's own Bixby (yes, there's Bixby but no Dolby Vision – become figure). The control app, meanwhile, is stable, clean and useful.
However, no thing the method of control you opt for, you'll be in accuse of Samsung's Tizen-based smart TV interface, which remains one of the very best around. There's no Freeview Play, which will be a small-scale niggle for UK customers, but information technology's however stacked with apps and catch-upwardly services, and is as navigable as these things get.
Picture quality
- Great black levels + not bad peak brightness = great contrasts
- All-encompassing colour palette
- Fine upscaling (upwardly to a signal)
Not surprisingly, the QN85A does its best work when given the all-time stuff to work with. And given its specification, 'the best stuff' means some 4K content with a chip of HDR10+ dynamic metadata thrown in. So line up an Amazon Prime Video stream of the unintentionally hilarious Manchester Metropolis: All or Nothing and set up to bask in the QN85A's prodigious movie-making talents.
What's most immediately impressive, given this is fundamentally an LCD panel, is the depth of black tones. Naturally, they're not as inkily bottomless every bit the OLED equivalent; but past the standards of LED-backlit LCD TVs, they're super-impressive. And then at that place's backlighting control: it'southward splendid. Even with small-scale areas of light on an otherwise night background, at that place'southward no blooming or haloing here – but precise, measured and convincing illumination that comes from more than than 500 individual dimming zones. These all combine with that hefty peak brightness (at to the lowest degree 1500 nits) to deliver extremely wide contrasts.
In between black and white, there's a seemingly limitless amount of variation in the Samsung's colour palette. The subtleties of shade variation are described merely as fully as the vibrant-nevertheless-naturalistic primary tones. And then it follows that skin-tones and skin-textures (of which there are enough during the course of a football 'documentary') are admittedly convincing.
Overall detail levels are extremely high, which only adds to the lifelike impression of the Samsung's pictures. Border definition is generally smooth, and when it's required there's a persuasive suggestion of depth of field available, besides.
In addition, as an upscaler of less information-rich content, the Samsung is every chip as impressive. No, your Full Hard disk movies and games aren't going to miraculously proceeds some 4K sheen. Nevertheless, contrasts remain wide, edges remain stable, and particular levels remain considerable. A 1080p Blu-ray of Zack Snyder's Watchmen is colourful, stable and confidently presented.
About the simply area where the QN85A doesn't excel is motion control. The Manchester City-based content is filled with instances of rapid, complex on-screen move, and when the going gets especially trying, the Samsung tin give away how hard it's working. Some minor edge-shimmer is the most common tell-tale, with ghosting and prototype-doubling so rare as to be negligible.
Dip below Full Hd content and the QN85A tin can become a picayune sniffy. In particular, it appears to deem standard-definition Boob tube broadcasts to be a chip beneath it – the images that outcome from tuning in to a daytime Tv set re-run of some thirty-year-old drama seem unnecessarily fibroid and ill defined. Certainly, some of the comparably priced OLED TVs previously mentioned don't get such obvious attacks of the vapours when asked to slum information technology a little.
Sound quality
- Insubstantial overall audio, 60W even so
- 'Object Tracking Sound' doesn't particularly track objects
- Consider a soundbar a minimum investment
It isn't similar Samsung hasn't tried where the sound of the QN85A is concerned – 60W powering four full-range drivers in a mild version of the company's 'Object Tracking Sound' system says as much. And yet audio quality is as far removed from film quality here as an Aston Martin is from a go-kart.
Information technology's never actively unpleasant or shouty, fifty-fifty at volume. Only it's bland, undemonstrative and strangely boneless – which means you lot'll probable need to invest in a soundbar. And be sure to pay special attention to Samsung's 'Q Symphony' range – they allow the screen'southward speakers to contribute to the overall sound rather than beingness overridden by the soundbar.
Should you lot buy information technology?
You similar to sentinel the best content With 4K HDR discs and streams, the QN85A looks cracking – and it'due south a very capable upscaler of 1080p content, also.
You're expecting audio quality to match flick quality At that place's no piece of cake way to say this, so we may just as well say it: the QN85A is a boring and uninvolving listen.
Final thoughts
Considered purely in terms of pic quality, the Samsung QE55QN85A is almost entirely beauteous. Content of 1080p standard and above looks an absolute treat, even if the QN85A isn't the most surefooted Tv set effectually when it comes to motion-processing.
As an object, too, it's a lovely looker – especially if you want to hang it on the wall. Ignore the humdrum sound (it'southward far from the only TV to sound uninspiring) and the lack of Dolby Vision (because Samsung is nothing if not contrary) and this is an excellent investment.
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How we test
Nosotros test every Tv we review thoroughly over an extended period of fourth dimension. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We'll always tell y'all what we find. We never, e'er, accept money to review a product.
FAQs
Does the Samsung QE55QN85A support Freeview?
No, only the QN85A does include all the UK catch upwards apps.
Specs
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Jargon buster
QLED
QLED stands for Breakthrough-dot Lite Emitting Diode. Information technology's a display technology that uses small particles (chosen Quantum Dots) made up of slightly different sizes that produce dissimilar wavelengths (colours) when light is shone through them. This filter helps to emit a brighter and wider gamut of colours than a conventional LED Tv is capable of.
HDR10+
HDR10+ is a HDR variant created by 20th Century Fox, Panasonic and Samsung as a free to apply, open up platform culling to Dolby Vision. Like Dolby Vision, information technology adds dynamic metadata on top of the core HDR10 signal that tells a TV how information technology should accommodate the brightness, colours and contrast of content for the nigh optimal picture quality.
Source: https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/samsung-qe55qn85a
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