The Samsung Q80/Q80T QLED is an impressive 4k TV, delivering fantastic picture quality in nearly every type of content. It has a VA panel that can produce deep blacks and a full-array local dimming to further improve black levels. It has excellent color accuracy out-of-the-box and an impressive HDR color gamut to produce a wide range of colors. Its viewing angles are decent thanks to Samsung's 'Ultra Viewing Angle' layer, so you don't lose too much image accuracy when viewed from the side. It handles reflections remarkably well and gets very bright, enough to fight glare and to deliver a good HDR experience. It has exceptionally low input lag, a 120Hz refresh rate, and support for variable refresh rate (VRR) technology to reduce screen tearing. Unfortunately, the screen has some minor uniformity issues that can be distracting for some, although this can vary between units.
Note: We received reports that the Q80T has visible stuttering and judder when watching sports. This could be most noticeable with cable sports. If you've experienced the same thing, let us know.
Our Verdict
The Samsung Q80T is an impressive all-around TV. It's great for watching movies or other content in the dark thanks to its high contrast ratio, but it also performs well in bright rooms because of its high peak brightness and incredible reflection handling. HDR content also looks good since it has a wide color gamut and gets bright enough for some highlights to pop. It has an excellent response time, so motion looks clear in fast-moving content like video games or sports, and it comes with advanced features like VRR support.
- Excellent response time.
- Great contrast ratio.
- Remarkable reflection handling.
- Corners of the screen appear darker.
The Samsung Q80T is great for watching movies. It has a high contrast ratio, although not quite as high as expected for a VA panel. It also has a full-array local dimming feature to further improve black levels. 1080p movies are upscaled well without artifacts, but lower frame rate content can stutter due to the TV's fast response time.
- Excellent out-of-the-box color accuracy.
- Great contrast ratio.
- Decent local dimming.
- Stutters when displaying lower frame rate content.
The Samsung Q80T is impressive for watching TV shows. It handles reflections remarkably well and gets very bright, so you shouldn't have issues placing it in a well-lit room. It also has decent viewing angles, making it easier to watch in a larger room or wider seating arrangements since the image doesn't look as washed out from the side. It also upscales lower resolution content, like cable TV, without issue.
Note: We received reports that the Q80T has visible stuttering and judder when watching cable TV, especially sports. If you've experienced the same thing, let us know.
- Remarkable reflection handling.
- Decent viewing angles.
- Gets bright enough to overcome glare.
- Corners of the screen appear darker.
- Reported judder issues with cable sports.
The Samsung Q80T is an impressive TV for watching sports. It has an amazing response time, so fast-moving action looks smooth. You should have no problems watching in a well-lit room, either, since it has incredible reflection handling and gets very bright. Its viewing angles are decent, so the image doesn't look too washed out from the side if you prefer watching the game with friends. Unfortunately, there's a bit of dirty screen effect that may be distracting to some during sports.
Note: We received reports that the Q80T has visible stuttering and judder when watching sports. This could be most noticeable with cable sports. If you've experienced the same thing, let us know.
- Excellent response time.
- Remarkable reflection handling.
- Decent viewing angles.
- Some dirty screen effect.
- Reported judder issues with cable sports.
The Samsung Q80T is an impressive tv for video games. It has an amazing response time, resulting in clear motion and an incredibly low input lag that makes gaming feel responsive. It also has a great contrast ratio, which is ideal for gaming in the dark. Unfortunately, though, the local dimming in 'Game' mode is disappointing, as it doesn't do much. On the upside, it supports VRR and has an HDMI 2.1 port for next-gen consoles.
- Excellent response time.
- Variable refresh rate support.
- Low input lag.
- Local dimming is ineffective in 'Game' mode.
The Samsung Q80T is very good for watching movies in HDR. It has a great contrast ratio that's enhanced by a full-array local dimming feature, allowing it to produce deep blacks. It can display a wide color gamut and gets bright enough to bring out some highlights in HDR content. It can also remove judder from any source, but lower frame rate content like movies can appear to stutter due to the TV's fast response time.
- Excellent out-of-the-box color accuracy.
- Great contrast ratio.
- Decent local dimming.
- Stutters when displaying lower frame rate content.
The Samsung Q80T is great for HDR gaming. Its input lag stays incredibly low even with 10-bit HDR, and it has an amazing response time that results in clear motion. While it has a great contrast ratio to produce deep blacks, its local dimming feature doesn't improve much in 'Game' mode. Also, HDR is a bit darker than it should be in 'Game' mode, so highlights don't pop quite as they should.
- Excellent response time.
- Variable refresh rate support.
- Low input lag.
- Local dimming is ineffective in 'Game' mode.
The Samsung Q80T is an amazing TV to use as a PC monitor. It supports all common resolutions, including chroma 4:4:4, which is important for text clarity. It also has a fast response time and a low input lag for a responsive desktop experience. The viewing angles are decent, although you may still notice the edges of the screen look washed out when sitting up close.
- Excellent response time.
- Low input lag.
- Displays proper chroma 4:4:4.
- Corners of the screen appear darker.
Changelog
- Updated Nov 02, 2021: Retested the SDR and HDR peak brightness after firmware update 2016.1.
- Updated Oct 28, 2021: We retested the response time, backlight flicker, HDR peak brightness, and local dimming after updating to firmware 2016.1.
- Updated Jun 23, 2021: We remeasured the thickness and added new local dimming videos featuring real content.
- Updated Apr 27, 2021: Retested the TV after Sony released a PS5 firmware update to confirm that HDR now works on the PS5 in 4k @ 120Hz.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 55" (QN55Q80T) variant, and for the most part, we expect our review to be valid for the 49" (QN49Q80T), 50" (QN50Q80T), the 65" (QN65Q80T), the 75" (QN75Q80T), and the 85" (QN85Q80T) variants. Do note that the 49" and 50" variants have a 60Hz panel and don't support any variable refresh rate technology. Also, the 49" doesn't have Samsung's 'Ultra Viewing Angle' layer.
Note that the EU version of the Q80T is different. It doesn't have the 'Ultra Viewing Angle' layer, and local dimming may perform worse. The Q85T, which is exclusive to the EU, appears to be the closest model to the one we've tested.
| Size | US | Canada | UK | Warehouse Variant | Refresh rate | FreeSync |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49" | QN49Q80TAFXZA | QN50Q80TAFXZC | QE49Q80TATXXU | QN49Q8DTAFXZA | 60Hz | No |
| 50" | QN50Q80TAFXZA | QN50Q80TAFXZC | - | - | 60Hz | No |
| 55" | QN55Q80TAFXZA | QN55Q80TAFXZC | QE55Q80TATXXU | QN55Q8DTAFXZA | 120Hz | Yes |
| 65" | QN65Q80TAFXZA | QN65Q80TAFXZC | QE65Q80TATXXU | QN65Q8DTAFXZA | 120Hz | Yes |
| 75" | QN75Q80TAFXZA | QN75Q80TAFXZC | QE75Q80TATXXU | QN75Q8DTAFXZA | 120Hz | Yes |
| 85" | QN85Q80TAFXZA | QN85Q80TAFXZC | QE85Q80TATXXU | QN85Q8DTAFXZA | 120Hz | Yes |
If someone comes across a different type of panel or their Samsung Q80T doesn't correspond to our review, let us know and we'll update the review. Note that some tests, such as gray uniformity, may vary between individual units.
Update 08/31/2020: Samsung added a 50 inch model that's only sold in the United States and appears to have the same features as the 49 inch model.
Our unit of the QN55Q80T was manufactured in February 2020, you can see the label here.
Popular TV Comparisons
The Samsung Q80T is an impressive TV for most uses. Unlike many TVs with VA panels, it has fairly wide viewing angles thanks to Samsung's 'Ultra Viewing Angle' layer, although it comes at the expense of contrast, which is a bit lower than some of the Q80T's competitors. For other options, check out our recommendations for the best TVs, the best HDR gaming TVs, and the best 4k gaming TVs.
For most uses, the Samsung Q80T is better than the Sony X900H. The Samsung has a faster response time, lower input lag, and FreeSync support, making it a better option for gaming. The Samsung also gets brighter in HDR content to make highlights pop, and its reflection handling is significantly better. However, the Sony has a higher contrast ratio and better local dimming, so it's a little better for dark room viewing.
The Samsung Q80A replaces the Samsung Q80T in name, but they use different panel types and have different strengths and weaknesses. The QN80A has an ADS panel that has wider viewing angles. It also gets much brighter, especially in HDR in Game Mode. On the other hand, the Q80T has a VA panel with a much better contrast ratio and better local dimming for an improved dark room experience. The Q80T also has much better reflection handling.
The LG CX OLED is better than the Samsung Q80T. The LG is able to produce perfect blacks, has wide viewing angles, and a near-instantaneous response time thanks to its OLED panel. The Samsung, however, can get brighter, and it doesn't have the risk of permanent burn-in that comes with OLEDs. That said, burn-in shouldn't be an issue if you watch varied content.
The Samsung Q80T and the Samsung Q80R are very similar TVs in many respects. The Q80R can get much brighter in HDR, its local dimming performs better, and it has a higher contrast ratio. On the other hand, the Q80T has better color accuracy, a faster response time, and a lower input lag, which is good news for gamers. Both TVs have a 120Hz refresh rate and support VRR to reduce screen tearing when gaming.
We buy and test dozens of TVs yearly, taking an objective, data-driven approach to deliver results you can trust. Our testing process is complex, with hundreds of individual tests that take over a week to complete. Most of our tests use specially designed test patterns that mimic real content, but we also use the same sources you have at home to ensure our results match the real-world experience. We use two main tools for our testing: a Colorimetry Research CR-100 colorimeter and a CR-250 spectroradiometer.
Test Results
Older Test Bench: This product has been tested using an older TV test methodology, before a major update. Some of the test results below aren't directly comparable with other TVs. Learn more
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