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To try to better understand how long a TV should last, we're running 100 TVs through an accelerated longevity test for the next two years. We've just posted our 1-year video update with our latest findings on temporary image retention, burn-in, and more!

Samsung QN85B QLED TV Review

Tested using Methodology v1.11
Reviewed Apr 28, 2022 at 11:06 am
Latest change: Retest Feb 13, 2024 at 11:44 am
Samsung QN85B QLED Picture
8.0
Mixed Usage
Value for price beaten by
: LG B2 OLED
7.8
TV Shows
Value for price beaten by
: LG B2 OLED
8.0
Sports
Value for price beaten by
: LG B2 OLED
8.4
Video Games
Value for price beaten by
: LG B2 OLED
7.9
HDR Movies
Value for price beaten by
: Hisense U8/U8K
8.4
HDR Gaming
Value for price beaten by
: TCL QM8/QM850G QLED
8.8
PC Monitor
Value for price beaten by
: LG B2 OLED
This TV was replaced by the Samsung QN85C/QN85CD QLED

The Samsung QN85B QLED is a high-end TV, and it's the successor to the Samsung QN85A QLED. Part of Samsung's Neo QLED series of TVs, it features a Mini LED backlight, allowing for higher brightness levels and finer control of the local dimming zones. It sits between the Samsung Q80B QLED and the Samsung QN90B QLED. Like other Samsung TVs, it uses Samsung's proprietary Tizen OS smart interface, which offers a large selection of streaming apps and games. Extra features are a big focus for Samsung this year, and the QN85B is no exception. It's designed to interact with all of your other smart devices; to help you do that, it now supports Bixby, Google Assistant, and Alexa. It's also compatible with Google Duo, which supports video calls with up to 32 people directly on your TV by connecting a supported webcam to the TV.

Our Verdict

8.0 Mixed Usage

The Samsung QN85B is a great TV for most uses. Thanks to its high peak brightness and good viewing angle, it's an impressive TV for watching TV shows or sports in a bright room. It also has decent contrast and a great local dimming feature, so it's a very good choice for watching movies in either SDR or HDR in a dark room. It also has a quick response time, low input lag, and a great selection of gaming features that help it deliver a great gaming experience overall.

Pros
  • Image remains accurate at an angle.
  • Bright enough to overcome glare in a bright room.
  • Easy-to-use smart interface with a great selection of apps.
Cons
  • Low native contrast that causes blooming in dark scenes.
7.8 TV Shows

The Samsung QN85B is an impressive TV for watching TV shows in a bright room. It's incredibly bright, so even though it has just decent reflection handling, glare isn't an issue in a bright room. It has a very good viewing angle, which is great if you like to move around with the TV on or have a wide seating arrangement, as the image remains accurate from the sides. Finally, the Tizen OS smart interface has a huge selection of streaming apps, so you're sure to find your favorite content.

Pros
  • Image remains accurate at an angle.
  • Bright enough to overcome glare in a bright room.
  • Upscales lower resolution content well.
  • Easy-to-use smart interface with a great selection of apps.
Cons
  • Low native contrast that causes blooming in dark scenes.
8.0 Sports

The Samsung QN85B is an impressive TV for watching sports in a bright room. It has a wide viewing angle, so the image remains accurate from the sides if you have a wide seating arrangement. It has a quick response time, so fast-moving objects (like the players) look clear, and it's easy to make out the action. It's also incredibly bright, so even though it has just decent reflection handling, glare isn't an issue in a bright room. Finally, it has good gray uniformity, with very little distracting dirty screen effect.

Pros
  • Image remains accurate at an angle.
  • Bright enough to overcome glare in a bright room.
  • Easy-to-use smart interface with a great selection of apps.
  • Fast response time.
Cons
  • Low native contrast that causes blooming in dark scenes.
8.4 Video Games

The Samsung QN85B is a great TV for gaming. It has a great response time, so fast-moving objects are clear, with a short blur trail, and it has fantastic low input lag, ensuring a responsive gaming experience. It has a great selection of additional gaming features, including support for both G-SYNC Compatible and FreeSync variable refresh rates, which helps reduce tearing in games. Finally, it looks good in a dark room, with decent contrast, but the local dimming feature performs a bit worse overall in 'Game' Mode.

Pros
  • Exceptional low input lag.
  • Supports FreeSync and G-SYNC Compatible VRR.
  • Fast response time.
Cons
  • Low native contrast that causes blooming in dark scenes.
  • Lower peak brightness and worse local dimming in 'Game' Mode.
7.9 HDR Movies

The Samsung QN85B is a very good TV for watching HDR movies in a dark room. It has a decent contrast ratio and a great local dimming feature, so blacks look black in a dark room, and bright highlights stand out with just a bit of blooming. It's remarkably bright in HDR, so bright highlights stand out the way they should, and it tracks the PQ EOTF well, which is great if you care about an accurate image. It has a very good color gamut, so the latest HDR content looks vivid and life-like.

Pros
  • Fantastic peak brightness in HDR.
  • Completely judder-free from all sources.
  • Easy-to-use smart interface with a great selection of apps.
Cons
  • Mediocre black uniformity.
  • Low native contrast that causes blooming in dark scenes.
  • Doesn't support Dolby Vision.
8.4 HDR Gaming

The Samsung QN85B is a great TV for gaming in HDR. It delivers a great gaming experience with low input lag, a fast response time, and a great selection of gaming features. It's remarkably bright in HDR, so bright highlights really stand out, and it can display a wide color gamut, so games that can take advantage of that look amazing. It has decent contrast, so blacks look black in a dark room, but sadly, the local dimming feature is a bit worse overall in 'Game' Mode, but it's still decent.

Pros
  • Fantastic peak brightness in HDR.
  • Exceptional low input lag.
  • Supports FreeSync and G-SYNC Compatible VRR.
  • Fast response time.
Cons
  • Low native contrast that causes blooming in dark scenes.
  • Lower peak brightness and worse local dimming in 'Game' Mode.
8.8 PC Monitor

The Samsung QN85B is an excellent TV for use as a PC monitor. It has a wide viewing angle, so the sides of the screen remain accurate if you're sitting close to it. It has a fast response time, so fast motion looks clear, which is especially important if you're scrolling quickly through documents or websites. Chroma 4:4:4 signals are displayed properly, which is important for clear text from a PC, and it has low input lag, so it feels responsive when you're moving the mouse.

Pros
  • Image remains accurate at an angle.
  • Exceptional low input lag.
  • Fast response time.
Cons
  • Low native contrast that causes blooming in dark scenes.
  • 8.0 Mixed Usage
  • 7.8 TV Shows
  • 8.0 Sports
  • 8.4 Video Games
  • 7.9 HDR Movies
  • 8.4 HDR Gaming
  • 8.8 PC Monitor
  1. Updated Feb 13, 2024: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
  2. Updated Dec 05, 2023: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
  3. Updated Oct 12, 2023: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
  4. Updated Aug 09, 2023: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
  5. Updated Aug 02, 2023: Added mention of the newly reviewed Samsung QN85C/QN85CD QLED in this review's Compared To Other TVs section.
  6. Updated Jul 10, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 1.11. With this update, we've added a new Upscaling: Sharpness Processing test and revamped our Blooming test so the scores and picture better match the real world experience. With this change, it was necessary to remove the Black Crush test. Finally, we've updated our usage scores to better align our scores with user expectations.
  7. Updated Jun 07, 2023: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
  8. Updated Apr 25, 2023: We bought and tested the Samsung QN90C/QN90CD QLED and added a few relevant comparisons below.
  9. Updated Apr 03, 2023: We uploaded the brightness measurements and uniformity photos after running the TV for four months in our Accelerated Longevity Test.
  10. Updated Mar 09, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 1.10. With this update we've revamped our Gradient testing, added a new test for Low Quality Content Smoothing, and expanded our Audio Passthrough testing.
  11. Updated Feb 17, 2023: Updated to Test Bench 1.9, modifying our Contrast testing and splitting our local dimming testing into multiple sections covering Blooming, Black Crush, and Lighting Zone Transitions. You can see our full changelog here.
  12. Updated Feb 06, 2023: We uploaded the brightness measurements and uniformity photos after running the TV for two months in our Accelerated Longevity Test.
  13. Updated Jan 04, 2023: We added the Samsung QN88B QLED variant to the Differences Between Sizes And Variants section of the review.
  14. Updated Dec 21, 2022: Updated to Test Bench 1.8, adding a new box for PQ EOTF tracking and updating our Color Volume and Color Gamut tests to better reflect real world usage. You can see our full changelog here.
  15. Updated Nov 17, 2022: We uploaded the initial brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
  16. Updated Jul 22, 2022: Updated to Test Bench 1.7 with an updated HDR Brightness test that better reflects real world usage. We've also split the console compatibility boxes into separate PS5 Compatibility and Xbox Series X|S Compatibility tests. You can see our full changelog here.
  17. Updated May 12, 2022: The backlight flickers at 960Hz in 'Game' Mode with the backlight below 31, and at 120Hz above that. The text in the Flicker-Free section has been updated.
  18. Updated Apr 29, 2022: There was a mistake with our flicker-free results. In the 'Movie' mode, it flickers at 120Hz with a backlight setting above '40'. The flicker frequency increases to 960Hz below that.
  19. Updated Apr 28, 2022: Review published.
  20. Updated Apr 20, 2022: Early access published.
  21. Updated Apr 06, 2022: Our testers have started testing this product.
  22. Updated Apr 04, 2022: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  23. Updated Mar 31, 2022: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the 65-inch QN85B (QN65QN85BAFXZA), which is also available in 55-inch, 75-inch, and 85-inch sizes. The 85-inch model uses a VA panel, so it has better native contrast but a worse viewing angle. Note that with Samsung TVs, the six letters after the short model code (AAFXZA in this case) vary between specific retailers and regions and even between different retailers.

There's also a Canada-exclusive variant released for Black Friday known as the Samsung QN88B QLED. It has a slightly better local dimming feature than the QN85B and better speakers, but that’s about it, the other specs are identical between them.

Size US Model Short Model Code Black Friday Canada Panel Type Ultra Viewing Angle Layer Dimming Zones
55" QN55QN85BAFXZA  QN55QN85B QN55QN88B ADS No Unknown
65" QN65QN85BAFXZA  QN65QN85B QN65QN88B ADS No 720
75" QN75QN85BAFXZA  QN75QN85B QN75QN88B ADS No Unknown
85" QN85QN85BAFXZA  QN85QN85B - VA Yes Unknown

If you come across a Samsung QN85B with a different panel type, or if it doesn't correspond to our review, let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.

Our unit was manufactured in March 2022, and you can see the label here.

Compared To Other TVs

The Samsung QN85B is a great TV with one of the best local dimming features on the market. Despite the great local dimming feature, its native contrast ratio is much lower than other 4k LED TVs in this range. It's a great choice overall if you're in a bright room, but for dark room viewing, models with a VA panel are better. The Samsung QN85C/QN85CD QLED succeeded it, but both TVs are very similar, so don't worry about upgrading if you already own the QN85B.

For more options, check out our recommendations for the best TVs, the best QLED TVs, and the best 4k gaming TVs.

Samsung QN85C/QN85CD QLED
55" 65" 75" 85"

The Samsung QN85B QLED and Samsung QN85C QLED are extremely similar TVs. The QN85C is the more accurate TV with a wider color volume, so it looks more vibrant than its predecessor. Inversely, the QN85B's local dimming zone transitions are a bit better than its successor except in Game Mode, where its zone transitions are noticeably worse than in other modes.

Samsung QN90B QLED
43" 50" 55" 65" 75" 85"

The Samsung QN90B QLED is much better than the Samsung QN85B QLED. The QN90B has much better contrast, with deeper blacks and better uniformity in dark scenes. The QN90B also has much better reflection handling, so it's a better choice for a bright room, and it gets significantly brighter during most scenes in HDR.

LG QNED85
55" 65" 75" 86"

The Samsung QN85B QLED is slightly better than the LG QNED85. The Samsung gets significantly brighter, so it can overcome more glare in a bright room. The Samsung also looks a bit better in a dark room, as there's less blooming around bright highlights or subtitles, and the zone transitions with local dimming enabled are less noticeable.

Sony X90K/X90CK
55" 65" 75" 85"

The Sony X90K/X90CK and the Samsung QN85B are both great TVs that are good for different scenarios. If you have a bright room with a wide seating area, the Samsung has a wider viewing angle and gets brighter, so visibility won't be an issue even in bright environments. However, if you tend to watch content in a dark room, the Sony delivers deeper blacks with less blooming.

Samsung Q80C [Q80, Q80CD] QLED
50" 55" 65" 75" 85" 98"

The Samsung QN85B QLED is better than the Samsung Q80C QLED. It has a much better contrast than the Q80C, helped by having significantly more local dimming zones. In the same vein, its black uniformity is also much improved. Not only is its contrast much better, but it gets significantly brighter in both HDR and SDR, so it's the better TV in any viewing condition, whether bright or dark.

Samsung QN95B QLED
55" 65" 75" 85"

The Samsung QN95B QLED is much better than the Samsung QN85B QLED. The QN95B is much better for watching movies or HDR content in a dark room, as it has much better contrast and better black uniformity, so bright highlights stand out better in dark scenes with less blooming. The QN95B also has much better reflection handling and it gets a lot brighter, so it can better overcome glare in a bright room.

Samsung QN90A QLED
43" 50" 55" 65" 75" 85" 98"

The Samsung QN90A QLED is much better than the Samsung QN85B QLED for most users. The QN90A has a much better native contrast, so there's less blooming around bright objects in dark scenes, and it has much better reflection handling, so it's better suited for a bright room. On the other hand, whereas the QN90A only supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on one port, the QN85B supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on all four HDMI ports, so it's a bit more versatile, especially if you have multiple game consoles or a recent PC.

Sony X90J
50" 55" 65" 75"

The Sony X90J is slightly better than the Samsung QN85B QLED if you're in a dark room. If you're not, the Samsung TV is the better choice. The Sony has a much higher native contrast ratio, resulting in deeper blacks and less blooming around bright objects in dark scenes. On the other hand, the Samsung is a lot brighter, it has a wider viewing angle, and its gaming features are a bit better. The X90J only supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on two ports, whereas the QN85B supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on all four HDMI ports, so it's a bit more versatile, especially if you have multiple game consoles or a recent PC.

Samsung Q60B [Q60, Q60BD] QLED
43" 50" 55" 60" 65" 70" 75" 85"

The Samsung QN85B QLED is much better overall than the Samsung Q60B QLED, but they're different types of TVs. The QN85B is a high-end TV with Mini LED backlighting that allows it to get very bright, and it has a local dimming feature that delivers deep blacks. It also has more gaming features like HDMI 2.1 bandwidth and VRR support to reduce screen tearing. The QN85B has a wider viewing angle that makes it a better choice for wide seating areas. However, the Q60B is an entry-level TV with a different panel type with less blooming around bright objects.

Samsung QN85A QLED
55" 65" 75" 85"

The Samsung QN85B QLED is slightly worse than the Samsung QN85A QLED. The QN85A has much better reflection handling, so it's better suited for a bright room. The QN85A also has a wider HDR color gamut, so HDR content has a bit more "pop" to it. On the other hand, the QN85B has a better local dimming feature, with less blooming around bright highlights in dark scenes. Whereas the QN85A only supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on one port, the QN85B supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on all four HDMI ports, so it's a bit more versatile, especially if you have multiple game consoles or a recent PC.

Samsung Q80B [Q80, Q80BD] QLED
50" 55" 65" 75" 85"

The Samsung QN85B QLED is better overall than the Samsung Q80B QLED because it uses Mini LED backlighting, which the Q80A doesn't have. This means that the QN85B has a much better local dimming feature for improved dark room performance, and it gets brighter overall. It also has much better reflection handling, making the QN85B a better choice for well-lit rooms. However, the Q80B has better motion handling as there's less motion blur behind fast-moving objects.

LG C2 OLED
42" 48" 55" 65" 77" 83"

The LG C2 OLED is much better than the Samsung QN85B QLED for most users. The C2 looks much better in a dark room thanks to its near-infinite contrast ratio, resulting in deep, inky blacks with perfect uniformity and no blooming around bright objects. The C2 also has better motion handling for gaming thanks to its nearly-instantaneous response time. Although the C2 looks great in any room, the QN85B is a slightly better choice for a bright room, as it gets significantly brighter than the C2.

LG C1 OLED
48" 55" 65" 77" 83"

The LG C1 OLED and the Samsung QN85B QLED use different panel types, each with strengths and weaknesses. The Samsung looks best in a bright room, as it has high peak brightness to overcome glare, but low contrast, so blacks look gray in a dark room. On the other hand, the LG's OLED panel has a near-infinite contrast ratio, so blacks look deep and uniform in a black room. The LG also looks good in a bright room, but it's not as bright as the Samsung.

Samsung Q80/Q80A QLED
55" 65" 75" 85"

The Samsung QN85B QLED is much better than the Samsung Q80/Q80A QLED. The QN85B has a much better local dimming feature and a higher contrast ratio, so it looks better in a dark room, with more uniform blacks and less blooming around bright objects in darker scenes. The QN85B is also brighter, so bright highlights in HDR stand out better, and it can better overcome glare in bright rooms.

Samsung Q80/Q80T QLED
49" 50" 55" 65" 75" 85"

The Samsung Q80/Q80T QLED and the Samsung QN85B QLED use different panel types, each with strengths and weaknesses, so the best one depends on your viewing conditions. The Q80T has much better contrast, so it's a better choice for dark rooms, as blacks are deeper and more uniform. On the other hand, the QN85B is better for a bright room, as it's brighter and can more easily overcome glare. The QN85B also has a slightly better viewing angle, so it's a better choice for a wide seating arrangement.

Sony X95K
65" 75" 85"

The Sony X95K is better than the Samsung QN85B QLED, but they're different TVs. The Sony is a bit better if you watch content in dark rooms because it displays deeper blacks with less blooming, and if you watch HDR content, it gets brighter too. However, if you have a wide seating arrangement, the Samsung has a wider viewing angle, so the image remains consistent when viewed from the sides. The Samsung is also the better choice if you're a gamer because it has lower input lag and supports FreeSync.

LG G2 OLED
55" 65" 77" 83" 97"

The LG G2 OLED is much better than the Samsung QN85B QLED. The LG delivers significantly better picture quality, especially for watching movies in a dark room, as it has a near-infinite contrast ratio, resulting in deep inky blacks with no blooming around bright objects. The Samsung is significantly brighter than the LG, so it's a bit better suited for a bright room.

Sony X95J
65" 75" 85"

The Sony X95J is better than the Samsung QN85B QLED overall. The X95J has much better native contrast, resulting in better black uniformity with less blooming around bright objects in dark scenes, and it has a slightly better local dimming feature. The Sony also has much better reflection handling, so it's a better choice for a bright room. On the other hand. While the Sony only supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on two ports, the Samsung TV supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on all four HDMI ports, so it's a bit more versatile, especially if you have multiple game consoles or a recent PC.

LG A1 OLED
48" 55" 65" 77"

The LG A1 OLED is better than the Samsung QN85B QLED. The LG delivers much better picture quality, thanks to its near-infinite contrast ratio, so blacks look deep and uniform in a black room with no blooming around bright objects. The Samsung gets a lot brighter, so it can handle more glare in a bright room. However, it has worse picture quality.

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Video

Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Curved No

The Samsung QN85B looks great, with very thin bezels that help it to blend into the décor. The stand has been updated for 2022, and the new hexagonal base is unique and stylish, although it looks a bit more like a gaming monitor than a TV.

Design
Accelerated Longevity Test
Uniformity Pictures
Design
Stand

The center-mounted stand is small, so it doesn't require a large desk to mount. Sadly, the stand doesn't quite prevent the TV from wobbling, but it's not bad.

Footprint of the stand on the 65" model: 15.4" x 11.3". The stand lifts the TV about 2.5" above the surface of your table, so most soundbars fit in front of it without blocking the screen.

Design
Back
Wall Mount VESA 400x300

The back is plastic with a textured brushed metal finish. There are channels along the back and a space in the stand for basic cable management. Unfortunately, the inputs are inset into the back of the TV, so they're difficult to access if you wall-mount the TV with a fixed bracket.

Design
Borders
Borders 0.35" (0.9 cm)
Design
Thickness
Max Thickness 1.06" (2.7 cm)
9.0
Design
Build Quality

The Samsung QN85B has fantastic build quality. It's well put together, with premium materials that feel well-built. There's some flex on the back panel, but this isn't unusual and doesn't cause any issues. The gap between the bezel and the screen isn't quite uniform, which indicates a less precise final assembly process, but this isn't really noticeable. Sadly, the TV tends to wobble a bit.

Picture Quality
8.3
Picture Quality
Contrast
Contrast
81,120 : 1
Native Contrast
1,067 : 1

The Samsung QN85B has a decent contrast ratio. The contrast with local dimming on 'High' is much higher than the native contrast, and blacks don't look gray at all in a dark room. Note that the 85 inch model uses a different panel type, and it has much better native contrast. The Samsung QN90C/QN90CD QLED has a similar panel, with nearly identical contrast.

Unlike most other brands, the local dimming feature can't be disabled from the picture settings menu. The native contrast is measured on Samsung TVs by disabling local dimming in PC mode through the service menu and then changing the input label to 'PC' for this measurement only.

8.0
Picture Quality
Blooming
7.5
Picture Quality
Lighting Zone Transitions
Local Dimming
Yes
Backlight
Full-Array
Dimming Zones Count Of Tested TV
720
7.5
Picture Quality
Contrast And Dark Details In Game Mode

Unfortunately, as with most recent Samsung TVs, the local dimming feature is a bit worse in 'Game' Mode. In 'Game' Mode, there's more noticeable blooming around bright highlights or subtitles, and they seem to be spread out over a greater number of dimming zones. The processing also seems to be a bit slower, and zone transitions are more noticeable.

8.3
Picture Quality
HDR Brightness
Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
694 cd/m²
Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
412 cd/m²
Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
209 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
916 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
983 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
1,027 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
835 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
611 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
902 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
981 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
1,022 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
832 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
611 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.027

The Samsung QN85B is remarkably bright in HDR. Small specular highlights stand out extremely well, but large bright scenes are considerably dimmer, but still good. Bright highlights stay bright even if they're on-screen for a while. It tracks the PQ EOTF well, as almost all scenes display at the correct brightness level. There's a smooth roll-off near the TV's peak brightness, so fine details are preserved in really bright scenes.

These measurements are in the 'Movie HDR' Picture Mode with Brightness and Contrast at max, Local Dimming set to 'High', and Color Tone set to 'Warm2'.

If you want to make HDR even brighter, as seen in this EOTF, then set Contrast Enhancer to 'High' and ST.2084 to 'Max'. These settings result in considerably brighter scenes, but the overall peak brightness of the TV is the same. The 'Dynamic' Picture Mode is even brighter, reaching a momentary peak brightness of 1673 cd/m² with a 10% window, but it can't maintain those brightness levels, and it dims significantly after a few seconds.

8.6
Picture Quality
HDR Brightness In Game Mode
Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
768 cd/m²
Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
470 cd/m²
Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
268 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
700 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
916 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
967 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
857 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
629 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
699 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
915 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
965 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
854 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
628 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.024

HDR10+ SettingGame HDR SettingPQ EOTFDCI-P3 Color GamutRec. 2020 Color Gamut
BasicOnEOTFColor GamutColor Gamut
BasicOffEOTFColor GamutColor Gamut
AdvancedOnEOTFColor GamutColor Gamut
AdvancedOffEOTFColor GamutColor Gamut

There's no noticeable difference in HDR peak brightness in 'Game' mode with the default settings. Adjusting the HDR10+ Gaming and the Game HDR settings has a small impact on the color gamut and PQ EOTF tracking, though. There's no noticeable difference in peak brightness between the different settings, but the brightness tracks the PQ EOTF better with Game HDR on, and the 'Advanced' mode delivers slightly better tone mapping, but it's not really noticeable.

These measurements are with the same settings as the HDR Brightness box, but with Dynamic Black Equalizer set to 'Max'.

7.6
Picture Quality
PQ EOTF Tracking
600 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0164
1000 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0165
4000 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0122
9.2
Picture Quality
SDR Brightness
Real Scene Peak Brightness
952 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
1,027 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
1,115 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
1,147 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
915 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
655 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
1,020 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
1,097 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
1,138 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
911 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
654 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.029

The Samsung QN85B has incredible peak brightness in SDR. It's definitely bright enough to overcome glare, even if you have a lot of natural light. Unfortunately, large bright scenes are dimmed considerably by the TV's Automatic Brightness limiter (ABL).

These measurements are after calibration, in the 'Movie' Picture Mode with Backlight set to max, Local Dimming on 'High', and the Color Tone set to 'Warm2'. The 'Dynamic' Picture Mode with the 'Cool' Color Temperature is a bit brighter, but less accurate, reaching a peak of 1205 cd/m².

8.4
Picture Quality
Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
Yes
DCI P3 xy
92.72%
DCI P3 uv
94.74%
Rec 2020 xy
69.54%
Rec 2020 uv
77.02%

The Samsung QN85B has a very good color gamut. It has excellent coverage of the DCI-P3 color space used by most current HDR content. Colors don't quite pop the way they should in some content, but it's not really noticeable unless you're comparing this TV to another one with a wider color gamut. It has limited coverage of the wider Rec. 2020 color space, and the tone mapping isn't very good when displaying Rec. 2020 content, so there's some loss of fine details in some scenes.

7.4
Picture Quality
Color Volume
1,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage ITP
60.8%
10,000 cd/m² Rec 2020 Coverage ITP
28.6%
White Luminance
978 cd/m²
Red Luminance
216 cd/m²
Green Luminance
699 cd/m²
Blue Luminance
60 cd/m²
Cyan Luminance
771 cd/m²
Magenta Luminance
269 cd/m²
Yellow Luminance
891 cd/m²

The Samsung QN85B has just decent color volume. It's mainly limited by its incomplete color gamut, as most colors are displayed well at various brightness levels, and colors are just as bright as pure white. Dark saturated colors are displayed well, which is impressive for an ADS panel.

8.2
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
White Balance dE
2.73
Color dE
1.93
Gamma
2.17
Color Temperature
6,282 K
Picture Mode
Movie
Color Temp Setting
Warm 2
Gamma Setting
2.2

The Samsung QN85B has great accuracy out of the box. The white balance is a bit off, especially in brighter shades of gray, but most colors look great. The white balance is a touch warm, but it's not really noticeable, and gamma is very close to the 2.2 target for a dark room, but bright scenes are over-brightened a bit.

9.5
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
White Balance dE
0.22
Color dE
1.10
Gamma
2.20
Color Temperature
6,555 K
White Balance Calibration
20 point
Color Calibration
Yes

After calibration, the Samsung QN85B has fantastic accuracy. Any remaining issues with the color accuracy, white balance, or gamma aren't noticeable. The color temperature is extremely close to the 6500K target.

This TV has a new "Smart Calibration" feature that lets you partially calibrate your TV using your smartphone. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear to improve picture quality compared to the out-of-the-box results. After running this calibration, you can't reset the picture settings; the TV has to be reset to change the picture settings or calibrate it normally.

You can see our recommended settings here.

7.5
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
2.945%
50% DSE
0.189%
5% Std. Dev.
0.510%
5% DSE
0.099%

The Samsung QN85B has good gray uniformity. The sides of the screen are noticeably darker than the center. There's just a bit of dirty screen effect, which is mainly noticeable when watching sports.

6.7
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Std. Dev.
1.505%
Native Std. Dev.
1.600%

Unfortunately, the Samsung QN85B has just okay black uniformity. The screen appears cloudy throughout due to the low native contrast when local dimming is disabled. Enabling local dimming reduces the cloudiness significantly, but despite the high number of dimming zones, there's a bit of blooming around the test cross. The 85 inch model uses a different panel type, and it has much better black uniformity.

7.8
Picture Quality
Viewing Angle
Color Washout
34°
Color Shift
70°
Brightness Loss
35°
Black Level Raise
70°
Gamma Shift
45°

The Samsung QN85B has a very good viewing angle. The image fades a bit at moderate viewing angles, causing it to appear washed out, but there's very little color shift. It's a very good choice for a wide seating arrangement, as the image remains accurate at an angle, or if you're using it as a PC monitor, as the sides of the screen remain accurate if you're sitting close to it. Note that the 85 inch model uses a different screen type with a worse viewing angle.

7.3
Picture Quality
Reflections
Screen Finish
Semi-gloss
Total Reflections
5.4%
Indirect Reflections
0.7%
Calculated Direct Reflections
4.7%

The Samsung QN85B has decent reflection handling. The semi-gloss coating diffuses reflections across the screen a bit, making them appear larger but less bright overall. Thankfully, this TV can get incredibly bright, so despite the limited reflection handling, you can increase the brightness to overcome glare.

8.5
Picture Quality
HDR Native Gradient
100% Black to 50% Gray
8.0
50% Gray to 100% White
8.0
100% Black to 50% Red
10
50% Red to 100% Red
10
100% Black to 50% Green
10
50% Green to 100% Green
6.0
100% Black to 50% Blue
10
50% Blue to 100% Blue
6.0
6.3
Picture Quality
Low-Quality Content Smoothing
Smoothing
6.0
Detail Preservation
7.0
7.5
Picture Quality
Upscaling: Sharpness Processing

480p content, like DVDs, is upscaled well, with no issues at all.

Picture Quality
Pixels
Subpixel Layout
RGB
Type LED
Sub-Type
IPS

Like the 2021 Samsung QN85A QLED, the Samsung QN85B QLED uses an ADS panel, which performs similar to IPS technology. The red-green-blue subpixel structure is great for use as a PC monitor, as text is rendered properly. Note that the 85 inch model uses a VA panel and has a blue-green-red subpixel structure, so text isn't as sharp.

Motion
8.4
Motion
Response Time
80% Response Time
4.7 ms
100% Response Time
9.7 ms

The Samsung QN85B has a great response time. Most transitions are very fast, with minimal overshoot, so motion looks relatively clear with little blur behind fast-moving objects. There's significant overshoot in dark transitions, though, causing inverse ghosting behind dark areas.

9.9
Motion
Flicker-Free
Flicker-Free
No
PWM Dimming Frequency
960 Hz

The Samsung QN85B uses pulse width modulation (PWM) to dim its backlight, and the flicker frequency varies between picture modes and with certain settings. In 'Movie' mode with the backlight set to at least 40, the backlight flickers at 120Hz, but it increases to 960Hz with a backlight setting below '40'. The flicker frequency drops to 120Hz in the 'Dynamic', 'Natural', 'Standard', and 'Filmmaker' Picture Modes, or if you enable the Picture Clarity settings. In 'Game' Mode, it flickers at 960Hz with the backlight set to 30 or below, and at 120Hz above 30. This low flicker frequency can cause headaches if you're sensitive to flicker, and it also causes image duplications with 60Hz content.

Motion
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
Optional BFI
Yes
Min Flicker For 60 fps
60 Hz
60Hz For 60 fps
Yes
120Hz For 120 fps
Yes
Min Flicker for 60 fps in Game Mode
60 Hz

The Samsung QN85B has an optional backlight strobing feature, commonly known as black frame insertion. This feature helps reduce blur caused by the TV's fast response time, otherwise known as persistence blur. It works at both 60Hz and 120Hz, but the timing is a bit off, causing a duplicated image. Note that our scoring only reflects the range of flicker frequency and not how well the BFI performs.

Motion
Motion Interpolation
Motion Interpolation (30 fps)
Yes
Motion Interpolation (60 fps)
Yes

The Samsung QN85B has a feature to increase the frame rate of low frame rate content up to 120Hz. It's okay overall on this TV, but it looks best in slow-paced scenes. In busy scenes with a lot of action, there are a lot of artifacts. Unlike some TVs, which stop interpolating when they can't keep up, this one keeps going, so there are more and more artifacts in busy scenes.

6.7
Motion
Stutter
Frame Hold Time @ 24 fps
31.9 ms
Frame Hold Time @ 60 fps
9.7 ms

Due to the relatively quick response time of the Samsung QN85B QLED, low frame rate content, like movies, appears to stutter. It's mainly noticeable in slow panning shots. If this bothers you, the optional motion interpolation or backlight strobing features can both help with this, but they have other issues, too, so there's no perfect solution.

10
Motion
24p Judder
Judder-Free 24p
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via 60p
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via 60i
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via Native Apps
Yes

The Samsung QN85B automatically removes judder from all sources; no additional settings are needed. It's great for watching movies, as motion appears smooth.

9.4
Motion
Variable Refresh Rate
Native Refresh Rate
120 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
Yes
HDMI Forum VRR
Yes
FreeSync
Yes
G-SYNC Compatible
Yes
4k VRR Maximum
120 Hz
4k VRR Minimum
< 20 Hz
1080p VRR Maximum
120 Hz
1080p VRR Minimum
< 20 Hz
1440p VRR Maximum
120 Hz
1440p VRR Minimum
< 20 Hz
VRR + Local Dimming Yes

The Samsung QN85B supports variable refresh rates, and it works across a very wide refresh rate range. Low-frame rate compensation (LFC) automatically engages at low refresh rates, multiplying frames to ensure a tear-free gaming experience even at very low frame rates. It's compatible with all three major types of VRR.

Inputs
9.7
Inputs
Input Lag
1080p @ 60Hz
10.7 ms
1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
89.9 ms
1080p @ 120Hz
5.8 ms
1080p @ 144Hz
N/A
1440p @ 60Hz
10.8 ms
1440p @ 120Hz
5.8 ms
1440p @ 144Hz
N/A
4k @ 60Hz
10.7 ms
4k @ 60Hz + 10-Bit HDR
10.6 ms
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
10.7 ms
4k @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
80.3 ms
4k @ 60Hz With Interpolation
23.6 ms
4k @ 120Hz
5.8 ms
4k @ 144Hz
N/A
8k @ 60Hz
N/A

The Samsung QN85B has fantastic low input lag in 'Game' Mode, resulting in a very responsive gaming experience. Gaming at 120Hz offers even better input lag, very close to high-end gaming monitors. If you're a fan of motion interpolation, Samsung's 'Game Motion Plus' feature allows you to interpolate low frame rate games, improving motion clarity without adding much input lag. With the 'Game Motion Plus' settings at max, there's 23.6ms of input lag, which is definitely higher than with the setting disabled, but it's still good for casual gamers.

9.6
Inputs
Supported Resolutions
Resolution 4k
480p @ 59.94Hz (Widescreen)
Yes
720p @ 59.94Hz
Yes
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
1080p @ 144Hz
No
1440p @ 60Hz
Yes
1440p @ 120Hz
Yes
1440p @ 144Hz
No
4k @ 60Hz
Yes
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
Yes
4k @ 120Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
4k @ 144Hz
No
8k @ 30Hz or 24Hz
No
8k @ 60Hz
No

The Samsung QN85B supports all common resolutions up to 4k @ 120Hz. Except for 1440p @ 120Hz, all supported formats can display chroma 4:4:4 properly, which is important for clear text from a PC. 4k @ 120Hz signals are displayed properly, with no resolution-halving or other issues.

Inputs
PS5 Compatibility
Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
Yes
1440p @ 120Hz
PS5 doesn't output 1440p
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
HDR
Yes
VRR
Yes

The Samsung QN85B is fully compatible with the PS5 and Xbox Series X; there are no issues at all. It also works with Sony's recently added variable refresh rate feature on the PS5.

Inputs
Xbox Series X|S Compatibility
Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
Yes
1440p @ 120Hz
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
HDR
Yes
VRR
Yes
Inputs
Inputs Specifications
HDR10
Yes
HDR10+
Yes
Dolby Vision
No
HLG
Yes
HDMI 2.0 Full Bandwidth
Yes (HDMI 1,2,3,4)
HDMI 2.1 Class Bandwidth
Yes (HDMI 1,2,3,4)
CEC Yes
HDCP 2.2 Yes (HDMI 1,2,3,4)
ATSC Tuner
1.0
USB 3.0
No
Variable Analog Audio Out No
Wi-Fi Support Yes (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)

Unlike the 2021 Samsung TVs, the Samsung QN85B supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on all four HDMI ports. It's great, as it gives you the flexibility to connect multiple high-bandwidth devices, like if you have both the PS5 and Xbox Series X. Unfortunately, Samsung still doesn't support Dolby Vision. However, it's compatible with HDR10+, which is very similar.

Inputs
Input Photos
Inputs
Total Inputs
HDMI 4
USB 2
Digital Optical Audio Out 1
Analog Audio Out 3.5mm 0
Analog Audio Out RCA 0
Component In 0
Composite In 0
Tuner (Cable/Ant) 1
Ethernet 1
DisplayPort 0
IR In 0
Inputs
Audio Passthrough
ARC/eARC Port
eARC
eARC: Dolby Atmos Over Dolby Digital Plus
Yes
eARC: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Yes
eARC: LPCM 7.1 Over Dolby MAT
Yes
eARC: Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Yes
eARC: DTS:X Over DTS-HD MA
No
eARC: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
No
eARC: LPCM Channels (Bitstream)
7.1
ARC: Dolby Digital 5.1
Yes
ARC: DTS 5.1
No
Optical: Dolby Digital 5.1
Yes
Optical: DTS 5.1
No

The Samsung QN85B supports eARC, allowing it to pass uncompressed high-quality audio from a connected source through to your soundbar or home theater system. Sadly, it doesn't support any DTS formats, which is disappointing, as many UHD Blu-rays use DTS for their lossless audio tracks.

Sound Quality
7.0
Sound Quality
Frequency Response
Low-Frequency Extension
89.80 Hz
Std. Dev. @ 70
3.68 dB
Std. Dev. @ 80
3.62 dB
Std. Dev. @ Max
5.75 dB
Max
91.3 dB SPL
Dynamic Range Compression
4.79 dB

The Samsung QN85B has a decent frequency response. Like most TVs, the low-frequency extension (LFE) is high, so there's very little deep rumble or thump. The frequency response above the LFE is well-balanced at moderate listening levels, so dialogue is clear and easy to understand. However, there's noticeable compression at max volume, and there's a significant decrease in the frequency response in the low-treble range, making dialogue harder to understand. The Samsung QN85B has an optional room correction feature, which was enabled for these measurements.

7.1
Sound Quality
Distortion
Weighted THD @ 80
0.138
Weighted THD @ Max
0.700
IMD @ 80
1.36%
IMD @ Max
5.86%

The Samsung QN85B has decent distortion performance. There's very little harmonic distortion in the treble range, where it's most noticeable, even at max volume.

Smart Features
8.5
Smart Features
Interface
Smart OS Tizen
Version 2022
Ease of Use
Easy
Smoothness
Very Smooth
Time Taken to Select YouTube
2 s
Time Taken to Change Backlight
5 s
Advanced Options
Many

The updated 2022 version of Tizen OS is fast and easy to use. The interface now fills the entire screen instead of the bar that appeared on the previous version. This makes it easier to find your favorite content.

0
Smart Features
Ad-Free
Ads
Yes
Opt-out
No
Suggested Content in Home
Yes
Opt-out of Suggested Content
No

Unfortunately, like most TVs on the market, there are ads throughout the interface, and there's no option to disable them completely.

8.5
Smart Features
Apps and Features
App Selection
Great
App Smoothness
Average
Cast Capable
Yes
USB Drive Playback
Yes
USB Drive HDR Playback
Yes
HDR in Netflix
Yes
HDR in YouTube
Yes

The included apps cover most of the common streaming services, and there's a great selection of additional apps available in Samsung's app store. It's also compatible with Google Duo, which supports video calls with up to 32 people by connecting a webcam to the TV.

8.5
Smart Features
Remote
Size
Small
Voice Control
Many Features
CEC Menu Control
Yes
Other Smart Features
Yes
Remote App Samsung SmartThings

The remote is slim and easy to use but has a very limited selection of buttons, so you have to change most things through menus on the TV. There are four quick-access buttons for the most popular streaming services; unfortunately, there's no way to remap these to your favorites. You can recharge the remote via a solar panel on the back or with a USB-C cable (sold separately).

The Samsung QN85B is compatible with multiple voice assistants, including Bixby, Google Assistant, and Alexa, but you have to use the remote as it doesn't have a hands-free mode. Voice controls work well and allow you to launch apps, change inputs, or adjust certain settings. Sadly, you can't use it to search for content within specific apps.

Unfortunately, the remote included with the TV we bought wasn't working properly, so we had to use a different remote for our testing. We believe this to be an isolated issue with our unit, but let us know if you experience the same thing.

Smart Features
TV Controls

The controls are beneath the Samsung branding on the bottom right side of the TV. There's a single button that lets you power the TV on/off and change channels, volume, and inputs.

Smart Features
In The Box

  • Power cable
  • Remote control
  • User guide

Smart Features
Misc
Power Consumption 60 W
Power Consumption (Max) 159 W
Firmware 1098