Samsung QN85C Review: Mini LED Marvel

In one look

Expert rating

Benefits

• Impressive image quality
• Tizen Smart TV Platform
• 120Hz refresh rate

The inconvenients

• No Dolby Vision
• AI Audio sounds harsh

Our opinion

This Quantum Mini LED display proves that you don’t have to buy an OLED to get impressive black levels. Crisp visuals and a host of gaming features make for a terrific Neo QLED flatscreen that isn’t as expensive as you might expect.

Best Prices Today: Samsung QN85C (2023)

$1499.99

$4,345.98

With a formidable feature list and improved Mini LED backlighting, this entry-level Neo QLED model for 2023 is a tempting smart TV for boxed enthusiasts and gamers alike. It delivers OLED-like black level performance, powerful HDR, and deep, vibrant colors.

The set also comes with a Dolby Atmos 2.2.2 sound system, plus a quartet of 4K 120Hz compatible HDMI inputs.

Smart functionality is provided by Tizen, Samsung’s increasingly capable connected platform. That’s a lot of boxes checked.

Design features

• Thin bezel, central base
• Tizen OS with Game Hub
• Two remote controls

Despite the demands of its Mini LED backlight, the QN85C’s Neo Slim design still looks premium, at just 28mm deep. A central pedestal ensures the TV works with most AV furniture options.

On the back are four HDMIs, all 4K 120Hz capable. HDMI 3 is eARC compatible, so there will be no problem accommodating both an Xbox and PlayStation 5, as well as a Blu-ray player or a decoder. It’s as upgradable as TVs are now.

Other connections include an optical digital output, Ethernet, two USB ports and a CI card slot, while Bluetooth and Wi-Fi provide wireless coverage. There is a choice of terrestrial or dual satellite tuner streams.

Steve May / Foundry

The QN85C comes with two remote controls, a slim lifestyle model and a standard zapper. The two dedicated sports buttons for Netflix, Prime Video, Samsung TV Plus and Disney+.

As for audio, the QN85C features a six-channel iteration of Samsung’s OTS (Object Tracking Sound) audio system. Cleverly, he manages to hide all these pilots in plain sight.

Overall usability is good. While Samsung continues to snub Freeview Play, all major UK TV catch-up players are available through the Tizen smart platform. There’s no shortage of streaming TV services either, as well as Samsung TV Plus, the brand’s own FAST (Free Ad-Supported TV) channel offerings.

A single rail supports these different apps, so scrolling to find the service you want is a breeze; below are the bars for Current and Recently Viewed content.

Steve May / Foundry

Menus sit on the left. It’s from here that you can enable Ambient, Game and Media playback modes, or dive even deeper into the Settings menu.

Perhaps the most interesting addition to the Tizen smorgasbord is a dedicated Game Hub. It houses cloud gaming services, like Xbox, Utomik, and Twitch, and all connected consoles.

There’s also a gaming overlay that brings together all relevant console settings, such as input lag, VRR and HDR information. The TV is AMD Freesync Premium Pro and Nvidia G-Sync compatible. More on gaming performance later.

Image quality

• Impactful HDR performance
• Excellent color vibrancy
• Powerful frame interpolation

If you like your TV pictures bright and rich in color, you’ve come to the right place. The QN85C delivers high average picture level, punchy peak HDR brightness and extended color depth.

If you thought only OLED could deliver uninterrupted solid black, think again. In an entirely dark room, the letterbox bars of the widescreen TV and movies on this Neo QLED are inky black. There’s none of that tasteless dullness that can plague LED backlight technologies.

I measured peak HDR brightness at just over 1000 nits with a 10% metering window. More than good enough to deliver bright specular highlights, such as lamps, streetlights, reflections and the like, and bold enough to perhaps forgive the set’s lack of Dolby Vision support.

I did note some cloudiness when it comes to low luminance shadow detail, but perhaps that’s to be expected with a limited number of backlight clusters.

The set is compatible with HDR10+, the active metadata system favored by Amazon Prime Video.

Samsung

The panel is paired with an AI-enhanced processor, Samsung’s 4K Neural Quantum Processor, which harnesses the power of 20 neural networks to optimize images scene by scene. The fruits of this silicon labor can be found in the smart mode.

Select this option and the TV takes care of brightness, contrast and fine detail, making judgments based on content. If you want to know more, there’s a selection of picture presets: Standard, Eco, Movie, Filmmaker Mode and Dynamic.

I found Standard the easiest to live with, as it makes good use of the screen’s available headroom and color fidelity, without resorting to oversaturation.

Motion handling is generally good, thanks to Motion Xcelerator Turbo+. It’s tempting to leave the Image Clarity setting off for movies, although I found the shaking to be intrusive. It’s best to stick with Auto or experiment with Custom to find the best compromise.

Samsung

The screen is an awesome gaming screen. 4K 120Hz games play especially smoothly, though it didn’t improve my Overwatch skills. Be aware that there are two game options: Game Motion Plus retains some processing for additional image nuance, but the basic game mode is the most responsive.

I measured input lag at an excellent 9.4ms (1080p/60fps), in this mode, while with Game Motion Plus on, which restores some image enhancement, it drops to 25 ms.

Sound quality

• Object tracking system
• AI Audio mode
• 60W sound system

You can’t tell from the set’s svelte chassis, but this set has a rather fancy Object Tracking Sound (OTS) audio system built in, with a pair of speakers in the top left and right.

The soundstage is wide and high, with a surprisingly powerful mid-range, thanks to two woofers. Movie sound means, no soundbar required. The volume is not lacking, thanks to the 60W of on-board amplification.

I’m really not convinced by the QN85C’s AI audio mode. It’s very vocal-focused and the Amplify mode is pretty harsh. I’ve come to the conclusion that AI is not audio’s friend yet.

Price and availability

The Samsung QN85C is available in four screen sizes, all available now. Choose from 55, 65, 75 and 85 inch models (QE55QN85C, QE65QN85C, QE75QN85C and QE85QN85C).

These sets retail for £1,899, £2,599, £3,599 and £4,699 respectively and you can buy them from Samsung as well as retailers such as Amazon, Currys and Hughes.

The same models are available in the US, priced at $1,499, $1,999, $2,699 and $3,799 – available from Samsung US, Amazon US and BestBuy.

On my test bed is the 65-inch version, and you can check out plenty of great alternatives in our best TV chart.

Verdict

The QN85C is a high performance 4K smart TV, with an enviable feature specification.

The set’s Neural Quantum Processor 4K processor is versatile and does a great job with images. Black level performance is particularly impressive, ensuring images have real depth.

Maximum HDR brightness is also impressive, although the lack of Dolby Vision remains a disappointment for moviegoers.

The set excels when it comes to gaming. The provision of four 4K 120Hz inputs is good news for serious gamers, the low latency is impressive while the provision of a Game Hub adds an extra polish.

This 4K Mini LED model for 2023 is a great all-rounder.

Specifications

• Model tested 65 inches
• Screen sizes: 55, 65, 75, 85 inches
• Neo QLED display technology
• Resolution: 3840 x 2160
• HDMI: x4
• HDR support: HDR10+, HDR10, HLG,
• Tizen smart platform
• Freeview terrestrial tuner
• 2.2.2 sound system with Dolby Atmos
• Dimensions: 1446 (w) x 828 (h) x 25 (d) mm
• Weight: 23.7kg