Samsung qn87a обзор

What We Don’t Like

Dreadful black levels and irksome light bloom

Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

The QN85A’s black levels—particularly in HDR—are so shallow that they crush details. This is most noticeable in dark scenes.

For a TV of this caliber, we were surprised to observe shallow black levels on the QN85A, particularly while receiving an HDR signal. While using a standard ANSI checkerboard pattern in HDR, we measured black levels of around 0.350 to 0.450 nits, which is quite high, even for a standard LCD TV with LED backlights. To put this into perspective, the QN90A’s black level while displaying this pattern clocked in at a much lower 0.059 nits—it’s not even close.

While receiving an SDR signal, the QN85A is able to dip a little deeper into black and make use of its local dimming algorithms, but it’s still nowhere near the depths we expect to see on a TV this expensive. In practice, this means far less shadow detail than there ought to be in darker scenes—something we confirmed while watching Blu-rays in the lab.

We were surprised to observe shallow black levels.

Our assumption is that the QN85A is using an IPS-style panel rather than a VA panel. While VA-style panels offer terrific contrast and so-so viewing angles, IPS panels are known for less-than-stellar contrast and above-average viewing angles. We’ve reached out to Samsung to confirm whether or not the QN85A is using an IPS panel and whether any other sizes in the series use this panel technology, too. We’ll update this review as soon as we hear back.

For the most part, the QN85A does exhibit tight contrast control, no doubt the result of the TV’s abundance of mini-LEDs. And to be fair, the QN85A gets bright enough to mitigate the effects of these shallow black levels—especially in bright rooms where your eyes aren’t as sensitive. Still, we did notice a fair amount of light bloom around brighter picture elements when surrounded by darkness. This effect is even more prominent when viewing the QN85A from off-center angles. And while we also observed this phenomenon while reviewing the Samsung QN90A, the issue was more apparent on the QN85A—likely a result of a lower mini-LED count.

No Dolby Vision support

Like all Samsung TVs, the QN85A does not support Dolby Vision support, and in its place offers support for HDR10+, a comparable alternative that lacks the licensing fees associated with Dolby Vision. While HDR10+ has its advantages, the QN85A is not certified for true Dolby Vision support, which means Dolby Vision-mastered games, movies, and TV shows won’t be showcasing the true nature of the format.

To be clear, HDR content will look great on the QN85A—the TV gets plenty bright to deliver the goods. That said, it’s something to keep in mind as major studios and streaming platforms like Disney+, Amazon Prime, and others continue to adopt the Dolby Vision format. If staying on the cutting edge is important to you, you might be better off shopping for a Dolby Vision TV.

Somewhat uninspired design

Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

The QN85A’s stand design won’t turn any heads, and at times, it causes the panel to wobble.

The best thing about the QN85A’s physical design is how thin its panel is—not nearly as thin as an OLED, but thinner than most of the backlit LCD/LED TVs we’ve been testing this year.

Unfortunately, the TV’s stand—a flat, rectangular plate that connects to the back of the QN85A’s panel—looks a little drab, especially compared to the upscale stand design of the QN90A. We also noticed a fair amount of wobble while moving the TV and plugging in devices due to the width of the panel and the manner in which it connects to the stand.

Extension of Object-Tracking Sound (OTS)

(Image credit: Samsung)

Samsung introduced Object-Tracking Sound with last year’s QLEDs, but this year it’s been expanded, both in terms of the models it covers and the number of speakers involved.

There are now four versions of OTS, with the new OTS Lite at the bottom and OTS Pro at the top. Each version differs in terms of the number of speakers involved.

OTS Lite consists of two physical speakers at the bottom and two ‘virtual speakers’ that provide height. It’s available on the most premium LCD models. The standard version of OTS adds physical speakers to the top of the set, OTS+ adds side-firing speakers, and OTS Pro adds extra tweeters, taking the complete speaker array up to a total of 6.2.2 channels.

Every version of OTS is designed to fill a room as much as possible and provide three-dimensional tracking of effects, very much along the lines of virtualised Dolby Atmos. Some models also feature something called ‘SpaceFit’, which is an enhanced version of the company’s existing Adaptive Sound tech that adapts audio performance to the TV’s surroundings.

All models also appear to feature Active Voice Amplifier, which is designed to actively detect external noise and boost the volume of the voice track so that dialogue is more audible, and Q Symphony, which allows the TV’s speakers to work in conjunction with a connected Samsung soundbar – there’s a whole new range of those in 2021, of course, including the recently reviewed HW-Q800A.

Neo Quantum Processor

Of no surprise at all is that Samsung is introducing a new processor for its 2021 TVs. This ‘Neo Quantum Processor’ brings with it, among other things, more precise dimming and a local power distribution feature that sends power to the brightest areas of the picture and away from the darker parts. It also works in conjunction with a sensor integrated into the TV’s frame to adjust brightness and contrast in response to ambient lighting conditions.

In Samsung’s 2021 8K TVs, the Neo Quantum Processor also utilises something that Samsung calls ‘Multi-Intelligence Deep Learning’ to improve upscaling. The company explains that in 2020 its deep learning produced a single neural network, but in 2021 the system can produce up to 16 neural networks that enhance resolution and overall video quality. Essentially, it seems that each of the neural networks specialises in a different area of picture quality, then a Neural Analyser selects the most appropriate for the specific content being played.

This Samsung Neo QLED is a beautiful next-gen TV—with one serious flaw

Written and Tested by

Michael Desjardin

Updated April 5, 2021

In 2021, high-end 4K TVs come in two flavors: OLED and QLED (quantum dot) TVs. OLEDs offer perfect black levels while QLEDs pair imperfect black levels but make up for it by getting brighter—which usually makes them a better choice in well-lit rooms. The Samsung QN85A (available at Amazon for $1,097.99) belongs to the latter category. It’s not quite Samsung’s flagship QLED TV for 2021, but it aims to come close at a more reasonable price. Unfortunately, it’s got some weird quirks that keep it from joining the ranks of the best TVs of 2021.

Samsung QN85A 4K Neo QLED TV

(Image credit: Samsung)

The entry-level Neo QLED model (i.e. the most affordable Mini LED model) in Samsung’s 2021 range is the QN85A, which thankfully appears to be the same wherever you buy it.

It appears to have fewer dimming zones than the US and Australian QN90A, but we think that’s the same number of zones as the UK QN90A. Compared to all versions of the model above it’s got a more basic version of OTS sound with two fewer drivers.

The QN85A is just 25mm thick and has a stand with a 4mm bottom plate, although here it connects to the main chassis via a stalk or neck.

Samsung QN85A specs:

Display type: Neo QLED
Resolution: 4K
Sizes: 55-inch, 65-inch, 75-inch, 85-inch
One Connect: No
Sound: OTS (2.2.2ch, 60W)
4K@120Hz: Yes
Ultra-Wide Viewing Angle: No
Anti-Reflective Panel: Yes
HDMI 2.1 sockets: 1

Samsung QN85A prices:

QE55QN85A / QN55QN85A / QA55QN85A – £1799 / $1600 / AU$3049
QE65QN85A / QN65QN85A / QA65QN85A – £2499 / $2200 / AU$3999
QE75QN85A / QN75QN85A / QA75QN85A – £3799 / $3000 / AU$TBC
QE85QN85A / QN85QN85A / QA85QN85A – £4999 / $4500 / AU$6799

Samsung Q60A 4K QLED TV

Samsung’s entry-level QLED model, the Q60A, will be available in more sizes than any other, and is the only one that comes in a 43-inch version.

The big spec downgrade is to the HDMIs, as there’s no HDMI 2.1 socket here. That means there’s no 4K@120Hz or VRR support, but ALLM and eARC do feature, and the new Motion Xcelerator Turbo tech is designed to give a 120Hz-like experience despite the 60Hz panel.

Display type: QLED
Resolution: 4K
Sizes: 43-inch, 50-inch, 55-inch, 60-inch, 65-inch, 70-inch, 75-inch, 85-inch
One Connect: No
Sound: OTS Lite (2ch, 20W)
4K@120Hz: No
Ultra-Wide Viewing Angle: No
Anti-Reflective Panel: No
HDMI 2.1 sockets: 0

Samsung Q60A pricing:

QE43QN60A / QN43QN60A / QA43QN60A – £749 / $600 / AU$TBC
QE50QN60A / QN50QN60A / QA50QN60A – £899 / $700 / AU$TBC
QE55QN60A / QN55QN60A / QA55QN60A – £999 / $850 / AU$1599
QE60QN60A / QN60QN60A / QA60QN60A – £TBC / $1000 / AU$TBC
QE65QN60A / QN65QN60A / QA65QN60A – £1299 / $1100 / AU$1999
QE70QN60A / QN70QN60A / QA70QN60A – £TBC / $1350 / AU$TBC
QE75QN60A / QN75QN60A / QA75QN60A – £1999 / $1500 / AU$2599
QE85QN60A / QN85QN60A / QA85QN60A – £2999 / $2800 / AU$4199

Neo QLEDs with Mini LED backlighting

(Image credit: Samsung)

While MicroLED remains the preserve of the super-rich for now, Samsung is bringing Mini LED tech to its premium QLEDs, which it refers to as ‘Neo QLEDs’.

Samsung explains that the majority of a typical LED’s size is made up of its protective packaging and light-guiding lens, both of which it’s done away with for its so-called ‘New LEDs’. Not only that, it’s also miniaturised the LEDs themselves, to quite astonishing effect.

As part of a video presentation, Samsung demonstrated to us the degree of difference by putting a petri dish containing 100 traditional backlight LEDs next to another containing its New LEDs. The traditional LEDs are big and clear, filling their dish, while the New LEDs genuinely look like nothing more than sparkly grains of sand. Samsung says the New LEDs are a fortieth the size of traditional LEDs, but even that doesn’t convey how incredibly tiny they appear.

Instead of a lens, Samsung’s New LED backlights use a new ‘micro layer’ that guides the light through the quantum dots (which provide the set’s colours). The result is apparently no light leakage or blooming, and because the New LEDs are so much smaller, significantly more of them can be packed in – one slide we saw referred to «ten-times greater density». Given that Samsung’s top 2020 model, the Q950TS, is said to have around 500 dimming zones (Samsung doesn’t publish specific numbers), we’re potentially talking about around 5000 zones for these top Neo QLEDs. The number of dimming zones will vary by model, though.

Of course, Samsung isn’t the first TV brand to utilise Mini LEDs, but the company claims that its are the smallest and most precise out there – mind you, that was before LG announced its own Mini LED TVs.

Samsung Q70A 4K QLED TV

The Q70A appears towards the bottom of Samsung’s 2021 QLED range, but it still boasts a 25mm-thick design and native support for 4K@120Hz.

Samsung’s video presentation included images of it and the Q60A mounted on a variety of different stands, including a central pedestal/neck, a plate with two legs, and feet that can be placed at different widths and even raised to accommodate a soundbar, but it’s not clear which stand comes in the box with which model.

Display type: QLED
Resolution: 4K
Sizes: 55-inch, 65-inch, 75-inch, 85-inch
One Connect: No
Sound: OTS Lite
4K@120Hz: Yes
Ultra-Wide Viewing Angle: No
Anti-Reflective Panel: No
HDMI 2.1 sockets: 1

Samsung Q70A pricing:

QE55Q70A / QN55Q70A / QA55Q70A – £1199 / $1300 / AU$1999
QE65Q70A / QN65Q70A / QA65Q70A – £1499 / $1700 / AU$2499
QE75Q70A / QN75Q70A / QA75Q70A – £2399 / $2600 / AU$TBC
QE85Q70A / QN85Q70A / QA85Q70A – £3499 / $3700 / AU$5249

Дисплей

1.плотность пикселей

52ppi

68.3ppi

Плотность пикселей — это измерение разрешения экрана, выраженное в количестве пикселей на дюйм (PPI) на экране. Более высокая плотность пикселей приводит к большей четкости и ясности изображений, отображаемых на экране, что улучшает качество просмотра.

2.разрешение

3840 x 2160px

Разрешение указывает максимальное количество пикселей, которое может быть отображено на экране, выраженное в виде количества пикселей на горизонтальной оси и числа на вертикальной оси.

3.имеет светодиодный дисплей с подсветкой
Samsung QN85A 85″

Samsung The Frame 65″ Class

Использует светодиодную подсветку вместо флуоресцентной, в результате чего имеет более высокое качество изображения, более яркие цвета и богатый черный цвет.

4.размер экрана

84.5″

64.5″

Чем больше размер экрана, тем лучше впечатления пользователя.

5.Имеет OLED/AMOLED экран
Samsung QN85A 85″

Samsung The Frame 65″ Class

OLED-дисплеи (органические светодиоды) состоят из органических материалов, которые излучают свет. Они имеют более высокие коэффициенты контрастности и более широкие углы обзора по сравнению с LCD -дисплеями. AMOLED и POLED являются типами дисплеев OLED.

6.имеет дисплей с поддержкой HDR10
Samsung QN85A 85″

Samsung The Frame 65″ Class

Дисплей поддерживает HDR10, которая представляет собой видеотехнологию HDR (расширенный динамический диапазон). По сравнению с видео со стандартным динамическим диапазоном (SDR) видео HDR10 имеет большую контрастность и глубину цвета, что позволяет создавать более реалистичные изображения.

7.частота обновления

120Hz

Частота, с которой обновляется экран. Чем выше частота, меньше мерцание (меньше шума) и более естественна репрезентация движений.

8.имеет панель IPS
Samsung QN85A 85″

Samsung The Frame 65″ Class

IPS (переключение в плоскости) — технология, используемая для LCD-дисплеев. Она был разработана для преодоления основных ограничений обычных скрученных нематик TFT-дисплеев, таких как: ограниченные углы обзора и низкое качество цветопередачи. PLS (переключение между плоскостями) — это тип экрана IPS, разработанный Samsung, с более высокой яркостью и более низкой себестоимостью.

9.имеет антибликовое покрытие
Samsung QN85A 85″

Samsung The Frame 65″ Class

Это помогает уменьшить отражение от вашего устройства.

Smart features

(Image credit: Samsung)

The Tizen smart platform itself has changed very little, but that’s no bad thing – it was already the best in the business in terms of its app offering and usability.

That said, Samsung has seen its way to offer some pandemic-friendly features such as Google Duo for video calls and a Smart Trainer app, the latter of which is an extension of the existing Samsung Health platform. Taking full advantage of either involves buying an optional video camera, which can track you around the room in the vein of Facebook Portal.

Samsung is also extending its Multi-View feature, which allows you to display multiple sources at once in a split-screen format. It’s going to be available on all models from the AU9000 upwards, with 4K models supporting two windows and 8K models supporting four. In our QN95A review we noted disappointing limitations to this feature, though – of the two windows, one has to be an external source and the other has to be an app, but currently only two apps (YouTube and wellness app called Calm) are supported, severely hampering its usefulness. Here’s hoping more apps are made compatible in the near future.

Best smart TVs

Samsung QN700A 8K Neo QLED TV (UK-only)

(Image credit: Samsung)

Officially unveiled much later than the models above, the QN700A is the entry-level 8K model in Samsung’s 2021 TV range.

It utilises the less powerful Neo Quantum Processor Lite 8K and doesn’t have any HDMI 2.1 sockets, but it otherwise looks very similar to the QN800A. There’s every chance it will have fewer dimming zones, but Samsung rarely goes into detail on such things.

The QN700A is currently available to buy in the UK and will likely remain exclusive to Europe.

Samsung QE65QN700A specs:

Display type: Neo QLED
Resolution: 8K
Sizes: 55-inch, 65-inch, 75-inch
One Connect: Yes
Sound: OTS+ (4.2.2ch, 70W)
4K@120Hz: No
Ultra-Wide Viewing Angle: TBC
Anti-Reflective Panel: Yes
HDMI 2.1 sockets: No

Samsung QN800A prices:

QE55QN700A – £2499
QE65QN700A – £3499
QE75QN700A – £4999

Samsung Q80A 4K QLED TV

You’ll notice that this is the first model without an ‘N’ in its product number. That’s because this isn’t a Neo QLED, but instead the top QLED with a standard LED backlight.

Predictably, it’s got far fewer dimming zones than its Mini LED-derived siblings and a thicker chassis, but it could still be a strong performance-per-pound option.

Display type: QLED
Resolution: 4K
Sizes: 50-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch, 75-inch, 85-inch
One Connect: No
Sound: OTS (2.2.2ch, 60W)
4K@120Hz: Yes
Ultra-Wide Viewing Angle: No
Anti-Reflective Panel: No
HDMI 2.1 sockets: 1

Samsung Q80A pricing:

QE50Q80A / QN50Q80A / QA50Q80A – £1299 / $1200 / AU$TBC
QE55Q80A / QN55Q80A / QA55Q80A – £1399 / $1300 / AU$2399
QE65Q80A / QN65Q80A / QA65Q80A – £1999 / $1700 / AU$3149
QE75Q80A / QN75Q80A / QA75Q80A – £2799 / $2600 / AU$TBC
QE85Q80A / QN85Q80A / QA85Q80A – £TBC / $3700 / AU$TBC

Samsung QN95A 4K Neo QLED TV (UK-only)

(Image credit: Future / Escape From Pretoria, Amazon Prime)

Samsung’s top 4K model for 2021 is the QN95A, which is exclusive to the UK and Europe. It’s the same as the (also European-exclusive) QN94A and the US and Australian QN90A (but not the UK QN90A) except it adds the One Connect box.

The addition of One Connect isn’t just a boon to neatness – it also takes the number of HDMI 2.1 sockets from one to four, which could be a major consideration for gamers in particular.

We’ve now reviewed the 65-inch version of the QN95A, and exceptionally good it is, too. Read our Samsung QE65QN95A review.

Samsung QN95A specs:

Display type: Neo QLED
Resolution: 4K
Sizes: 55-inch, 65-inch, 75-inch, 85-inch
One Connect: Yes
Sound: OTS+
4K@120Hz: Yes
Ultra-Wide Viewing Angle: Yes
Anti-Reflective Panel: Yes
HDMI 2.1 sockets: 4

Samsung QN95A prices:

QE55QN95A – £2199
QE65QN95A – £2999
QE75QN95A – £4499
QE85QN95A – £5999

Samsung QN90A 4K Neo QLED TV (US and Australia)

(Image credit: Samsung)

This is the top 4K Samsung TV for 2021. We understand that it’s identical to the UK-exclusive QN94A, which means it’s the same as the QN95A but without the One Connect box.