Compare Samsung S85H OLED vs Samsung QN80H

Perfect blacks, punchy color and crisp textures give the S85H a compelling picture for its price. Premium OLEDs can look brighter, more natural and more finely detailed.

Rich color, good everyday contrast and sharp images make a strong impression, but viewing angle, glare and motion flaws prevent a clean sweep.

AI speech mode helps intermittently, at times making sound thin.

AI Football Mode makes spoken commentary particularly easy to follow, while adjustable sound tools can prioritize voices and effects.

The S85H looks its best in a dim room, where its inky blacks and vivid HDR effects make films and games feel immersive.

Dark-room movies can look convincing with the right preset, but halos, clouding and imperfect blacks keep it short of a premium home-theater screen.

Ordinary daylight is manageable, but very bright rooms expose the S85H’s limited light output and reflective screen. Windows facing the panel are particularly troublesome.

The bright Mini LED panel handles typical daylight well, but glossy reflections can become a problem when a window or lamp faces the screen.

Out-of-box SDR whites are close to reference, with only a small cool cast. Filmmaker settings help deliver a natural-looking image.

White balance is accurate in the best presets or after calibration, but some units show a noticeable cool or blue tint out of the box.

Artifacts remain after the TV processes low-quality material.

Clean HD upscaling earns praise, but low-quality streaming compression and posterization are not always smoothed effectively.

Overall SDR accuracy is strong with some HDR deviations.

Accurate presets and calibration give natural-looking colors, although brightness tracking and cooler tones leave some room for refinement.

There is some useful separation and direction between sounds, though weak dynamics and bass limit the overall sense of space.

Processing expands the apparent width somewhat, but the sound still stays firmly in front of the viewer.

Brightness is respectable for a basic OLED, especially in smaller bright areas. It struggles to maintain punch when much of the picture is bright.

The screen is bright enough for most living rooms, though demanding HDR highlights are less striking than on brighter flagship and rival sets.

Built-in sound is adequate for casual programs, but several tests find it muffled, underpowered or lacking cinematic impact. A soundbar is a worthwhile addition.

Built-in sound is clear and sufficient for everyday TV, but thin bass and limited cinema-scale immersion make a soundbar desirable.

HDR highlights can look striking against perfect blacks, but the S85H lacks the full intensity of pricier OLEDs. Large bright scenes are especially restrained.

HDR highlights generally have satisfying impact, although small bright details and especially demanding scenes reveal a lower brightness ceiling than stronger rivals.

Self-emissive pixels create flawless local dimming-like precision.

The backlight generally lifts contrast and deepens dark areas effectively, but precision falls short of the best competing Mini LED sets.

Filmmaker mode gives the most faithful colors and can look excellent without calibration. Default presets and some HDR scenes exaggerate warm tones, reds or blues.

More restrained presets reproduce skin tones and colors convincingly; Dynamic or Vivid settings can push them too far.

Near-infinite OLED contrast makes bright highlights stand out sharply against rich dark backgrounds, producing a convincing sense of depth.

Local dimming creates pleasing depth in many films and games, although black-level limitations reduce the effect in difficult dark scenes.

Most HDR movies and games look vivid and contrasty, but the image lacks flagship brightness and sometimes renders highlights too aggressively.

Regular HDR streaming looks colorful and engaging, while ambitious disc masters and deep-black scenes expose the panel's limitations.

Foot placement leaves practical soundbar space.

Adjustable foot heights make it easier to slide a soundbar beneath the screen without blocking the picture.

Fast inputs, nearly instantaneous response and flexible sync make this a standout entry-level gaming TV. Dolby Vision gaming is unavailable.

Gaming is an overall strength thanks to low lag, four capable HDMI inputs on larger sizes, and rich visuals. Fast-motion blur is the important counterpoint.

Explosions, engines and other low-frequency effects lack force, making action-heavy movies feel much smaller than they look.

The built-in speakers are consistently short on deep bass, leaving action soundtracks and cinematic effects thinner than a soundbar can deliver.

Sports and games appear clean and crisp thanks to fast pixel response. Low-frame-rate material can still show stutter or persistence blur.

Opinions diverge: sports and game footage can look smooth with careful settings, but lab testing finds slow transitions and visible blur.

Game Mode delivers extremely quick controls, with measurements around single-digit milliseconds. Optional game interpolation adds substantial latency.

Game Mode is pleasingly responsive at around the low-teens milliseconds in measured examples; processing-heavy modes can be much slower.

Fast-moving objects stay sharp, making dynamic games and sport broadcasts particularly satisfying.

Fast movement can become noticeably blurred, especially at 60Hz and in dark scenes, despite the high-refresh input specifications.

OLED pixels transition almost instantly, leaving fast objects with very little trailing blur. Minor overshoot is generally hard to see.

Pixel transitions are slow in darker scenes, leaving blurred trails especially around 60Hz motion.

Traditional broadcast viewers cannot record tuner programs directly to a USB drive.

The ability to schedule a recording to an attached hard drive adds convenience to broadcast viewing.

Off-center seating retains convincing color and contrast, making the panel a good fit for wider couches or seating arrangements.

Sitting near the center is important; colors and black depth deteriorate as viewers move to the sides.

Static logos and HUD elements carry a risk of permanent burn-in over time. Built-in protections help, and varied viewing is less concerning.

Its LCD-based Mini LED display avoids permanent OLED-style burn-in, reassuring households that leave logos or game interfaces on-screen.

Optional interpolation makes 30fps single-player games look smoother, but it substantially raises latency and is less suitable for competitive action.

Additional game-motion smoothing comes with a substantial latency penalty, making it a poor fit for twitch-sensitive games.

Speech is generally audible at moderate levels, but the sound can become muffled or compressed when the volume climbs.

Voices are easy to understand through the built-in speakers, with extra AI and Amplify tools available for commentary and conversation.

The compact SolarCell remote is a favorite for its simple controls and rechargeable battery. Missing backlighting and small size can be inconvenient.

The remote is straightforward but not universally premium, and different descriptions disagree about the presence of a solar-charging panel.

Abundant AI extras fail to add obvious utility.

Automatic picture features can save manual adjustments, though the broader AI interface is not universally compelling.

OLED blacks create atmosphere, but fine detail in nearly black scenes can be crushed or swallowed. Results depend on the content and processing settings.

Dark scenes often preserve texture and visibility rather than crushing everything into black, though this can come at the expense of black depth.

Bright subtitles and small highlights sit cleanly against dark backgrounds without the glowing halos that can surround them on many LCD TVs.

The Mini LED backlight often keeps halos discreet, yet bright subtitles and objects can still produce glow, especially in a dark room or off-axis.

Black areas look genuinely inky, with individual OLED pixels switching fully off. This is one of the TV’s clearest advantages over comparable LCD displays.

Black depth is a mixed point: local dimming helps produce dark, even scenes, but some dark films reveal grayish or purplish blacks.

Color gradients are generally smooth with some darker banding. Dark gradients can show posterization.

Smooth HDR color transitions are a strength, with little visible banding outside a few bright green areas.

High volume creates compression that hurts intelligibility.

The speakers get reasonably loud without much compression, but sheer loudness does not compensate for their limited low-end output.

The set can be mounted using standard VESA hardware, but recessed ports are harder to reach when installed flush against a wall.

Its relatively restrained design and flat rear make mounting straightforward, although rear connections become harder to reach close to a wall.

Colors are lively for an entry OLED, but highly saturated HDR highlights can look washed out compared with stronger QD-OLED or tandem panels.

Bold, vivid color is one of the QN80H's biggest attractions, especially on sports pitches and animation. Very bright scenes can wash out some subtler shades.

BFI helps only at 60Hz and leaves some blur.

Optional LED Clear Motion is difficult to recommend: it noticeably darkens the image and can introduce double-image artifacts.

Personalized recommendations are better integrated.

The interface offers plenty to watch without overwhelming the home screen, but its personalization can feel generic.

Some panel variations are difficult to notice from normal distance.

The center of the picture tends to stay clean, but darker edges and occasional magenta-tinted blotches can be visible on uniform backgrounds.

Game Mode offers useful tools and responsiveness.

Game Mode offers pleasing brightness and responsive play, although tiny HDR highlights can lack the impact of stronger TVs.

The RGWB arrangement improves computer text rendering.

Proper chroma 4:4:4 support keeps fine computer text legible across supported signal formats.

Direct lamps and windows remain clearly visible on the screen. The S85H cannot match the anti-glare coatings on Samsung’s step-up OLEDs.

Daylight visibility can be good thanks to the bright panel, but the glossy surface is not especially effective against direct window reflections.

Adjustable feet support different cabinet widths, but the plastic pieces feel cheap and can wobble slightly.

Adjustable plastic feet are practical and versatile, even if they do not feel particularly luxurious.

Older movies and low-resolution streams generally look clear and well defined. Some competing models preserve more sharpness and texture from weaker sources.

HD material is typically upgraded into a sharp 4K presentation, though low-bitrate streaming can reveal artifacts and softened detail.

Calibration is easy but changes little for SDR.

The TV is straightforward to calibrate and can achieve excellent SDR and HDR accuracy with suitable settings.

Minimal buttons keep the remote tidy, but it can be easy to lose and difficult to use in darkness. Some common functions require on-screen menus.

A pared-back control layout reduces clutter but sacrifices convenient button sizes and some direct shortcuts.

Glossy reflections are a major weakness compared with Samsung’s S90H and S95H. A controllable, moderately lit room is the safest setting.

Direct reflections are the panel's most persistent weakness, with bright windows remaining visible even when the screen itself is luminous.

Interface ads cannot be removed entirely.

Ads remain part of the home interface; targeted promotions can be disabled, but advertising cannot be removed altogether.

Dark gray and green show mild banding.

HDR gradients are largely smooth, but brighter green shades and some demanding scenes can show visible bands.

Most film cadence is handled cleanly.

Most sources play with little judder, and careful custom settings smooth pans, though aggressive or automatic processing can introduce artifacts.

120Hz OLED motion is crisp for consoles and most PC gaming, but fast competitive PCs can benefit from higher refresh rates offered elsewhere.

High refresh and variable refresh make the larger models attractive to console and PC players; the 50-inch variant is less capable.

Two foot positions make it easier to fit the TV on narrower furniture or make space for a soundbar.

Wide and narrow placements accommodate different media cabinets, making the stand more flexible than a fixed-width design.

The soccer preset brightens the pitch and can enhance stadium sound, but it can also make colors look excessive and needs manual switching on this model.

Football optimization makes the pitch and uniforms pop and brings commentary forward, but its extra sharpening and saturation can look artificial.

Included foot clips help organize exposed cables.

Rear grooves and stand clips help route power and HDMI cables neatly out of sight.

G-SYNC compatibility is effective with supported sources.

Supported larger sizes work with compatible PC variable-refresh setups, reducing tearing; this support should not be assumed for the 50-inch version.

Near-black scenes can reveal vertical bands, even though ordinary bright and dark content often looks uniform.

Dark-screen uniformity is generally good, while gray backgrounds can expose darker edges or patchy color on some units.

DVDs and standard-definition streams remain watchable, though the picture can be somewhat soft and fine details may disappear.

Upscaling older sources works well, and useful zoom controls help with small-format programs; poor compressed streams may still show artifacts.

Smoothing helps but brings a soap-opera effect.

Custom motion adjustments can smooth camera pans, while automatic interpolation sometimes adds jitter, noise or the soap-opera effect.

Samsung’s Game Bar puts VRR information and gaming controls close at hand, while the Gaming Hub helps with console-free cloud play.

Game Bar places useful adjustments such as aim-point overlays, map zoom and picture presets within quick reach.

Slow frame-rate motion can stutter noticeably.

Slow pans can show visible stutter, especially without carefully chosen smoothing settings.

The S85H earns strong praise for its OLED picture, extensive gaming features and accessible pricing. Bright-room visibility and audio quality remain the most common reservations.

A bright and capable Samsung all-rounder, particularly for gaming and everyday TV, rather than an uncompromised picture-quality champion.

Adaptive refresh works smoothly across much of the panel’s range and helps keep gameplay free of tearing.

VRR works effectively across compatible refresh rates and helps keep games smooth and free of tearing.

The TV can preserve bright effects with careful tone mapping, but overly bright skin highlights and demanding HDR masters sometimes lose subtle detail.

Common HDR scenes retain useful bright detail, but tiny specular highlights and very high-mastered material can clip or lack punch.

Pure black regions are impressively uniform and free of haloing around bright objects. Some near-black scenes still reveal vertical bands.

Black backgrounds are generally very even when viewed straight on, with little flashlighting or patchiness in the strongest results.

Everyday movies show rich, saturated color, with strong DCI-P3 coverage. Extreme Rec.2020 reds and greens are not as intense as on premium OLEDs.

Mainstream HDR colors are handled well, although the wider BT.2020 range is limited compared with premium RGB Mini LED rivals.

All four HDMI ports offer full gaming bandwidth, making the S85H practical for households with several consoles or a gaming PC.

Four full-bandwidth HDMI inputs on supported sizes make it easy to connect several modern consoles and a gaming PC without swapping cables.

Adaptive synchronization remains effective across the refresh range, including lower frame rates when compensation is available.

Variable refresh support continues to prevent tearing even when frame rates drop, aided by low-framerate compensation.

Most panel problems are not expected to occur quickly, but potential burn-in and eventual edge-pixel defects deserve consideration.

The LCD design offers low predicted risks of common panel faults and avoids burn-in, although long-run failure resistance remains a projection.

Installation benefits from another person and careful handling.

SmartThings guidance and uncomplicated push-in stand feet make the initial setup notably simple.

Premium-looking OLED contrast and a broad gaming toolset come at an appealing entry-level price. LG B6 deals or discounted older Samsung models can sometimes offer stronger value.

The equipment and picture are compelling at discount prices, but several rivals and the older discounted QN90F can deliver more performance per dollar.

DTS tracks are unsupported, which can complicate lossless surround audio from Blu-ray discs.

The lack of DTS playback support is an unwelcome restriction for physical-media soundtracks that use the format.

Dolby Vision is missing for both movies and games, although HDR10 and HDR10+ are available. This is a real consideration for Dolby Vision-heavy libraries.

Missing Dolby Vision is a recurring limitation, particularly for viewers with compatible streaming subscriptions and 4K Blu-rays.

Current-generation consoles can run at 4K and 120Hz with VRR support. Enthusiast PC gamers may miss a higher 144Hz or 165Hz ceiling.

PlayStation 5 and modern Xbox gaming at 4K/120Hz works well on capable sizes, with the 50-inch version carrying important refresh-rate limitations.

The Gaming Hub makes supported titles accessible without connecting a console, though a compatible service subscription is needed.

Gaming Hub gathers console-free services in one place, a useful convenience for anyone with sufficiently fast internet.

FreeSync provides tear-free play.

FreeSync helps keep supported games free from tearing as frame rates change, although the 50-inch UK variant is missing some advanced features.

4K console play is strongly supported aside from Dolby Vision.

Modern games look vibrant and detailed at 4K, with responsive controls and strong connectivity. The image can blur during fast transitions despite the high refresh options.

All HDMI sockets carry the full gaming bandwidth.

High-bandwidth HDMI connections are a strong asset for multiple gaming devices, especially on the larger models with four capable ports.

Solar recharging and a USB-C backup eliminate regular battery changes, a convenience rarely found on budget televisions.

Remote charging is a point of conflicting descriptions: one model assessment notes a solar-rechargeable unit, while others criticize a battery-powered replacement.

The thin design looks attractive from the front but uses fairly inexpensive plastic, with some fragility during handling.

The chassis feels sturdy and neatly finished despite extensive plastic construction, with few obvious fit-and-finish complaints.

A very thin panel and narrow bezels make the S85H attractive from the front, while the plastic stand and rear are less premium.

A slim-looking profile and restrained borders give this Samsung an upscale living-room appearance.

Sizes from 48 to 83 inches cover everything from smaller rooms to large living rooms, adding flexibility within the entry-level OLED range.

A wide choice of mainstream and oversized screen sizes helps this range fit different rooms, with notably large options available.

The thin borders keep attention on the image.

Thin borders keep attention on the image and give the panel a clean, screen-forward appearance.

Overall tonal tracking can be impressive, though some scenes expose exaggerated highlights and loss of shadow detail. A brighter setting can further trade accuracy for punch.

Tone mapping can preserve good detail in mainstream streaming, but HGIG overbrightens and very demanding 4,000-nit material can lose highlight information.

Navigation feels brisk. Tizen improves organization rather than raw speed.

The current Tizen interface feels quick, with applications launching readily and little sustained lag.

The redesigned Tizen layout feels improved.

Samsung's current Tizen system is quick, feature-rich and generally intuitive, though the AI and recommendation areas are less universally useful.

Built-in smart home control is versatile.

SmartThings can connect the screen with compatible home devices, bringing device control into the TV interface.

Switching inputs and settings is intuitive.

Tizen is generally fast and smooth, with occasional back-navigation delays or pauses during heavier interface activity.

The major streaming platforms are present, with services such as Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and Apple TV working well.

A broad range of mainstream streaming services and built-in apps makes external streaming hardware unnecessary for many households.

Samsung’s promise of up to seven years of Tizen updates is a welcome long-term benefit.

Seven years of promised Tizen updates is an attractive commitment for keeping the TV current beyond the initial purchase.

Settings and apps are easier to navigate.

Common PC and console signals work well, including 1440p at 120Hz on supported consoles.

Setting up a Samsung account is an unwelcome extra step for using downloadable smart-TV apps.

Decorative wallpapers and screen savers are appealing ways to keep the screen looking pleasant between programs.

Samsung's Art Store stands out for its unusually extensive selection compared with competing TV art galleries.

SDR-to-HDR remastering gives ordinary programs extra life, making fine textures and light effects easier to see without requiring native HDR content.

Automatic low-latency switching removes a gaming setup step.

Low frequencies fail to convey crashes and engines.

Atmos processing opens up the presentation somewhat, but the speakers do not convincingly surround the listener.

Low-frequency sound can become strained or distorted, reinforcing the case for separate audio equipment.

AI energy settings can cut power use.

Minor refresh-linked brightness pulsing remains.

Samsung TV Plus offers an appealing variety of free live and on-demand content without another paid subscription.

Recessed rear connectors can be awkward to reach once the TV is mounted tightly against a wall.

Four capable HDMI sockets provide plenty of room for consoles, streaming hardware and other sources.

Processing is competent for everyday sources, and crisp textures help the picture look detailed. Compression cleanup, over-sharpening and aggressive HDR treatment are less consistent.

Filmmaker and Standard modes look more believable than heavily boosted Dynamic settings, which can distort complexions and overcook colors.

Moving highlights do not noticeably flicker, but the dimming system can lag fast motion and darken the leading edge.

Colors lose saturation and blacks lighten quickly when the screen is viewed far from the center.

120Hz capability suits console gaming.

The minimalist remote simplifies navigation, though some buttons are small and the slim shape can be easy to misplace.

4K resolution shows strong detail on large panels.

Simple feet push into place quickly, making assembly unusually easy without extensive tools or adjustments.

The feet hold the panel well when spread apart but can wobble more in the narrow configuration.

The interface offers many apps, but the modest internal storage leaves less headroom for adding lots of them.

One owner's set reportedly powered itself back on unexpectedly, making voice activation and standby behavior worth monitoring.

Several demanding devices can stay connected simultaneously.

The AI companion adds another destination on the home screen, but its extra panel can feel unnecessary rather than helpful.

The set is fairly substantial front to back, so a flat wall installation may stand out slightly rather than sitting perfectly flush.

The larger versions can accept 4K at up to 144Hz, making their HDMI connections unusually flexible for gaming. The 50-inch version has a notably more limited refresh-rate panel.

A reduced-resolution 240Hz mode gives compatible PC gamers a higher-refresh option. It does not work at 1440p or 4K, and available capabilities differ by screen size.

Sharing Galaxy media to the TV is straightforward.

Audio connectivity accommodates external soundbars.

HDR10+ mitigates some of the missing Dolby Vision functionality.

Available HDR formats are useful, but Dolby Vision is excluded.

No ATSC 3.0 option for next-gen broadcasts.

Streaming apps work reliably.

Bluetooth soundbar pairing works smoothly.

Ad targeting can be disabled, but ads themselves remain.

Local processing for the AI assistant earns approval because it reduces the need to send every interaction to an external assistant.

Bright effects are controlled effectively. Tone mapping sometimes flattens image depth.

Hands-free voice controls make routine TV operation convenient in principle, but recognition quality is inconsistent.

Bixby can misunderstand ordinary voice commands and sometimes requires shouting, weakening its hands-free appeal.

Modern wireless compatibility is a welcome upgrade.

Some Blu-ray audio formats cannot be passed through.

The Amplify mode improves clarity and apparent loudness, and further equalizer controls offer some flexibility even if they cannot create deep bass.

Ambient-light dimming can undermine carefully chosen picture settings, so leaving it off may produce a more consistent image.

Picture-in-picture is missing, preventing two sources from sharing the screen at once.

Fine textures and facial features are rendered crisply, with particularly good results from quality HD and 4K sources.

Standard, Movie and Filmmaker modes offer genuinely useful choices; Dynamic can become unnaturally vivid, while custom motion settings matter.

Compatible Samsung soundbars can play alongside the TV speakers for a larger, more coherent sound presentation.

Ordinary TV looks bright, colorful and pleasingly natural in suitable modes; factory settings can lean cool or overly blue.

Object Tracking Sound Lite provides useful lateral movement for effects, though not convincing height or all-around immersion.

Virtual audio broadens and steers effects across the screen but cannot substitute for genuine surround speakers.

A larger bright area causes the image to dim considerably, limiting the impact of snowfields, bright skies and full-screen highlights.

The 50-inch version tested in the UK lacks the high-refresh and PC VRR features of larger versions, so size matters for gaming buyers.