Compare Samsung 100QN80F vs TCL QM9K

The massive screen makes games and bright HDR look exciting, but measured picture quality trails comparably sized rivals. Weak blacks, blooming and motion blur are the main compromises.

Pictures are punchy, detailed and often spectacular, particularly with HDR. Image accuracy and moving objects are less consistently polished than the raw brightness suggests.

DTS incompatibility is a meaningful passthrough weakness.

Broad audio-format passthrough helps connect receivers and soundbars without significant compatibility anxiety.

Raised blacks and visible halos reduce the drama of dark-room movies. The 100-inch panel does not deliver the precise dark-scene control its size might suggest.

Deep blacks and effective dimming create cinematic dark-room images, but accuracy-focused viewers may notice blooming, shadow crush and motion imperfections.

Mini LED improves the impression of contrast, yet the 100-inch panel struggles to control bright zones precisely. Visible halos around highlights and subtitles are a substantial weakness.

The dense Mini-LED backlight contains blooming effectively and preserves strong contrast. Rapid zone changes can still introduce visible flicker or occasional halos.

Indirect daylight is manageable; direct glare is not.

Daytime viewing is superb thanks to extraordinary SDR brightness and contrast. Positioning matters because direct reflections can still show through.

Contrast impressions range from solid to mediocre. Detailed measurements found raised blacks that reduce depth in dark scenes.

Powerful contrast makes bright objects pop against dark backgrounds. The refinement is not uniform across all HDR scenes, and OLED still offers stronger pixel-level control.

SDR brightness is especially strong, and HDR highlights stand out. Reflective glass prevents that power from fully solving direct-glare problems.

Extreme light output is the QM9K's defining strength, with unusually intense highlights and plenty of brightness for bright rooms. Some scenes do not exploit all that measured headroom.

Good pre-calibration SDR white balance.

White balance is generally adjustable but can run cool or warm depending on format and luminance. Carefully chosen modes help, yet some HDR deviations remain.

Bright HDR highlights deliver satisfying punch on the 100-inch panel. Its brightness is a genuine asset, although higher-performing rivals can get brighter.

Small HDR highlights and larger bright scenes have formidable impact, making HDR one of the strongest reasons to buy. Unusual mastering or tone-mapping behavior can reduce that advantage.

Overall built-in sound is acceptable.

Built-in audio earns both enthusiastic praise for presence and Atmos effects and criticism for thin bass or muddled dialogue in busy scenes. A soundbar remains an upgrade.

Deep bass reproduction is limited.

Bass output is a divisive area: some large-set listening finds genuine punch, while other tests report little low-frequency weight.

SDR pictures are praised for ample luminance.

SDR color, contrast and clarity are frequently excellent, especially in Filmmaker Mode, with some warmer factory defaults.

Elevated panel accommodates most soundbars.

The raised pedestal setting gives most soundbars enough space without blocking the screen.

HDR films and shows look impactful.

HDR images can be dazzling, with exceptional highlights and bold contrast. Uneven tone tracking and occasional black crush are the main compromises.

Color can look impressive with little adjustment, particularly in SDR. HDR color accuracy is weaker, and calibration helps more than the factory settings alone.

Colors can be extremely accurate in the best settings, especially SDR, but HDR mapping, factory temperature and white balance vary enough to make accuracy a caveat.

Four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, low input lag and broad VRR support are strong assets. However, dark-object blur and gaming HDR tone-mapping issues limit competitive play.

Powerful HDR, low input lag and modern gaming modes make it a strong gaming TV. Motion smearing, occasional tearing or firmware quirks temper its appeal for the most demanding players.

Picture controls are more accessible.

Filmmaker and custom picture presets offer meaningful improvements, though correct HDR balance can take tinkering.

Reduction of compression artifacts softens detail.

Low-quality signal cleanup is useful but not foolproof; aggressive AI clarity options can amplify flicker or create strange artifacts.

HDR accuracy is only middling before adjustment.

The image can look attractive before calibration, but imperfect temperature and brightness tracking hold it short of consistently faithful reproduction.

Gaming demos found movement smooth, but detailed testing revealed pronounced dark-pixel smearing, especially at 60Hz and 120Hz. Fast action is less clean than the refresh-rate specification suggests.

Sports and ordinary TV can look fluid, but rapid pans and challenging gaming motion can reveal blur, judder or tearing.

Controls respond quickly across formats.

Game mode is usually fast and responsive, although measurements differ and leaving the mode off can cause extreme lag. Some OLED competitors remain faster.

Everyday navigation is easy.

Google TV's straightforward content organization helps day-to-day use, even if initial account setup can take longer than desired.

Generated wallpaper feature feels immature.

Generated artwork can create a personal ambient canvas, though it is more of a novelty than a core picture-quality advantage.

Bright objects against dark backgrounds can develop obvious halos and expose the dimming zones. This especially affects subtitles and dark movie scenes.

Halos are restrained compared with many LCDs but remain visible around subtitles, stars and other isolated lights, especially off-axis.

Strobing is constrained and creates double images.

Backlight strobing supports both 60Hz and 120Hz, providing a useful motion-clarity option at two common refresh rates.

BGR subpixels may hurt PC text.

PC text benefits from the regular RGB subpixel layout and high-bandwidth chroma support, producing unusually clean lettering for a television.

HDR colors are reasonably lively, but vivid SDR colors can fade in very bright scenes. Color range also trails some competing Mini LED sets.

A wide HDR color range makes animation and brightly lit landscapes especially vivid, though the most extreme hues do not always match reference targets.

Banding is very effectively controlled.

Visible banding is mostly restrained, although certain gray gradients reveal uneven steps that smoothing options do not fully eliminate.

All four HDMI ports offer full 48Gbps bandwidth, so game consoles and PCs can share the TV without being assigned to specific inputs. This is one of its clearest hardware strengths.

Only two high-bandwidth HDMI connections are confirmed in detailed testing, which limits elaborate console-and-PC setups despite four physical inputs.

Color washes out and changes hue when viewers move off-center. A large group spread across the room will not see a consistently accurate image.

The WHVA panel fares well against conventional VA LCDs, yet opinions differ on how much color and contrast shift off-center. Front-and-center seats remain best.

Frame interpolation is ineffective and artifact-prone.

Motion interpolation can tame judder and stutter without necessarily adding much lag, but settings require adjustment and results can be inconsistent.

The click-to-search feature feels limited.

Gemini is helpful for conversational recommendations and follow-up questions, but it sometimes misunderstands device-specific requests and complex tasks.

Broad VRR compatibility includes PC formats.

G-SYNC-style VRR has a specific problem at a locked 60Hz desktop setting on certain older NVIDIA cards; higher-refresh connections perform normally.

Some early viewing praised the blacks, but detailed testing found a bluish glow and elevated dark tones. The problem is most apparent in dark rooms.

Deep blacks are a major Mini-LED achievement here, creating convincing dark scenes without OLED pixels. The darkest details can still be crushed, and isolated highlights may produce halos.

Movies play without 24p judder.

Properly configured 24p movies look judder-free; some 25p signals and challenging pans still show periodic jitter.

Color gradients are nearly flawless.

Gradients are usually smooth, but subtle gray bands remain visible and some rivals clean them up more completely.

Dimming improves otherwise uneven blacks.

Near-black and full-black uniformity can be excellent, though comparisons sometimes favor the QM8K's cleaner dark panels.

Calibration results can be excellent but the process is awkward.

Filmmaker Mode and calibration controls can yield excellent SDR accuracy, but HDR correction is more limited and some errors persist.

Shadow transitions smear heavily, making moving dark objects hard to distinguish. The large panel is not ideal for motion-sensitive players.

Fast motion is acceptable for a bright LCD, though dark-to-bright pixel transitions and quick action trails are less crisp than on OLED.

Protective packaging complicates removal.

Protective packaging allows large models to accept the stand while still supported in foam, reducing the difficulty of a two-person unpacking.

Slow dark-to-bright transitions impair responsiveness.

Response times vary by transition, with slow movement between very dark and bright shades. Gaming remains responsive overall, but the panel is not an OLED-speed performer.

System ads cannot be fully removed.

Advertising is built into the smart interface and cannot be disabled, a notable drawback for anyone wanting a cleaner home screen.

Slow dimming-zone transitions cause visible errors.

Local-dimming transitions generally follow moving highlights quickly, but visible zone flicker can still occur in certain scenes.

Feet themselves are straightforward to attach.

The pedestal can be assembled without unusual difficulty, although its interlocking pieces take some care.

Even simple scenes show processing artifacts.

Rapid pans, fast athletes and gaming action can show edge blur, flicker or judder that distract from an otherwise powerful picture.

HDR colors remain fairly lively, though very bright shades desaturate. SDR wide-color reproduction fades more noticeably in bright scenes.

Rich, highly saturated colors remain vibrant even in bright scenes. Some side-by-side comparisons find the palette a little less full or faithful than competing OLED sets.

Backlight-zone changes cause little flicker.

High-frequency backlight flicker should be unobtrusive for most people, although one low-quality video test exposed amplified content flickering.

Up to 4K/144Hz and low input lag appeal to PC players, but detailed motion testing reveals dark-transition blur even at high refresh rates. Speed on paper is not the same as crisp action.

Fast PC modes and console-friendly refresh rates are big strengths, though a reported PC handshake problem and slower pixel transitions keep performance from being flawless.

Solar charging avoids replaceable batteries.

The backlit metallic-looking remote is a welcome upgrade, particularly in dark rooms, though buttons and battery choices are not ideal for everyone.

Gaming mode crushes shadow details.

Shadow detail is a significant point of disagreement: some dark scenes retain excellent texture, while others show crushed near-blacks that calibration cannot fully resolve.

VRR operates well over a broad range.

VRR works well on most modern gaming devices, but there are reports of tearing with particular PC settings and high-motion gameplay.

Low-frame-rate compensation is valuable.

Low-frame-rate compensation helps preserve tear-free play when frame rates drop, making VRR useful across a broad range.

Dialogue weakens at the loudest setting.

Voices are often crisp and clear, but deep dialogue can become indistinct and complex mixes may mask speech.

Huge 4K image looks a little soft up close.

The processor produces excellent-looking high-quality video, but enhancement settings sometimes introduce artifacts or handle brightness inconsistently.

Dirty-screen artifacts can distract in sports.

Dirty screen effect is restrained in some testing but prominent in another large sample, where streaks remain visible on pale images.

Game Mode contrast improves slightly, though other gaming weaknesses remain.

Game mode preserves impressive image brightness while cutting lag, but normal modes can be much slower and do not suit gaming.

Glare impressions vary sharply: early demos praised the treatment, while direct testing found distracting mirror-like reflections. Bright lights and windows opposite the screen are a concern.

The glossy finish struggles with bright light sources directly opposite the panel, even though it performs well in diffuse daylight.

Rear grooves help tidy wires.

Cable channels and clips in the stand help tidy connections and keep the installation organized.

Noise cleanup comes with detail loss.

Compressed video is smoothed competently, at the cost of a little fine texture. Poorly encoded sources remain more noticeable on very large screens.

High refresh adds smoothness.

The high native refresh rate supports smooth sports and fast PC play, although display response and mode compatibility matter as much as the headline number.

Gray uniformity is criticized as disappointing.

Some panels look uniform in dark scenes, but one detailed evaluation found conspicuous edge vignetting and uneven light distribution.

A 100-inch image makes games and HDR highlights feel enormous and engaging. The sheer size impresses, although seating distance and installation space matter.

At 85 or 98 inches, the high-contrast image is particularly immersive without needing an oversized OLED budget.

Stand support is reassuring.

The central stand feels stable in ordinary use, although one assessment cautions that a pedestal design is easier to tip with children nearby.

Automatic mode selection removes a gaming nuisance.

Automatic game switching is convenient because the TV selects its responsive gaming settings when a console starts.

Simple feet adequately support this large TV.

The compact adjustable pedestal fits narrower furniture and accommodates different screen heights; the larger 98-inch model uses feet instead.

Hands-on impressions of glare reduction are positive, but direct measurements find reflections distracting, especially in darker scenes. Lighting placement is important.

Reflections are a real tradeoff. Massive brightness compensates for general daylight, while direct lamps and windows can remain distracting on the glossy screen.

Four full-capability inputs are useful.

Four total HDMI connections provide practical room for a pair of consoles and other devices, though their bandwidth capabilities differ.

Live frame-rate monitoring is useful.

The on-screen Game Bar provides quick gaming adjustments without interrupting play to navigate deeper menus.

Substantial off-axis color errors are visible. Side viewing loses some saturation.

Colors can fade and shift when viewed far off-axis, particularly versus some competitors, even though the WHVA panel improves upon standard VA designs.

Big-screen gaming package is enthusiastically endorsed. First impressions are very positive.

The QM9K is widely admired for flagship-level light output and strong all-around features, though the value case and a handful of processing flaws split opinions.

Recessed inputs are inconvenient near the wall.

Side-facing sockets are neatly concealed but sit too far inward to access easily once the television is mounted close to a wall.

Upscaled sources look sharp, with some missing fine detail.

Upscaled sources generally remain clear without excessive artificial sharpening, but fine details and lower-quality streams can still be less convincing than premium processing rivals.

Dolby Vision gaming compatibility is absent.

Dolby Vision material can look deep and striking, revealing textures and atmosphere. Its accuracy depends on mode and processing choices.

The giant panel is appealing, but its actual price is hard to justify next to better-performing 98- and 100-inch alternatives. Earlier previews were more optimistic about its value.

Large 85- and 98-inch sizes can be compelling compared with giant OLEDs, especially when the QM9K is sold at a steep clearance price.

Broad gaming format compatibility includes 4K at 144Hz.

High-bandwidth inputs enable 4K at 144Hz gaming, but at least one PC tester could not make the mode work reliably with their graphics hardware.

Fast 4K-capable HDMI inputs strengthen gaming.

4K games can look detailed and vividly colored with responsive control, especially on current-generation consoles.

Modern high-refresh console formats are well supported.

4K at 120Hz console play looks sharp and responsive, making full-resolution high-frame-rate games satisfying.

HDMI 2.1 implementation is extensive.

High-bandwidth HDMI enables excellent console and PC modes. The practical limitation is how many full-speed inputs are available.

Initial setup is uncomplicated.

Physical installation is manageable with assistance, while Google TV and Gemini setup can require more prompts and updates than expected.

The 100-inch panel is criticized as overpriced beside brighter TCL and Hisense alternatives. Launch-period previews were more optimistic, so the deal depends on the actual sale price.

At a substantial discount the QM9K is a tempting flagship, but the much cheaper QM8K frequently looks similar in everyday content. The price gap determines the recommendation.

Reduced menu obstruction improves operation.

Most navigation is responsive, and picture settings are easy to reach, but occasional freezes and long initial configuration can frustrate.

Picture stays visible while changing options.

Customizable quick settings let enthusiasts reach preferred picture adjustments rapidly without scrolling through deep menus.

Essential streaming apps are available.

A wide range of popular streaming and game-streaming services is available without needing an extra box.

Tizen earns praise for speed and straightforward navigation. Its familiar smart features work well, although ads remain part of the interface.

Google TV is capable, convenient and content-rich, with the newer Gemini experience. Ads and occasional bugs make the interface less universally appealing.

SmartThings expands usefulness beyond watching TV.

The TV can work with connected smart-home devices, giving its Google TV interface a useful role beyond streaming.

General brightness tracking is fairly close, not perfect.

The set can push highlights well beyond intended levels and darken shadow regions, even while looking exciting. Some picture modes improve the balance without fully fixing it.

Loss of proper HGIG makes HDR game calibration difficult.

HDR tracking can raise highlights too much, crush shadows and deviate from intended brightness. This is one of the biggest concerns for film purists.

Menus move promptly.

Menus and apps usually feel quick, though isolated freezes and setup delays keep the software from feeling completely seamless.

Rear styling gets praise.

The premium screen-forward appearance and metal accents earn broad praise. A few find the stand and finishing details less luxurious than the flagship price suggests.

Solid build despite the plastic construction.

Construction feels sturdy and carefully assembled despite substantial use of plastic, with little flex or looseness noted.

The LCD design avoids permanent OLED burn-in, but unresolved software glitches and one reported electrical buzz raise quality-control questions.

A reduced-resolution high-refresh mode caters to twitchier PC games, trading 4K sharpness for exceptionally fast frame updates.

Casting support makes sharing from compatible phones and tablets convenient, including Apple's AirPlay and Google's Cast ecosystem.

Google TV includes several cloud-gaming apps, adding options beyond connected consoles, though app availability is not universal.

Atmos effects can extend above and beside the screen surprisingly well for built-in speakers. Full external surround remains more immersive.

Missing DTS is explicitly criticized.

eARC supports high-quality audio to an external sound system and sits separately from the two full-bandwidth gaming inputs.

Excellent Xbox format compatibility includes FreeSync.

HDR10+ is supported but Dolby Vision is not.

The integrated over-the-air tuner operated properly in a real-world trial, making antenna reception a useful option.

1440p high-refresh console input works well.

Basic setup avoids login but adding apps requires an account.

Extra AI clarity enhancements can create strobe-like artifacts on lower-quality films; leaving those settings off produces a cleaner result.

Height effects and directionality are unusually convincing from the TV itself, but very busy scenes can merge different sounds.

The LCD panel avoids permanent burn-in, a reassuring trait for users worried about static images and long sessions.

Content discovery is flexible, with platform-based recommendations and smart searches. Context can change depending on whether an app or the TV home screen is active.

The speakers remain clear during loud music and busy effects without obvious distortion in the favorable listening assessment.

Low-lag interpolation is especially useful for smoothing game motion without paying the usual large responsiveness penalty.

Gemini makes searching and follow-up questions feel more conversational, but complicated commands can produce misleading or incomplete answers. Its convenience does not outweigh privacy concerns for everyone.

Fine HDR highlight textures can survive extreme brightness well, although some tone settings overblow intense areas.

Natural-looking colors are achievable in restrained presets, but the brighter default look and HDR tone errors can move away from creator intent.

The internal speakers can fill a room at useful volume without immediately needing external amplification.

Protective packaging is reassuring.

The TV turns on quickly and is ready to navigate with little noticeable delay.

Controls are fairly uncluttered with handy app shortcuts, but the unused space could accommodate additional services.

4K resolution imposes some close-up softness at 100 inches.

Presence detection can wake an ambient display and shut it down when the room empties, but sensitivity and accidental activations can require adjustment.

The clear glossy finish preserves image crispness and saturation, although it sacrifices some direct-glare control.

Wide legs can challenge existing furniture.

Slow movie pans can visibly stutter even though most film motion looks good. Interpolation offers an effective workaround for those who prefer smoother motion.

Treble can sound clear and natural for TV speakers, even when the bass lacks deeper punch.

Lack of USB recording is a drawback.

The larger panels are substantial enough to need two people for safe unpacking or wall mounting, even when their construction feels manageable for the size.

FlexConnect offers an appealing route to room-calibrated wireless surround with compatible speakers, without requiring conventional fixed speaker placement.

Artwork, photos and information can take over the screen when not watching TV, making the large display more useful between sessions.

The Beosonic audio control allows tonal adjustments, helping tame bright sound without complicated equalizer work.

Ambient-light adaptation keeps the picture comfortable across changing daylight and dimmer evenings, although manual control is still useful.

Mini LED brings compelling HDR experiences.

A real-time FPS display is a useful upgrade.

One large sample exhibited an intrusive constant buzz, audible during quiet viewing regardless of picture settings; other assessments did not report this problem.

Fine textures in animation and films remain clearly rendered, helping detailed 4K material look almost three-dimensional.

Standard-range content is exceptionally luminous even in daylight, with enough headroom to overpower ordinary room light without sacrificing obvious contrast.

Large bright areas retain remarkable impact for an LCD, although peak output can decline over longer intervals and depends on the material.

Thin, nearly invisible bezels create an immersive edge-to-edge picture that looks more premium than a typical LCD TV.

The four offered sizes cover large living rooms well, but the absence of smaller options limits installation flexibility.

A physical microphone switch and optional AI features provide meaningful control, although always-listening hardware may still make privacy-conscious buyers uncomfortable.

Software responsiveness is good much of the time, but at least one extended test found frustrating issues that remained unresolved after waiting for updates.

Hands-free voice search can answer questions and control connected devices, though not every command works as expected.

Conversational voice requests often work naturally, but complicated instructions can yield incorrect answers or fail altogether.

Battery-free solar recharging is convenient.