Samsung Q80T QLED – Samsung's middle class all-round talent

The design of the Q80T is minimalist, which is underlined by the thin frame and the narrow pedestal stand. The stand is centrally located and its small size makes it perfect for placing a soundbar in front of the TV – even on small TV tables. However, due to the small footprint, the TV will wobble a little when pushed.

Since the Q80T has a shallow thickness, it won’t stick out much when mounted on the wall. Moreover, the interfaces are directed towards the edge of the screen, which means they are always easy to access. Cut-outs for cable routing are integrated into the stand, which can also be covered by a panel. Thus nothing stands in the way of a clean cable management.

The workmanship is excellent and makes a good impression, even though the TV is mostly made of plastic.

The Q80T has a deep and even black, which is the result of the 10 bit VAVertical Alignment, type of LCD Panel panel installed by Samsung. To compensate for the negative aspect of the low viewing angle, which is indispensable when using such a panel, an Ultra-Viewing Angle layer was integrated. To diffuse reflections and glare effects a glossy display surface is integrated. In combination with the extended viewing angle the TV can be used well in a setup where several people are looking at the TV, or an oblique viewing angle is present.

It has a good contrast ratio, which is further enhanced by Full Array Local Dimming, resulting in a great display of HDRHigh Dynamic Range – image/video with more dynamic range (contrast range) content. The Q80T’s maximum brightness is also more than sufficient to show even small bright highlights well. It is bright enough to be used in bright rooms during the day, but the picture quality suffer much from this. It’s also noticeable in bright scenes that the TV appears a bit darker in the corners than in the center. The wide color gamut of the display also ensures strong colors, which is especially good for HDR content.

Motion handling is the true strength of the Q80T. The display has a refresh rateHertz is the derived SI-unit of frequency with 1Hz=1/s – When talking about TVs this means how many different pictures a TV can display in one second. of 120 HzHertz is the derived SI-unit of frequency with 1Hz=1/s – When talking about TVs this means how many different pictures a TV can display in one second., which is extremely important for good motion handling. Especially the response time of less than 3 ms is remarkable that hardly any other TV can keep up with. Behind fast-moving objects, only a very small blurred trail is visible, but it is almost invisible. The backlight flickers with a frequencyHertz is the derived SI-unit of frequency with 1Hz=1/s – When talking about TVs this means how many different pictures a TV can display in one second. of 960 Hz. This high frequency is not visible to the human eye, but is reduced to 120 Hz when using the Movie Mode or Game Mode. But even the flickering at this lower frequency is not visible to most people.

The Q80T uses the Black Frame InsertionProcess that inserts black “blank images” as intermediate images. This makes movements appear finer and clearer. feature, which minimizes Motion Blur. Through motion interpolationArtificial calculation of more frames than the source material has to offer, content with a lower frame rate is very well interpolated to 120 Hz. There are hardly any artifacts visible, even in intense scenes!

Since the Q80T scores so well in the area on motion handling, it is not surprising that it also offers a first-class gaming experience. The input lag is extremely low at <10 ms at 60 HzHertz is the derived SI-unit of frequency with 1Hz=1/s – When talking about TVs this means how many different pictures a TV can display in one second. and in combination with the integrated Auto Low Latency Mode, an extremely responsive gaming experience is guaranteed. For a variable refresh rateHertz is the derived SI-unit of frequency with 1Hz=1/s – When talking about TVs this means how many different pictures a TV can display in one second., FreeSyncVariable Refresh Rate with AMD graphics cards or consoles and HDMI Forum’s VRRVariable Refresh Rate – synchronizes the display’s refresh rate with the output refresh rate of the graphics card are supported, these features minimize Screen-Tearing during gaming.

The Q80T has an HDMI 2.1, which enables a resolution of 4K with a refresh rate of 120 fps. For current consoles, this factor is of little relevance, since neither the Playstation 4 nor the Xbox One are capable of generating such content. However, both the Playstation 5 and the Xbox Series X should be able to display games in a 4K resolution with 120 fps. Therefore the Q80T is an excellent choice for the new generation of game consoles. In addition, the Ultra-Viewing Angle layer makes the TV perfectly suited for CO-OP games or team sports games such as FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer, as several players can use the Q80T from different viewing angles.

The Q80T’s 60W speakers sound quite balanced in general, but it lacks bass, which was to be expected with built-in speakers. For a normal sized living room they are sufficient to produce a passable sound, but in no way is it the overwhelming experience needed to create a great atmosphere. To compensate for this weakness, the setup can of course be expanded with a soundbar – then a true home cinema experience is possible!
The TV supports Dolby DigitalMulti-channel-sound-system for up to 5.1 channel Surround Sound Plus, but no DTSMulti-channel-sound-system (Surround Sound) competing with Dolby Digital, which is normal for Samsung devices. But thanks to the HDMI eARC support there is Dolby AtmosObject-based surround sound format with 3D-Sound from any direction!

The Tizen 5.5 operating system ensures that the Q80T is equipped with many smart features. Besides the integrated language assistant Bixby, it is also possible to use Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant. The TV is also compatible with Apple Airplay 2 Besides a large selection of apps, the use of various streaming services is also possible. Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and Netflix are already pre-installed. Thanks to Samsung SmartThings, the TV can act as a control centre for various smart home applications, which can then be controlled via One Remote.

The Q80T also has a Twin Tuner and other functions such as PVRPersonal Video Recorder, recording TV programs to a USB-Memory Device and Time Shift.