Samsung QN85A Neo QLED – Samsung's entry level model into the world of Mini LEDs

You have to admit one thing about the QN85A, it really does look outstanding! Samsung’s new NeoSlim looks really great on the TV, which has an extremely narrow frame that is virtually unnoticeable when the display is turned on. In combination with the shallow depth, the Neo QLED is very well suited for wall mounting, as the slim design cuts a really fine figure here.

But the center stand also makes a high-quality impression and really looks similar to last year’s Q80T model. Just like the Q80T, the stand is a bit small compared to the size of the TV, so the TV stands a bit wobbly when you bump it. On the other hand, the QN85A can be placed on smaller TV furniture, or there is still plenty of room to place a soundbar in front of the TV.

There are cutouts on the back that allow for neat cable routing and the interfaces are aligned to the right side of the screen, so you can also reach them easily when mounted on the wall. Unfortunately, though, the QN85A only has one HDMI 2.1 interface, which could definitely become problematic if you have multiple HDMI 2.1 devices. Fortunately, the HDMI eARC is on a different HDMI port, so you can easily connect your sound system even if you already have a next-gen console connected.

We were initially a bit surprised that Samsung deviated from their standard VAVertical Alignment, type of LCD Panel panel in QLEDs and switched to an ADS panel. ADS panels usually have a lower contrast ratio, which is caused by a less deep black – VA panels have a considerable advantage here.

The low contrast ratio is further improved by the Full Array Local Dimming feature with more than 576 zones (at 55″), so the QN85A comes to a contrast ratio of ~2000:1. For an ADS panel, that’s a really good value! The 2020 NanoCell flagship Nano90 only comes to about 1650:1. The contrast ratio of a TV is a major factor when talking about picture quality, so most TVs with ADS panels perform worse in this category than TVs with VA or OLED panels. On the other hand, ADS panels have a fairly wide viewing angle, so that the picture still looks good when you look at the TV at an angle.

The Full Array Local Dimming feature benefits immensely from the small mini LEDs, since more LEDs are used in the backlight, which can then be divided into a larger number of dimming zones more easily.

But this is not the only advantage of the small LEDs. Overall, TVs with this technology are usually brighter than ordinary LED-LCD TVs. This allows the QLED to present a really great picture quality, especially in bright surroundings, since the lower contrast is not really visible here. It also has an anti-reflective coating, which effectively minimizes reflections.

The QN85A Neo QLED achieves a peak brightness of ~1250Nits, which really makes the difference especially for HDRHigh Dynamic Range – image/video with more dynamic range (contrast range) content. These can be displayed very well and even bright highlights are reproduced in great detail.

Unfortunately, Samsung still does not have Dolby VisionDynamic HDR-format with a color depth of up to 12 Bits and Mastering of up to 10,000 Nits to dynamically optimize HDR content in 2021. Instead, Samsung relies on HDR10+License-free, dynamic HDR-format in competition with Dolby Vision, which is increasingly losing importance. The widely advertised HDR10+ Adaptive is unfortunately not available. This has been saved for the 8K models.

In the field of motion handling, i.e. how well movements can be displayed, the entry-level Neo QLED is quite impressive. 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. and its response time is ~5 ms. This results in very little motion blur when displaying fast movements. Although its predecessor, the Q80T, performed a bit better in this regard, as it has a response time of less than 4ms. Nevertheless, motion is displayed really nicely by the QN85A.

Unfortunately, stutter can’t be completely avoided during slow camera pans, so the picture is not as smooth under such conditions. This can be minimized by the Motion Interpolation Feature, but many users do not really like the Soap Opera Effect that often accompanies it.

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 960Hz and is therefore perceived as continuous illumination by the human eye. The motion blur can be minimized even further with the Black Frame InsertionProcess that inserts black “blank images” as intermediate images. This makes movements appear finer and clearer. feature, so that it should hardly be visible. This is even available for 120 Hz content; however, the brightness suffers a bit, which shouldn’t really matter much at around 1250 nitsSI unit of luminance: 1 nit = 1 cd/m² – The best way of measuring and comparing a TVs brightness  .

JudderInconsistent time frame due to the input frequency not mismatching the TV’s frequency (e.g. 24p via 60Hz) can be removed from all sources.

With this really respectable motion handling, it’s hardly surprising that you can really game well on the QN85A. The input lag at 4K@60Hz is around 10ms, which is a really good value, and at 4K@120Hz it is a terrific 5ms. The Neo QLED has HDMI 2.1 and therefore all the specifications that go with it. Of course, there is an Auto Low Latency Mode, which automatically detects a switched-on console and the TV switches to gaming mode by itself. In this mode, the input lag is kept as low as possible to ensure a smooth gaming experience.

Both FreeSync Premium ProVariable Refresh Rate with AMD graphics cards or consoles with at least 120fps at Full HD and HDR and HDMI Forum VRRVariable Refresh Rate – synchronizes the display’s refresh rate with the output refresh rate of the graphics card are available as Variable Refresh RateVariable Refresh Rate – synchronizes the display’s refresh rate with the output refresh rate of the graphics card, so you can expect screen tearing-free gaming with all compatible graphics cards. So you are perfectly prepared for the Playstation 5 or the Xbox Series X!

Due to the ADS panel, the viewing angle is also very wide, so you can easily play co-op multiplayer with two or even more people and no one has a disadvantage of fading colors.

Samsung has also implemented some other interesting features. For example, the Neo QLED has a “Game Bar” that allows you to keep an eye on important gaming parameters like input lag or 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.. There is also a panorama mode in a 32:9 resolution for PC gamers.

Sound is all too often neglected when buying a TV. Admittedly, this can be optimized quite easily with an external sound system – but that has its price, of course. The Korean manufacturer’s engineers probably didn’t put the main focus on the sound of the QN85A.

The 2.2.2 channel 60W speakers are quite well tuned to each other, so that you can understand dialogs well. These can also be amplified by the Active Voice Amplifier to make them even more understandable. In addition, the QN85A has a Room Correction feature, which adjusts the sound to the environment.

However, the TV should not be turned up too loud, as distortions quickly occur, which can spoil the listening pleasure immensely.

Furthermore, the bass of the TV is quite weak, which could be due to the extremely slim design of the TV. Since TVs are becoming increasingly flat, the woofers have less and less volume to produce really good bass. With a TV in this price range, you’ll probably want to get an additional sound system, like a soundbar or AVR receiver.

The HDMI eARC supports uncompressed Dolby Atmos, so you can create a really impressive soundscape from all directions – but of course only with a suitable sound system. Unfortunately, DTSMulti-channel-sound-system (Surround Sound) competing with Dolby Digital is not available.

With the Tizen 6.0 Smart operating system, the Neo QLED has been equipped with some great features. The intuitive user interface allows navigating quickly and smoothly via the Smart Remote. Unfortunately, it includes ads and video suggestions that cannot be disabled. The selection of apps is really large and you do not miss any common streaming services.

The remote control of the Neo QLED models is even equipped with a small solar panel, which eliminates the need to replace batteries. Those who prefer to use a voice assistant instead can either fall back on Amazon Alexa, or Google Assistant. However, a third-party device is required for Google Assistant, whereas Amazon’s Alexa is integrated into the operating system.

Airplay 2 is available for wireless data exchange with Apple devices, and other smartphones can also display content on the TV very easily. With Samsung Smart Things, other smart home applications can be conveniently controlled with the Smart Remote, turning the TV into a kind of control center of a smart home.

The twin tuner enables functions like TimeShift and the USB recording function.