- Matching (Score)
- Our verdict
- Competing TVs
- TV appearance
- Where to buy
- Contrast and black detail
- HDR effect quality
- Factory color reproduction
- Color reproduction after calibration
- Smoothness of tonal transitions
- Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions
- Blur and motion smoothness
- Console compatibility and gaming features
- Input lag
- Compatibility with PC
- Viewing angles
- TV efficiency during daytime
- TV features
- Playing files from USB
- Apps
- Sound
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Panel technology: LCD VA Brand: SAMSUNG Resolution: 3840x2160 Operating system: Tizen Model year: 2024
Our verdict
7.1
Overall rating
The Samsung Q80D is a versatile television model catering to both gamers and everyday users. With support for HDMI 2.1, a refresh rate of 120Hz, and low input lag, it is an ideal choice for gaming enthusiasts. Features like the Game Bar provide quick access to game settings, enhancing user comfort and allowing for a fully immersive gaming experience.
For everyday use, the Q80D excels as well. Running on the Tizen operating system, it offers a wide array of apps and Smart TV features, including popular streaming services like Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon Prime Video. Its high brightness makes it suitable for bright rooms, effectively minimizing reflections and ensuring a clear picture even in challenging lighting conditions. The solar remote control is a notable advantage, eliminating the need for batteries and enabling control of other devices, such as decoders, thereby increasing user convenience and reducing the clutter of multiple remotes.
While the TV lacks recording functionality, it compensates with excellent picture quality. Although it does not support Dolby Vision, it delivers exceptional visual experiences after collaboration. The contrast, black levels, and vivid colours position it among the best televisions in its class. The incorporation of quantum dot technology (QLED) provides a wide colour gamut, and the local dimming feature enhances picture quality in dark scenes, which is especially important for watching movies and series.
The Samsung Q80D is an excellent choice for gamers and everyday users. It offers high-quality picture and sound, with a comprehensive range of Smart TV features. Despite a few minor drawbacks, it is a television that will undoubtedly meet the expectations of even the most demanding users.
Advantages
Great choice for gamers - a lot of functionality, low input lag, 120Hz
High brightness of the panel - good performance during the day
Good black levels and contrast
Excellent tonal transitions
Advanced smart system "Tizen"
Disadvantages
Average viewing angles
No recording function
No DTS (may complicate connection to home theater)
Movies and series in UHD quality6.7
Classic TV, YouTube6.7
Sports broadcasts (TV and apps)6.6
Gaming on console8.7
TV as a computer monitor7.6
Matrix brightness6.0
Utility functions7.7
Apps8.6
Sound quality6.6
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Competing TVs in this price range
TV appearance
HDMI inputs: 0 x HDMI 2.0, 4 x HDMI 2.1 (48Gbps) Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI) Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
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Contrast and black detail
6.7/10
Funkcja lokalnego wygaszania: Tak, ilość stref: 100 (10 x 10)
Contrast between the black background and the bright spotlight illuminating Jack. Scene from the movie Oblivion (Universal Pictures).
Result
37,350:1
Contrast between the glare on the chameleon's skin and the black near the edge of the screen below. Scene from the Spears&Munsil test disc.
Result
8,850:1
Contrast between the reflection on the helmet and the black on the black film strip. Scene from the movie Arrival (Paramount Pictures).
Result
20,350:1
Contrast between the actress's face and the black film strip at the top edge of the TV. Scene from the movie Gravity (Warner Bros. Pictures).
Result
4,300:1
Contrast between the colorful balloon and the black slice between the falling objects. Scene from the Pioneer Kuro test disc (2008).
Result
3,800:1
The Samsung Q80D TV features a VA panel, which notably enhances contrast and black reproduction compared to IPS panels. VA panels excel in providing deeper blacks and better contrast, while IPS panels are known for superior viewing angles but compromise on contrast levels. In the case of the 55" model, the TV is equipped with 100 local dimming zones, although this number can vary with different screen sizes.
Local dimming contributes to impressive black levels, but it’s important to recognise that the algorithm controlling this technology, along with the limited number of zones can sometimes produce less-than-ideal results. Bright objects may be unintentionally dimmed to achieve deeper blacks. For instance, during tests of a scene from the film Oblivion, the lights merged into a single spot regardless of the dimming settings, highlighting the technology's limitations. Similarly, in The Revenant, large dimming zones became evident, such as the "Pause" logo in the upper left corner, showcasing the significant areas controlled by individual dimming zones.
Despite these drawbacks, local dimming technology still offers a marked improvement in picture quality over TVs lacking this feature or relying solely on edge-lit backlighting. The ability to completely turn off specific zones allows the TV to enhance brightness in selected areas, delivering a cinematic effect that is particularly effective in darker viewing environments.
Halo effect and black detail visibility:
HDR effect quality
5.6/10
Supported formats: HDR10, HDR10+, HLG Color gamut coverage: DCI P3: 93.0%, Bt.2020: 73.0%
Luminance measurements in HDR:
The measured point is the setting sun against a bright sky. Scene from the movie Life of Pi (20th Century Fox).
Result
927 nit
The measured point is the moon against a dark, starry sky. Scene from the movie Life of Pi (20th Century Fox).
Result
423 nit
The measured point is the flashlight on the rifle, which shines directly at the camera. Scene from the movie Gemini Man (Paramount Pictures).
Result
612 nit
The measured point is the tail light of a helicopter flying at night. This is a very small light point, the essence of the HDR effect. Scene from the movie Sicario 2: Soldado (Lionsgate).
Result
242 nit
The measured point is the sun visible directly between the clouds. The scene is very bright and should blind the viewer as in nature. Scene from the movie The Meg (Warner Bros. Pictures).
Result
856 nit
In the context of HDR, the Samsung Q80D television delivers impressive brightness performance in tested movie scenes, achieving levels between 600 to 900 nits when the frame is filled with light. This brightness enhances the vibrancy of the image and allows users to perceive the differences between HDR and SDR quality. However, challenges arise when small light effects appear against a dark background. For instance, in specific scenes, such as test slide 4 from Sicario 2, there is a noticeable drop in brightness due to the larger size of the dimming zones employed by the television. This limitation, coupled with the local dimming algorithm, affects the TV's ability to accurately display small bright elements on dark backgrounds, leading to a lack of brightness that can diminish the HDR effect, making it appear similar to SDR quality.
Scene from the movie “Pan” (about 2800 nits)
Scene from the movie “Billy Lynn” (about 1100 nits)
The Samsung Q80D showcases impressive HDR capabilities, reaching up to 1100 nits, which positions it among the top televisions on the market. It features both dynamic and static tone mapping, with the "active" option providing an artificial boost to the image that may lead to undesirable effects. Therefore, it's advisable to set this option to "static," which still responds well to dynamic metadata. This setting allowed the television to perform excellently in the film Pan, delivering a high-quality image.
While the Q80D is adept at reproducing vibrant visuals, some details—such as distant clouds—may be lost in certain scenes. However, this is understandable, especially considering that the scene was mastered at around 2800 nits, a brightness level that is challenging to achieve on any consumer television. In contrast, during the film Billy Lynn, the Q80D demonstrates significantly better image quality compared to the Q70D series from the same year (Q74D/Q77D). The portrayal of the main character is accurate, with skin tones remaining true to life, and intense light effects, such as fireworks, are rendered effectively without merging into a single bright spot.
HDR luminance chart:
The Samsung Q80D TV offers a variety of HDR formats, including static HDR10 and dynamic HDR10+, but unfortunately, it lacks support for Dolby Vision. In terms of static HDR, the TV performs decently despite the absence of dynamic tone mapping. A notable example is a scene featuring horses, where the TV adapts to the metadata effectively, revealing background details such as the forest and the bright elements like blades of grass sticking out from the snow.
However, the situation changes dramatically when the same scene is presented using dynamic metadata (HDR10+). At this point, the scene appears much more vibrant, with previously lost details on the bright background being better represented, significantly enhancing image quality in challenging conditions. Leveraging the dynamic metadata allows the Q80D to deliver a more engaging and visually impressive experience, making it a strong contender for viewers who favour HDR performance.
Static HDR10
Dynamic: HDR10+
Factory color reproduction
6.8/10
In "Filmmaker" mode, which is considered the best out-of-the-box choice, the Samsung Q80D demonstrates solid colour reproduction. However, when viewing SDR content, there is a visible drop at the beginning of the gamma curve, suggesting that details in dark scenes may be less clear, which could detract from the overall viewing experience. While the white balance in SDR content is generally accurate, significant drops in blue at screen coverage above 70% can lead to less natural hues in both bright and dark scenes. Users might notice that some blue elements appear less intense, resulting in a warmer tint to the colour presentation.
For HDR content, the EOTF (Electro-Optical Transfer Function) curve being above the reference line most of the time indicates that the TV may struggle to accurately reproduce brightness and detail in the brighter areas of the image, which can be less than ideal for viewers. Additionally, there is a notable drop at the beginning of this graph, signifying the TV's difficulty in reproducing brightness in dark areas; this limitation is apparent in contrast and black tests, where several scenes fail to showcase the TV's full brightness potential.
Regarding white balance, the initial performance on the chart is promising, however, a sharp drop in red, coupled with a significant rise in blue, may lead to inaccuracies in reproducing certain skin tones and other key colours. This issue can be particularly noticeable in scenes where colour details are essential, potentially affecting the viewer's overall experience.
Color reproduction after calibration
8.1/10
After calibration, the Samsung Q80D’s Movie mode offers a noticeable improvement over the out-of-the-box settings. Samsung provides an advanced suite of calibration tools, including 2- and 20-point grayscale adjustments as well as a CMS (Colour Management System), allowing for precise control over both SDR and HDR content. The calibration greatly enhances white balance, although minor errors remain in HDR content toward the end of the graph. Contrast has also improved, and the gamma curve for SDR content now aligns well with expected levels.
In HDR, the EOTF curve initially appears to sit ideally, however, closer examination reveals all lines are slightly above the reference line, a phenomenon that may be seen as the TV "enhancing" brightness for added appeal. This effect, however, comes at a cost: while the screen may appear brighter overall, it sacrifices detail in darker areas, leading to a loss of subtle textures in shadowed scenes. As a result, scenes with deep shadows or dark elements may lose some finer visual details that would enhance the viewing experience.
Smoothness of tonal transitions
8.8/10
The Samsung Q80D excels in tonal gradation, marking it as one of the television's standout qualities. It handles even the most challenging scenes with finesse, maintaining smooth transitions and fine detail across varying shades. Any minor issues with colour transitions are almost unnoticeable, ensuring the average viewer enjoys a seamless, high-quality visual experience. This impressive gradation performance enhances everyday viewing, delivering a visually rich experience even during demanding scenes.
Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions
7/10
Smooth transition function
Image without overscan on the SD signal
Performing admirably with low-quality content, the Q80D’s noise reduction feature uses gentle gradation to smooth out unwanted image disturbances. However, this technique can also soften certain details, like film grain, that some viewers might prefer to retain. For those who appreciate a more polished and smoother image, particularly with lower-resolution material, this becomes a significant advantage.
In terms of image scaling, the Q80D stands out, enhancing both quality and detail for lower-resolution media. Advanced processing technology reduces artefacts and maintains clarity, as seen in the clean edges and absence of fraying in elements like branches during test scenes. This capability makes it an excellent option for viewers seeking an enhanced and comfortable viewing experience, even with less-than-ideal content quality.
Blur and motion smoothness
7.3/10
Maximum refresh rate of the panel: 120Hz
Film motion smoothing option: Yes
Blur reduction option: Yes
BFI function 60Hz: Yes, 60Hz (image flickers)
BFI function 120Hz: No
Brightness drop with BFI: 69%
Motion smoothness and blur reduction are standout features on the Samsung Q80D TV, thanks to its 120Hz panel and impressive response time. Users have two customisation options to enhance smoothness: "Motion Blur Reduction," adjustable on a 10-step scale for refined control, and "Blur Reduction," which works particularly well at higher refresh rates, enhancing clarity in fast-moving scenes. In the UFO test, the panel performs without trailing or forward-cloning effects, indicating a lack of overshoot and delivering clear, sharp visuals during rapid motion.
Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate):
Blur (BFI function enabled):
Image flickers in this mode
The BFI (Black Frame Insertion) function on the Samsung Q80D enhances perceived motion sharpness at 60 fps, making it especially useful in fast-paced scenes. By inserting black frames between images, it effectively reduces motion blur. However, users may encounter issues with noticeable flickering or a reduction in brightness, which can make this feature less suitable for regular viewing.
Console compatibility and gaming features
9.5/10
- ALLM:
Yes
- VRR:
Yes
- VRR range:
48 - 120Hz
Dolby Vision Game Mode:
No - Correct implementation of HGIG:
Yes
- 1080p@120Hz:
Yes
- 1440p@120Hz:
Yes
- 4K@120Hz:
Yes
- Game bar:
Yes
- G-Sync:
Yes
The Samsung Q80D is a fantastic choice for gamers, offering a range of advanced gaming features that are rare in this price category. Equipped with four HDMI 2.1 ports, it enables key functionalities like ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), and 120Hz support at 4K resolution, ensuring smooth and responsive visuals, essential for fast-paced gaming. The TV also supports HGIG (HDR Gaming Interest Group) for optimal HDR display in games and includes a Game Bar for quick access to gaming settings. Gamers with Nvidia graphics cards will appreciate the G-Sync support that eliminates screen stuttering and tearing.
Although it lacks Dolby Vision support, which may disappoint those seeking that HDR format, Samsung has partnered with Microsoft since 2022 to provide the Xbox Game Pass app, enabling cloud gaming access to a wide library of games without a console.
Input lag
9.8/10
There's not much to say, the input lag at such a level is simply outstanding. It's hard to achieve a better result that would satisfy the players! The TV performed excellently at every tested resolution and frequency, both in SDR and HDR.
| SDR | HDR | Dolby Vision |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p60: 18 ms | 2160p60: 16 ms | |
| 1080p120: 9 ms | 2160p120: 8 ms | |
| 2160p60: 18 ms | ||
| 2160p120: 9 ms |
Compatibility with PC
7.6/10
Chroma 444 (maximum resolution and refresh rate): Yes
Font clarity: Very Good
Readability of dark text and shapes: Average
Input lag in PC mode (4K, maximum refresh rate): 9ms
Matrix subpixel arrangement: BGR
As a computer monitor, the Samsung Q80D performs admirably. With chroma 4:4:4 support in "Game" mode, text appears crisp and legible, ideal for users working on text documents or spreadsheets. The TV’s exceptionally low input lag in "PC" mode—just 9 ms—ensures smooth, responsive performance, which is a significant advantage for both gaming and video editing.
One minor drawback is related to font rendering on dark backgrounds. When examining fonts closely, horizontal lines may appear darker than vertical ones, suggesting that the sub-pixels aren't fully illuminated in these instances. This could indicate a gap in the TV's algorithm for rendering fine lines, slightly affecting text detail on darker backgrounds. Despite this, the Q80D remains a strong choice for PC use.
Viewing angles
3/10
Brightness drop at an angle of 45 degrees: 82%
Equipped with a VA panel, the Samsung Q80D has limited performance for viewing angles. At a 45-degree angle, there is a noticeable drop in brightness, and the image loses some sharpness—potentially an issue if viewed from different spots around the room. However, the VA panel has distinct strengths when viewed head-on. Blacks are deep and well-saturated, creating a rich, immersive picture. Additionally, dark colours retain much of their depth even when viewed from an angle, a commendable feature for a VA panel.
TV efficiency during daytime
6/10
Matrix coating: Satin
Reflection suppression: Average
Black levels during daytime: Good
With an impressive average brightness of 550 nits, the Samsung Q80D TV delivers clear and visible images across the entire screen, making it well-suited for bright rooms during daytime viewing. However, while the satin coating of the panel helps, the TV's glare reduction capabilities are only average. In brightly lit conditions, unwanted reflections can occur, which may disrupt viewing comfort, especially when light sources directly hit the screen.
Matrix brightness
Average luminance SDR
Samsung QLED Q80D: 550 cd/m2
TV features
7.7/10
System operacyjny: Tizen
TV reception: DVB-T, DVB-T2, DVB-S, DVB-S2, DVB-C
- Recording to USB (terrestrial TV):
No
- Recording programming:
No
- Picture in Picture (PiP):
Yes
- Screen mirroring (Windows Miracast):
Yes
- AirPlay:
Yes
- Voice search in native language:
Yes
- Ability to connect a keyboard and mouse:
Yes
- Possibility to connect Bluetooth headphones to the TV:
Yes
- Possibility to simultaneously use Bluetooth headphones and the TV speaker:
Yes
- Audio only mode:
Yes
- RF remote control (no need to aim at the screen):
RF
- Backlit remote control:
No
- Teletext:
Yes
A range of features on the Samsung Q80D television significantly enhances user comfort. Its advanced Tizen system provides an intuitive and smooth interface, making it quick and easy to navigate through apps and settings. With support for a wide array of applications, including popular streaming services, users can access diverse entertainment content without needing additional devices. Notably, the 2024 update includes support for the Polish language.
Additionally, the eco-friendly solar remote control offers convenience for everyday use, as it can also manage other devices such as home theatres, decoders (e.g., Canal+), and gaming consoles, which can be challenging for competing manufacturers. Gamers will appreciate several features tailored to enhance their experience. The television supports Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) technology, providing smoother game displays and reducing tearing and stuttering. With low input lag, responses in games are quick and precise.
The Game Bar function allows for easy access to key gaming settings without leaving the game, enabling adjustments to parameters such as VRR, input lag, frames per second (FPS), screen ratios, and sound settings, allowing gamers to optimize their experiences in real time. Additionally, the television supports AirPlay for effortless content streaming from Apple devices and connects to various Bluetooth devices, such as mice and headphones, increasing versatility.
However, it is important to note the lack of USB recording support and the absence of DTS audio format compatibility. This limitation means that content encoded in DTS may not be correctly reproduced, which could pose issues for those using Blu-ray discs or multimedia files that rely on this format for high-quality surround sound. To fully enjoy the audio experience, users might need to consider an external player or soundbar that supports DTS.
Playing files from USB
9.1/10
| Maximum photo resolution: | Supported photo formats: |
|---|---|
| 4 Mpix | JPEG |
| 6 Mpix | HEIC |
| 8 Mpix | PNG |
| 10 Mpix | GIF |
| 12 Mpix | WebP |
| 16 Mpix | TIFF |
| 20 Mpix | BMP |
| 24 Mpix | SVG |
| 28 Mpix | |
| 32 Mpix |
The built-in player in the Samsung Q80D television is definitely one of its strengths. It handles almost all video and audio files used in our tests very well, with the only exceptions being the Dolby Vision format, which is unsurprising, and some less common codecs. However, the television performs somewhat worse with photo formats, as it only supports JPEG among popular formats, lacking compatibility with formats such as PNG or Apple HEIC.
Apps
8.6/10
Sound
6.6/10
6.6/10
Subjective sound quality
Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Dolby True HD 7.1
Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC)
Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD
DTS:X in DTS-HD MA
DTS-HD Master Audio
Equipped with a 40W audio system in a 2.2 configuration, the Samsung Q80D TV delivers solid sound quality, supporting popular Dolby codecs to enhance the audio experience for films and games. However, it’s worth noting that the TV lacks DTS support. This limitation can be addressed by connecting an external audio system, which can improve sound depth and immersion. Samsung also offers a range of soundbars compatible with this model, alongside the Q-Symphony feature, which synchronises audio between the TV and a soundbar for a richer output. Testing on the QE65Q80D shows that while the sound quality is decent, it doesn’t stand out compared to competing models. To fully appreciate the TV’s excellent picture quality, investing in an additional audio system is recommended. The sound remains well-balanced even at high volumes, maintaining clarity without distortion—a definite plus.