LG 55 B4 vs Samsung S85D

The HDR brightness performance of the LG B4 is impressive, even though it doesn't surpass 1000 nits. Its luminance stability is consistently strong across various scenarios, delivering a reliable viewing experience. The only instance where the TV shows slight weakness is in scenes with large areas of bright white, which has long been a challenge for OLED technology. However, perfect contrast, deep blacks, and excellent brightness ensure a fully immersive HDR experience. Furthermore, the TV’s remarkable 99% coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut enhances its colour vibrancy, making images appear rich and visually striking. This level of colour accuracy and brightness balance firmly places the LG B4 among the top choices for HDR content.

Brightness is an important factor in televisions, and the S85D offers a level similar to older OLED models. While it’s not outstanding in this area, it comes at a very competitive price. With peak brightness at 600 nits, HDR content looks sharp, delivering a hint of cinematic quality at home. Like many budget OLEDs, though, very bright, full-screen scenes—such as the final shot in The Meg—may cause the brightness to drop by nearly half, which is noticeable compared to pricier models. However, with 99% DCI-P3 colour coverage, the S85D delivers vibrant, accurate colours.

The best factory preset offered by LG B4 is the "Filmmaker" mode, which we used throughout our testing. Straight out of the box, the TV delivered fairly accurate colour reproduction. However, the most significant issue in both SDR and HDR content was the white balance. In SDR, there was a noticeable red dominance, giving the image a distinct yellow tint, particularly evident in skin tones and whites. In HDR, this red hue persisted, but the lack of blue also introduced a greenish tint in certain scenes. Additionally, we observed some inconsistencies in grayscale and colour accuracy. Despite these shortcomings, the overall picture quality was still solid for most viewing scenarios.

The Filmmaker mode on the Samsung S85D offers the best factory settings, but it is not free from flaws, particularly noticeable in colour reproduction. The white balance chart for HD and HDR content shows clear issues – both red and blue are significantly weakened, leading to a dominance of green. The result is an unnatural yellowish glow that can affect the perception of realistic scenes. The Colour Checker test also highlights issues, with colour samples deviating from expected values – for HD materials, colours tend to be too saturated, with a noticeable shift towards green, as seen in the white balance chart. In contrast, for 4K HDR content, colours appear too dull and lack depth, diminishing the attractiveness and naturalness of the image. This effect is particularly noticeable in delicate scenes where colour precision plays a key role, which can be disappointing for discerning viewers who expect faithful reproduction of details and colour intensity.

When it comes to brightness, the gamma chart for HD content produces positives, but there is a noticeable spike at the end, exceeding a value of 2.4. Although this is not a major problem in most scenes, in more demanding sequences it can affect the clarity of bright details. For 4K content, the problematic aspect is the EOTF curve, responsible for delivering brightness. The initial part of the chart shows a small spike. This phenomenon can result in excessive boosting of brightness in the brightest areas of the image, leading to loss of detail in very bright scenes.

Although the Samsung S85D’s factory settings are reasonable, especially in Filmmaker mode, it is worth considering a manual adjustment of settings to improve some imperfections, particularly in colour reproduction.

LG B4 has long been known for offering advanced calibration tools, and it remains one of the few manufacturers that allows such in-depth image adjustments. Thanks to these tools, we calibrated the device to an exceptional standard. The result was incredibly low deltaE errors, considered at a reference level. Both SDR and HDR content now display exactly as the filmmaker intended. This level of precision is one of the reasons LG TVs are frequently used as preview monitors in graphic design and post-production studios.

After calibration, Filmmaker mode on the Samsung S85D truly stands out. White balance adjustments across all content types yield significantly more natural colour reproduction. In the Colour Checker test, colour reproduction errors are minimal and well within acceptable limits, reflecting precise and true-to-life hues. Factory settings fell short in this regard, but now colours appear realistic, as though accurately rendered according to the creators’ intent. This marks a substantial improvement over previous generations, where colours often appeared distorted or overly saturated.

Brightness also benefits from calibration, becoming sharper and more refined. The Gamma, already fairly consistent, is now even more stable, delivering a deeper and more natural image. Adjustments to the EOTF curve enhance detail visibility in darker areas and improve contrast balance. With these refinements, the television provides a nearly reference-quality image, greatly enriching the experience of movies and HDR content.

In this section, we will revisit the smooth transition function while also examining how the TV handles lower-quality content. As we’ve found, the setting responsible for smooth gradation is generally effective, though it does have its drawbacks. While the function works well in SDR content, it becomes less useful in HDR content. Even at the lowest setting, it can blur important details, so we advise against using it in such cases.

The image scaling on the LG B4 is assessed moderately positively. While there is no noticeable edge doubling, the image tends to be somewhat "soft." This can be adjusted by tweaking the sharpness slider to improve the clarity.

Samsung S85D performs excellently in image scaling and smoothing tonal transitions. Like other Samsung models, the TV offers three noise reduction modes: off, standard, and high. While it improves gradation well, it unfortunately also removes film grain, which many viewers desire to give the image a cinematic character. Grain often adds authenticity and a certain rawness to films, which is lost after smoothing. Removing grain can make the image look too sterile and smoothed out, which takes away some of the charm of the original film material. As for image scaling, the Samsung S85D handles lower resolution content perfectly – the model in the photo and the branches in the background are shown correctly, without significant jagged edge issues. The only noticeable drawback is the presence of overscan, which can sometimes cut off parts of the image, which may not be to everyone's taste.

The maximum refresh rate on the LG B4 is 120 Hz, the bare minimum for those requiring high image fluidity. The manufacturer has equipped the TV with a multi-stage motion smoother called "TruMotion." This feature is split into two sliders: one controls the sharpness of moving images (De-Blur) and the other adjusts judder (De-Judder). Both sliders can be set between 0 and 10, with each level affecting the smoothness, so users can easily find their preferred setting.

The LG OLED B4 panel boasts an impressive average response time of 0.1 ms (based on our measurements), delivering an exceptionally clear image that surpasses the capabilities of LCD TVs, which often have response times of several milliseconds. This is particularly noticeable in the "UFO Test" images, where no trailing blur is visible behind moving objects.

As expected from an OLED television, the Samsung S85D offers excellent motion fluidity. Equipped with a 120 Hz panel and a fast response time, the television delivers very smooth playback of dynamic scenes without visible blurring. For movie enthusiasts, there is a feature called "Image Clarity Settings," which allows you to adjust motion fluidity to individual preferences on a 10-point scale. Motion blur reduction increases the sharpness of fast-moving objects, while judder reduction smooths out motion, eliminating the "stuttering" effect. This allows every user to set the appropriate level of clarity that best suits their taste, from a more cinematic effect to clearer, smoother movements.

The LG B4 has four full HDMI 2.1 ports, each providing 48Gbps bandwidth. This ensures smooth activation of all relevant features without issues, making the television highly suitable for gaming. With its low input lag and extensive functionality, including well-implemented HGIG mode and Dolby Vision gaming with low latency, the B4 is a strong contender for gamers who demand high quality.

A standout feature is GameBar, which allows for on-the-fly adjustments without interrupting gameplay, as well as image adaptations for those with visual impairments. Another key point is that when VRR technology is enabled, the television maintains its contrast, thanks to the OLED panel's structure, though slight flickering in grey shades is to be expected.

In conclusion, the LG B4 is an ideal choice for gamers, seamlessly combining high performance with excellent gaming features. Its 120Hz panel and HDMI 2.1 ports make it a standout option for those seeking top-tier gaming experiences.

The Samsung S85D is an excellent choice for gamers due to its many modern features that facilitate and enhance gameplay. The TV has four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, allowing you to connect the latest consoles without worrying about image quality or frame rate limitations. This means support for 4K resolution at 120 Hz, which is ideal for modern titles. Additionally, the Samsung S85D has an ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) function that automatically switches to low latency mode when it detects a gaming device. This way, you don't have to manually switch settings—the TV takes care of ensuring a quick response time, which is crucial in games where every second counts.

The VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) feature and G-Sync support are further elements that make gameplay smoother. VRR adjusts the refresh rate to match the frame rate generated by the console or PC, eliminating screen tearing and stuttering. This is particularly useful in dynamic games where the frame rate can fluctuate. Auto Motion Plus Game is a feature that Samsung has introduced with gamers in mind, and it's worth appreciating. Thanks to it, the image in games becomes smoother—30 frames per second looks like 45, and 60 Hz gains fluidity, approximating a 90 Hz effect. Meanwhile, there is no significant increase in input lag, which remains below 25 ms, distinguishing this feature from others available on the market. Gamers can enjoy smoother visuals without worrying about a decline in responsiveness.

Samsung has also taken care of something extra—the TV has a built-in Xbox Game Pass app, which means you can play in the cloud without the need for a console. This is a great solution for those who want to enjoy gaming without investing in additional hardware. All you need is internet access, and you have a vast library of games at your fingertips. This makes the Samsung S85D a great choice for both casual gamers and more advanced ones.