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Panasonic Z85A review: a superb OLED TV that delivers on nearly every front

5:30 pm | November 17, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Televisions | Tags: OLED, Sony Bravia, Star Wars, TV | Comments: Off

Panasonic Z85A OLED TV review: Two minute review

The Panasonic Z85A OLED TV is one of the entry-level models in Panasonic’s 2024 TV lineup, sitting below the Panasonic Z95A and Z90A. Along with the flagship OLED Panasonic Z95A OLED and W95A mini-LED, it is one of the first Panasonic TVs available in the US in over a decade.

The Panasonic Z85A sells for $1,599 / £1,599 and $1,799 / £1,999 for its 55 and 65-inch models, respectively, putting it in the same price range as some of the best OLED TVs such as the LG C4, Sony Bravia 8 and Philips OLED809.

Panasonic uses a standard W-OLED panel in the Z85A, which features the same HCX AI Pro II Processor found in step-up Panasonic models including the Panasonic Z95A. While its brightness levels are only average and there is some black crush in darker scenes, the picture quality on the Z85A is up there with the best TVs, with rich contrast, vibrant yet natural colors, deep blacks and realistic textures and details.

Sound quality on the Z85A is good overall. It won’t beat the best TVs for sound, but it does deliver punchy bass, clear dialogue and accurate placement of effects. Those looking for a cinematic experience may want to add one of the best soundbars, but for day to day viewing, the Z85A’s built-in sound is perfectly fine.

The Panasonic Z85A uses Fire TV as its built-in smart TV platform, and it’s a welcome change from Panasonic’s own my Home Screen interface used on previous TVs. There are fewer picture settings, but menus are more user-friendly, navigation is smoother and Amazon features such as Ambient Experience help make the Z85A feel like the complete package.

The Z85A carries many of the features we look for in the best gaming TVs. There are only two HDMI 2.1 ports, but 4K 120Hz, VRR (including AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia Gsync) ALLM and Dolby Vision gaming are all supported. Smooth performance and stunning graphics make the Z85A a fantastic OLED gaming TV.

The Panasonic Z85A is marginally pricier than rival mid-range OLEDs but mostly justifies its price thanks to its fantastic features and the sheer brilliance of its picture.

Panasonic Z85A with landscape on screen — Textures and details on the Panasonic Z85A are very realistic. (Image credit: Future)

Panasonic Z85A OLED TV review: Prices & release date

Release date: October 2024
55-inch Z85A: $1,599 / £1,599
65-inch: Z85A: $1,799 / £1,999

The Panasonic Z85A is one of the entry-level models in Panasonic’s 2024 OLED TV lineup. It is available in 55- and 65-inch sizes in both the US and UK. Panasonic TVs are not sold in Australia.

The Panasonic Z85A has similar specs and tech as the LG C4, Sony Bravia 8 and Philips OLED809, but is priced slightly higher than those models. Prices have since dropped, however, with the 55-inch model now available for $1,499 / £1,299 and the 65-inch model available for $1,699 / £1,699, making it more competitive with its rivals.

Panasonic Z85A OLED TV review: Specs

Panasonic Z85A OLED TV review: Benchmark results

Panasonic Z85A connection ports — The Panasonic Z85A comes with a good number of connections, but only two HDMI 2.1 ports (Image credit: Future)

Panasonic Z85A OLED TV review: Features

W-OLED panel
Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive support
Fire TV smart TV platform

The Panasonic Z85A features a W-OLED panel similar to that found in TVs such as the LG C4 and Sony Bravia 8 as opposed to the micro lens array (MLA) panel – a type that yields higher brightness – found in the step-up Panasonic Z95A. Unlike other OLED TVs in the US, it supports both the Dolby Vision and HDR10+ high dynamic range formats.

The new Panasonic HCX Pro AI MKII processor, which analyzes the picture on screen to adjust color, contrast and clarity on the fly, is used by the Panasonic Z85A, and It also has AI features that can be activated to monitor picture and sound quality and adjust based on the content being shown onscreen and the viewing environment.

For sound, the Panasonic Z85A has a 2.1-channel speaker array totaling 50W of power. It supports Dolby Atmos but not DTS. There also aren’t as many sound features or presets as you’ll find on the flagship Panasonic Z95A, though the Z85A does support Theater Surround Pro and has a port for connection to an external subwoofer for those wanting more bass.

The Panasonic Z85A features only two HDMI 2.1 ports but otherwise has an extensive list of gaming features. It supports 4K 120Hz, VRR (both AMD FreeSync and Nvidia GSync), ALLM, and Dolby Vision and HDR10+ gaming and also has a True Game Mode to optimize picture settings and a Game Control Board where those settings can be customized.

The Z85A’s Fire TV smart TV platform replaces the my Home Screen interface – the company’s own smart TV platform – found on previous Panasonic TVs. It supports major streaming apps including Netflix, Prime Video and Disney Plus, along with Max in the US. In the UK, you get Freely, the free TV service that allows you to stream broadcast TV live over Wi-Fi rather than relying on an aerial, and it supports UK-based streaming apps including BBC iPlayer and ITVX. In the US, it additionally comes with an ATSC 3.0 tuner.

Features score: 4/5

Panasonic Z85A with The Batman on screen — The Panasonic Z85A has incredible contrast and very good shadow detail when viewed in dimmed conditions (Image credit: Future)

Panasonic Z85A OLED TV review: Picture quality

Realistic textures and details
Outstanding contrast and shadow detail
Dynamic, vibrant colors

Since the Panasonic Z85A uses a standard W-OLED panel rather than the MLA OLED panel found in the Panasonic Z95A (and LG G4) or the Samsung S95D’s QD-OLED panel, I expected it to have peak brightness levels more in line with the LG C4, B4, Sony Bravia 8 and Philips OLED809.

The Z85A’s results were roughly what I anticipated if not a little low. Measuring brightness on a 10% HDR white window pattern, the Panasonic Z85A produced 697 nits in Standard mode and 778 nits in Filmmaker Mode. Those results put it above the LG B4’s 656 nits on the same test but below the likes of the Philips OLED809’s 927 nits and the Sony Bravia 8’s 817 nits.

When measuring the Z85A’s grayscale and color accuracy by taking an average of its Delta-E values (the margin for error between the test pattern and what’s shown on screen), it achieved phenomenal results of 1.1 and 1.2, respectively (we typically look for below 3).

After cycling through the Z85A’s picture presets, I landed on Filmmaker as its most accurate mode, though True Cinema mode was an excellent picture preset as well. Both provided incredible detail and contrast, but I opted for Filmmaker due to its higher brightness.

When watching both lower-resolution and high-definition (HD) TV shows, the Z85A did a solid job of upscaling them to 4K.

Moving onto 4K movies and TV shows, the Panasonic Z85A demonstrated spectacular color reproduction. Watching a scene where the ship arrived in Numenor in season 1 of Rings of Power on Prime Video (watched in Filmmaker Mode HDR), the blues and whites of the sea and rocky landscapes dazzled while maintaining a natural look, and the gold of armor and buildings glistened in the bright sunlight.

A Dolby Vision stream of Star Wars: The Last Jedi via Disney Plus also demonstrated the Z85A’s excellent color reproduction. The reds of the throne room fight scene looked bold and vibrant, but accurate, and lightsabers had a dynamic punch. They didn’t quite have the same glossy HDR sheen as on brighter OLEDs such as the Samsung S95D, but the Z85A’s colors were nonetheless glorious. I opted for the Dolby Vision Dark picture mode here as I felt it was more accurate, but those looking for more brightness can switch to Dolby Vision IQ mode.

When measuring the Panasonic Z85A’s HDR color gamut coverage in Filmmaker Mode, it yielded results of 98.2% for UHDA-P3 and 73.6% for BT.2020. Both of these are excellent results, and they slightly top the 97% and 72.5% achieved by the flagship Panasonic Z95A.

Panasonic Z85A with Rings of Power on screen — The Panasonic Z85A's color and detail are stunning (Image credit: Future)

Black levels, shadow detail and contrast were also superb. Watching a 4K Blu-ray of The Batman in Dolby Vision Dark picture mode, light sources and lamps looked perfectly balanced with the gloomy surroundings in the opening crime scene. I did note occasional black crush in some scenes, with objects losing the odd detail, but overall The Batman looked incredibly accurate on the Z85A.

The Z85A had superb contrast in the black-and-white scenes in Oppenheimer, with an excellent balance between dark and light tones with a perfect range of grays in between.

One thing worth noting is that the Z85A fared better in dimmed or dark viewing conditions when watching darker movies since reflections could be seen on its screen in a bright room.

Panasonic’s OLEDs typically excel in showing details and textures, and the Z85A is no different. Whatever was on screen, the Z85A displayed it in a realistic manner that gave an incredible sense of depth to the image. Watching Top Gun: Maverick, close-ups of pilots revealed every facial feature – sweat, hair, pores. The natural landscapes in Rings of Power also had a 3D-like quality thanks to the intricate, fine details in the waves and mountains.

As you’d expect from OLED, the Z85A’s motion handling is very good overall. When watching a stream of a soccer game, I found that most picture modes worked well, though I stayed away from the Sports mode due to its oversaturated colors. The most effective was Normal mode with the IFC (Intelligent Frame Creation) in picture settings set to Min (with Mid, Max and Off being the other levels). With these active, long, panning shots up and down the pitch were generally handled very well with only incredibly minor stutter from time to time.

Motion handling with movies was excellent throughout, even with motion settings turned off. WatchingTop Gun: Maverick, swooping camera shots during training missions and Maverick’s bike rides through the desert were displayed with no visible judder.

Picture quality score: 4.5/5

Panasonic Z85A with La La Land on screen — The Panasonic Z85A has decent sound quality and does well with movies like *La La Land*, but it struggles with Dolby Atmos reproduction (Image credit: Future)

Panasonic Z85A OLED TV review: Sound quality

Punchy bass
Accurate sound placement
Sound confined to screen

The Panasonic Z85A’s 2.1-channel, 50W speaker array is a significantly smaller system than the one found in the flagship Panasonic Z95A, which boasts a 5.1.2-channel speaker system totaling 160W. There is still support for Dolby Atmos and something that Panasonic calls Theater Surround Pro, but more advanced sound features such as the Z95A’s Space Tune are not featured in the Z85A.

One thing I found interesting is that there is no preset intended for movies among the Z85A’s sound modes. Instead, I opted for the Stadium preset which promised the biggest sound.

The Z85A’s dynamic bass made the rumble of the Batmobile’s engine in the car chase scene in The Batman come through with plenty of power and punch, and plenty of control as well. Dialogue was consistently clear and well-presented and sound placement was accurate, with the sounds of swerving cars and tire screeches in The Batman and soaring jets in Top Gun: Maverick directly connected to the action on screen. I did find the Samsung QN90D and Samsung S95D’s sound presentation to be more accurate when I tested those TVs, however

The Z85A’s sound demonstrated a good balance when watching La La Land, reproducing the bright, jazzy score and the more delicate piano-led moments with the same level of detail. Due to its more limited speaker array, Dolby Atmos soundtracks weren’t given the same level of accuracy or space as on the step-up Panasonic Z95A. Pounding rain in The Batman was rarely audible throughout my viewing, and while the sound did extend beyond the screen on occasion, it still seemed somewhat contained.

Sound quality score: 4/5

Panasonic Z85A stand — The Panasonic Z85A has a light, sleek design but its stand feels a little cheap. (Image credit: Future)

Panasonic Z85A OLED TV review: Design

Solid, yet lightweight build
Stand feels a little cheap
Dated remote

The Panasonic Z85A’s design is solid and dependable, if not a little safe in places. While the top of its frame is trim enough, the bottom part is on the bulkier side to accommodate the larger built-in subwoofer. Its screen lacks the bezel-less design of other premium OLEDs but is still suitably trim. It feels sturdy when installed with its stand but is also very light for easy movement.

Speaking of the stand, the Z85A’s is a mixed bag. While it has a sleek look that blends well with dark furniture and is well-made, the plastic and metal materials don’t feel as premium as on rival OLEDs, its predecessor the Panasonic MZ1500, which comes with a weighty, swiveling, all-metal stand, included.

The Z85A’s supplied remote continues what has become a somewhat sore subject for me with Panasonic TVs. It is long, bulky, covered in a load of buttons, and feels outdated. While better than the standard Fire TV remote provided with the flagship Panasonic Z95A, it still doesn’t look or feel like the premium remote you expect for an OLED TV like this – especially when compared to the USB-C rechargeable, light-up, metal remote that Philips stocks with its TVs like the Philips OLED809.

Design score: 4/5

Panasonic Z85A with Fire TV home screen on display — Panasonic Z85A uses Fire TV as its smart TV platform, replacing my Home Screen 8.0 (Image credit: Future)

Panasonic Z85A OLED TV review: Smart TV & menus

Fire TV smart TV platform
Intuitive and responsive navigation
A good number of picture settings for calibration

Panasonic has opted to switch from its own my Home Screen smart TV platform in favor of Amazon’s Fire TV in the majority of its TVs this year and while the number of settings for picture and sound have taken a hit, the experience overall is an improvement.

Signing in with an Amazon account means the home page provides not only recommendations for movies and TV shows but an easy way to jump back into viewing, with the ability to sign in with and switch between multiple profiles for a more customized home screen. Unsurprisingly, these recommendations are almost entirely centered on Amazon’s Prime Video platform. Thanks to the Z85A’s faster processor, navigation of different menus and apps is smoother than my experience with the Amazon Omni QLED TV and also easy and intuitive.

The Panasonic Z85A comes with other Amazon features such as Alexa voice control and the Ambient Experience (a similar concept to Samsung’s Ambient mode on its TVs) which lets you display static and dynamic images and videos on the screen when the TV enters idle mode, rather than turning off. You can add your personal photos after uploading them via the Amazon Photos app on your phone, and widgets for weather, news, sports and more can be added to the Ambient screen as well.

Despite not having as many picture or sound settings as the previous my Home Screen interface, there are still a good number of settings for those looking to tweak their TV’s picture.

Smart TV & menus score: 4/5

Panasonic Z85A with Battlefield V on screen — The Panasonic Z85A has a good number of gaming features and great performance. (Image credit: Future)

Panasonic Z85A OLED TV review: Gaming

12.7ms input lag time
Extreme Game Mode featuring Game Control Board
Only two HDMI 2.1 ports

The Panasonic Z85A has only two HDMI 2.1 ports but is otherwise a well-equipped TV for gaming, supporting 4K 120Hz, Dolby Vision gaming, VRR (AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia GSync) and ALLM.

Similar to other Panasonic TVs, the Z85A has the Game Control Board, where settings such as Shadow Enhancer allow for easy customization while playing. For non-Dolby Vision games, there are also two game picture modes, Game and True Game, with True Game serving as the Filmmaker or Movie picture mode equivalent by opting for a warmer color palette and more accurate textures that will better suit certain games.

Gaming on the Z85A is responsive and smooth, with fast-paced gameplay well handled. When playing Battlefield V at 4K 120Hz, targeting, movement and animations were all fluid and seamless. It doesn’t beat the best 120Hz TVs such as the LG C4, but the Z85A’s 12.7ms input lag time is still very good and below the 15ms threshold most gamers look for.

Graphically, the Z85A carries across the same picture quality it brings to movies, with plenty of vibrant color, rich contrast, realistic textures and fine details that give games an extra sense of realism.

Gaming score: 4.5/5

Panasonic Z85A remote — Panasonic's remote, shown here, feels outdated compared to other remotes supplied with OLED TVs (Image credit: Future)

Panasonic Z85A OLED TV review: Value

Prices have dropped since launch
Still slightly pricier than rival mid-range OLEDs
Very good picture for price range

Since launching at $1,599 / £1,599 for the 55-inch model and $1,799 / £1,999 for the 65-inch model, the Panasonic Z85A’s prices have dropped to $1,499 / £1,299 for the 55-inch model and $1,699 / £1,699 for the 65-inch model. That’s still pricier than other mid-range OLEDs such as the LG C4 ($1,199 / £1,199 for 55-inch and $1,499 / £1,599 for 65-inch) but generally fair value for the picture quality and performance you’re getting.

Although a brightness boost similar to the mid-range LG C4 would have been nice, the Panasonic Z85A is still an excellent OLED that delivers in key areas. It still may exceed some budgets, but its picture quality and gaming features alone make it a worthy mid-range OLED contender.

Value score: 4/5

Panasonic Z85A with butterfly on screen — (Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Panasonic Z85A OLED TV?

Buy it if...

You want superb picture quality
The Panasonic Z85A delivers spectacular contrast and color and realistic details and textures, bringing movies and TV shows to life.

You want a great OLED TV for gaming
The Panasonic Z85A is well stocked for gaming, with 4K 120Hz, VRR, ALLM and Dolby Vision gaming all supported. Plus, it delivers great performance.

Don't buy it if…

You watch in bright rooms
The Panasonic Z85A does suffer from reflections when watching darker content in bright rooms. Look at brighter OLEDs such as the LG C4 if you want a brightness boost.

You want the best value OLED TV
While it is still a brilliant TV, the Panasonic Z85A doesn't deliver the same value overall as the LG C4, the best mid-range OLED available.

Also consider

LG C4 OLED
The LG C4 has higher brightness and more gaming features than the Panasonic Z85A, including four HDMI 2.1 ports and 144Hz support. In terms of picture and sound quality, it's close between the two. This is the Panasonic Z85A's closest rival.

Read our full LG C4 OLED reviewView Deal

Sony Bravia 8 OLED
The Sony Bravia has bolder colors than the Panasonic Z85A, but the Z85A takes the crown for contrast and detail. Sound is another area where the Bravia 8 has the Z85A beat. In terms of gaming features, they're even.

Read our full Sony Bravia 8 OLED reviewView Deal

Philips OLED809
Both the Philips OLED809 and Panasonic Z85A are close to one another in terms of picture quality and gaming features, but the Philips has the added benefit of Ambilight and marginally better sound. If you're in the UK, it'll be a close call between these two.

Read our full Philips OLED809 reviewView Deal

Panasonic Z85A with testing equipment attached — (Image credit: Future)

How I tested the Panasonic Z85A OLED TV

Tested in varying lighting conditions
Tested using both SDR and HDR sources
Measurements were taken using Portrait Displays' Calman calibration software

Before testing, I did some casual viewing with the Panasonic Z85A to establish the most accurate picture mode and after scrolling through presets, I decided on Filmmaker Mode as the most accurate, with True Cinema mode a close second.

After this, I began my critical testing using SDR sources, such as broadcast TV and standard Blu-ray and HD movies, and HDR sources, such as 4K streaming and 4K Blu-rays. 4K Blu-rays were played using the Panasonic DP-UB820 4K Blu-ray player.

For critical testing, I used reference scenes from movies and TV shows. I tested picture quality, focusing on color, contrast, black levels, motion, detail, and upscaling, as well as the audio quality of the built-in speakers.

I also tested the Panasonic Z85A's gaming features and performance using an Xbox Series X.

After subjective testing, I moved onto objective testing, taking measurements using specialized equipment. This consisted of a test pattern generator, a colorimeter and Portrait Display's Calman calibration software to record the measurements.

The measurements taken included HDR and SDR brightness, measured on white window patterns ranging from 1-100% in size, with a focus on 10% for peak brightness and 100% for full-screen brightness.

I took measurements for HDR color gamut, analyzing the BT.2020 and UHDA-P3 color spaces. I also took measurements for color accuracy and grayscale in HDR, taking an average of each's Delta-E values (the margin for error between the test pattern and what's shown on screen).

Finally, I measured the Z85A's input lag using a Leo Bodnar 4K HDMI Input Lag Tester.

Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One review: a great beginner’s flight stick

4:00 pm | November 10, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Tags: PC, Star Wars | Comments: Off

Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One: One-minute review

Can you believe the Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One has been around for years? The entry-level stick offers everything you need to get started in Microsoft Flight Simulator or something more exotic, with a throttle, a comfortable stick, and the option to attach each or keep them separate.

The entire unit is cheaper than many flight sticks you can pick up without an additional throttle, meaning you’re getting plenty of bulk for your buck, if not bang. The throttle is lacking in resistance, and the casing of both halves is made of a relatively cheap-feeling plastic. Thankfully that does make it lightweight, meaning it’s easy to haul between desk and sofa setups across PC and Xbox.

Still, 14 buttons and 5 axes are more than enough for you to earn your pilot wings, and more intermediate features like a tactile hat switch and a nice, springy trigger make it feel much more comprehensive than rivals at this price point.

PlayStation gamers will also need to look elsewhere, but the Hotas One will work on PC and current generation Xbox consoles and will go as far back as the Xbox One. If you’ve got one of those platforms, the plug-and-play nature makes it easy to get started, and the Xbox buttons replicated across the unit can make it easy to make the jump for traditionally console-bound flyers.

All of this makes it an attractive entry-level flight stick that lacks additional axes and controls but offers a more cockpit-adjacent split throttle and stick form factor that it’s easy to feel impressed by. It’s not getting any younger, but with Thrustmaster continuing to re-release it in fresh colorways (including a Microsoft Flight Simulator option), it’s clear the company is standing by it as a first taste of flight stick for beginners.

The Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One flight stick on a desk — (Image credit: Future/Lloyd Coombes)

Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One: Price and availability

List price: $99.99 / £89.99
Available in black and Microsoft Flight Simulator options
Launched in October 2017

The T-Flight Hotas One has been around for a while (there was a PS3 version at one point, which should tell you how long it’s lasted), and this particular model has been getting PC and Xbox gamers in the air since 2017.

It’s getting harder to find the plain black version now, but the Microsoft Flight Simulator version is the same product with a white finish, suggesting the stick isn’t going anywhere. That new color option is a lot brighter and makes the stick look more modern.

Regardless, you’ll find either for under $100 with discounts, making it more than competitive with some throttle-less options like the Turtle Beach VelocityOne. It’s drastically cheaper than mid-range options like Logitech’s X56 Hotas RGB, too, and it remains a great starter option because of its price.

Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One: Specs

Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One: Design and features

Ideal for desk usage
Plastic feels cheap
Can collect dust on the throttle base

The Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One was the first official flight stick released for the Xbox One (a console that launched in 2013), so it’s had some longevity. Still, its design feels very much of its time - it’s relatively sleek in all black, with some silver accenting and a striped F2 button on the stick.

Still, it’s very plasticky, which can lead to it audibly creaking during use - thank goodness it’s not a real plane! On the one hand that’s likely kept the price down, but on the other, it feels far from premium in comparison to more expensive sticks like Thrustmaster’s own T.16000M FCS Flight Pack.

While buttons can be remapped in your game of choice within their individual settings since the stick is a ‘generic’ option, I’m pleased to see the Xbox buttons represented here. So many flight sticks cater to PC almost exclusively that it’s nice to see the face buttons here, in color, for easier recognition. There’s even the Xbox button to call up the Xbox menu on PC or console.

The rubber under the stick helps prevent dust from getting into the mechanism, but the same can’t be said of the throttle which has no shielding from dust or the elements underneath - if you’re using it regularly that won’t be a problem, but it’s definitely worth mentioning that it’s likely to collect dust.

The stick plugs in via USB-A, with a breakaway cable that’s ideal in case someone yanks the cable while you’re playing. It calls to mind the original Xbox’s cables, and you’ll be thankful for it if it stops your console or PC from toppling.

Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One: Performance

Plug and play on console and PC via USB-A
Splitting sections is easy, although cable management can get fiddly
Hat switch is a nice touch

Setting up the T.Flight Hotas One couldn’t be simpler - just plug it in via USB-A. While the industry is moving away from it, it lives on here, so bear in mind you may need a USB-C adapter depending on your port selection.

Once it’s plugged in, it just works, both on console and PC. I enjoyed Elite Dangerous on each, and was barrel-rolling and nosediving with reckless abandon within minutes either at my desk or on the couch. The stick is responsive, and the Z-axis rudder can be used via the rocker on the throttle which I found to offer more granular control when listing left or right.

One of my favorite parts is the hat switch, which comes in a four-way version here. This nifty input on the top of the flight stick can act as a D-Pad, letting you do things like open the landing gear in Elite Dangerous with a press. It’ll be hard to go back to mouse and keyboard or controller, that’s for sure, but naturally eight-way hat switches will double the available commands that are a thumb flick away.

It’s easy to take the stick and throttle apart, but the two are connected by a cable. Once you put them back together, you’ll likely want to run the wire underneath through a trench on the underside, and that can be fiddly in my experience.

The relatively low price of admission can also be felt in the throttle. It’s not bad, it’s just lacking any resistance which makes it feel less like a piece of aerospace equipment and more like a toy. It’s hard to escape the feeling that this is where corners were cut, and when pushing to hyperspace in a space sim like Elite Dangerous, it feels lacking in any meaningly pushback. It makes sense at this price point but it’s worth mentioning.

On the flip side, I will say the trigger on the stick feels nice and snappy, springing back into place in a way that feels nice and tactile while also ensuring you can line up those laser cannon blasts in something like Star Wars: Squadrons and have the trigger ready to fire again almost instantly.

I’m also pleased to report the T.Flight Hotas One is great for Microsoft Flight Simulator, which might be to be expected with its officially branded version. The split design means you can position a keyboard in the middle of the throttle and flight stick which then allows for a much broader array of commands than the T.Flight Hotas One is able to provide because of its lower button count.

As I mentioned earlier, though, the plastic construction can cause the stick to creak a little, and it’s lightweight enough that it’s not too difficult to accidentally shift it about the desk with relatively minor effort.

Should I buy the Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One?

Buy it if...

You want to try a flight stick without spending too much money
What’s on offer here is great value, with a detachable throttle setup that similarly priced rivals simply can’t match.

You’re planning to play across PC and console
This helps save you from buying two sticks, so long as you’re on Xbox. PS5 players will need to look elsewhere. Still, its split sections make it ideal for couch and desk use.

Don't buy it if...

You want a stick geared more for experienced pilots
There are better, more premium sticks for anyone looking for something more extensive.

Also consider...

Still not sold on the T.Flight Hotas One? Here’s how it compares to two similar products.

Turtle Beach VelocityOne

The Turtle Beach VelocityOne is priced very closely to the T.Flight Hotas One but is just a stick with no additional throttle. Offering more buttons, the VelocityOne features an improved hat switch and a more premium feel but comes at the cost of a full-sized throttle. It does offer some satisfying resistance, however, and a nifty OLED display, and will also work on both PC and Xbox.

For more information, check out our full Turtle Beach VelocityOne review.View Deal

Thrustmaster Viper TQS Mission Pack

This Thrustmaster effort looks like it’s been ripped straight from a fighter jet. It’s incredibly premium-feeling, with a whole host of buttons and switches, but it does require a joystick, too - making it a pricey option. We’ll have a full review in the coming days, but if you’re looking for mechanical switches and a true-to-life throttle, you’ll struggle to find anything more realistic.

How I tested the Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas One

Tested over the course of two weeks
Used both in split and singular unit modes
Tested on multiple games across two platforms

I spent around 15 hours playing Elite Dangerous and Star Wars: Squadrons, both on PC and via an Xbox Series X.

I played each game for several hours, before switching platforms and switching back again to ensure consistent performance across games and platforms.

I also played Microsoft Flight Simulator on PC for a further five hours, splitting the Hotas One and using it as one unit to test its comfort in both configurations.

JMGO N1S Pro 4K: One minute review

The JMGO N1S Pro 4K ($1,999) is a portable projector that uses a triple laser DLP light engine and is rated for 2,400 ANSI lumens brightness. It has Google TV built-in for streaming, allowing for easy access to apps including Netflix, Disney Plus, and Prime Video. It’s pricier than some of the other best portable projectors, such as the LG CineBeam Q and BenQ X300G, but offers a good mix of performance and features.

The JMGO N1S Pro 4K’s effective auto keystone and focus features, plus 135 degree vertical and 360 degree horizontal adjustments, make it easy to set up anywhere. Its looks may be fairly standard, but it’s hard to argue against its versatility.

Picture quality on the N1S Pro 4K is pretty solid. Colors look vibrant and natural. Contrast is rich, albeit better in bright scenes, and details and textures are refined. But it’s the N1S Pro 4K’s built-in sound that pleasantly surprises, with punchy bass, clear dialogue, and good directional sound. The sound quality is perfect for casual viewing, and an HDMI eARC port also gives you the option to add one of the best soundbars.

While the N1S Pro 4K isn’t going to topple the best 4K projectors on the market, it’s still a very good projector that can cover many bases, from movies to games and more.

JMGO N1S Pro 4K with city landscape on screen — The JMGO N1S Pro 4K delivered strong picture quality across the board (Image credit: Future)

JMGO N1S Pro 4K: Prices & release date

Release date: 2024
Price: $1,999

The JMGO N1S Pro 4K is the mid-range model in JMGO’s N1S range, sitting above the JMGO N1S and below the JMGO N1S Ultimate 4K. It’s available in the US for $1,999, a similar price to other portable projectors such as the BenQ X300G ($1,799), but higher than the Anker Nebula Cosmos 4K SE and LG CineBeam Q, both priced at $1,299.

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JMGO N1S Pro 4K with Google TV on screen — (Image credit: Future)

The JMGO N1S Pro 4K has Google TV built-in

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JMGO N1S Pro 4K ports — (Image credit: Future)

JMGO N1S Pro 4K has two HDMI ports, including one with eARC

JMGO N1S Pro 4K: Design & features

Plain, but solid and sturdy design
Triple laser DLP light engine
Google TV

The JMGO N1S Pro 4K is a robust, solidly built portable with a hinged design that lets you aim it towards an adjacent wall or the ceiling. Its plain, matte gray appearance doesn’t have the same flair as other portable projectors such as the LG CineBeam Q, and measuring in at 8 x 9.3 x 9.5 inches (H x W x D), it isn’t as portable. But it’s still easy enough to tote around, with a styrofoam carry case provided. There is no battery power option for the N1S Pro 4K, which needs to be plugged in.

The JMGO N1S Pro 4K uses a triple laser DLP light engine and has a brightness rating of 2,400 ANSI Lumens. It fits screens ranging from 85-180 inches and has auto focus and auto keystone correction, which I found to be fairly effective. Moving the JMGO back and forth, it was able to easily correct itself on the 80-inch screen I used during testing. Manual keystone correction is also available.

The N1S Pro uses Google TV as its smart platform, providing access to Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus and more streaming apps. There are two HDMI ports, including one with eARC to connect a soundbar, a USB-A port and a 3.5mm headphone output. Bluetooth and Chromecast are also supported for wireless streaming from a phone or tablet.

Support is provided for the HDR10 high dynamic range format, but not Dolby Vision like the Anker Nebula Cosmos 4K. Standard Dolby and DTS soundtracks can be played through its 20W speakers, but Dolby Atmos and DTS:X are not supported.

Design & features score: 4/5

JMGO N1S Pro 4K with butterfly on screen — The JMGO N1S Pro 4K's picture is at its best with bright and colorful images (Image credit: Future)

JMGO N1S Pro 4K: Picture & sound quality

Natural looking color
Middling black levels and contrast
Solid built-in audio

For testing, I used an Optoma 80-inch, 1.0 gain matte white projection screen. Before doing any critical viewing, I made brightness measurements using a 10% HDR white window pattern. The N1S Pro 4K yielded 178 and 161 nits in Standard and Movie mode, respectively, with brightness set to maximum. This is a very good result that puts it above the likes of ultra short throw projectors such as the BenQ v5000i, which achieved 125 nits in Bright mode, and also above the LG CineBeam Q, which measured 60 nits in Filmmaker Mode.

Measuring the N1S Pro 4K’s UHDA-P3 and BT.2020 color gamut coverage in Movie mode, it achieved results of 99.1% and 97.4%, respectively. The latter falls short of the 110% claimed by JMGO, but is still an excellent result that beats the likes of the more premium Samsung Premiere 9 ultra short throw projector.

I next watched some reference 4K Blu-rays and streaming clips that I regularly use to analyze the best TVs. The N1S Pro 4K displayed natural, yet dynamic color throughout my testing. In the throne room fight from Star Wars: The Last Jedi, a scene filled with strong reds, the N1S Pro 4K did a great job displaying the vibrant color and also delivered a surprising level of punch in HDR highlights. Watching the opening scene of La La Land, the colors on show all looked bold without being oversaturated, and Mia’s yellow dress in the ‘A Lovely Night’ scene looked vivid against the dark blue and black background.

Details were accurate and refined with the N1S Pro 4K, primarily in brighter scenes. Textures had a more lifelike quality than I anticipated, with close-up shots of pilots in Top Gun: Maverick revealing facial hair and skin pores.

JMGO N1S Pro 4K with The Batman on screen — Darker scenes sometimes suffered from black crush with the The JMGO N1S Pro 4K (Image credit: Future)

Black levels and contrast were a mixed bag. Viewing The Batman, a visually challenging movie with limited brightness and a gloomy overall look, the N1S Pro 4K displayed good shadow detail and contrast in the few ‘well-lit’ scenes such as an aerial shot of Gotham. The balance between light and dark tones was also fairly accurate in the movie’s opening crime scene.

However, blacks looked more of a dark gray in The Batman’s more dimly lit sequences, even when viewed in a darkened room. Despite solid contrast, black crush in the opening crime scene resulted in a loss of detail, with darker shadows taking on a flat appearance.

The N1S Pro 4K also struggled with motion. Sports benefitted from the projector’s MEMC setting being turned on, but there was still some blur present. Movies looked better, but I did see some judder in the long panning shots in Top Gun: Maverick.

The projector’s built-in speakers were a pleasant surprise, delivering punchy bass and clear dialogue regardless of what I watched. In The Batman, the rumbling of car engines in the Batmobile chase scene sounded weighty and some surround effects such as crashes and tires could also be heard. Even in La La Land, musical numbers sounded well-balanced. The soundstage was unsurprisingly limited, but overall the N1S Pro 4K’s speakers were good for a portable projector.

Gaming is limited to 4K 60Hz on the JMGO, which has a measured input lag time of 35ms. While that’s significantly higher than other projectors such as the BenQ v5000i, which gave a result of 18ms, gaming was still an enjoyable experience, with Battlefield V on Xbox Series feeling smooth when I scanned the environment.

Picture and sound quality score: 4/5

JMGO N1S Pro 4K remote — (Image credit: Future)

JMGO N1S Pro 4K: Value

Good features and performance
Built-in Google TV
Pricey

Priced at $1,999, the N1S Pro 4K sits at the premium end of the portable projector market. It costs $500 less than its more premium sibling, the JMGO N1S Ultra 4K, but over $700 more than both the BenQ X300G and LG CineBeam Q. It’s undoubtedly a pricey portable.

For the money, however, you’re getting a versatile, smart 4K projector. Google TV allows for easy streaming and the auto keystone and focus settings make setup a breeze. When you combine that with its impressive overall performance, the JMGO N1S Pro 4K comes across as fairly priced.

Value score: 4/5

JMGO N1S Pro 4K carry case on table — The JMGO N1S Pro 4K comes in a styrofoam carry case. Although portable, it is on the weightier side (Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the JMGO N1S Pro 4K?

Buy it if...

You want a great picture
The N1S Pro 4K's picture has bold color and rich detail, especially with HDR sources. View Deal

You want solid built-in sound
The N1S Pro 4K's speakers won't beat a soundbar, but they provide enough clarity and bass heft to please casual viewers. View Deal

You want versatility
The N1S Pro 4K can be set up in a range of positions that make it good for not only watching movies but other uses as well.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You want the best possible picture
The N1S Pro 4K's black levels and contrast can be inconsistent and sometimes result in detail loss.View Deal

You're on a budget
The N1S Pro 4K offers a lot for the money, but there's no getting around its high price tag. View Deal

You watch a lot of sports
Motion can be a challenge for the N1S Pro 4K, with some judder and blur still present even after tweaking motion settings. View Deal

Also consider

BenQ X300G
The BenQ X300G is a better 4K projector for gaming than the N1S Pro 4K and delivers similar brightness and solid picture quality, though the N1S Pro 4K has better built-in sound. They cost roughly the same, but the X300G takes the win by being priced at $200 less.

Read our BenQ X300G reviewView Deal

LG CineBeam Q 4K Projector
The CineBeam Q offers better style, portability and value than the N1S Pro 4K, but doesn't have the same brightness or screen size options.

Read our full LG CineBeam Q reviewView Deal

Anker Nebula Cosmos 4K projector
The closest rival to the N1S Pro 4K, the Nebula Cosmos 4K offers similar smart features, brightness and performance. However, the Nebula Cosmos demonstrated some odd processing quirks, especially with HDR pictures, when we tested it. It is cheaper than the N1S Pro 4K if you're looking to save money.

Read our full Anker Nebula Cosmos 4K reviewView Deal

JMGO N1S Pro 4K with testing equipment attached — (Image credit: Future)

How I tested the JMGO N1S Pro 4K

Mostly tested in dim or pitch black conditions
Tested using HDR and SDR sources
Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software used for measurements

I tested the JMGO N1S Pro 4K using an Optoma 80-inch, 1.0 gain matte white screen. I first did casual viewing to establish its most accurate picture mode – in this case Movie mode – before moving on to critical testing.

I used both standard-definition and high-definition content, as well as 4K streaming and Blu-rays to test the N1S Pro 4K's picture quality, focusing on brightness, color, black levels, contrast, motion, upscaling and detail. For 4K Blu-rays, I used the Panasonic DP-UB820 4K Blu-ray player.

I also tested the N1S Pro 4K's gaming capabilities using an Xbox Series X.

For objective testing I made measurements using a test pattern generator and colorimeter, recording the results with Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software. I also measured the N1S Pro 4K's input lag using a Leo Bodnar 4K HDMI input lag tester.

For a more detailed explanation of how we test TVs at TechRadar, check out the link.

First reviewed: October, 2024
Read TechRadar's review guarantee

Samsung Q60D review: a solid QLED TV under pressure by entry-level mini-LED TVs

6:00 pm | September 22, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Televisions | Tags: HDR, Star Wars, TCL, TV | Comments: Off

Samsung Q60D: Two minute review

The Samsung Q60D is a budget QLED TV that delivers good picture quality and gaming performance and is a fine entry-level option for those looking to save money. It’s missing some key features and faces plenty of more affordable competition, however, so it’s not going to beat the best TVs anytime soon.

Picture quality on the Q60D is fairly good overall, with punchy but natural colors and solid contrast. Detail is where the Q60D shines, with crisp textures serving as the Q60D’s best aspect. With a QLED panel and standard LED backlight, black levels won’t rival those of the best OLED TVs, but they are better than the Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED, another affordable QLED TV. There’s some motion blur when watching sport and shadow detail is lacking compared to sets that benefit from better backlights, but the picture is good overall for a TV at this price.

The Q60D has a basic 2.0-channel, 20W speaker array. Speech is clear and there’s good sound placement thanks to Samsung’s OTS Lite feature, but the sound lacks the bass heft and virtual surround you’ll get from the best TVs for sound. For those looking to use it for more than casual viewing, I’d recommend one of the best soundbars.

Gaming on the Q60D is fun enough, with the TV’s decent gaming performance helped by a low 9.6ms input lag time and a clean picture. However, with no support for 120Hz or VRR, it lacks key features of the best gaming TVs, though it does support ALLM and has Samsung’s useful Gaming Hub.

The Q60D is fairly priced for what it offers and is available in 43-85-inch screen sizes (a 32-inch model is also available in the US). However, it faces competition from cheap mini-LED TVs such as the Hisense U6N and Hisense U7N, and the TCL C805 (in the UK), all of which benefit from more gaming features, Dolby Vision HDR support and mini-LED backlights.

Samsung Q60D with orange butterfly on screen — The Samsung Q60D delivers surprisingly crisp details. (Image credit: Future)

Samsung Q60D review: Prices & release date

Released April 2024
32-inch: $479.99
43-inch: $529.99 / £479
50-inch: $599.99 / £549
55-inch: $749.99 / £599 / AU$1,195
65-inch $799.99 / £899 / AU$1,495
75-inch: $999.99 / £1,299 / AU$1,995
85-inch: $1,699.99 / £1,699 / AU$2,995

The Samsung Q60D is the entry-level QLED series in Samsung’s 2024 TV range, sitting below the Q70D and Q80D.

Since release, Q60D prices have fallen across every screen size in every region and it’s regularly on sale both through Samsung and other retailers. We’ve seen the 50-inch model we tested for as low as £479 in the UK – more than £200 off from its initial £699. In the US, prices have dropped roughly $200 across the range.

Samsung Q60D review: Specs

Samsung Q60D review: Benchmark results

Samsung Q60D connectivity panel — The Samsung Q60D includes three HDMI ports, but none support 4K 120Hz or VRR. (Image credit: Future)

Samsung Q60D review: Features

4K QLED ‘Dual LED’ panel
Tizen smart TV platform
HDR10+ high dynamic range support

The Q60D features a QLED panel that uses quantum dot tech to improve brightness and color detail over standard LED TVs. It also features what Samsung calls ‘Dual LED’ tech, which aims to boost contrast. It comes with Samsung’s Quantum Processor Lite 4K processor, with the more premium NQ4 AI Gen2 Processor available starting in the step-up Q80D series.

As with all Samsung TVs, the Q60D supports the HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG high dynamic range formats, but not Dolby Vision. For Dolby Vision support in a similar price range, look to the Amazon Omni QLED.

For sound, the Q60D has a basic 2.0-channel speaker array totaling 20W of power and features a ‘Lite’ version of the Object Tracking System (OTS) that can be found in Samsung’s more premium sets. It also supports Adaptive Sound and the Q Symphony feature that can combine the TV’s speakers with those in a compatible Samsung soundbar.

For gaming, the Q60D comes with Samsung’s Gaming Hub, with support for Cloud gaming apps from Xbox, Nvidia GeForce Now and more. It also features ALLM but does not support 4K 120Hz or VRR.

The Q60D uses Samsung’s Tizen platform for its smart TV interface. Tizen provides access to popular streaming apps such as Netflix, Prime Video and Disney Plus. In the UK, it also supports BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4 and Freeview apps, although live TV services are handled by Samsung’s own TV Plus system rather than Freeview.

Features score: 4/5

Samsung Q60D with sunset on screen — The Samsung Q60D's contrast is richer than anticipated, with a good balance between light and dark tones. (Image credit: Future)

Samsung Q60D review: Picture quality

Punchy colors
Refined detail
Middling black levels and contrast

When measuring peak brightness, the 50-inch Q60D yielded results of 417 nits and 384 nits in Standard and Filmmaker Modes respectively on a 10% HDR white window. This is lower than the rival Amazon Omni QLED, which hit 531 nits and 402 nits in its same picture modes on the same tests, though it’s worth noting the Amazon TV was a 65-inch model.

Measuring the Q60D’s HDR color gamut coverage, it yielded results of 71% and 92.9% for BT.2020 and UHDA-P3 color spaces respectively in Filmmaker Mode. While those are not the best results, they are still decent for a budget TV and actually put it in line with mini-LED sets such as the Samsung QN85D and Hisense U6N.

The Q60D did a decent job displaying standard-definition images on its 50-inch screen, though it’s likely that textures would be fuzzier on larger screen sizes. High-definition content fared better, showing clearer-looking textures.

Moving onto 4K HDR sources, I first viewed a stream of Star Wars: The Last Jedi on Disney Plus to test the Q60D’s colors. In the throne room fight scene, which is filled with bright reds, the Q60D displayed plenty of punch while also maintaining a natural look. And in the opening race sequence of Ready Player One, colors were vivid, even though they lacked some of the same brightness I’ve seen on more premium TVs.

Samsung Q60D with geyser on screen — The Samsung Q60D thrives with bright images. (Image credit: Future)

The Batman is a challenging movie for many TVs due to its numerous dark scenes. Viewed with regular room lighting, the Q60D demonstrated good contrast throughout and decent enough black levels, especially for a QLED set. In the opening crime scene, there was good shadow detail with no black crush. Light sources, such as lamps, were balanced well within the scene's dimly lit surroundings.

Viewing this same scene in darker lighting conditions, blacks took on more of a gray look with a cloudy wash over the whole screen. However, black levels were still better than expected and better than those of the Amazon Omni QLED.

Viewing black-and-white scenes in Oppenheimer, the Q60D did a better job displaying the film’s wide range of brighter whites and grays over the black tones.

The Q60D demonstrated refined-looking textures and details. In scenes from The Batman and Top Gun: Maverick, facial features were clearly defined, and details in clothing also had a more realistic look than I anticipated for a budget QLED TV. Watching demo footage from the Spears & Munsil UHD Benchmark Blu-ray, details in landscapes, cityscapes and close-up shots of animals looked authentic throughout.

When I watched an HD stream of a Soccer game on Prime Video, the Q60D delivered acceptable motion handling. I found that setting judder reduction in the motion section of the picture settings to a lower amount, say 2 or 3, was better than having it set to full, though some may prefer the smoother processing. Regardless, there was still some judder and blur present due to the TV’s 60Hz panel. If you’re a sports fan, you’ll be better off looking at the best TVs for sport, such as the Samsung QN90D.

The Q60D’s motion handling with movies was much better. Watching Top Gun: Maverick, it did a solid job with the quick panning shots and tumbling cameras during the training missions and Darkstar opening scene. There was still occasional judder, but it didn’t detract from the viewing experience.

Picture quality score: 4/5

Samsung Q60D with La La Land title card on screen — The Samsung Q60D suffers from limited built-in sound, as heard when watching *La La Land*. (Image credit: Future)

Samsung Q60D review: Sound quality

Clear speech
Good directional sound
Limited bass and soundstage

The Q60D has a 2.0-channel speaker array with 20W of power. It supports Object Tracking Sound Lite (OTS Lite) and Adaptive Sound, a feature that changes volume based on an analysis of the content being displayed. It also has Q Symphony, a feature that combines the Q60D’s built-in speakers with those in compatible Samsung soundbars for an enhanced audio presentation. There are two sound presets, Standard and Amplify, with Amplify being the best overall and the one I used during testing.

The Q60D delivered clear dialogue during the chaotic Batmobile chase in The Batman. It also delivered good sound placement, with effects such as tyres, crashes and bullets in the Batmobile chase scene well-placed on the screen and connected to the action.

Other elements of the Q60D’s built-in sound were lacking. Its limited bass meant there was no real impact from the rumbling engines of cars in both The Batman and Ready Player One. And with a limited soundstage, the full, sometimes brash jazz score of La La Land was restrained, with some instruments lost in the mix.

For those looking to use the Q60D as a main TV, a soundbar is recommended.

Sound quality score: 3/5

Samsung Q60D feet — The 50-inch Q60D I tested came with support feet that could be height-adjusted to fit a soundbar underneath. (Image credit: Future)

Samsung Q60D review: Design

Sleek, slim design
Premium looks for price
SolarCell remote

The Q60D has a more premium design than you’d expect at this price level, with a sleek, thin profile that's similar to pricey sets such as the Samsung S95D OLED. The rear panel also has a burnished, navy finish that again gives the Q60D a premium look.

A near bezel-less front allows nearly all of the picture to take up the screen. The 50-inch model I tested came with height-adjustable support feet to fit a soundbar underneath. These felt a little cheap but were very easy to install and provided sturdy enough support.

The Q60D is supplied with Samsung’s SolarCell remote, which has a solar panel on the rear and a USB-C port at the bottom for charging. It’s good to see this remote, which doesn’t use disposable batteries, supplied with more budget sets in Samsung’s TV range.

Design score: 4/5

Samsung Q60D with game hub on screen — Tizen is divided into various hubs, including the useful Gaming Hub (pictured). (Image credit: Future)

Samsung Q60D review: Smart TV & menus

Tizen smart TV platform
Good range of picture settings

The Q60D uses Samsung’s Tizen smart TV platform. This is divided into multiple hubs that allow for easy navigation and organization and includes Home, where apps plus TV show and movie recommendations are displayed; Ambient, which lets you select dynamic and static artworks; Game, a hub that houses everything gaming-related including cloud-based apps; and Daily+, which has office, health and home-based apps for daily tasks.

There are a good number of settings available for those who like to adjust picture quality, with preset modes including Standard, Movie, Filmmaker and more. The same can’t be said for audio, which has only two preset modes, Standard and Amplify, and very few settings to adjust.

Smart TV & Menus score: 4/5

Samsung Q60D with battlefield V on screen — The Samsung Q60D has limited gaming features, but still performs well at 4K 60Hz. (Image credit: Future)

Samsung Q60D review: Gaming

Samsung Gaming Hub and ALLM
No 120Hz or VRR support
9.6ms input lag time

The Q60D doesn’t have as many features as the best gaming TVs, with no HDMI 2.1 ports for 120Hz refresh rate and VRR support. It does support 4K 60Hz and ALLM, however, and has Samsung’s Gaming Hub for cloud-based gaming from the likes of Xbox, Luna, and Nvidia GeForce Now.

Despite its lack of next-gen gaming features, the Q60D’s gaming performance is perfectly fine. Playing Battlefield V, shootouts and battles still felt suitably intense and switching between targets was smooth and judder-free. There are Off, Level 1 and Level 2 Game Motion modes to choose from, though I did not notice a significant difference between the three options.

Graphically, the Q60D did a solid job. Textures were well-defined and colors had a dynamic look. Contrast was decent, giving objects a sharper appearance, though I did find that HDR tone mapping was a little aggressive in some sequences.

Gaming score: 4/5

Samsung SolarCell remote — The Q60D comes with Samsung's SolarCell remote control. (Image credit: Future)

Samsung Q60D review: Value

Fairly priced for picture and performance
Budget mini-LEDs available from TCL and Hisense
Good range of sizes and frequently on sale

The Q60D delivers good overall performance at a budget price that will suit many people. However, it faces stiff competition from cheap mini-LED TVs that provide more gaming features and better picture quality such as the Hisense U6N and Hisense U7N in the US and UK, and the TCL C805 (UK-only).

The 55-inch Q60D is priced at $749.99 / £599 / AU$1,195 (prices have dipped below this level before). Hisense’s U6N is priced at $499 / £749 / AU$995, and while it shares similar gaming features, it benefits from a mini-LED backlight and Dolby Vision HDR support. The TCL C805 (available in the UK and Australia) costs £649 / AU$1,395, and although pricier, it benefits from 4K 120Hz and VRR gaming support and also features a mini-LED backlight and Dolby Vision HDR.

For US and UK customers, there is also the Amazon Omni QLED, which retails for roughly $349 / £399 and benefits from Dolby Vision HDR support, though the Q60D provides a better overall picture.

Despite tough competition, the Q60D is likely to see major discounts throughout the year, which will bring its value more in line with the models listed above.

Value score: 3.5/5

Samsung Q60D with hot spring on screen — (Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Samsung Q60D?

Buy it if...

You want a good picture for the price
The Q60D delivers crisp textures, solid contrast and vivid colors in an affordable TV, beating most similarly priced LED models.

You want a nice-looking TV
With a slim profile, adjustable feet, and trim bezel, the Q60D looks more premium than its price would suggest.

You want a budget gaming TV
If you're looking for a gaming TV that performs well with your Nintendo Switch and advanced gaming features don't matter, the Q60D is worth checking out.

Don't buy it if...

You need good built-in sound
The Q60D delivers clear speech, but its built-in sound lacks in other areas. For more than casual viewing connect a soundbar.

You need the best gaming TV
Gaming performance is good on the Q60D, but it lacks key features including 4K 120Hz and VRR support that we expect to see in the best gaming TVs.

You want the best value TV
While prices are likely to drop, the Q60D faces competition from mini-LED TVs such as the Hisense U6N and TCL C805 which offer more but sit at a similar price.

Also consider

Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED
The Omni QLED has similar specs to the Q60D, but supports Dolby Vision HDR, which the Q60D doesn't. It's also frequently on sale for less than the Q60D, though the Q60D has an overall better picture.

Read our full Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED review

Samsung Q80D
The Q60D's more premium QLED sibling, the Q80D delivers better pictures, more gaming features, superior performance, and better built-in sound. But you will pay roughly $300 / £300 more for this step-up in quality.

Read our full Samsung Q80D review

Hisense U6N
The Hisense U6N has similar features and specs to the Q60D, but it benefits from Dolby Vision HDR support and a mini-LED backlight for more refined pictures. It's also very similar in price.

Read our full Hisense U6N review

Samsung Q60D with testing equipment connected, including Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software — (Image credit: Future)

How I tested the Samsung Q60D

Tested in lab with varying lighting conditions
Tested using both SDR and HDR sources
Measurements recording using Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software

When testing the Samsung Q60D, I first used it for casual viewing to determine the most accurate picture preset modes (Movie, Filmmaker Mode and in some cases Standard) before moving on to critical viewing.

I then used a variety of SDR (broadcast TV, DVD, Blu-ray) and HDR (4K streaming and 4K Blu-ray) sources to test the out-of-the-box picture, analyzing color, contrast, motion, black levels, detail and upscaling (for lower resolution sources), using reference scenes. For 4K Blu-ray playback, I used a Panasonic DP-UB820 4K Blu-ray player.

After critical viewing, I made measurements of brightness (both SDR and HDR), color and grayscale accuracy, and HDR color gamut coverage. To do this, I used a test pattern generator and colorimeter and recorded results using Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software.

Brightness measurements were recorded for both HDR and SDR in nits using 10% and 100% white window patterns. For the color gamut, I recorded the Q60D's BT.2020 and UHDA-P3 coverage. For color and grayscale accuracy, I recorded the Q60D's Delta E values (the margin for error between the test pattern source and what's displayed on the TV) and averaged them.

I also tested the QN90D's gaming performance using an Xbox Series X and recorded its input lag time with a Leo Bodnar 4K HDMI Input Lag Tester.

For more information on how we test TVs at TechRadar, check out our guide in the link.

First reviewed: September, 2024
Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

Star Wars Outlaws review: the open-world Star Wars adventure you’ve been looking for

3:00 pm | August 26, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Tags: Star Wars | Comments: Off

Review info

Platform reviewed: PS5
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
Release date: August 30, 2024 (August 27 for Gold and Ultimate Edition owners)

Star Wars Outlaws promises the excitement of being a scoundrel and rogue in the famous sci-fi universe - and it delivers brilliantly on this, with everything being housed in an authentic Star Wars setting, aesthetic, and experience.

Everything in this action-adventure game from serial third-person open-world makers Ubisoft (its Massive Entertainment studio, specifically) combines to make for a fulsome, moreish, and compelling experience. Be it undermining the crime syndicates, stealthing through strongholds with your companion Nix to steal specific treasures, roaming the lands for experts to learn skills from, or soaking up the beautiful worlds and vistas on offer, there’s rogueish enjoyment around every corner. There are Ubisoft fingerprints all over Outlaws too with new variants on The Division’s pulse mechanic, eavesdropping from Assassin’s Creed, and the hacking from Watch Dogs; while it’s familiar when such things all come together, the payoff is a thrill.

It’s not totally blemish-free, however, and some characteristically Ubisoft open-world-isms, including quest repetition and labored and pedestrian traversal sections which are grating and make the experience stutter.

Far, far away

A screenshot of a crashed ship in Star Wars Outlaws — (Image credit: Ubisoft/LucasFilm Games)

Outlaws’ open-world experience not only offers an open-world experience for discovery, exploration, and enjoying beautiful places that channels the pedigree Ubisoft has for making beautiful and expansive worlds. Outlaws serves up some incredible vistas and stunning environments - that aren’t covered in a carpet of question marks - to explore. but a desire and deliver them authentically too.

Complementing that is a dedication to Star Wars authenticity in everything from aesthetics and styles, to audio and overall ambience. It really is a true Star Wars experience and feels like it constantly, earning its place in the universe’s canon (Outlaws officially takes place between the The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi films). The beeps of droids and machines, the alien-language chatter in cantinas, the construction of buildings, ships, and apparel all feel ripped right from the screen.

This is on top of beautifully realized landscapes such as the expansive emptiness of Tatooine or the lush verdancy of Akiva, and wonderfully immersive and detailed cities like the wintry urban setting of Kijimi City (my personal favorite place in the game so far).

Getting between these planets is easy and smooth in Kay’s spaceship, The Trailblazer, with the transitions between space travel, landing, and exiting the ship being exceptionally cool and swift. On-planet travel on a speeder is a little less exciting, particularly after a while, however. It was fun for a while, getting to know how this shopping cart-come-wheel-less-motorcycle accelerates, handles, and turns, but it didn’t take me that long to start comfortably relying on fast travel locations or bombing in straight lines on my speeder between locations.

You like me because I'm a scoundrel

A screenshot of Kay and Nix sneaking in a stronghold in Star Wars Outlaws — (Image credit: Ubisoft/LucasFilm Games)

Navigating these worlds and places as protagonist Kay Vess with her animal companion Nix, however, is what truly brings the game to life.

Kay is a likable protagonist and is a tremendous ‘normal’ person to explore the galaxies through, free from The Force and all that lightsaber nonsense. The Han Solo inspiration is clear, though she’s a rogue and scoundrel who stands on her own two feet with clear strengths and distinction between her and Harrison Ford’s iconic character.

One of the clearest demonstrations of this is in her relationship with Nix, her animal companion. Nix feels like much more than ‘just’ a sidekick or travel buddy; there’s clearly an incredibly strong bond here, with the pair doing everything together. They even eat street food together in wholesome quicktime events which is a great microcosm of their relationship - the food even ends up giving Nix bonuses or extra little skills to deploy, too. As a result, I quickly became very invested in their relationship, which helped one particular rescue mission particularly resonate with me.

Best bit

Kay Vess looking at a screen in a dark room in Star Wars Outlaws — (Image credit: Massive Entertainment)

Living out a Star Wars scoundrel fantasy as a normal person in the sci-fi universe is one of Outlaw's greatest strengths. I’ve consistently had the most fun when I’m scratching around cities for credits, chasing weird parts for my gear, stealing items to play off syndicates against each other, and tracking down experts to teach me skills.

In practical application, however, Nix accentuates and complements Kay’s scoundrel and thief-like action in-game. Nix can help in combat by taking enemies out temporarily, and is a great boon in stealth, recovering items, powering off devices, and distracting guards while you stay undetected.

This scoundrel roleplay you can engage Kay in is perhaps the greatest strength of the game, too. On a micro-scale and macro scale: from the moment to moment, sneaking, lockpicking, and hacking through bases to lift high-value items, planning searches for parts and upgrades for your, blaster, speeder, or ship, and going on a multitude of missions and side quests to change your standings with the crime syndicates, it’s a brilliant rogue’s life.

In fact, planning and engaging in all the scoundrelly side content in the game is where most of the game’s best depth and interest lies: there’s so much to do and think about and you can get so much out of contracts, intel chasing to fill out your journal with tasks and quests, loitering in places to pick up on overheard conversations, and general exploration, while the mini-game of Sabacc (a card game) is a seriously moreish addition. Where’s the standalone version, Ubisoft?

Never tell me the odds

A screenshot of Kay and Nix walking in the snow in Kijimi City in Star Wars Outlaws — (Image credit: Ubisoft/LucasFilm Games)

The missions and quests in Star Wars Outlaws have some of the best places and environments in the game. They’re very deliberate settings that make for great self-contained adventures, such as the rusting remains of huge ships.

These come further alive when applying Key’s stealthy and sneaky approach, taking advantage of the multiple routes that are almost always open to you. Stealthing through missions to quietly turn off alarms, set off distractions, silently take down guards, and sabotage equipment is a thrill. It reinforces the fact that Kay is a normal person, a thief, and a rogue, and so has to reply being sneaky. Perfecting infiltrations as such a comparatively underpowered character is incredibly satisfying.

However, such missions also house some of my biggest frustrations with the game. There is some annoying checkpointing in some which can lead to big chunks of progress lost if you make the smallest mistake. Some of the side quests too can fall into the trap of being repetitive, following that very well-trodden and familiar pattern of: ‘go to the place, infiltrate the place, find the thing in the place, shoot some baddies in the place, leave the place.’ Almost all missions will involve similar infiltration tactics too, such as finding vents to bypass areas, scaling cliff edges and building ledges, and climbing ladders. There are a lot of ladders.

It certainly doesn’t help that traversal feels very plain. While Kay’s grappling hook is a great tool to have, it can only be used in a few spots and with quite sluggish animations. Worse still, the Uncharted-esque scaling of walls and grates feels boring, overly simplistic, and is just highly forgettable.

A rogue's toolkit

A screenshot of Kay and Nix using the grappling hook in a stronghold in Star Wars Outlaws — (Image credit: Ubisoft/LucasFilm Games)

That said, completing said missions with the rest of Kay’s abilities and toolset is a highlight. While she can ‘slice’ (hack) her way into security systems and computers by cracking (simple) codes by matching symbols, her data spike is the best of the bunch and demands some skills to use. It has you match inputs rhythmically to a click sound and light flash on the lock to break it open by matching the pattern.

In a clever twist on leveling up and acquiring skills and abilities, Kay has to find the right expert to teach her said abilities. It makes sense and matches the scoundrel lifestyle she leads - she only gets better at things when she learns them. As a result, skills feel truly earned. This also neatly ties in progression to world-building - and vice versa - successfully making you and your actions feel part of an active world, not someone passing through it to pick up points transiently.

I didn’t collect all the experts on my playthrough and definitely missed out on some helpful tools and abilities as a result, so it really is worth gathering them up when you have the chance.

Another brilliant skill is Kay’s slick adrenaline ability that enables her to tag and dead-eye blast enemies. It’s not something I haven’t seen before, but still feels worthy of Han Solo himself and is even more satisfying when hightailing it across a landscape while being chased by stormtroopers.

Speaking of blasters, Kay has three types of ammunition by default: basic plasms, an Ion one for disrupting shields and some enemies, and a charged powerful shot. Her blaster can also be upgraded as you go, offering different variations of delivering blasts, boosts to recharges, and more.

Hand-to-hand combat is okay on the whole, with each punch delivering a decent level of impact. There are some cool moves or finishers that can happen depending on where you are, though the stealth takedowns are a bit disappointing. They feel sluggish and the time they take Kay to perform can be annoying when you’re trying to quickly move between targets or areas undetected.

Playing the game

Kay Vess meets a Hutt — (Image credit: Ubisoft)

Another major factor to consider is the crime syndicate and reputation system - it’s a seriously meaningful mechanic that tangbily impacts how you play the game.

There are four crime syndicates, with at least two inhabiting each world vying for power and influence. Kay has to make the best of fluctuating relationships with all of them and her reputation quickly changes along a scale with every completed mission. The four different stages of approval noticeably change how the factions interact with you, from goons that shoot you on-site all the way to getting preferential treatment and exclusive access.

While you can earn favor from all the syndicates separately, it’s incredibly difficult, bordering impossible, to achieve this at the same time - instead you’ll have to constantly balance being in favor with some with being out of favor with others. This adds jeopardy and meaning to your choices, forcing you to think carefully about decisions, such as dialogue choices that can sway the outcome of a mission in an instnat, and what quests you want or need to do.

It's a familiar combination, sir, but it checks out

Much like other Ubisoft open-world games, when each element of Star Wars Outlaws comes together it makes for some compelling magic that’s brilliant fun.

Part of me feels frustrated by the flaws in the game and the truly amazing adventure that it could have been, but then another part of me can’t wait to get back to being an inter-planetary scoundrel, navigating the seedy underbelly of the Outer Rim. It has its faults but Star Wars Outlaws is easily one of the most enjoyable games I’ve played this year and must for any Star Wars fans.

Accessibility

Star Wars Outlaws has numerous accessibility options, and its dedicated menu splits them up into five areas: gameplay, cognitive, colors, vision, and hearing. We’ve attached images of all of them below to give you an insight into what’s on offer.

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Star Wars Outlaws accessibility screenshot — (Image credit: Ubisoft/LucasFilm Games)

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As well as the dedicated difficulty options in the accessibility menu, there are also a host of other options that can be played around with to get the right balance for you, from visual changes to mini-game mechanics.

Should I play Star Wars Outlaws?

Play it if...

You’ve been yearning for an open-world Star Wars game and experience
Star Wars Outlaws is a tremendously fun open-world game to explore. It simply magical to mess around in the rich settings it has and the wider Star Wars universe and is perfect for fans to immerse themselves in.

You want to be an interplanetary rapscallion
Working in the underworld of the Star Wars universe is a joy and makes for some really fun experiences, missions, and political machinations. If working like a rogue is of interest to you, then this is going to be a winner.

You revel in Ubisoft-style open-world games
If you enjoy playing other open-world adventures from the developer where there’s plenty to do and get your teeth into, then Outlaws will be perfect thanks to its abundance of compelling side content.

Don't play it if...

You want a bombastic lightsaber-wielding Force-driven adventure
One of Star Wars Outlaws’ greatest strengths is playing as a regular person with no special Jedi-like abilities. If you’re all about lightsabers and slicing down imperial guards, then you should try the Star Wars Jedi series instead.

How I reviewed Star Wars Outlaws

I have played roughly 25 hours of Star Wars Outlaws and managed to complete the main storyline as well as a host of other quests, missions, and exploration. However, I still have plenty to do, including recruiting a couple of experts, so I’m excited to jump back in.

Playing the PS5 version, I tested both graphical (performance and quality) and resolution (full screen, 16:9 and 21:9) settings. I found the performance mode better for play and quality making the worlds look even more beautiful. When it comes to resolution I found the fullscreen option was superior as the cinematic one removed a whole lot of screen and game instantly.

I tested the game with a regular DualSense Wireless Controller, and played the game on my Samsung Q6F 4K QLED TV and Samsung HW-J6500 curved soundbar I also played some when plugged into the PS5 Pulse Elite headset and SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless headset. I also played a fair chunk on my PlayStation Portal combined with my Pulse Explore earbuds and found the game was a great match for the PS5 remote play device.

Samsung QN85D review: a solid mini-LED 4K TV, but there are better-value rivals

11:00 am | July 11, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Televisions | Tags: HDR, Star Wars, TCL, TV | Comments: Off

Samsung QN85D review: Two minute review

The Samsung QN85D is a solid, mid-range mini-LED TV that offers good performance for both gaming and movies. It isn't perfect and doesn’t provide the same value as other mini-LED sets such as the Hisense U7N, one of the best TVs in the budget range, but there are things to like about the QN85D.

The NQ4 Gen2 AI processor used by the Samsung QN85D is the same one you’ll find in the Samsung S95D, one of the best OLED TVs, and it provides AI-driven features for picture, sound and gaming, with Real Depth Enhancer serving as the highlight.

Picture quality is a mixed bag on the QN85D. Textures and details are accurate, crisp and refined from nearly every source and colors are bold and vibrant yet natural and true-to-life. Black levels and contrast are solid for the most part though occasional backlight blooming can make blacks take on a grayer tone. Motion handling is good during movies but less so during sports. Although performance is mixed, the QN85D’s picture still makes it a solid mini-LED contender.

Audio quality is also a mixed bag on the QN85D. It has solid, hefty bass, clear enough dialogue and Object Tracking Sound (OTS) Lite for excellent sound placement that follows the onscreen action. However, its Dolby Atmos and virtual surround placement is limited by the 2.2-channel, 40W built-in speakers. It may be fine for some, but it's worth considering one of the best soundbars to boost the QN85D’s sound.

The QN85D’s design is simple and solid. It’s reassuringly weighty with a well-built rear panel and a burnished metal frame that feels sturdy. It has a trim profile with a slim bezel around three sides of the screen that allows the picture to take center stage. The stand, in contrast, is a little cheap, matching what you would find on a much cheaper TV.

Samsung’s own Tizen smart TV platform is used on the QN85D, and its neatened-up home menu doesn’t bombard with recommendations like it did in the past. It provides access to all the major apps and is easy enough to navigate thanks to its separate hubs for Home, Game, Daily+ and Ambient. Picture settings are on offer for those who like to experiment, though not so much on the sound front.

Gaming is one area where the QN85D thrives. Its four HDMI 2.1 ports support 4K 120Hz and VRR with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, and the Gaming Hub collates everything gaming into one easy-to-find and use place. Graphics and gaming performance are also top-notch, putting the QN85D alongside the best gaming TVs.

Value is a tough obstacle for the QN85D as it competes with similarly equipped but cheaper mini-LED TV options. While it may top budget TVs in some areas and offers great features and performance for the money, it ultimately can't compete with budget options such as the Hisense U7N and TCL QM851G on the value front.

Samsung QN85D with mountains on screen — The Samsung QN85D suffers from reflections, but its brightness does a serviceable job of reducing them (Image credit: Future)

Samsung QN85D review: Prices & release date

Release date: April 2024
55-inch: $1,399 / £1,599 / AU$2,499
65-inch: $1,999 / £2,399 / AU$2,999
75-inch: $2,599 / £3,099 / AU$3,999
85-inch: $3,699 / £4,099 / AU$5,499

The Samsung QN85D is the entry-level model in Samsung’s 2024 Neo QLED (mini-LED) range. It is available in 55, 65, 75 and 85-inch sizes and sits below the Samsung QN90D and Samsung QN95D (the latter only available in the UK).

Since its release in April 2024, prices for the QN85D have fallen across the board in every size and nearly every region. The 65-inch model I tested has already seen its price fall to $1,599 and £1,899 in the US and UK respectively. Prices in Australia have remained the same.

Samsung QN85D review: Specs

Samsung QN85D review: Benchmark results

Samsung QN85D with Daily+ hub screen — The Samsung QN85D's Daily+ hub screen (Image credit: Future)

Samsung QN85D review: Features

NQ4 AI Gen2 Processor
HDR10+ HDR support
Four HDMI 2.1 ports and Samsung Gaming hub

The Samsung QN85D’s mini-LED backlight provides superior local dimming and contrast over standard LED sets. Its NQ4 AI Gen2 Processor is the same one in more premium models such as the Samsung QN90D and even Samsung's flagship OLED, the S95D. This processor enables AI features such as Real Depth Enhancer Pro, Object Tracking Sound (OTS) Lite, AI Sound and more.

Like all Samsung TVs, the Samsung QN85D supports the HDR10+ HDR format but not Dolby Vision.

The QN85D is well-stocked with gaming features. Its four HDMI 2.1 ports support 4K 120Hz, VRR including AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, HGiG and ALLM. It also features Samsung’s Gaming Hub with cloud gaming apps such as Xbox, Luna, and Nvidia GeForce Now.

The QN85D’s audio is provided by a 2.2-channel, 40W speaker array that supports Dolby Atmos. It also features ‘360 Audio’ and OTS Lite for surround sound, as well AI sound features such as Active Voice Amplifier Pro and Adaptive Sound Pro, both of which are designed to enhance and adapt dialogue and sound based on the viewing environment.

Samsung’s own Tizen smart TV platform provides separate hubs for categories including the previously mentioned Gaming Hub, Ambient Hub for displaying artworks and Samsung Daily+ for lifestyle apps such as Samsung Health and office-based apps. Tizen provides access to Netflix, Disney Plus, Prime Video and more. For UK viewers it’s worth noting that live TV management is not provided by Freeview Play or Freely but rather Samsung’s own TV Plus, though there is still access to major UK apps such as BBC iPlayer and ITVX.

Features score: 4.5 / 5

Samsung QN85D with green butterfly on screen — The Samsung QN85D's natural colors are one of its biggest strengths (Image credit: Future)

Samsung QN85D review: Picture quality

Natural and detailed textures
Bold, vibrant colors
Some backlight blooming

Measurements taken on a 10% white HDR window yielded 878 and 1,026 nits in Standard and Filmmaker Mode respectively. While those are decent brightness results, they're similar to the Samsung Q80D, a QLED TV that uses a standard LED backlight. For context, a premium mini-LED such as the Sony Bravia 9 yielded results of 2,280 and 1,871 nits in Standard and Filmmaker Mode respectively when we measured it.

The QN85D demonstrated good full-screen HDR brightness, clocking in at 696 and 635 nits in Standard and Filmmaker modes respectively. That brightness level is useful for daytime viewing and is almost double what you would get on OLED models such as the LG C4.

When measuring the QN85D’s UHDA-P3 and BT.2020 HDR color gamut coverage, it yielded results of 93 and 69.1%. While those aren't the best results we’ve seen, they are still solid enough numbers.

It's time to move from numbers to real-world viewing. Starting with broadcast TV, the QN85D did an effective job upscaling pictures to 4K, although textures looked a little soft in some TV shows.

Moving onto 4K, I started by viewing The Batman to test black levels and local dimming. While blacks had a slightly gray tone overall, they were still suitably dark for an entry-level mini-LED TV. The QN85D also demonstrated impressive backlight control when viewed front-on, showing a good contrast range between the darker tones of the hallway and the brightness of the lamps in the opening crime scene. The QN85D’s excellent detail was also on show in this scene, with clothing and other objects taking on a natural look.

Viewing the same scene in dark conditions, the QN85D’s backlight struggled a bit more, showing some minor blooming and a gray wash in the blacks. Its performance here was still noticeably better than what you’ll see on standard LED sets, however.

Colors on the QN85D were bold, vibrant and lifelike. Watching the throne room fight scene in Star Wars: The Last Jedi on Disney Plus, the reds of the lightsabers were punchy and vivid but still maintained a natural and not overblown appearance. In the opening scene of La La Land, bright green, yellow, red and blue outfits worn by the dancers displayed dynamic yet natural hues. When measuring the QN85D’s color accuracy, it gave a result of 1.75 (we typically look for a margin of error below 3) which is a great result and shows why the QN85D’s colors appeared true-to-life.

Samsung QN85D with city at night on screen — The Samsung QN85D's picture is a mixed bag, but it demonstrates decent contrast (Image credit: Future)

I next watched Oppenheimer to test the QN85D’s contrast and its handling of black and white images. Overall, it demonstrated strong contrast with a good balance between whites, blacks and gray tones although black crush in some shots resulted in a loss of detail. Once again, facial features, objects and textures were realistic thanks to the TV’s Real Depth Enhancer AI feature.

To test motion, I watched Top Gun: Maverick, focusing on the opening Darkstar testing and first training missions. In Filmmaker Mode (which has no motion smoothing), the QN85D did a solid job handling the sweeping camera angles, with only minor judder to be seen on the jets careering in the air.

Watching an HD stream of a Man U v Chelsea soccer match on Prime Video, also in Filmmaker Mode, I found the motion to be a little inconsistent. The lack of motion smoothing resulted in some stuttering long side-to-side aerial shots, though adding some motion smoothing made the action look unnatural. Eventually, I set judder and blur reduction to around 2-3 and got good results.

Finally, I used the demo footage on the Spears & Munsil UHD Benchmark 4K Blu-ray to test all elements of the QN85D’s picture. Colors on parrots and butterflies looked punchy and the textures and details were crisp. Black levels, though solid, took on a gray-ish hue, however, which was particularly noticeable in shots with large areas of shadows there was some backlight blooming, particularly when viewing off-center.

Analyzing the QN85D’s AI Picture mode (in the Intelligence Mode settings), I found that colors, while brighter, lost their natural look and brightness seemed overblown. Textures also appeared sharper but enough so that it created a ‘fake’ look.

Picture quality score: 4/5

Samsung QN85D with La La Land title on screen — The Samsung QN85D's built-in speakers suffer from limited soundstage, reducing the impact of movies such as *La La Land* (Image credit: Future)

Samsung QN85D review: Sound quality

2.2-channel speaker array
Punchy bass
Limited soundstage

The QN85D features a 2.2-channel speaker array with 40W of power. Dolby Atmos is supported and there are AI features including Adaptive Sound Pro and Active Voice Amplifier. Two preset sound modes are available: Standard and Amplify, the latter of which I used for testing.

Bass on Samsung’s TV is hefty enough and has a solid weight. In both The Batman and Top Gun: Maverick, the rumble of the engines from the Batmobile and jets carried enough power to satisfy most bass fans, and provided an immersive feel. OTS Lite was effective at connecting the action to the screen, with the crunching cars, shattering glass and screeching car tires within the Batmobile chase scene all accurately placed.

Dialogue overall was clear, though I did struggle during the Batmobile chase scene to hear voices over the chaotic and bassy audio. Watching La La Land, vocals during many of the big dance numbers were crisp and easy to hear, despite the brass-heavy score throughout. The QN85D showed a good balance between instruments as well, especially with the vocals and delicate piano during the ‘Somewhere In The Crowd’ scene.

It wasn't all good news with the QN85D’s sound. Although it supports Dolby Atmos, spatial effects were rarely audible. The soundstage was also somewhat limited, with the big, theatrical soundtrack of La La Land struggling to extend beyond the confines of the screen itself.

Applying AI Sound (again found in the TV’s Intelligence Mode settings), Adaptive Sound Pro did a good job of improving balance by making the soundstage a bit wider and immersive, though this came at a great cost to bass levels.

While the QN85D’s sound is perfectly acceptable, I'd still recommend using this TV with one of the best soundbars, particularly Samsung ones with Q Symphony, a feature that combines the soundbar’s speakers with the ones built into the TV.

Sound quality score: 3.5/5

Samsung Qn85D stand — The Samsung QN85D's stand (Image credit: Future)

Samsung QN85D review: Design

Trim profile
Solid but safe design
Samsung SolarCell remote

The QN85D has a safe, but reassuringly solid design. It feels weighty and well-constructed, with a plastic and metal rear panel. It also has a nearly bezel-less screen, a trim profile and a burnished metal frame that makes it feel more premium than budget mini-LED sets from the likes of Hisense and TCL.

The stand on the 65-inch model I tested in the UK is a gray plastic and aluminum pedestal that’s different from stands you’ll find on other sets. I found it subject to wobbling, but its smaller size means that the QN85D will fit on most TV furniture.

The supplied remote is Samsung’s eco-friendly SolarCell remote, which draws power from either a solar panel on the rear or a USB-C port on the bottom. It’s small and has a limited button count, but is sleek and modern enough that most will enjoy using it.

Design score: 4/5

Samsung QN85D with Tizen home menu — The Samsung QN85D's Tizen smart TV platform offers recommendations across its home menu (Image credit: Future)

Samsung QN85D review: Smart TV & menus

Tizen smart TV platform
Game, Ambient, and Daily+ hubs
Plenty of settings to tweak

Like all Samsung TVs, the QN85D uses Samsung’s own Tizen smart TV platform. There haven’t been any upgrades made to the platform since last year aside from small improvements to make navigation and customization easier.

The Tizen home screen locates apps near the top and is divided into three sections: For You, Live and Apps. There are other hubs to choose from, including Daily+, which focuses on lifestyle apps such as health and office; Game for all things gaming including cloud-based apps; and Ambient, where you can display both static and dynamic background artworks and images.

Along with Standard, Movie, Filmmaker, and other preset picture modes, there are plenty of picture settings in the QN85D's menus for those who like to experiment. Sound settings are somewhat limited compared to other TVs, with only two preset sound modes and a limited number of settings to adjust. Tizen may be a little on the safe side, but it is a solid and serviceable smart TV platform.

Smart TV & menus score: 4/5

Samsung QN85D with Battlefield V on screen — The Samsung QN85D is a great gaming performer, even with intense games such as *Battlefield V* (Image credit: Future)

Samsung QN85D review: Gaming

Four HDMI 2.1 ports
Gaming hub
Ultra-low 10.1ms input lag

The QN85D comes with a full suite of gaming features across its four HDMI 2.1 ports, including 4K 120Hz support, ALLM, VRR including AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, and HGiG. It also offers cloud-based gaming from services such as Xbox, Luna, and Nvidia GeForce Now as well as live Twitch streaming in the Gaming Hub and has a Game Bar menu that lets you customize settings such as black level and virtual aiming.

The QN85D handles higher frame rate gaming at 120fps with ease, resulting in fluid gameplay. Playing Battlefield V, switching from target to target felt easy and controlled even during chaotic battle sequences, and sprinting motions never felt too fast or overwhelming. When I measured the QN85D’s input lag using a Leo Bodnar 4K tester, it yielded a result of 10.1ms – well below the 15ms threshold that we look for in the best 120Hz TVs.

When gaming, the QN85D displayed the same picture quality level as it did for movies. During a desert mission, the vast surrounding sands had true-to-life color and textures. Details within the various weapons were intricate and vehicles and environments had a 3D-like quality.

Gaming score: 4.5/5

Samsung QN85D review: Value

Competitive mini-LED market
Decent price for performance and features
Cheaper options from Hisense and TCL

As mini-LED tech continues to grow in popularity, the market has become more crowded. Samsung’s mini-LED sets generally feel more premium than TVs from rival brands, but those rival brands are gaining.

Hisense’s ULED range is Samsung’s closest rival, with the Hisense U7N providing the main competition to the Samsung QN85D. In the US, the U7N costs nearly half as much as the QN85D, with a 65-inch model averaging $799 and a 75-inch one averaging $1,699. Although the QN85D tops the U7N in some areas, that’s a tough price gap to ignore.

Still, the QN85D’s gaming features and movie performance aren’t to be forgotten, and it’s a solid option for those who can stretch their budget a bit further.

Value score: 3.5/5

Samsung QN85D with La La Land on screen — (Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Samsung QN85D?

Buy it if...

You want a good picture
Natural textures and accurate colors mean the QN85D suits many different pictures, especially 4K HDR ones.

You want a great gaming TV
The QN85D is stacked with gaming features including 4K 120Hz, VRR and a useful Gaming hub, and it performs well when gaming.

You want a solid smart TV platform
Tizen may not be the perfect smart TV platform, but it does provide plenty of customization options for users.

Don't buy it if...

You want the best value mini-LED TV
Mini-LED rivals such as the Hisense U7N and TCL QM815G provide a similar list of features as the QN85D for less money.

You need good viewing angles
While the QN85D's viewing angles aren't bad, they are limited compared to more premium sets, revealing fading contrast and backlight blooming.

You need great built-in sound
The QN85D's has decent bass, but unfortunately suffers from a limited soundstage and lacking virtual surround sound placement.

Also consider

Hisense U7N
The Hisense U7N carries many similar features for gaming and performance to the QN85D for cheaper (especially in the US). It may also not be perfect, but it performs well for the money as we found in our Hisense U7N review.

TCL QM851G
Offering a significant brightness upgrade and a mostly similar list of gaming features, the TCL QM851G rivals the Samsung QN85D at larger screen sizes. Overall, when performance and features are weighed up, the QM851G demonstrates better value. Here's our full TCL QM851G review.

Samsung Q80D
Although it is a step down in screen tech with only a QLED panel, the Q80D is a very good TV offering excellent gaming features and top-notch performance and picture quality. The QN85D has mini-LED tech for better local dimming, but the Q80D is one to consider if you want to save money. Here's our full Samsung Q80D review.

Samsung QN85D with Calman and testing equipment connected — (Image credit: Future)

How I tested the Samsung QN85D

Measurements taken using Portrait Displays' Calman software
Tested using variety of SDR ad HDR sources
Tested in varying lighting conditions

My testing of the Samsung QN85D was split into two parts: subjective, using reference scenes to analyze picture and sound quality, and objective, using specialized equipment to take measurements.

After some casual viewing to establish the most accurate picture modes, in this case Filmmaker Mode, I then viewed broadcast TV in both SD and HD quality, and 4K Blu-rays and streaming services, analyzing the QN85D's picture for contrast, color, brightness, black levels, textures and details, and upscaling.

I used a Panasonic DP-UB820 4K Blu-ray player for 4K Blu-ray playback, Disney Plus and Prime Video for streaming, and an Xbox Series X to test gaming performance and features.

After completing subjective viewing, I then moved on to objective testing, which involved taking measurements using specialized equipment including a test pattern generator, and colorimeter, and recording those measurements with Portrait Displays' Calman calibration software.

The measurements taken were for both SDR and HDR brightness measured in nits on white window patterns covering from 1-100% of the screen, UHDA-P3 and BT.2020 color gamut coverage, and SDR color and grayscale accuracy.

Input lag was measured at 4K/60Hz using a Leo Bodnar 4K HDMI Input Lag tester.

First reviewed: July 2024
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Hisense U7N review: a budget mini-LED 4K TV that out-performs its price

5:46 pm | June 28, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Televisions | Tags: Dolby Vision, HDMI, Star Wars, TV | Comments: Off

Hisense U7N review: Two minute review

The Hisense U7N is a budget to mid-range mini-LED TV that delivers much for your money. It covers all the bases and performs well for gaming and movies, making it a versatile TV choice.

Picture quality on the Hisense U7N is generally good with whatever is thrown its way. Colors are vivid and punchy, black levels and contrast are rich and details and textures are as refined as on more premium TVs. Motion handling can be a little inconsistent, but fast-paced sources such as sport are generally well-handled. There is backlight blooming and you’ll have to do some tweaking to get the most accurate picture, but the U7N is still an overall great performer, even if it doesn’t beat the best TVs.

the U7N's sound quality isn’t the most impressive, with a limited soundstage and surround effects that are extremely difficult to hear despite Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support. But, the U7N provides clear dialogue and meaty bass, along with directional sound that closely follows the picture on the screen. Its performance may be good enough for some, but one of the best soundbars is recommended.

The U7N is well-equipped for gaming, with features including 4K 120Hz, 144Hz support for PC gaming, VRR including AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, and Dolby Vision gaming. Performance is impressive, with smooth gameplay and crisp graphics. The only drawback is the TV’s two HDMI 2.1 ports as opposed to the four we typically expect from the best gaming TVs.

The Hisense U7N’s design and VIDAA smart TV platform (Google TV in the US) are on the plain side, but both are serviceable and functional. There are plenty of picture settings to experiment with – a good thing because the U7N requires adjustment for best performance. It also features the live TV streaming service Freely, which is a breath of fresh air for UK viewers.

It may not be the ultimate TV, but the U7N is the epitome of a high-value TV – more so in the US and Australia since UK prices are higher. Compared to rivals, the U7N's smart and gaming features and picture performance make it a bargain.

Hisense U7N with late sunset on screen — The Hisense U7N great contrast makes dusk and night scenes look good (Image credit: Future)

Hisense U7N review: Prices & release date

Release date: April 2024
55-inch price: $799 / £1,299 / AU$1,599
65-inch price: $999 / £1,599 / AU$2,299
75-inch price: $1,499 / £1,899 / AU$2,999
85-inch price: $2,030 / £2,799 / AU$3,999

The Hisense U7N is the mid-range model in its mini-LED TV lineup, sitting above the U6N and below the U8N, flagship U9N and massive UX (sized at 98- and 100-inch) models. It comes in 55, 65, 75 and 85-inch sizes, though it’s worth noting the 85-inch model is not available in the UK.

We’re already seeing huge discounts on the U7N only a couple of months after release, particularly in the US where you can buy the 65-inch model (the size we tested) for $799. Whether this discount is permanent is unclear, but it’s likely the U7N will receive big discounts around Black Friday.

Hisense U7N review: Specs

Hisense U7N review: Benchmark results

Hisense U7N with butterfly on screen — The Hisense U7N's bold colors make it look more premium than its price would indicate (Image credit: Future)

Hisense U7N review: Features

Dolby Vision and HDR10+ high dynamic range support
144Hz refresh rate, Dolby Vision gaming
VIDAA/Google TV smart TV platform

The U7N uses what Hisense calls ‘Mini-LED PRO’, which is mini-LED tech combined with full-array local dimming. It supports the Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG high dynamic range formats and is IMAX Enhanced certified.

For gaming, the U7N has two HDMI 2.1 ports that support 4K 120Hz (with up to 144Hz refresh rate), VRR including AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and Nvidia GSync, ALLM, and Dolby Vision and HDR10+ gaming. It also features Hisense’s Game Bar, which can adjust gaming settings such as Dark Detail.

The U7N has a 2.1-channel speaker array and supports both the Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtrack formats. It features several different preset sound modes including Standard and Movie plus an Enhanced (ACR) mode that uses viewing data (with permission) to enhance sound based on your viewing habits.

Two different smart TV platforms are used for the Hisense U7N: Google TV in the US and Hisense’s own VIDAA platform in the UK. Both have access to all the major apps including Netflix, Disney Plus and Prime Video. In the UK, the U7N hosts Freely, a live TV streaming service backed by BBC, ITV and Channels 4 and 5, which enables live TV viewing without an aerial or satellite dish. Freely is also where UK viewers can find BBC iPlayer, ITVX and other UK-based catch-up services. In the US, the U7N features an ATSC 3.0 tuner for broadcast TV.

The U7N’s design is on the basic side, with a black, plastic central stand attached to two metal feet on the 65-inch model I tested. Materials-wise, it has a silver-toned metal frame with a trim, but slightly deep bezel. It also has a slim, black remote that can be charged using its front solar panel or USB-C port.

Features score: 4.5/5

Hisense U7N with lake and sunset on screen — The Hisense U7N has refined textures and detail (Image credit: Future)

Hisense U7N review: Picture quality

Bold, colorful picture
Well-defined details and textures
Picture requires adjustment

Starting off with measurements, the U7N in its default Standard and Filmmaker Mode settings yielded peak brightness results of 807 nits and 1074 nits, respectively, on a 10% HDR white window test pattern. Those numbers are lower than what we’ve measured from more premium mini-LEDs such as the Sony Bravia 9, which hit 2,280 nits peak HDR brightness in Standard mode.

I did find that some adjustments improved brightness – setting Local Dimming to High and turning off Dynamic Contrast, for instance. With those settings, the U7N measured 1,256 nits in Standard mode.

This was a common theme with the U7N – some picture settings needed to be adjusted to improve its performance. Before conducting my subjective tests, I found setting Local Dimming to High added more detail and contrast, and turning off Super Resolution removed the U7N’s oversharpened look, which it even displayed in Filmmaker Mode.

After cycling through different picture presets, I established that Filmmaker Mode was the most accurate, but the brighter Standard mode better suited some TV shows and movies.

When watching broadcast TV, lower-resolution TV shows had fuzzy textures. HD pictures, on the other hand, looked good, with solid color and detail. One thing to note for UK viewers, lower-resolution TV shows streamed through Freely actually improved picture quality over broadcast TV, giving them a similar look to HD.

Moving onto 4K, I first streamed Star Wars: The Last Jedi in Dolby Vision on Disney Plus. This activated the set's Dolby Vision picture modes, including Dolby Vision IQ. Colors were bold but natural, with the throne room fight scene featuring vivid, though not oversaturated reds. HDR highlights including lasers from blasters and other lightsabers also had a dazzling sheen.

The Hisense U7N’s strong color performance was confirmed by my measurements of its UHDA-P3 and BT.2020 color gamut coverage, which was 95.5% and 75.4% respectively – both excellent results for a budget mini-LED TV. Color accuracy measurements 1.75, another fantastic result.

I next watched the Spears & Munsil UHD Benchmark 4K Blu-ray’s demo footage section. The U7N looked very good across the board, showing dynamic and vibrant colors in bright landscapes and animal shots, and excellent black depth when full black backgrounds were displayed. Contrast was also excellent in a shot of bright white city lights against a night sky. Details and textures looked accurate and refined, although they were not as good as what I’d seen on more premium mini-LED sets such as the Sony X95L.

Hisense U7N with city aerial shot at night — The Hisense U7N has very good contrast (Image credit: Future)

I next watched The Batman (also in Dolby Vision), a disc I find to be a great test for black levels and shadow detail. The U7N demonstrated good backlight control, with only minimal blooming in a scene where Batman walks down a dim hallway illuminated by bright lamps.

Black levels and contrast were rich with brilliant shadow detail in the opening crime scene investigation, though there was some black crush before I set Local Dimming to High. After that, facial features and objects such as Batman’s intricate suit looked true-to-life and realistic.

For motion testing, I used a combination of movies on 4K Blu-ray and sports. Beginning with an HD stream of a soccer game, the U7N did a credible job, though setting the motion preset to Standard or Smooth allowed the match to flow better and greatly reduced motion blur.

Watching Top Gun: Maverick’s opening Darkstar testing sequence and training mission, the U7N did a decent job handling the fast panning camera sequences and weaving jets, though there was occasional judder. Also, viewing the race in Ready Player One, the U7N did a good job handling the chaotic action and free-flowing camera, again with only minimal judder.

While I was impressed with the U7N’s picture, I noted contrast fade and more obvious backlight blooming when viewing off-axis. Also, while some of its preset modes, such as Filmmaker, are good, others require a lot more tweaking. Frustratingly, the Dolby Vision IQ preset sets motion smoothing to the overly aggressive Standard setting, making adjustments necessary.

The Hisense U7N isn’t going to beat the likes of the OLED-rivalling Sony Bravia 9 anytime soon, but for what you pay, the picture punches above its weight.

Picture quality score: 4/5

Hisense U7N with La La Land on screen — The Hisense U7N's sound quality was credible, but limited with movies such as *La La Land* (Image credit: Future)

Hisense U7N review: Sound quality

Clear dialogue
Good directional sound
Lacking soundstage and virtual surround

With a 2.1-channel speaker array totaling 40W of power, the Hisense U7N can’t rival the best TVs for sound such as the Panasonic MZ2000 or Sony A80L. It does deliver in some areas, such as dialogue and directional sound, but is lacking in others. If you're looking for great audio with the U7N, I’d consider adding one of the best soundbars.

Watching the batmobile chase scene from The Batman, the U7N demonstrated clear speech even during moments of loud explosions and crunching metal with its Theater preset sound mode active. Directional sounds were also captured well by the U7N, with each sound effect connected to the action on screen, and it had somewhat weighty bass. Dolby Atmos effects in this scene such as thrashing rain were barely audible over the other sounds, however, and the soundstage was limited, with everything very much contained to the screen itself.

Moving to La La Land, it was a similar story. The horn-heavy jazz score was well handled and never distorted even at higher volumes. Vocals came through nice and clear and warmer instruments such as double bass and drums sat nicely in the mix. However, the limited soundstage didn’t allow instruments to breathe.

Sound quality score: 3.5/5

Hisense U7N stand — The Hisense U7N's stand (65-inch pictured) is easy to assemble (Image credit: Future)

Hisense U7N review: Design

Trim bezel
Easy to assemble stand
Solar-powered remote control

The Hisense U7N has a plain but solid design. Its rear panel is made of a thick but cheaper feeling plastic, though a solid silver frame gives it a more premium look.

The U7N’s bezel is trim enough and allows the picture to take up the majority of the screen, though it’s not as trim as you’d find on more premium TVs. Its two reassuringly weighty metal feet connect to a plastic stand by simply slotting into place. This is one of the easier stand assemblies I’ve seen. It does feel a little cheap – not surprising given the U7N’s budget price.

Hisense’s supplied remote for the U7N feels more premium than expected. It features a solar panel on the front and a USB-C charging point on the bottom, eliminating the need for batteries. Although the solar panel is a welcome addition, it gives the remote a bottom-heavy feel.

Design score: 4/5

Hisense U7N with VIDAA home screen — Hisense uses VIDAA as its smart TV platform in the UK (home menu pictured) (Image credit: Future)

Hisense U7N review: Smart TV & menus

Google TV (US), VIDAA (UK & Australia)
Good selection of picture settings
Sometimes stuttering performance

The U7N’s smart TV platform varies depending on the region. Since I’m based in the UK, I will be discussing Hisense’s own smart TV platform, VIDAA. For US readers, the Hisense U7N uses Google TV, which is also featured on the Hisense U8K and Sony Bravia 9 if you’d like to read up about it.

The VIDAA home menu is filled with recommendations from various apps; it’s a little cluttered, and this can affect scrolling speed on the home menu. Stuttering occurred at multiple points while navigating VIDAA, which lacked the smooth feel of other smart TV platforms such as LG’s web OS, Samsung’s Tizen and Google TV.

I appreciated VIDAA’s settings and menu layouts. It was very easy to find settings I was looking for and I was pleasantly surprised by how many picture adjustments were available. These turned out to be necessary, as simple changes to local dimming, motion smoothing, super-resolution, dynamic contrast and other settings transformed the U7N’s picture completely.

VIDAA provides access to all major streaming apps including Netflix, Disney Plus, and Prime Video. Hisense TVs also host Freely, a live TV streaming service that lets viewers watch a range of live TV shows without any need to connect to an aerial or satellite dish and provides access to UK-based streaming apps including BBC iPlayer, ITVX and more.

Smart TV & menus score: 4/5

Hisense U7N with Battlefield V on screen — Similar to TVs from LG, Samsung and Panasonic, the Hisense U7N features a Game Bar for gaming settings (Image credit: Future)

Hisense U7N review: Gaming

4K 120Hz and 144Hz refresh rate support
13.1ms input lag
Only two HDMI 2.1 ports

The U7N has plenty of gaming features on offer , including a 4K 120Hz (even up to 144Hz) refresh rate, Dolby Vision gaming, VRR including AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and Nvidia GSync, and ALLM. This list of features lets the U7N easily compete with the best gaming TVs. Hisense’s Game Bar also allows for settings such as Dark Detail and FPS Viewing to be tweaked during gaming.

Unlike other TVs that feature dedicated Game picture modes, the U7N’s Game Mode works in tandem with its main picture preset settings, providing freedom to customize the picture during gameplay. Annoyingly, it leaves motion smoothing settings switched on, so it’s important to turn those off during gaming.

the U7N's gaming performance was very good. Playing Battlefield V on Xbox Series X, motion was smooth, with quick camera cuts to switch between targets and landscape panning shots all feeling seamless and free-flowing with no judder or stutter. The U7N also did a great job with Battlefield, displaying plenty of intricate details on objects such as weapons and landscapes and showing the same rich contrast and bold colors as with movies.

The U7N’s measured input lag was 13.1ms. A result below 15ms is what gamers generally look for, so this will be fine for the majority of users.

Unfortunately, the U7N only has two HDMI 2.1 ports, with the other two HDMI 2.0 ports capped at 60Hz with no gaming features supported.

Gaming score: 4.5/5

Hisense U7N remote — The Hisense U7N's supplied remote is sleek and eco-friendly, but a little bottom-heavy (Image credit: Future)

Hisense U7N review: Value

Excellent value (in the US)
Cheaper than many rivals
Crowded mini-LED TV market

Although the U7N generally represents good value, it is a significantly better value in the US. The 65-inch model I tested dropped as low as $799 since launch, which for a TV with this many features and this picture quality level is simply phenomenal. Rival sets such as the Samsung QN85D are priced at $1,699 for a 65-inch model, while premium mini-LED options such as the Sony Bravia 9 cost $2,999 for the same screen size.

In the UK, the margin is somewhat narrowed, though the U7N is still priced cheaper than many of its rivals. The 65-inch U7N currently sits at £1,599, while the Samsung QN85D is priced at £2,099 and OLED options like the LG B4 are priced at £1,699 in a 65-inch size. So even though the U7N is still cheaper and provides plenty of features, you’re not quite getting the same bang for your buck as in the US.

But wherever you are, it is hard to argue just how many bases the Hisense U7N covers at the price it does, with its great overall picture quality, stacks of gaming features and good smart TV platform. With the money you save with the U7N, you can add a Dolby Atmos soundbar, such as the brilliant Hisense AX5125H.

Value score: 4.5/5

Hisense U7N with La La Land 4K Blu-ray home menu on screen — The Hisense U7N accurately displays bold, bright colors such as those in the *La La Land* logo (Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Hisense U7N?

Buy it if...

You want great picture quality
The U7N delivers dynamic pictures for both movies and gaming that look more premium than the price you pay.

You want a TV for gaming
4K 120Hz, 144Hz, VRR, and Dolby Vision gaming are just some of the features the U7N offers that make it ideal for PS5 and Xbox Series X

You want real value from your TV
The U7N offers similar features and performance to rival sets from Samsung and Sony but has a lower price tag.

Don't buy it if...

You don't want to adjust picture settings
To get the best out of the U7N, setup is required, and that involves digging into the nitty gritty of its picture settings.

You want the perfect picture
Like a lot of mini-LED TVs, the U7N suffers from backlight blooming. To avoid this, you'll have to fork out more for premium mini-LED or OLED TV.

You need the best built-in sound
It may be adequate for most, but the U7N's sound feels limited and contained. Want better TV sound? Look to Sony.

Also consider...

Samsung QN85D
The Samsung QN85D is arguably the U7N's closest competitor, offering similar features and performance. Pictures appear more natural and Tizen is a better smart TV platform, but you'll be paying a lot more and the gap is tough to justify. We are currently testing this TV and will have a full review live soon.

Hisense U6N
The step-down model from the U7N, the U6N doesn't offer the same level of features or picture performance. It is cheaper than the U7N, however, and the performance it gives for the price is admirable. We are currently testing this TV and will have a full review live soon.

Samsung QN90D
The Samsung QN90D is a more premium mini-LED option when compared to the U7N. Although it's pricier, you'll no doubt be getting better picture performance, especially for daytime sports viewing. There isn't much between them in terms of gaming features, so it does come down to picture vs price.

Read our Samsung QN90D hands-on review

Hisense U7N with testing equipment including Calman — (Image credit: Future)

How I tested the Hisense U7N

Tested in varying lighting conditions
Measurements taken using Calman calibration software
Tested using both SDR and HDR sources

My first step in testing the U7N was casual viewing to establish the most accurate out-of-the-box picture preset using a variety of sources such as broadcast TV and DVD, 4K Blu-ray and 4K streaming.

I then used several reference scenes from various movies, TV shows and sports streams to judge the U7N on picture criteria including contrast, color, black levels, motion handling and upscaling. I also tested it built-in sound quality for speech, bass, virtual surround sound processing and directional sound.

To test the U7N's gaming performance, I used an Xbox Series X console, primarily playing Battlefield V.

Moving onto objective testing, I analyzed the U7N's SDR and HDR brightness, HDR color gamut coverage (both UHDA-P3 and BT.2020) and grayscale and color accuracy. For this, I used a test pattern generator and colorimeter, recording the results with Portrait Displays' Calman calibration software.

I also measured the U7N's input lag in milliseconds using a Leo Bodnar 4K HDMI Input lag tester while the U7N was in Game mode.

For a more detailed breakdown, check out our guide on how we test TVs at TechRadar.

First reviewed: June 2024
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Hisense AX5125H review: impressive Dolby Atmos performance in an affordable soundbar system

9:00 pm | June 22, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Soundbars Televisions | Tags: Dolby Atmos, DTS, HDMI, Star Wars | Comments: Off

Hisense AX5125H review: Two minute review

The Hisense AX5125H is a 5.1.2-channel soundbar system comprising four units – a soundbar, a subwoofer and two satellite speakers.

Compared to the best soundbars, the Hisense AX5125H has somewhat basic features, with only Bluetooth connectivity for music streaming as opposed to the Wi-Fi streaming you’ll find on the similarly priced Sonos Beam and Bose Smart Soundbar 600. However, unlike those soundbars, the AX5125H provides a ‘real’ surround sound experience with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X compatibility out of the box as opposed to requiring optional speakers at an additional cost.

The AX5125H takes a no-frills approach, and it shows. But for a budget soundbar, the AX5125H’s sound is impressive, providing plenty of punch, clarity and immersion. Dolby Atmos and surround effects are accurately reproduced, speech is crystal clear and bass is weighty yet controlled. Even streamed music sounds good despite being limited to Bluetooth quality. For an affordable system, the Hisense AX5125H rivals some of the cheaper examples of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars.

Its main bar may be a little on the wider side, but the AX5125H’s sub and rear speakers have a compact design – ideal for those looking to minimize the impact of external boxes. Its materials and build quality aren’t the most premium, but both are better than expected thanks to stylish metal grilles and a reassuringly solid feel. The provided remote feels every bit cheap, however.

The Hisense AX5125H's simple plug-and-play approach makes setup a breeze. Those who like a good app for control and settings adjustments will be disappointed as one isn’t available, leaving all control to the provided remote. But for those looking for simplicity, the AX5125H provides.

For a 5.1.2-channel speaker array with nine speakers across four units, including two up-firing drivers for Atmos, the AX5125H is an incredible value at under $350 / £350 / AU$450. Those looking for a soundbar with all the bells and whistles may want to look elsewhere, But, if you’re after a soundbar that’s going to add plenty of oomph to your TV plus real surround immersion on a budget, look no further than the AX5125H.

Hisense AX5125H main soundbar connected to Hisense U6N — The Hisense AX5125H's main soundbar provides excellent speech clarity (Image credit: Future)

Hisense AX5125H review: Price & release date

Release date: 2023
Price at release: $449 / £499 / AU$599
Price at time of writing: $299 / £349 / AU$449

The Hisense AX5125H is a 5.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos soundbar system that comes with a main soundbar, subwoofer and two satellite speakers. Upon its release in 2023, the AX5125H sold for $399 / £499 / AU$599. At that price, it was in a similar price range to the Sony HT-S2000, one of the best budget soundbars on the market.

Since its release, prices for the AX5125H have dropped, and at the time of writing, we’re seeing it available for as low as $299 / £349 / AU$449 – again in line with the Sony HT-S2000’s current prices.

Hisense AX5125H review: Specs

Hisense AX5125H connections — The Hisense AX5125H's connections include not only HDMI but also a 3.5mm AUX input (Image credit: Future)

Hisense AX5125H review: Features

5.1.2-channel configuration
Dolby Atmos and DTS:X compatible
Bluetooth-only streaming

Featuring nine speakers across four ‘boxes’, the Hisense AX5125H offers a 5.1.2-channel speaker array and supports the Dolby Atmos and DTS:X formats, along with the Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio formats.

The AX5125H has seven preset ‘AI EQ’ sound modes such as Movie and Night, and includes an AI mode that analyzes content to improve the sound. Unlike soundbars from brands such as Sonos, Bose and Sony, the AX5125H does not have a companion app or any kind of EQ customization, instead relying on basic Bass and Treble adjustments with the provided remote control.

The AX5125H has two HDMI ports (one with eARC), plus optical digital, 3.5mm AUX, and USB connections. There’s no built-in Wi-Fi, but Bluetooth version 5.3 is provided for music streaming.

Some of the AX5125H’s budget and mid-range rivals such as the Sonos Ray, Sonos Beam and Bose Smart Soundbar 600 provide Wi-Fi connectivity and app features such as EQ. On the other hand, you are getting a more complete surround package out of the box with the AX5125H.

Features score: 4/5

Hisense AX5125H soundbar, sub and rear speakers — The Hisense AX5125H soundbar with sub and two rear speakers: 9 speakers and 5.1.2 channels across four units (Image credit: Future)

Hisense AX5125H review: Sound quality

‘Real’ Dolby Atmos sound
Punchy, dynamic performance
Small satellite speakers can get overwhelmed

Watching Star Wars: A New Hope on Disney Plus, the effectiveness of the surround sound was immediately apparent during the final attack run on the Death Star. The screeching TIE fighters and roaring rear engines sounded like they were coming from all around thanks to the Hisense’s effective Dolby Atmos delivery, led by the main soundbar’s up-firing speakers. The soundstage was surprisingly wide, and it gave all aspects of the soundtrack room to breathe. Dialogue was crystal clear, and the horn-heavy score, explosions and gunfire were all presented with equal importance.

Switching to The Batman on 4K Blu-ray, the opening crime scene section demonstrated the AX5125H’s subtleties. Dialogue was impressive, and the low hum of the officers' voices, camera clicks, and even the stretching of Batman’s leather suit were all easily distinguishable and accurately placed.

Moving to the chaotic batmobile car chase, the same punchy power and balance I heard in Star Wars was present, and the driving rain showcased the AX5125H’s Atmos chops.

Music listening was also enjoyable with the AX5125H, despite the streaming quality being limited to Bluetooth. Whatever genre I threw at it, the AX5125H obliged. The pounding drums, bassy synths and gravelly vocals of Bruce Springsteen’s Dancing in the Dark were all well-handled. Thelonius Monk’s Japanese Folk Song demonstrated the AX5125H’s ability to convey all frequencies, with the twinkling piano keys and sharp sax balancing well with the smooth drums and double bass. Finally, listening to Caroline Polachek’s Welcome To My Island, her soaring vocals could be pushed to high volumes with no strain.

The Hisense AX5125H is not all perfect, as its smaller satellite speakers could sometimes get overwhelmed reproducing surround effects. Even so, its performance was meaty and even feisty.

Sound quality score: 4.5/5

Hisense AX5125H sub — The Hisense AX5125H's sub provides plenty of powerful bass in a fairly compact size (Image credit: Future)

Hisense AX5125H review: Design

Compact subwoofer and rear speakers
Decent build quality
Front LED display

The Hisense AX5125H’s main soundbar measures 36.2 x 18.8 x 3.5-inches (920 x 478 x 90mm), the subwoofer 8.5 x 12.3 x 11.9-inches (210.5 x 310 x 300mm) and the satellites 3.6 x 5.7 x 4.3-inches (90.1 x 140.5 x 110mm).

Build quality is mixed, though the grilles for each speaker are the kind of black mesh metal you’d expect to find on more premium units. It also features a front LED display. There is an option to dim and brighten the LED display to four levels, plus turn it off completely to prevent distractions.

The provided remote is basic but serviceable, with Bass and Treble EQ buttons and a dedicated button to cycle through the sound presets.

Design score: 4/5

Hisense AX5125H remote — The Hisense AX5125H's supplied remote is basic and feels a bit cheap, but is simple to use (Image credit: Future)

Hisense AX5125H review: Usability & setup

Two HDMI ports
Easy, basic setup
No app support

Setup of the Hisense AX5125H is easy. Once I connected the main soundbar to a TV using its HDMI eARC port, I then connected the wireless sub and satellite speakers by pressing the pairing button on each unit and all were connected and ready to go. Once paired, there was no need to pair again on the next usage even when I unplugged them.

With no companion app, everything is controlled using the provided remote (or your TV remote using HDMI-CEC).

The AX5125H’s front alphanumeric display gives clear feedback from input commands and adjustments without any need to rely on the blinking LEDs you find on some soundbars such as the Sonos Beam and Ray. Although obscured somewhat by the soundbar’s grille, it’s still a welcome feature.

Usability & setup score: 4.5/5

Hisense AX5125H rear speaker next to remote — Despite the fairly small size, the Hisense AX5125H's satellite speakers (one shown next to the AX5125H's supplied remote) provide excellent immersion (Image credit: Future)

Hisense AX5125H review: Value

Full soundbar package for a budget price
Good performance for the money
Lacks premium features such as Wi-Fi

At roughly $349 / £349 / AU$449 for a complete surround package with two up-firing speakers, the Hisense AX5125H provides excellent value. Despite missing some features such as Wi-Fi connectivity and a companion app for EQ control, the system’s performance more than makes up for the omission.

At this price range, there is budget competition from Bose, Sonos, and Sony, but crucially, these will be all-in-one bars that don’t provide the full surround sound experience you get from the AX5125H. Yes, it may not rival more premium soundbars, but the sound quality it provides is nothing short of impressive for the price.

Value score: 4.5/5

Should I buy the Hisense AX5125H?

Buy it if...

Don't but it if...

Also consider

Hisense AX5125H soundbar, sub and rear speakers in testing room — The Hisense AX5125H in our testing room, connected to a Hisense U6N TV (Image credit: Future)

How I tested the Hisense AX5125H

Tested with a variety of sources
Connected to a Hisense U6N TV
Dolby Atmos, surround and stereo sound tested

I tested the Hisense AX5125H connected to a Hisense U6N TV, and although Hisense-specific features were on offer, testing was done without these turned on.

After cycling through the different AI EQ modes, including News, Night and more, I opted for Movie, which was the most accurate and immersive. After this, I tested the AX5125H with a variety of sources, including broadcast TV, mainly testing lower-resolution speech and signals, and 4K Blu-ray and Disney Plus for Dolby Atmos and surround playback.

I next tested music streaming from Spotify and Tidal using Bluetooth, playing reference tracks from multiple genres that I have used to test soundbars, headphones and speakers in the past.

Samsung QN800D review: Two minute review

The Samsung QN800D is the entry-level set in the company’s 8K Neo QLED range, offering 8K resolution at a slightly more affordable price than the flagship Samsung QN900D. It’s still a pricey TV, however, with the 65-inch model I tested currently selling for $3,499 / £3,499 / AU$4,799 – a higher price than most premium 4K TVs.

Samsung makes some of the best TVs and consistently flies the 8K flag as other brands move away from the technology. Based on the performance of the QN800D, it may be justified to fly that flag.

The QN800D’s picture quality is nothing short of impressive, mainly due to the exceptional 8K AI upscaling and Real Depth Enhancer Pro features of the TV’s NQ8 AI Gen2 Processor. These add incredible depth and refined detail to any textures, and the picture also has rich contrast and impressive black levels for a mini-LED TV. There is some minor backlight blooming and reflections can occur in harsh lighting conditions, but those are the only drawbacks of an otherwise phenomenal picture.

Gaming features are plentiful with the QN800D, with its four HDMI 2.1 ports kitted out with all the bells and whistles we look for in the best gaming TVs. The QN800D supports 4K up to 165Hz,8K up to 60Hz, VRR including AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and comes with Samsung’s useful Gaming Hub. Gaming performance is excellent, feeling smooth and seamless even in the most intense of FPS games, and with the TV’s 8K AI upscaling, graphically beautiful as well.

Sound quality is an area where the QN800D stumbles compared to the rest of its performance. A 4.2.2-channel speaker array provides exceptional tracking of on-screen action and dialogue is crisp and clear, but the QN800D’s lean bass means it can’t compete with some of the best TVs for sound such as the Sony A80L and Panasonic MZ2000. As such, it will be worth pairing the QN800D with one of the best soundbars to compliment its picture quality.

The QN800D uses Samsung’s ‘Infinity One’ design for a sleek, slim appearance with a near bezel-less look that allows the impeccable picture to be the star of the show. It also comes with Samsung’s One Connect Box to house all external source connections, making the QN800D perfect for wall mounting. It does come with a premium metal stand, but be warned, it can be a little fiddly to fit on.

There’s no getting around the fact that the QN800D is a premium-priced TV, with many flagship 4K models, including some of the best OLED TVs, selling for significantly less while still offering many of the same great features. There’s also a lack of 8K media to make full use of the QN800D’s high resolution. But the QN800D’s impressive 8K upscaling breathes extra life into every source it’s given, especially 4K movies with HDR. If you can stretch your budget for it you won’t be let down. I may have been skeptical about 8K TVs before, but the QN800D has made me a believer.

Samsung QN800D with Star Wars The Force Awakens on screen — *Star Wars: The Force Awakens* shows the QN800D's bold colors and highlights. (Image credit: Future)

Samsung QN800D review: Prices & release date

Release date: April 2024
65-inch: $3,499 / £3,499 / AU$4,799
75-inch: $4,499 / £4,499 / AU$6,499
85-inch: $5,999 / £6,999 / AU$8.999

The Samsung QN800D is the entry-level 8K Neo QLED model for 2024 and sits below the flagship Samsung QN900D. It is available in 65-, 75- and 85-inch sizes and was released in April 2024.

Since its release, we have seen some offers and reductions on the QN800D in its various sizes. The 65-inch model I tested has seen roughly $200 off, with as much as £500 off in the UK for the 85-inch model, though it still carries a high price tag across the board.

Samsung QN800D review: Specs

Samsung QN800D review: Benchmark results

Samsung QN800D slim one connect box — The Slim One Connect Box handles all external connections to keep things tidy. (Image credit: Future)

Samsung QN800D review: Features

NQ8 AI Gen2 Processor with 8K AI Upscaling Pro
4.2.2-channel speaker array
One Connect Box

The Samsung QN800D uses the NQ8 AI Gen2 Processor, which boasts features such as 8K AI Upscaling Pro to upscale 4K images with up to 84% of the resolution of native 8K (according to Samsung). It also has Real Depth Enhancer Pro and Adaptive Picture, both of which use AI technology to analyze the picture and the surrounding environment to enhance images. The QN800D can display native 8K video, but there are no broadcast or home video 8K options outside of YouTube.

Like all Samsung TVs, the QN800D supports the HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG HDR formats, but not Dolby Vision.

For gaming, the QN800D is equipped with four HDMI 2.1 ports that support up to 165Hz refresh rate at 4K, 60Hz at 8K, VRR (including AMD FreeSync Premium Pro), ALLM and HGiG. It also features Samsung’s Gaming Hub that locates everything gaming-related in one handy location, including cloud-based gaming apps from Xbox, Luna, Nvidia GeForce Now and more.

The QN800D comes with the One Connect Box Slim, which houses all connections and links to the TV with a One Connect cable. This design keeps cables tidy, especially for wall-mount installations. Along with its four HDMI 2.1 ports, connections include optical digital audio out, an ATSC 3.0 tuner (US-only) and aerial and satellite connections for the UK, and three USB ports including USB-C.

For audio, the QN800D has a built-in 4.2.2 channel speaker array with 70W of power and support for Dolby Atmos. It also supports AI features such as Adaptive Sound Pro and Active Voice Amplifier Pro, which analyze the scene and viewing environment to optimize sound. The QN800D supports Q Symphony, which combines the TV’s audio output with compatible Samsung soundbars when connected.

The QN800D uses Samsung’s own Tizen smart TV platform, which appears largely unchanged for 2024 except for a new ‘recommended for you’ section that recommends movies and TV shows based on your past viewing. There is also a new 'Recent' window that lets you easily jump back into a movie or TV show you were recently watching.

Features score: 5 / 5

Samsung QN800D with gemstone on screen — The Samsung QN800D's 8K upscaling results in some incredible picture detail. (Image credit: Future)

Samsung QN800D review: Picture quality

Exceptional picture detail
Effective 8K upscaling
Minor reflections and backlight blooming

With he 65-inch QN800D’s picture presets in their default settings, peak brightness measured 1,045 nits measured on a 10% HDR window in Standard mode, and 1,126 nits in Filmmaker Mode.

Those results don't match up to the flagship Samsung QN900D, which clocked in at 1,979 nits on a 10% window in Filmmaker Mode when we tested it. It also isn’t as bright as the Samsung S95D QD-OLED, which gave a result of 1,868 nits peak brightness in Standard mode. But the QN800D did have excellent full-screen brightness results, measuring 626 and 528 nits in Standard and Filmmaker Mode respectively, and such high full-screen brightness makes it ideal for daytime viewing and sports.

When tested in our lab in varying lighting conditions, including harsh overhead lights, there were some mirror-like reflections on the QN800D’s screen, but they weren’t too distracting, and brighter images weren't an issue at all.

After cycling through picture presets, Filmmaker Mode was the most accurate. Standard will suit people looking for a brighter image, although textures don’t look as natural in that mode as in Filmmaker.

Upscaling on the QN800D is incredibly effective. Starting with broadcast TV viewing, in both standard (SD) and high-definition (HD), images looked crisp and clean. Even SD TV shows didn’t have the common fuzzy texture issue that regular LED TVs suffer from.

Moving onto a 4K stream of Star Wars: The Last Jedi on Disney Plus, the characters’ facial features were incredibly detailed, with Real Depth Enhancer Pro adding even greater refinement for a lifelike appearance. The throne room fight scene features lots of red tones and the QN800D displayed them in a bold, vibrant fashion, with lightsabers in particular taking on a shimmering brightness. When I measured the BT.2020 and UHDA-P3 color gamut coverage using Portrait Displays’ Calman software, it gave results of 69% and 94% respectively. Those numbers were lower than expected, but didn’t take away from the QN800D’s impressive color rendition.

Demo footage from the Spears & Munsil UHD Benchmark 4K Blu-ray disc revealed all the QN800D’s strengths. The outstanding level of detail demonstrated itself once again, with forest landscapes and sunsets on sea horizons looking incredibly realistic and animals appearing true to life. The 8K upscaling added an extra layer to these images that I’d seen so many times on 4K sets but importantly didn’t over-sharpen the textures for a fake-looking style.

Close-up studio images with fully black backgrounds demonstrated the QN800D’s superb contrast and black levels, with the bright objects well-balanced against the dark backgrounds. Some backlight blooming was visible, but it was minor. Scenes of a Ferris wheel and city skyscape at night also showcased the QN800D’s excellent local dimming, revealing only the slightest hint of backlight blooming once again.

Moving onto a 4K Blu-ray of The Batman, the QN800D displayed deep blacks and excellent shadow detail. In a scene where Batman walks down a gloomy hallway lit only by bright wall lamps, the QN800D kept the gloomy, grainy tone of the film while maintaining superb backlight control for spectacular contrast with only minor blooming. Once again, detail was impeccable with a close-up shot of Batman showing stubble I hadn’t noticed before on a 4K screen.

Motion handling on the QN800D was effective. Viewing the opening test flight sequence in Top Gun: Maverick, the long, panning shot that follows the Darkstar jet showed minimal judder even with motion controls turned off, although motion smoothing controls can be adjusted if you wish.

I decided to test the QN800D’s intelligence mode settings (its Adaptive Picture) which adjust brightness and color based on lighting conditions. In Optimized mode, I found that textures in Top Gun: Maverick were too sharp, taking away their natural look. An Eye Comfort mode adapts the color temperature based on the scene (cooler for bright, warmer for dark) to reduce eye strain, but unfortunately, this once again made textures too sharp. Thankfully these settings are switched off by default, allowing the more effective AI features to do their work.

Despite some backlight blooming and occasional screen reflections, the QN800D has an impressive picture overall, with outstanding detail, incredible 8K upscaling and spectacular color and contrast.

Picture quality score: 5 / 5

Samsung QN800D rear drivers — Part of the Samsung QN800D's 4.2.2 channel speaker configuration. (Image credit: Future)

Samsung QN800D review: Sound quality

4.2.2 channel speaker configuration
OTS+ (Object Tracking Sound Plus)
AI Adaptive Sound Pro

The QN800D has a 70W, 4.2.2 channel speaker system that supports Dolby Atmos. I found dialog to be clear across all sources, whether it was broadcast TV news or action-filled movie sequences. The TV’s Object Tracking Sound Plus feature is incredibly effective, with the sound closely following the action on screen. During the batmobile chase in The Batman, each screeching tire, explosion or crunch was naturally placed, and in Top Gun: Maverick, jets soaring in all directions were easy to follow.

Bass on the QN800D was solid enough, though it sounded thinner than the surround effects and dialog. Compared with other sets, there were only two sound presets: Standard and Amplify. Amplify provided the most accurate sound profile and was the mode I used for testing. In some instances, Atmos reproduction wasn’t the most effective, with the rain in the batmobile chase scene from The Batman being barely noticeable. In Top Gun: Maverick, however, there was a sense of spaciousness during any flight sequences.

The QN800D’s Adaptive Sound mode was more trebly and surround-focused, sacrificing the already lean bass. Adaptive Voice Pro as expected prioritized speech above all else and although effective in some scenarios, it wasn’t the best for movies.

Sound on the QN800D will be perfectly fine for most and is impressive in some areas, but this TV could benefit from one of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars to complement its fantastic picture quality.

Sound quality score: 4 / 5

Samsung QN800D stand — The Samsung QN800D's stand feels premium but might be tricky to install for some people. (Image credit: Future)

Samsung QN800D review: Design

Slim One Connect Box
Infinity slim design
Fiddly stand installation

The QN800D has a premium ‘Infinity One’ design, with a solid, silver, metal frame and a trim bezel that allows the picture to become the main focus without any borders. It also measures a razor-thin 0.7 inches (17.2mm) without its stand.

An external One Connect Box houses all inputs, with a single cable connecting to the QN800D. It's a good design that keeps cables from sources tidy and is especially useful for people looking to wall-mount.

The QN800D also comes with a weighty, black metal stand that feels suitably sturdy and gives the TV a floating appearance when viewed front on. However, it’s worth noting that the stand was very fiddly to install, with me and a colleague needing to hold the stand in place while trying to line up and tighten the screws. Make sure you have another person with you when installing this TV.

Samsung’s SolarCell remote draws power from surrounding light and can also be charged using USB-C, making it significantly more eco-friendly than remotes with disposable batteries. Although on the minimal side, with settings, volume and app shortcut buttons for Netflix, Disney Plus and Prime Video making up the majority of buttons, it should suit most people.

Design score: 4.5 / 5

Samsung QN800D with Tizen home page on screen — Tizen's 2024 version focuses on customization and personalization. (Image credit: Future)

Samsung QN800D review: Smart TV & menus

Tizen smart TV platform
Different portals for Gaming, Daily and more
Customization options

The QN800D uses Samsung’s Tizen system as a smart TV platform. Although its overall design remains largely unchanged from 2023, there have been updates for 2024.

The home menu is now split into three categories: For You, which bases recommendations on apps and viewing history; Live, showing live TV; and Apps, which displays your installed apps. Navigation is easy enough across any of these menus, but For You is likely to be the most used.

There are also several ‘portals’ that can be accessed, with each housing a different category. Daily+ aims to be a day-to-day portal, encompassing apps such as Samsung Health, workout tracking and a video calling app. There is also Ambient, for displaying artworks and images, and Gaming Hub for everything gaming.

There are plenty of picture settings to play with for those who like to tweak and experiment and these are all easily accessible, allowing for high levels of customization. A fair amount of sound settings are provided as well, but as stated above, Standard and Amplify are the only sound presets.

Smart TV & menus score: 4 / 5

Samsung QN800D with Battlefield V on screen — Gaming features and performance are incredibly strong on the Samsung QN800D. (Image credit: Future)

Samsung QN800D review: Gaming

Four HDMI 2.1 ports
Gaming Hub
Low 9.8ms input lag

The QN800D is equipped with all the gaming features you would need, including 4K 165Hz and 8K 60Hz refresh rate, VRR with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, and ALLM across all four HDMI 2.1 ports. The Gaming Hub portal houses everything gaming in one handy location, including links to popular live Twitch streams and cloud-based gaming apps including Xbox, Luna, Nvidia GeForce Now and more.

With Battlefield V on Xbox Series X, the gameplay felt incredibly smooth and free of any screen judder or tearing, and switching between targets in a vast landscape on a desert mission was seamless and easy. This is probably due in part to the QN800D’s ultra-low input lag, which I measured at 9.8ms using the Leo Bodnar HDMI 4K input lag tester – a number that rivals many of the best 120Hz TVs.

Graphically, the QN800D is extremely impressive. Using the same phenomenal 8K upscaling it does for movies, every detail in Battlefield V was amplified – the large desert landscapes took on a realistic look and the intricate details of the various weapons were more pronounced. The QN800D added depth to every aspect of the game, and I could adjust its game-related settings on the fly to enhance things even further by calling up the onscreen game menu.

Gaming score: 5 / 5

Samsung QN800D review: Value

Very pricey compared to 4K models
Unique 8K features
Limited 8K content

With the QN800D being an 8K TV (even a mid-range one by 8K standards) it unfortunately carries a high price tag. For the 65-inch model I tested, you’ll pay $3,499 / £3,499 / AU$4,799. To put that in perspective, you can buy the Samsung QN90D (Samsung’s upper mid-range 4K Neo QLED), which has many of the same gaming and smart features as the QN800D, in a 65-inch size for $2,699 / £2,399 / AU$3,995.

The QN800D does offer unique features compared to 4K models, most notably the 8K AI upscaling and the NQ8 Gen2 AI Processor. However, there are no real 8K sources outside of YouTube to make use of the QN800D’s native 8K display But if you can stretch your budget to make use of the 8K upscaling and processing chops the QN800D provides, I’d recommend it. Just keep in mind that you can buy a mid-range 4K OLED TV such as Samsung’s own S90C and one of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars for a good deal less.

Value score: 3.5 / 5

Samsung QN800D with reptile on screen — The Samsung QN800D shows off its spectacular contrast and image detail. (Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Samsung QN800D?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider...

Samsung QN800D with testing equipment attached — (Image credit: Future)

How I tested the Samsung QN800D

Tested in lab with varying light conditions
Tested using a variety of SDR and HDR sources
Measurements made using Portrait Displays' Calman software

I tested the Samsung QN800D in our lab, which allows me to view in conditions including harsh overhead lighting, dimmed lighting, and pitch black to test a TV's handling of reflections and the effectiveness of its backlight.

After an initial run-in period with some casual viewing to determine the most accurate picture mode, I then tested the QN800D using standard and high-definition broadcast TV, 4K Blu-ray, and 4K streaming apps such as Disney Plus and Prime Video, using reference scenes from TV shows and movies that I regularly use fo testing.

To test the QN800D's picture, I looked at contrast, color, brightness, backlight control, and motion. I also evaluated its sound quality, checking for object placement, speech clarity, bass levels and virtual surround sound delivery.

For objective testing, I used specialized equipment including a test pattern generator, colorimeter and Portrait Displays' Calman calibration software. I tested the QN800D (like all TVs) for SDR and HDR brightness, grayscale and color accuracy, and color gamut coverage.

For gaming performance, I used an Xbox Series X to test gaming features, graphics and overall quality. I also measured the QN800D's input lag using the Leo Bodnar HDMI 4K Input lag tester.

For a more detailed breakdown, check how we test TVs at TechRadar at the link.

First reviewed: June 12, 2024
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LG QNED90T/LG QNED91T review: a feature-rich TV that suffers from mini-LED’s biggest flaw

9:00 pm | June 2, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Televisions | Tags: Dolby Vision, HDR, Star Wars, TV | Comments: Off

LG QNED90T/LG QNED91T review: Two minute review

The LG QNED91T, the company's flagship 4K model in its mini-LED ‘QNED’ range, is a TV with mixed performance. It’s stacked with smart and gaming features that will keep many people happy, but the picture and sound quality are inconsistent, succeeding in some areas, but failing in other crucial ones. It’s worth noting that in the US, this TV is called the LG QNED90 and comes with a pair of feet instead of a central pedestal stand.

Priced at $1,799 / £1,699 / AU$2,995 for the 65-inch version I tested, this is roughly in the same category as many other mini-LED sets of this size, meaning the QNED91T has plenty of competition.

Picture quality is the most inconsistent aspect of the QNED91T. It has fantastic picture detail and colors that stand out in brighter scenes, but poor backlight control results in blooming issues that are especially visible in darker scenes. Off-center viewing also results in faded contrast and even more obvious backlight blooming. Unfortunately, this keeps the QNED91T from fulfilling its true potential, falling short of some of the best TVs such as the Samsung QN90C, another mini-LED model.

Audio quality on the QNED91T is again mixed, with meaty bass and clear dialogue having to coexist with average virtual surround sound performance and an uneven sound balance. The TV’s AI Sound Pro mode can improve the balance but sacrifices bass performance in turn. Some may find the QNED91T’s built-in sound adequate, but most would benefit from adding one of the best soundbars.

Design-wise, LG took a simple approach with the QNED91T, favoring functionality over looks. Its bulky weight makes it feel reassuringly solid but adds a more old-school appearance. That’s not necessarily bad, but it’s something for those who place design high up in their list of requirements to bear in mind.

LG’s smart webOS smartTV platform continues to be one of the best. The version on the QNED91T, webOS 24, presents a sleek home menu with plenty of opportunities for customization and organization, and it’s both visually appealing and user-friendly. Not much has changed since last year’s webOS 23. There are new features such as an AI Chatbot and customizable profiles, though the latter feature is currently only available in the US.

The QNED91T is a great performer when it comes to gaming, and has all the gaming bells and whistles you could need. Gameplay is smooth and responsive in any situation. But the QNED91T is sadly held back from greatness by the same picture issues that plague it with movies and, despite valiant effort, won't find itself amongst the best 120Hz TVs.

Although it has some great features, the QNED91T's picture quality issues are hard to overlook. It thrives in some settings, but ultimately there’s too much inconsistency for the QNED91T to rank among the best TVs.

LG QNED91T with satellite on screen — The LG QNED91T has excellent picture detail. (Image credit: Future)

LG QNED90T/LG QNED91T review: Prices & release date

Released May 2024
65-inch: $1,799 / £1,699 / AU$2,995
75-inch: $2,399 / £2,499 / AU$3,995
86-inch: $3,299 / £3,799 / AU$5,445

The LG QNED91T (QNED90 2024 series in the US) is LG’s flagship 4K mini-LED model for 2024, with the LG QNED99 8K TV serving as the overall flagship. Available from May 2024, the LG QNED91T comes in three sizes: 65-, 75- and 86-inch. The LG QNED91T’s pricing puts it in competition with mini-LED TVs such as the Sony X95L (its 2023 flagship) and the Hisense U9N (its 2024 flagship).

We’ve already seen price drops as much as 20% on the QNED91T across multiple sites. Whether these discounts are permanent or will disappear remains to be seen.

LG QNED90T/LG QNED91T review: Specs

LG QNED90T/LG QNED91T review: Benchmark results

LG QNED91T connections panel — The LG QNED91T's connection panel, with four HDMI 2.1 ports (Image credit: Future)

LG QNED90T/LG QNED91T review: Features

Built-in with LG’s a8 AI Processor 4K
Mini-LED backlight with LG’s NanoCell layer
Dolby Vision support

Serving as the flagship QNED, which combines a mini-LED backlight with LG’s quantum dot NanoCell technology, the LG QNED91T aims to deliver bold brightness and color while maintaining good contrast – something it does with mixed results.

The QNED91T features LG’s a8 AI Processor, the same found in other 2024 models including the LG B4 and LG QNED87/85, that aims to emulate the performance of last year’s LG C3, particularly in terms of brightness – which it achieves.

The a8 AI Processor enables features for AI Picture Pro, including AI Super Upscaling and Dynamic Tone Mapping, and AI Sound Pro, including Virtual Surround and AI Clear Sound. It’s also responsible for AI Picture Wizard, which helps you create your preferred picture settings. This is done by choosing your favorite images from a group of different types such as bright landscape, sunset, nighttime and more, which Ai Picture Wizard uses to create your personalized setting.

For HDR, the QNED91T supports Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG formats, but not HDR10+.

The QNED91T is well stocked with gaming features, with four HDMI 2.1 ports supporting 4K 120Hz, VRR including AMD Freesync, and ALLM and HGiG support. It also features LG’s Game Optimizer, which activates the optimum settings for gaming and allows customization of gaming settings on the fly such as black level, genre and more.

Audio is provided by a 2.2 speaker system totaling 40W of power with support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. While it's not the most mind-blowing of speaker configurations, it provides sufficient punch and there are several preset sound modes including AI Sound Pro.

The QNED91T comes with the latest iteration of LG’s smart TV platform, webOS 24. While there haven’t been any major changes, the home page has been redesigned. It still has Quick Cards, which enable you to organize apps into categories such as Music, Sports, Games and more. It also supports all major apps including Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus as well as Freeview Play and its apps in the UK such as BBC iPlayer and ITVX.

New features in webOS 24 include an AI Chatbot assistant and the ability to create up to 10 profiles that store each user’s settings and personalized TV and movie recommendations. LG has also committed to five years’ worth of updates on select TVs, including the QNED91T, meaning the latest iteration of webOS will appear via a firmware update for the next five years.

Feautres score: 4.5 / 5

LG QNED91T with hot spring on screen — The LG QNED91T's colors and textures are highlights, though picture quality is inconsistent. (Image credit: Future)

LG QNED90T/LG QNED91T review: Picture quality

Excellent detail and bold colors
Backlight blooming issues
Limited viewing angle

The LG QNED91T faces much competition in the mini-LED TV category from the likes of Samsung, Sony, TCL and Hisense, with the latter two providing more budget-friendly options. Sadly, it falls short of some of its major rivals.

Mini-LED TVs tend to excel at brightness and the QNED91T on the surface has a bright picture, particularly when displaying HDR images. When I measured it on a 10% HDR white window, the results were 1,274 nits and 1,132 nits in Standard and Filmmaker Mode respectively. It also yielded 671 and 601 nits respectively in those modes when I measured a 100% full-screen HDR white window. Those are good numbers overall, but they fail to match the likes of the Samsung QN90C, Sony X95L and Hisense U8K.

After some casual viewing with both HD and 4K HDR sources and cycling through the various picture presets, I established that the most accurate picture mode was Filmmaker Mode, although Standard and Cinema are two alternatives that deliver a brighter image.

First starting with broadcast TV, the QNED91T did an effective job of upscaling, but lower-resolution pictures still had a comparatively fuzzy appearance. HD broadcast TV had cleaner textures overall with good contrast and color, and when viewed in Standard mode, a brighter look as well.

Moving onto 4K HDR movies with Filmmaker Mode’s default settings active, the QNED91T demonstrated excellent image detail in faces and clothing when watching Top Gun: Maverick. This impressive detail carried over to demo footage on the Spears & Munsil UHD Benchmark Blu-ray. Rocky landscapes and forests had refined edges and a good sense of depth. Studio shots of owls and lizards again showed realistic detail, with feathers and scales having a 3D-like quality.

The QNED91T also excelled when it came to color. Viewing the throne room lightsaber sequence in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, streamed through Disney Plus, the vibrant reds carried plenty of vivid punch and never looked overblown. Lightsabers took on a bold, glossy sheen that showcased the QNED91T’s HDR highlights. Turning back to Spears & Munsil, green trees and blue skies popped off the screen.

When measuring the QNED91T’s UHDA-P3 and BT.2020 color gamut coverage using Portrait Displays’ Calman calibration software, the QNED91T yielded 96% and 72.2% respectively. Those are both good results so it’s no surprise colors in 4K HDR programs looked good. Color accuracy Delta E values averaged out to 1.1 (we typically look for below 3) in Filmmaker Mode, which is an outstanding result.

When viewing both the opening Darkstar flight sequence in Top Gun: Maverick and the Batmobile chase sequence in The Batman, the QNED91T demonstrated excellent motion handling, even in Filmmaker Mode with all motion settings turned off. Quick panning shots and long left-to-right sequences showed little to no sign of judder or stutter and motion was incredibly smooth.

The Batman is also where the QNED91T started to show weaknesses in the picture department. Black levels were decent in some cases and contrast was rich enough, but when viewing dark scenes such as the first crime scene investigation, backlight blooming was very apparent. Lights in the darkened hallway had a clouding effect that changed the deep, black shadows to a dark gray.

Changing the Local Dimming, set to Low by default, to High in the TV’s Brightness settings reduced some backlight blooming issues. But this also resulted in some black crush, with objects in dark scenes such as the bat symbol on Batman’s chest in The Batman starting to disappear. Even then, some backlight blooming was still present.

An issue that some mini-LED TVs suffer from is poor viewing angles, although models such as the Samsung QN90C and Sony X95L have features to improve this. Unfortunately, viewing angles were an issue with the LG QNED91T. When viewed off-axis, backlight blooming, particularly in dark scenes, became apparent, with large, blocky squares of the backlight shining through at extreme angles. Contrast and color saturation also faded when the TV was viewed from off-center seats.

Finally, although I didn’t expect the LG to beat the Samsung S95D’s OLED Glare Free screen or the anti-reflection features of its more premium mini-LED sets, I expected the QNED91T to handle reflections better than it did. Under harsh lighting conditions in our testing lab, mirror-like reflections were an issue, which made darker scenes very difficult to see. And with the overhead lights dimmed, other light sources in the room were still reflected on the TV’s screen.

Picture quality score: 3.5 / 5

LG QNED91T with butterfly on screen — The LG QNED91T suffers from reflections, even when displaying bright HDR images. (Image credit: Future)

LG QNED90T/LG QNED91T review: Sound quality

Decent bass levels
Clear dialogue
Average virtual surround sound

With a 40W, 2.2 speaker configuration and Dolby Atmos/DTS support, the QNED91T has perfectly adequate built-in audio, though it lacks the sound prowess of rivals such as the Sony X95L. The QNED91T’s speakers may suit some, but generally one of the best soundbars would be an improvement.

I found Cinema with its warmer profile to be the best sound preset. The QNED91T displayed strong dialogue clarity across most movies and TV shows I watched, from broadcast TV to intense action movie sequences. During the chaotic Batmobile chase in The Batman, speech came through clearly despite loud background noise and a driving score.

Bass was another highlight, aided by the Cinema sound preset’s warm profile and the QNED91T’s deeper design. Even with the QNED91T’s relatively average power, the rumble of the Batmobile from The Batman and jets in Top Gun: Maverick had plenty of heft and weight.

Despite Dolby Atmos support, I found the QNED91t’s effects processing to be average. Some effects were present, such as screeching wheels in the Batmobile chase in the Batman but the pounding rain was missing altogether. And in Top Gun: Maverick, background effects from within the cockpit were lost behind the rumble of the engines.

With AI Sound Pro active, the overall volume and surround sound effects were heightened, but I found dialogue to be on the harsher side and bass reduced. While some may prefer this brightening of the mix, I preferred the Cinema sound preset.

Sound quality score: 3.5 / 5

LG QNED90T/LG QNED91T review: Design

LG QNED91T Stand — The LG QNED91T comes with reassuringly solid stand in the UK. (Image credit: Future)

Solid, central stand (on model tested in UK)
Chunkier than other TVs
Somewhat old-school, basic look

The QNED91T has somewhat of an old-school design, with a deeper-than-average body and matte gray appearance on the back that harks back to older LCD models. It isn’t the deepest TV on the market (look at the Panasonic MZ2000 for that) but it's still surprisingly chunky. The bezel is trim, however, giving the picture nearly the full scale of the screen.

With a central, metal stand (on the 65-inch version I tested in the UK), the QNED91T feels reassuringly solid and sturdy. However, it’s worth noting that this is a weighty TV at around 35 kg with the stand attached. In the US, the QNED90 comes with support feet and while I can’t comment on their appearance, the TV itself weighs in at 69.2 lbs with its feet attached.

Connections are housed in a rear panel and feature four HDMI 2.1 and three USB ports, optical digital audio, and an RF for broadcast and satellite TV. The QNED91 also has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capabilities as expected.

Like most LG TVs, the QNED91T comes with LG’s Magic Remote. This has a central wheel and arrows for scrolling and navigation, or its pointer can be used instead. It also has a built-in mic for voice control and quick access options for apps including Netflix and Prime Video.

Design score: 4 / 5

webOS 24 home page on LG QNED91T — webOS 24 has a tidier home screen menu and is still incredibly user-friendly. (Image credit: Future)

LG QNED90T/LG QNED91T review: Smart TV & menus

LG’s webOS 24 smart TV platform
Quick Cards for app organization
Home menu trimmed down from previous generation

The QNED91T features webOS 24, the latest iteration of LG’s smart TV platform. The home menu has been trimmed down and tidied compared to previous versions, with a smaller top banner allowing more space for apps and tailored recommendations. All in all, it’s a welcome redesign.

Carrying over last year’s Quick Cards, which lets apps be organized by category such as Music and Office, there is the introduction of a more refined Sports card and an an Accessibility feature. The Sports card features the useful My Team function that allows you to receive live updates, scores and recommended videos based on your chosen team from sports such as baseball, basketball, soccer, American football and more. Accessibility includes the AI Chatbot, which can be used to diagnose and solve technical issues such as ‘The screen is too dark’ or ‘The volume is too low’. I found it effective enough, brightening the screen when asked, but it did seem on the basic side.

LG's webOS 24 continues to be amongst the best smart TV platforms for settings and menus, with the Quick Menu providing an easy way to change important settings such as picture and sound modes without having to navigate away from the screen. There are also plenty of advanced adjustments for those who like to play with picture and sound settings.

Smart TV & menus: 4.5 / 5

LG QNED91T with Battlefield V on screen — Gaming performance on the LG QNED91T is good, but games suffer the same picture quality issues as movies. (Image credit: Future)

LG QNED90T/LG QNED91T review: Gaming

Four HDMI 2.1 ports
LG Game Optimizer
Picture still affected by backlight blooming

The QNED91T has a good stock of gaming features across its four HDMI 2.1 ports, including 4K 120Hz, VRR with AMD FreeSync support, ALLM and HGiG. LG’s Game Optimizer also provides the best settings for gaming and allows adjustment on the go using an easy to access and navigate menu.

Playing Battlefield V on Xbox Series X felt smooth and responsive on the QNED91T. When in graphically intense battle sequences or when quickly scoping across landscapes to spot enemies, I saw no signs of tearing, stuttering or judder. Setting the game genre to FPS on the Game Optimizer enhanced this further by smoothing out quick camera cuts.

When I measured the QNED91T’s input lag using the Leo Bodnar 4K HDMI input lag tester, it gave a result of 15ms at 4K 60Hz. Although still an acceptable result, that’s higher than what you typically find on the best gaming TVs.

For graphics, the QNED91T excelled and suffered in the same areas as it did with movies. Colors in brighter sequences were still vibrant and punchy, and textures were clear on every part of the weapon and surrounding environment. But backlight blooming was still an issue, and that meant night missions in Battlefield V took on a gray rather than a black tone, and lamps within a stealth mission had a halo around them that bled into the night sky overhead.

Gaming score: 4 / 5

LG magic remote 2024 — The LG QNED91T as always comes with LG's Magic Remote. (Image credit: Future)

LG QNED90T/LG QNED91T review: Value

Competitive mini-LED market
Good range of smart features
Inconsistent picture affects value

The QNED91T is priced at $1,799 / £1,699 / AU$2,995 for the 65-inch version I tested, though there are price reductions available (up to 20% off in some cases). At that price, there is plenty of new TV competition in 2024 such as the 65-inch Hisense U8N, which is priced at $1,499 / £1,799 / AU$2,795 (although we’ve seen it as low as $1,099 in the US). And there’s also the Samsung QN90D, though it's priced at a much more premium $2,699 / £2,699 / AU$3,995 for the 65-inch model.

Despite a good list of smart and gaming features, it’s tough to overlook that the QNED91T’s picture is similar to a budget TV due to its backlight blooming and viewing angle issues. It’s also tough to overlook that 2023 TVs such as the Hisense U8K and Sony X95L offer better performance and are available for less.

Value score: 3 / 5

LG QNED91T with ferries wheel on screen — The LG QNED91T's backlight blooming is more visible when the picture is viewed from an angle. (Image credit: Future)

Should you buy the LG QNED90T/91T?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider...

LG QNED91T with calman and testing equipment — The LG QNED91T with testing equipment, including Portrait Displays' Calman calibration software to record measurements. (Image credit: Future)

How I tested the LG QNED90T/LG QNED91T

Tested using SDR and HDR sources
Tested in a lab with varying lighting conditions
Measurements taken using Portrait Displays' Calman Calibration software

After some initial causal viewing, I determined the LG's Filmmaker Mode picture preset was the most accurate. I used this for my subjective testing and for measurements using specialized equipment.

For subjective testing, I viewed both lower-resolution and high-definition broadcast TV, and HDR sources such as 4K Blu-ray. I used reference scenes from several movies to test for black levels, contrast, color, motion and more. I also used these same reference scenes to test the QNED91T's built-in audio performance.

To test gaming performance, I used an Xbox Series X and used Battlefield V, looking for smoothness of gameplay while analyzing graphics quality. I also used a Leo Bodnar 4K HDMI Input Lag Tester to test the QNED91T's input lag.

For objective testing I used specialized equipment including a test pattern generator, colorimeter and Portrait Displays' Calman calibration software to record the results. I tested SDR and HDR brightness levels, color and grayscale accuracy and color gamut coverage.

For a more detailed breakdown, check out our guide on how we test TVs at TechRadar.

First reviewed: June 2024
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