Whether you’re playing native 4K content, or upscaling from HD or SD, the Q85R produces astonishing detail. The AI upscaling is particularly impressive, thanks, presumably, to its Quantum Processor 4K chip. Detail levels stay high, contrasts stay wide—and while the Samsung’s travails with motion become more readily apparent, it’s still one of the better performers this sort of money can buy. Yes, there’s a softening of the overall image, and some of the nuance and variation previously available from the color palette goes astray, but the QN85A is never less than watchable. Watchable’ is a relative term when it comes to upscaled content of a lesser standard, though. No one’s expecting miracles when watching a standard-definition 4:3 re-run of Only Fools and Horses but the Samsung’s Neo Quantum Processor 4K does throw in the towel somewhat—the images it comes up with are noisy, ill-defined and rough. It’s like an approximation of a television broadcast. It's a little cheap of Samsung to only include one HDMI 2.1 port, when the cheaper Sony X90J offers two, and the LG C1 includes four. But at least it's there.

QN95A Neo QLED 4K HDR Smart TV (2021) - Samsung uk 55” QN95A Neo QLED 4K HDR Smart TV (2021) - Samsung uk

The picture quality here (as long as you're not watching content of less than 1920x1080 resolution) is so impressive, it makes the relative weakness of the accompanying sound a moot point. These prices bring the QN85A into more-or-less direct competition with some of the best OLED TVs around. The likes of LG, Panasonic and Sony – to name but three – all offer a high-performance TV of this size for very similar money. Design Step down to some Full HD content and the QN85A proves a competent upscaler, even of thoroughly testing content, like the BBC One HD coverage of Wimbledon. This makes the QN85A an authentic option for wall-hanging, unlike the majority of its OLED rivals whose incredibly thin rear is often interrupted by a big bulge where all the electronic componentry is stashed.We’re getting used to what Mini-LED technology can bring to the LCD experience but we’re not blasé about it yet. Give the QN85A the best stuff to work with and it’s capable of deeply impressive results.

Samsung QN85A review (55QN85A): a QLED 4K TV with elite - T3

Should you decide against wall-hanging, though, the Samsung features a central foot on which to stand. This means you don’t need a surface as wide as the screen itself on which to place it. Plus, there’s space between the support and the bottom of the screen to position a soundbar (and, as we shall see, you might well want to give consideration to a soundbar sooner rather than later). Features The Samsung’s IPS panel offers decently wide viewing angles (good) and a little more reflectivity than is absolutely ideal (not quite so good). Take a bit of care with positioning, though—both of the screen and your position relative to it—and picture performance is admirable. In many respects, Samsung has done a decent job with the audio of the Q85R. The speakers produce a good sense of space – bullets zip accurately across a wide soundstage, bones crunch roughly where they should and there’s broadly good tonal balance – but this is not a market-leader for sound quality and you’d be wise to budget for a separate sound system.

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The well thought out Ambient 2.0 feature, which appears across the 2019 4K range, is a great way of making your TV less visible while you’re not using it. There are 50 preset images to choose from including a selection of lighting patterns, nature scenes, abstract oil paintings and other artwork.

Samsung uk 55” QN90A Neo QLED 4K HDR Smart TV - Samsung uk

The Samsung QN85A is a solid TV that looks great from wide angles and gets really bright, thanks to Mini LED inside.

Mini LED shows the way with the Samsung QN85A

To its credit, it’s never hard or coarse – even at volume, and it will go pretty loud by prevailing standards – but the sound it makes is insubstantial, and consequently quite strongly at odds with the pictures it produces.

Samsung QN85A review: a fantastic, bright Mini LED TV - TechRadar

It’s a testament to just how impressive the Tizen smart TV interface is that Samsung only needs to fiddle about with the minutiae of its performance to maintain its position as one of the very best around. Other brands (they know who they are) have had to make giant strides to deliver anything as logical, straightforward and user-friendly as the interface fitted to the Samsung QN85A. It’s a paradigm of good sense. Samsung talks a good game with the audio systems it’s fitted to its 2021 range of TVs, but these are the real headlines: the sound the QN85A makes relates to the pictures it delivers in the same way a rowing boat relates to a speedboat. Samsung has fitted the QN85A with its 4K Neo Quantum processor, which is more than capable of dealing with every HDR standard. But this is Samsung, so there’s no Dolby Vision HDR. With every day that passes, this seems a more wilful, more eccentric and more annoying decision – but Samsung is nothing if not bloodyminded. Once the sun's inclination drops in autumn, any light striking side-on causes a rainbow effect on the screen. As the sun continues to drop, the rainbow effect increases until in December it's 100% of the screen. Overall detail levels are extremely high, which only adds to the lifelike impression of the Samsung’s pictures. Edge definition is generally smooth, and when it’s required there’s a persuasive suggestion of depth of field available, too.Steer clear of the antique stuff, though, and the QE55QN85A is at the very least an enjoyable watch and at best pretty absorbing. Samsung QN85A review: audio performance Set-up is straightforward, thanks to similarly logical and concise menus, and while there’s a degree of fiddling needed to get motion-handling just right, the rest of the process doesn’t take long at all. Getting a workable picture takes moments, and getting a picture that’s satisfying on every level doesn’t take all that much longer. In case that wasn’t impressive enough, you can also program the smart remote as a universal controller for your 4K Blu-ray player, amp, soundbar or other peripherals. It covers a range of devices, automatically setting them up as part of the first-time installation.