Samsung QN85C (QE65QN85C) Review

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Samsung's entry level Mini LED with a formidable spec and vibrant picture

Discerning console gamers looking for a premium living room TV will be well served by the Samsung QN85C. This 65-inch Mini LED model has dynamics to spare, and boasts an excellent bright room performance, although there are a few AI-caveats to be aware of…

The QN85C is the entry level Mini LED backlit Neo QLED model in Samsung's 2023 range. With a formidable specification and vibrant picture performance, it may well persuade you that QD-OLED is not the way forward after all.

Think of this Neo QLED as an everyday screen with specialist gaming functionality. All four HDMI inputs are 4K 120Hz ready, and there's support for HDR10+ Adaptive but not Dolby Vision.

The set also has a Dolby Atmos, OTS (Object Tracking Sound) immersive sound system built in. Smart functionality comes via Samsung's all-encompassing Tizen OS, and it doesn't miss a trick.

The QN85C is available now in choice of 55-, 65-, 75- and 85-inch screen sizes (QE55QN85C, QE65QN85C, QE75QN85C and QE85QN85C) priced at £1,599, £2,099, £3,599, and £4,699 respectively.

The same screen sizes are available in the US, priced $1499, $1999, $2499, and $3799.

I’m reviewing the 65-inch model here.

While the provision of the Mini LED backlight means the QN85C can't match edge-lit LCDs for thinness, this set still casts a slim shadow with a uniform 28mm depth. The bezel is minimal, with only a discrete logo breaking the line bottom right. The screen sits on a heavy metal central pedestal stand, and looks fine front on, although I would have liked some swivel in the stand.

While all four HDMI inputs support High Frame Rate sources, only HDMI 3 is eARC enabled. There's also an optical digital output, Ethernet, two USB ports and a CI card slot. Wireless connectivity covers Bluetooth and dual band Wi-Fi. There's a choice of terrestrial or dual satellite tuner feeds.

The QN85C comes with two remote controls, one a standard zapper, the other a simplified, slimmer stick. Both have dedicated buttons for Netflix, Prime Video, Samsung TV plus and Disney+.

As much a smart home hub as a streaming TV platform, the Tizen platform provides a plethora of features. There has been a slight redesign this season, with some downsized icons, but ease of navigation and versatility remain high.

The main home page comprises a single scrolling bar for streaming apps. Netflix, Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Disney+, Apple TV+, YouTube, All Four, My5 and Samsung TV Plus – they’re all here.

The left hand menu has tabs for Search, Ambient, Game and Media playback. You can also jump from here to any connected devices as well as the main Settings menu.

A dedicated Game Hub groups cloud gaming services, including Xbox Game Pass, Utomik and Twitch, and connected consoles together. There's also a UI overlay which features all the key game settings (accessed via a long press on the Play/Pause button), including input lag, VRR and HDR info.

The TV is also AMD FreeSync Premium Pro compatible and can be used with Nvidia G-Sync.

I measured input lag at an impressive 9.4ms (1080/60), in Game mode. With Game Motion Plus engaged, which retains some image enhancing processing, this drops to 25ms.

Image quality is akin to popping candy. Pictures are effortlessly dynamic and rainbow rich. The Quantum Mini LED backlight may lack the pixel precision of QD-OLED panels, but it doesn't suffer from overt halos, and the sheer vibrancy of hues is remarkable.

Overall image uniformity is generally good, and contrast is high.

I measured peak HDR brightness at 1096 nits with a 10 per cent measurement patch. That's enough to ensure specular highlights and bright reflections sparkle as intended, given most HDR TV content is mastered with a 1000 nit ceiling.

HDR support covers HDR10 and HDR10+, but Dolby Vision is notable by its absence. On a screen this bright, there's less of a price to be paid for the loss, compared to panels with lower brightness.

Doing the heavy picture lifting is the brand's Neural Quantum Processor 4K, which utilises AI techniques and twenty neural networks to automatically optimise images on a scene-by-scene basis.

An Intelligent Picture mode is available to manage brightness, contrast and fine detail, regardless of what you watch.

For the less trusting there are more traditional image presets: Standard, Eco, Movie, Filmmaker mode, and Dynamic. Standard was my preferred go-to; it's akin to keeping the volume level just out of clipping.

Local dimming is variable between Low, Standard or High. My advice is to stick with Low to ensure optimum contrast.

Black level performance is remarkably good. In a fully dark viewing room, letterbox bars are a solid black, there's none of that hazy greyness that traditionally defines LED screens. The letterbox bars on We have a Ghost (Netflix 4K HDR) are appropriately solid, and the movie's many dark house sequences largely retain coherent shadow detail, albeit with some low luminance clouding.

Where the panel really impresses is as a gaming display. Overwatch in 4K 120fps is buttery smooth and gloriously detailed. While game consoles automatically trigger Game mode, you’ll need to manually activate HDR in the Game Picture Expert settings (under Connection). My preference was to set Game HDR to On, and Basic. When left off, the average picture level is overly bright.

Motion handling is more a matter of taste. Image interpolation is powerful, but comes with consequences. When Picture Clarity is switched Off, pictures look cinematic but there is a price to be paid in judder. I eventually decided Auto was the best option. If you find the soap opera effect is bothersome, it's probably worth experimenting with the blur and judder sliders in Custom mode.

The set's audio performance is extremely good, especially given how discrete the drivers are. There are six channels at play here, two of which are placed top rear.

The set paints a large soundstage and demonstrates a good deal of front soundstage panning. The OTS (Object Tracking Sound) audio presentation is busy without sounding cacophonous.

While the aforementioned Intelligent Mode will serve most viewers well when it comes to image quality, there are issues with AI audio, which is deliberately dialogue focused, and the Amplify sound setting is particularly strident. I much preferred AI Audio switched off.

It offers great value: The QN85C is a lot of telly for the money. It's ideal for bright room viewing, and has excellent gaming functionality, thanks to those 4K 120Hz HDMI inputs and dedicated Game Hub UI.

If you want Dolby Vision: Samsung doesn't bow at the altar of Dolby Vision, so if you’re intent on getting a TV that supports that HDR format, its best to look elsewhere.

The QN85C is an eye-catching addition to Samsung's Mini LED fleet, which doesn't appear to sacrifice much to earn its entry-level status. Image quality impresses, with bold contrast, excellent colour vibrancy. The Neural Quantum Processor does a great job up scaling lower res sources to 4k.

Couple this to a powerful smart platform, with no shortage of streaming apps or Samsung TV Plus IP TV channels, plus a dedicated Game Hub, and you have an all-round package that makes more expensive models look like an unnecessary indulgence.

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The main difference between QLED and Neo QLED is that the latter has a Mini LED backlight. This is filled with hundreds, if not thousands, of small LEDs that offer finer control over brightness and black levels than you would get from a Samsung QLED model.

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Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.

Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.

Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.

We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.