If you're looking for superior gaming performance and can afford a higher price, the Samsung QN85B is the better choice with its 120Hz refresh rate and better gaming features. Its bright room performance is also superior, making it a good fit for well-lit environments. However, if you're on a tighter budget and watch a lot of movies or sports, the Samsung AU8000 provides decent performance for its price, though it won't be as bright nor as capable for gaming. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Samsung QN85B (LCD)
Excellent for bright room
Good for dark room
Very good for gaming
Good for movies & TV
Good for sports
Very good for news, talk, & other TV
Very good for cartoons & animation
Very good for use as monitor
Very good motion processing
Good viewing angle
Very good reflections
Advantages of the Samsung AU8000 (LCD)
The Samsung AU8000 (LCD) has no clear advantages over the Samsung QN85B (LCD).
Key differences
Picture Quality
7.5/10
6.6/10
5.64/10
CONTRAST
6.71/10
7.5/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
6.3/10
miniLED FALD
PANEL TYPE
LED
IPS
PANEL SUB-TYPE
VA
The Samsung QN85B (LCD) has good picture quality, while the Samsung AU8000 (LCD) has only fair picture quality.
Movies & TV
7.3/10
5.9/10
5.64/10
CONTRAST
6.71/10
5.7/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
6.9/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
7.5/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
HDR10+ SUPPORT
Yes
No
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
No
The Samsung QN85B (LCD) is good for movies & TV, while the Samsung AU8000 (LCD) is poor.
The Samsung QN85B provides an overall superior experience for movies and cinematic TV with its excellent contrast, effective local dimming, and very good black uniformity, which are crucial for deep blacks and high picture quality. In contrast, the Samsung AU8000 struggles with these aspects, showing fair contrast without local dimming and with poor black uniformity, leading to a less immersive viewing experience.
Sports
7.1/10
6.5/10
8.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
6.0/10
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
10.0/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
7.5/10
9.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.1/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
The Samsung QN85B (LCD) is good for sports, while the Samsung AU8000 (LCD) is only fair.
The Samsung QN85B is better for watching sports due to its superior motion processing and response time, which result in smoother action, and its very good handling of reflections, which maintains clarity in different lighting conditions. Conversely, the Samsung AU8000 has poorer performance in these areas, with only fair motion processing and poor response time, resulting in less fluid movement and potential for blur during fast action, which could be distracting when watching sports.
Gaming
8.2/10
5.8/10
8.0/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
5.9/10
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
10.0/10
8.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
6.0/10
70.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
0.0/100
9.0/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.8/10
The Samsung QN85B (LCD) is very good for gaming, while the Samsung AU8000 (LCD) is poor.
The Samsung QN85B offers a very good response time for gaming, which means on-screen action is displayed more quickly and clearly, and has extremely low input lag which is ideal for responsive gameplay. In contrast, the Samsung AU8000 has a poorer response time, leading to more blur during fast-moving games, and while its input lag is also low, its overall performance is less optimized for gaming compared to the QN85B.
Cartoons & Animation
8.0/10
6.9/10
7.2/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
6.1/10
7.5/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
6.3/10
9.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.1/10
7.9/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
7.2/10
7.2/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
6.8/10
The Samsung QN85B (LCD) is very good for cartoons & animation, while the Samsung AU8000 (LCD) is only fair.
The Samsung QN85B is superior for watching cartoons and animations due to its better performance in displaying colors straight out of the box and a more capable color gamut, ensuring vibrant and diverse colors in animated content. In comparison, while the Samsung AU8000 is still decent, it falls short in these areas, leading to less accurate and less varied colors, which can affect the overall viewing experience for colorful and dynamic animations.
News, Talk, & Other TV
8.2/10
6.7/10
9.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.1/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
7.5/10
The Samsung QN85B (LCD) is very good for news, talk, & other TV, while the Samsung AU8000 (LCD) is only fair.
The Samsung QN85B offers excellent SDR brightness and good upscaling, which makes it very suitable for watching news, talk shows, and TV programs, providing clear images with vivid colors even in bright rooms. In contrast, while the Samsung AU8000 also offers good upscaling, its overall performance is not as strong due to only fair colors out of the box and the absence of local dimming, leading to less impressive picture quality for such programs.
Bright Room
9.2/10
6.3/10
7.5/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.5/10
9.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.1/10
8.9/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
5.7/10
8.9/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
7.8/10
The Samsung QN85B (LCD) is excellent for bright room, while the Samsung AU8000 (LCD) is only fair.
The Samsung QN85B outperforms the Samsung AU8000 in bright room conditions because it has excellent SDR and HDR brightness levels and very good reflection handling, as opposed to the AU8000 which is good for SDR brightness and only good in reflection handling. Additionally, the better contrast, color volume, and color gamut of the QN85B contribute to its superior performance in well-lit environments.
Cost
$1,199
$648
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Samsung QN85B (LCD) has a price of $1,199 and the Samsung AU8000 (LCD) costs $648.
"Particularly key to this is the fact that black levels are unusually good, on a level we haven’t seen from any IPS TV before. Build quality is impressive too, with a gleaming silver metallic frame and stand, and enough heft to suggest plenty of quality innards. High dynamic range content jumps off the screen with enough luminosity and intensity to really sell what makes HDR special."
"To put it directly: you’d never see a mid-range 4K TV hitting this black levels half a decade ago. AU8000 plays the part of a higher-end TV thanks to its sleek design. If you’re upgrading to a smart TV for the first time, the software is a great way to dip your toes in the streaming water."
Get a great deal on the Samsung QN85B (LCD) or the Samsung AU8000 (LCD)
About Samsung
Samsung, a South Korean electronics manufacturer, holds the title of being the largest global TV vendor in terms of units sold. They offer a diverse lineup of TV products that cater to various budget ranges. A notable achievement in recent years is the development of Quantum Dots, a technology that enhances color reproduction, resulting in richer and more vibrant hues. Samsung TVs are well-regarded for their high manufacturing quality and user-friendly software, making them an excellent choice for consumers seeking an intuitive viewing experience.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec TVs team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest TV information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
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TVs evaluated
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TVs stats compiled
21
Proprietary TVs ratings developed
122,430
Recommendations made
18,365
Consumer hours saved
About the TV team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and TVs Editor
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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TVs Expert
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