The Samsung QN85B (LCD) is often significantly less expensive than the Sony A80K (OLED), offering a well-rounded experience suitable for gaming and viewing in bright rooms. However, its performance may be compromised in dark environments. Meanwhile, the Sony A80K (OLED), while more expensive, delivers superior image quality, particularly in dark rooms and for movie enthusiasts, along with better sound and viewing angles. Consider the Samsung if budget and bright room performance are priorities. Choose the Sony if you desire premium picture and sound quality, especially for movies in dim lighting. 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
Advantages of the Sony A80K (OLED)
Excellent for dark room
Excellent for movies & TV
Excellent for sports
Best in class for upscaling
Best in class motion processing
Excellent viewing angle
Key differences
Picture Quality
7.5/10
8.6/10
5.64/10
CONTRAST
10.00/10
7.5/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
7.4/10
miniLED FALD
PANEL TYPE
WOLED
IPS
PANEL SUB-TYPE
WBE
The Sony A80K (OLED) has very good picture quality, while the Samsung QN85B (LCD) has good picture quality.
Movies & TV
7.3/10
9.1/10
5.64/10
CONTRAST
10.00/10
5.7/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
10.0/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
HDR10+ SUPPORT
No
No
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
Yes
The Sony A80K (OLED) is excellent for movies & TV, while the Samsung QN85B (LCD) is good.
The Samsung QN85B's miniLED technology offers good contrast and local dimming which improves black uniformity, an important factor for watching movies and cinematic TV, but the Sony A80K's OLED screen delivers perfect blacks and superior contrast due to the individual pixel illumination, which vastly enhances viewing experience in dark scenes. While both provide very good colors out of the box and viewing angles, the Sony A80K stands out with its exceptional viewing angles and black uniformity, making it better suited for viewing cinematic content, especially in dark environments.
Sports
7.1/10
9.2/10
8.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
10.0/10
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
7.0/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
9.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.0/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
The Sony A80K (OLED) is excellent for sports, while the Samsung QN85B (LCD) is good.
The Sony A80K excels at watching sports because its OLED technology ensures excellent response time and motion processing, minimizing blur during fast action and enhancing the viewing experience from wide angles, though it may struggle with reflections more than the Samsung QN85B. The Samsung QN85B also performs well for sports with its very good motion processing and strong reflection handling, but its grey uniformity and viewing angles are not quite on par with the Sony A80K's, making the latter a superior choice for sports enthusiasts.
Gaming
8.2/10
8.8/10
8.0/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
9.4/10
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
7.0/10
8.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
10.0/10
70.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
100.0/100
9.0/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.0/10
The Sony A80K (OLED) and Samsung QN85B (LCD) are both very good for gaming, though the Sony A80K (OLED) is somewhat better.
The Samsung QN85B stands out for gaming due to its exceptional input lag performance, ensuring minimal delay between user input and on-screen action, and a very good response time which translates to fast-moving images being crisper. The Sony A80K, while it may not match the Samsung in input lag, offers an excellent response time and the benefit of OLED technology, which means near-instantaneous pixel response time for sharp images in fast-paced games.
News, Talk, & Other TV
8.2/10
8.9/10
9.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.0/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
The Sony A80K (OLED) and Samsung QN85B (LCD) are both very good for news, talk, & other TV, though the Sony A80K (OLED) is somewhat better.
The Samsung QN85B excels in upscaling lower resolution content and has very good SDR brightness, making it suitable for watching news and talk shows, especially in brighter rooms. In contrast, the Sony A80K offers superior colors right out of the box and better contrast due to its OLED panel, providing a more vibrant and immersive viewing experience for everyday TV programs.
Bright Room
9.2/10
7.0/10
7.5/10
VIEWING ANGLE
9.1/10
9.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.0/10
8.9/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
6.8/10
8.9/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
8.9/10
The Samsung QN85B (LCD) is excellent for bright room, while the Sony A80K (OLED) is good.
The Samsung QN85B (LCD) provides exceptional SDR & HDR brightness, aiding its performance in bright rooms, and handles reflections very well, making it an excellent choice for well-lit environments, while the Sony A80K (OLED) has good SDR brightness and deals with reflections just as effectively but has less impressive HDR brightness, which could make it less ideal for extremely bright rooms. Despite this, the Sony A80K offers deeper blacks and a wider color range due to its OLED technology, which can enhance picture quality, particularly in darker viewing situations.
Cost
$1,199
$1,698
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Samsung QN85B (LCD) has a price of $1,199 and the Sony A80K (OLED) costs $1,698.
The Sony A80K (OLED) and Samsung QN85B (LCD) are both very good for cartoons & animation.
The Samsung QN85B has colors that are considered good right out of the box and a color gamut that provides a very good range of colors, which makes animations look vibrant and appealing. On the other hand, the Sony A80K also has colors that are considered very good right out of the box and an equally very good color gamut, ensuring that cartoons are displayed with rich and accurate colors.
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How the Samsung QN85B (LCD) and the Sony A80K (OLED) compare to other TVs
"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."
"It’s a high-end TV through and through something that becomes clear the moment you glance at its stunning picture. The A80K’s surgically precise contrast control is likely the first thing you’ll notice about its picture ... every piece of content looks better when this amount of precision is available. Color accuracy is another strong suit; the A80K features fantastic out-of-the-box color accuracy in the Custom picture mode."
Get a great deal on the Samsung QN85B (LCD) or the Sony A80K (OLED)
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.
About Sony
Sony stands as a highly experienced and widely trusted TV manufacturer, earning a reputation that surpasses all others. A Japanese company, Sony has been making TVs for far longs than it has been making Playstation game consoles. Sony's high-end TVs are often regarded as the ultimate choice for videophiles, representing the epitome of quality, albeit at a premium price point. Renowned for their advanced and precise motion handling, as well as their cutting-edge local dimming algorithms, Sony consistently delivers unparalleled performance in these areas. They include Google TV software with all their TV sets, which grants access to the largest selection of apps available and they also include Bravia Core which is a movie streaming platform specifically for Sony TVs that offers higher picture quality by using more bandwidth.
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.
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