If you're looking for a high-quality picture and exceptional performance in both gaming and dark room settings, the Sony A95L is superior to the Samsung QN85B. It has better contrast, black uniformity, and viewing angles, making it excel in movie watching and providing a more immersive gaming experience. The sound quality is also rated higher on the Sony A95L.
However, the Samsung QN85B is typically much less expensive and performs well in bright rooms due to its higher SDR brightness. It has an impressive input lag score, which is important for gaming, and offers a very good gaming experience overall. The Samsung may also be a better pick if budget is a key consideration, as it comes at a midrange price.
Ultimately, the choice depends on what you value most: top-tier picture quality and performance at a higher price with the Sony A95L or a balance of good performance at a more accessible price with the Samsung QN85B. 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)
The Samsung QN85B (LCD) has no clear advantages over the Sony A95L (OLED).
Advantages of the Sony A95L (OLED)
Best in class for dark room
Best in class for gaming
Best in class for movies & TV
Best in class for sports
Best in class for news, talk, & other TV
Best in class for cartoons & animation
Best in class for use as monitor
Best in class for upscaling
Best in class motion processing
Best in class viewing angle
Best in class reflections
Key differences
Picture Quality
7.5/10
10.0/10
5.64/10
CONTRAST
10.00/10
7.5/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
9.3/10
miniLED FALD
PANEL TYPE
RGB OLED
IPS
PANEL SUB-TYPE
QD-OLED
The Sony A95L (OLED) has best in class picture quality, while the Samsung QN85B (LCD) has good picture quality.
Movies & TV
7.3/10
10.0/10
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 A95L (OLED) is best in class for movies & TV, while the Samsung QN85B (LCD) is good.
The Sony A95L is preferred for movies and cinematic TV because it has perfect black uniformity with OLED technology, excellent color volume, and wide viewing angles. In comparison, the Samsung QN85B, while offering good local dimming and contrast for an LCD TV, falls behind in black uniformity and viewing angles, which are very important for movie-watching experiences.
Sports
7.1/10
10.0/10
8.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
10.0/10
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
10.0/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
9.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.1/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
The Sony A95L (OLED) is best in class for sports, while the Samsung QN85B (LCD) is good.
The Sony A95L excels in motion processing and response time, making fast action in sports look smooth and immediate, which is complemented by its perfect viewing angles allowing clear views from various positions around the room. While the Samsung QN85B also performs well with rapid motion and has excellent reflection handling, its wider viewing angles are not as ideal as the Sony A95L, and its response time, although very good, is not as fast as the OLED’s.
Gaming
8.2/10
10.0/10
8.0/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
10.0/10
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
10.0/10
8.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
10.0/10
70.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
100.0/100
9.0/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.6/10
The Sony A95L (OLED) is best in class for gaming, while the Samsung QN85B (LCD) is very good.
Cartoons & Animation
8.0/10
10.0/10
7.2/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
10.0/10
7.5/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
9.3/10
9.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.1/10
7.9/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
9.5/10
7.2/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
9.8/10
The Sony A95L (OLED) is best in class for cartoons & animation, while the Samsung QN85B (LCD) is very good.
The Samsung QN85B (LCD) displays cartoons and animation with good colors straight out of the box and a solid color gamut, providing a vibrant and consistent picture. On the other hand, the Sony A95L (OLED) is considered the best for the same content due to its unsurpassed accuracy of colors out of the box and a wider color gamut along with excellent color volume, delivering exceptionally rich and true-to-life visuals.
News, Talk, & Other TV
8.2/10
10.0/10
9.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.1/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
10.0/10
The Sony A95L (OLED) is best in class for news, talk, & other TV, while the Samsung QN85B (LCD) is very good.
Cost
$1,199
$2,898
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
$5,000
The Samsung QN85B (LCD) has a price of $1,199 and the Sony A95L (OLED) costs $2,898.
The Samsung QN85B (LCD) and Sony A95L (OLED) are both excellent for bright room.
The Samsung QN85B displays excellent SDR brightness and very good HDR brightness, making it suited for bright rooms, while its very good reflections handling further enhances visibility in well-lit areas. Both TVs boast good color volume and gamut, important for vibrant and true-to-life pictures, although not as significant as their brightness and reflections performance.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Samsung QN85B (LCD) and the Sony A95L (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."
Get a great deal on the Samsung QN85B (LCD) or the Sony A95L (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.
By the numbers
385
TVs evaluated
33,110
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
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Jaime Roldán
TVs Expert
Jaime is a Colombia-based TV expert. He is an electronics engineer with 8 years of experience in the telecom sector and has been making TV recommendations for 12 years.