The Samsung QN85B has a higher price but offers better performance in bright rooms and for sports content, making it suitable if you often watch TV in well-lit spaces or enjoy fast-paced sports. It also has somewhat better gaming features, so if gaming is a priority, this might be a factor to consider.
On the other hand, the TCL Q7 is less expensive and offers better dark room performance, which means it might be a better choice if you mostly watch movies or series in dimmer environments. It also has better color accuracy right out of the box.
Both TVs have various HDR support and HDMI ports, but neither option includes great built-in speakers. If audio quality is important to you, you might consider investing in an external sound system for either TV. 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 sports
Very good for news, talk, & other TV
Very good for cartoons & animation
Very good for use as monitor
Good for upscaling
Very good motion processing
Good viewing angle
Very good reflections
Advantages of the TCL Q7 (LCD)
The TCL Q7 (LCD) has no clear advantages over the Samsung QN85B (LCD).
Key differences
Sports
7.1/10
6.4/10
8.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
7.3/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
4.8/10
9.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.6/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
The Samsung QN85B (LCD) is good for sports, while the TCL Q7 (LCD) is only fair.
The Samsung QN85B is better for watching sports due to its superior motion processing and handling of reflections, which enhances the viewing experience with clearer images and fewer distractions from light sources. In contrast, the TCL Q7 struggles more with motion handling and is more affected by reflections, which can be problematic when watching fast-paced sports or in brightly lit environments.
News, Talk, & Other TV
8.2/10
6.3/10
9.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.6/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
4.8/10
The Samsung QN85B (LCD) is very good for news, talk, & other TV, while the TCL Q7 (LCD) is only fair.
The Samsung QN85B delivers better performance for watching news and talk shows due to its superior upscaling capabilities and very good SDR brightness, which are both crucial for clear image quality and visibility in varied lighting conditions. In comparison, the TCL Q7 has lower performance in upscaling and SDR brightness, which can result in less crisp content and dimmer images that may not stand out as well in bright rooms.
Bright Room
9.2/10
7.6/10
7.5/10
VIEWING ANGLE
5.2/10
9.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.6/10
8.9/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.6/10
8.9/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
5.9/10
The Samsung QN85B (LCD) is excellent for bright room, while the TCL Q7 (LCD) is good.
The Samsung QN85B is better suited for bright rooms due to its excellent SDR and very good HDR brightness, combined with very good reflections handling, whereas the TCL Q7, though offering very good SDR and good HDR brightness, falls short with poor reflections handling. Additionally, while both the contrast and color performance are important for picture quality, the superior brightness and reflections handling of the Samsung QN85B make it the preferred choice in well-lit environments.
Cost
$2,398
$2,200
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Samsung QN85B (LCD) has a price of $2,398 and the TCL Q7 (LCD) costs $2,200.
The TCL Q7 (LCD) and Samsung QN85B (LCD) both have good picture quality.
Movies & TV
7.3/10
7.7/10
5.64/10
CONTRAST
7.88/10
5.7/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
8.7/10
7.5/10
UPSCALING
4.8/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
HDR10+ SUPPORT
Yes
No
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
Yes
The TCL Q7 (LCD) and Samsung QN85B (LCD) are both good for movies & TV.
The Samsung QN85B is favored for watching movies and cinematic TV due to its excellent SDR brightness and very good local dimming feature, which enhance contrast and preserve detail in dark scenes; however, its black uniformity is inferior to the TCL Q7, which boasts exceptional black uniformity lending to a more consistent overall picture. The TCL Q7 also stands out with its superior contrast, but it is let down by poorer viewing angles and gray uniformity compared to the Samsung QN85B, which might affect the clarity of the image when watching from an angle or in scenes with uniform colors.
Gaming
8.2/10
8.2/10
8.0/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
8.0/10
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
7.3/10
8.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
4.6/10
70.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
90.0/100
9.0/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.2/10
The Samsung QN85B (LCD) and TCL Q7 (LCD) are both very good for gaming.
The Samsung QN85B (LCD) and TCL Q7 (LCD) both have very good input lag and response time, making them suitable for gaming where quick reflex actions are crucial. Additionally, both TVs support a high refresh rate, ensuring smooth gameplay without motion blur, enhancing the gaming experience even during fast-paced scenes.
Cartoons & Animation
8.0/10
7.8/10
7.2/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
7.6/10
7.5/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
7.5/10
9.3/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.6/10
7.9/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
6.5/10
7.2/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
7.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Samsung QN85B (LCD) to be very good for cartoons & animation, while the TCL Q7 (LCD) is good.
The Samsung QN85B is particularly suitable for cartoons because it features vibrant colors right out of the box and has a wide color gamut which is crucial for animated content, whereas the TCL Q7 offers slightly less impressive colors out of the box but still provides a good color gamut. Additionally, the Samsung has a mini LED backlight which helps to make those colors pop even in a well-lit room, while the TCL's traditional LED backlight may not be as bright, but it offers excellent contrast that can enhance the depth of images..
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How the Samsung QN85B (LCD) and the TCL Q7 (LCD) 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 TCL Q7 (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.
About TCL
TCL, the highly recognizable TV brand from China, has firmly established itself as the second-largest manufacturer in terms of sales volume. Renowned for striking an impressive balance between affordability, picture quality, and design, TCL TVs deliver a compelling overall package. While they have traditionally excelled in the low-end and midrange TV segments, TCL has recently made remarkable strides in the realm of high-end televisions, introducing impressive models that rival top competitors. Most TCL TVs use Roku software which is very user friendly and easy to use, but they have a few other models that use Google TV which has the largest app selection, but is not as user friendly as Roku.
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
131,430
Recommendations made
19,715
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.