Samsung Q80A TV is extremely disappointing and terrible

[khtannnnnnnnnn]

A decent TV for groups and gamers, but not so hot on movie night.

This year’s Q80A uses an IPS-style LCD panel—technically ADS, but it's an IPS variant—meaning it doesn’t have the best black levels. For a lot of videophiles, that’s a deal-breaker. While IPS (in-plane switching) LCD variants foster good color and wider-than-average viewing angles compared to VA (vertical alignment) style panels, they can’t block light as well, making for issues like backlight bleed, bloom, flashlighting, and poor contrast.

So while the Q80A may be kitted out with many of the stellar features and design details we loved while reviewing the flagship QN90A, it’s a little too expensive (per size) for a TV that won’t look great in a dim or dark viewing environment. If you want the Samsung look and features with stellar picture quality, you might need to shop Samsung's higher-tier TVs. If you just want great 4K/HDR picture quality and don't mind a plainer, less feature-stuffed TV, TCL and Vizio both offer good alternatives.

Editor's note: Due to COVID-19 considerations, this review leans heavily on testing data in lieu of hands-on time with the TV.

About the Samsung Q80A Series

This year, Samsung’s Q80A series is available in a moderate range of larger screen sizes:

• 55-inch (Samsung QN55Q80A), MSRP $1,299.99
• 65-inch (Samsung QN65Q80A), MSRP $1,699.99
• 75-inch (Samsung QN75Q80A), MSRP $2,599.99
• 85-inch (Samsung QN85Q80A), MSRP $3,699.99

As noted above, these TVs aren’t relatively pricy: $1,300 for a 55-inch TV is nothing to sneeze at, but part of what you’re paying for here is the sheer amount of features. Here are the important specs for the Q80A series:

• Resolution: 4K (3,840 x 2,160)
• Display type: QLED (quantum dot + direct full array backlight)
• Dimming technology: Supreme UHD Dimming
• HDR support: HDR10, HDR10+, HLG
• eARC support: Yes
• Native refresh rate: 120Hz
• Smart platform: Tizen Smart TV
• Color: DCI-P3 color space/10-bit chroma resolution
• Processor: Quantum Processor 4K
• HDMI 2.1-compatible: Yes
• Other features: Object Tracking Sound (OTS), Adaptive Picture, Q-Symphony, SpaceFit Sound, Active Voice Amplifier (AVA), Motion Xcelerator Turbo+, Super UltraWide GameView, Game Bar, FreeSync Premium Pro, PC on TV, Multi View, Tap View, Bixby/Amazon Alexa/Google Assistant, Samsung TV Plus, Samsung Health

Samsung didn’t skimp on features for this TV: you’re getting picture upgrades like quantum dot color and 120Hz refresh rates, an HDMI 2.1-compatible input, and almost as many extras and features as you’ll find on the flagship Q90A. Features and design elements are identical regardless of which size you buy, and because every TV in the Q80A series has the same quantum dot color and full-array LED backlight, we expect picture quality to be very similar between sizes.

For this review, we tested a 55-inch Q80A purchased online from Amazon.

Performance Data

We test TVs in a light-controlled lab at our HQ in Cambridge, MA, but beforehand, we assemble it and run a moving test pattern on the screen for a minimum of 24 hours, which gives it time to warm up and settle into continuous operation.

The performance data below is gathered during our suite of test procedures, most of which rely on objective lab data gathered via light-measuring meters aimed at the screen during test patterns. Currently, we use different meters to measure luminance (black/white data) and color, but both utilize the QuantumData 780a signal generator to provide 4K test patterns to the TV. We use SpectraCal’s CalMan Ultimate software to tabulate test patterns and perform measurement sweeps.

For the Samsung Q80A, we took SDR and HDR measurements in the “Movie” picture mode. Here are the key takeaways from the testing process:

• HDR checkerboard contrast (reference black level/brightness): 0.39 / 588.30 nits
• SDR checkerboard contrast (reference black level/brightness): 0.188 / 268.50 nits
• HDR peak brightness (sustained): 913.60 nits
• HDR (DCI-P3) color gamut coverage: 89.1%
• SDR (rec.709) color gamut coverage: 99.1%

[MangoTango]

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