Verdict
The QE55Q80D may miss a few of the bells and whistle of Samsung ’s high-pitched - end telly , but it ’s still a bright mid - kitchen range choice .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
After being wowed by a run of first-class bounty Samsung 2024 Mini LED and Quantum Dot OLED TVs but then fleetly cow by the sorry state of our banking concern correspondence , it ’s in high spirits time for something rather more low-cost from Samsung ’s current chain .
To which cease the QE55Q80D seems the gross option , combining a still bright feature article numeration with a price that set it squarely in mid - range rather than premium territory .
Availability
The QE55Q80D launch in summertime 2024 across multiple ( but not all ) territories around the world . It ’s positioned at the top of Samsung ’s ‘ mass market place ’ TV range , with a price tatter of £ 1,199 in the UK and $ 1,099 in the US . The Q80D range is not show any availability in Australia .
The QE55Q80D ’s use of a normal LED lighting engine helps it sell for a tidy £ 500 / $ 700 less than Samsung ’s most low-priced 55 - inch Mini LED mannequin , the QE55QN90D.
Design
After the gleam , ultra - slender designs of Samsung ’s insurance premium TVs , I could n’t help but notice how comparatively chunky the QE55Q80D is . The material body around the screen is a little wider , and while the out sides of this frame do n’t stretch back much further than those of Samsung ’s premiumQN95D Mini go TVs , there ’s a reasonably substantial extra rear - end bulge that you do n’t get with the QN95D.
The bezel ’s lightheaded ash grey brushed alloy finish is attractive and grand , and it tie in handsomely with the conclusion apply to the centrally placed screen background base . The squat black rear panel savour a striking corrugate consequence , too , and there are channels rationalise into it into which you could tidily push all your seed and king cabling .
The back of the TV ’s desktop stand neck also clips on and off so that you could run your cables through it , rather than have them hang messily from the 55Q80D ’s bottom edge .
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The build quality of both the TV and its pedestal is excellent by mid - range TV monetary standard , and while the filmdom and stand do n’t bask the modern screwless localise up of some of Samsung ’s premium sets , the ruined article feel pleasingly unchanging and robust .
Features
The QE55Q80D is built around a FALD control panel chapeau uses a full array conduct transcription , where the LEDs light the TV are placed directly behind the screenland , and driven by a local dimming system that can independently contain the calorie-free output of different LED zones .
The LEDs in the QE55Q80D are not the tiny ones used in Samsung’sMini light-emitting diode tv set , so there are n’t as many of them gather into the 55 - in CRT screen . And the 55Q80D ’s local dim geographical zone count is a neat 100 , rather than the multiple hundreds used with Samsung ’s Mini light-emitting diode TVs . So of necessity the 55Q80D ca n’t deliver such all right luminance control as Samsung ’s prime minister LCD idiot box .
This is only to be expected yield the 55Q80D ’s relative affordability . And in any case , if there ’s one thing I ’ve find out from test huge numbers of lead TV over late years , it ’s that the cleverness of dim systems can actually be more significant than the raw number of dim zones at their disposal .
The 55Q80D use a VA 4 K LCD gore , which forecast well for its possible contrast performance , while its wide colour gamut is surrender by a Quantum Dot system rather than the more basic , less expressive erstwhile RGB filter glide path .
While the 55Q80D necessarily loses some of the agio feature article of Samsung ’s high - end LCD TVs , it does , surprisingly , retain the Neo Quantum 4 Gen 2 C.P.U. deployed by the step up models . As well as hopefully helping the 55Q80D get the most effective result out of its local dim scheme , I ’d have a bun in the oven to see this powerful , AI - beat back processor also having an impact on colouring , motility and , specially , the upscaling of sub-4 K sources .
The 55Q80D is exceedingly well join for a mid - range TV . In finicky , each of its four HDMI connections can handle the 4K/120Hz and variable refresh rate signals gamers are now looking for their TVs to address .
TheVRR supportincludes the AMD FreeSync ( but not official NVidia G - Sync ) system , while further strings to the 55Q80D ’s telling play bow include both a Gaming Hub expanse within its onscreen menus into which is compiled every gambling informant ( from streaming services to connected consoles and PCs ) , and a Game Bar fare that provides datum on the graphic feed and a ambit of game enhancement options .
While I ’m on the theme of gambling , I mensurate the 55Q80D Game modality ’s input lag at just 9.8ms with 60Hz feeds . This is one of the lowest public figure around – though stomach in judgement that the input lag growth by a few tens of millisecond if you activate the video ’s Game Motion Plus option , which can add mild motion smoothing processing to game with comparatively low-spirited and/or discrepant frame charge per unit .
Operating System
As with most Samsung TVs , the 55Q80D ships with two remote dominance : one measure , clit - arduous one , and one strip back smart one . The Smart one takes a little acquiring used to but will in all likelihood become the one you use the most – peculiarly as it a ) pack a solar panel so that you never have to interchange its batteries , and b ) run around a mic for activating the 55Q80D ’s unusually far - roam vocalism command arrangement . There ’s scarcely any part of the 55Q80D ’s features that you ca n’t adjust simply by verbally telling the television what you want to reach .
The voice realisation feature form part of Samsung ’s Tizen operating arrangement , which this year put up refining to its support for different user profile and the content it intelligently ( in the sense that the telecasting can learn from your viewing habits ) highlights on its home Sir Frederick Handley Page . The amount of depicted object available through Tizen is immense , too , covering all the principal worldwide and local streaming servicing I could guess of to fit block off the UK’sFreeview Playapp .
While the absence seizure of Freeview Play have in mind users ca n’t access catch up subject matter from the UK ’s main sublunar broadcaster within Freeview Play ’s umbrella app , each single spreader catch up inspection and repair is usable separately .
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The only veridical interruption in the 55Q80D ’s lineament list for a mid - range TV is its lack of documentation for theDolby Vision HDRformat . Samsung does n’t extend this on any of its TVs , though , always sticking instead with its ownHDR10+alternative format . Note that Dolby Vision masters will still recreate in the HDR10 gamy dynamic chain of mountains format on the 55Q80D.
Picture Quality
While the QE55Q80D ’s pictures inevitably do n’t hit the same empyrean pinnacle as those ofSamsung ’s in high spirits - end TVs , they still punch well above their mid - range weight .
One of the first thing that struck me as I put the 55Q80D through its pace with a mix of aboriginal 4 K and HD substance was how phenomenally sharp its pictures are . Despite its comparatively low 55 - in screen sizing by today ’s standards it give up a resolutely 4 kilobyte experience full of the photograph minutia , refinement and enhanced sensory faculty of profundity I ’ve add up to associate with the step up from HD .
country of exceedingly fine texture , moreover , such as brickwork or the pattern or weave in a well - made suit , are presented without any of the moire noise or excessive grittiness that could crop up on Samsung 4 K TVs in twenty-four hour period move by .
The sharpness holds up well when there ’s motion in the figure too . Actually too well when you ’re using the TV ’s Dynamic , Standard and Movie presets , thanks to these modes ’ use of an over - enthusiastic default motion processing system that leaves 24p cinema source looking unnatural and processed .
Fortunately Samsung let you customise its Picture Clarity / motion options , which I ’d suggest you do by selecting manual strength mount of three or four for the processing ’s separate judder and blur decrease components . Turning off the motion processing altogether with the 55Q80D ’s Movie andFilmmaker modepicture presets is a valid option for movie viewing too . I would recommend sticking with my suggested custom mode options for the Standard preset , as this mode ’s extra brightness can make judder more distracting .
The efforts of the 55Q80D ’s FALD panel as repel by the NQ4 Gen 2 mainframe are fantastic for a mid - range television . drab aspect unwrap black colours almost as profound and natural as those of Samsung ’s unspoilt high - end LCD modeling . Which also entail they sometimes dip into depth not far short of those achieved byOLED TVs .
These splendid black levels instantly make dark scenes face much more believable than they are on most likewise priced 55 - inch TVs . This impeccable black level response is achieve and maintained , too , without insidious shading details being mislay in the wickedness . This is peculiarly true with the Movie and Filmmaker mode presets , but even the punchy Standard preset retained enough dark detail in dark areas to stop them take care hollow or unreal .
This point to some excellent work by the local dim system – as does how seldom I noticed any significant light flower from around resist - out bright objects despite the screen only having 100 dimming zones . Just occasionally a nip contain a mix of very bright and very saturnine elements can see a touch smoky , and faint-hearted clouding can creep into the purportedly pitch smutty bars that frame subject matter filmed with a across-the-board than 16:9 aspect ratio .
rarely are these lilliputian backlight limitations strong enough to finger perturb ; in fact , if there ’s any ambient light in your room , you might not even register their universe .
more or less more noticeable is the way in its punchiest presets that the 55Q80D sometimes adjusts its baseline brightness level quite sharply during hard cuts between dark and shiny content . This does n’t happen often , and even when it does you do n’t usually sense strongly cognizant of it plainly because the 55Q80D is n’t as lustrous as most more premium LCD TVs .
That does not mean , that the 55Q80D has a brightness problem . In fact , its careful peak cleverness of just over 1000 nit ( depending on movie preset ) on both 10 % and 25 % of sieve area HDR trial run windows is high by mid - range TV standards . particularly in the context of a TV that ’s also capable of delivering the form of fantabulous black level I ’ve talked about .
The luminousness is certainly enough to ensure that bright highlighting of HDR images calculate fittingly intense . Even better , full - screen hopeful slam are much less compromised in luminance terminus than they are on even the skillful OLED TVs ( though those OLED TVs can , of trend , cater local contrast accuracy right down to real pixel layer ) .
Strong direct contrast and decent brightness ordinarily feast into a strong color public presentation , and so it proves with the 55Q80D. There ’s a lovely richness to comparatively primary tones that ’s devoid of the lividity or inconsistency link up with TVs that struggle for dividing line or deploy clumsy local dimming system . Outside of the Seth ’s overcooked Dynamic picture preset , though , even at their rich these bold colour import do n’t seem cartoonish or plasticky thanks to the deftness with which the screen limn subtle tonal shift and blends .
The only odd matter about the 55Q80D ’s people of colour is a faint salmony whole step that can creep into very bright pictorial matter country and some queerly strident pinkish pigmentation that occasionally render up in hopeful peel shade . This is peculiarly detectable out of the boxwood in the Standard preset , but is faintly obtrusive across really every mental picture mode .
luckily you may substantially reduce this issue simply by adding a little more green to the picture using the idiot box ’s shade adjustment . Or by graduate the TV using either the boob tube ’s built - in Smart Calibration feature in conjunction with your roving phone , or call in a professional calibrator .
Sound Quality
While not quite flashy or elbow room - fill enough to stand out as much as its pictures do , the 55Q80D ’s phone is still good for a mid - range TV .
It ’s at its best with Dolby Atmos soundtrack , with which it do to cast ambient and score movie commixture elements right smart beyond the filmdom ’s left and good sides , as well as call down up a sense of verticality despite the idiot box not carry any actual up - firing speaker .
The sentiency of meridian let the 55Q80D to place dissimilar soundtrack elements in dissimilar erect layers , helping them remain more distinct from each other . This layering effect also contributes to at least a dim sense of Atmos ’s vertical as well as horizontal healthy stage charms .
Despite its limited utterer count , the 55Q80D is equipped with a basic version of Samsung ’s Object Tracking Sound ( OTS ) system , where audio processing tries to make sounds appear to be coming from the correct part of the projection screen . While this is n’t as precise as the more premium OTS implementation found eminent up Samsung ’s TV range , it fills in the space between the wide audio phase extremes with plenty of involving contingent and general ‘ busyness ’ .
Bass is stage with enough depth and enthusiasm to make the audio palpate reasonably fulsome and cinematic without crackling or buzzing even under extreme pressure sensation , while all but the very shrillest soprano manage to forfend sounding thin and coarse .
articulation do n’t sound as attach to on - cover verbaliser as they do with Samsung ’s more advanced OTS organisation , but rarely does this gulf become really disorder unless you ’re sit unusually close to the covert .
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Should you buy it?
You want excellent picture quality and in advance gaming features at a much more low-priced damage than you need for Samsung ’s flagship TVs .
You ’re a Dolby Vision HDR fan , or you ’re not prepared to expend a little time tinkering with thing in the TV ’s menus .
Final Thoughts
While its brightness and colour limit leave you with an excuse to step up to the premium Mini chair and OLED TV globe if your bank counterbalance permits , the Samsung QE55Q80D is outstanding by mid - range TV monetary standard .
Its characterization are punchy , clean , sharp and capable to adapt to both dreary and shiny room catch conditions way better than most rivals , its gaming features baseborn many means more expensive TVs , and it sounds good enough to get you put buy a soundbar on the backburner .
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How we test
We test every television we review thoroughly over an extended period of time . We employ manufacture standard tests to equate feature film properly . We ’ll always tell you what we find . We never , ever , swallow money to critique a Cartesian product .
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FAQs
It support HDR10 , HLG and HDR10 + – but not Dolby Vision .
Where a TV such as the QE55Q80D identify itself as a QLED TV , it signify it employ Quantum Dots to make its colours rather than using the normally darker , smaller gamut RGB filter attack .
A proprietary Samsung engineering that uses audio processing to try and make sound effects appear to be coming from the right part of the cover .
