Samsung QE65Q80D Review: Affordable QLED TV worth checking out

Samsung has a history of making the best TVs, and the Samsung Q80D QLED TV, a mid-range model, is a versatile TV across the board. It plays the latest HDR movies perfectly and also has all the data for a comfortable gaming experience.

The Samsung Q80D QLED TV also offers great value for money. It offers stunning picture quality thanks to a panel that uses quantum dots for excellent color volume and improved backlighting. However, the Q80D isn’t quite perfect when it comes to HDR support.

It doesn’t have Dolby Vision , but it does have HDR10 and HDR10+ to balance that out. Because the Q80D doesn’t use Mini-LED like some of its competitors, the Q80D suffers from slight blur in the brightest scenes. Despite these shortcomings, the Q80D has a number of positive aspects that make it a standout contender for the best mid-range QLED TV.

Compared to Mini-LED competitors from both TCL and Hisense, the Q80D holds its own thanks to its powerful speaker system, abundance of colors and a full-fledged gaming hub. All this gives it all-round performance over more budget TVs. In our Samsung QE65Q80D QLED 4K HDR review, we’ll look at the strengths and weaknesses of the Q80D series.

Samsung Q80D review

Design

When unpacking and assembling the Samsung QE65Q80D 65-inch QLED TV , you’ll want to enlist the help of at least one other person first, as the unit itself weighs nearly 23 kilograms. As you’d expect from a TV in this price range, the build quality is excellent.

Thin bezels frame the screen on three sides. The Samsung 65Q80D TV comes with a sleek stand located under the center of the screen. This stand is ideal for almost any surface. This means that you can place the TV on almost any furniture. It is also possible to hang it on the wall. To do this, you will need to buy a VESA 400 x 300 bracket (for a 65-inch diagonal).

Equipment

The Samsung Q80D QLED TV features an LCD panel that uses full-array local dimming, as well as a 4K Neural Quantum Processor for video upscaling and processing. The latter is certainly cutting-edge. However, the FALD local dimming screen is a bit behind in technology, as most other manufacturers have moved to Mini-LED backlighting in this price range.

Like all 2024 Samsung TVs, the Q80D runs on the Tizen 8 Smart TV interface. The operating system interface has a top bar designed for the user’s personal preferences in applications and logins. At the top of the main page, you can see an advertising feed.

While it’s not quite like Google TV, Tizen still gets the job done. There are some minor annoyances in the OS. For example, some advanced picture settings are buried deep in the menus. On the other hand, Tizen is largely designed to meet the needs of most users.

This system also has many settings to optimize content management. The Samsung remote control has changed little compared to older models. It has a much smaller size. It is very easy to hold and also easy to lose. However, even though the remote is a bit smaller, it could use some upgrades.

Nowadays, switching channels is not as necessary as it used to be. The main thing is that the input button missing on the remote control for quick access to connected devices would greatly simplify navigation. The remote features buttons for instant access to Netflix, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video. There is also a button for Samsung TV Plus.

Sound quality

Even though the QE65Q80D QLED TV only has 40W of power in a 2.2-channel system, the sound quality of this TV at this price point is better than those that use a 2.0 system. Where most TVs might need to install soundbars, the Q80D doesn’t really need any extra power.

It also has Dolby Atmos support , which gives the sound extra bass and clarity where needed. Sound has never been a major issue with the Q80 series, which is good news. On the other hand, we are now talking about sound that has bass, not multi-channel sound. To achieve the latter, you will still need an additional solution in the form of a suitable soundbar or home theater system.

Image quality

Thanks to its high brightness, the Samsung Q80D TV does not lose its relevance. Peak brightness can reach 1000 nits. While this may be a little lower than other manufacturers using mini-LEDs, the Q80D still does a good job of dispersing reflections.

On the other hand, the Q80D’s peak brightness is higher than that of basic OLED TVs in SDR and HDR modes. This means it’s possible to place the Q80D in a room with plenty of ambient light. This can also be felt in the color accuracy. Classic animated films look stunning with 99% Rec.709 gamut coverage.

The main advantage of the Q80D is the HDR standards. However, without Dolby Vision support, the package of standards can be called incomplete. The device is capable of processing signals in the HDR10, HDR10+, HDR10+ Gaming, HLG, HDR10+ Adaptive formats. Unfortunately, the Q80D cannot compete with the high performance of its Mini-LED competitors.

The Q80D also lacks a bit of color when playing HDR content. However, Samsung’s premium QLED TVs are still very expensive. Unlike last year’s Samsung Q80C series , the Q80D features an IPS panel . This makes its contrast slightly worse than OLED TVs.

However, in addition to QLED technology, the device has Direct Full Array and Real Depth Enhancer technologies. Taken together, all these technologies produce a contrast ratio close to 1: 2000. This is far from the best result. However, this allows the black to remain truly black.

Game Mode

Samsung is one of the few manufacturers in the industry that gives gamers the keys to unlimited access to modern gaming technology. The convenient Game Hub is used to further enhance connected gaming consoles and PCs, and also provides access to cloud gaming services from Xbox Game Pass to Nvidia’s GeForce Now.

So, you don’t even need a gaming console or PC to enjoy fast-paced and immersive gaming. Even in HDR mode, despite the lack of Dolby Vision support, games on the Q80D are displayed without delay. Four HDMI 2.1 ports, as well as access to Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync, make this TV one of the best TVs for gaming.

Connections

In terms of ports, as just mentioned, the Samsung Q80D QLED TV has a total of four HDMI 2.1 inputs for unlimited gaming potential. With native refresh rates ranging from 40Hz to 120Hz, owners of the best gaming PCs can get the most out of it with gaming settings up to 120fps.

In addition, the Samsung QE65Q80D QLED TV also has two USB ports, one Ethernet port, digital optical audio output, TV antenna inputs and a CI+ 1.4 slot. Unfortunately, the Q80D doesn’t come with an ATSC 3.0 tuner for compatibility with NextGen TVs. Wireless connections include technologies such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth BT5.2.

Conclusion

Samsung QE65Q80D has everything a gamer could want, with FreeSync and G-Sync compatibility, as well as four HDMI 2.1 inputs with 9.6ms latency.

A gamer can’t go wrong with a Samsung with the Game Hub. High brightness and an anti-glare coating allow it to handle a lot of ambient light. In addition to its stellar gaming capabilities, the Q80D is also a powerful QLED screen for casual entertainment viewing and even listening to music.

Its 2.2-channel 40W speaker system will be quite impressive for most users. However, the lack of Dolby Vision and lack of Mini-LED backlighting may be a sore point for some. Admittedly, those looking for better HDR performance will find it in competing Mini-LED TVs like the TCL QM8 or Hisense U8KQ .

Q80D Specifications