Because of its massive current value minimize and a largely wonderful image efficiency that sells the benefits of 8K even on a 65-inch display screen, the Samsung QE65Q800T instantly and impressively brings the 8K future into one thing not less than approaching the mainstream.
Professionals
- Vivid, sharp 8K footage with spectacular black ranges
- Highly effective, impressively detailed audio
- Good worth for an 8K TV
Cons
- Heavy dimming of stand-out vivid objects
- No Dolby Imaginative and prescient help
- Recreation mode reduces backlight controls
Key specs
- 65-inch QLED LCD TV
- Native 8K decision
- 4K/120Hz help
- OTS+ audio system
- Full array LED panel with native dimming
The Samsung Q800T (QE65Q800T) is an 8K TV for a 4K value. Effectively, type of; at £2,999 the 4K TV within the equation must be a fairly premium affair.
However the level does stand, making the QE65Q800T fairly a landmark on 8K’s street to mainstream acceptance. Particularly because the QE65Q800T’s affordability doesn’t cease its efficiency from making one other convincing case for 8K’s nascent charms.
Value and availability
The Samsung Q800T 8K TV is on the market in 65-, 75- and 82-inch choices and on the time of overview had an RRP of £2999/$3499/€3800/CAD$4999/AUD$5999.
Within the UK its costs has dropped additional forward of the most recent TV vary from Samsung, with costs hitting £1999.
Design
- Barely noticeable body
- No One Join field
- Pretty chunky rear panel
The very first thing I seen in regards to the Samsung Q800T’s design was one thing it doesn’t have: one of many exterior One Join packing containers that often accompany premium Samsung TVs. Whereas this clearly means the QE65Q800T will doubtlessly have plenty of cables spewing out of it, although, it’s nonetheless a very good wanting hunk of TV.
The angled again, stable steel stand appears to be like cool and, because it’s centrally mounted, allows you to place the 65-inch display screen on a comparatively slender little bit of furnishings. The body across the display screen is so slender you barely discover it – aside from whenever you’re marveling at how slender it’s!
The set is pretty chunky around the again. A outcome, almost certainly, of its makes use of of direct LED lighting, the place the LEDs sit proper behind the display screen. But it surely truly makes a design advantage out of its depth by making the rear as flat because the display screen is.
The QE65Q800T ships with two remotes: a regular plastic, button-filled one, and a a lot sleeker metallic sensible distant with a voice mic and a stripped down button rely. Each are efficient in their very own alternative ways.
Options
- New energy administration system for FALD panel
- Claimed 2000 nits for HDR
- Can deal with 4K@120Hz/8K@60Hz
The Samsung Q800T’s headline grabbing function is its 8K decision. Some nonetheless see this as an answer to an issue that doesn’t exist on condition that native 8K video content material continues to be as uncommon as hen’s enamel. However there’s not less than rising discuss of 8K content material coming and, extra importantly proper now, the QE65Q800T deploys new AI/deep studying methods that permit it upscale sub-8K content material in order that it doesn’t simply look nearly as good as native 4K, however truly higher.
The QE65Q800T is an LCD TV that makes use of Samsung’s QLED Quantum Dot color expertise to ship a large color gamut and extra brightness. It carries a Full Array with Native Dimming (FALD) panel that makes use of 224 separate dimming zones.
Whereas this variety of dimming zones is spectacular within the context of the TV world at giant, Samsung’s earlier 8K TVs – and former flagship 4K TVs – have used greater than twice as many.
Compensation for the lowered zone rely comes within the type of a brand new energy administration system that may shift energy from darkish areas (making them darker), and pump it into vivid areas (making them brighter). So hopefully regardless that the QE65Q800T can hit very excessive 2000-nit peaks with HDR sources, it’ll nonetheless have the ability to mix this brightness with deep black tones that stay moderately freed from the type of ‘blooming’ clouds FALD panels can exhibit.
Good options are offered by Samsung’s personal Tizen-based Eden system. That is wonderful when it comes to each its presentation and the quantity of apps and, particularly, video streaming providers it covers. All the large hitters are there, together with the Disney+ and Apple TV apps – and all help 4K and HDR the place accessible.
Samsung nonetheless doesn’t carry the Freeview Play app for bringing UK terrestrial broadcaster catch up providers into one straightforward to navigate place. But it surely does cowl all the important thing UK apps individually.
The Samsung Q800T carries a much less aggressive model of the extensive viewing angle expertise Samsung launched in 2019. This doesn’t ship as expansive efficient viewing angles, however reduces the discount in decision the expertise induced final 12 months.
The QE65Q800T’s affordability by 8K requirements hasn’t compromised its connections. There are nonetheless 4 HDMIs, three USBs and the standard Bluetooth/Wi-Fi wi-fi choices. With the Xbox Collection X and PS5, it’s additionally good to search out one of many HDMIs capable of deal with 4K at 120Hz and variable refresh charges – in addition to 8K at 60Hz. Although it’s a disgrace that not less than one different HDMI isn’t equally properly specified.
In addition to the VRR and 4K/120Hz help, the QE65Q800T caters for avid gamers with a class-leadingly low enter lag determine of barely 10ms in its Recreation mode; computerized low latency mode switching when a sport supply is detected; a particular movement processor for video games that reduces judder with out closely rising enter lag; and a mode that may brighten darkish image areas with out impacting the remaining, that can assist you spot enemies lurking within the shadows.
Samsung has designed a considerably upgraded sound system for the Q800T vary. Referred to as Object Monitoring Sound, the model on the 65Q800T makes use of audio system constructed into all 4 of its edges to ship a 4.2.2 configuration. The outcome needs to be extra element and precision, in addition to sound results that seem to changing into from particular onscreen places.
When it comes, lastly, to HDR help, the 65Q800T handles HDR10, HLG and HDR10+. As with all Samsung TVs it doesn’t help Dolby Imaginative and prescient.
Efficiency
- Could make upscaled 4K content material look higher than native 4K
- Vivid HDR footage
- Extra direct sound than earlier fashions
The Samsung Q800T delivers on its 8K promise extra fulsomely than its 2019 predecessors. With native 8K imagery – predominantly a showreel of nature content material mastered in HDR by famend AV specialists Spears & Munsil – the 8K impact is mesmerising.
Regardless that that is solely a 65-inch display screen the place 8K’s affect will be assumed to be lowered versus a lot bigger screens, there’s a profound sense of immediacy and realism to a lot of the 8K footage that goes past the ‘really feel’ you get from the identical footage on a 4K display screen. Even when watching from a fairly common viewing distance.
You lose all sense of picture construction, as an example, even round curved or diagonal object edges, and the sense of depth in ‘view’ photographs is exceptional.
Much more importantly given the present content material scenario, the Samsung Q800T not solely doesn’t mess 4K sources up when upscaling them to 8K, however truly makes them look higher. Textures and particulars are enhanced with out additionally exaggerating supply noise or grain, and the outcomes don’t look processed or synthetic.
That is key, because it offers you a motive to consider shopping for an 8K TV – particularly an 8K TV which, like this one, doesn’t value way more than a very good 4K one past mere future proofing.
The Samsung Q800T’s dealing with of darkish scenes can also be exceptional. Black colors usually look so darkish and wealthy that it’s onerous to consider you’re watching an LCD TV moderately than an OLED. Besides that Samsung’s set can ship HDR footage way more brightly than any present OLED screens.
Loads of element is often retained in darkish areas, too, regardless of the quantity of backlight manipulation that’s happening to ship such wealthy black colors. And much more surprisingly, the place vivid objects seem in opposition to very darkish backdrops, it’s onerous to identify a lot proof of sunshine blooming across the vivid objects. Regardless of the comparatively low (versus Samsung’s different 8K ranges) variety of native dimming zones.
Movement is dealt with properly for those who select the Customized mode for Samsung’s movement processing and hold the de-judder and deblur parts to stage three or 4.
You may watch the image from barely wider angles than regular LCD TVs with out it dropping color and distinction, and the display screen additionally soaks up ambient gentle and room reflections unusually properly.
Colors look daring but in addition nuanced, combining the dual strengths of Samsung’s metal-clad Quantum Dots and its newest deep-learning processing.
There are, although, a few points with the QE65Q800T’s footage which are vital sufficient to value it a mark. First, to keep away from backlight blooming round stand-out vivid objects, the set opts to dim these small vivid objects down fairly closely. Closely sufficient for the method to be fairly distracting at occasions. This can be the place the affect of the lowered dimming zone rely kicks in.
Second, colors are rather less properly saturated than they have been on a few of Samsung’s 2019 TVs, together with the flagship Q90R 4K mannequin.
One different problem price noting is that the Recreation preset compromises the TV’s backlight administration fairly noticeably, decreasing black ranges and backlight uniformity.
The Samsung Q800T’s Object Monitoring Sound system works brilliantly. Notably spectacular is how efficiently it matches the place sound results look like coming from to the onscreen (and, truly, offscreen) motion. If a automobile crosses the display screen, its sound crosses the display screen too. Or if a airplane swoops up out of shot, the sound tracks its trajectory for not less than a way past the display screen’s high edge.
The sound has extra ahead push than Samsung TVs of previous, too, giving it extra room-filling affect and directness. Lastly, the dynamic vary is spectacular, as good meaty bass rounds out a clear, open mid-range that gives loads of respiratory room for motion film soundtracks to swell and ebb.
You can purchase it if…
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You need beautiful image high quality
It delivers seen advantages from its 8K decision with each native 4K and 8K content material, mixed with a few of the greatest black ranges seen on an LCD TV.
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Vivid HDR efficiency
The Samsung Q800T is worthy of any premium TV consumers’ consideration. It’s vivid sufficient to make HDR look exhilarating, too, and combats ambient gentle exceptionally properly.
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Good sound to go together with the image
The brand new OTS+ sound system retains the beautiful footage firm with spectacular quantities of energy and element.
You shouldn’t purchase it if…
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You need to watch precise 8K content material
The largest demerit in opposition to the Q800T is there’s the paucity of 8K content material.
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You suppose 8K is just too dear (in the intervening time)
Some might baulk for paying a such a premium value for a 8K TV, particularly with 8K content material skinny on the bottom.
FAQs
Does it have Freeview Play?
No, Samsung TVs don’t help Freeview Play
Does it help next-gen gaming options?
One of many HDMIs is ready to deal with 4K at 120Hz and variable refresh charges – in addition to 8K at 60Hz. That is nice for next-gen gaming
What HDR codecs does it help?
This TV helps HDR10, HDR 10+ and HLG. It’s lacking Dolby Imaginative and prescient