Samsung Neo QLED 4K QN85B Price, Specs, and Features

Installation and control

Opening the box of a new TV is always a joy. Removing the thin-edged canvas and placing it gently on the bed while the base is assembled is, without a doubt, the prelude to wonderful moments, almost like a ritual. And doing it on the Samsung Neo QLED 4K QN85B was as good as I thought it would be.

The TV I reviewed is 55 inches, extremely thin, with infinite borders on all sides, and at just 2.7 cm thick, one of the smallest and thinnest I’ve ever seen. Fortunately, it stands up using a rather heavy base in the center of the set, as opposed to those feet in the corners that spoil the TV’s design.

Its assembly is quite simple: 4 Philips screws connect the support to the base, 4 more connect the support to the TV, and that’s it. However, as the TV is quite large, at 55 inches, it might be interesting to get help when placing the Neo QLED 4K QN85B in the right place.

Control

The TV control is an evolution of the one used in the previous version. It comes with a microphone to be used with some of the pre-installed artificial intelligence, such as Alexa, Bixby and Google Assistant.

In its appearance, the control is quite minimalist, with only the main buttons that are frequently used, such as the ones for changing the channel, changing the volume, and the navigation buttons. For shortcuts, there are buttons for top streaming platforms: Netflix and Prime Video. In addition, there is an exclusive button for Samsung TV Plus, the company’s IPTV service that offers some channels for free.

Plus, it doesn’t use batteries, luckily, and it can be charged in two ways:

• leaving its back facing the sun (or another light source), or
• using a USB-C cable.

It’s up to you to choose the best one, but the guarantee is that your battery will last a long time.

Design

The Samsung Neo QLED 4K QN85B is made of plastic with a textured finish. The cable entry is located on the right side — so it can be difficult to handle if the TV is placed directly on the wall. In addition, there is a small button located near the Samsung logo, which allows you to control the TV in case the remote is not nearby.

Screen

Sensational. There, I summarized my entire experience with the Samsung Neo QLED 4K QN85B screen. I have last year’s QLED version at home, which delivers very good quality images, but the QN85B managed to exceed all my expectations. Watching 4K content is almost like being in a movie theatre, and it doesn’t matter if you’re watching a movie or a TV series.

With the video game, the smart TV managed to be as good as with movies. The image is fluid, and the sensation provided was very real. To test it out, I spent several hours venturing into Assassin’s Creed Origins, as well as defeating enemies in Cuphead. The first was using Game Hub with Xbox Game Pass, and the other with an Xbox One X.

The Neo QLED 4K QN85B has a screen with a refresh rate of 120 Hz and a resolution of 3,840 by 2,160 pixels, in addition to having HDR10+, which further improves colors, both for games and for movies. This is one of the best TVs available on the market today.

Sound

As for the sound, the Samsung Neo QLED 4K QN85B uses the 2.2.2 channel system, in which two outputs at the top project the audio upwards, another two outputs towards the center propagate the sound to the sides, and finally, more two that are responsible for the bass sounds. To test the audio quality, I spent several hours watching different types of content, as well as listening to music and playing games.

The result, in general, was very good. The feeling of immersion that the sound outputs bring is real, even not using very high volumes — volume 20 is enough for that. Now, when at maximum volume, when testing with a decibel meter, the TV managed to reach an average of 85 dB. There is also a function that can use the television system to amplify the sound.

Apps

All of today’s top streaming apps are present on the Neo QLED 4K QN85B. Some aren’t installed natively, like HBO Max, but just browse the app store and download. In addition, there are a plethora of other apps available, such as IPTV, Spotify, and many others.

Switching between applications is very fast on the QN85B, as they are located on a line that can be assembled any way the user wants. Further down, it is possible to see several suggestions, following the order desired by the user, which is an extra charm, at least for me. In addition, it is possible to access the internet using Samsung‘s browser — the same one that the company makes available on its smartphones, making the TV an excellent ally for everyday life.

Operating system

The operating system of the Neo QLED 4K QN85B is Samsung‘s proprietary Tizen. Compared to the previous year’s version, there are some changes, which, at least at first, I didn’t like. Now, all the information — like video modes, game modes and everything else — is located on the left side of the screen. But as there are few options, it feels kind of poor and empty. Another thing I felt when using it was how heavy the system is.

When you select the media part — where the streaming apps are located — the Samsung TV Plus loads by itself. And even using good quality internet, with more than 350 MB, the seconds it took to load the channel seemed to stop the entire TV. After an update, this feeling subsided a bit, but it still persisted.

You can use the TV with Ambient mode on. One of the options is to use NFTs ( Non-Fungible Tokens ) and thus buy small scenes with different themes. The options are varied – and seem endless – such as a Greek statue shown from different angles, or a monkey’s skull. However, there are small free scenes, like a book on a table full of objects and a rainy window. During my test, getting out of the NFTs part was difficult, and I was only able to get out of there after hitting the back button to the main menu.

Gaming Hub

Now for the crown jewel of the Samsung Neo QLED 4K QN85B: the Gaming Hub. With it, you can use today’s two main game streaming apps on TV: GeForce Now and Xbox Game Pass. But let’s go by parts.

In GeForce Now you must have an active and enabled account to give you priority. Otherwise, you’re put in a queue — which can take forever, or you can’t get a seat. Also, in the free mode, it is only possible to play for up to 30 minutes. Personally, I felt like a kid in those old-time video stores, as the counter came up with the time remaining and I was kicked out of the session at the end of time.

One small detail needs to be said about GeForce Now. At least as of the time of publishing this review, there is still no way to link the Steam account in the app. You can only sign in with your Epic Games and Ubisoft Store account details. You can make this call on your PC or cell phone.

Now, with Xbox Game Pass, the surprise was truly genuine. One of the first games tested was Assassin’s Creed Origins. And even playing via Wi-Fi, the quality was impeccable. There were no lags in commands and the graphics were fabulous. Other games tested were Forza Horizon 5 and Ghost Recon Wildlands, both with very satisfactory results.

On both GeForce Now and Xbox Game Pass, I played several games of Fortnite and again had very good results. The commands worked smoothly and the graphics were impeccable. However, the only thing I couldn’t activate at all was the voice chat, but other than that, there’s only one other thing to point out.

Calibration

As a novelty for this year, the Samsung Neo QLED 4K QN85B brings the possibility of using the cell phone to perform a screen calibration. There are two forms of calibration: basic and professional. In the model used in our tests, only the basic mode was available.

The feeling I got after using the calibration was similar to what I saw on Samsung phones. It’s as if the lighting in the menus and navigation is “held”, becoming more vivid when starting some content, whether it’s a game or a movie — which is difficult to explain in images or words.

Connectivity and functions

One of the best things about the Neo QLED 4K QN85B is being able to use the Samsung cell phone as a remote control, through Smart Things. With the application, you can do everything the controller does, and other functions, such as playing the TV audio on the phone, playing the camera on the TV (to make calls with Google Duo ), and many other things.

On the connector side, there are 4 HDMI inputs, 3 of which are 2.0, which support 4K content at up to 60 Hz, and a 2.1, with capacity up to 4K and 120 Hz. Also, there are two USB ports, which can be used to place a controller or keyboard, which I ended up doing.

Finally, it is possible to connect via Bluetooth, and various devices can be connected, such as wireless controllers – both Xbox and PlayStation – keyboards and mice. However, one thing I missed was being able to connect Bluetooth headphones.

Price and availability

The Samsung Neo QLED 4K QN85B is currently available in major stores and online outlets. You can find it at:

• $2495 (55″)
• $3295 (65″)
• $4495 (75″)
• $4995 (85″)

Conclusion

Without a doubt, the Samsung Neo QLED 4K QN85B is one of the best televisions I’ve ever had the pleasure of using. The screen is of extreme quality, and the sound provided by the set is immersive and excellent. The possibility of playing video games directly over the internet — without the need for a console or a computer — is one of the factors that make it one of the best options today. As the only caveat, I would put Tizen, which seemed to me to go backwards in relation to the previous version.

If you are looking for a television that will provide you with the best streaming, combined with the possibility of accessing games without having to spend more for it, then the Neo QLED 4K QN85B, Samsung’s Gamer TV is your guaranteed purchase. For everything it does, the investment, which is a little salty, pays off. The smart TV is practically an entertainment center and a very good one at that.