Samsung Neo QLED QN85D 54.6"

The Samsung Neo QLED QN85D is a 55-inch 4K Mini-LED TV that excels at gaming and smart features, with surprisingly good built-in audio. Its HDR performance is mediocre and the price varies by nearly $500 depending on the retailer. At under $800 it's a great buy, but at full price you have better options.

The QN85D's picture quality lands in the 78th percentile in our database, which is solid but not earth-shattering. The Mini-LED backlight does the heavy lifting here, giving you better control over bright and dark areas than a standard edge-lit LED. Colors pop the way you'd expect from a QLED, and the NQ4 AI Gen2 processor does a decent job upscaling lower-res content to 4K. Motion handling is handled by Motion Xcelerator Turbo, which keeps fast scenes from turning into a blurry mess.

Gaming performance is where this TV earns its keep. The 120Hz refresh rate combined with FreeSync Premium Pro means smooth frame rates without screen tearing. HDMI 2.1 gives you 4K at 120fps on current consoles, and input lag is low enough that competitive players won't be complaining. The gaming score sits at the 81st percentile, which puts it ahead of most TVs in this price range.

Audio is actually a surprise here. The 2.2 channel 40W setup with Dolby Atmos scores in the 91st percentile, which is genuinely impressive for built-in TV speakers. Most TVs sound like a tin can, but Samsung put some actual effort into this one. You'll still want a soundbar for movies, but for everyday viewing, it's more than passable.

The LG OLED evo C5 is the elephant in the room. It's an OLED, so you get perfect blacks and infinite contrast, but you'll pay more and deal with potential burn-in anxiety. The QN85D gets brighter and has no burn-in risk, but its HDR performance is only at the 46th percentile, which is a real weak spot. If you watch a lot of HDR content, the LG is the better pick. If you game a lot or have a bright room, the Samsung makes more sense.

The TCL QM8K and Hisense U8 are the value plays. Both offer Mini-LED backlights with better HDR performance than the QN85D, and they cost less. But Samsung's processing, smart platform, and audio are all better. The Sony BRAVIA 8 is the wildcard. It's more expensive but has Sony's legendary picture processing and better HDR. If you're a movie purist, Sony is hard to beat. The QN85D is the all-rounder that does everything well but nothing perfectly.

Value is tricky here because the price swings by $482 depending on where you buy. At $718, this TV is a steal. At $1,200, you're getting into OLED territory and the math gets harder. The best deal we're seeing is on Newegg, where refurbished units are hitting that lower end. If you can snag one around $800 or less, the QN85D punches well above its weight. At full retail, you might want to look at the TCL QM8K or Hisense U8, which offer similar Mini-LED tech for less money. But those don't have Samsung's processing or build quality, so it's a trade-off.

The Samsung Neo QLED QN85D sits in that interesting middle ground of the TV world. It's not the flagship QN90D, but it's also not a budget panel. You get a 55-inch 4K QD-Mini-LED display with Samsung's NQ4 AI Gen2 processor doing the heavy lifting. The price is all over the place right now, ranging from $718 to $1,200 depending on where you look, so shopping around actually matters here.

This is a TV aimed at people who want strong brightness and color without jumping to OLED prices. The Mini-LED backlight means better contrast than a standard LED, and Samsung's local dimming has gotten pretty good. It's also loaded on the smart side with Tizen, Alexa, SmartThings, and Apple AirPlay all built in. If you're deep in the Samsung ecosystem, this thing slots in nicely.

For gamers, there's a 120Hz panel, FreeSync Premium Pro, and HDMI 2.1 support. That's the combo you want for PS5 or Xbox Series X. And with a 2.2 channel 40W speaker setup with Dolby Atmos, you might not even need a soundbar right away. Maybe. We'll get to that.

Skip the QN85D if you're a movie buff who cares about HDR. The 46th percentile HDR score and lack of Dolby Vision make it a poor choice for serious home theater setups. The LG OLED evo C5 or Sony BRAVIA 8 will serve you much better for dark room viewing. Also skip it if you're paying full retail. At $1,200, the TCL QM8K offers better HDR and similar Mini-LED tech for less money. And if you're on a tight budget, the Hisense U8 gives you most of the QN85D's features at a lower price.

The Samsung Neo QLED QN85D is a solid TV that does a lot of things right. Gaming is excellent, audio is surprisingly good, and the Mini-LED backlight gives you a bright, colorful picture. The smart features are top-notch, and if you're already in the Samsung ecosystem, it's a no-brainer.

But the HDR performance is a letdown at this price point. No Dolby Vision support is a real miss, especially when competitors like TCL and Hisense include it. And the price inconsistency makes it hard to recommend without caveats. If you can find it under $800, buy it. If you're paying over $1,000, you should seriously consider an OLED or a higher-end Mini-LED from TCL or Hisense.