Samsung QN65S85DAE 65"

The Samsung QN65S85DAE is a 65-inch OLED with a genuinely great panel, ranking in the 92nd percentile for display quality. But HDR and overall picture quality are mediocre, and refurbished units have documented reliability issues. At $1,030 USD, it's one of the cheapest ways to get a large OLED, but you're trading warranty security for savings. Buy it for dark-room movie watching, skip it for gaming or bright rooms.

Let's talk about what this TV does well first. The display itself is a standout, ranking in the 92nd percentile across all TVs in our database. That means the raw panel quality is genuinely excellent. You're getting true OLED contrast, which means perfect blacks and no blooming around bright objects. The 120Hz refresh rate with Motion Xcelerator helps keep fast motion smooth, whether you're watching sports or playing games. And the Pantone validation means colors are accurate out of the box, which is nice if you don't want to spend an hour fiddling with picture settings.

But here's where it gets murky. The overall picture quality score sits at just the 36th percentile, which is mediocre for a TV at this price point. The NQ4 AI Gen2 processor is supposed to upscale lower-resolution content and improve HDR performance, but the numbers suggest it's not doing a great job. HDR specifically lands at the 34th percentile, which is underwhelming for an OLED. OLED panels are usually HDR stars because of their per-pixel lighting, so seeing HDR performance this low suggests Samsung's tone mapping or peak brightness handling is holding things back. In a bright room, this TV will struggle more than a good QLED or mini-LED set. In a dark room, it'll look great, but that's a narrow window of excellence.

The LG OLED evo C5 is the obvious competitor here, and it's a tough one. LG's OLED panels are widely considered the gold standard, and the C5 series typically delivers better HDR performance and more consistent picture quality than Samsung's S85D line. You'll pay more for the LG, but you're also getting a new unit with a full warranty and a track record of reliability. The Sony BRAVIA 8 is another strong option, especially if you care about motion handling and upscaling. Sony's processing is generally considered best-in-class, and their OLEDs tend to score higher on picture quality metrics than Samsung's more affordable OLEDs.

On the budget side, the TCL QM8K and Hisense U8 series are worth a look. These are mini-LED TVs, not OLED, so you won't get the same perfect blacks. But they offer much higher peak brightness, which means better HDR performance in bright rooms. The TCL QM8K in particular has been getting rave reviews for its brightness and value. If you watch a lot of content during the day or in a well-lit room, a bright mini-LED might actually serve you better than this Samsung OLED. The Roku Pro Series is another budget-friendly option with a simpler smart platform, though its picture quality won't match the OLED's contrast.

At $1,030 USD for a 65-inch OLED, the value proposition is genuinely compelling on paper. You're getting a large OLED screen for roughly half of what a new LG C-series or Sony BRAVIA 8 would cost. That's a big deal if you've been waiting for OLED prices to come down. The refurbished route is how Samsung and its retail partners move returned or repaired units, and it's the main reason this TV is affordable.

But value isn't just about the sticker price. The customer rating of 4.2 out of 5 from 214 reviews is decent but not stellar, and the one-star reviews tell a worrying story. Multiple buyers report units failing within six months, starting with flickering and ending with a completely dead TV. If you buy this and it dies after the warranty period, that $1,030 becomes a very expensive paperweight. The MXN 42,199 price in Mexico is a different market entirely, so don't try to compare those numbers directly. For US buyers, the question is whether the savings are worth the risk. For some people, absolutely. For others, a new TV with a full warranty is the smarter play.

The Samsung QN65S85DAE is a 65-inch OLED TV that sits in a weird spot. It's got a genuinely great panel, the kind of deep blacks and rich color that make OLED famous, but it's also a refurbished unit floating around Newegg and Amazon at a price that makes you do a double take. At $1,030 USD, you're getting a lot of screen for the money, but you're also rolling the dice on reliability. That's the trade-off here, and it's a big one.

Who's this for? Someone who wants OLED picture quality without paying LG or Sony flagship money. The S85D series is Samsung's more affordable OLED line, and this particular model comes with the NQ4 AI Gen2 processor, a 120Hz panel, and Pantone-validated color. If you mostly watch movies in a dark room and don't need every bell and whistle, this could be your ticket. Just know that the 'refurbished' label isn't just a formality.

What makes it interesting is the mismatch between its display quality and its overall scores. Our database puts the display itself in the 92nd percentile, which is excellent. But picture quality overall lands at just the 36th percentile, and HDR at 34th. That gap tells a story: the panel is capable, but the processing and HDR tuning hold it back. It's like putting a great engine in a car with mediocre suspension. The bones are there, but the whole package doesn't quite sing.

If you're a serious gamer, this TV probably isn't for you. The 120Hz refresh rate sounds good on paper, but the gaming score of 52/100 and mediocre HDR mean modern games won't look their best. You'd be better off with a mini-LED TV like the TCL QM8K or Hisense U8, which offer higher brightness and better HDR for gaming. Similarly, if you watch a lot of content in a bright room, the OLED panel's lower peak brightness will be a constant annoyance.

And if you're the type who wants a TV that just works for the next five to seven years without drama, the refurbished reliability concerns should give you pause. Multiple buyers report units failing within months. If you can't stomach that risk, save up for a new LG C-series or Sony BRAVIA 8 with a full warranty. The peace of mind is worth the extra cost for a lot of people.

If you're a movie buff who watches in a dark room and wants OLED contrast without breaking the bank, this refurbished Samsung is tempting. The panel quality is genuinely excellent, and at $1,030 USD, it's one of the cheapest ways to get a 65-inch OLED. Just make sure you're buying from a retailer with a solid return policy and consider an extended warranty. The reliability concerns are real, and you don't want to be stuck with a dead TV six months in.

For gamers, this is a harder sell. The 120Hz refresh rate is nice, but the gaming score of 52/100 is just average. There's no mention of VRR or ALLM in the specs, and the HDR performance won't do justice to modern games with high dynamic range. If gaming is your priority, you might be better off with a mini-LED TV that offers higher brightness and better HDR, or saving up for a higher-end OLED with better gaming features. For casual viewers who want a big, beautiful screen for streaming and occasional movie nights, this Samsung does the job, as long as you're comfortable with the refurbished gamble.