Samsung S85D OLED TV review

Although traditional OLED TVs have largely been supplanted by more forward-thinking QD-OLED sets in terms of picture quality, they still look excellent — and now offer even better bang for the buck. A major example of this is Samsung’s S85D, which isn’t even the company’s highest-end OLED but nonetheless offers an impressive picture and fine feature set for an attractive price.

The set could be brighter, and you’ll have to contend with Samsung’s less-than-perfect Tizen operating system. But given what you get for the price you pay, this is easily one of the best OLED TVs on the market.

Samsung S85D review: Pricing and availability

The S85D is Samsung’s lower-tier OLED TV, positioned just below the S90D. It is available in three sizes, at a range of prices that drop significantly (particularly for the larger units) if you’re able to find the TV on sale, which is a fairly common occurrence. The sizes are:

• Samsung QN55S85DAE (55-inch): $1,699.99 | Sale: $1,199.99
• Samsung QN65S85DAE (65-inch): $2,099.99 | Sale: $1,299.99
• Samsung QN77S85DAE (77-inch): $3,399.99 | Sale: $1,999.99

Although we evaluated the 65-inch model, because each version of the S85D is equipped with identical hardware, we expect performance to be comparable with every screen size.

Samsung S85D review: Design and ports

Being an OLED, the S85D is thinner than many styles of TV, though at only 1.3 inches at its thickest point, it’s never chubby. (The set otherwise measures 57 inches long by 32.5 inches wide, with the screen’s glass less than a quarter-inch thick.) The two feet that constitute its stand may be positioned either near the center or about 9.5 inches from the corners. Handily, they require no screws to install; they just click into place.

The power cable connects on the left side of the TV, and the ports are found on the right. Four of the ports (two USB, two HDMI) lead out toward the edge of the TV for easy connection and removal. The remainder (two more HDMI, LAN, Ex-Link, and coaxial cable) aim downward, facilitating more permanent connections. All of the HDMI ports support the more advanced 2.1 specification that allows for higher bandwidth and a variety of other performance-oriented features. (See the Performance section for more on this.)

Image 1 of 2

Like the company’s other recent TVs, the S85D uses the SolarCell Remote, which charges by way of a tiny solar panel on its back.

The remote is otherwise unexceptional at best and frustrating at worst, with a small collection of buttons (including only four app shortcut keys, for Netflix, Samsung TV Plus, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+) that necessitates the use of shortcuts you need to learn about as you go. A slightly better balance between functionality and tidiness would go a long way toward making the SolarCell Remote more usable.

Samsung S85D review: How we test

We follow a standard testing protocol for every TV we review at Tom’s Guide. Our benchmarks include a series of technical and subject tests designed to rate the set’s performance. For our technical tests, we use a Jeti spectraval 1501-HiRes spectroradiometer, a Klein K10-A colorimeter, a Murideo 8K-SIX-G Metal pattern generator, and Portrait Displays’ Calman TV-calibration software to take measurements. We also use a Leo Bodnar 4K Input Lag Tester for determining the TV’s gaming prowess.

Subjective tests vary based on the reviewer, but usually feature anecdotes from a diverse selection of movies, TV shows, and other content reflecting the types of things you may actually want to watch on the TV. For a more detailed look at what we do and how we do it, check out our “How we test TVs” page.

Samsung S85D review: Test results and performance

Because OLED TVs turn off pixels that aren’t in use, they are capable of delivering perfect black and thus infinite contrast on screen. These qualities tend to bring out the most in your picture, giving everything a richer, more vibrant look, though overall brightness and shadow details can suffer as a result. With the S85D, which is equipped with Samsung’s new NQ4 AI Gen 2 processor for improved picture optimization, the impact is as minimal as you could hope for.

Nearly everything in our test movies was a thrill to watch, whether traditional action movies (Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning), animated films (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and The Super Mario Bros. Movie), “fusion” titles that combine the two (Avatar: The Way of Water), or artsier fare like Dune: Part Two and Oppenheimer. The last two movies feature extended black-and-white sections, whereas Barbie is a Technicolor tsunami, but they all looked crisp and rich. Because this is an OLED, that was true from every angle, and Samsung minimizes reflections so the picture barely suffers in a brighter room environment. All of the major HDR formats except for Dolby Vision are supported.

The S85D does not come close to the S90D in terms of HDR brightness, with 680 nits versus the more expensive TV’s 1,187. (With SDR content, the S85D measured a bit brighter, but only in Filmmaker and Movie modes, suggesting Samsung was especially prioritizing accuracy with the S90D.) And it comes in behind the Sony Bravia 8 (with 815 nits), though the TVs are more closely matched in terms of HDR color gamut coverage, and the S85D displays in general more accurate colors (a 1.92 Delta-E value, which represents the difference in color between the source and the screen with lower numbers being better, versus the Sony’s 3.33). The LG B4 fares even better with color accuracy (its Delta-E was an ultralow 0.91) and HDR gamut coverage, but doesn’t get as bright in either SDR or HDR modes.

Built-in audio on the S85D is something of a lost cause. The TV doesn’t get that loud, even at its top volume levels, and there’s not even an approximation of serious bass response. Higher trebles do sound fine, though, with our soprano test track evincing only the barest hint of shrillness. There’s support for Dolby Atmos, which is nice, but if you plan to do any serious listening, we’d recommend supplementing the S85D with one of our best soundbars.

Gaming is mostly a winning proposition on the S85D, with our Leo Bodnar 4K Video Signal Lag Tester measuring the set’s input lag at 9.2ms — about as low as we see on any TV (but par for the course for Samsung). There are also the usual features that HDMI 2.1 enables, like 4K at 120Hz and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), and a pop-up game bar that lets you instantly access plenty of in-play options. These features worked well in our tests with Starfield and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and both games played smoothly.

Only the Gaming Hub (accessible from the Home Screen) is a mixed bag. It gathers your various consoles, controllers, and titles along with related apps and your music, but is a cluttered solution to a problem other TVs don’t really have. Chalk this up, at least in part, to the problems with Tizen (see the next section).

Samsung S85D review: Smart features

The S85D is saddled with Samsung’s aging Tizen smart operating system, which is attractive in its minimalism but feels inadequate compared with more robust and feature-rich offerings like LG’s webOS or Google TV. You can scroll through a selection of panels (Ambient, Daily+, Game, or Home) on the left panel and traditional recent shows, recommendations, apps, and curated content on the right, but everything seems to take a few more clicks than it should.

There are additional options when you’re looking for something to watch. You have access to Samsung TV Plus, which is Samsung’s free streaming service, and you can cast from your mobile device, including with Apple AirPlay. Unlike last year’s Samsung TVs, however, the S85D does not come with an ATSC 3.0 tuner for watching over-the-air 4K broadcasts. You’ll have to settle for an ATSC 1.0 tuner instead.

Samsung S85D review: Verdict

The Samsung S85D is an OLED that provides a strong picture and a fair number of useful features, but asks for just a few compromises in exchange. You have to give up a bit of brightness compared with some other sets and a bit of color compared with others, and then there’s the operating system and the remote control. But what it does, it does well, and it has solid gaming chops to boot.

If you can find it at or around its sale price of $1,299.99, it becomes a better bargain, as it then stacks up even more favorably against the LG B4. But if you can put up with a bit of stodginess in its presentation, it’s a worthy TV regardless if you’re shopping for a good-looking OLED.