Samsung QN85A Calibration Settings

We used the following calibration settings to review the 55 inch Samsung QN85A QLED (QN55QN85AAFXZA​), and we expect them to be valid for the 65 inch model (QN65QN85AAFXZA) and the 75 inch model (QN75QN85AAFXZA). Most of these settings should also be valid for the 85 inch model (QN85QN85AAFXZA), but it uses a VA panel, so some aspects of the TV may perform differently. These settings should apply to most types of content, except for gaming or use as a PC monitor, which require a few additional changes, listed below.

One of the first things we did was disable all of the Power and Energy Saving options, as we don't want the TV to adjust the image during testing.

For SDR content, there are four preset Picture Modes, as well as 'Filmmaker Mode', which optimizes the picture to display content as it was intended by the filmmakers. We recommend choosing the 'Movie' picture mode, as it is the most accurate out of the box, and allows for the most customization. From the Expert Settings menu, we recommend leaving the Contrast at '45' and Sharpness at '0'. We also left Color at the default value of '25', and Tint (G/R) at '0'. Finally, we chose the 'Warm2' Color Tone, as it's closest to our calibration targets. We set the Gamma to '2.2', as that's also closest to our calibration target.

To make the image brighter in SDR, you should adjust the Brightness depending on your specific viewing conditions. Changing this setting does not have any impact on the overall picture quality. This replaces the Backlight setting on previous generations, and Samsung removed the previous Brightness setting.

Since we aim for an image that is as close as possible to the content creator's intent, we disable most image processing options, including Picture Clarity settings and Contrast Enhancer. You should adjust these to your personal preference, though.

For some of our testing, we disabled Local Dimming, but for the most part, we recommend leaving this set to 'High'. With some content, you may wish to set this to a lower setting, especially when watching subtitled content. Even with 'Low', there can be distracting brightness changes and blooming when watching subtitled content.

HDR is automatically enabled for native apps. When you start playing HDR content, a small HDR icon appears next to the picture mode on the quick settings menu and some of the settings change automatically, including Brightness, which increases to 'Max.' We recommend leaving these settings to their default in HDR.

For HDR to work from external devices, Input Signal Plus usually has to be enabled from the External Device Manager menu for the input you are using. Older devices may have compatibility issues if this option is left enabled, so it is recommended to only enable this setting for devices that require it.

If you find HDR content too dim, set the Contrast Enhancer to 'High' and ST.2084 to 'Max'. This produces a noticeably brighter picture in HDR.

Although we disable most motion enhancing functions for most of our tests, you should adjust these to whatever looks best for you. Some settings may need to be adjusted depending on the specific content you are watching.

Although we usually leave these settings disabled during most of our testing, you should adjust the settings in the Picture Clarity Settings menu to your liking, as different people prefer different levels of motion interpolation. If you want to enable motion interpolation, set Picture Clarity to 'Custom,' and adjust the Blur Reduction for content that's 60fps or higher, and the Judder Reduction slider for low frame rate content, like Blu-Ray movies. The LED Clear Motion setting controls the Black Frame Insertion feature on the QN85A. Most of these settings will need to be adjusted depending on the specific content you are watching.

The Samsung QN85A removes judder from all sources without having to enable additional settings. If you notice any judder, you can try setting Picture Clarity to 'Custom' and adjusting the Judder Reduction slider to your liking, but it's likely not necessary.

There's also a Film Mode setting in the Expert Settings menu that is available with component and interlaced (480i, 1080i) sources. This doesn't remove judder but instead uses a form of frame blending. We recommend leaving this off unless you enjoy the effect.

From the base SDR and HDR settings, very few changes are required for a great gaming experience. When you start gaming, it's best to enable Game Mode from the Game Mode Settings tab in the External Device Manager to get the lowest input lag, and then use the recommended settings for SDR or HDR. For HDR gaming, it's important to make sure that Input Signal Plus is enabled for the input you're using.

Included in the Game Mode Settings menu is the Dynamic Black Equalizer, which is similar to the Black Stabilization feature found on many gaming monitors and is designed to make it easier to spot objects or players hiding in shadows by adjusting the gamma. You should adjust this setting to whatever looks best to you, and it may need to be adjusted depending on the specific game and level you are playing.

The QN85A supports low latency motion interpolation, great for improving motion on low frame rate games. The options are almost identical to the Motion Interpolation settings. To enable motion interpolation in Game mode, enable Game Motion Plus, and adjust the sliders to your preference. The Blur Reduction setting adjusts the interpolation of high frame rate content (60 fps and higher), and the Judder Reduction slider adjusts the interpolation of low frame rate content (30 fps). The LED Clear Motion setting enables the Black Frame Insertion feature.

New to 2021 models is the Game Bar, which appears in Game Mode when you press the play/pause button on the remote. It allows users to more easily access Game Mode Settings and adjust other game-related settings like aspect ratio, as well as check input lag and frame rate.

The QN85A supports FreeSync variable refresh rate technology. It's enabled automatically when the TV is in 'Game' mode. The QN85A doesn't appear to be compatible with G-SYNC.

The QN85A should automatically detect when it's connected to a PC and enter 'PC' mode to ensure proper chroma 4:4:4 support. You can also manually change the Source from the home menu to 'PC on TV'. To get a low input lag in 'PC' mode, Game Mode must also be enabled.

From the Intelligent Mode Settings menu, we enabled the Adaptive Sound+ setting for our sound testing, as it's part of the TV's room correction feature, which adapts the TV's sound equalization to suit your room. Depending on your room, you may have better sound quality with this enabled.

We disabled Adaptive Volume, as this limits the TV's volume depending on the content, which may not be desirable if you need the TV to be loud. We also disabled Adaptive Picture, which adjusts the TV's brightness to the lighting of your room using a built-in light sensor, as we don't want the brightness to change with different content.

When watching lower resolution content, the upscaling method may need to be adjusted depending on the specific format. The screen position, zoom, and picture size can be adjusted from the Picture Size Settings sub-menu.