Samsung Q85R/Q80R owners thread

What is the best way to reduce global dimming. My Q85R is almost no better than my Q6FN in that department. I’m afraid to touch the service menu, but I hear somone has found a way to fix it by changing some settings.

If thats the case, why isn’t Samsung fixing this in a firmware update?
I have tried a variety of ways, none work unfortunately for me (subtible blooming in HDR). I turn Local Dimming to Low in HDR to mitigate but it never goes away completely.

You can try this and this. Going into the service menu is not a big deal just make sure you make a note of the default settings.

As to why Samsung hasn't fixed it with a firmware update, it seems to be a "feature" of the technology and either they can't, because it is baked into the panels or they simply don't want to allow users to turn it off.
 
I have tried a variety of ways, none work unfortunately for me (subtible blooming in HDR). I turn Local Dimming to Low in HDR to mitigate but it never goes away completely.

You can try this and this. Going into the service menu is not a big deal just make sure you make a note of the default settings.

As to why Samsung hasn't fixed it with a firmware update, it seems to be a "feature" of the technology and either they can't, because it is baked into the panels or they simply don't want to allow users to turn it off.

Have you tried it, and does it work? I’m afraid the settings will affect other areas of the picture quality. Frustrating to watch content when the screen is blooming constantly.
 
Have you tried it, and does it work? I’m afraid the settings will affect other areas of the picture quality. Frustrating to watch content when the screen is blooming constantly.
Subtitle blooming with HDR doesn't go away whichever way.

SD/HD is always fine (I have a UK v6 Virgin Box).

HDR via the Tivo is also mostly OK (as it does a very poor job at it).

HDR via Prime is glorious when not watching with subtitles. If you enable them then blooming. As I said above, I have Local Dimming to Low for HDR which somehow mitigates the issue but blooming with subtitles never goes away. After a while you get used to it.

Can't have OLED as the kids are on it all day with kids programmes and the Xbox, regularly freezing images for hours sometimes.
 
Subtitle blooming with HDR doesn't go away whichever way.

SD/HD is always fine (I have a UK v6 Virgin Box).

HDR via the Tivo is also mostly OK (as it does a very poor job at it).

HDR via Prime is glorious when not watching with subtitles. If you enable them then blooming. As I said above, I have Local Dimming to Low for HDR which somehow mitigates the issue but blooming with subtitles never goes away. After a while you get used to it.

Can't have OLED as the kids are on it all day with kids programmes and the Xbox, regularly freezing images for hours sometimes.

Thanks.
I’m getting used to it by now. But I honestly thought a premium TV would have these problems solved. I end up turning the subs off if it gets to bad, but I can live with that.
Very happy with the TV in general. And I love Samsung’s Tizen. It might be OLED next time unless Samsung or Sony releases som new tech in the future.
 
Watch a film like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon that has subtitles all the way through. It’s a an absolutely mess in 4K HDR.
Watching the film with English overdub is not an option as it disconnects you too much from the characters, so stuck with blooming and brightness changes all over the show:(
 
Can anyone tell me how the audio of the Q85R would compare with a lower end soundbar (without additional subwoofers) such as the Yamaha YAS-108/109? The sound of the TV isn't bad so maybe I should just stick with its speakers, but if it's a day and night difference in quality, then I'll seriously consider adding a soundbar.
 
I had Samsung MS-650 soundbar without subwoofer. It was decent, but if you watch a lot of movies you will regret not getting one with a additional subwoofer. The Samsung however had very clear voice audio and playd music well.

I ended up selling the Samsung and buying a Sony HT-ST5000 and I love it.

It works well with the Samsung TV and I can control the volume with my tv-remote.
 
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Can anyone tell me how the audio of the Q85R would compare with a lower end soundbar (without additional subwoofers) such as the Yamaha YAS-108/109? The sound of the TV isn't bad so maybe I should just stick with its speakers, but if it's a day and night difference in quality, then I'll seriously consider adding a soundbar.

I had the Yas 108.. it was okay , very Bassy compared to the TV but the sound surround mode was ear peircingly tinny.. I didnt like it. Also it takes away the volume numbers on the TV screen so you dont know how loud it is by number.

I sold it and bought the Samsung MS650... numbers still work on the TV.. it doesnt sound tinny at all and even with Bass at full it isn't overly Bassy. Gives the sound more depth. I leave it on Smart mode for everything. Found it much better than the Yas 108
 
I had the Yas 108.. it was okay , very Bassy compared to the TV but the sound surround mode was ear peircingly tinny.. I didnt like it. Also it takes away the volume numbers on the TV screen so you dont know how loud it is by number.

I sold it and bought the Samsung MS650... numbers still work on the TV.. it doesnt sound tinny at all and even with Bass at full it isn't overly Bassy. Gives the sound more depth. I leave it on Smart mode for everything. Found it much better than the Yas 108
Thank you. I'll stick with the TV's audio then. I won't spend hundreds of euros for better audio. For that kind of of money I could probably sell my TV next year and buy the new QLED once it's discounted. Not that I expect to do that, but I'd consider it a better option than an expensive soundbar.
 
Do we know for definite if the Q85R will or wont be getting a 2.1 HDMI update?

If not..... would it be possible to buy a newer One Connect box in future with HDMI 2.1 ports on it?
 
Just installed 1374.0 to my Q85R...
(Sonos Arc in HDMI 3, Nvidia Shield in HDMI 1, Xbox Series X in HDMI 4)

First tried the Xbox... It doesn't allow me to select Atmos in the xbox setting and cannot select DD+ in the TV settings.

Next on the Shield with Plex... Audio passthrough enabled...
Movie with TrueHD audio... TV allows DD+ to be enabled in settings, Plex still transcodes (as I expected).
Movie with EAC-3 w/ Atmos audio... DD+ enabled in TV settings, Plex direct plays and Sonos app reports Atmos playing :)

Also shows as Atmos playing when using EAC-3 /w Atmos through the Plex app for the TV
 
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I had my screen replaced at the start of August - the previous panel had blue/purple tint all around the edges.

Whilst the new panel has zero blue tint, the black bars on movies seem much more susceptible to blooming than the previous panel. It is also a tad dimmer.

Does anyone know if the PWM settings make a difference to blooming in the black bars?

I can live with a bit of subtitle blooming but I would to get the solid black bars back that I had with the previous panel. I hate calling back to ask for another panel.
 
Just installed 1374.0 to my Q85R...
(Sonos Arc in HDMI 3, Nvidia Shield in HDMI 1, Xbox Series X in HDMI 4)

First tried the Xbox... It doesn't allow me to select Atmos in the xbox setting and cannot select DD+ in the TV settings.

Next on the Shield with Plex... Audio passthrough enabled...
Movie with TrueHD audio... TV allows DD+ to be enabled in settings, Plex still transcodes (as I expected).
Movie with EAC-3 w/ Atmos audio... DD+ enabled in TV settings, Plex direct plays and Sonos app reports Atmos playing :)

Also shows as Atmos playing when using EAC-3 /w Atmos through the Plex app for the TV

I can't seem to get my soundbar (HW-Q80R with firmware v1012.6, HDMI 3) paired with Nvidia Shield TV (2019) connected to HDMI 1 to play Atmos with 1374 installed on my Q85R. I also tried with the built in apps, but no joy there either. I have DD+ and HDMI Anycast+ enabled, and I have set the Shield TV to "auto" in the advanced audio settings.


Anyone else having any success with eARC+DD Atmos with 1374?


Update: I did a factory reset of the TV and set my shield manually to output: DD Atmos, EC3, E-AC3 after which I rebooted it. Now when I play "The Mandalorian" on Disney+, the app shows the "Atmos" logo, and the soundbar displays "Dolby Atmos" when playing, and the TV menu shows "Dolby+" enabled.

Netflix is also working with Dolby Atmos. Tried Enola Holmes, Lost in Space and Snowpiercer. The titles display the Atmos logo and the soundbar displays "Dolby Atmos".

I can't seem to get it to work with Emby or Kodi for some reason though. Nor will it work with my Xbox Series X (HDMI 4) - it just says that "the receiver isn't Dolby Atmos compatible" when I try, like it does for @Chriskeens.

A bit confused, but at least happy to have Atmos enabled on Disney+ and Netflix. Couldn't get it to work with Amazon Prime, but not sure if there are any Atmos titles on there (tried Carnival Row, but no joy).

Update 2: Lipsync issues also seems to be gone now? Or is it just wishful thinking?
 
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Is there a way to get 5.1 or ( a long shot Atmos) to work from a PC through the TV back to the Amp
i have my PC connected to the tv HDMI 4 sitting nicely at 4k 120.
how ever i can only get stereo sound ,
in windows settings only stereo in optional the 5/7.1 are both grey out ( along atmos)
 
No earc on Xbox series x, but for Amazon app on the tv it now shows on avr as Dolby digital+
 
No. May be it is just your imagination?

I wish it was my imagination.

No matter what settings I use I am still getting white, cloudy blotches in the black bars, especially during HDR content. Panel lottery I think. I'm not the first person on here who has had the same issue. I will report it to Samsung.
 
I applied 1374. The issues with 4k120 and VRR on Xbox Series X are not fixed. The TV no longer loses signal but the screen just goes black and you have to go to the dash or change source to recover. However, that doesn’t really matter as Freesync seems to be completely broken now. With it enabled at 4K120 it feels to me like it introduces massive amounts of screen lag vs controller input.
 
I applied 1374. The issues with 4k120 and VRR on Xbox Series X are not fixed. The TV no longer loses signal but the screen just goes black and you have to go to the dash or change source to recover. However, that doesn’t really matter as Freesync seems to be completely broken now. With it enabled at 4K120 it feels to me like it introduces massive amounts of screen lag vs controller input.

Turn off "game mode" and "auto HDR" in the Xbox Series X settings menu. Works fine afterwards for me.
 

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