The Samsung Q80A series is one of the best selling models of the company by combining good image quality, good gaming performance, good sound, lots of extras and all at a reasonable price.
It is a model that is designed for those who want a TV that gives a good picture quality, but at a lower price than the OLED or Mini LED ranges.
In this review, we are going to explain everything about the Samsung Q80A QLED 2021 and what are its advantages and disadvantages and if it is worth buying it.
A new reference has been recently launched with the same features, but changing the color of the stand and the surrounding frames. This is the Samsung Q83A, which you can find in some stores, but the official model is the Q80A. Here below, we leave you the offer on Amazon of the Samsung 55Q80A to buy it at the best price.
Design
The external appearance is virtually unchanged from the previous generation Q80T. It has simply changed the material of the stand, which now has a different finish and is not completely black but dark gray. The stand is central type and has a more premium look than the previous model Q70A, in which the stand is plastic.
As we said, there is another exclusive version in some stores with the reference Q83A in which the color of the base and the frame around the screen changes.
This Q80A series does not have a design as slim as the lower QLED series Q70A and Q60A as it uses Full Array backlighting instead of Edge LED. Therefore, by locating the LED bulbs at the back instead of just at the bottom, it requires more thickness. Nevertheless, it is still a relatively slim TV and is 6.2 cm thick. The surrounding bezels are quite thin and are integrated into the panel itself.
On the back, it has guides to pass the cables and prevent them from hanging and if you remove the back cover of the stand, you can insert the cables and then put it back to have it all together and organized.
The controller included this year has a new design and is made from recyclable materials, and no batteries are required. It now incorporates an internal battery that recharges through a USB-C port or even through sunlight or artificial light. To achieve this, a solar cell panel has been added to the back to charge the battery.
The connections that it incorporates are four HDMI ports, of which number 4 is HDMI 2.1. This is the port you should connect it to if you have a PS5 or Xbox Series X game console so you can play in 4K at 120 Hz. If it’s a PS4 for example or a Nintendo Switch you can connect them to any of the other ports. If you want to connect a soundbar or a Home Cinema, HDMI port number 3 is the one that supports ARC.
Apart from this, it includes, of course, an optical audio output for connecting audio equipment, two USB ports for playback or recording, as well as antenna and satellite connections and a LAN port.
Smart TV
As far as Smart TV functions are concerned, this Samsung QLED Q80A has a lot of extras and applications. The operating system is Tizen 6.0 which is a very intuitive and easy to use system.
The most used apps such as Netflix, Youtube or Amazon Prime Video, are installed directly by default, but of course you can install many more from the Apps panel. So others like HBO Max, DAZN or Movistar+, are also available for you to download.
On the remote you have shortcuts to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and the Samsung TV Plus platform that offers online channels and movies for rent. It also has a button to activate the microphone so you can search for content by voice. You can use any of the three compatible assistants which are: Bixby, Alexa and Google Assistant.
An interesting feature that includes this Q80A series, is the Multiview function, with which you are going to be able to see two contents at the same time in split screen. You can choose the size and placement of each window as well as which one you want to be heard.
Sound
One of the advantages that this model has over other competitors in this price range, is the sound, and this Samsung Q80A sounds really good. A 2.2.2 channel audio system has been added with 60W output power (2.2 and 40W at 50″).
It provides a rich bass sound by integrating two woofer, which makes the sound not as flat as it is on most TVs. It also provides high power so it can be heard properly in rooms of a certain size. There is also an option that adapts the sound to the size of the room so that it fits more precisely to the specific space where it will be listened to.
It also incorporates the Object Tracking Sound function, which uses artificial intelligence to try to follow the movement of objects, so that the sound is more immersive. It seeks to emit the sound directly from where it is produced, for example from where there is an explosion or from the place where there is a character talking. The reality is that achieving this is very difficult and in fact this effect is not very noticeable. Even so, the sound is emitted more towards the front and not so much downwards as usual.
Another feature is Q-Symphony, which allows you to listen to audio from both the TV and a compatible Samsung soundbar, for a more immersive sound with more channels.
Picture quality
The Q80A / Q83A series is the only series of this 2021 to use Full Array system. Below it, there is the Q70A series which is an Edge LED TV that uses a strip of LEDs only at the bottom and above it, there is the QN85A which already uses Mini LED backlighting, which uses many more LED bulbs located at the rear and also smaller.
In this case, the LED bulbs as in the Mini LED models are located at the back along the screen, but in a much smaller amount to have a larger size.
The Samsung Q80A features Local Dimming (Local Dimming), so you can adjust the lighting by zones instead of across the board. The number of dimming zones is 48 independent blocks, within which the algorithm that controls the backlight will be able to adjust the light of the LEDs without affecting the other zones.
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This allows to obtain a good contrast and a very correct uniformity, although not at the level of the superior Mini LED models that use many more dimming zones. The algorithm that controls the backlighting, does a good job and responds with agility avoiding annoying transitions when there are sudden changes in brightness in scenes.
The model distributed in Spain uses VA panel in all sizes while in other regions, it seems that ADS panel is used at least in the 55-inch size. In principle, in the specific units we have been able to test, the panel is VA.
The black level is very good and a good level of detail is achieved in shadow areas. When viewed in a dark room, the blacks remain deep although when there is a dark background and some bright object, around, some halos are noticed around, as it usually happens in LED TVs. But the truth is that it is noticeable in very punctual moments and the experience when viewed in the dark is good.
Therefore, it is a TV recommended for watching movies in both bright and dimly lit rooms thanks to its good contrast and shadow detail. However, with only 48 dimming zones, it does not achieve the uniformity and black intensity of Samsung’s QN95A Mini LED series or LG’s C1 OLED series.
Peak brightness reaches up to 1500 nits in dynamic mode and in movie and calibrated mode it gets a somewhat lower maximum figure, but enough to get a good impact with HDR content. This is a TV that delivers a high level of brightness and this makes it a very good choice for viewing in brightly lit environments as it will mitigate reflections. Also the panel finish is a matte type making reflections fade and not be seen as much.
This Q80A, belongs to the QLED range in which blue LEDs are used and a Quantum Dot particle coated sheet has also been added. These particles are present in different sizes and depending on this, it will reproduce a different color length.
The color palette is wide and a color volume of 100% is obtained to maintain color saturation both in the shadow areas and in the brightest parts.
For use as a gaming TV, the Samsung Q80A allows maximum enjoyment with the new generation of consoles by having an HDMI 2.1 port, support for VRR via FreeSync and comes with the new Game Bar that shows at a glance all the settings for games.
So, you can play games with this TV with the new PS5 and Xbox Series X in 4K resolution and at a refresh rate of 120 Hz.
Final opinion Samsung Q80A
The Samsung Q80A QLED TV is one of the most successful models of the company because as we have seen it brings a large arsenal of features, a good panel with high contrast, an integrated sound system better than what can be found in the rest of alternatives in this range of range and also a very competitive price.
The most remarkable feature is its excellent black level thanks to its VA panel and the Full Array backlighting system with independent zone control. Brightness is also very high, reaching 1500 nits in its brightest mode and around 900 nits in calibrated mode.
The color palette is wide thanks to the Quantum Dots sheet and blue LEDs that also maintain color saturation in the high lights, allowing a color volume of 100%.
For gaming, the Samsung Q80A, comes very complete by having an HDMI 2.1 port, which allows you to play at 120 Hz in 4K resolution, supports VRR and the input lag is very low which reduces latency.
The sound is another of the things that we liked the most especially in the 55″ and up versions that carry a system of more channels and more powerful than in the 50″ version. It offers a sound rich in bass and with good definition in the voices in addition to a high volume perfect for listening to movies or music content even in large rooms.
In short, the Samsung Q80A, seems to us one of the best alternatives if not the best in the mid-range range before entering the high end of Mini LED and OLED TVs.
- Quantum Dot technology
- 4K resolution
- Full Array
- 8-bit panel + FRC
- 100% color volume
- 16-bit color mapping
- HDR 1500 (1000 at 50″)
- AI Quantum Processor 4K Image Processor
- 120 Hz panel (60 Hz at 50″)
- Motion Xcelerator Turbo+
- VA Panel
- Wide Viewing Angle
- Supreme UHD Dimming
- HDMI 2.1 (1 port)
- Panoramic Game Mode
- Real Game Enhancer
- FreeSync Premium Pro support (except at 50″)
- Motion Xcelerator Turbo+
- Super Ultrawide GameView & Game Bar
- 2.2.2 Sound with 60W (2.2 with 40W on 50″)
- Object Tracking Sound
- Q-Symphony
- Active Voice Amplifier
- SpaceFit Sound
- Bluetooth 4.2
- Ambient Mode
- Tizen Operating System
- Quad Core Processor
- Bixby Voice Assistant
- Compatible with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa
- Eco (sunlight, artificial light and USB) controller with voice control
- Dual DVB-T and satellite tuner
- USB recorder
- Connections 4 HDMI, 2 USB, 1 optical output
- Available inches: 50, 55, 65, 65 and 75
- List of Samsung QLED Q80A references: QE50Q80A, QE55Q80A, QE65Q80A, QE75Q80A and QE85Q80A
See prices Samsung QLED Q80A
Frequently Asked Questions
It is the same TV with identical features, but with an aesthetic difference in the base and bezels. The Q80A has a darker finish, while the Q83A has a lighter gray finish.
The Q83A is an exclusive model for some stores. The Q80A series is the official series and is available in most stores.
The Q80A series has Full Array backlighting with Local Dimming, which positions the LEDs at the back instead of just at the bottom as in the Q70A. In turn, it has a larger number of bulbs and can control the light in 48 independent zones.
As a result, contrast is increased with deeper blacks and higher peak brightness, and uniformity is improved as well.
As for sound, it has much higher quality with more and larger speakers and 60W output power (40W at 50″) versus 20W for the Q70A.
Yes, it has an HDMI 2.1 port for 4K gaming at 120Hz (except for the 50″ version) and VRR support. The port that supports all of this is number 4, which features a game console controller icon.
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