Samsung Q800T 8K first look review: Hands-On with Samsung’s 8K TV

We’ve been doing Samsung TV reviews for a few years now, and the company has always been great about sending us review units so we can provide our readers with our thoughts and opinions. This year, Samsung reached out to us and asked if we would like to be among the first media outlets to see one of its latest 8K TV offerings, the Samsung Q800T.

We generally get our review units weeks, sometimes months, after their release. This time, we got to spend a little time with the Samsung Q800T and Q90T so we can get our first look and first impressions out to you before they hit the shelves. Samsung continues to impress and 2020 is a stellar year in improvements for the Samsung TV lineup.

Before we move on, it is important to note that this is our first impressions review, with a full review possibly coming in the future. Because of that, this review doesn’t carry a scored rating but rather an Editor’s Choice rating. Read on for our first look and mini-review of the Samsung Q800T, a Techaeris 8K TV Editor’s Choice award winner.

Specifications

The Samsung Q800T 8K TV has the following features and specifications:

• Video
  • Screen Sizes: 64.5″ | 74.5″ | 81.5″ Measured Diagonally
  • Resolution: 7680 x 4320
  • Motion Rate: 240
  • Color: Titan Black
  • HDR (High-Dynamic Range): Quantum HDR 16X
  • Picture Engine: Quantum Processor 8K
  • Quantum Dot Color: Yes
  • Upscaling: 8K AI
• Audio
  • Dolby: Dolby Sound
  • Sound Output: 70W
  • Speaker Type: 4.2.2CH
  • Multiroom Link: Yes
  • Bluetooth Headset Support: Yes
• Wireless Connectivity
  • Wi-Fi: Yes
  • Wi-Fi Direct: Yes
  • Bluetooth: Yes
• Features
  • Smart Hub: Yes (incl. Sports, Music, and TV Plus – Easily access content and Apps through the intuitive Smart Hub menu system.) Apple TV+ is also compatible.
  • Processor: Quantum Processor 8K
  • Apps Platform: Smart TV Powered by TIZEN™ with Bixby Voice, Apps, and Full Web Browser
  • Voice Interaction (w/Bixby): Yes. It also works with Google Assistant and Alexa.
  • AI Technology: Yes
  • Auto Channel Search: Yes
  • Auto Motion Plus: Yes
  • Dimming Technology: Ultimate 8K Dimming
  • V-Chip: Allows parents to block inappropriate movies and programs based upon their FCC rating.
  • Electronic Program Guide (Channel Guide): Yes
  • Game Mode: Yes (Real Game Enhancer+)
  • Ambient Mode: Yes
  • Auto Power Off: Yes
  • Closed Captioning: Yes
  • Easy Pairing: Yes
  • Anynet+ HDMI-CEC: Yes (HDMI version that supports TV and compatible HDMI component commands via single remote controller.)
  • Eco Sensor: Yes (Technology that intelligently adapts the screen’s brightness to the intensity of the light in the room.)
  • Bluetooth: Yes
  • InstaPort S (HDMI Quick Switch): Yes
  • Mobile to TV – Mirroring, DLNA: Yes
  • TV to Mobile (Mirroring): Yes
• I/O (One Connect Box)
  • 4 HDMI ports
  • 2 (v2) USB ports
  • Ethernet port
  • RF In (Terrestrial/Cable Input)
  • RF In (Satellite Input)
  • RS232C
  • Digital Audio Out (Optical)
  • Audio Return Channel Support (via HDMI port) ARC
  • One Connect
• Dimensions
  • Product Size (W x H x D) Without Stand in inches: 72.1″ x 41.3″ x 1.1″
  • Product Size (W x H x D) With Stand in inches: 72.1″ x 45″ x 14.4″
  • Stand Size (W x H xD) in inches:  16.9″ x 11.4″ x 14.4″
  • Shipping Size:  81.6″ x 47.6″ x 10.2″
  • Weight without stand: 91.5 lb.
  • Weight with stand: 119.5 lb.
  • Shipping weight in box: 152.6 lb.
• Power
  • ENERGY STAR® Certified: Yes (Approval by Energy Star, a government program, ensures TV is eco-friendly and energy-efficient.)
  • Power Supply: AC110-120V 50/60Hz
  • Typical Power Consumption: 275W
  • Maximum Power Consumption:  435W
  • Standby Power Consumption: Under 0.5W
• Other Features
  • Vesa Wall Mount Compatible (400×400)
  • Quantum Dot Color
  • Flat Glass Display
  • 8K UHD resolution
  • Ultra Viewing Angles
  • Samsung One Remote
  • Samsung Model Number: QN82Q800TAFXZA

Design

In terms of design, Samsung returns yet again with improvements in just about every aspect. The bezels are thinner than ever on the Samsung Q800T 8K TV, and their premium 950TS has an insane 90% screen-to-body ratio (more on the 950TS in another review). The overall thickness has also been dropped to a respectable 1.1″ thin.

With the bezels at an even thinner footprint than ever before, it really does make this QLED TV look as if it’s floating in front of you. Samsung has also improved the build materials this year. Last year’s models had plastic back panels that seemed really cheap. While the back panel is made of plastic again this year, it feels much more premium. Not only does it look premium but it also feels premium.

The stands are also improved, though they are very heavy. This year’s stands have gone the same way as last year’s Q90R. They’re much more robust and feel as if they will hold your TV up way better.

The stands were also designed specifically to accept Samsung soundbars right under the TV. The distance between the bottom of the display and the TV stand is a perfect space for any of Samsung’s 2020 soundbars. This way the soundbar just melts into the TV and makes it look like a seamless design.

The Samsung Q800T 8K TV is a beautiful work of tech art that you’ll love hanging on your wall. Combine the exterior beauty with Samsung’s Ambient Mode on the TV and you’ll have your own art gallery in your living room. Overall, Samsung has improved the things that matter when it comes to TV design. The Q800T 8K TV is thinner in both bezels and thickness. The build quality is outstanding! The materials used for the build are premium and stand out from lower-end models.

Display

Let’s face it, the reason most of us buy a TV is going to hinge on its display quality. I’ve been reviewing Samsung TVs for a few years now and Samsung is well known for its display technology. Year-after-year Samsung has improved every display I’ve used and the Samsung Q800T 8K TV is no different.

The normal things have all been enhanced and refined…contrast, color, clarity, sharpness, viewing angles, and more have all been improved. The area Samsung has improved the most is contrast. The company keeps making the contrast on their TVs better and better. The Q800T brings deeper blacks while maintaining the grayscale and shadows.

This means you can watch your favorite content where the true blacks remain black but the grays and details in the shadows are enhanced and visible. With OLED technology the black and gray areas tend to get muddled and the details are lost. With Samsung’s QLED technology, the company has been able to match the contrast performance of its competitors.

The normal picture modes are present here on the Samsung Q800T 8K TV. Those include Movie Mode, Standard Mode, and Dynamic Mode, while Film Maker Mode will be coming soon. Of course, you can jump in and tweak the settings to your liking in Custom Mode, but most people will be happy with one of the presets. I personally use Standard Mode the most and it works great with almost all content. As a matter of fact, Samsung says, according to their research, 70% of users use Standard Mode.

One of the newest features Samsung is offering is Multi-View. Multi-View allows users to cast their phone displays on to the TV so they can multitask while watching content. At first, I questioned the need for such a feature, but Samsung gave me a few use cases for Multi-View that make perfect sense.

Multi-View on the Samsung Q800T 8K TV is especially useful for gamers. Gamers can now pull up YouTube tutorials on their phones and have it playing on screen as they play that same game. This can help gamers get through difficult levels without having to look down at their other device or pause anything.

Multi-View could also be used for fact-checking while watching news programs or political debates. Having your phone screen available on the same display where everyone can see it and verify the facts is actually a pretty good idea.

Of course, you can have pretty much anything up with Multi-View like social media, News, Sports, or just about anything. You can also choose which device will play sound through the TV or you can have both devices playing sound through it. There are a lot of options here. Multi-View is probably not for everyone, but for many, they will love this feature.

What else can we say about the display? Overall, the Samsung Q800T 8K TV has a fantastic display that is going to please just about everyone. Compared to the Q900R I reviewed this year, the colors, contrast, detail, and color temperature are all improved a ton on the Q800T.

Sound Quality

Holy cow! The sound quality of the Samsung Q800T 8K TV has been improved by leaps and bounds. I have always sung the praises of Samsung’s TV speakers and how great they sound. Seriously, the last 3 years of Samsung high-end TVs really don’t need anything more than the TV speakers themselves. You can certainly enhance and improve the sound with a soundbar or surround sound system, but most people will be happy with what Samsung built into the TVs.

The Samsung Q800T 8K TV takes the sound quality up to 11. The latest feature on select 8K and 4K TVs is called, Object Tracking Sound and Object Tracking Sound Plus.

Object Tracking Sound Plus is what you’ll find on the Samsung Q800T 8K TV and it is a 4.2.2 system with two speakers at the top of the TV, two speakers at the bottom, one on the left, and one on the right. All of these speakers work together to track the sound coming from your content making it a more immersive experience.

It’s really sort of freaky but also very cool when you first hear it. Voices become more clear and easier to distinguish and understand. There is much more separation of the soundstage giving the user a sense of depth and space in their audio experience. This helps to get lost in the content, making it feel like you are actually there. Visually, TVs have done a great job of immersing you into the world, but until now, it wasn’t easy to immerse the user in the sound with TV speakers.

Overall, the sound on the Samsung Q800T 8K TV is probably my favorite feature given that it nearly eliminates the need for a soundbar. Of course, a great soundbar or surround sound system will give you even more but trust me, these speakers combined with OTS+ are amazing.

Performance

As for performance, the Samsung Q800T 8K TV is a workhorse. Nothing felt laggy here unless it was network performance issues. Moving through menus and loading up apps was quick and painless.

Gaming performance is also enhanced with Samsung’s new version of Game Mode. When you have your Xbox or PlayStation plugged into the TV and turned on, Game Mode will automatically be applied. Game Mode changes the colors and refresh rate to give you a better gaming experience. Game Mode plus delivers a 9.4ms input lag which is freaking amazing for a TV. This means gamers can enjoy a more responsive experience within their favorite games. Game Mode Plus also adds some surround sound improvements making the sound more immersive for gamers and more exciting.

Samsung has also changed its SmartHub design. The colors have changed from a bright white to a more muted blue. I’m not a fan of the new colors for SmartHub but I am a fan of getting rid of the white. I suggested to Samsung that the Smart Hub should go dark mode with some darker greys for the color pallet.

Color aside, SmartHub is the best UI on any TV on the market. It’s fast, well designed and gives you everything you need with just a few button clicks. They’ve even given you more room on the screen by redesigning the app icons from rectangles to squares. This allows more apps to be on screen in the menu bar.

The Samsung Q800T 8K TV is also sporting an updated Universal Guide which gives you suggestions based on the apps you have installed and the content you have watched. Now, you can just scroll down on the main menu and your suggestions will begin to appear.

Overall, the performance of the Samsung Q800T 8K TV is exactly what you should expect from a flagship television. Samsung delivers once again.

Wrap Up

Our first look and first impressions of the Samsung Q800T 8K TV are overwhelmingly positive. Samsung has done an amazing job over the years on its flagship TVs. They generally come with a bunch of new improvements but this year they’ve really added a bunch of new value as well as improvements.

If you’re looking for your first 8K TV then we believe you should buy the Samsung Q800T 8K TV. They’re available in the following sizes and price points on Samsung’s website:

• 65″ Model# QN65Q800TAFXZA: US$3,499.99
• 75″ Model# QN75Q800TAFXZA: US$4,999.99
• 82″ Model#QN82Q800TAFXZA: US$6,999.99

Congratulations to the Samsung Q800T 8K TV for taking our Editor’s Choice Award for 8K TVs.

Last Updated on February 3, 2021.