When it comes to home entertainment, the first thing that comes to my mind is the living room and all the fancy home theatre equipment. While some could afford to convert a dedicated room into a man cave, as a normie myself could only go with the standard flow of having the living room doubled as a home theatre.
I have recently upgraded my home entertainment setup with a Samsung QN85C 4K QLED TV and HW-Q800C soundbar. This dynamic duo combines cutting-end technology, stunning picture quality, and powerful audio performance that takes movie nights and gaming sessions to the next level. The immersive experience provided by the above combination can only be topped by either Samsung’s own flagship models or an over-the-top custom setup. In this article, I will share some of my tips on how to set up the TV and soundbar to utilize the functionality of this TV fully. Do check out our review of the TV and soundbar if you missed it.
Samsung QN85C & Q800C Setup Tips
Picture Mode
The TV comes with 5 picture modes, by default it will be on Dynamic mode:
- Dynamic – Prioritise the colour vibrancy and vividness, overall brightness is higher to further highlight the Quantum Mini LED performance and contrast.
- Standard – Balanced brightness and colour reproduction.
- Eco – Emphasize power savings, the overall brightness will be lower in order to reduce the power consumption.
- Movie – Uses a warm colour tone and lowers the maximum brightness, suitable for watching movies/tv shows in a dark room
- FILMMAKER mode – Movies or contents are not adjusted in any way in order to retain the original colours as intended by the director/creator.
Personally, I’m a big fan of FILMMAKER mode and have been using it ever since I trialled and error on all the above picture modes. I strongly believe that keeping the content true to the original is the best way to enjoy it, especially when the director spent all their effort creating their masterpiece.
Bonus: Game Mode
Samsung also understands how a TV also plays an important role for gamers. The Neo QLED TV lineup has a dedicated game mode built into the Tizen OS. HDMI-CEC will automatically detect your console input and immediately switch to game mode. The TV will reduce the input lag and prioritize the display at the fastest response time possible.
Unfortunately, I don’t have a PS5 with me to fully experience the 4K 120Hz but even PS4’s 1080p 60Hz content looks amazing on it.
Picture Clarity Settings
One of the first few settings I always check on a new TV is the Picture Clarity Settings. You can access this menu by going to All Settings > Picture > Expert Settings > Picture Clarity Settings.
The original intention of the Picture Clarity feature is to make the image look “smooth”. This feature is very common on many other TV brands, Samsung calls it Picture Clarity, and some others call it Motion Smoothing or Interpolation. At the end of the day, they all do the same thing.
It used to be great for sports as it allows to you see all the action happening on the field. Since most modern sports are broadcasting at 60 frames per second, turning on this feature is redundant. On the other hand, as movies are shot in 24 frames per second to achieve that cinematic effect, the Picture Clarity feature will somehow break this experience by over-smoothen the video. Even Tom Cruise has publicly called to turn off this feature when watching movies.
If you have trouble accessing the Picture Clarity Settings (grey out), remember to turn off the “Intelligent Mode” at the quick settings menu first.
Sound Output – Q-Symphony
The Q-Symphony feature is a Samsung-exclusive function that only works when you pair eligible TV & soundbar models. This feature fully utilizes the TV speakers and the soundbar to complete the home theatre surround sound experience. In our case, The QN85C and Q800C will work perfectly well as both of them supports the Q-Symphony function.
Make sure your soundbar is connected to the TV via an HDMI cable through the dedicated HDMI eARC port.
By default, the TV should immediately recognize the soundbar and automatically turns on the Q-Symphony function.
You can always check if Q-Symphony is enabled through the Sound Output menu. If it shows TV + Soundbar, then everything is working as it should.
Samsung SmartThings
Last but not least, I strongly recommend you download the Samsung SmartThings app on your phone to fully experience the Samsung smart ecosystem. You can manage all your connected devices from here and change the settings without having the need to reach out to the remote control.
One of the most impressive features found on the SmartThings app is the Smart Calibration function.
This function uses your smartphone’s camera as the calibrator to determine the colour accuracy of the screen. Do keep in mind that only a few selected phones are supported as each and every mobile phone has a different camera sensor that needs special calibration.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Samsung QN85C TV and Q800C soundbar together make a fantastic duo for elevating your home entertainment experience. The QN85C TV delivers stunning picture quality and gaming-friendly features, while the Q800C soundbar enhances the audio with a wireless subwoofer, Dolby Atmos support and Q-Symphony.
Whether you’re a movie bug, sports enthusiast or gamer, with the right settings and customisation, you will be able to create an ultimate home theatre setup that fits your favourite content consumption. I hope this article manages to provide some insights for your setup.
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