It's widely accepted that, at least until now, OLED has been the crème de la crème of TV technology with its deep blacks and vibrant colours. However, over the past year or so, a new technology has come to the fore - Micro RGB.
The R85H Micro RGB from Samsung is a premium TV that boasts this exciting new tech. It launches alongside the flagship R95H, offering another premium option in an increasingly crowded market for those looking to significantly enhance their viewing experience.
Still, at $3,789 NZD for the 65-inch variant, it's by no means cheap, but it offers exceptional picture quality and versatility to upgrade your living room.
The R85H also comes in 55-, 75-, and 85-inch sizes.
Setup and first impressions
Compared to some other TVs I've reviewed in the past, the R85H was surprisingly easy to set up. Being the 65-inch model, a second pair of hands was necessary, but the stand clipped in with ease and within five minutes I was scrolling through the UI to fine-tune my picture settings ready to put Micro RGB through its paces.
Samsung offers some of the best-looking TVs on the market, and this has been the case for some time. The R85H is no exception - super slim bezels, minimalist branding and a no-frills approach. It lets the picture do the talking.
I tend to do all my viewing through a separate streaming device - namely the Google TV Streamer - but for the purpose of this review I downloaded some of my streaming apps straight to the TV, and I was happy with the changes Samsung has made to its UI. It felt quick and snappy, which is a much-needed change to the slow and laggy experience I've had with older Samsung models and other TVs.
When reviewing a new TV, I always like to find some demo footage on YouTube that helps demonstrate just how good the colours are - like what you'd see when walking through the TV section of a retailer. The R85H displayed them beautifully, from the snowcapped mountains of Europe to Australia's marine life - it put my entry-level Samsung TV to shame.
Features
The R85H is loaded with features that make it an excellent TV for both regular viewing and gaming.
Micro RGB technology builds on the principles of Mini LED, using individually controlled red, green and blue LEDs within the backlight to create more lifelike and vivid colours. Samsung harnesses this technology in the R85H with an AI engine that controls each RGB colour in real time, helping to create an accurate and vibrant picture.
Samsung's use of AI doesn't stop there. The TV comes loaded with Samsung Vision AI Companion which is effectively Google Assistant for your living room. It can adapt to your daily routine, and provide you with information like the news, weather and the scores of your favourite sports team.
Speaking of sports, AI Football Mode is also a welcome feature - the R85H adapts when you're watching a match and optimises the picture, enhances contrast and can even make the commentary sound clearer.
Another neat addition is AI Sound Controller which splits whatever you're watching into two audio tracks, allowing you to increase the volume of any hard-to-hear dialogue. A separate feature, Active Voice Amplifier Pro, uses AI to automatically make dialogue easier to hear.
If you intend to use the R85H to game, you won't be disappointed. Motion Xcelerator 144Hz makes for a great gaming experience, supporting games up to 4K 144Hz or 2K 240Hz. The AI Gaming Optimiser recognises the type of game you're playing and adapts the settings accordingly. Samsung's Game Bar allows you to further tailor your settings.
Other notable features include Pet Care. This plays content to calm your pet down if it detects sounds like barking through the microphone.
The remote has seen minor upgrades and feels slightly heavier and more robust compared to previous generations. It still contains a solar panel on the back, meaning you should never have to charge it. If you plan to use the TV in a dark room and need to top up the battery, there's a USB-C connection available.
Performance
The big question is: how does Micro RGB compare to OLED? Well, it depends on a few factors. To the average consumer, both perform exceptionally well and the differences aren't going to be immediately obvious.
After a few weeks with the R85H, I was really impressed by how punchy and vibrant the picture is. The colours are incredibly rich, and the high brightness helps HDR content stand out, which is particularly noticeable in brighter, more colourful scenes.
Because OLED can turn individual pixels completely off, it still leads the way when it comes to contrast and producing true blacks. The R85H gets mightily close, but not quite close enough.
One major advantage to Micro RGB, though, is its brightness. If you intend to use this TV in a bright room, I believe you should choose the R85H over a similarly priced OLED - it's a seriously compelling alternative.
The timing of this review also coincided with the release of The Odyssey, giving me a great excuse to sit down and revisit half a dozen of Christopher Nolan's films, which only made me appreciate the R85H more. Watching these blockbuster films was a great reminder of why investing in a premium TV can be worthwhile, with Nolan's exquisite cinematography looking absolutely stunning on a display like this.
But it's not just the big, cinematic moments where the R85H shines. For everyday viewing, the picture remains consistently impressive, with regular TV shows looking crisp, vibrant and natural in both bright and dark environments. The AI features also proved genuinely useful, particularly when it came to improving dialogue clarity and making speech easier to follow. Sport was another highlight, with the AI optimisation making football look smoother and more detailed. Motion blur and ghosting around the ball, which can be an issue on some TVs, were barely noticeable during my time with the R85H.
I tested a handful of PS5 titles across a range of genres and the R85H performed brilliantly across the board. Fast-moving games like Spider-Man 2 were a joy to play and were visually stunning.
The built-in speakers on the R85H were unexpectedly punchy, but I'd recommend a soundbar or another external audio setup to maximise the experience. I paired the TV with the Samsung Music Studio 7 wireless smart speaker, and its rich sound, deep bass and clarity complimented the TV perfectly.
Verdict
The Samsung R85H Micro RGB is an excellent all-round TV. While OLED still has the edge when it comes to contrast and true blacks, Micro RGB makes a very compelling case for itself, particularly if you plan to use the TV in a brighter room. Its striking brightness, rich colours and impressive HDR performance combine to make a picture that is difficult not to enjoy.
Samsung's implementation of AI truly enhances the viewing experience, from sport and gaming to dialogue and picture quality. Add in the capable built-in speakers and great gaming performance and the R85H is an incredibly versatile TV.
At $3,789 for the 65-inch model, it's certainly an investment, but if you're looking for a premium TV and don't want to go down the OLED route, the R85H is a worthy alternative. Micro RGB might not have completely dethroned OLED just yet, but after spending several weeks with the R85H, I now see why it's becoming one of the most exciting technologies in the TV market.