Samsung QE55S95B Review: 4K HDR OLED with Quantum Dot

Whereas Neo QLED seemingly stays Samsung’s flagship display know-how, the S95B is the panel everyone seems to be speaking about. The primary QD-OLED show from the model, it merges the advantages of Quantum Dot color quantity with OLED’s good black degree and beauty attraction.

The S95B additionally options a complicated Dolby Atmos sound system with Object Monitoring Sound, plus stable gaming chops.

Options & design

Samsung describes the S95B as a LaserSlim design, and it’s actually eye-catchingly skinny. Construct high quality and end is impeccable. Regardless of its thinness, the QES95B doesn’t require a separate One Join interface field; all ports are inbuilt. Connectivity is sweet. All 4 HDMI inputs are HDMI v2.1 compliant and help 4k 120fps playback. There’s additionally eARC (on HDMI 3), VRR (Variable Refresh fee) with NVIDIA and AMD Freesync help, plus ALLM  (Auto Low Latency Mode) for console hook-ups.

The display barely seems sufficiently big to include immersive audio, however squirrelled on the rear jack pack are peak and facet drivers, to enrich the ahead dealing with array.  In case you do wish to improve the panel’s audio efficiency, you may move Dolby Atmos via to an exterior soundbar or system.

Steve Could / Foundry

It ships with a solar-powered  distant management, which ought to save on batteries in the long run, in addition to a regular zapper.

Specs & Options

The large story right here is the arrival of the QD-OLED panel itself.

The large story right here is the arrival of the QD-OLED panel itself.

The intelligent change that separates this iteration of OLED from what we routinely see from merchandise based mostly on screens made by LG Show, is the appliance of a Quantum Dot layer to derive color from a single blue OLED supply.

The result’s a display with larger total brightness and improved color constancy, with out sacrificing black degree efficiency or viewing angle.

Doing a lot of the related heavy lifting is Samsung’s Neural Quantum Processor, which leverages AI smarts to optimise imagery in actual time, in addition to add further nuance and believability to HD upscaling.

Steve Could / Foundry

HDR help is ample, however falls frustratingly wanting what you would possibly anticipate from a premium telly. Sure, we’re as soon as once more speaking concerning the absence of Dolby Imaginative and prescient from this Samsung’s HDR armoury. This omission could possibly be a deal breaker for film followers.

What we do get is HDR10, HDR10+ , and HLG.

Good performance comes through Samsung’s Tizen platform, which has undergone a beauty revamp; the replace does appear to contain a good quantity of navigational clicking. 

Steve Could / Foundry

Image Efficiency

This Samsung QD OLED delivers unparalleled peak brightness in the case of HDR. We’ve seen LG Show make large advances with its OLED.EX panel know-how on this regard, however QD OLED is an much more apparent advance.

For all its sophistication, the S95B isn’t a difficult set to dwell with. The Neural Quantum Processor provides an AI-driven Optimization mode for sound and imaginative and prescient that analyses content material and your viewing setting, and adjusts accordingly. With AI Optimization engaged you may flip from Home of the Dragon (n 4k HDR on Sky Atlantic) to Sky Sports activities F1 in UHD HDR, and the set seems equally spectacular with each.

In case you’re migrating from an LED TV then the S95B will doubtless be proper up your road. It’s a terrific shiny room TV. However if you happen to’re approaching it from an OLED viewpoint, it might appear overly luminous, unsubtle even.

You possibly can spend an inordinate period of time tweaking settings to ‘defuse’ this inherent pop, or select to run it in its cinema modes, however that’s largely ignoring its key attraction. A bit like shopping for a Ferrari to solely drive round city.

In case you select to disable Clever mode then the usual Samsung image preset choices change into accessible. These comprise Dynamic, Commonplace, Film and Filmmaker mode.

The film mode considerably dulls the S95B’s picture, very like Filmmaker mode.

Conversely, the Dynamic setting is just too over saturated for comfy viewing; pores and skin tones are lower than plausible. In case you select to not let AI handle settings, Commonplace could be our chosen default.

Steve Could / Foundry

The set’s HDR efficiency is phenomenal. We measured peak HDR in extra of 1400 nits utilizing a 5 per cent window. It measures much less on a regular 10 per cent window, however the former is extra indicative of how HDR is usually used creatively.

Even so, the display nonetheless manages to disclose close to shadow element above true black; gradations are clean and banding is banished.

As a gaming show, the S95B has a lot to advocate it, however picture smart, I truly suppose the Sport setting is a bit too over cranked. Name of Obligation Warzone seems a tad extra cartoonish than on rival shows, with over saturated hues. 4k 120fps playback is good and clean.

Sound Efficiency

Audio is surprisingly good for a TV this skinny. Samsung has invested in peak, width and centre drivers, which collectively make a loud, fulsome noise. Powered output is rated at 40W. Whereas the inclusion of higher-placed drivers will increase the size of sound, there’s no sense of immersion, so upgrading to a separate sound system sooner or later nonetheless is sensible. 

Steve Could / Foundry

See also  Xiaomi Mi Band 7 review

Value & availability

The Samsung S95B is on the market in two display sizes, 55in and 65in (QE55S95B, QE65S95B), priced at US$1799 and US$2199 respectively.  Samsung despatched us the 55in mannequin for this overview.

You should buy them direct from Samsung.

Within the UK, the 2 TVs retail for £1789 and £2399, whereas in Australia they promote for AUS$3499 and AUS$4499.

On the time of overview, reductions have been plentiful, so don’t contemplate these the costs you’ll truly pay.

Though clearly premium, these costs (particularly with the reductions) are literally fairly aggressive for such a cutting-edge show. Panasonic’s LZ2000 55- and 65-inch screens with their Grasp Professional OLED panels are dearer, as is LG’s interior-design pleasant G (Gallery) collection.

Verdict

The Samsung S95B is an impressive 4k show. It combines the brightness of a excessive spec LED TV, with superior black degree efficiency of OLED, whereas managing to include an honest sound system into its spectacular LaserSlim design.

The S95B’s HDR dealing with is exceptional, however the lack of Dolby Imaginative and prescient stays an irritant at this value. Its total brightness will attraction to many, notably these primarily in search of a shiny room show; conversely, its usually shiny manner doesn’t notably serve players or film followers.

You possibly can dive into settings to reasonable this, but when such pop isn’t to your style then the S95B most likely isn’t for you.

Total we predict the S95B is a spectacular debut for Samsung’s QD-OLED know-how, and one which prices lower than you may think. It’s positively an OLED to shortlist.

Specs

• QD-OLED
• Decision: 3840 x 2160
• Dimensions: 1225.5(w) x 708.6(h) x 39.9(d)mm  
• Weight: 16.5kg
• HDMI: x4 (v2.1)
• HDR help: HDR10, HLG,  HDR10+
• Tizen sensible platform
• Terrestrial and Satellite tv for pc tuners