LG UR781 vs SAMSUNG S90F (WOLED)

In HDR mode, LG UR781 unfortunately does not impress with its brightness. In tests on five screens, the television achieved only around 200 nits, which is quite a low value for HDR standards. This brightness is comparable to levels typical for SDR, which means that HDR effects are not sufficiently vivid, and the picture may look less impressive, especially in dynamic, bright scenes. In HDR mode, it has certain limitations in colour reproduction. This means that colours may not be as intense and rich as in televisions that handle a wider colour gamut better. In practice, this can make the image less vibrant and dynamic, and HDR effects may not be as spectacular as one might expect. Additionally, UR781 LG has some issues with accurate colour representation in HDR mode, which makes content look less lively.

Does the S90F handle not only blacks but also bright parts of the image? Definitely. The stories about OLEDs as "dark screens" can slowly be regarded as myth. The Samsung S90F, like the LG C5 based on a very similar panel, achieves brightness exceeding 1000 nits. This is a value more than enough to enjoy impressive and dynamic HDR images – both in movies and series. Most of the scenes we tested look stunning, with well-defined highlights and high contrast. Of course, OLED technology still has its limitations – in very bright, full-screen sequences, such as the test card from the movie The Meg (photo 5), the television may noticeably dim the image. However, it should be emphasized that such scenes are rare. It can be said that the HDR effect is good enough that even mid-range OLED models like the S90F can provide a cinematic experience in the home living room.

Colour reproduction in LG UR781 in Filmmaker Mode, which although it is the best mode available from factory settings, is not without its flaws. First and foremost, the issue is with white balance, where the graph shows dips in the blue colour level. This phenomenon results in a shift towards yellow hues, making the image warmer than it should be. Such deviation means that the colours on the screen are not reproduced naturally, which may be particularly noticeable in scenes with white or neutral backgrounds. This can be confirmed by the Color Checker Test, which showed that some colours "escape" into other shades, indicating that the LG UR781 TV does not display colours accurately. This distortion can affect visual experiences, making film scenes seem less realistic and details may be displayed in incorrect colours, negatively impacting overall picture quality.

In terms of contrast, analysis of the gamma graph revealed drops to a level of 2.0, while the optimal value should be 2.4. This means that the TV may display darker parts of the image brighter in some scenes, reducing their depth and dynamism. Additionally, on the EOTF curve, which is responsible for brightness reproduction, an unnatural spike was noticed at the beginning. This phenomenon may result in excessive brightness boosting in the brightest parts of the image, leading to a loss of details in very bright scenes.

Samsung S90F, like most modern televisions, offers many picture modes, but – following our testing tradition – we checked it out in the best one, which is the Filmmaker mode. Thanks to this, the image looks much more natural than in the default, often oversaturated settings. It was neither overly saturated nor artificially dimmed – simply closer to what one should see. Of course, “more accurate” doesn’t mean “perfect”. Unfortunately, our S90F had significant issues with white balance, particularly in the blue color range, resulting in a slightly yellowish filter being applied to most scenes. Someone might say it looks more “filmic” – because it’s warmer – but let’s not kid ourselves, George Lucas didn’t film Star Wars in sepia 😉 (you’ll find a comparison with the scene below as always).

Additionally, in HDR materials, there was an issue with brightness management. The EOTF curve showed a clear “spike” in brightness – the television brightened the image more than it should have, causing some effects to look too intense and deviating from the reference. Fortunately, some of these problems can be eliminated through professional calibration – you’ll read about its effects later in the review.

After calibration, colour reproduction in SDR content is quite good. The white balance has been effectively improved, resulting in natural, balanced hues across different scenes. The gamma has also been adjusted, providing a more precise representation of details in the shadows and bright areas of the image. As a result, the LG UR781 TV performs well in everyday use, offering solid colour quality and clear, well-balanced images in SDR mode.

However, the situation is less favourable for HDR content. The LG UR781 TV does not support a wide colour gamut, which limits the depth and richness of colours that HDR can provide. The EOTF curve deviates from the ideal, leading to excessive highlighting of details in the bright areas of the image. Unfortunately, this approach results in significant colour reproduction errors, as confirmed by tests on the Colour Checker. Additionally, the low brightness level of the panel further negatively impacts HDR image quality, causing the effects of dynamic range to not be fully realised and colours to appear washed out.

Despite some shortcomings in HDR mode, the TV has significantly improved after calibration, especially in SDR content. The enhancement of white balance and gamma has notably increased image quality, providing a more natural and cohesive colour reproduction. Compared to its pre-calibration state, the difference is clear, and the LG UR781 TV now offers better performance in everyday use, particularly in standard dynamic range.

After calibration, we managed to eliminate practically all the previously mentioned errors. Older movies in SDR quality finally look like they should – without the sepia effect or artificial aging of the image. The atmosphere of the classics is back in place (no thanks needed, Star Wars fans), and the colours no longer resemble an Instagram filter.

One of the key changes was also the improvement of brightness characteristics in HDR content. We managed to control the EOTF curve in almost a reference manner. Admittedly, the most demanding users may detect minimal deviations in brightness, but honestly – most viewers won't even notice that. And it's no surprise because the vast majority of errors fall below the ΔE 3 value, which is below the threshold of visibility. After calibration, the S90F (WOLED) becomes a truly excellent display – one on which you can enjoy nearly perfect image quality.

Let's now address the function of smoothing tonal transitions and its impact on overall picture quality. As illustrated by the photo on the left, this function performs exceptionally mediocre; we chose the "low" level, which does not enhance quality but also does not blur the film grain. There is a possibility to increase the strength of this function, which could soften this gradation, but one must consider that the image will be too softened in certain scenes.

On the other hand, regarding image scaling, the television does not perform outstandingly, which may be particularly noticeable with lower resolution content. The LG UR781 television applies a slight, artificial sharpening boost, making the image appear sharper; however, this mainly results from the application of artificial contours. For some users, this may be an advantage, as they prefer more vivid, pronounced details. However, this is a subjective matter—such an effect may not appeal to everyone, especially if they desire a more natural appearance of the image.

Digital Image Processing in S90F:

Fortunately, Samsung, like in most of its models, manages to effectively tackle the unwanted posterisation effect in the S90F. The function responsible for this element is noise reduction, which does a pretty good job of smoothing tonal transitions and eliminating unnatural colour blending – of course, within its capabilities. Unfortunately, it works quite aggressively, so using it comes with trade-offs. In addition to improving gradation, it can also remove film grain or slightly soften facial features. In this case, the choice is yours – do you prefer a more "clean" image, or do you care about preserving the original texture of the material.

Image Scaling in S90F:

In this year's model, Samsung has implemented its proprietary AI processor – NQ4 Gen3, which really handles upscaling quite well. In our test scenes, the TV effectively "pulled up" lower quality towards artificial 4K – the image was more enjoyable to view, and the differences in sharpness between native and scaled content were minimal. Unfortunately, behind all this AI marketing façade lies a certain shortcoming. The S90F struggles with overscan. If you reach for truly archival material – e.g. a VHS tape of your parents' wedding – you have to reckon with the fact that the lower part of the image may get cut off. The function to adapt the image to resolution simply does not work as it should here.

The LG UR781 TV offers quite decent smoothness for movies, thanks to the "True Motion" option, which allows users to adjust the motion smoothing level on a scale from 0 to 10. Users can choose whether they want to maintain a more traditional, cinematic effect with a slight stutter (lower settings) or prefer a smoother image with a theatrical quality, which, although slightly deviating from the cinematic standard, may appeal to many.

In dynamic sports content and gaming, the LG UR781 TV performs worse. The TV has a 60Hz panel, which limits its interpolation capabilities to these values; therefore, smoothness can be improved in films, but motion blur cannot be reduced. Additionally, the lack of support for 120 Hz and BFI (Black Frame Insertion) technology means that fast-moving objects become blurred, and the panel's response time is too slow, negatively affecting clarity in fast scenes. As a result, the TV may not meet the expectations of gamers and sports fans who are counting on a smooth, clear image without motion blur.

S90F really handles motion excellently – after all, it’s an OLED with a 144 Hz panel, so sports and games look absolutely stunning on it. The image is smooth, clear, and there’s no room for ghosting or blurring, which can sometimes plague cheaper LCDs.

The TV also comes equipped with motion smoothness settings that allow you to customise everything to your liking. We have motion blur reduction and judder reduction – you can set it so that the image is super smooth (even to the point of looking a bit soap opera-like), or more cinematic, with the classic “jumpiness” of 24 frames. The choice is yours, Samsung imposes nothing.

When playing on a console, the LG UR781 TV offers several significant features that can affect the gaming experience, but it also has some limitations. On the plus side, it includes ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), which automatically optimises the picture settings by switching the LG UR781 TV to low latency mode, which is beneficial for gamers. The TV also supports correct implementation of HGiG, meaning HDR games look as intended by the creators.

Unfortunately, it lacks support for Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), which can result in worse gameplay smoothness, especially in more dynamic games. It also does not support Dolby Vision mode for gaming, which limits HDR picture quality in games using this format. The TV has a 60Hz panel, so it does not support higher frequencies at other resolutions, such as 1080p@120Hz, 1440p@120Hz, or 4K@120Hz, which is a significant downside for gamers expecting smoother gameplay at higher resolutions. There is also no support for G-Sync technology, which limits image synchronisation in games.

On the positive side, the presence of a Game Bar feature allows for quick access to settings for gamers and makes it easier to adjust picture parameters during gameplay.

When it comes to gaming features – the S90F has absolutely nothing to complain about. Aside from the lack of Dolby Vision, which is already the norm for Samsung. The television operates at 144 Hz, has four HDMI 2.1 ports, so you can easily connect more than one console or PC. Onboard, we also find Game Bar – a practical tool that allows you to quickly preview picture settings, VRR status, ALLM mode, and other useful options. Game Motion Plus deserves special mention – Samsung's proprietary motion smoother that actually works sensibly in games. The image appears smoother, but without any artificial effects or slowdowns.

It's also worth mentioning the HGiG feature, which – and this may be a slight surprise – works correctly. We bring this up because Samsung clearly messed something up in one of the recent updates, and in some models, the option responsible for HGiG simply... disappears from the menu. Setting it up becomes almost impossible. Fortunately, our S90F unit did not have this issue, but the situation is dynamic, so it's worth keeping this in mind and regularly checking for new software versions and information from the manufacturer.