Philips OLED769 vs SAMSUNG S90F (WOLED)

Philips OLED769 performs quite well, especially in movie scenes with small light points. The television surprises with its brightness, reaching around 800 nits, which is an impressive result. This means that small light sources, like street lamps at night or stars in the sky, are vivid and full of detail. However, the biggest challenge for this model is the scene with a full-screen sun glare. In such moments, the brightness drops to around 250 nits, which isn’t very impressive. This is a typical issue with cheaper OLED displays, which struggle to maintain high brightness across the entire screen.

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.

The "Film" mode turned out to be the best factory setting in terms of fidelity to the original material, and it was on this setting that we based our tests. However, like other factory modes, it was not without its flaws. Let’s take a closer look at what exactly went wrong in the SDR and HDR materials.

In both cases, the white balance was disturbed by excessive dominance of green and red colours. This phenomenon created a yellowish tint that spilled over the entire image, leading to issues such as yellowed whites and unnatural skin tones. These problems were clearly highlighted on the "ColourChecker" palette, where each of the samples was shifted towards warmer shades.

As for contrast and brightness, in the Philips OLED769, we can look at two key graphs: Gamma for HD content and the EOTF curve for 4K HDR content. In the case of the first graph, the gamma value is below the optimal level of 2.4, resulting in the bright parts of the image being lightened. This means that bright elements may be somewhat overexposed, losing detail and depth. Meanwhile, the EOTF curve for 4K HDR content performs really well. The graph shows that the television effectively reproduces details in both the brightest and darkest parts of the image, translating to a realistic and dynamic representation of 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 professional calibration, Philips OLED769 truly shines in terms of colour accuracy. The television has been completely rid of any yellow tint in both HD and 4K content. The Colour Checker test confirms that deltaE errors are minimal, occasionally exceeding 2, which means we can talk about almost perfect renderings of the director's vision.

When it comes to contrast, the situation is equally impressive. For 4K materials, there wasn't much to improve from the start, while the gamma graph has been significantly enhanced. As a result, dark and bright parts of the image are represented with greater accuracy, leading to realistic and dynamic scene reproduction.

The calibration has unlocked the full potential of this television, both in terms of colour and contrast. Philips OLED769 now offers vivid, natural images of high quality that will delight any user, whether they're watching movies or using other multimedia.

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.

When it comes to lower quality materials, the distortion reduction in the Philips OLED769 does well at smoothing tonal transitions, especially at the minimum setting. It's worth noting that at this setting, film grain isn't blurred, which is a pleasant surprise, as such negative phenomena often occur with other manufacturers. Overall, it's quite a decent solution. However, it should be noted that this setting doesn't work in HDR mode, where gradation issues are much more pronounced. In HDR mode, the television struggles with smoothing tonal transitions and may present more noticeable distortions and noise, reducing image quality in dynamic scenes.

As for digital processing, the Philips OLED769 performs well. The model in the picture isn’t overly jagged, and the branches in the background lack the characteristic artifacts. The television achieves this effect by avoiding artificial sharpening, which may be an advantage for some users. However, others may find this less appealing, as they prefer a more vivid, sharper image rather than a subtle effect. This effect can be mitigated by using a higher setting for the "Sharpness" parameter.

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.

Philips OLED769 features a multi-level motion smoother called "Motion Style," which will please users who value the ability to adjust motion fluidity in films. With this function, the image can be set to appear more stuttery or fluid, reminiscent of a theatrical effect. It's a great solution for those who want to tailor the displayed content to their visual preferences. Gamers will also not be disappointed, as the television, like most OLEDs, is equipped with a 120Hz panel. This ensures extraordinary fluidity and dynamic imagery. Unfortunately, Philips OLED769 does not have the BFI (Black Frame Insertion) feature, which could further enhance the smoothness and clarity of motion. Despite this limitation, the television still offers excellent visual experiences for both cinema lovers and gamers. This is definitely one of its strong points.

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.

Philips OLED769 has been designed with gamers in mind, offering full compatibility with consoles and the highest quality gameplay. The television received the maximum rating in this category, providing everything your heart desires. With HDMI 2.1 ports fully supporting ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) and VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), the TV ensures smooth and hassle-free gaming. ALLM automatically switches the television to low latency mode, and VRR eliminates stuttering and screen tearing, resulting in smoothness and stability in gameplay. The Dolby Vision feature for gamers is another advantage, although it only works at 60 Hz. Most casual gamers will probably not feel the lack of a higher refresh rate, however, more demanding users may have some reservations. It allows for enjoying a dynamic range of tones and realistic images, enhancing the gaming experience. PC gamers will also not be disappointed, as the Philips OLED769 offers full compatibility with Nvidia graphics cards, thanks to support for G-Sync. This technology synchronizes the TV's refresh rate with the graphics card, eliminating tearing and stuttering, leading to excellent image smoothness.

Philips OLED769 is a television that perfectly meets the needs of gamers, offering a wide range of advanced features and technologies that significantly enhance game quality and user comfort.

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.