Philips OLED809/819 vs SAMSUNG S90F (WOLED)

Philips OLED 809 delivers a more than satisfactory HDR effect. The television is capable of generating luminance exceeding 900 nits in almost every scene, and sometimes even over 1000. This result allows for a full experience of materials with a wide tonal range. The only moment when Philips OLED 809 cannot generate higher brightness is in a scene from the film "The Meg," which features a large amount of bright white across much of the screen. However, it cannot be said that this is a weak result, as it represents a significant improvement over its predecessor. Overall, such values for OLED panels produced by LG Display, which do not have MLA technology, are very, very good. Combined with high coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut, they allow for an HDR experience in a remarkable dimension. Philips OLED 809 test indicated that this television supports popular HDR formats such as Dolby Vision and HDR10+.

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 best factory mode in which we conducted all our tests was "Filmmaker", which is now quite standard in televisions from this manufacturer. However, let's take a look at its characteristics before we start the calibration process. The first aspect we will examine is white balance, as despite being inconspicuous, it determines whether the image will be free from any tints. The graph clearly shows that in both SDR and HDR content, two colours dominated: red and green, which caused a strong yellow tint that was pervasive throughout the image. This is perfectly visible on the "ColourChecker" palette, where all colours shifted towards their warmer counterparts. The second thing we will scrutinise are, in our opinion, the two most important graphs in the context of image quality assessment: gamma and the EOTF curve. Both are intended to maintain appropriate brightness and contrast. The first describes the level of brightness in SDR materials, while the second depicts the rate of luminance increase. Analysing the first one, we can see that it has been remarkably lowered compared to the reference value indicated by the orange line. This situation resulted primarily in a sharp increase in brightness and a significant decrease in contrast, reminiscent of what one would expect from OLED televisions. The EOTF curve showed greater "caution" and only slightly brightened the entire image to 50% of the maximum brightness.

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.

Philips, like most leading manufacturers, has been providing advanced tools for the calibration process for years. Here, we find 2- and 20-point grey scale adjustments as well as an advanced CMS (Color Management System). As you can see, this has brought extremely beneficial results and fundamentally changed the perceived image. Practically every one of the elements mentioned above has undergone a transformation and has been returned to its natural state. This is particularly evident on the "ColourChecker" palette, where the measured samples are harmoniously in their places. It must be said that the white balance has turned out exceptionally well, allowing us to enjoy a clean image free from any tint in both SDR and HDR materials. The biggest issue with OLED809, which is gamma, has been properly modelled and only occasionally shows minor errors that won't affect the overall picture. The EOTF curve, on the other hand, has been stripped of that slight brightening and now presents itself almost referentially.

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.

Philips OLED 809 didn't perform too well in the test for the smoothness of tonal transitions. Moving on to the part of the test where we assess the behaviour of the TV's algorithms, we will again check the function responsible for removing posterisation. In fact, such a function exists in the menu and has several options available. As you can see in the photo on the left, although its presence has been confirmed by us, it is not useful. Only at the highest setting does it effectively remove disruptions, but it blurs the entire image in the process. Therefore, it is completely unusable.

Time and again, you and we find ourselves watching materials of lower quality. In this case, the quality of the image upscaling algorithms can have a salvaging effect. We must admit that those implemented in OLED 809 work quite efficiently and improve the image quality without visible artefacts. You can only notice slight edge blurring, but it is unlikely to be noticeable during normal viewing.

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 maximum refresh rate we can set on the tested television is 144 Hz. This value can be achieved by connecting it to a really powerful PC. In the case of consoles or television, everything remains the same. For those who require high movement fluidity or dislike the characteristic judder of films recorded at 24 fps, the manufacturer has prepared a fairly advanced motion smoothing system. In the dedicated tab, we will find the “Smoothness” slider responsible for eliminating judder and “Blur Reduction”, which helps increase the sharpness of dynamic elements. The function works very well and granularly, meaning each of the settings has a real impact on the perception of motion. We also mention that it works at a refresh rate of 120 Hz, as it operates on the multiples of film or television materials. Thanks to such an extensive set, every user will find their happy medium. In the photo, we present our choice, which is slight smoothing without the soap opera effect.

Motion is influenced not only by the settings on the television but also by the response time of the panel itself. OLED televisions feature the best response time on the market, which in the case of 809 is about 0.1 ms. There are no IPS/ADS or even VA panels that significantly come close to the results of organic panels.

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.

The Philips OLED 809 supports all the technologies included in the HDMI 2.1 standard, and during our tests, each one activated without any problems. Therefore, we must state that this television is perfect for all gamers, both those using a console and a computer. It's worth mentioning that the manufacturer has implemented the HGIG mode, which is a great alternative to Dolby Vision, which unfortunately on the OLED809 is unplayable due to the very high input lag.

A nod to gamers is also the inclusion of a dedicated GameBar, which allows monitoring of current gameplay parameters and quick adjustments of settings. There is also a function to activate a crosshair, which will be very useful when shooting from a sniper rifle, but from the so-called hip. Additionally, we can also find a shadow enhancement function for better visibility in shadows and a colour filter for gamers with visual impairments.

In summary, the OLED 809 is a very good and versatile device for gamers. Anyone who purchases this television for gaming does not need to worry about anything, as it is simply designed for gaming. Especially since features such as VRR, ALLM, G-Sync, FreeSync, and HDR Dolby Vision gameplay will allow for an even deeper immersion in their favourite title. Lastly, we should note that the only downside of the television in game mode is the artificial sharpening of the image, regardless of the settings, and it cannot be 'softened.'

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.