Samsung OLED S95D vs LG OLED G4

Samsung S95D offers excellent HDR performance, delivering consistent effects across all scenes exceeding 1500 nits, except for the fifth, where brightness drops to 800 nits. Despite this, the TV maintains a high level of picture quality. A significant advantage of QD-OLED technology is the ability to maintain high brightness even in the smallest elements on a black background, which is rare in LCD and mini LED TVs. As a result, every scene impresses with strong lighting effects, regardless of the size of the illuminated surface. Only in the brightest scenes with a large light area does brightness drop slightly, which is typical even for standard LG OLEDs. Additionally, the quantum dot coating has allowed for an unprecedented high coverage of the BT.2020 colour palette at 88%.

LG G4 guarantees an incredibly vibrant HDR effect, placing the television firmly at the top of the rankings. The highest model in the manufacturer's 2024 portfolio, equipped with the second generation of microlens technology (MLA), has achieved a maximum brightness level of 1474 nits in real scenes. The only area where the product of the Korean manufacturer may fall short compared to LCD televisions with Mini LED backlighting is during a full-screen scene featuring a lot of white. If we were to disregard the latter scene, the average result would be even higher. It's also worth mentioning scenes with very fine details, where each one shone at full intensity, which is not as evident in non-OLED televisions. The combination of such brightness and wide coverage of the DCI-P3 color space ensures that HDR materials are more engaging than ever before.

On the Samsung S95D, the best colour reproduction mode is the Filmmaker mode. We conduct all our tests in this mode. Although initially, the image in this mode may seem a bit warmer to the viewer, it provides significantly more detail compared to the standard or dynamic modes, which are always oversaturated and artificial. Therefore, Filmmaker is the most closely aligned with the vision of filmmakers and ideal for watching high-quality content. It is worth noting, however, that the factory settings are not perfect, despite dealing with premium segment equipment. The image may contain certain issues that affect the overall quality of the displayed scenes. An example is the drops in red colour in the white balance, both in HD and HDR content. Colour Checker tests showed that the colours lean towards cooler tones. The image is dominated by blue hues, and the overall colour spectrum is distorted. As can be seen in the picture below, the boy from the film appears in cooler tones, making him look less natural. When it comes to brightness characteristics for HD content, it is quite accurate, although there are minor errors. The biggest issue arises when displaying 4K HDR content. The EOTF curve, which seems appropriate at first glance in test patterns, in actual film scenes shows that the TV sometimes "messes around" with the image. This results in some scenes appearing slightly brighter and others darker.

Samsung S95D offers quite decent factory colour reproduction; however, it has some shortcomings that may require calibration to fully utilise the potential of this television. The process is recommended to achieve the most natural and immersive image possible.

The best factory mode in terms of colour reproduction was "Filmmaker". This is the one we used during our tests. Let's check how its characteristics looked before the calibration process. Taking a closer look at the white balance first, we can notice a significant dominance of red and green colour. As a result, the image had a warm yellow tint. This is the kind of characteristic we usually observe in "Cinema", "Filmmaker", or similarly named modes. The effect of such a colour balance was clearly visible in both SDR and HDR content, which, after switching from "Standard" mode, was distinctly yellowed. Now let's move on to two graphs that are responsible for brightness characteristics, and consequently, image contrast. The first one (Gamma), representing materials with a standard colour palette, performed decently. For most of the time, the midtones and bright whites were represented very accurately, however, it noticeably lost the darkest details which blended into a black patch. On the other hand, HDR materials, represented by the EOTF curve graph, exhibited a significant drop in contrast due to a strong boost in brightness. There was also an issue with the colours themselves as seen on the "ColorChecker" graph since they were noticeably undersaturated.

How much can the picture quality of a TV change after calibration? After calibration on the Samsung S95D, the white balance has significantly improved, eliminating all major errors, allowing for a more natural and harmonious colour representation. In the case of 4K content, there are only minor imperfections which do not affect the overall picture quality. Thanks to the calibration, viewers can now enjoy more balanced tones, which better reflect the intentions of filmmakers. The contrast has also improved, and the gamma shows even better results. This means that the differences between bright and dark parts of the image have become more pronounced, resulting in better depth and detail of scenes. As a result, shadows have gained more detail, and bright areas are no longer so overwhelming, providing a more realistic visual experience. However, it should be noted that the EOTF curve is slightly below the expected level, which may affect how the TV handles dynamic scenes. Nevertheless, after calibration, the overall picture quality has significantly improved, and viewers can now enjoy a visual experience that is more in line with the creators' intentions. The TV handles subtle tonal transitions and contrast better, making it more suitable for watching movies and high-definition programs. Ultimately, the picture after calibration is closely aligned with reference quality, making the visual experience even more satisfying.

The manufacturer has been implementing extensive support for the calibration process in their LG televisions for many years. Therefore, we used 2- and 20-point grey scale adjustments along with an advanced CMS (Color Management System) and got to work. As you can see, thanks to the procedure carried out, each of the parameters has significantly improved. The use of tools has resulted in extremely beneficial effects, which include: studio colour reproduction, recovery of details in dark areas of the image, appropriate brightness characteristics, and proper colour saturation. Thus, we have maximised our approach to the reference image, or the one that the film director saw on the preview monitor. It is worth noting that the LG G4 televisions are the only ones that allow for even deeper intervention in image quality due to the capability to calibrate with 3D LUT matrices. However, this solution is recommended only for post-production or graphic studios.

How does the television handle tonal transitions in lower quality materials? Generally speaking, the S95D performs exceptionally well. On the screen with the light bulb, there are virtually no transitions between shades of grey, making it one of the best televisions we have tested in this regard.

When it comes to digital processing, the entirety of the image — from branches to the models' characters — has been well rendered, with no jagged edges or overly visible contours. However, we must point out one issue: the image has been slightly cropped. Nevertheless, the television performs brilliantly, and details in lower quality materials are still noticeable and well-defined.

The tested television did not perform well with content rich in tonal transitions, resulting in a strong posterisation effect. However, there is a partial remedy for this ailment. The manufacturer has equipped the LG G4 with a smoothing system called "Gentle Gradation," which we can apply at three levels: Low, Medium, and High. Each of these options guarantees quite high smoothing effectiveness on bright colours, though low on darker ones. We recommend primarily using the first one due to the fact that the other two interfere with directorial intentions, removing film grain.

When watching lower-quality content, the efficiency of the television during upscaling is extremely important. The image from the tested television is sharp and clear. However, attention should be paid to the jagged edges of fine details and minor issues around characters, such as the creation of a halo effect, which occurs due to the sharpening imposed by the LG G4 even when the slider is set to the lowest value, which is 0. It is worth noting that this is a change in relation to the LG G3, which did not impose such strong image sharpening, even when the appropriate slider was set to position 0.

The Samsung S95D TV, equipped with a 120 Hz refresh rate panel (and even up to 144 Hz in the appropriate PC configuration), provides excellent motion fluidity. Samsung offers a variety of image sharpness settings on a ten-point scale, allowing users to adjust the display according to their own preferences – whether the picture should be more cinematic/frame-like or more theatrical/smooth. In tests with UFO, the OLED panel shows its advantages, eliminating any blurring. The lightning-fast pixel response ensures that dynamic movements are rendered with unparalleled precision.

The maximum refresh rate that we can set on the LG G4 is 144 Hz. Naturally, this is only possible by connecting the LG G4 to a very powerful PC. Otherwise, we will be operating at a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz, which is recommended if we primarily want to watch sports or content with high motion dynamics. For those who require high fluidity of image, the manufacturer has implemented a multi-level motion smoother called "TrueMotion". It has been divided into two separate sliders that adjust the sharpness of moving images (De-Blur) and judder (De-Judder). Both sliders can be set in the range from 0 to 10, with each increment affecting the degree of smoothing, so everyone can find their sweet spot.

The LG OLED G4 panel features an average response time of 0.78 ms (which directly results from our measurements), allowing for an incredibly clear image, unattainable by LCD televisions, which have response times of even several milliseconds. This is clearly visible in the "UFO Test" images, showing the absence of any trailing blur behind the object. Furthermore, the LG OLED G4 test showed that the television offers the ability to precisely adjust motion smoothing functionality, allowing users to choose the ideal level of image interpolation. We particularly appreciated this during fast-paced action in video games, where the LG G4 performed exceptionally well, minimising any blurriness. Thanks to OLED technology, this model eliminates so-called ghosting, ensuring that the image remains sharp even in the most dynamic sports or movie scenes.

The Samsung S95D television is perfectly adapted to the needs of gamers, offering four HDMI 2.1 ports that support key features such as Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), and HDR Gaming Interest Group (HGIG). The HDMI 2.1 ports do not offer the full 48Gb bandwidth, but they are still sufficient for achieving the appropriate resolution and smoothness. With these technologies, gamers can enjoy smoother and more responsive gameplay, which significantly impacts comfort and performance during intense gaming sessions. One of the biggest advantages is the Xbox app, which allows for cloud gaming without the need for a console. With it, gamers can access a wide range of titles directly on the television, enjoying high image quality and smooth gameplay. Additionally, the S95D offers a Game Bar feature that enables easy management of game settings, including quick adjustments to parameters such as changing the aspect ratio, which can be extremely useful in various games and game modes. It is also worth mentioning the support for G-Sync and FreeSync, which is a huge plus for users of Nvidia and AMD graphics cards. Despite the lack of support for Dolby Vision, the television still offers excellent features that make it an ideal choice for console gaming enthusiasts. Overall, the S95D combines modern technologies with superb image quality, creating a complete package for every gamer.

The LG G4 television supports all features that make up the HDMI 2.1 standard. During testing, each feature activated without any issues, which allows us to consider the television as designed for gaming. Its performance will certainly be appreciated by both console users and those connecting the LG G4 to a computer. It’s also worth mentioning the proper implementation of the HGIG (HDR Gaming Interest Group) mode, which ensures that games mastered to brightness levels beyond the maximum luminance of the LG G4 will correctly map tones, keeping the game image true to the original.

A nice touch is the presence of a special GameBar that we can bring up at any moment to check game parameters, but most importantly, to change them quickly. More importantly, turning on VRR technology does not degrade contrast, which is often a problem in televisions with local dimming or Mini LED backlighting. Of course, this is thanks to the OLED panel itself, characterised by pixel self-emissiveness. As a journalistic note, we will only mention a slight grey flicker, which, however, is somewhat normal when VRR is enabled.

In summary, the LG G4, like practically all OLED televisions, is an ideal product for all kinds of gaming and online competitions. With full HDMI 2.1 ports with a complete bandwidth of 48 Gbit, features such as VRR, ALLM, G-Sync, FreeSync, or HDR Dolby Vision gameplay will bring a lot of joy.