Samsung QD-OLED S90D / S94D vs Samsung QN85F

In the HDR effect quality category, Samsung S90D achieves remarkable results. On the luminance chart up to 10% window, the TV exceeds the magical threshold of 1000 nits, which is an impressive outcome. However, in the film scenes we tested, these values were slightly lower. Additionally, in the case of a scene with fullscreen sunlight glare, brightness drops to around 500 nits, but it still remains at a very good level. It is worth mentioning that this model stands out with very high colour gamut coverage, thanks to the QD-OLED panel used, which gives it an advantage over TVs with WOLED panels that cannot achieve such a wide spectrum of colours.

Although more than twice the number of dimming zones compared to its predecessor did not result in a spectacular leap in black levels and contrast, we definitely felt it in the HDR effect itself. The QN85F is up to 50% brighter than last year's model and it makes a huge impression in dynamic scenes. Peak brightness can reach almost 1700–1800 nits, which is an impressively high result for this Mini-LED class. The best part is that almost regardless of the scene being watched, the HDR effect remains strong and vibrant. In four out of five test scenes, brightness was maintained around 1000 nits, a level that in most cases allows the viewer to feel the true magic of this format. Of course, in scene number 4 from the film Sicario 2, the limitations of Mini-LED technology become apparent – the brightness of the helicopter's subtle light drops to around 500 nits. This isn't an outstanding result, but it is still much more acceptable than last year's model. Samsung deserves applause for the dramatic improvement in brightness with the QN85F compared to its predecessor. However, there's a certain trend visible in this year's televisions – the manufacturer has worsened colour gamut coverage. Although the QN85F has a QLED panel, its result at around 90% DCI-P3 is average, and in the most demanding films, it may lead to less vibrant colours than its predecessor. Despite this drawback, the overall HDR effect is at an excellent level and truly makes a big impression in this class of devices.

Samsung 65 S90D with a QD-OLED panel has been tested in Filmmaker mode, which the manufacturer has been using for years to provide the best possible picture settings. In this mode, the TV offers a fairly decent image but with some shortcomings worth noting. In terms of white balance in HD content, viewers may notice a dominance of the red color. This effect can lead to the impression that certain skin tones appear unnatural and the overall scene will be too warm, which in turn can affect immersion in the watched material. In scenes where subtle differences in color are crucial, these distortions can be particularly noticeable. Similar sensations may also occur in 4K HDR content. Changes in white balance in this case can be analogous, with a noticeably smaller deviation in red color. This can also cause certain details and colors to not be fully represented, making the image lose its naturalness.

When it comes to contrast, the gamma presents quite well, however, some errors are still noticeable. Gamma values are below the reference level of 2.4, which can result in bright areas of the image being washed out and dark areas lacking detail. This limitation can cause some scenes to lack depth and detail, which in turn affects the overall presentation quality. On the other hand, the EOTF curve related to contrast in 4K HDR content performs really well, showing that the TV can effectively convey differences in brightness. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that these values are slightly below the ideal level on the graph, indicating the need for further optimization in this regard.

Samsung S90D in Filmmaker mode offers solid color reproduction, but requires some adjustments to fully realise the potential of the TV, especially in the context of different types of content.

Samsung QN85F offers several preset picture modes, but out of the box, the television starts in 'Eco' mode. We could almost end the discussion here, as using this setting on such a model makes little sense – the picture is washed out, unpleasant, and far from what we expect from a television of this class. Therefore, we conducted our tests in the best available mode, which is Filmmaker mode. Its purpose is to faithfully reproduce what the directors saw during filming, and indeed, it is the setting that performs best among all factory options. However, this doesn't mean it's free from flaws.

Both in SDR and HDR, the QN85F prominently highlighted warm colours. This was due to a lack of white balance, where the blue colour was noticeably absent. Additionally, the image was sometimes overexposed – both the gamma brightness characteristic and the EOTF curve indicated that the television has a tendency to blow out scenes. In SDR, colour reproduction errors (Delta E around 4–5) were still acceptable, but in HDR, the inaccuracies became quite significant and clearly deviated from what the creators intended to show us. Fortunately, Samsung provides a wide range of calibration tools in its televisions, so – as always – we proceeded with professional calibration to see how much could be improved.

After calibrating the TV, the Samsung S90D in film mode gains quality more than one might expect. The white balance for HD and 4K HDR content has been adjusted to near perfection. Although minor shortcomings can be noticed, they are subtle enough that they don’t significantly impact the overall picture quality. The colours have become more harmonised, aiding in the natural reproduction of details, particularly in scenes that require precise colour representation. It is worth noting that this model, in this size, uses a QD-OLED panel which offers broader colour gamut coverage compared to other sizes of this model that are equipped with a WOLED panel.

The contrast has also significantly improved. After calibration, the gamma graph is much closer to the expected line, providing a better balance between light and dark tones in the picture. The EOTF curve, which before calibration indicated issues with overexposed scenes, now shows significantly better results. This effect allows for the retention of more details in the bright areas of the image, especially in HDR materials.

After calibrating the movie mode, we managed to tame the colours in both modes almost to perfection – most of them did not exceed an error value of 3, which is the threshold of perceivability by the human eye. The image became more natural, fuller, and at the same time free of the overexposure that was noticeable right after taking the television out of the box. This demonstrates the significant potential that lies within the QN85F and how well it responds to precise settings. However, this does not change the fact that certain technological barriers cannot be overcome. Despite the enormous benefits of calibration, there are still limitations to the panel itself. Although the number of dimming zones has doubled compared to its predecessor, the algorithms controlling the backlighting can manipulate brightness in their own way. Sometimes this leads to slight colour inaccuracies or subtly visible halo effects around bright objects. Nonetheless, the viewing experience after calibration is really enjoyable and shows how good a screen the QN85F can be if we just take a moment for the right settings.

The television handles tonal transitions excellently, allowing colours to flow smoothly into each other, creating a natural image. The built-in noise reduction feature can further enhance these transitions, which can be useful in certain situations. However, it is worth remembering that activating this option may lead to excessive smoothing of the desired film grain structure, which in turn can affect the authenticity and atmosphere of the image. Therefore, caution is recommended when using this feature to avoid losing the character and depth of the content.

The Samsung S90D model effectively processes materials in lower resolutions. This can be seen in the displayed image. The model's silhouette is clear and naturally reproduced, with details well preserved. Additionally, the branches of the trees are well-defined, showing no visible jagged edges that could degrade the quality of the image. Thanks to effective upscaling, even lower resolution materials look attractive on the screen, which will surely please users enjoying a variety of content sources, such as standard cable or antenna television.

Although the native tonal transitions on the QN85F perform excellently with 4K content, we don't always have to deal with the highest resolution material. This is where how the TV handles upscaling and digital image processing becomes crucial. This process is managed by Samsung's proprietary processor – AI NQ4 Gen2. In practice, it works very effectively. If visible colour banding or other undesirable phenomena appear on the screen, for instance with content from YouTube, they can easily be smoothed out using the "noise reduction" feature. Set to medium, it improves tonal transitions while not overly blurring desired details. However, it should be noted that – like in most Samsung TVs – this feature heavily interferes with film grain. Therefore, during movie screenings, it’s wise to use it cautiously to avoid losing the natural character of the image.

The upscaling itself looks very good. Test materials in lower resolutions were displayed sharply and clearly, with a lot of details. The only drawback remains the issue with overscan, which cuts off the edges of the screen. In most situations, this isn't noticeable, but with very old materials below HD quality, there may be instances where a fragment of the image from the left side gets slightly cut off.

Samsung S90D TV, equipped with a refresh rate panel of 120 Hz, and in the appropriate PC configuration even 144 Hz, ensures excellent motion fluidity. Samsung focuses on a variety of image clarity settings on a ten-point scale, giving users the freedom to adjust the display to their own preferences. In UFO tests, the OLED panel shows its strengths, eliminating any blurring. The lightning-fast pixel response makes dynamic movements faithfully reproduced.

Similar results can be observed in other sizes of this model with a WOLED panel, which also offer excellent image fluidity. Organic technology, in this case, is considered one of the best on the market. The picture of Samsung S90D, regardless of the type of panel, is incredibly sharp and detailed, making this TV perfect for dynamic scenes, both during gaming and sports broadcasts. Additionally, its capabilities in terms of refresh rate and clarity ensure that every movement is smooth and natural, which will certainly satisfy even the most demanding users.

Motion blur and fluidity of movement in the QN85F is a topic worth discussing further because the TV is equipped not with a standard 120 Hz panel but with a 144 Hz one. The extra hertz will mainly be appreciated by PC gamers, but the very fact of having such an option can be seen as a nice addition and a sign of the times – it's hard to complain about the trend of faster panels since in practice, each of us would like the picture to be as smooth as possible. However, the most important thing is how the TV performs with typical 120 Hz refresh rates – in the case of consoles, sports, or films recorded at 24 or 30 frames per second. And here, the QN85F performs really well. In films, you can easily adjust the character of the picture thanks to the "image clarity" feature, where you'll find two control sliders. Key in the case of screenings is the one responsible for reducing motion judder. Lower values give the image a more cinematic character with preserved "frame-ness," while higher values lead to strong smoothing, reminiscent of television theatre.

Television S90D is an excellent solution for gamers, offering a range of advanced features that elevate the gaming experience to a new level. Equipped with the HDMI 2.1 standard, the model supports modern technologies such as VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) and ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode). Thanks to these solutions, the image is incredibly smooth, and the response to commands is instantaneous, which is crucial in dynamic titles. Additionally, the S90D supports HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma) and G-Sync and FreeSync image synchronisation. This allows for a perfect connection with the Xbox, PlayStation, or PC, eliminating issues with tearing and stuttering. The built-in operating system offers the Xbox Game Pass app, providing access to a massive library of games directly from the television. This solution makes gaming even more convenient and accessible. The Game Bar feature provides quick access to important information, such as current settings, performance statistics, and the ability to adjust image options. This allows for on-the-fly modification of display parameters, which is incredibly useful during intense gameplay. Despite lacking support for Dolby Vision, Samsung S90D still delivers excellent HDR image quality, allowing for full utilisation of the potential of games and films. As a result, S90D represents a unique combination of modern technologies, excellent image quality, and intuitive features, perfect for any gaming enthusiast.

The Samsung QN85F makes a fantastic impression from a gamer’s perspective. It features four HDMI 2.1 ports, so we can easily connect multiple devices at the same time. There’s also Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) to prevent screen tearing, as well as Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), which allows the TV to automatically switch to the appropriate settings when we start the console. Additionally, it supports refresh rates of up to 144 Hz – something that PC gamers will particularly appreciate, but the mere fact that this option is available shows that Samsung is committed to full support for gamers. The Game Bar panel also deserves praise. It provides a quick overview of key parameters – from frame rates to refresh mode, and even shortcuts to picture settings. Instead of sifting through the entire menu, everything is at our fingertips, which proves to be really convenient in practice. However, the most interesting addition is the Game Motion Plus feature. It’s essentially a motion smoothing function, brought into the gaming world. When activated, the picture becomes smoother, sometimes it even looks like we’ve gotten a few extra frames, and importantly – the response delay doesn’t increase enough to hinder gameplay. This solution truly sets Samsung’s 120Hz TVs apart from the competition.

The only serious downside remains the lack of proper HGiG support. This standard is responsible for accurate tone mapping in HDR games, which ensures that brightness and contrast are displayed according to how creators intended. Without HGiG, we have to manually adjust brightness, which doesn’t always yield perfect results. The feature was available in previous models, but it disappeared from the QN85F after one of the updates. We hope that Samsung will quickly rectify this issue, and we will be keeping an eye on whether they succeed.