SAMSUNG S90F (WOLED) vs LG OLED B5

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.

LG B5 is a moderately bright OLED TV. Regardless of the scene – it can generate about 500 nits of peak brightness. And interestingly, it does this even in full-screen shots flooded with white, where most OLEDs usually struggle. So, is this screen suitable for HDR films? Yes – absolutely, because such brightness really allows you to feel the magic of HDR effects. However, it’s worth noting that compared to last year's B4 model, the new B5 is darker – by about 100 nits. It may seem like a small amount, but at such average peak values, it makes a significant difference. Fortunately, the TV makes up for it with another strength – excellent coverage of the DCI-P3 and BT.2020 colour gamuts. This means HDR films look truly vibrant, lively, and impressive even in more demanding 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.

B5 was tested in Filmmaker mode and… we’d love to see more TVs like this right out of the box. Seriously. The white balance is very well set – there’s practically nothing to nitpick. Well, if you really want to, you might notice a slight deficiency in blue, which can make the overall picture have a slightly yellowish tint. But that’s just our editorial nitpicking. Most of you probably won’t even notice. We also have minimal reservations about brightness management in HDR format. The EOTF curve – which is responsible for how the TV distributes brightness across the scene – sits just below ideal. In practice, it may happen that the darkest parts of the image appear too dark and simply… disappear. But these are details that only come out in measurements. Generally: we are impressed. But we also know that LG TVs respond very well to professional calibration. You can extract nearly reference-quality picture from them, so – although it’s already very good out of the factory – we took the liberty to go a step further and fine-tune everything to the max.

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.

We have to admit that we didn't have much work with the LG B5. It's one of those TVs that look good right from the start, but after calibration… they can really impress. The white balance was nearly perfect – down to a level of errors invisible to the human eye, unless you're a professional colourist with a magnifying glass at the screen. We also managed to control the TV's tendency to slightly dim the darkest details, especially in HDR scenes. After proper tuning, everything looks cohesive: blacks remain deep but don't swallow information. Highlights maintain a natural sparkle, and colours are true to the director's vision. This is truly one of those models that show you don't have to spend a fortune to have an almost reference-quality image. If you can opt for professional calibration – it's definitely worth it for the B5.

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.

LG B5 really surprised us positively in terms of handling lower quality content. Thanks to the enhancement and smoothing features, HD or even SD materials come to life. Importantly – when this option is turned on at the "low" or "medium" level, we don’t get the impression that the image is artificially softened or overly smoothed. Details remain in place, film grain doesn’t disappear, and the edges of objects don’t look washed out 😉. It’s a really useful tool – especially if you’re watching free-to-air TV, archival materials, or content from YouTube in lower resolutions. The picture is clear, consistent, and simply pleasant to the eye.

Upgrading as such works very well – even low-quality content is reproduced with surprising fidelity. Unfortunately, it’s not without a minor hiccup. Although the menu has an option to turn off overscan, the television still has issues correctly displaying very low-resolution images. It’s a minor detail, but when watching older materials – it can be annoying.

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.

LG B5 is a TV with a 120 Hz OLED panel. It may not sound as impressive as the marketing terms "144 Hz" or "165 Hz" commonly found in gaming monitors, but honestly? The smoothness is still excellent. The picture is sharp, fluid, and simply enjoyable to watch – even when there’s a lot happening on screen. The organic panel does its job – the pixel response time is almost instantaneous, which means there’s no risk of ghosting or blurring that can ruin dynamic shots. Sports, fast-paced games – everything looks clear and distinct.

We also have the classic LG motion smoother, TruMotion. It allows you to smooth out movies shot at 24 frames – in other words, most of what you watch on Netflix or from Blu-ray discs. If you set lower values on the “De-Judder” slider, you’ll get a picture closer to the cinematic experience – with a slight judder, but without artificiality. Higher settings? Soap opera effect guaranteed. Fortunately, LG gives you the choice, and you can tune everything to your liking.

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.

There are already a few TVs on the market with the "for gamers" label that don't really understand what that means. The LG B5 is not one of them. Everything here is spot on – there are four HDMI 2.1 ports, 120 Hz, there’s VRR and ALLM, and there’s also a Game Bar that's actually useful, not just looking good in the brochure. You plug in a console – it works. You set it to 4K at 120 Hz – it works. You have an Xbox and want to play in Dolby Vision – it works too. And it's not just "theoretically supports," it actually turns on, looks good, and you don't have to fiddle with settings for half an hour. Plus, there’s the HGiG picture mode, which LG has implemented correctly – meaning HDR in games doesn't turn the screen into a strobe light, but shows exactly what it should. There are no surprises, no strange limitations, no "buts." And you know what? That's how it should be. Cheers to the LG B5!