SAMSUNG S90F (WOLED) vs SONY BRAVIA 3

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.

Bravia 3 does not hide the fact that it belongs to a group of TVs that are rather modest in terms of brightness. Our measurements showed around 370 nits, which is a value balancing on the brink where any HDR effect can still be discussed. For some, this is an acceptable level, while for others it is more typical for SDR materials, where spectacular flashes or vivid contrasts are not expected. The impression is that this is not a TV for those focused on the highest image quality in demanding film content. However, this does not mean that there are no advantages to be found here. Compared to its predecessor, the X75WL, the Bravia 3 has gained an additional PFS filter, which works similarly to solutions known from QLED technology. Thanks to this, the DCI-P3 color gamut has been significantly expanded, reaching over 91 percent, which in practice results in more saturated colours and a more pleasing texture of the image. As a result, even everyday content looks a bit more vibrant, and films and series can surprise with their colourful presentation, despite limitations in brightness itself.

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.

We primarily tested the Sony Bravia 3 in movie mode, which immediately turned out to be the best choice among the factory settings. It's not a perfect picture, but compared to the eco mode that the TV suggests straight out of the box, the difference is evident and definitely better. In movie mode, there is a noticeable issue: the picture seems too warm, which is due to the lack of blue colour in the white balance. Nevertheless, in SDR content, the final effect can still be considered quite decent and satisfactory for everyday viewing. Much more serious errors arise in HDR materials. The Color Checker analysis showed significant deviations, and poor brightness management, combined with limited colour gamut coverage, further exposes the shortcomings of the picture in this mode. All of this makes HDR on the Bravia 3 look unconvincing and can ruin the impression left by the otherwise quite decent SDR content settings. Fortunately, it’s not a hopeless situation. Various errors can be somewhat mitigated, and some can even be completely corrected through professional calibration. That's why we decided to check how the TV would perform after such adjustments.

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.

Calibration allowed us to extract significantly more from ChooseTV 3 than we could have expected at the beginning. First and foremost, it managed to address the deficiency of blue, which previously caused a noticeable warming of the image. After a slight adjustment in white balance, most errors in the Color Checker measurements for SDR content practically disappeared. The whites took on a natural tone, and brightness management in gamma stabilised to an almost ideal level, not exceeding the threshold of what the human eye can perceive. So it is safe to say that in SDR content, after a few adjustments in the settings, ChooseTV 3 performs really well. It fares much worse, although still definitely better than before calibration, when it comes to HDR content. The white balance has been brought in line, but the limitations of the IPS panel are insurmountable. The lack of local dimming means that even the smallest elements can be overexposed, which is immediately noticeable. Colour-wise, the effect has also improved, although it is far from perfect – many errors still exceed the threshold of four, and even five delta E units, remaining visible to the human eye. It was already clear earlier that ChooseTV 3 is not a television designed to impress with HDR quality. Nevertheless, it is pleasing that in SDR content, after calibration, the picture can look really great and in this category, the television pleasantly surprised us.

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.

Bravia 3 brings something more to the Sony television family than just a shared name. It stands out primarily for its ability to enhance the quality of weaker materials thanks to the processor used. Of course, we won’t find the advanced XR chip known from more expensive models here, but nonetheless, it must be said that the image in lower resolution looked surprisingly good. The scaling worked effectively, and most areas of the screen were free from the typical excessive edge roughness found in budget constructions.

Also worthy of attention is the function that improves the smoothness of tonal transitions. In high setting, it works really well, effectively masking gradation imperfections without significant loss of detail. It does happen that the algorithm overzealously smooths elements that should remain sharp – for example, faces – however, in the overall assessment, the effect is beneficial. The best results were achieved precisely at the highest setting, and this is the option we could recommend to those watching lower-quality content.

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.

Motion smoothness has never been a strong point of televisions equipped with 60 Hz panels, and the Bravia 3 is no exception. Nevertheless, Sony has included something that may appeal to those more sensitive to the way images are displayed. I'm talking about the proprietary motion smoother, Motion Flow, which gives the user plenty of adjustment options. With it, one can make the image smoother, almost theatrical, or stick to a more cinematic style with characteristic judder that many people simply associate with a filmic atmosphere. These functions work with content at lower frame rates, such as films and series recorded at 24 or 30 frames per second, which is the material we deal with on a daily basis. This is precisely where the motion smoother proves to be one of the most important features in everyday TV usage, and here, the Bravia 3 performs really decently.

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.

Bravia 3 is not gear for e-sports enthusiasts or fans of late-night marathons with a controller in hand. The lack of 120 Hz refresh rate and HDMI 2.1 ports shuts down the conversation before it even gets started. This is a TV for casual gamers who, after work, will fire up FIFA or racing games, not for someone who measures every frame in a spreadsheet. Nonetheless, Sony has thrown in a few nice additions so it’s not completely sparse. ALLM works as it should, automatically switching the TV to game mode (low latency). We even find a simple Game Bar here, which is clear and intuitive. However, the biggest curiosity here is the PlayStation Portal app. Thanks to this, you can launch PS5 games wirelessly and see them right on the TV screen. It sounds great, but it only takes a few minutes to feel significant lag. In our opinion, it's more of a showcase of capabilities than something that can be used day-to-day. If someone really wants to game, it's better to plug the console in with an HDMI cable and forget about wireless issues.