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Panel type: WRGB OLED Odświeżanie: 144Hz Brand: SAMSUNG Resolution: 3840x2160 System: Tizen Model year: 2025
8.1
Overall rating
Samsung S90F is an excellent representative of the premium mid-range in the world of OLED TVs. We have an organic matrix here that guarantees perfect contrast – and no matter how much LCD manufacturers try with local dimming in Mini LEDs, this black simply cannot be replicated. The S90F shows its class without any compromises. Compared to last year's model, we get a slightly brighter WOLED panel, which in favourable conditions can reach up to 1200 nits. This is a result that suffices for comfortable viewing of HDR materials in most scenes at reference quality – especially on streaming platforms such as Netflix. The picture quality here is very high, regardless of whether we are watching a movie, playing on a console, or streaming a sports broadcast. By the way – versatility is one of the biggest advantages of this model. With 144 Hz refresh rate, very low input lag, and a full package of gaming features (including functional HGiG and the unique Game Motion Plus motion smoother), it's hard to complain about anything here. The Tizen system performed really well on the S90F. It has its limitations – primarily the closed ecosystem and a smaller selection of apps than Google TV – but if you mainly use the most popular services, this shouldn't be an issue. A big plus is also the remote, which can operate most connected devices – even despite the lack of a numeric keypad. There are downsides too. The built-in media player has issues with some formats, and the anti-reflective coating typical of WOLEDs doesn’t handle strong light very well – reflections can be noticeable. We also do not have support for DTS and Dolby Vision, but this is a standard at Samsung that's been expected for years. So is the S90F with a WOLED panel the perfect TV? No – but it really is very close. It is one of the most polished and complete OLEDs in this price range, which can easily handle any content, from a series on Netflix, to console gaming, to a Sunday match.
Stunning black and contrast
High brightness for an OLED TV - 1200 nits peak brightness
Very good motion smoothness - 144Hz OLED display
Low latency - input lag 5ms
Gaming features: 4x HDMI 2.1, VRR, ALLM, Game Motion Plus, etc.
PiP function and great support for external devices with solar remote control
Expanded operating system: Tizen
Pleasant sound with slightly noticeable bass
Issues with playback of certain formats from USB.
Subtle degradation in tonal transitions (performs worse than the previous S90D)
Lack of support for DTS:X – an external amplifier is required for full support of this format
Movies and series in UHD quality
8.3
Classic TV, YouTube
8.7
Sports broadcasts (TV and apps)
8.5
Gaming on console
9.6
TV as a computer monitor
8.6
Watching in bright light
6.1
Utility functions
7.5
Apps
8.2
Sound quality
7.4
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HDMI inputs: 0 x HDMI 2.0, 4 x HDMI 2.1 (48Gbps) Other inputs: Toslink (Optical audio), IR (remote) Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI) Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
Build quality: Premium
Stand type: Central
Kolor ramki: Graphite
At first glance, the Samsung S90F doesn't surprise – and that's not a criticism at all. The design has barely changed compared to its predecessor, but it's hard to blame it since we're dealing with a successful, minimalist design of premium quality. The television looks very modern – the almost invisible metal bezels surrounding the screen create the impression of a picture pane suspended in mid-air. The slim profile of the device is already a classic of the OLED genre – as thin as a smartphone (or even thinner), except for the distinctive “bum” at the back, which houses the electronics and ports. This means you can’t flush-mount the television perfectly against the wall, but in everyday use, it's hard to consider this a flaw. Besides, with such a minimalist appearance, even this detail doesn't spoil the overall impression. In the package, we find a central metal stand that complements the whole. Its biggest advantage is that it allows a soundbar to be placed freely in front of the television without obstructing the lower part of the screen. It's worth mentioning that – like most Samsung televisions from 2025 – the S90F model is equipped with various screen dimming mechanisms, including Ambient Mode. This allows it to display graphics or photos that imitate the look of a wall, allowing the television to blend into its surroundings, especially when mounted on the wall.
Select size:
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Visibility of details in the lights:
In the case of the Samsung S90F, we are dealing with an interesting situation: nearly all size variants have been equipped with WOLED panels, except for the 65-inch version, which received a QD-OLED panel. In this test, we analyse the version with the WOLED panel produced by LG Display, but the question remains; Does this affect the quality of black and contrast in this part of the test? In practice – it does not. Regardless of the technology used, both panels can produce perfect black and infinite contrast. This is exactly what we expect from any top-tier television. Watching a series in the evening, in a completely dark room, is sheer pleasure. The television easily separates bright elements – such as reflections or background lights – from the deep, dark parts of the image, without creating any halo or brightness issues that high-end LCD televisions still struggle with. This is where OLED technology shows its strength – and the S90F is no exception. When it comes to black and contrast, we can't fault it at all.
Halo effect and black detail visibility:
7.2/10
Supported formats: HDR10, HDR10+, HLG Color gamut coverage: DCI P3: 95.2%, Bt.2020: 70.1%
Luminance measurements in HDR:
Result
1099 nit
Result
1177 nit
Result
1252 nit
Result
1183 nit
Result
577 nit
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.
Scene from the movie “Pan” (about 2800 nits)
Scene from the movie “Billy Lynn” (about 1100 nits)
The next part of the test only confirms what we've written above. In the case of demanding content like Billy Lynn, the television has absolutely no issues rendering scenes in almost reference-level brightness. The fireworks in the background, the amount of detail, the tonal range – everything is in its place, exactly as the director would likely wish. Of course, we didn't stop at easy sequences and also checked how the S90F handles more challenging content, such as the film Pan. These kinds of scenes – very bright, dynamic, and also full of contrast – are still rare, but they are becoming more common, so it's worth knowing whether the television is ready for them.
And here’s another positive surprise. The S90F effortlessly rendered the most difficult parts of the scene – the sunlight maintained the appropriate intensity without losing detail. The glint effect was striking; we can only nitpick that at times the brightness of the sun was a bit too boosted compared to the reference, but only the most discerning enthusiasts with a specific point of reference would notice such an effect. Theoretically, the S90F could manage these extremes better with the dynamic tone mapping feature; however – as is often the case with Samsung televisions – the “active” option harms the S90F more than it helps; completely brightening the image and washing out the contrast. We definitely recommend keeping this feature turned off – even without it, the television handles most HDR content remarkably well.
HDR luminance chart:
Luminancja HDR
Luminance of RGB colors
There are also films where the S90F doesn’t have to adapt anything on its own or guess what the author meant. This is all thanks to dynamic metadata formats like Dolby Vision and HDR10+. In the case of Samsung, we’re dealing with the latter. Although it’s still a less popular standard than Dolby Vision, more and more platforms and manufacturers are beginning to support it year by year. And that’s a good thing because with HDR10+ the television can extract significantly more from the image – especially in those difficult scenes where a lot is happening, the lighting changes dynamically, and the contrast reaches extremes. The S90F performs really well in such moments. Importantly, HDR10+ is no longer an exotic addition; it can be found on Amazon Prime Video, and recently also on Netflix. It’s a format that really makes a difference, and it’s good that the S90F has it on board. Though Dolby Vision wouldn’t be such a "bad" addition either.
Static HDR10
Dynamic: HDR10+
7/10
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.
9.2/10
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.
7.3/10
No and here we must honestly admit – the S90F has somewhat let us down. Compared to last year's S90D model with a WOLED panel (very similar to the one used this year), this year's Samsung performed worse. And this is not only against its main competitor, LG C5, but even when compared to its older brother. The biggest issues arise in dark scenes, where difficulties with smooth colour transitions are noticeable – the screen slightly steps the tonal transitions, causing some sections to lose their naturalness. We’re not sure what exactly went wrong – perhaps it's a software issue or a different processing algorithm. It's a shame, because we hoped that the level from last year would at least be maintained. Unfortunately, it's a step backwards.
7.5/10
Smooth transition function
Image without overscan on the SD signal
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.
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.
8.5/10
Maximum refresh rate of the panel: 144Hz
Film motion smoothing option: Yes
Blur reduction option: Yes
BFI function 60Hz: Yes, 60Hz (image flickers)
BFI function 120Hz: No
Brightness drop with BFI: 49%
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.
Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate):
When it comes to smearing – there’s no need to elaborate here. It’s OLED, so the response time is instantaneous. In our test with the little green man, the image was sharp, regardless of the background. LCD TVs can only dream of something like that.
9.5/10
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.
10/10
Input lag in the S90F is at a level that's practically monitor-like. Under the best conditions, it achieved a score of 5 ms, which is an absolutely stunning result – even a benchmark for the most demanding gamers. Whether you're playing fast-paced shooters, fighting games, or simply need instant response – the S90F does not disappoint in this regard at all.
SDR | HDR | Dolby Vision |
---|---|---|
1080p60: 11 ms | 2160p60: 10 ms | |
1080p120: 6 ms | 2160p120: 5 ms | |
2160p60: 11 ms | ||
2160p120: 6 ms |
8.6/10
Chroma 444 (maximum resolution and refresh rate): Yes
Font clarity: Good
Readability of dark text and shapes: Very Good
Input lag in PC mode (4K, maximum refresh rate): 5ms
Matrix subpixel arrangement: RWBG
Max refresh rate: 144Hz
G-Sync: Yes
S90F is a great tool for both gaming on PC and daily work. Gamers can rest easy – the TV effortlessly supports image synchronisation with NVIDIA graphics cards thanks to G-Sync, and the 144 Hz refresh rate combined with very low input lag only confirms this. S90F also excels as a monitor for working with text. Of course, the readability of fonts may be slightly compromised by the characteristic pixel structure in the RWGB arrangement, but this is a topic well known primarily to those who work with a lot of text, code, or Excel spreadsheets. For most users, this will be perfectly acceptable.
7.4/10
Brightness drop at an angle of 45 degrees: 31%
The viewing angles on the S90F are very good, although it must be honestly admitted that they are slightly inferior to the 65" version with the QD-OLED panel. Nevertheless, the picture quality at wide angles performs very well – colours remain vivid, and brightness doesn’t drop dramatically when viewed from the side. There's no need to move the TV closer to see a clear image. For most users, this level is more than sufficient.
6.1/10
Matrix coating: Glare
Reflection suppression: Decent
Black levels during daytime: Very Good
S90F is really bright for an OLED TV. Of course, it shouldn’t be compared to Mini-LED TVs or the brightest high-end OLEDs, but under normal lighting conditions, it’s easy to watch something during the day. The brightness is high enough that there’s no need to close the curtains every time a movie or series is turned on. However, it’s important to remember that the anti-reflective coating on WOLED panels is not the best. Reflections can be noticeable, especially with bright light coming in from the window. In such cases, it’s best to reach for curtains.
Matrix brightness
Average luminance SDR
SAMSUNG S90F (WOLED): 405 cd/m2
7.5/10
System: Tizen
TV reception: DVB-T, DVB-T2, DVB-S, DVB-S2, DVB-C
Samsung S90F is equipped with a range of classic TV features, such as EPG, CI module, and headphone support, but there’s also more to it. Thanks to the presence of several tuners, the TV offers a picture-in-picture (PiP) function – very useful, for example, when we are watching one match but want to check the score of another match happening simultaneously. It's a pity that Samsung has completely abandoned the USB recording feature for some time now, but this is partially compensated by good integration with decoders and other devices. The remote – while small and lacking a numeric keypad – allows you to control multiple devices connected to the TV. You can easily manage a decoder, amplifier, console, or other gear with it – all without needing to reach for several remotes.
As for the Smart TV system – Tizen on the S90F operates very smoothly, which is not a given in cheaper models with this system. The system itself is extensive and offers plenty of features – we have screen mirroring, AirPlay, Bluetooth device support, and quite a few options related to smart home functionality, such as controlling bulbs or other smart devices directly from the TV. However, it’s important to remember that Tizen is a closed system, so when it comes to apps – we are limited to what we find in the Samsung store. And while it is quite extensive, it doesn’t match the flexibility of the Google TV platform. It’s worth keeping this in mind if you have specific needs for niche applications.
8.2/10
7.5/10
Maximum photo resolution: | Supported photo formats: |
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The built-in media player in the S90F is alright and supports quite a few popular formats. Unfortunately, during testing – once again – we encountered issues, despite the manufacturer's claims. The television did not play some formats that are supposedly supported, such as HEIC photos (Apple's version), or SRT and SUB subtitle files. In everyday use for most people, such a player will be sufficient to play a movie from a USB drive, but it’s worth keeping in mind that surprises may occur. Perhaps the situation will be improved in future updates, but at the time of writing this review – it works as it works.
7.4/10
7.4/10
Subjective sound quality
Supported codecs
(TV speakers)
Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Dolby True HD 7.1
Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC)
Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD
DTS:X in DTS-HD MA
DTS-HD Master Audio
Supported codecs
(external HDMI eARC audio)
Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Dolby True HD 7.1
Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC)
Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD
DTS:X in DTS-HD MA
DTS-HD Master Audio
The S90F plays really quite nicely, with noticeable bass and pretty good dynamics. A definite plus is the support for Dolby Atmos, which allows the TV to sound a bit more “spatial” – of course, as much as the built-in 2.1 set allows 😉. Unfortunately, as is often the case with Samsung, it lacks support for the DTS:X format. So, if you want to take advantage of its capabilities, you'll need to connect your audio equipment directly to the amplifier, rather than to the TV itself – otherwise, it just won't work.
Software version during testing: T-RSMFDEUC-0090-103 2.5, E2500007, BT-S
Panel uniformity:
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Journalist, reviewer, and columnist for the "ChooseTV" portal
4/3/2025