- Matching (Score) |
- Our verdict |
- Competing TVs |
- TV appearance |
- Where to buy |
- Contrast and black detail |
- HDR effect quality |
- Factory color reproduction |
- Color reproduction after calibration |
- Smoothness of tonal transitions |
- Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions |
- Blur and motion smoothness |
- Console compatibility and gaming features |
- Input lag |
- Compatibility with PC |
- Viewing angles |
- Daytime performance |
- TV features |
- Apps |
- Playing files from USB |
- Sound |
- Panel details
Samsung S95H Review
S95H / S99H
Available screen sizes:
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Panel type: QD-OLED Refresh rate: 165Hz Brand: SAMSUNG Resolution: 3840x2160 System: Tizen Model year: 2026
This review is an English translation of the Polish original. Read the original on Wybierz.tv.
Samsung S95H for the European market is a completely different television than the S95H sold in the United States. The S95H has a slim chassis, comes with the One Connect module and uses a QD-OLED panel. The familiar look may, however, prompt another question: how much of a new model is it? In terms of picture, does the S95H edge closer to the higher-end S99H series, the one with the distinctive bezel, or is it closer to its predecessor? We set out to find out.
SAMSUNG S95H - Our verdict
8.8
Overall rating
The Samsung S95H is, in almost every respect, a continuation of the S95F. During testing we often felt like we were watching the same TV. But... is that a bad thing? Not necessarily, because the predecessor set the bar very high. We still get a phenomenal picture and one of the best TVs we've tested in 2026. HDR packs a huge punch, and the colour and black levels make a good film really keep you glued to the screen. With a console or PC the S95H is just as enjoyable because it delivers what we expect from a flagship product.
The strongest argument for this model may, however, be its looks. It's aimed at people who want the slimmest, most minimalist TV possible. On the wall the S95H looks particularly great, and One Connect helps organise the whole setup. If the distinctive bezel of the S99H isn't to your taste, you'll find a more discreet design here. Brightness is admittedly lower than in the higher-end series, but still high enough that it's hard to call it a serious compromise for viewing.
Not everything deserves praise. We were most disappointed by the inclusion of last year's version of Tizen. The system itself runs quickly, but that detail only underlines how little has changed compared with the S95F. Perhaps Samsung will release an appropriate update soon.
Ultimately the S95H is a great choice for someone seeking top-tier picture quality in an exceptionally slim chassis. The Samsung S95H isn't revolutionary, but it's still a TV that, despite giving us a slight déjà vu, left a strong impression.
Advantages
Perfect black levels and OLED contrast
Very high brightness
Rich, highly saturated QD-OLED colours
Natural image after calibration
Excellent tone mapping (lots of detail in bright scenes)
Matte coating effectively reducing reflections
Best viewing angles on the market (QD-OLED)
165 Hz refresh rate and lightning-fast panel response
Very low input lag and extensive gaming features
STUNNING LOOK
One Connect module included
Disadvantages
Noticeable degradation of black levels in bright ambient light (a characteristic of QD‑OLED panels)
Last year’s version of Tizen
No DTS support (mainly affects Blu‑ray fans)
Movies and series in UHD quality9.3
Classic TV, YouTube9.4
Sports broadcasts (TV and apps)9.0
Gaming on console9.9
TV as a computer monitor8.8
Watching in bright light7.3
Utility functions7.9
Apps9.3
Sound quality8.0
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SAMSUNG S95H - Competing TVs in this price range
SAMSUNG S95H - TV appearance
HDMI inputs: 0 x HDMI 2.0, 4 x HDMI 2.1 (40Gbps) Other inputs: USB-C Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI) Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
Build quality: Super Premium
Stand type: Central
Bezel color: Graphite
Stand: Fixed
Flat design: Yes
Accessories: Stand, One Connect Box
The European Samsung S95H keeps the slim design known from the S95F. It has thin bezels, a minimalist finish and a housing only about a centimetre thick. The TV itself is simply… stunning. This time we all agreed on that in the lab. 😉 The set comes with a hefty metal centre stand. Besides supporting the screen, it has another use: you can place the One Connect module on it. That keeps everything integrated and means you don’t have to find a separate spot for the module on a cabinet. You plug your console, set-top box and other devices into it, and a single cable runs to the screen. That makes cable management much easier. We think the S95H looks best when wall-mounted. Only then can you fully appreciate how thin its housing is. For mounting you use a standard VESA bracket or the special mounting points designed for Samsung’s accessory mount. Unfortunately the latter must be purchased separately. It’s a shame, because with this design you instantly want to find a place on the wall for the TV. Although… it still impresses on its stand.
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SAMSUNG S95H - Contrast and black detail
10/10
Result
∞:1
Result
∞:1
Result
∞:1
Result
∞:1
Result
∞:1
The Samsung S95H we tested, with a 65-inch screen, uses a QD-OLED panel. The same type of panel is also found in the 55- and 77-inch models. A new addition to the range is a 48-inch size, but note, it’s a completely different design. It has neither a QD-OLED panel nor a One Connect module, so our review should not be directly applied to that variant.
Back to the blacks, it’s exactly what you’d expect from any OLED. Each pixel illuminates independently and can switch off completely. That means blacks are truly inky, whether you’re watching a large shadow or a small dark patch right next to a bright light. There are no bright film-like bands or halos caused by local dimming zones. In our test scenes the S95H looked excellent in that regard. Bright objects stood out clearly against the dark background, and blacks retained their depth even in the most demanding shots. In the evening this produces a very pleasing effect, and it’s that kind of picture we love OLEDs for.
It’s worth noting, however, that our unit had a minor issue with so-called black crush. The darkest shades of grey sometimes merged into the black, causing some shadow detail to disappear. The image then appeared even deeper and more contrasty, but this was at the expense of details that should have been visible. The black itself remained perfect; the TV simply didn’t always show what lay just above it.
Halo effect and black detail visibility:
SAMSUNG S95H - HDR effect quality
8.8/10
Supported formats: HDR10, HDR10+, HLG
Luminance measurements in HDR:
Result
2246 nit
Result
2236 nit
Result
2113 nit
Result
2230 nit
Result
1571 nit
The Samsung S95H is an extremely bright OLED TV. It doesn't quite reach the level of this year's S99H, the one with the bezel, but a peak of around 2300 nits is still a phenomenal result. You really notice it in films. Flares, sun reflections and lights on a dark background have the punch we expect from a premium TV. Importantly, the S95H performs well across different scenes. It doesn't need a single small highlight on a black screen to show its capabilities. In the first four test shots we measured over 2100 nits, even though each places slightly different demands on the TV. As a result, the HDR effect is strong both in night scenes and in more evenly lit frames.
Of course, the limits typical of OLEDs remain. When a very bright image covers a large part of the screen, ABL comes into play, the mechanism that limits panel brightness. With an almost white screen the drop can be much larger than with a short, point-like flare. That does not mean bright film scenes look poor. In a demanding shot from 'The Meg' we measured about 1600 nits. That's still an excellent result, and the bright sky and reflections on the water retain a lot of intensity.
QD-OLED colours
The colours on the Samsung S95H are simply superb. It's one of the most "colourful" OLEDs we've tested. Highly saturated reds, greens and neon hues look great and complement the screen's high brightness well. Coverage of the DCI-P3 gamut is as high as 99.9%, so the TV can reproduce virtually the entire colour range used in that space for HDR films.
Interestingly, our measurements also show progress compared with the S95F. Coverage of the wider BT.2020 gamut increased from about 87% to 89.6%. That's very similar to the result we achieved with this year's S99H, which suggests very similar capabilities between the two panels in terms of colour range. The difference versus its predecessor is small but worth noting. The S95H remains at the top of the OLED class in this regard and can easily compete with new displays using SQD quantum dots.
BT.2020 color gamut coverage and primary color luminance
| Data set | BT.2020 | P3 | R | G | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synthetic patterns | 89.5% | 99.9% | 58% | 75% | 71% |
| Film measurements | 89.6% | 99.9% | 59% | 75% | 71% |
BT.2020 BT.2020 and P3 – average color gamut coverage (percent of the target gamut).
R, G, B – average primary color luminance relative to target (percent).
Scene from the movie “Pan” (about 2800 nits)
Scene from the movie “Billy Lynn” (about 1100 nits)
In terms of reproducing the director's vision, the S95H performs really well. It has so much brightness headroom that in most scenes it hardly needs to limit the brightest parts of the image. Even demanding HDR material therefore looks very convincing. You can see fine detail in faces, colours keep their character, and strong highlights don't turn into uniform white patches. Importantly, the TV doesn't try to create extra impact by artificially brightening the whole scene. Bright elements have the right intensity, yet you can still make out their texture. The image looks natural and is close to what the source material should show. To be honest, this behaviour is reminiscent of last year's S95F. And that's not a criticism at all, because its picture was outstanding.
HDR luminance chart:
Comparing HDR10 with HDR10+ shows how well the S95H performs even without dynamic metadata. In our test scene both formats look almost identical. The TV has enough brightness headroom and maps tones so well that plain HDR10 retains excellent visibility of bright details. HDR10+ can still slightly improve visibility of the finest details, but during normal viewing from the couch it will be hard to notice the difference. So we wouldn't treat the lack of Dolby Vision as a significant image drawback. You could mark it down in the specs, but in our tests we didn't feel the format was missed. The S95H already delivers a high-quality picture with HDR10.
Static HDR10
Dynamic: HDR10+
Factory color reproduction
7.6/10
Out of the box the Samsung S95H performs quite well, although our unit had a few things that needed improving. In SDR material there is a red bias in the white balance. The picture therefore looks slightly warm, and whites and faces can take on a faint pink tint. It’s not a major shift, but you can spot it when comparing with a reference image. More noticeable is how it handles dark scenes. Gamma sits above the target value of 2.4 across most of the range, and the deviation is particularly large in the deepest shades. The picture thus appears darker and more contrasty than it should, which confirms the previously mentioned issue with losing detail near black. Dark clothing or background elements can merge into a single blotch, even though the source still contains detail. In HDR brightness control is considerably better. The EOTF curve tracks close to the reference, so the TV preserves the brightness of different parts of the scene. There are still minor colour deviations, though. In the brighter areas a dominance of red and blue over green gives whites a slight pinkish–purple cast. Overall the starting point is good, particularly in HDR, but calibration could still make some improvements.
Color reproduction after calibration
9.4/10
After calibration the S95H looks really excellent. The excess red has been removed, so whites are neutral and faces have regained a natural tone. In SDR colour errors are now very small. The picture retains excellent saturation but no longer adds the tint that was visible on the factory settings. This is how a well-set TV in this class should look. There’s also an improvement in white balance in HDR. In addition, brightness in film scenes stays very close to the reference. Bright highlights have the right intensity, and the TV doesn’t unnecessarily brighten the whole frame. That level of control combined with the QD-OLED panel’s capabilities produces an image that’s simply very pleasant to watch. We really have only two reservations. The first is the loss of the darkest details. Our unit still tended to crush some tones near black, although that may be a characteristic of this particular test sample. The second concerns adjustments to the HDR colour palette. The available settings don’t allow perfect correction of all hues, so some minor inaccuracies remain. That doesn’t change the very good final result; after calibration the S95H delivers a very high-quality image.
SAMSUNG S95H - Smoothness of tonal transitions
9/10
The S95H handles tonal transitions very well. It's a strong point of QD-OLED panels, which in our tests tend to show distinct banding between shades less often than WOLED panels with a white subpixel. In most scenes, colours transition smoothly from one to another. This is especially noticeable in dark shots, where instead of the characteristic bands we see smooth transitions between shades of grey. It's not completely perfect, though. In some brighter scenes you can spot slight unevenness, although you have to look closely. During normal viewing they are unlikely to distract from the film. Overall the S95H performs very well in this category.
Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions
7.5/10
Smooth transition function
Image without overscan on the SD signal
The NQ4 Gen3 processor, the same one used in the S99H, handles upscaling and digital image processing. The conclusions from our tests are also very similar. Lower-resolution material looks really good when upscaled to 4K. The picture is clear, without artificial edge enhancement or over-sharpening. One small caveat concerns very old recordings at 480p or lower. With such a signal the TV can slightly crop the edges of the frame.
The noise reduction feature is used to improve heavily compressed material. It smooths visible banding between shades and reduces other imperfections, for example in poorer YouTube recordings. However, it works quite aggressively. Fine detail and natural film grain can disappear along with the noise. We left it turned off to preserve the original look of the material. If artefacts bother you more than the loss of some detail, it's worth checking how it performs.
SAMSUNG S95H - Blur and motion smoothness
8.5/10
Maximum refresh rate of the panel: 165Hz
Film motion smoothing option: Yes
Blur reduction option: Yes
BFI function 60Hz: Yes, 60Hz (image flickers)
BFI function 120Hz: No
Brightness drop with BFI: 50%
The Samsung S95H handles motion very well, which is what you expect from an OLED. The panel supports refresh rates up to 165 Hz, though that’s mainly useful for PC gamers. When watching sport, a lightning-fast pixel response time matters more. A fast-moving ball or player doesn’t leave the characteristic trailing smear. Motion therefore remains clear, without the artefacts typical of slower LCD panels.
There’s also a motion smoothing feature that lets you adjust motion to your liking. In films you can gently reduce judder during camera pans or choose a stronger smoothing effect. A separate setting for faster content is handy when watching sport.
Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate):
Blur (BFI function enabled):
Image flickers in this mode
Blur (4K@165Hz):
There's also a BFI function, that is black frame insertion, but it's hard to praise its performance. In our testing it did not bring any clear improvement in motion sharpness. Instead, it greatly reduced brightness and introduced noticeable screen flicker. For that reason we'd keep it turned off. The S95H handles motion very well even without it.
SAMSUNG S95H - Console compatibility and gaming features
9.6/10
- ALLM:
Yes
- VRR:
Yes
- VRR range:
48 - 165Hz
- Dolby Vision Game Mode:
No
- Correct implementation of HGIG:
Yes
- 1080p@120Hz:
Yes
- 1440p@120Hz:
Yes
- 4K@120Hz:
Yes
- Game bar:
Yes
Samsung S95H is a phenomenal TV for gaming. Beyond an excellent picture, it also offers a whole set of useful gaming features. VRR works from 48 to 165 Hz and helps keep things smooth when frame rates fluctuate. ALLM automatically switches to low-latency mode, and properly functioning HGiG makes it easier to set up HDR on a console. It also handles console 120 Hz in Full HD, 1440p and 4K without issues. A handy addition is the Game Bar, which gathers signal information and key settings in one place.
Game Motion Plus deserves special praise. This motion smoother can improve the fluidity of lower-frame-rate games, and in our measurements latency with it was about 20 ms. For additional motion processing that's a very good result. In slower-paced games you can therefore get a smoother image without noticeably sluggish controls.
Among the limitations, it's worth noting the lack of Dolby Vision in games, which mainly affects Xbox users. The HDMI 2.1 ports also have 40 instead of 48 Gb/s bandwidth, likely due to the One Connect module. For typical console gaming at 4K, 120 Hz and 10-bit HDR this doesn't pose a problem or force a drop in picture quality. For most gamers it will therefore be a spec difference they simply won't notice while playing.
SAMSUNG S95H - Input lag
10/10
In terms of input lag, the S95H performs excellently. At 60 Hz we measured just 9 to 11 ms, and at 120 Hz the delay drops to 5 to 6 ms. Controls are very responsive, so even in fast-paced shooters or racing games it’s hard to find any complaints. Importantly, turning on HDR does not worsen the results. You can therefore use the full picture capabilities without sacrificing quick response to controller inputs.
| SDR | HDR | Dolby Vision |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p60: 11 ms | 2160p60: 9 ms | |
| 1080p120: 6 ms | 2160p120: 5 ms | |
| 2160p60: 11 ms | ||
| 2160p120: 6 ms |
SAMSUNG S95H - Compatibility with PC
8.8/10
Chroma 444 (max. resolution and refresh rate): Yes
Font clarity: Good
Readability of dark text and shapes: Very Good
Input lag in PC mode (4K, max. refresh rate): 6ms
Matrix subpixel arrangement: RGB (QD-OLED)
Max refresh rate: 165Hz
G-Sync: Yes
Samsung S95H works great with a PC, especially when connected for gaming. You get 4K at 165 Hz, G-Sync support and an input lag of just 6 ms. Combined with the panel's lightning-fast response, this delivers a very smooth and responsive picture. The TV also correctly supports 4:4:4 chroma at its maximum refresh rate, so small colour elements remain legible.
It also handles text well, though it wouldn't be our first choice for all-day document work. Firstly, the QD-OLED versions described here start at 55 inches, so you need a really big desk to use one 😉. Secondly, the triangular subpixel layout means you can see subtle coloured fringes on the tiniest letters. They're mostly visible up close. From a normal TV viewing distance they shouldn't be distracting, so occasional web browsing or working with text isn't an issue.
SAMSUNG S95H - Viewing angles
9.9/10
Brightness drop at an angle of 45 degrees: 10%
Viewing angles on the S95H are excellent. It's one of the biggest advantages of a QD-OLED panel and in this respect Samsung ranks among the best TVs we've tested. Even when viewed well from the side, colours retain their saturation and the picture doesn't noticeably lose brightness. So when you're at a steep angle or watching a match with a larger group, you don't have to fight for a spot in the centre of the couch. The image still looks great from the sides. 🙂
SAMSUNG S95H - Daytime performance
7.3/10
Panel finish: Matte
Reflection suppression: Very Good
Black levels during daytime: Poor
Samsung S95H performs very well for daytime viewing. Much of that is down to the matte finish, which effectively diffuses reflections. Instead of clearly seeing a window or lamp in the screen, you see a softer glow. Add to that an average SDR brightness of around 750 nits. For an OLED that's an excellent result and allows you to comfortably watch TV in a bright living room. Bear in mind, though, that brightness depends on what’s on the screen. With smaller bright areas the S95H exceeds 1000 nits, but with a completely white screen it falls to about 400. So when watching winter sports or other very bright material, the image won’t have the same punch as in mixed scenes. The biggest limitation remains black levels in a brightly lit room. First, light hitting the QD-OLED panel visibly brightens it with a cherry tint, which makes it lose its nighttime depth and leaves the picture looking less contrasty. The matte finish handles reflections well, but it also scatters that light more. The S95H is still a very comfortable TV for daytime viewing. You simply see the full depth of its blacks only under dimmer lighting.
Panel brightness
Samsung S95H: 722 cd/m2
SAMSUNG S95H - TV features
7.9/10
System: Tizen
System performance: Very good
- HDMI inputs: 0 x HDMI 2.0, 4 x HDMI 2.1 40Gbps
- Other inputs: USB-C
- Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI)
- Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
- TV reception: DVB-T, DVB-T2, DVB-S, DVB-S2, DVB-C
Classic features:
- Recording to USB (terrestrial TV): No
- Recording programming: No
- Picture in Picture (PiP): Yes
- RF remote control (no need to aim): RF
- Backlit remote control: No
- Teletext: Yes
- Audio only mode: Yes
- Bluetooth headphones support: Yes
- Simultaneous Bluetooth headphones & TV audio: Yes
Smart features:
- AirPlay: Yes
- Screen mirroring (Windows Miracast): Yes
- Voice search: Yes
- Voice search in native language: Yes
- Ability to connect a keyboard and mouse: Yes
Tizen
The S95H uses Tizen, which runs very quickly here. Switching between apps and settings is smooth, so daily use doesn't test your patience. There’s a wide selection of streaming apps, voice search and AirPlay for streaming content from Apple devices. You can also wirelessly display a computer’s screen. It’s a well-equipped smart TV where it’s easy to find something to suit you.
However, we noticed something odd. Our unit had 2025 software even though the S95H is a 2026 model. At the time of testing we couldn't find an update to this year’s system on the manufacturer’s website either. That’s surprising, as other Samsung models have already received it. Tizen itself runs well, but for a new TV of this class we'd expect the system to be up to date too.
TV features and remote
Among the classic features there’s teletext and picture-in-picture, but there’s no option to record programmes to USB. It can also be useful to play audio simultaneously through the TV speakers and Bluetooth headphones. The remote control is very minimalist and works without needing to point it at the screen, though it’s a pity it doesn’t have backlit buttons. A definite plus is that it doesn’t require battery replacements and can be charged using solar power.
One Connect
An important addition is the One Connect module, which earns Samsung TVs a small plus from us. It contains four HDMI 2.1 inputs with 40 Gb/s bandwidth, and you can connect a soundbar via eARC or the optical output. The biggest advantage of this solution is simple: only one cable runs to the screen. It’s easier to hide cables and connect another device without reaching behind the TV. People who plan to wall-mount the S95H will particularly appreciate this.
Sound connection options
HDMI audio:
Other audio outputs:
- Toslink: Yes
Wireless audio:
- Bluetooth: Yes
- Samsung Q-Symphony (Speaker extension): Yes
Supported audio formats (external HDMI eARC audio):
- Dolby Digital Plus 7.1: Yes
- Dolby True HD 7.1: Yes
- Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC): Yes
- Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD: Yes
- DTS:X in DTS-HD MA: No
- DTS-HD Master Audio: No
Senior accessibility
- Numeric keyboard on TV: No
- Font size adjustment: Yes
- Audio description: Yes
SAMSUNG S95H - Apps
9.3/10
SAMSUNG S95H - Playing files from USB
9.1/10
| Maximum photo resolution: | Supported photo formats: |
|---|---|
| 4 Mpix | JPEG |
| 6 Mpix | HEIC |
| 8 Mpix | PNG |
| 10 Mpix | GIF |
| 12 Mpix | WebP |
| 16 Mpix | TIFF |
| 20 Mpix | BMP |
| 24 Mpix | SVG |
| 28 Mpix | |
| 32 Mpix |
The built-in file player runs quickly and smoothly. The S95H opened almost all the audio and video files we prepared and expected it to support. You don't have to wait long for them to load, and browsing the storage device's contents is straightforward.
It's a shame it doesn't support HEIC photos, the default format used by many iPhones. So if you want to show photos from your phone directly from a USB stick, you'll need to convert them first, for example to JPEG.
SAMSUNG S95H - Sound
8/10
-
Maximum volume
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
In terms of sound the S95H is essentially a copy of last year’s model. Despite its very slim chassis it sounds clean and pleasant, but the presentation is fairly flat. It lacks depth and stronger bass, which feels like a drawback next to such an impressive picture. On the other hand, you can’t expect large drivers in a TV only about a centimetre thick. The beautiful looks come at a price.
It’s therefore worth pairing the S95H with a soundbar or a separate audio system so the sound can better keep pace with the picture. The TV supports Dolby Atmos, which lets you expand the setup with immersive sound. It does not, however, support DTS. That limitation may be an issue mainly for people watching films on discs with DTS soundtracks.
Sound Quality Test:
Acoustic Measurements
No acoustic data
SAMSUNG S95H - Panel details
Software version during testing: 1301
Panel uniformity and thermal imaging:
Backlight Type: QD-OLED
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Journalist, reviewer, and columnist for the "ChooseTV" portal
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