LG OLED C5 vs SAMSUNG S95F (TANDEM OLED 83")

LG C5 finally does what we have been waiting for years in the C series – it exceeds 1000 nits of brightness! This is a significant change compared to previous models in the series, and it is very important – because most HDR content on streaming platforms is now created around such luminance. The image finally has the proper "shine," and the details in the highlights look as they should even without the use of dynamic metadata. However, there are scenes where the C5, like most OLED televisions, has certain issues. Especially when the screen needs to light up completely. In our test sequences, such as the bright shot from the film The Meg, the brightness clearly drops. Don't get us wrong, this result is not bad; it's more a reminder that OLED technology still has its limitations. Year by year they are becoming smaller, but still.

As for the colours? They are very good. Although the C5 does not match OLEDs with QD-OLED or Tandem RGB panels, the DCI-P3 coverage of 97% and 73% BT.2020 will satisfy even the more demanding viewers. The colours are saturated, natural, and very consistent in HDR material.

The Samsung S95F in the 83-inch variant with a Tandem OLED panel also manages to enchant with HDR effects. In test film scenes, such as "Life of Pi" or "Sicario 2", where smaller light points dominate – stars in the night sky, the glow of the moon or headlights – the television effortlessly achieves brightness values exceeding 2000 nits. This is a result that not long ago seemed unattainable for OLEDs and positions this model alongside the best Mini-LED constructions.

The limitations of organic panels only reveal themselves in full-screen scenes filled entirely with white. In the case of this model, for instance in the final scene from the film The Meg, brightness drops to around 1000 nits – a bit lower than in the smaller QD-OLED variants, where the result hovered around 1400 nits. Nevertheless, we are still talking about a remarkable result, unprecedented in OLED televisions of this size. The colour reproduction is equally impressive. The new Tandem OLED panel virtually catches up with QD-OLED televisions, offering excellent coverage of a wide colour gamut. The results are slightly weaker than with QD-OLED, but in practice, they still provide an image whose intensity and naturalness of colours are hard to compare with any other television.

LG C5, like other televisions we have tested, has been checked in the best possible factory mode – which remains the Filmmaker Mode. And here we have good news: in SDR materials, LG has once again done a solid job. The white balance and colour reproduction right out of the box are at a very high level. Most errors – both in balance and in the colour test (Colour Checker) – did not exceed a ΔE value of 3, which is the threshold above which differences become visible to the naked eye. Such factory settings would be desirable in a significantly larger number of televisions!

However, the situation looks different for HDR content, which is precisely what the C series was created for. Here, the C5 performs somewhat worse. The excessive presence of blue in the white balance causes the image to appear distinctly cooler – which affects, for instance, unnaturally pale skin tones or a slightly shifted tone of the entire scene. Fortunately, LG provides very precise calibration tools, and we – as always – made use of them.

The best picture mode straight out of the box is undoubtedly Filmmaker Mode. This is a mode that has been available in Samsung televisions for several years and is intended to reproduce the image as faithfully as possible to the creators' vision. In SDR material, it performs reasonably well, although not without faults. The image is slightly subdued, and the white balance tends to shift towards red and blue, resulting in a slight pinkish tint on the screen. The average colour errors hover around a value of ΔE 3–4, which is at the limit of what most people can discern with the naked eye.

Much more pronounced are the limitations when it comes to HDR content. Here, a slight excess of blue in the white balance is not such a big problem – the real obstacle is the way the television manages brightness. In many scenes, the image appeared as if it had been overexposed, and details in the blacks could completely disappear. The final effect did not reflect what the hardware of this class is capable of and led to significant colour errors. It's hard to understand why such a factory characteristic was chosen, as the HDR reception in this version was definitely not what it should have been.

We must honestly admit – in the case of the LG C5, very little was needed to achieve nearly perfect picture quality. After calibrating, we managed to reach compatibility with reference screens at a level that impresses even when compared to significantly more expensive models. The image after our adjustment looks exactly as filmmakers and series creators would want it – without colour distortions, with natural depth and subtle texture. LG has done a great job this year regarding factory settings and calibration potential. Chapeau bas!

After calibration, the S95F shows what it is truly capable of. The white balance has been corrected and minor inaccuracies adjusted, resulting in an almost exemplary image for SDR content. The colour differences have dropped below the level that the human eye can perceive – looking at the screen gives a sense of complete naturalness and colour coherence.

In HDR, the improvement is equally noticeable. The TV performs much better with brightness, eliminating the issue of "blowing out" the entire frame. Bright scenes are more controlled, and blacks retain more detail, although there can still be a slight brightening of the image as a whole. However, this does not change the fact that after calibration, the S95F delivers an image that can comfortably be called one of the best on the market – regardless of whether we are watching movies in SDR or spectacular productions in HDR.

LG C5 handles lower quality materials really very well. One of the main problems older WOLEDs faced was posterisation – that is, unwanted “stair stepping” in colour transitions. The C5 utilises a system feature that smoothens these transitions, which works surprisingly effectively. The banding effect is nearly completely eliminated, and the picture gains in coherence. Compared to last year's model, we have the impression that this feature works slightly less effectively – but the good news is that it does not undermine the structure of the image. Film grain, textures, and details remain on the screen – nothing is unnaturally smoothed out.

The C5 also excels at enhancing the quality of older recordings. Thanks to the α9 Gen6 processor (8th gen), the "scaling to 4K" performs really solidly. The image is clear, the details are sharp, and the only minor downside might be slightly noticeable edge sharpening on some borders. However, there is no issue with overscan here – the image is neither artificially cropped nor shifted, which is a significant plus and still not a given.

In the Samsung S95F model, there is a noise reduction feature aimed at improving the smoothness of tonal transitions. Its operation can hardly be called ineffective – on the contrary, it can overly interfere with the image. Older films or materials of poorer quality, such as those from YouTube, acquire a soft, smoothed character thanks to it, reminiscent of a painting effect. The problem is that along with the noise, the natural film grain disappears, stripping the image of its cinematic character. Fortunately, the feature does not blur significant details, so its use is more a matter of taste. If someone prefers a slightly polished and smooth image, it is worth enabling, but in our opinion, the most sensible setting is “Standard”.

A better impression is left by the upscaling. The S95F efficiently enhances the quality of lower resolution content – even 576p video looks quite good, although minor artifacts in the form of blockiness can be noticed. Overall, the effect is very solid, although when compared to competitors – such as the Sony Bravia 8 (II) or LG G5 – it is noticeable that those models can extract a bit more from the image. However, it is worth remembering one inconvenience: with older films and photos, there is an overscan issue that causes a slight cutting off of the left edge of the image.

The LG C5 is equipped with a 144 Hz display, and this, combined with the virtually zero response time of the OLED pixels, makes it one of the best screens for watching dynamic content. It doesn't matter whether it's sports, fast-paced games, or just action – the image is razor-sharp.

And what about movies at 24 frames? LG thought of that too. The built-in "TruMotion" smoother allows you to adjust the picture to your own preferences. The "de-judder" slider increases fluidity in films, while "de-blur" gently reduces motion blur – though to be fair, it is nearly invisible here anyway.

In the case of the 83-inch S95F with a Tandem OLED panel, the fluidity of motion also makes a huge impression. The panel, with a native resolution of 4K, offers a refresh rate of 165 Hz, and this combined with organic technology makes games and sports look superb. Additionally, the manufacturer has added a film smoother and a motion blur reduction system, allowing each viewer to adjust the image to their own preferences – whether it's a more "frame-rate" cinematic effect or a smooth, almost theatrical spectacle.

LG C5 is a television designed with gamers in mind – and there isn't a hint of exaggeration in that. It's hard to find anything to criticise here. We have a refresh rate of 144 Hz, full support for VRR, ALLM, and as many as four HDMI 2.1 ports with a full bandwidth of 48 Gb/s. For those who have an Xbox, PS5, Nintendo, and a gaming PC all in one room – there are no limitations, everything can be connected without any hassle.

The HDR configuration for games also poses no problems. The television correctly handles the HGiG mode, which allows for an image that matches the creators' intentions. For those interested, there is also Dolby Vision in Gaming mode, although we still recommend HGiG as the most predictable and "pure" version of HDR in games.

It also features Game Bar, which serves as a "command centre" for gamers. Everything important, from VRR settings, to picture modes, to frame rate information – is at our fingertips. The interface is simple and clear. It may look like it’s from a spaceship simulator, but it serves its purpose and just works; as it should.

C5 is truly a complete set for any gamer.

Low smearing and phenomenal motion fluidity, which are the hallmarks of OLED displays, are just the warm-up. The Samsung S95F has been designed with gamers in mind – and this is evident at every turn. Four HDMI 2.1 ports with a bandwidth of 40 Gb/s may sound like a compromise on paper, but in practice, neither consoles nor PCs will experience the slightest limitation here. On board, there is a full set of gaming features: Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), as well as a flawlessly implemented HGiG standard that allows you to enjoy HDR exactly as the creators intended. All of this is complemented by Game Bar – an intuitive command centre where you can check and adjust the most important settings in seconds.

Particular attention should also be paid to Game Motion Plus, Samsung's proprietary motion smoothing technology. It can add extra fluidity to animations, which can be a lifesaver in games running at 60 frames per second, where stability doesn't always hold up. Indeed, support for Dolby Vision in games is lacking, but it’s hard to consider this a serious flaw – the manufacturer compensates for this gap with other solutions. The S95F is one of the absolute favourites for the title of the best gaming television on today's market.