Compare: Philips The One (PUS8959 / PUS8919 / PUS8909 / PUS8949 vs Samsung S90D / S94D 48" (WRGB OLED)

Philips PUS8959, also known by other designations under the abbreviation PUS89 (depending on the sales network), is a model from the popular series The One. Its biggest distinguishing feature is the Ambilight system, which continues to make a great impression. The three-sided lighting adapts to the picture on the screen, making films, series, or games literally spill over the edges of the television. The One is also a good option for gamers. The 120 Hz matrix and low input lag ensure that games run smoothly, and motion on the screen is clear. We tested several dynamic titles on the console, and the television handled them without any issues – no stutters or delays. Additionally, support for HGiG allows for better reproduction of HDR effects in games. This is an excellent solution if we care about consistency of the image with what the creators intended. The picture quality is at a good level, especially during the day. With a brightness of 550 nits, The One performs well even in well-lit rooms, and Dolby Vision in HDR films delivers vibrant colours and sharp details. However, the ADS matrix has its limitations – the black in dark scenes resembles a grey shade more, which can be noticeable when watching in a darkened room. When we watched films with the lights off, the lack of depth in the blacks was somewhat striking. The operating system Titan OS is something that still requires refinement. It is fast, but the limited number of applications can be frustrating for those accustomed to more robust platforms, such as GoogleTV. For daily use of Netflix or YouTube, it works flawlessly, but if we expect more advanced features, the system may not meet our expectations. Generally, Philips The One is a good choice in its price class. The Ambilight system impresses and significantly enhances the viewing experience, especially in the evening. It is also a solid option for gamers, thanks to the fluidity of the image and low input lag. While the black isn't perfect, and the operating system needs improvement, the television performs well in everyday use. For fans of unique solutions, such as Ambilight, it is a proposal that definitely deserves attention.

Samsung OLED 48 S90D or S94D is the smallest model in this series, and we had the opportunity to see what it can do. At first glance, it's evident that it deals excellently with details in dark scenes, as is expected from an OLED. However, it is worth mentioning that the 48-inch version differs from the larger models. Brightness is slightly lower, and the panel has a satin finish instead of glossy. During the day, this may affect the perceived image. Nevertheless, regardless of the variant, OLED always makes an impression. The depth of black is incredible, and the contrast ensures that even the most demanding scenes look cinematic. When it comes to high-quality materials, the television literally shines here – bright elements in dark frames literally pop out of the screen. The factory colour settings could be better, but after calibration, the television showcases its full potential. While watching from different spots in the room, we noticed that wide viewing angles make a difference – the image remains clear and full of detail, even when viewed from the side. The Tizen system proved convenient to use – applications like Netflix and Prime Video were within easy reach. A few less popular applications were missing, which could be a downside, but it wasn’t a problem for us. The interface itself ran smoothly without any hiccups. During sports and dynamic movie viewing, the television showed what it’s capable of. The 144 Hz panel eliminates motion blur, and fast actions are displayed smoothly and without interruptions. What is gaming like on this television? It's simply a pure pleasure. Low input lag and support for 144 Hz made every gaming session responsive and smooth, regardless of whether we were playing fast-paced FPSs or calmer strategy games. Samsung OLED 48' S90D/S94D is a great choice for those looking for a smaller television with excellent picture quality and additional features for gamers. It's not without its compromises, but it performs really well in everyday use. For us, it's a compact piece of equipment that proves that size doesn’t always matter.

The Philips PUS8959 television is based on ADS technology, which offers slightly different parameters compared to popular VA matrices. In the tested images, the contrast measured around 2000:1, making the black levels far from ideal. ADS panels are known for their weaker contrast compared to VA matrices, which in practice means that instead of deep blacks, we see more navy or grey shades. However, the ADS panel is still better than a standard IPS panel, which cannot achieve such a level of contrast. Additionally, the Philips PUS8959 is not equipped with local dimming technology, which could improve these parameters. The absence of this function exacerbates the effect of shallow blacks, particularly noticeable in dark scenes, like those in the film "Sicario 2". Instead of intense blacks, the screen produces a silvery glow, which can be bothersome, especially when watching in darker conditions. All of this causes the visual experience to lose depth, and details in dark scenes are not as well visible as one might expect from higher-end screens. Despite the lack of local dimming, the television is equipped with something called Global Dimming. The television is capable of completely dimming the panel to achieve higher contrast, but at the cost of details that may blend together, for example, lights in the test image from the film Oblivion. It is worth mentioning that the model we received for testing has quite significant patches resulting from uneven backlighting, although this is not a rule, one must consider that we may receive a unit like this when purchasing.

Samsung OLED 48 S90D stands out due to its use of OLED technology, which provides an extremely high contrast, one of its key advantages. OLED technology allows each pixel to emit light independently, resulting in perfectly deep blacks and excellent visibility of details even in the darkest scenes. Unlike traditional LCD screens with backlighting, where blacks can appear blurred and greyish due to uneven illumination, OLED ensures that pixels are completely turned off in areas where black should appear. As a result, contrast reaches an impressive level, and images become more vibrant and realistic. An example can be seen in a scene from the film “Oblivion,” where the S90D effectively captures the intense light of the lantern, highlighting the details in the bright areas of the image. In “Sicario 2,” the OLED panel accurately reproduces the helicopter lights against a dark background.

The luminance chart for Philips PUS8959 shows that the television is capable of achieving around 550 nits of brightness, which can be considered a satisfactory level. This brightness allows for the effects of HDR to be experienced, particularly standing out in more demanding scenes. In the tested test patterns, the television performed quite well, even in challenging sequences such as those from "Sicario 2". Due to the lack of local dimming, the television does not dim small bright elements, and they shine with the full "power" of the television but at the expense of the silvery blacks mentioned in the paragraph about black levels. It is also worth praising Philips PUS8959 for its good coverage of the DCI-P3 colour palette, which amounts to approximately 94.5%. As a result, colours are vivid and close to the creators' intentions, which further enhances the quality of HDR effects and the experience of watching high dynamic range content.

In the tested film scenes, the television Samsung OLED 48 S90D achieves impressive brightness results, surpassing 800 nits in the first four shots, which can be considered a very good result. In the case of the final shot, where a fullscreen flash of sunlight is visible, the brightness drops to around 400 nits, but still remains at an acceptable level. However, it's worth noting that this model in larger sizes offers higher values, exceeding the "barrier" of 1000 nits. Additionally, speaking of the DCI-P3 colour space coverage at 97% is an excellent result, which guarantees extremely rich and realistic colour reproduction, further enhancing image quality. However, once again it should be remembered that the panel in the 65' variant equipped with a QD-OLED panel will be even better in this aspect. For those hesitating in choosing the size of the S90D model, it is worth mentioning that the larger versions of this television offer better HDR effects, and consequently, higher scores in our tests.

The television Philips PUS8959 has been tested in the best, theoretically most precise picture mode – Filmmaker. Although the name suggests cinematic quality, it unfortunately falls short of perfection. The biggest problem in this mode is the white balance, both in HD and 4K content. It is characterised by a significant dominance of red colour and drops in green levels, resulting in unnatural colour reproduction. For example, white elements in the image have a noticeable pink hue, and the green is less vibrant, causing the overall image to lose its naturalness and colour balance. The ColorChecker test confirms these errors – it is clearly visible how the colour samples "deviate" from the correct values, which can be best observed on the sample squares that should accurately reproduce the colours. The lack of accuracy in this regard affects the realism and fidelity of the image, which is particularly undesirable in Filmmaker mode.

As for the brightness characteristics, the gamma chart resembles a true roller coaster – with small elements displayed on the screen, the brightness is excessive, causing details to become overly exposed. Conversely, at higher gamma values, the image loses contrast and becomes too dark, making the overall appearance lack dynamism. Similar problems can be observed in the EOTF characteristics – the television is unable to accurately reproduce brightness levels, negatively impacting the overall picture quality.

The S90D Samsung television has been tested in Filmmaker mode, which offers good colour reproduction, although with some imperfections that may be noticeable to more demanding users. This mode can seem overly warm, and users switching from Standard mode may experience a slight shock. It's worth noting that this state of affairs is caused by poor settings, such as in the white balance, rather than the Filmmaker mode itself. In both SDR and HDR content, the device shows drops in blue, causing colours to become warmer than they should be. In practice, this means that some shades, such as sky blue or skin tones, may appear less natural and more tinged with pink or yellow. The Colour Checker test confirms these deviations, showing shifts towards warmer tones. In SDR content, the gamma graph indicates slight fluctuations, causing the image to be minimally darker, especially in shadows. This may affect less distinct details in darker scenes. Conversely, in 4K HDR materials, the EOTF curve is situated above the recommended line, leading to some parts of the image being displayed too brightly, which can cause clipping in the brightest areas. Overall, the Samsung S90D presents a solid image right out of the box, but for the best results, especially with more demanding content, additional calibration is recommended.

After calibration, the television Philips PUS8959 shows a significant improvement in colour reproduction, especially in HD content. The white balance is exceptionally even, and the Delta E error values are below 1, which can be considered a remarkable result. Additionally, the gamma, responsible for brightness in lower-quality materials, performs very well, maintaining a stable level at 2.4, leading to an appropriate balance between bright and dark areas of the image.

As for 4K HDR materials, a significant improvement is also visible. The white balance, although not as perfect as with HD content, no longer exhibits issues with excessive red exposure, resulting in a more natural and harmonious image. Unfortunately, regarding the EOTF characteristic, it is difficult to speak of any significant improvement, which stems from the structural limitations of the television that prevent any substantial enhancement in this aspect.

Nevertheless, the overall performance is significantly better after calibration, making the Philips PUS8959 one of those televisions where it is truly worth dedicating time to precise calibration to achieve satisfactory picture quality.

After calibration, the television Samsung OLED 48 S90D in film mode looks even better than one could have presumed. The white balance, for both HD and 4K HDR content, has been improved to nearly perfection. Although minor errors can still be noticed, they are so minimal that they do not significantly affect the quality of the image. The colours are more balanced, which translates to a natural representation of details, particularly in scenes requiring a precise colour palette. It is worth adding that this model in the 48' size is equipped with a WOLED panel that has a different characteristic compared to larger sizes and has a smaller coverage of a wide colour gamut, not offering such rich colours as, for example, the 65-inch version, which is fitted with a QD-OLED panel.

The contrast has also undergone significant improvement. The gamma graph after calibration is much closer to the expected line, providing a better balance between the bright and dark parts of the image. The EOTF curve, which before calibration showed issues with overexposed scenes, now displays better results. This effect allows for greater detail preservation in the bright parts of the image, especially in HDR material.

The gradation on the Philips PUS8959 television looks very good, offering smooth tonal transitions in most scenes. Sometimes minor issues can be observed, especially during transitions between certain colours, where slight unevenness is noticeable. However, these imperfections are subtle enough that they do not significantly impact the overall viewing experience and can be considered completely acceptable. In everyday use, the television provides sufficiently good gradation quality to satisfy even more demanding users, maintaining the naturalness of the image and a lack of glaring tonal distortions.

The fluidity of tonal transitions on the Samsung OLED 48 S90D television is at a good level, although subtle imperfections are visible in places. In most scenes, the tonal transitions are smooth and well-rendered, providing a natural viewing experience. In more demanding sequences, such as a darkly coloured sky, slight issues may arise; however, these do not significantly affect the overall visual experience. In the test scene dominated by red hues, slight clipping of the brighter areas can be observed, but it is subtle enough not to interfere with viewing. Overall, the fluidity of tonal transitions on the S90D television is solid, ensuring good reception of content.

When it comes to smoothing tonal transitions, the "Distortion Reduction" function at its minimum setting performs quite well, effectively smoothing tonal transitions without excessive impact on other elements of the image. In tests, I did not notice that the reduction negatively affected the image structure, such as film grain or object details – everything remains in its place, which is a significant plus for users who appreciate the natural look of film materials.

As for digital processing, the image looks quite good, although it features very softened contours, giving it an almost "misty" character. This effect can evoke mixed feelings – some users will appreciate the fluidity and delicacy of this type of presentation, while others may find it too gentle, losing detail. It is a matter of individual preference, but it must be said that the Philips PUS8959 provides fairly subtle yet effective tools for improving tonal transitions without excessive interference in the natural character of the image.

The Samsung OLED 48 S90D television performs very well in smoothing tonal transitions. Thanks to the applied technology, the transitions between colours are more fluid and natural. There is also the option to use the noise reduction function, which further smooths tonal transitions, which can be useful in certain situations. However, it is worth remembering that enabling noise reduction can also lead to the smoothing of desired film grain, which in turn can reduce the cinematic atmosphere of the image. For this reason, caution is advised when using this function, as it is better to leave the natural grain that adds character and authenticity to the content being viewed.

Samsung, as always, does not disappoint and excels at scaling images from lower resolutions. The S90D OLED 48 Samsung television effectively processes lower resolutions, as seen in the visible image. The outline of the model is clear and correct, looking natural and detailed as a result. Moreover, the branches of trees are well replicated, showing no strong jaggedness that could detract from the quality of the image. Thanks to effective scaling, even lower resolution materials look attractive on the screen, satisfying users who prefer a variety of content sources such as regular aerial/cable television.

Philips PUS8959 TV is equipped with a 120 Hz panel, which should satisfy more demanding users, especially those who love watching dynamic sports broadcasts or playing games. Such a high refresh rate allows for significantly smoother images, being a key aspect during dynamic scenes and fast actions.

For those who prefer watching movies, the television offers an additional motion smoother that allows adjusting the film's frame rate according to personal preferences. The Philips PUS8959 features a 10-step adjustment for functions called "Smoothness" and "Motion Blur Reduction." The "Smoothness" function is responsible for increasing the number of frames through interpolation, making the motion on the screen smoother, resembling the effect of so-called "soap opera." Meanwhile, "Motion Blur Reduction" focuses on minimising ghosting and improving motion clarity, which is particularly noticeable in dynamic sequences, such as action scenes or fast-paced sports shots.

The S90D television is equipped with a 120 Hz panel, with the possibility of "overclocking" to 144 Hz with the appropriate PC configuration, ensuring exceptional motion fluidity. For years, Samsung has offered a variety of image sharpness settings on a ten-point scale, allowing users to customise the display to their preferences. In the UFO test, thanks to the use of an OLED panel, there is no sign of any blurring. The pixel response is instantaneous and perfectly captures dynamic movements. In this aspect, OLED technology is considered one of the best on the market. The image is incredibly sharp and detailed, even during fast action, making the S90D OLED 48 Samsung television an ideal choice for gamers and sports enthusiasts.

Philips PUS8959 is a television that will certainly satisfy gaming enthusiasts. It supports most modern technologies useful during gameplay, such as HGiG, allowing for better reproduction of HDR effects in games. As a result, the image is closer to what the game creators intended to achieve.

The television also supports displaying images at 120 Hz, ensuring smoothness and dynamism, which is especially important during action games and sports broadcasts. The Game Bar feature allows for quick access to game settings, making it easier to adjust the image according to user preferences without interrupting gameplay.

Unfortunately, the Dolby Vision mode does not offer low input lag, which may be noticeable during dynamic scenes. Nevertheless, thanks to the HGiG feature and high refresh rate, the Philips PUS8959 remains an attractive choice for gamers, providing good image quality and adequate smoothness during gameplay.

The Samsung OLED 48 S90D television is excellently tailored to the needs of gamers, offering four HDMI 2.1 ports that support features such as Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), and HGIG (HDR Gaming Interest Group). With these technologies, gamers can enjoy smoother gameplay and faster screen responsiveness, significantly enhancing comfort during long gaming sessions. Additionally, the Game Bar feature allows for easy adjustments of settings such as screen ratios, which can be particularly useful in various types of games. For PC users, the television offers an impressive refresh rate of 144Hz, and Nvidia and AMD graphics cards support G-Sync and FreeSync, further improving image fluidity. Although the lack of Dolby Vision support may be a downside, it is worth noting that this technology is not as widely used in games as it is in films. Nevertheless, the S90D still offers excellent features for gamers, making it an outstanding choice for those seeking high-quality visuals and advanced gaming technologies.

Philips PUS8959 TV offers impressive results in terms of input lag, making it an excellent choice for gamers. For content at 120 Hz, the lag is less than 6 ms, which is an absolutely outstanding result and allows for instantaneous reactions in games, especially in dynamic titles. For content at 60 Hz, the input lag is 15 ms, which is also an excellent result and ensures comfortable gameplay in most cases.

Unfortunately, the Dolby Vision mode does not perform as well, as the input lag increases to 31 ms. While this result may be acceptable for less dynamic content, it may be insufficient for demanding gamers, affecting precision and responsiveness. Nevertheless, in standard modes, Philips PUS8959 still offers remarkable performance, making it a competitive choice in the market for gaming TVs.

Samsung's OLED features an exceptionally low input lag, regardless of resolution and frame rate, in both SDR and HDR modes. Results around 10 ms are truly impressive and significantly enhance the gaming experience. Such a low input lag ensures immediate responsiveness to on-screen actions, which is crucial in dynamic games where every millisecond counts. This allows users to enjoy fluidity and precision, making the S90D television an excellent choice for those prioritising gaming performance.

Philips PUS8959 is excellent as a monitor for use with a PC. With support for chroma 4:4:4, it provides full colour clarity, which is crucial for working with text – fonts are sharp and legible, regardless of the background they are on. This makes using office applications, browsing the internet, and graphic editing comfortable and precise.

Additionally, the low input lag offered by the television ensures smooth and responsive operation, which is important both for everyday tasks and for more dynamic uses, such as gaming or media editing. Philips PUS8959 is an excellent choice for users looking for a television that will also serve as a PC monitor, offering high image quality and user comfort.

The Samsung OLED 48 S90D television works perfectly with a PC. Fonts are clearly visible, which makes reading text and using applications easier. Additionally, it supports 4:4:4 chroma at 4K resolution and a refresh rate of 144 Hz, ensuring full colour reproduction and image sharpness. It is worth highlighting that the input lag of just 5 ms is extremely beneficial, especially for gamers and professionals working with graphics. With such low latency, using the television as a monitor becomes a pleasure, allowing for comfortable and responsive work. The S90D television is an excellent choice for users seeking performance and quality in everyday computer use.

Philips PUS8959, equipped with an ADS panel, offers quite good viewing angles, definitely better than those found in VA panels. The image maintains its quality even when viewed from a greater angle – colours are clear, and the contrast does not deteriorate as much as with televisions featuring VA panels. As a result, watching the television from different spots in the room still allows you to enjoy well-saturated colours and overall image quality, making the Philips PUS8959 perfect for larger rooms and for watching together with family or friends.

The viewing angles on the S90D television, thanks to OLED technology, are unparalleled. OLED offers excellent colour and contrast reproduction, even at wide viewing angles, which ensures that the image remains sharp and vibrant from almost any perspective. Users can enjoy a consistent visual experience, regardless of where they are viewing the screen.

Philips PUS8959 features a satin finish on the screen that effectively reduces light reflections, which is beneficial when using the television in bright daytime conditions. However, such a finish causes blacks to take on shades of grey during the day, losing their depth and intensity, which affects the perception of image in darker scenes.

With a brightness level of 562 cd/m², it allows for comfortable viewing of the television during the day, even in well-lit rooms. The image is bright enough to cut through daylight, and the reduction of reflections provides decent visibility of content, making Philips PUS8959 a good choice for rooms where the lighting level cannot always be controlled.

When watching during the day, the Samsung OLED 48 S90D performs well, achieving an average brightness of around 320 nits, which is a decent result for OLED technology in a 48-inch size. Thanks to the satin finish, reflection suppression is at an acceptable level, allowing for comfortable viewing even in bright rooms. The only noticeable downside to this technology, rather than the television itself, is the brightness at 100% white screen fill. In such conditions, OLED can struggle to achieve extremely high brightness. Such situations can be seen when we want to watch winter sports, for example, ski jumping.

Philips PUS8959 is equipped with a three-sided Ambilight system – the flagship patent of this brand, which has enjoyed a devoted fan base for years. Ambilight consists of dynamic backlighting of the wall behind the television, adapting to the content displayed on the screen, significantly enhancing the viewing experience, especially in a darkened room. This effect is unique and adds a certain kind of "magic" to watching, making many users choose Philips specifically for this feature.

As for the operating system, Philips PUS8959 uses Titan OS – a system that is still in its early stages of development. Here, we can see the issues of growing pains, especially since Philips has moved away from Android in most of its models. Titan OS has a limited number of available applications. This is frustrating for those accustomed to a broader ecosystem like GoogleTV. Additionally, the television lacks AirPlay functionality, which limits its compatibility with Apple devices and may be a drawback for users seeking a flexible way to stream content.

The usability features of Philips PUS8959 are a mix of advantages and disadvantages. The remote control that comes with the television is quite annoying – it requires aiming directly at the screen, which can be inconvenient. On the other hand, the voice function works without the need to aim, but it only supports the English language. On the plus side, the remote is backlit, making it easier to use in the dark. The television does not have Picture-in-Picture (PiP) functionality or the ability to record programmes, which is a significant drawback. However, the television is equipped with Bluetooth, allowing for the connection of headphones or a keyboard, which can be useful – especially due to the limited number of available applications, which may encourage use of the built-in web browser.

The Samsung OLED 48 S90D television offers a range of features that significantly enhance user comfort, making it the ideal device for entertainment in the comfort of your home. The Tizen system, on which this model is based, is a modern and advanced platform that provides users with an intuitive and smooth experience. With a user-friendly interface, navigation through applications and settings is quick and intuitive, making it easy for even less tech-savvy individuals to use the television. Tizen supports a rich set of applications, including all popular streaming services such as Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon Prime Video. A new feature for 2024 is the availability of voice search in Polish. It's also worth noting the eco-friendly solar remote, which is not only environmentally friendly but also practical for daily use. For example, the remote is capable of controlling multiple devices connected to the television, so there is no need to use multiple remotes. Additionally, the television supports AirPlay, allowing for easy content sharing from Apple devices such as iPhone or iPad. The S90D OLED 48 also allows for the connection of various Bluetooth devices, such as mice, keyboards, or headphones, which increases its versatility and enables user experience personalisation. This means that users can easily adjust their settings to make the most of the television's capabilities. The only downside that can be pointed out is the lack of USB recording support. For some users, this may be a limitation, especially for those wishing to archive their favourite shows or films. Despite this, the S90D television offers many advanced features and technologies, making it an excellent choice for anyone seeking high-quality entertainment in their home.

Despite the fact that the Titan OS system in the Philips PUS8959 television is still in its infancy, it deserves praise for supporting Polish subtitles embedded in films, which is a significant convenience for users relying on external files. If we want to play a film from a connected USB device, the television will do so without major issues, providing comfortable viewing without the need for additional subtitle configuration.

When it comes to photos, the television should have no major difficulties playing them. It supports most popular formats, although there is a lack of support for less common standards, such as HEIC used in Apple devices. This means that some photos, particularly from newer Apple devices, may require prior conversion to a more standard format for them to be played on the Philips screen.

The Samsung S90D is equipped with a built-in player that supports most popular video formats, allowing for convenient playback of films from various sources. The player also supports subtitles in Polish and enables users to customise the font colour, increasing comfort when watching content with subtitles. In terms of photo formats, the television handles many of them; however, one of the few downsides is the lack of ability to play the popular PNG format. Nevertheless, the overall file playback capabilities of the S90D are at an excellent level.

The sound in Philips PUS8959 unfortunately leaves much to be desired. Although low tones can be heard in the playback, the bass is very weak, which translates to an overall unsatisfactory sound quality. The television plays at an average level, especially when compared to more advanced sound systems available on the market.

Despite the average quality of the speakers, the television supports all essential audio codecs, which may please users using external home theatre systems. Thanks to compatibility with various audio formats, the Philips PUS8959 is able to provide good audio experiences if connected to the right external speakers or receiver, delivering a fuller, more cinematic sound.

The Samsung OLED 48 S90D television provides good sound quality, with clear and balanced tones. The sound is clear, and the bass is well audible, which enhances the viewing experience. Even at the highest volume, the sound remains clear, although the television itself is not very loud.

Philips The One (PUS8959 / PUS8919 / PUS8909 / PUS8949 vs Samsung S90D / S94D 48" (WRGB OLED)

Advantages

Disadvantages

Our verdict

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

TV efficiency during daytime

Details about the matrix

TV features

Playing files from USB

Apps

Sound