Samsung OLED S95D vs TCL C655 / C69B (55"-85")

Samsung S95D offers excellent HDR performance, delivering consistent effects across all scenes exceeding values of 1500 nits, except for the fifth, where brightness drops to 800 nits. Despite this, the television maintains a high level of picture quality. A significant advantage of QD-OLED technology is its ability to maintain high brightness even in the smallest elements against a black background, which is rare in LCD and mini LED televisions. As a result, every scene dazzles with strong lighting effects, regardless of the size of the illuminated area. Only in the brightest scenes with large light areas does brightness slightly drop, which is typical even for standard OLEDs produced by LG. Additionally, the quantum dot coating has achieved an unprecedented high coverage of the BT.2020 colour gamut at 88%.

Generally speaking, the quality of the HDR effect on the TCL C655 / C69B looks quite promising. The average value in the test charts is around 450 nits, which already allows one to feel the light effects and better image dynamics. However, as previously mentioned, this effect may be partially subdued by slight differences in bright and dark colours, resulting from the lack of local dimming technology. However, the coverage of the DCI-P3 colour palette at 94% deserves high praise, and this is made possible by the use of a quantum dot (QLED) matrix. As a result, colours are vivid and accurately represented when watching HDR content.

On the Samsung S95D, the mode that best reproduces colours is the Filmmaker mode. We conduct all our tests in this mode. Although initially, the picture in this mode may appear slightly warmer to the viewer, it provides significantly more detail compared to the standard or dynamic mode, which is always oversaturated and artificial. The Filmmaker mode is therefore the most closely aligned with the vision of filmmakers and ideal for watching high-quality content. It is worth noting, however, that the factory settings are not perfect, despite dealing with premium segment equipment. The image may contain certain errors that affect the overall quality of the displayed scenes. An example is drops in red colour in the white balance, both in HD and HDR content. Colour Checker tests showed that the hues lean towards cooler tones. The image is dominated by blue hues, and the entire colour spectrum is distorted. As can be seen in the picture below, the little boy from the film appears in cooler tones, making him look less natural. When it comes to the brightness characteristics for HD content, it is quite accurate, although there are minor errors. The biggest problem arises when displaying 4K HDR content. The EOTF curve, which seems appropriate at first glance in test patterns, shows that the television sometimes "messes" with the image in real film scenes. This causes the picture to be slightly brightened in some scenes and darkened in others.

Samsung S95D offers quite good factory colour reproduction, but it has some shortcomings that may require calibration to fully utilise the potential of this television. The process is recommended to achieve the most natural and immersive image possible.

The television TCL C655 / C69B offers a film mode that has been tested for colour reproduction quality. Although this mode is called film mode, it unfortunately has several errors that a director would surely not want to see when recording their work. Starting with image analysis, it is worth examining the white balance – both in HD and 4K HDR content, the white balance has significant errors. In both cases, the red colour dominates, causing the colours to be too warm, and the overall result takes on a pink or yellow tint. This can be seen in the image below from the film "Star Wars". The Colour Checker test confirms these errors – the colour samples veer into incorrect shades, affecting the overall colour fidelity. A less significant issue is the brightness characteristic. However, this is also not without its flaws. The gamma graph shows a strong peak at the beginning, causing the image to be excessively brightened, and the EOTF curve responsible for brightness in 4K HDR material also has substantial fluctuations – it is noticeable how the television tries to maintain the appropriate brightness, but it does not always succeed effectively.

How much can the picture quality of a television change after calibration? After performing calibration on the Samsung S95D, the white balance was significantly improved, eliminating any major errors, which allowed for a more natural and harmonious colour reproduction. In the case of 4K content, there are only minor imperfections, which do not affect the overall picture quality. Thanks to calibration, viewers can now enjoy more balanced tones, allowing for a better representation of the filmmakers' intentions. The contrast has also improved, and the gamma shows even better results. This means that the differences between the light and dark areas of the image have become more pronounced, translating into better depth and detail in scenes. As a result, shadows gained more detail, and bright areas are no longer overwhelming, providing a more realistic visual experience. However, it should be noted that the EOTF curve is slightly below the expected level, which may affect how the television handles dynamic scenes. Nonetheless, after calibration, the overall picture quality has significantly improved, and viewers can now enjoy a visual experience that is more in line with the filmmakers' intentions. The television handles subtle tonal transitions and contrast better, making it more suitable for watching films and high-definition programmes. Ultimately, the picture after calibration is closely aligned with reference quality, making the visual experience even more satisfying.

After calibrating the television's film mode TCL C655 / C69B , the white balance has been adjusted, and the colours are presented as they should be – confirmed only by slight deviations in the Colour Checker test. The gamma is really quite accurate, which means the television should not have issues with brightness in low-resolution materials. Unfortunately, a similar EOTF characteristic is still visible, which is a natural phenomenon in televisions that do not have local dimming – they simply struggle to "shine" more in a given area of the screen. Despite this inherent limitation that cannot be bypassed, we recommend adjustment in the settings, as the overall colour presentation looks really very good.

How does the television handle tonal transitions in lower-quality materials? Generally speaking, the S95D performs exceptionally well. On the screen with the light bulb, there are virtually no transitions between shades of grey, making it one of the best televisions we have tested in this regard.

Regarding digital processing, the entire image — from branches to model figures — has been well rendered, without any jagged edges or heavily visible contours. However, we must draw attention to one issue: the image is slightly cropped. Nevertheless, the television performs excellently, and details in lower-quality materials are still noticeable and well-defined.

The television TCL C655 / C69B handles tonal transitions fairly well in low-quality materials. The "Gradual Smoothing" feature at a low setting effectively smooths out tonal transitions; however, it simultaneously blurs significant details, such as the texture of objects. On the plus side, it does not negatively impact the film grain, allowing the natural appearance of the image to be preserved. As for digital processing, the television adds artificial sharpness, which may appeal to some users who prefer a sharpened image. However, for those who prefer a softer look, this could be a disadvantage. A notable downside is that the image has been quite significantly cropped due to what is known as overscan, which reduces the field of view and trims the edges of the image.

The Samsung S95D television, equipped with a refresh rate of 120 Hz (and even 144 Hz in the appropriate PC configuration), offers excellent motion smoothness. Samsung provides a variety of image sharpness settings on a ten-point scale, allowing users to adjust the display according to their preferences - whether the image should be more cinematic/frame-like or more theatrical/smooth. In UFO tests, the OLED matrix shows its advantages, eliminating any blurring. The lightning-fast pixel response means that dynamic movements are reproduced with unparalleled precision.

The television C655 / C69B is equipped with a 4K@60 Hz panel, which means it works best for watching films and less dynamic content. It also features a "Flicker Reduction" function that allows for the adjustment of image smoothness – the user can choose whether they prefer smoother motion or a more cinematic, frame-by-frame effect. The television can also adapt to lower resolutions, such as Full HD and 2K at 120 Hz, which will surely please gamers by offering a smoother image at the cost of resolution. It is worth noting that this feature is available in sizes from 55"+. Additionally, the largest variant, 98", is equipped with a 144Hz panel with full motion smoothing.

The Samsung S95D TV is perfectly suited to the needs of gamers, offering four HDMI 2.1 ports that support key features such as Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), and HDR Gaming Interest Group (HGIG). The HDMI 2.1 ports do not provide full bandwidth of 48Gb, but they are still sufficient for achieving appropriate resolution and smoothness. Thanks to these technologies, gamers can enjoy smoother and more responsive gameplay, which significantly impacts comfort and performance during intense gaming sessions. One of the biggest advantages is the Xbox app, which allows for cloud gaming without the need for a console. Through it, gamers can access a wide range of titles directly on the TV, enjoying high image quality and smooth gameplay. Additionally, the S95D offers a Game Bar feature that enables easy management of game settings, including quick adjustments of parameters such as changing the aspect ratio, which can be extremely useful in various games and gaming modes. It is also worth mentioning the support for G-Sync and FreeSync, which is a huge plus for users of Nvidia and AMD graphics cards. Despite the lack of support for Dolby Vision, the TV still offers excellent features that make it an ideal choice for console gaming enthusiasts. Overall, the S95D combines modern technologies with outstanding picture quality, creating a complete package for any gamer.

The TCL C655 / C69B television offers nearly the perfect set of features for gamers, supporting all the most important technologies. It has an ALLM feature that automatically switches the TV to low latency mode, significantly improving responsiveness and minimising signal lag, which is especially important during dynamic gameplay. The VRR feature allows the screen refresh rate to synchronise with the frame rate generated by the console, eliminating screen tearing and providing smoother gameplay.

The television also supports Dolby Vision in game mode, which ensures better colour and contrast rendering in games that support this format, and the Game Bar provides quick access to settings related to gameplay, such as response time, latency level, and other parameters. Unfortunately, the C655 / C69B does not support 4K resolution at 120 Hz (the exception here is the 98" variant), which may be disappointing for more demanding gamers who expect the highest fluidity of image in high-resolution games. However, if we can forgo 4K, the television offers support for Full HD and 2K at 120 Hz, providing a smoother image and is a great alternative for those who prefer a higher refresh rate at the expense of resolution.