Compare: Samsung QLED Q80D vs Samsung S90D / S94D 48" (WRGB OLED)

Samsung Q80D is a very versatile television. It is certainly a device that can easily adapt to the needs of both gamers and those looking for equipment for everyday viewing. When it comes to the former – that is, gamers – the support for HDMI 2.1, 120 Hz refresh rate, and low input lag make playing on a console or PC pure pleasure. Additionally, the Game Bar feature allows quick changes to settings without the hassle of leaving the game – a small thing, but it makes a difference. It's also worth mentioning the fantastic feature of an efficiently working motion smoother that operates well in games. We get the impression that playing on such a television adds us a few FPS, which translates to an advantage in the game. During everyday use, the Q80D also performs very well. The Tizen system offers access to popular applications like Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+, so nothing is lacking here. The high brightness of the screen ensures that the television performs excellently even in well-lit rooms. A nice and interesting addition is the solar remote, which not only does not require battery replacement but also allows you to control other devices (e.g., set-top boxes, consoles, soundbars). When it comes to picture quality, the Q80D has a lot to offer. Although it lacks Dolby Vision support, after calibration, the colours look great, and the contrast and black level thanks to FALD (full-array local dimming) have made a huge impression on us, especially considering the television segment. With a VA panel enhanced with quantum dots (QLED), the colours on the Q80D can look truly splendid. Watching movies or series in the evening is a real pleasure – particularly if we care about good detail. However, there are little things that might be bothersome. The lack of a recording feature is certainly a limitation, although it may not be a problem for everyone. Another obvious issue will be its viewing angles. These are typical results for this type of panel, so one must reckon that at the expense of great blacks, the Q80D simply performs average when viewed from the side. Nevertheless, Samsung Q80D is an excellent television that works well in any situation. It offers outstanding picture quality, many useful features, and solid build quality for its price range. A few minor shortcomings do not take away from its charm, as overall it is a model that will comfortably meet the expectations of most users – both those who game on a console and those who simply enjoy evening screenings with good image quality.

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 Samsung Q80D television is equipped with a VA panel, which immediately affects the difference in contrast and black reproduction compared to IPS panels. VA panels offer significantly better contrast and deeper blacks, while IPS panels feature better viewing angles but worse contrast. In the case of the 55" model, the television has 100 local dimming zones, and it's worth noting that this number may vary depending on the screen size. Thanks to local dimming, blacks appear well, but it's important to mention that the algorithm of this technology combined with the limited number of zones can sometimes "go crazy". Bright objects may be dimmed to achieve better blacks. During a test scene from the film Oblivion, the lights blended into a single spot, regardless of the dimming settings, highlighting the limitations of this technology. In the film Sicario 2, large dimming zones were particularly noticeable, for example, with the small lights of a helicopter, indicating how large the areas controlled by a single dimming zone are. Despite these imperfections, local dimming technology still offers significantly better image quality than televisions without this feature or with edge lighting. With the ability to completely turn off individual zones, the television can provide a noticeable boost in brightness in selected areas, which can give the image a cinematic effect, especially in dark rooms.

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.

In the context of HDR, the Samsung Q80D television achieves very positive brightness results in the tested film scenes, where the frame is filled with light, reaching values from 600 to 900 nits, allowing the user to experience a great juiciness of the image. Such results allow the user to feel the difference between HDR and SDR quality. Unfortunately, problems arise in situations where small light effects occur against a dark background. In such cases (e.g. test pattern 4 from the film Sicario 2), a noticeable drop in brightness can be observed, caused by the large sizes of the dimming zones used here. This limitation, combined with the dimming algorithm, affects how the television handles small bright elements against a dark background. At that point, we may perceive an unwanted lack of brightness, and the HDR effect resembles that of SDR.

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.

In "Filmmaker" mode, which is the best choice out of the box, the Samsung Q80D TV shows solid colour reproduction. For SDR content, a visible drop at the beginning of the gamma curve suggests that details in dark scenes may be less pronounced, impacting the overall viewing experience. Regarding white balance in SDR content, while it is generally accurate, significant drops in blue colour when screen coverage exceeds 70% can result in less natural hues in bright and dark scenes. Users may notice that some blue elements in the image may appear less intense, and the overall colour will have a warmer tint.

In contrast, for HDR content, the EOTF curve being above the reference line for most of the time indicates that the TV may struggle with accurately reproducing brightness and details in the brighter areas of the image, which may be disadvantageous for the viewer. It is also worth noting the substantial drop at the beginning of this graph, indicating that the TV has difficulties reproducing brightness in the darker areas of the image, as seen in the contrast and black tests, where several scenes were unable to showcase the full capabilities of the TV's brightness. In terms of its white balance, the initially good results on the graph are promising, but the sharp drop in red colour, which significantly falls down, combined with a large increase in blue colour, may lead to inaccuracies in reproducing certain skin tones and other key colours. This phenomenon may be noticeable to viewers in scenes where colour details are crucial.

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.

The film mode after calibration looks significantly better than the one you can see when taken out of the box. Samsung offers an advanced range of calibration tools in its televisions. Among them are 2- and 20-point greyscale adjustment and CMS (Colour Management System). Both in HDR and SDR mode, the white balance has improved significantly, although there are minor errors at the end of the graph in the case of HDR content. The contrast has also been greatly improved, and the gamma curve responsible for SDR shows better results. However, when it comes to HDR, the EOTF curve in the television seems to be at an ideal level at first glance. Yet, when we delve deeper and enable the EOTF graph while watching films, we may notice that all the lines of the curve are above the reference line. One could even say that the television is "cheating" when playing film materials. Such a situation, where the EOTF curve is above the reference line, makes the screen – although it may seem brighter, which some users may find attractive – lose detail in the darker parts of the image. In practice, this means that in scenes with a lot of shadows or dark elements, the television is unable to accurately render the details that should be visible.

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 tonal gradation in the Samsung Q80D television is at an excellent level and can be considered one of its stronger points. Even in the most demanding scenes from the films we tested, it performs exceptionally well. Any potential issues with smoothing transitions in colours are minimal and subtle. The average viewer will most likely not notice them, which translates to an overall positive visual experience in everyday use.

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.

Samsung Q80D performs very well with low-quality materials. The noise reduction works on the principle of gentle grading, making it very effective in smoothing out unwanted image disturbances. Unfortunately, this same effectiveness also causes elements that should not be smoothed, such as film grain, to become blurred. For those who value a pliable, smoothed image more, this can be seen as a significant advantage, especially for lower-quality content.

When it comes to image scaling, Samsung Q80D stands out positively in this aspect, significantly enhancing viewing comfort. The television handles the conversion of lower-resolution materials well, improving their quality and detail. For example, in the attached image with the model, there are no visible artifacts or excessive fraying of branches, which attests to the advanced image processing technology.

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.

The Samsung Q80D television stands out very positively in terms of motion fluidity and motion blur reduction, primarily due to the applied 120Hz panel and above-average response time of the panel. Users have two options for adjusting fluidity: "Motion Smoothing," which allows for adjustment of smoothness on a 10-point scale, and "Blur Reduction," particularly effective at higher refresh rates, improving the sharpness of rapidly moving objects. In the UFO test, no motion blur is visible behind the moving object, and the image is not cloned forward, indicating a lack of overshoot effect.

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.

The Samsung Q80D television is a true gem for gamers. It is equipped with four HDMI 2.1 ports, which is a rarity, especially in this price range. This allows users to enjoy features such as ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), and 120Hz in 4K resolution. These features ensure smoothness and responsiveness of the image, which is a key aspect during dynamic gameplay. The television also supports HGIG (HDR Gaming Interest Group), enabling optimal display of HDR content in games. Additionally, it is equipped with a Game Bar that allows quick access to gaming settings. Users of Nvidia graphics cards will also be pleased thanks to the implementation of G-Sync. This feature eliminates stuttering and screen tearing. The only downside is the lack of support for Dolby Vision mode, which may be disappointing for users looking for this HDR format. It is also worth mentioning that since 2022, thanks to a partnership with Microsoft, Samsung televisions offer the Xbox Game Pass application, allowing for cloud gaming. This is an additional advantage for gamers who want to access a wide library of games without the need for a console.

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.

There isn't much to say here, the input lag at this level is simply remarkable. It's hard to achieve a better result that will satisfy gamers! The television performed excellently at every tested resolution and refresh rate, both in SDR and HDR.

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.

Samsung Q80D works well as a computer monitor. Thanks to support for 4:4:4 chroma (which only functions in "Game" mode), text on the screen is clear and legible, which is very important for those who want to work on such a television with text documents or spreadsheets. One of the biggest advantages of this model is its exceptionally low input lag in "PC" mode, which is just 9 ms. This is a reference-level result that ensures smoothness and responsiveness, which is crucial for both gamers and those involved in video editing. The only issue we can point out is that there is a certain problem with displaying fonts on dark backgrounds. When we zoom in on the tested font image, we notice that the horizontal lines are darker compared to the vertical ones. This means that the sub-pixels in the television do not fully illuminate in this case. This could be due to an oversight by the manufacturer regarding the optimisation of the algorithm responsible for displaying thin lines, which affects the quality of details in displaying text on dark backgrounds. Nevertheless, Samsung Q80D is a very good choice as a PC monitor.

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.

Samsung Q80D, equipped with a VA panel, unfortunately does not perform well in terms of viewing angles. When we watch the screen at a 45-degree angle, there is a noticeable loss of brightness. The image becomes less sharp, which can be problematic if we plan to watch television from different spots in the room. However, the VA panel has its advantages. When looking directly at the screen, black levels are deep and well-saturated. Furthermore, even at an angle, dark colours maintain their depth, which is a rarity for this type of panel.

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.

The Samsung Q80D television stands out with very good brightness, averaging 550 nits, which is an impressive result, especially since it maintains this brightness across the entire screen surface. This makes the image clear and well-visible even in bright rooms, which is a big plus when watching television during the day. However, despite the satin coating of the panel, the television struggles somewhat with reducing reflections. In bright lighting conditions, unwanted glares can appear, which may disrupt viewing comfort. This is particularly noticeable when there are light sources in the room directly falling on the screen.

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.

The Samsung Q80D television offers a range of features that significantly enhance user comfort. The Tizen system is an advanced platform that provides users with an intuitive and smooth experience. Thanks to its user-friendly interface, navigation through apps and settings is quick and easy. Tizen supports a rich set of applications, including popular streaming services, allowing access to a wide variety of entertainment content without the need for additional devices, with the novelty for 2024 being support for the Polish language. It is also worth mentioning the solar remote, which is not only eco-friendly but also convenient for everyday use. The solar cell remote can easily control other devices such as home cinemas, decoders (e.g. Canal+), or game consoles, which poses quite a challenge for other manufacturers. Returning to the console, Samsung Q80D offers several features that may appeal to gamers. Above all, the television supports VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) technology, which allows for smoother game displays, eliminating issues like tearing and stuttering. Additionally, due to its low input lag, gaming reactions are quick and precise. The Samsung Q80D is also equipped with a Game Bar function, which allows quick access to key gaming settings without the need to exit the game. From this level, we can check and adjust parameters such as VRR, input lag, frames per second (FPS), as well as screen ratios or sound settings. This enables gamers to continuously optimise their experiences by adjusting settings to the current gameplay needs. The television supports AirPlay, allowing for easy content streaming from Apple devices, and enables connection to various Bluetooth devices, such as mice or headphones, increasing its versatility. The only downside that can be considered is the lack of support for USB recording and the fact that the Q80D unfortunately does not support the DTS audio format. This means that if we have content encoded in this format, the device will not be able to correctly playback the audio track. This could pose a problem for those using Blu-ray discs or multimedia files that often use DTS to provide high-quality surround sound. To achieve full audio experiences, it may be necessary to use an external player or soundbar that supports this format.

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.

The built-in player in the Samsung Q80D television is definitely one of its strong points. It handles almost all video and audio files we used in our tests exceptionally well. The only exceptions are the Dolby Vision format, which is not surprising, and less popular codecs. Additionally, it is worth noting the support for Polish characters and the ability to customise font colours. On the downside, the television performs somewhat worse with photo formats, as it only supports JPEG from the popular options, lacking support for formats like PNG or Apple HEIC.

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 Samsung Q80D television is equipped with a decent audio system boasting 40W power in a 2.2 configuration, providing quite good sound experiences. This system supports all popular Dolby codecs, allowing for the use of advanced audio formats while watching films or playing games. However, it is worth noting one drawback: the television does not support DTS functionality. Nonetheless, this lack can be circumvented by connecting an external audio system, which can significantly enhance sound quality and provide a more immersive audio experience. Additionally, Samsung offers a wide portfolio of soundbars that can be integrated with the television, as well as the Q-Symphony system, which allows for the synchronisation of sound between the television and the soundbar.

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.

Samsung QLED Q80D 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