Samsung S90D / S94D 48" (WRGB OLED) vs LG NANO81A / NANO80A

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.

If you are counting on HDR in the NANO81A to bring tears to your eyes, I must disappoint you. This television is simply too dark to truly show what this format is all about. With a brightness of only 250 nits, HDR exists here mainly on paper. In practice, during viewing, it is very difficult to distinguish whether we are watching high dynamic range content or regular SDR – it simply lacks that ‘punch’ of light in the bright parts of the image. However, to give credit where it’s due, we do have a glimmer of hope here – and quite a clear one at that. It concerns the colour gamut coverage. Here, the NanoCell filter shows that it is not just marketing nonsense. Our measurements indicated that the coverage of the DCI-P3 space is around 88%. This is a really solid result that places this model significantly higher than typical budget options based on standard white LEDs without any filters. Of course, it still falls short of the level of quantum dot (QLED) TVs or advanced panels with PFS filters, but for this price point, the colours are surprisingly saturated and vibrant. It's just a shame that this low brightness prevents them from fully ‘spreading their wings’ with the Nano filter.

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.

For every film fan, the natural choice in LG televisions is the Filmmaker Mode. Its aim is to display images as the director intended – without unnecessary "enhancements". Unfortunately, in the case of our test unit NANO81A, the factory settings left something to be desired. The main issue turned out to be the white balance. Measurements showed a distinct deficiency of blue colour, which in practice meant that many scenes had a slightly yellowish, even "yellowed" tint. The white was not perfectly pure, which detracted from the freshness of the image. Additionally, brightness management was also not ideal – the factory-set gamma was too low. The picture often appeared oversaturated, as if overly lifted from the shadows, which caused it to lose naturalness and depth. Fortunately, LG, even in this relatively low price category, does not block access to advanced settings. The calibration possibilities of this model are enormous, which is a big plus for those who enjoy "digging" in the menu. We decided to approach the topic in our own way and see how much we could squeeze out of this panel with professional calibration.

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.

After calibration, the NANO81A is a completely different television. What LG offers in terms of image enhancement tools even in such an affordable model deserves a big plus. We managed to completely eliminate that annoying yellowing of whites and make the colours natural, vibrant, and simply "true". In SDR content (that is, regular television, YouTube, or older films), the picture now looks worlds better – it is clear, well-balanced, and no longer strains the eyes with strange hues. It is clear that this panel has significant potential, which is simply wasted by poor presets out of the box. However, we do have one serious reservation that calibration cannot fully overcome – it concerns brightness management in HDR mode. LG's algorithm in this model is constructed very conservatively. The television intentionally dims the HDR picture to avoid overexposing the already weak blacks of the IPS panel. The programmers faced a choice: either to provide more light and accept that the blacks would become light grey or to reduce the brightness to maintain any contrast. They chose the latter. Nevertheless, after our adjustments, watching anything on the NANO81 is significantly better.

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.

It often happens that cheap 4K panels mercilessly bring to light all the "dirt" and imperfections of lower-resolution content. However, with the LG NANO81A, the situation is quite different. This is truly a solid performer when it comes to handling content that is far from ideal. The built-in processor does a great job with upscaling. Even older recordings look quite decent on this screen – the image is coherent, cleaned of digital noise, and simply pleasant to the eye. A significant advantage is the gradation reduction feature that you will find in the settings. It is extraordinarily effective in combating colour banding, which is a lifesaver when watching materials with a low bitrate, for instance, from some streaming services or older files from the web. However, it is worth maintaining a certain level of caution. Since we are dealing with a less powerful chip than in LG's top models, setting this option too aggressively may sometimes result in minor artefacts or slight blurring of details. Despite this risk, I definitely encourage experimenting with this feature - in many cases, it can save the viewing experience and make low-quality material fully watchable.

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.

When it comes to motion fluidity, the NANO81A unfortunately has a hard time. The television is based on a panel with a refresh rate of 60 Hz. If you are looking for perfect sharpness in dynamic football matches or fast action games, you may feel a bit disappointed. With such a low native refresh rate, fast objects on the screen will always be a little blurred.

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.

NANO81A is unfortunately not hardware designed for e-sports. The lack of support for a 120 Hz signal is a fact that users planning to purchase this model simply have to come to terms with. Nevertheless, LG's engineers have made an effort to maximise the potential of this 60 Hz panel, offering a set of features that genuinely enhance the gaming experience. Firstly, the television supports VRR technology (within the range of 48-60 Hz) and ALLM. As a result, the image remains stable and does not "tear", and the device automatically switches to low-latency mode as soon as it detects a signal from a console. Managing these settings is extremely simple thanks to a dedicated system overlay, which allows for quick viewing of parameters without leaving the game. A very significant advantage is the support for the HGiG format. This solution is crucial for owners of modern consoles because it enables the television to correctly "understand" the intentions of game developers regarding HDR tone mapping. In practice, this helps avoid the effect of "blown-out" bright spots, such as clouds or light sources, which is unfortunately a common issue in budget LCD televisions.