LG OLED B5 vs Samsung OLED S90F (QD-OLED)

LG B5 is a moderately bright OLED TV. Regardless of the scene, it can generate around 500 nits of peak brightness. And interestingly, it does this even in full-screen shots flooded with white, where most OLEDs usually fall short. So, is this screen suitable for HDR movies? Yes – absolutely, because such brightness really allows you to feel the magic of HDR effects. However, it's worth noting that compared to last year's model B4, the new B5 is darker – by about 100 nits. It may seem like a small difference, but at such average peak values, it makes quite a significant difference. Fortunately, the TV makes up for it with another advantage – excellent coverage of the DCI-P3 and BT.2020 color gamut. As a result, HDR movies look really colorful, vibrant, and impressive even in more demanding scenes.

The biggest difference between the 65-inch S90F and the other versions is brightness. The QD-OLED panel can achieve up to 1700 nits in laboratory tests, which is over 500 nits more than the variant with the WOLED panel. This translates to a significantly stronger and more engaging HDR effect. In most scenes, bright parts of the image look fantastic, and we have to admit we were pleasantly surprised because we expected results closer to the WOLED version, but we got an effect that makes a big impression even in movies. As with any OLED, there are moments when the panel has to limit brightness somewhat. This mainly concerns full-screen, very demanding scenes – for example, in the last test frame from the movie "The Meg," brightness drops to around 800 nits. However, it's hard to consider this a flaw since it’s still an excellent result, unprecedented in OLED TVs in this price range. All signs indicate that the 65-inch S90F could be one of the best choices this year for those looking for a strong OLED at a reasonable price. Another advantage of the QD-OLED panel in HDR content is its color gamut coverage. Thanks to quantum dots, the television achieves almost full 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and nearly 90% of the BT.2020 gamut. These values place it alongside much more expensive models and make it exceptional in its class.

We tested the B5 in Filmmaker mode and... we would like to see more TVs like this straight out of the box. Really. The white balance is set very well – there is practically nothing to complain about. Well, if one were to be very picky, one might notice a slight deficiency in blue, which makes the overall picture have a slightly yellowish tint. But that’s just our editorial nitpicking. Most of you probably won't even notice it. We also have some minor reservations about brightness management in HDR format. The EOTF curve – that is, the one responsible for how the TV distributes brightness in a scene – is slightly below the ideal. In practice, it can happen that the darkest parts of the image may be displayed too dark and simply... disappear. But these are details that only come out in measurements. Overall: we are impressed. But we also know that LG TVs respond very well to professional calibration. They can produce nearly reference-quality images, so – even though it's already very good out of the box – we allowed ourselves to take an extra step and fine-tune everything to perfection.

Samsung S90F, like most modern televisions, offers several picture modes, but in keeping with our tradition, we checked it in the most important one, which is Filmmaker. This setting makes the picture look much more natural than in the default, often oversaturated modes. It is neither overly saturated nor artificially subdued – just closer to what you should actually see. However, that doesn't mean it's perfect. The S90F had noticeable shortcomings in white balance, primarily in the blue range, which created a slightly yellowish filter effect on most scenes. One might argue that it looks more "cinematic" because it's warmer, but let's not kid ourselves – George Lucas didn't shoot Star Wars in sepia 😉 (you'll find a comparison with a scene below as always). In HDR materials, there was also a problem with brightness management. The EOTF curve clearly showed that the television brightens the picture more than it should, which led to some effects looking too intense and deviating from the reference. Fortunately, many of these shortcomings can be eliminated through professional calibration – we will discuss the effects of this procedure further in the test.

We must admit that we didn't have much work with the LG B5. It's one of those TVs that looks good right from the start, but after calibration… it can really impress. The white balance was brought to almost perfect levels – to a degree of error invisible to the human eye, unless you are a professional colorist with a magnifying glass at the screen. We also managed to control the TV's slight tendency to dim the darkest details, especially in HDR scenes. After proper tuning, everything looks coherent: the black is still deep, but not information-hungry. The highlights retain a natural sparkle, and the colors align with the director's vision. It's really one of those models that show you don't have to spend a fortune to get almost reference-quality image. If you can decide on professional calibration – it's definitely worth it for the B5.

Calibration quickly showed that the S90F has a substantial reserve of capabilities. The image in SDR immediately gained a natural quality – classic films stopped looking as if someone had applied a yellowish filter to them, and the colors regained their true character. It’s a return to the atmosphere of the original, without the impression that someone tried to "age" it artificially. In HDR content, the difference was even more pronounced. The EOTF curve was managed almost to a reference level, and any deviations are so subtle that most viewers won't even notice them. In practice, the S90F after calibration displays an image very close to perfection. Compared to the WOLED version, it performs even better – mainly due to the wider color gamut coverage, which makes the colors look fuller and more vibrant.

LG B5 really surprised us positively in terms of dealing with lower quality content. Thanks to the enhancement and smoothing features, HD or even SD materials get a new life. Importantly – when this option is turned on at the "low" or "medium" level, we don't get the impression that the image is artificially softened or overly smoothed. Details remain intact, film grain does not disappear, and object edges do not look washed out 😉. It's a really useful tool – especially if you watch terrestrial TV, archival materials, or content from YouTube in lower resolutions. The image is clean, cohesive, and simply pleasant to the eye.

Upscaling as such works very well – even content of poor quality is rendered with surprising fidelity. Unfortunately, there was a small hiccup. While the menu offers an option to turn off overscan, the television still struggles to display very low-resolution images correctly. It’s a minor detail, but when watching older materials – it can be annoying.

The S90F performs really well here, although there are some comments that are repeated in the case of most Samsung TVs. The noise reduction feature can effectively smooth out unwanted color transitions in lower-quality materials, such as television or YouTube, making them simply look better. However, it should be noted that it operates quite aggressively and can also soften elements that we wouldn't want to touch, like facial details. Therefore, if we want to use it, it’s best to use it in the "medium" setting and be aware of the compromise it brings. The upscaling itself is at a high level – low-quality materials are enhanced towards a 4K-like image. The only caveat is that the S90F can still have problems with so-called overscan, which is slight trimming of the edges in very poor materials like 576p and lower.

The LG B5 is a television with a 120 Hz OLED panel. It may not sound as impressive as the marketing terms "144 Hz" or "165 Hz" found in gaming monitors, but honestly? The smoothness is still excellent. The picture is sharp, smooth, and simply enjoyable to watch – even when there’s a lot happening on the screen. The organic panel does its job – the pixel response time is nearly instantaneous, which means there’s no blurring or smearing that can ruin dynamic shots. Sports, fast-paced games – everything looks clear and distinct.

We also have LG's classic motion smoother, TruMotion. This feature allows you to smooth out films shot at 24 frames per second – in other words, most of what you watch on Netflix or on Blu-ray discs. If you set the “De-Judder” slider to lower values, you'll get an image closer to the cinematic experience – with a slight judder, but without artificiality. Higher settings? Soap opera effect guaranteed. Fortunately, LG gives you the choice, and you can tune everything as you like.

S90F is an OLED with a refresh rate of 144 Hz, but in practice, what matters most is how it performs at 120 Hz, as this frequency is the most significant when watching sports. The QD-OLED panel is no different in this regard from WOLED panels—the pixel response is almost instantaneous, allowing motion to be rendered with surgical precision. The effect is easy to predict. The image is practically free of ghosting, making gaming on consoles, matches, or other sports broadcasts a great pleasure on the S90F.

Fans of movies and series are not forgotten either. Like every Samsung TV with a refresh rate of 120 Hz and above, the S90F is equipped with a proprietary motion smoother called "Image Clarity." Here, we find two sliders—motion blur reduction and judder reduction—that allow you to improve the fluidity of materials recorded at 24 frames and adjust the effect to your personal preferences.

There are already a few televisions on the market with the label "for gamers" that don’t really understand what that means. The LG B5 is not one of them. Everything here is right – there are four HDMI 2.1 ports, it has 120 Hz, VRR and ALLM, and it also has a Game Bar that is actually useful, not just looks good in the promotional folder. You connect your console – it works. You set 4K at 120 Hz – it works. You have an Xbox and want to play in Dolby Vision – it works too. And not in the sense of "it theoretically supports it," but rather it really turns on, looks good, and you don’t have to fiddle with the settings for half an hour. On top of that, there’s the HGiG picture mode, which LG has implemented correctly – meaning that HDR in games doesn’t turn the screen into a flashlight but shows exactly what it should. There are no surprises here, no strange limitations, no "buts." And you know what? That’s how it should be. Kudos to the LG B5!

S90F is a television that truly brings a lot of joy when gaming. Right off the bat, we get four full-fledged HDMI 2.1 ports, which means you can connect all consoles and PCs without having to figure out which device takes priority. This is a convenient and practical solution that is not a given with other manufacturers. Additionally, there are key features such as the automatic game mode (ALLM), which switches the screen to low-latency settings, and VRR frame synchronization working over a wide range from 48 to 144 Hz. This ensures that the picture remains smooth regardless of whether we are playing fast-paced online shooters or calmer story-driven titles. Another noteworthy feature is the Game Bar – a panel that allows quick access to several useful additions. For example, you can turn on an additional crosshair in the center of the screen, enlarge the minimap, or, in the case of a PC, change the aspect ratio. Finally, there is also the unique Game Motion Plus mode exclusive to Samsung. Its purpose is to smooth out older or less optimized titles, and it actually works quite well. Thanks to this mode, even less polished games can look better and provide more enjoyment than on other televisions that theoretically offer the same technical specifications.