LG OLED C5 vs SAMSUNG OLED S95F (QD-OLED)

LG C5 finally does what we have been waiting for years in the C series – it exceeds 1000 nits of brightness! This is a significant change compared to previous models in the series and also very important – because this is exactly the level of luminance around which most HDR content is now created on streaming platforms. The image finally has the right “glow,” and details in bright areas look as they should even without the use of dynamic metadata. However, there are scenes where the C5, like most OLED televisions, has some issues. Especially when the screen needs to illuminate fully. In our test sequences, such as the bright scene from the movie The Meg, brightness clearly decreases. Don’t get us wrong, this result isn’t bad; it’s more of a reminder that OLED technology still has its limitations. They are getting smaller year by year, but still.

Now, what about the colors? They are very good. Although the C5 does not match the OLEDs with QD-OLED or Tandem RGB panels, the DCI-P3 coverage at 97% and 73% BT.2020 will satisfy even the most demanding viewers. The colors are saturated, natural, and very consistent in HDR materials.

The new generation of QD-OLED panels in the Samsung S95F shows its full potential, and the brightness results are absolutely stunning. In test film scenes, such as "Life of Pi" or "Sicario 2," where smaller light elements appear – stars, the moon, or headlights – the TV was able to achieve over 2000 nits of brightness. This is a result that surpasses even most top Mini-LED models.

The secret lies in the technology itself – instead of a limited number of dimming zones like in Mini-LED TVs, we have millions of glowing pixels here, allowing the TV to fully showcase its power without technological compromises. Of course, since it is still an organic panel, in full-screen scenes flooded with white – like in the final sequence of the film The Meg – the brightness drops to around 1400 nits. Nevertheless, the result remains excellent and definitely exceeds what any OLEDs, both QD-OLED and WOLED, have offered so far. The color reproduction also deserves special attention. Thanks to QD-OLED technology, the TV achieves almost 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 color palette and about 80% in BT.2020. These values make the HDR image not only dazzling with brightness but also captivating with a richness of colors.

LG C5, like other TVs we tested, was checked in the best possible factory mode – which remains Filmmaker Mode. And here we have good news: in SDR materials, LG once again did a solid job. The white balance and color reproduction straight out of the box are at a very high level. Most errors – both in balance and in the color test (Colour Checker) – did not exceed a ΔE value of 3, which is the threshold above which differences become visible to the naked eye. Such factory settings are something we would like to see in many more TVs!

However, the situation is different for HDR content, which is really what the C series was created for. Here the C5 performs weaker. The excessive presence of blue in the white balance causes the image to appear noticeably cooled – which affects, for instance, unnaturally pale skin tones and somewhat shifted tonality of the entire scene. Fortunately, LG provides very precise calibration tools, and we – as always – took advantage of them.

The best picture mode right out of the box is undoubtedly Filmmaker Mode – a mode that Samsung has been using for several years, designed to faithfully represent the creators' intentions. In SDR content, its implementation is not bad, although some imperfections can be noticed. The picture is slightly dimmed, and the screen has a slight pinkish tint resulting from the predominance of red and blue in the white balance. Color errors remained at a level of 3–4 ΔE units – and for the uninitiated: a value above 3 is the threshold where the average human eye begins to notice differences.

However, much larger problems arise in HDR content. Here, the white balance was not such a significant issue – a slight excess of blue did not cause major problems. The issue became managing brightness. In practice, the TV "overexposed" the image too much, causing details in the blacks to completely disappear. The final effect was far from what was expected, and the color errors in this mode became really large. It's hard to say why such a design decision was made, but it was clear that the factory HDR settings did not allow this TV to showcase its full potential.

We must honestly admit – in the case of the LG C5, it took really very little to achieve an almost perfect picture. After calibration, we managed to achieve compliance with reference screens at a level that impresses even compared to much more expensive models. The picture after our adjustment looks exactly as filmmakers and series creators would want it – without color distortions, with natural depth and subtle texture. LG has done a great job this year regarding factory settings and calibration potential. Hats off!

After calibrating, it was possible to make subtle adjustments in white balance and significantly improve the image characteristics. In SDR content, the quality has become practically reference-level—most color errors have fallen below a ΔE value of 1, which is the level at which the human eye can no longer detect differences. This is a result that places the S95F among the absolute top televisions available on the market.

In HDR materials, calibration also brought significant improvement. The tendency of the television to overexpose the image was successfully controlled, as confirmed by the analysis of the EOTF curve. A slight tendency to brighten the entire scene or occasional loss of details in the blacks can still be observed; however, it does not significantly impact the overall perception. After calibration, the S95F showcases its full potential and can be described as one of the best televisions on the market!

LG C5 handles lower-quality materials really well. One of the main issues older WOLEDs faced was posterization – unwanted "steps" in color transitions. The C5 uses a system feature to smooth these transitions, which works surprisingly effectively. The banding effect is almost completely eliminated, and the image gains consistency. Compared to last year's model, we feel that this feature works slightly weaker – but the good news is that it does not compromise the structure of the image. Film grain, textures, and details remain on the screen – nothing is smoothed out forcefully.

The C5 also does a great job of enhancing the quality of older recordings. Thanks to the α9 Gen6 processor (8th gen), "scaling to 4K" performs really solidly. The image is clear, the details are sharp, and the only minor drawback might be slightly visible jaggedness on some edges. However, there is no issue with overscan here – the image is not artificially cropped or shifted, which is a significant plus and still isn’t a given.

The Samsung S95F offers a noise reduction feature that smooths tonal transitions. It works very effectively, but in practice, it can be too aggressive. Materials of lower quality – such as older recordings or videos from YouTube – become soft and plastic when this feature is turned on, resembling an image digitally smoothed in a graphics program. Unfortunately, this also causes the natural film grain, which often adds authenticity to the image, to disappear. Fortunately, the TV does not lose too many fine details, such as in skin textures or elements of the surroundings. Therefore, this feature is best used with caution – depending on preferences, one can achieve a smooth image, but less natural, or one that is more faithful to the original. In our opinion, the most universal choice is the “Standard” setting.

The image scaling performs significantly better. The TV handles lower resolution materials well – even 576p content looks quite decent, although a slight blockiness can be noticed. Overall, the effect is very good, although it is somewhat inferior to what Sony Bravia 8 (II) or LG G5 can achieve. It's also worth mentioning a small imperfection of the S95F – in older materials, overscan may occur, causing a slight cropping of the left edge of the image.

The LG C5 is equipped with a 144 Hz panel, and this, combined with the practically zero response time of the OLED pixels, makes it one of the best screens for watching dynamic content. It doesn't matter whether it's sports, fast-paced games, or just action – the image is as sharp as a razor.

And what about movies in 24 frames? LG thought of that too. The built-in "TruMotion" smoother allows you to adjust the image to your own preferences. The "de-judder" slider increases the smoothness in movies, while "de-blur" gently reduces blurring – although to be fair, it is almost imperceptible here anyway.

The Samsung S95F demonstrates phenomenal motion fluidity. The panel itself operates at a native 4K resolution with a refresh rate of up to 165 Hz, and combined with QD-OLED organic technology, it delivers incredible results. Sports and games look amazing – the image is fast, dynamic, and very natural. Additionally, the built-in motion smoother and motion blur reduction system allow you to adjust the character of the image to your preferences. You can opt for a more "frame" effect with visible film structure or a smooth, theatrical performance. Every viewer will find a setting that suits them.

LG C5 is a television designed with gamers in mind – and there’s not a hint of exaggeration in that. It's hard to find anything to criticize here. We have 144 Hz refresh rate, full support for VRR, ALLM, and up to four HDMI 2.1 ports with full bandwidth of 48 Gb/s. For those who have an Xbox, PS5, Nintendo, and a gaming PC all in one room – there are no limits, everything can be connected without any hassle.

The HDR configuration for gaming is also problem-free. The television properly supports the HGiG mode, which allows for an image consistent with the creators' intentions. For those interested, there’s also Dolby Vision in Gaming mode, though we still recommend HGiG as the most predictable and “pure” version of HDR for games.

The Game Bar is also included, which serves as the “command center” for the gamer. Everything that’s most important, from VRR settings, to picture modes, to frame rate information – is at our fingertips. The interface is simple and readable. It may look like something out of a space simulator, but it serves its purpose and just works; exactly as it should.

C5 is truly a complete package for every gamer.

The same advantages of low motion blur and excellent motion fluidity characteristic of OLED panels are just the beginning, as the Samsung S95F was designed with gamers in mind. The manufacturer has equipped it with four HDMI 2.1 ports – although limited to a bandwidth of 40 Gb/s, in practice, this has no impact on compatibility with consoles or PCs. We get a complete set of gaming features: variable refresh rate (VRR), automatic game mode (ALLM), as well as a very well-implemented HGiG standard, which allows HDR titles to appear as their creators intended. The whole thing is complemented by the Game Bar – a clear settings hub where we can preview and change all key picture parameters with one movement. The proprietary motion smoother Game Motion Plus also deserves praise, as it can smooth out animation, which is particularly useful in productions running at 60 frames, where stability is not always exemplary. Although support for Dolby Vision in games is lacking, it is hard to consider this a serious drawback – Samsung compensates for it with other solutions. This is one of the best, if not the best, gaming TVs available today on the market.