LG OLED G4 vs Samsung OLED S90F (QD-OLED)

The LG G4 excels in delivering an incredibly vivid HDR experience, positioning it as one of the best models in its class. Equipped with second-generation Micro Lens Array (MLA) technology, it achieves a remarkable peak brightness of 1474 nits in real-world scenes. While it may not match Mini LED-backlit LCD TVs in full-screen white scenes, the overall performance is outstanding. The fine details in HDR content shine brightly, a distinct advantage of OLED technology over non-OLED displays. With this impressive brightness and wide DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage, HDR content is brought to life with unmatched engagement and immersion.

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.

Before calibration, the "Filmmaker" mode on the TV had a noticeable red and green colour dominance, resulting in a warm-yellow hue across both SDR and HDR content. This warm tone, typical of modes like "Cinema" and "Filmmaker," led to a yellowish cast that was evident when switching from the "Standard" mode.

Looking at the brightness characteristics, the Gamma chart showed decent performance for mid-tones and bright whites, but it struggled with the darkest details, which tended to merge into a black blob. HDR content, as represented by the EOTF curve chart, displayed a drop in contrast due to excessive brightness, which overshadowed fine details and negatively affected the overall image quality. Additionally, the "ColourChecker" chart revealed that colours were under-saturated, contributing to a less accurate and vibrant visual experience.

This provided a good foundation to build on, but calibration was needed to bring out the full potential of the "Filmmaker" mode and address these issues.

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.

The manufacturer has been offering extensive support for the calibration process in its LG televisions for many years. Therefore, we used 2- and 20-point grayscale adjustments along with an advanced CMS (Colour Management System) to optimise the display. As shown, the calibration procedure greatly improved each parameter. The results included studio-quality colour reproduction, enhanced detail in dark areas, corrected brightness characteristics, and accurate colour saturation. This led to a near-perfect match with the reference image—the one the film director saw on the preview monitor. It’s also worth mentioning that LG G4 televisions are unique in offering even deeper image adjustments through 3D LUT matrices, a feature primarily suited for post-production or graphics studios.

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.

The LG G4 does not perform well with materials rich in tonal transitions, leading to a pronounced posterization effect. However, the manufacturer has included a smoothing system called "Gentle Gradation," with three levels: Low, Medium, and High. These settings are effective at smoothing bright colours, though less so for darker tones. It is recommended to use the Low setting, as the higher levels can distort the director's intentions by removing film grain.

When it comes to upscaling lower-quality material, the television's performance is quite good, delivering a sharp and clear image. However, attention should be paid to the jagged edges of fine details and the occasional halo effect around figures. This occurs due to the sharpening imposed by the LG G4, even when the lowest setting is selected (0). This is a noticeable change from the LG G3, which did not apply such strong sharpening, even at setting 0.

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 G4 offers a maximum refresh rate of 144 Hz, achievable when connected to a powerful PC. For most users, however, the TV operates at a maximum of 120 Hz, ideal for watching sports or other content with fast motion. To improve image fluidity, the television includes the "TrueMotion" motion smoothing system, which features two separate sliders: De-Blur (for the sharpness of moving images) and De-Judder (for judder reduction). These sliders allow users to adjust the level of smoothing between 0 and 10, ensuring everyone can find the ideal setting.

With a response time of 0.78 ms, the LG G4 delivers exceptionally clear images, outperforming LCD televisions, which can have much slower response times. This results in no trailing blur behind moving objects, as shown in the "UFO Test." The TV also provides precise control over motion smoothing, which is especially beneficial during fast-paced video game sequences. Thanks to OLED technology, the G4 eliminates ghosting, ensuring a crisp and clear image even during the most dynamic sports or action scenes.

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.

The LG G4 TV supports all the features encompassed by the HDMI 2.1 standard, making it a gaming powerhouse. During testing, every feature activated seamlessly, ensuring a smooth experience for both console gamers and PC users. Notably, the HGIG mode (HDR Gaming Interest Group) is implemented correctly, allowing games mastered to brightness levels higher than the TV’s maximum luminance to map tones accurately, preserving the game’s original visual integrity.

A notable highlight is the dedicated GameBar, which can be accessed at any time to quickly check or adjust game settings. More importantly, enabling VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) does not compromise contrast—a common issue in TVs with local dimming or Mini LED backlighting. This is thanks to the OLED panel’s self-emissive pixels, which maintain consistent contrast. However, a slight grey flicker may appear when VRR is enabled, though this is standard across OLEDs.

In summary, the LG G4, like most OLED TVs, is ideal for gaming and online competitions. Its HDMI 2.1 ports offer a full 48 Gbps bandwidth, supporting features such as VRR, ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), G-Sync, FreeSync, and HDR Dolby Vision gameplay, ensuring an exceptional gaming experience.

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.