Samsung OLED S90D / S94D (WRGB OLED) vs SONY BRAVIA 3

The Samsung S90D demonstrates impressive brightness performance in the tested film scenes, surpassing the 1000 nits mark in the first four shots—an outstanding result for an OLED display. In the final shot, which features a fullscreen flash of sunlight, the brightness dips to around 500 nits. While this is a decrease, it remains within a very good range, ensuring visibility and detail retention even in bright scenes.

Another key highlight of the Samsung S90D is its remarkable colour coverage, achieving 98% of the DCI-P3 colour space. This means the TV can reproduce an exceptionally wide range of colours, contributing to vivid and lifelike images that are particularly beneficial for films, high-quality video, and HDR content. The high colour accuracy and impressive brightness capabilities, makes the S90D an ideal choice for users seeking premium image quality across various lighting environments, whether in darker rooms or bright, sunlit spaces.

Bravia 3 does not hide the fact that it belongs to the group of televisions that are rather modest in terms of brightness. Our measurements showed around 370 nits, which is a value balancing on the borderline where one can still speak of any HDR effect. For some, this is an acceptable level; for others, it is rather typical for SDR materials, where spectacular highlights or vivid contrasts are not expected. The impression is that this is not a television for those focused on the highest image quality in demanding film content. However, this does not mean that we won't find any advantages here. Compared to its predecessor, the X75WL, Bravia 3 has gained an additional PFS filter, functioning similarly to solutions known from QLED technology. Thanks to this, the DCI-P3 color gamut has been significantly expanded and reaches over 91 percent, which in practice provides more saturated colors and a more pleasant image texture. As a result, even everyday content looks a bit livelier, and movies and series can surprise with their colorful presentations, despite the limitations in brightness itself.

The S90D was tested in Filmmaker mode, which provides good colour reproduction, albeit with some imperfections that may be noticeable to more discerning users. This mode might appear overly warm, and those switching from Standard mode could find the change somewhat jarring. It is important to note that this issue stems from suboptimal settings, such as the white balance, rather than the Filmmaker mode.

In both SDR and HDR content, the device shows a drop in blue tones, resulting in colours appearing warmer than intended. In practice, this means that certain shades, such as sky blue or skin tones, may seem less natural, with a slight pink or yellow tint. The Colour Checker test confirms these deviations, indicating a shift towards warmer hues. In SDR content, the gamma chart reveals slight inconsistencies that make the image appear marginally darker, particularly in shadowed areas, which may obscure finer details in darker scenes.

In 4K HDR content, the EOTF curve exceeds the recommended level, leading to an overly bright display in some parts of the image, which can cause highlights to appear blown out. Overall, the Samsung S90D delivers a solid image straight out of the box, but for the best performance, further calibration is advised, especially with more demanding content.

We primarily tested the Sony Bravia 3 in movie mode, which immediately proved to be the best choice among the factory settings. The picture is not perfect, but compared to the eco mode that the TV suggests right out of the box, the difference is significant and for the better. In movie mode, one can notice a certain problem—the image seems too warm, which results from a lack of blue in the white balance. Despite this, in SDR content, the final effect can still be considered quite decent and satisfying for everyday viewing. Much more serious errors occur in HDR materials. The Color Checker analysis showed significant deviations, and poor brightness management combined with limited color gamut coverage further exposes the shortcomings of the image in this mode. All of this makes HDR on the Bravia 3 look unconvincing and can spoil the impression left by the quite decent SDR content settings. Fortunately, this is not a situation without a solution. Various errors can be somewhat mitigated, and some can even be completely corrected through professional calibration. Therefore, we decided to check how the TV would perform after such adjustments.

After calibration, the Samsung S90D in movie mode exceeds expectations. The white balance for HD and 4K HDR content has been refined to near perfection. While minor imperfections remain, they are so subtle that they don’t significantly impact the overall image quality. The colours are now more balanced, resulting in a natural reproduction of details, particularly in scenes requiring an accurate colour palette. It’s important to note that this model, in this size, uses a WOLED panel, which has a smaller wide colour gamut coverage and doesn't deliver the same vibrant colours as the 65-inch version with its QD-OLED panel.

The contrast has also seen notable improvements. Following calibration, the gamma curve now closely aligns with the expected line, achieving a better balance between the bright and dark areas of the image. The EOTF curve, which previously exhibited issues with overexposed scenes, now produces more accurate results, allowing for improved detail retention in the brighter parts of the image, especially in HDR content.

The calibration allowed us to extract significantly more from ChooseTV 3 than we could have expected at the beginning. First and foremost, we managed to address the shortage of blue color, which previously caused a noticeable warming of the image. After a slight adjustment in white balance, most of the errors in Color Checker measurements for SDR content practically disappeared. The shades of white gained a natural quality, and brightness management in gamma stabilized to a level that is nearly perfect, not exceeding the threshold of human eye perception. Therefore, it can be confidently said that in SDR content, after a few tweaks in settings, ChooseTV 3 performs really excellently. HDR content, however, fares much worse, although it is still definitely better than before calibration. The white balance has been corrected, but the limitations of the IPS panel are insurmountable. The lack of local dimming means that even the smallest elements can be overexposed, which immediately stands out. Color-wise, the effect has also improved, although it is far from ideal—many errors still exceed the threshold of four or even five delta E units, meaning they remain visible to the human eye. It was already clear before that ChooseTV 3 is not a television designed to amaze with HDR quality. Nonetheless, it is gratifying that in SDR content, after calibration, the image can look really great, and in this category, the television pleasantly surprised us.

The S90D TV handles tonal transitions exceptionally well. Thanks to advanced technology, the transitions between colours are smooth and natural. The noise reduction function can further enhance the smoothness of tonal shifts, which is particularly useful in certain situations. However, it's important to note that enabling noise reduction can also blur the natural film grain, diminishing the cinematic quality of the image. For this reason, it’s advisable to use this function with caution, as preserving the natural grain can enhance the character and authenticity of the content being watched.

As always, Samsung excels in image scaling from lower resolutions. The S90D effectively processes lower-resolution content, delivering a clear and accurate picture. The model’s outline is crisp, ensuring the image looks natural and detailed. Even the finer details, such as tree branches, are well-rendered without visible jagged edges that could degrade image quality. Thanks to its effective scaling, the S90D ensures that even lower-resolution content looks appealing, satisfying users who enjoy a wide range of content sources, such as regular broadcast or cable TV.

Bravia 3 brings something more to the Sony television family than just a common name. It stands out primarily for its ability to improve the quality of weaker materials thanks to the applied processor. Of course, we won't find the advanced XR chip known from more expensive models here, but it must be acknowledged that the image at a lower resolution looked surprisingly good. Scaling worked effectively, and most parts of the screen were free from the typical excessive jagged edges found in budget constructions.

The feature that enhances the fluidity of tonal transitions is also worth noting. In the high setting, it works really well, effectively masking the imperfections of gradation without significant loss of detail. It does happen that the algorithm overly smooths elements that should remain sharp – for example, faces – however, in overall terms, the effect is beneficial. The best results were achieved precisely at the highest setting, and this option could be recommended to those watching lower-quality content.

The Samsung S90D television features a 120 Hz panel, with the option to "overclock" to 144 Hz when connected to a compatible PC, offering exceptional motion smoothness. Samsung has long provided a range of image sharpness settings on a ten-point scale, allowing users to tailor the display to their preferences. In the UFO test, the OLED panel shows no signs of blurring, with pixel response instantaneous and effectively capturing dynamic movements. OLED technology is renowned for its performance in this regard, making it one of the best options on the market. The image remains incredibly sharp and detailed, even during fast-paced action, making the S90D an excellent choice for gamers and sports enthusiasts alike.

The fluidity of motion has never been a strong point of TVs equipped with 60 Hz panels, and the Bravia 3 is no exception. Nevertheless, Sony has added something that might appeal to those who are more sensitive to the way images are displayed. We are talking about the proprietary Motion Flow motion smoother, which offers users a lot of adjustment options. Thanks to it, one can make the image smoother, even theatrical, or stick to a more cinematic style with the characteristic stuttering that many simply associate with the film atmosphere. These features work with content at lower frame rates, such as movies and series recorded at 24 or 30 frames per second, which are the materials we encounter on a daily basis. It is precisely in this area that the motion smoother proves to be one of the most important features in everyday use of the television, and here the Bravia 3 performs really well.

The Samsung S90D is an ideal choice for gamers, featuring four HDMI 2.1 ports that support key gaming technologies such as Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), and HDR Gaming Interest Group (HGIG). These features ensure smoother and more responsive gameplay, greatly enhancing performance during intense gaming sessions. The TV also includes a dedicated Game Bar, which makes managing game settings easy. This functionality allows users to quickly adjust parameters like the aspect ratio offering flexibility for different games and gameplay styles. Customising preferences is straightforward, further enhancing the convenience and enjoyment of gaming.

For PC users, the TV impresses by supporting a refresh rate of 144Hz when connected to a computer. Users with Nvidia or AMD graphics cards can also use G-Sync and FreeSync for a smoother gaming experience. However, it’s important to note that the TV does not support Dolby Vision, which may be a drawback for some. That said, Dolby Vision is not as widely adopted in gaming as in film, so this may not be a significant concern for most gamers. Overall, the S90D offers exceptional features for gamers, making it an excellent choice for those seeking outstanding image quality and modern technological solutions.

Bravia 3 is not a device for e-sports enthusiasts or fans of late-night marathons with a controller in hand. The lack of 120 Hz refresh rate and HDMI 2.1 ports wraps up the topic before it can even develop. This is a TV for casual gamers who, after work, want to fire up FIFA or racing games, not for someone who measures every frame in a spreadsheet. Nevertheless, Sony has added a few nice extras so it’s not too barren. ALLM works as it should, automatically switching the TV to game mode (low latency). We even find a simple Game Bar here that is clear. However, the biggest curiosity is the PlayStation Portal app. With it, you can launch games from PS5 wirelessly and immediately see them on the TV screen. It sounds great, but it only takes a few minutes to feel significant delays. In our opinion, it’s more of a showcase of capabilities than something usable on a daily basis. If someone really wants to play, it’s better to connect the console with an HDMI cable right away and forget about wireless problems.