Samsung OLED S90F (QD-OLED) vs LG NANO81A / NANO80A

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.

If you're counting on HDR in the NANO81A to bring tears to your eyes, I have to disappoint you. This TV is simply too dark to show what this format is really about. With a brightness of just 250 nits, HDR here essentially exists only on paper. In practice, during a viewing session, it's very hard to distinguish whether we're watching high dynamic range content or regular SDR – it simply lacks that "punch" of light in bright areas of the image. But, to not have all criticism, we do have a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel – and it’s quite clear. It's about color gamut coverage. Here, the NanoCell filter shows that it's not just marketing nonsense. Our measurements indicated that the coverage of the DCI-P3 space is around 88%. This is really a solid result that positions this model significantly above typical budget models based on regular white LED lights without any filters. Of course, it's still a bit lacking compared to the level of quantum dot TVs (QLED) or advanced panels with PFS filtering, but for this price range, the colors are surprisingly saturated and vibrant. It's just a shame that this low brightness doesn’t allow them to fully "spread their wings" with the Nano filter.

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.

For every movie fan, the natural choice in LG televisions is the Filmmaker Mode. This mode is designed to display the image 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 white balance. Measurements showed a clear deficiency of blue color, which practically translated to many scenes having a slightly yellowish, almost "too yellow" tint. The white was not perfectly clean, which detracted from the freshness of the image. Additionally, brightness management was not ideal either – the factory-set gamma was too low. The image often appeared oversaturated, as if it had been pulled too much from the shadows, losing its naturalness and depth. Fortunately, LG, even in this relatively low price segment, does not block access to advanced settings. The calibration capabilities of this model are immense, which is a big plus for those who like to "dig around" in the menu. We decided to approach the topic in our own way and see how much we could extract from this panel with professional calibration.

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.

After calibrating the NANO81A, it's a completely different television. What LG offers in terms of image enhancement tools even in such an inexpensive model deserves a big plus. We were able to completely eliminate that annoying yellowing of whites and make the colors natural, juicy, and simply "true." In SDR content (such as regular TV, YouTube, or older films), the picture now looks infinitely better – it's clear, well-balanced, and no longer strains the eyes with strange hues. It's evident that this panel has considerable potential, which is simply wasted by poor presets out of the box. However, we have one serious reservation that calibration cannot fully overcome – it's about brightness management in HDR mode. The algorithm LG uses in this model is designed very conservatively. The television deliberately dims the image in HDR to avoid overexposing an already weak black from the IPS panel. The developers faced a choice: either provide more light and accept that black will turn light gray, or reduce the brightness to maintain any contrast. They chose the latter. Nevertheless, after our adjustments, watching anything on the NANO81 is significantly better.

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.

It often happens that cheap 4K panels mercilessly bring all the "dirt" and imperfections of lower resolution materials to light. However, in the case of the LG NANO81A, the situation is quite different. It’s a really 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 big plus is the gradation reduction feature that you will find in the settings. It is exceptionally effective in combating color banding, which is a lifesaver when watching low bitrate materials, for example from some streaming services or older files from the internet. However, it is worth maintaining a certain vigilance. Since we are dealing with a less efficient chip than in LG's top models here, too aggressive an adjustment of this option can sometimes result in minor artifacts or a slight blurring of details. Despite this risk, I definitely encourage experimentation with this feature – in many cases, it can save the viewing experience and make low-quality material fully watchable.

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.

In terms of motion fluidity, the NANO81A unfortunately has a few drawbacks. The TV is based on a panel with a refresh rate of 60 Hz. If you're looking for perfect sharpness in dynamic football matches or fast-paced action games, you might feel somewhat unsatisfied. With such a low native refresh rate, fast-moving objects on the screen will always be a bit blurry.

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.

NANO81A is unfortunately not a device designed for e-sports. The lack of support for a 120 Hz signal is a fact that users planning to purchase this model must simply come to terms with. Nevertheless, LG engineers have worked hard to squeeze the maximum capabilities out of this 60 Hz panel, offering a set of features that genuinely enhance the gaming experience. Above all, the television supports VRR technology (in 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 the console. Managing these settings is incredibly simple thanks to a dedicated system overlay that allows for a quick overview of parameters without leaving the game. A significant advantage is the support for the HGiG format. This solution is crucial for owners of modern consoles, as it enables the TV 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 unfortunately is a common issue in budget LCD televisions.