Samsung S85F (WOLED) vs Philips OLED950

For most of the time, let's say in 90% of film scenes, viewers won't see practically any difference between the S85F versions. When small but very strong light points appear on the screen – a lantern in a dark alley, a gunshot, the sun breaking through the clouds – this WOLED panel (like the smaller S85F) performs wonderfully. Our measurements showed peak brightness at around 750 nits. We can confidently state: this is an excellent result that guarantees fantastic HDR effects. The problem arises in a very specific, uncomfortable situation for any OLED. We're talking about the moment when the entire screen has to shine at full power brightly. Examples include a slide with a white background, a ski jump scene, or our test sequences (5) from the movie The Meg. And here, unfortunately, the results diverge quite significantly to the detriment of the WOLED panel variant. Our measurement equipment was able to measure a maximum of about 250 to 300 nits of brightness in such conditions. Just to be clear: the same model on a QD-OLED panel in the same test is almost twice as bright. The second issue: colors. And here we also have to be honest – QD-OLED has a design advantage. Why? It’s simple. QD-OLED creates colors from three components (red, green, and blue) and does not need an additional white subpixel. The WOLED panel we are testing uses this white subpixel mainly to boost overall brightness. The effect is that QD-OLED is able to show a slightly wider color palette, and the colors are a bit "cleaner." But let’s be clear: it’s not that the colors on this WOLED panel are bad! On the contrary, they are actually very good. Coverage of the DCI-P3 film palette at 97% and 71% for the wider BT.2020 palette is still a high standard. We just have to honestly admit that this few percent advantage in color coverage is on the side of QD-OLED technology and may be noticeable in very specific moments.

OLED950 is a phenomenal TV for consuming HDR content, which is primarily due to the use of innovative Tandem OLED technology. With this technology, the screen is capable of generating astronomical brightness values, reaching over 2000 nits in movie scenes (on test screens). This is an outstanding result, placing the OLED950 model among the very top displays available on the market. However, it should be noted that there is a specific characteristic of this solution – at moments when full-screen bursts of light appear on the screen, the brightness can drop by as much as half. Nevertheless, it is worth emphasizing that values above 1000 nits on a full screen are still an outstanding result. This allows for HDR images to be displayed exactly as filmmakers would wish, maintaining the dynamics and impact of light scenes.

The use of Tandem OLED technology has also brought measurable benefits in terms of color reproduction, improving elements where traditional WOLED panels have had difficulties compared to QD-OLED competitors. In the case of the OLED950, the color gamut coverage is broader than in classic WOLED panels, reaching nearly 100% of the DCI-P3 space and a solid 82% of the demanding BT.2020 palette. Although these results still do not match the high achievements of QD-OLED panels, the difference diminishes during real-world usage. We cannot deny that in the vast majority of films, colors look simply fantastic on this model – they are saturated, vibrant, and full of depth.

When it comes to factory color reproduction, our test sample in SDR mode suffered from a slight deficiency in red and yellow color. This resulted in a subtle yellowish tint visible in the shades of white. However, this is not the biggest problem with the S85F. Similar to the QD-OLED panel variant, the biggest issue with this model is the way it presents HDR content. When we look at the EOTF curve graph, it is easy to see that the television has quite significant problems with overly brightening the image. This causes the final picture in many scenes to become very unnatural.

We tested the OLED950 model in Movie mode. Although it is theoretically the best and most faithful preset on this television, in practice, it proved to be not without flaws. Interestingly, in the unit we tested, the biggest challenge wasn't the white balance itself – although it did have a slight tendency to give the image a pinkish tint. The main problem lay in the way the television managed brightness, both in everyday SDR content and in demanding HDR scenes. Analysis of the gamma chart and EOTF curve leads to one key conclusion: the television excessively highlights brightness in the lower registers. This results in the image appearing less contrasty than the panel technology would allow. Details in dark areas that should remain perfectly black (characteristic of "OLED black") are simply unnecessarily highlighted and brightened. Fortunately, these errors can be corrected using the appropriate tools, so – as always – we proceeded with professional calibration.

After calibrating in Filmmaker mode, we managed to eliminate most of the unwanted effects. In SDR content, the television performs exemplary, and its color reproduction errors do not exceed a value of 2, which is an excellent result. A bit worse, although still very good, are the HDR quality contents. While we were able to eliminate a significant unnaturalness in the image caused by too high a positioning of the EOTF curve, the most discerning observers may notice that it is not perfectly aligned. It runs slightly below the reference curve, which would suggest that the S85F has slight issues showing all the details in the image. We must point out right away that it is highly unlikely that an average viewer would notice any shortcomings in the image. The final effect after calibration is rated as exemplary.

As can be seen, the OLED950 transforms into an absolutely phenomenal display after a professional calibration process, which without a shadow of a doubt can be placed in the same category as the best televisions currently available in the world. This equipment only needed a professional touch to show its full potential and eliminate factory shortcomings. The minimal errors in reproduction in Color Checker tests and the fidelity of the color palette speak for themselves. We are dealing with an almost perfect device here. A true window to the world, offering top-notch image quality.

The processing of tonal transitions (gradients) in the S85F is at a high level. The television effectively handles posterization (the "stepping" effect of colors), even with heavily compressed materials, such as from streaming services. However, using this feature requires making a certain compromise. We noticed that the noise reduction algorithm is quite aggressive – even at the lowest setting, it can eliminate natural film grain, which for many viewers is part of the film's aesthetics. The "Standard" setting seems to be the golden mean, not causing visible loss of important details, so we can recommend it. However, we advise against using the "High" level, which removes not only noise but also desired details, such as texture or structure of objects on the screen.

The scaling (upscaling) process of lower resolution content works very well in the S85F. The image is sharp and clear. The only minor imperfection we observed is occasional, slight aliasing on the edges. The television also still exhibits characteristics typical of this manufacturer, such as active "overscan" (slight magnification of the image). This should be kept in mind, especially when watching older materials, as it may result in a minimal cropping of the original frame.

Upscaling

In terms of image scaling, the proprietary P5 processor performs just as well as in most models from this manufacturer. Lower resolution content takes on a very soft and plastic character. Such a presentation will certainly appeal to many. However, if you prefer sharper contours, you can gently enhance them with the appropriate slider in the TV menu. In this aspect, it's really hard to pick on anything. The image simply looks very good and additionally there is no problem with the phenomenon of overscan.

Smoothing and Distortion Reduction

The tonal transition smoothing feature fares a bit worse. In the settings, we find an option called “Distortion Reduction.” This allows for three levels of processor intervention adjustment. Unfortunately, the Minimum setting works poorly and the smoothing effects are negligible. The Medium level gives a decent result, but it also starts to smooth out the skin details of actors. On the other hand, the Maximum setting works too aggressively. It removes definitely too many details from the face and background elements or can even take away the film grain. To achieve the optimal effect, it's worth playing around with these settings at home and adjusting them to your preferences. It might seem that the Medium option represents the best compromise here.

The S85F is a model with impressive speed. The use of a 120 Hz OLED panel ensures that dynamic scenes, both in games and during sports broadcasts, meet expectations: smoothly, sharply, and without loss of clarity. A key role here is played by the instantaneous pixel response time, which is a natural advantage of OLED technology. Transitions between frames are instantaneous, and the image remains clear even during the fastest camera movements. Moving objects, like a ball on the field or a car in a chase scene, are clear and devoid of the characteristic motion blur typical of LCD panels (the so-called "tail").

The motion representation in the OLED950 model is virtually perfect. This is typical for screens of this type (OLED 120Hz+), as the matrix shows no blurring at all. Thanks to this, we can enjoy flawless sharpness in practically any conditions. A big part of this is not only due to the specifics of organic technology. Equally important work is done by the smoothing systems implemented by the manufacturer.

OLED950 is almost the perfect TV for gamers. This is not only due to the unique atmosphere that the Ambilight system creates during gameplay. The most important aspect here is the solid hardware support. We find literally everything that one should expect from a modern gaming screen today. The manufacturer has implemented two HDMI 2.1 ports with full bandwidth of 48 Gb/s. This gives us access to gaming in 4K resolution at 120 frames per second. Of course, support for VRR technology and the ALLM automatic game mode is also included. The device handles any HDR signal effortlessly, whether we are using Dolby Vision or the HGiG standard.

Access to all settings is available from one place thanks to the special Game Bar overlay. Although this interface may not be the most graphically attractive on the market, it fully serves its purpose. It displays all the most important signal parameters and offers useful additions. Gamers can take advantage of the mini-map zoom function or add a permanent crosshair on the screen, which can be seen as a small aid in online competition. Adjusting the contrast range also proves useful. It allows for brightening shadows and achieving better visibility of enemies hidden in the dark corners of the map.