Samsung S90D / S94D 48" (WRGB OLED) vs Samsung DU7192 (VA)

In the tested movie scenes, the Samsung S90D delivers impressive brightness levels, exceeding 800 nits in the first four shots—a very strong result. In the final shot, featuring a full-screen burst of sunlight, brightness drops to approximately 400 nits, which is still acceptable. Notably, larger versions of this model exceed 1,000 nits, offering even more impressive performance. Additionally, the colour space coverage of DCI-P3 at 97% ensures rich and realistic colour reproduction, greatly enhancing image quality. For those considering the size of the S90D, it is worth noting that larger variants with QD-OLED panels deliver even better HDR performance, making them an excellent choice for those seeking optimal visual fidelity.

The peak brightness of the television is about 280 nits on the luminance charts. Unfortunately, this value is too low to fully enjoy the effects of HDR, which require significantly higher luminance. In the tested materials, such as The Meg or Gemini Man, the lack of adequate brightness significantly limits the magic of HDR, and the details in the brighter parts of the image are not sufficiently exposed. For users primarily consuming SDR content, this level of quality may be acceptable, but it is definitely insufficient when it comes to HDR. Additionally, the coverage of the DCI-P3 color palette at 82% does not favor the presentation of HDR content in its full glory. The limited color gamut makes it difficult for the television to reproduce vibrant and diverse colors, which is crucial for achieving a cinematic experience.

The Samsung S90D television has been tested in Filmmaker mode, which offers good colour reproduction, although with some imperfections that may be noticeable to more demanding users. This mode may seem too warm, and users who switched from Standard mode may experience a slight shock. It is worth noting that this state of affairs is caused by poor settings, for example, in the white balance, rather than the Filmmaker mode itself. In both SDR and HDR content, the device shows drops in blue colour, causing colours to become warmer than they should be. In practice, this means that some shades, such as sky blue or skin tones, may appear less natural and more tinged with pink or yellow. The Colour Checker test confirms these deviations, showing shifts towards warmer tones. In SDR content, the gamma graph indicates slight fluctuations, causing the image to be minimally darker, especially in shadows. This may affect less distinct details in darker scenes. Meanwhile, in 4K HDR materials, the EOTF curve is above the recommended line, which leads to some parts of the image being displayed too brightly, potentially causing clipping in the brightest areas. Overall, the Samsung S90D presents a solid picture straight out of the box, but for the best results, especially with more demanding content, additional calibration is recommended.

The best factory mode we relied on during testing turned out to be "Filmmaker." Although this mode is the closest to the intentions of filmmakers, it is not without certain imperfections. The white balance chart shows a clear dominance of red in both SDR and HDR, resulting in significant yellowness, particularly noticeable in whites and on the actors' faces. In HDR mode, there is additionally a slight dominance of green, which, however, does not have as much impact on the overall perception of the image. The gamma, responsible for brightness in SDR materials, performed quite well, but with one serious caveat. In the darkest areas of the image, it was too low, leading to excessive brightness in those scenes, depriving the film of drama and contrast. In HDR, the white balance remains at a similar level, but the EOTF curve chart draws attention. At the beginning, the curve clearly bulges, leading to strong brightness in the darkest scenes. Then the result drops sharply below the reference line, resulting in an image that is too dark and a loss of dynamics in the brighter areas.

To summarize, the "Filmmaker" mode, despite its advantages, requires refinement – especially regarding white balance and proper management of brightness in the darkest and brightest areas of the image. In its current form, it may be acceptable for less demanding users, but for viewers expecting precise image reproduction, it may leave much to be desired.

After calibration, the S90D TV delivers an even more impressive performance in movie mode. The white balance for both HD and 4K HDR content is now nearly perfect. While there are still some minor imperfections, they are so subtle that they don't significantly impact the overall image quality. The colours are more balanced, offering a natural depiction of details, especially in scenes that require precise colour accuracy.

It's important to note that the 48-inch model features a WOLED panel, which differs from the larger sizes. This results in a smaller coverage of the wide colour gamut, meaning it doesn't offer the same rich colours as the 65-inch version, which is equipped with a QD-OLED panel.

Contrast has also seen a substantial improvement. The gamma curve after calibration is much closer to the ideal line, achieving a better balance between bright and dark areas of the image. The EOTF curve, which previously showed issues with overly bright scenes, now performs much better, retaining more detail in the bright sections of the image, especially in HDR content.

Even with its lower models, Samsung offers extensive tools for image calibration, allowing for significant improvement of factory settings. We undertook this task, and the results proved to be more than satisfactory. The white balance, which previously exhibited strong yellowing in both SDR and HDR, has been significantly improved. Although minor deviations from the norm can be observed, the overall effect is much cleaner and more natural than before calibration. As a result, whites and skin tones look much better. We also managed to appropriately model the gamma in SDR materials, allowing for maximum contrast that this television can offer. The EOTF curve, responsible for HDR materials, has also been improved – the image is no longer brightened or darkened as drastically as it was before calibration. Despite these successes, HDR materials still struggle with high deltaE error values. The main cause lies in the limited brightness of the television, which does not allow for a full representation of HDR content dynamics. Nevertheless, after calibration, the picture is clearly better and more aligned with the creators' intent. For users seeking the best possible quality in this class of equipment, calibration is definitely recommended.

The S90D TV excels in smoothing tonal transitions, offering natural and seamless colour shifts. Thanks to its advanced technology, it ensures a smoother visual experience overall. The noise reduction feature can further enhance tonal transitions, making it beneficial in certain situations. However, it’s important to note that enabling noise reduction may also smooth out the film grain, which can detract from the cinematic feel. For this reason, it's advisable to use the feature sparingly, preserving the natural grain that adds depth and authenticity to the content.

Samsung continues to impress with its scaling capabilities, with the S90D effectively processing lower-resolution content. The image is sharp and clear, maintaining proper outlines and presenting details accurately. For example, tree branches are rendered well, with no noticeable jagged edges that would compromise image quality. Thanks to the effective scaling, even lower-resolution materials are displayed attractively, making it a great choice for users who enjoy content from diverse sources, such as regular antenna or cable television.

The tonal smooth transition function operates in two modes – "off" and "auto." Turning it off causes gradation issues, while the "auto" mode provides smooth transitions but at the expense of grain and details that are often blurred. Due to these limitations, we do not recommend using this function, as confirmed by our tests conducted with it turned off.

Scaling lower resolution materials in this model is not impressive. Details are blurred, and the edges of objects may contain artifacts. This limitation means that the television is better suited for higher resolution content.

The S90D TV features a 120 Hz panel, which can be "overclocked" to 144 Hz with the appropriate PC setup, delivering exceptional motion fluidity. Samsung has long offered a range of image clarity settings on a ten-point scale, allowing users to fine-tune the display to their liking. In the UFO test, the OLED panel ensures no ghosting, with pixel response being instantaneous and perfectly capturing dynamic movements. OLED technology, in this regard, is considered one of the best on the market. The image remains incredibly sharp and detailed, even during fast-paced action, making the S90D TV a top choice for gamers and sports fans alike.

Although the Samsung DU7192 is the lowest model in the manufacturer's offer, it is equipped with a motion smoothing system. While the functionality of this solution is significantly limited compared to more expensive models, its mere presence distinguishes the television from competitors in this price range. The television supports a maximum refresh rate of 60 Hz, which is sufficient for comfortable viewing of movies and series, but may be inadequate for dynamic content such as sports. In the motion smoothing menu, we find, among others, the "Motion Blur Reduction" function. Unfortunately, its performance leaves much to be desired – regardless of the setting, the image exhibits characteristic stuttering known from material recorded at 24 frames per second, which makes this function practically fail to fulfill its role.

The S90D TV is perfectly designed with gamers in mind, offering four HDMI 2.1 ports that support features such as Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), and HGIG (HDR Gaming Interest Group). These technologies ensure smoother gameplay and faster screen response, enhancing comfort during extended gaming sessions. The Game Bar feature also provides convenient access to settings like aspect ratio, which can be particularly useful for different game types. For PC users, the television offers an impressive refresh rate of 144Hz, with Nvidia and AMD graphics cards supporting G-Sync and FreeSync, further boosting image smoothness. While the lack of Dolby Vision support may be a limitation, it’s worth noting that this technology is less commonly used in gaming compared to movies. Nevertheless, the S90D still provides excellent features for gamers, making it a top choice for those seeking high-quality visuals and advanced gaming technologies.

The Samsung DU7192 is equipped with HDMI 2.0 ports, which is expected in this price range. This limitation means a lack of support for the full capabilities of the latest generation consoles, such as VRR technologies. The television only offers basic features for gamers – automatic switching to low latency mode (ALLM) and support for basic HDR for games in the HGiG standard. HGiG allows for displaying HDR content in games according to manufacturers' guidelines; however, the limited brightness of the television does not allow for fully enjoying the effects that this standard offers. Unfortunately, there is a lack of conveniences such as GameBar, which is increasingly found even in cheaper models and greatly facilitates quick adjustments of settings for games. The presence of this feature could significantly enhance user comfort, especially among those who frequently change display modes.