Samsung OLED S90D / S94D (WRGB OLED) vs Samsung S85D

In the tested film scenes, the Samsung S90D television achieves impressive brightness results, exceeding the 1000 nit barrier in the first four shots, which can be considered a remarkable outcome. In the case of the last shot, where a full-screen flash of sunlight is visible, the brightness drops to around 500 nit, but it still remains at a very good level. Additionally, the television impresses with a DCI-P3 colour space coverage value of 98%, which guarantees extraordinarily rich and realistic colour reproduction, further enhancing the image quality. This result makes the Samsung S90D an ideal choice for those expecting high-quality images in a variety of lighting conditions.

Brightness is a key parameter in televisions, and the S85D Samsung model offers a level comparable to other OLEDs from a few years ago. Though it doesn't impress in this regard, its huge advantage is a very competitive price. A peak brightness of 600 nits provides good image quality in HDR conditions, giving users a taste of cinema-like experiences in the comfort of their home. However, as with many budget OLED models, the biggest problem is very bright, full-screen scenes – in such moments, like the final shot from the movie "The Meg," the television can lose as much as half of its brightness, which is noticeable compared to more expensive OLED models. Despite this, the television offers an impressive DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage of 99%, allowing for the display of vibrant and accurate colours.

The S90D television has been tested in Filmmaker mode, which offers good colour reproduction, although with some imperfections that may be noticeable to more discerning users. This mode may seem too warm, and users who have switched from Standard mode might experience a slight shock. It’s worth noting that this state of affairs is caused by poor settings, such as in the white balance, rather than the Filmmaker mode itself. In both SDR and HDR content, the device shows drops in blue, causing colours to appear warmer than they should. In practice, this means that certain 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 chart indicates slight fluctuations, which may result in the image being minimally darker, especially in the shadows. This can affect the clarity of details in darker scenes. Meanwhile, in 4K HDR materials, the EOTF curve is located above the recommended line, leading to some parts of the image being displayed too brightly, which can cause clipping in the brightest areas. Overall, Samsung S90D delivers a solid picture straight out of the box, but for the best results, especially with more demanding content, additional calibration is recommended.

The Filmmaker mode on Samsung's S85D does indeed offer the best factory settings, but it is not without flaws, particularly evident in colour reproduction. The white balance graph for HD and HDR content shows clear issues – both red and blue colours are significantly weakened, leading to a dominance of green. The result is an unnatural yellowish tint that can affect the perception of realistic scenes. The Color Checker test clearly shows that the colour samples deviate from the expected values – for HD materials, the colours tend to be overly saturated, with a marked shift towards green, which is also evident in the white balance graph. Conversely, for 4K HDR content, the colours appear too dull and lacking in depth, causing the image to lose its appeal and naturalness. This effect is particularly noticeable in delicate scenes where colour precision plays a key role, which can be disappointing for discerning viewers who expect faithful reproduction of details and colour intensity.

When it comes to brightness, the gamma graph for HD content looks quite good; however, there is a clear spike at the end, exceeding the value of 2.4. Although this is not a major issue in most scenes, in more demanding sequences it can affect the clarity of bright details. For 4K content, the EOTF curve, responsible for rendering brightness, proves to be problematic. The initial part of the graph shows a slight spike. This phenomenon can result in excessive boosting of brightness in the brightest areas of the image, leading to a loss of detail in very bright scenes.

Although Samsung S85D offers quite decent factory settings, especially in Filmmaker mode, it is worth considering manual adjustment of settings to improve some imperfections, particularly in colour reproduction.

After calibration, the Samsung S90D TV in movie mode looks even better than one might expect. The white balance for both HD and 4K HDR content has been improved almost to perfection. Although minor errors can still be noticed, they are so minimal that they do not significantly affect the picture quality. Colours are more balanced, leading to a natural reproduction of details, especially in scenes that require a precise colour palette. It is worth noting that this model in this size is equipped with a WOLED panel, which has less coverage of a wide colour gamut and does not offer as rich colours as, for example, the 65-inch version, which is equipped with a QD-OLED panel.

The contrast has also seen a significant improvement. The gamma graph after calibration is much closer to the expected line, providing a better balance between bright and dark areas of the image. The EOTF curve, which showed problems with overexposed scenes before calibration, now demonstrates better results. This effect allows for greater detail to be preserved in the bright parts of the image, especially in HDR materials.

After calibration, the Filmmaker mode on Samsung S85D really impressed. The white balance, regardless of the type of content, has improved significantly, resulting in more natural colours. The Color Checker test shows that colour reproduction errors are now minimal and rarely exceed acceptable values, which indicates precise colour reproduction. The factory colour representation left a lot to be desired, but now the situation has significantly improved – colours are natural, accurate, and look as if they have been precisely rendered according to the creators' intentions. This is a huge step forward compared to earlier generations, where colours were often distorted or too intense.

The brightness characteristics have also benefited from calibration – it's now more vivid and precise. The gamma, although reasonably good before, has become even more stable, providing a deeper, more natural image. The EOTF curve has been flattened, allowing details in dark areas to be more visible, and the contrast is better balanced. Thanks to all these improvements, the television delivers an image close to reference quality, which definitely enhances the enjoyment of watching films and HDR content.

Television S90D handles tonal transitions very well. Thanks to the technology used, transitions between colours are smoother and more natural. You can also use the noise reduction feature, which further smooths out tonal transitions, which can be useful in certain situations. However, it's worth remembering that turning on noise reduction can also lead to the smoothing out of desirable film grain, thereby reducing the cinematic feel of the image. For this reason, caution is advised when using this feature, as it’s better to leave the natural grain that adds character and authenticity to the content being viewed.

Samsung, as always, does not disappoint and excels in scaling images from lower resolutions. The S90D Samsung TV effectively processes lower resolutions, as seen in the visible image. The outline of the model is clear and accurate and, as a result, looks natural and detailed. Moreover, the branches of the trees are well-represented, showing no significant jaggedness that could degrade image quality. With effective scaling, even materials in lower resolution present attractively on the screen, satisfying users who prefer various sources of content such as regular antenna/cable television.

Samsung S85D does a great job of scaling images and smoothing tonal transitions. Like other Samsung models, the television offers three noise reduction modes: off, standard, and high. While it improves gradation well, it unfortunately also removes film grain, which many viewers desire to give the image a cinematic character. This grain often adds authenticity and a certain rawness to films that is lost once it is smoothed out. Removing the grain can make the image appear too sterile and smooth, which takes away some of the charm of the original film material. When it comes to image scaling, the Samsung S85D excels at displaying lower resolution content – the model in the photo and the branches in the background were shown correctly, without major issues with jagged edges. The only noticeable downside is the presence of overscan, which can sometimes cut off parts of the image, which may not appeal to everyone.

Samsung S90D TV is equipped with a 120 Hz panel, with the ability to overclock to 144 Hz with the right PC configuration, providing exceptional motion smoothness. For years, Samsung has offered a variety of ten-point settings for image clarity, allowing users to adjust the display to their preferences. In the UFO test, thanks to the use of an OLED panel, there is no sign of any motion blur. The pixel response is instantaneous and perfectly captures dynamic movements. In this aspect, OLED technology is considered one of the best on the market. The image is incredibly sharp and detailed, even during fast action, making the S90D an ideal choice for gamers and sports enthusiasts.

As befits an OLED television, Samsung S85D offers excellent motion fluidity. Equipped with a 120 Hz panel and a fast response time, the TV delivers very smooth playback of dynamic scenes without visible blurring. For movie enthusiasts, there is a feature called "Picture Clarity Settings," which allows for adjusting the image smoothness to individual preferences on a 10-point scale. Motion blur reduction enhances the sharpness of fast-moving objects, while motion smoothing eliminates the "judder" effect for a smoother motion. This way, every user can set the appropriate level of clarity that best suits their taste, from a more cinematic effect to clearer, smoother movements.

The Samsung S90D television is perfectly adapted to the needs of gamers, offering four HDMI 2.1 ports that support key features such as Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), and HDR Gaming Interest Group (HGIG). With these technologies, gamers can enjoy smoother and more responsive gameplay, significantly enhancing comfort and performance during intense gaming sessions. An additional advantage of the television is the special Game Bar, which allows for easy management of game settings. This functionality enables quick adjustments of parameters, such as changing the aspect ratio of the television screen, which can be useful in various games and types of gameplay. Users can easily customise their preferences, making the use of the television while gaming even more convenient and enjoyable. As for PC users, the television pleasantly surprises. When connecting a computer, the panel is able to achieve a refresh rate of 144Hz, and users of Nvidia or AMD graphics cards can enjoy features such as G-Sync and FreeSync. However, it should be noted that the television does not support Dolby Vision, which may be a downside – although it is worth considering that Dolby Vision is not as popular in the context of games as it is in films. Nevertheless, the S90D television still offers excellent features for gamers, making it a great choice for gaming enthusiasts looking for outstanding picture quality and modern technological solutions.

Samsung S85D OLED is an excellent choice for gamers thanks to its many modern features that make gameplay easier and more enjoyable. The TV has four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, allowing you to connect the latest consoles without worrying about limitations in image quality or frame rates. This means support for 4K resolution at 120 Hz, which is ideal for modern titles. Additionally, the Samsung S85D has an ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) feature that automatically activates low latency mode when it detects a gaming device. This means you don’t have to manually switch settings – the TV takes care of ensuring fast response times, which is crucial in games where every second counts.

The VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) feature and G-Sync support are additional elements that make gameplay smoother. VRR adjusts the refresh rate to match the frame rate generated by the console or computer, eliminating screen tearing and stuttering. This is especially useful in fast-paced games where the frame rate can fluctuate. Auto Motion Plus Game is a feature that Samsung introduced with gamers in mind, and it’s worth appreciating. It makes the picture in games smoother – 30 frames per second looks like 45, and 60 Hz gains in smoothness, giving an effect close to 90 Hz. At the same time, there’s no significant increase in input lag, which remains below 25 ms, making this feature stand out compared to others available on the market. Gamers can enjoy smoother visuals without worrying about reduced responsiveness.

Samsung has also thought of something extra – the TV has a built-in Xbox Game Pass app, which means you can game in the cloud without needing a console. It’s a great solution for those who want to enjoy gaming without investing in additional hardware. All you need is an internet connection, and you have a massive library of games at your fingertips. This makes Samsung S85D an excellent choice for both casual and more advanced gamers.