Samsung Neo QLED QN90D / QN92D vs LG OLED C4

During synthetic tests, Samsung QN92D displayed its incredible capabilities in terms of brightness. The graphs clearly indicate that the television can achieve an impressive 2000 nits, giving it a solid power base to compete with the best models on the market. Such a result places it at the forefront, especially in the context of displaying HDR content, where brightness plays a crucial role. However, what happens when we transfer the tests to real film scenes? Under favourable conditions, such as the first scene from the film Life of Pi or the last scene where the image is entirely flooded with light, Samsung QN92D can achieve nearly laboratory results, impressing with its brightness. The situation looks different, however, when small, bright objects appear on a dark background, as in the fourth scene from the film Sicario. In such cases, the television does not perform as well – brightness drops several times, and the maximum values under the best conditions are around 600 NITS. Similar to the case with contrast, these limitations arise from the use of an aggressive local dimming algorithm. This algorithm aims to reduce the 'halo' effect around bright objects on a dark background, but often at the expense of overall brightness. As a result, while the television excels in brightly lit scenes, its ability to display full brightness is limited when it comes to small, vivid elements.

The results of HDR materials are definitely among the better ones. Practically every film significantly exceeds the 700 nits barrier, allowing for a very realistic image. Of course, none of them surpasses the magical thousand, yet the combination of such results and unlimited contrast and black effectively boosts the outcome optically. The last of the scenes, featuring a full-screen burst of sunlight, is actually less bright than the others, although it still represents a commendable level. It is also worth mentioning the excellent coverage of the DCI-P3 colour palette, which will allow for achieving extremely vivid colours.

The best mode that consistently reproduces colours on the Samsung QN92D is, as it has been for years, the Filmmaker mode. Although it generally offers decent colour quality, it is not without significant issues. Let’s start with the analysis of images in HD/SDR quality. The biggest challenge here is white balance – the graphs show considerable instability, with a pronounced red dominance, making the image too warm. This distortion causes shades to be unnaturally shifted towards warmer tones, which can negatively affect the perception of materials with natural colours. The contrast, based on the gamma graph, although not the worst, remains far from ideal, impacting the overall image quality, especially in darker scenes.

This problem persists with 4K materials, such as series or movies of higher quality. In this case, the white balance also proves faulty, with noticeable deficiencies in blue and red colour, leading to tonal shifts. Tests using the Colour Checker tool confirm these issues – all colours tend to shift towards yellow tones, further distorting the natural appearance of the image. Although the Filmmaker mode is one of the best available modes for watching cinematic content, it still requires improvements, especially concerning colour accuracy and white balance.

The best factory mode implemented in the tested television was "Filmmaker". It was this mode that we used during all tests. This mode proved to be quite good in terms of colour reproduction; however, other shortcomings effectively detracted from the enjoyment of viewing. Starting with the most basic aspect, the white balance, it was easy to notice that it was marked by a dominance of red, which overall changed the characteristics of the image. We could thus see a strong yellowing of the whites and a shift of all colours towards warmer shades. The gamma, which is a curve just as important, if not more so, was quite significantly lowered, resulting in a considerable drop in contrast, except at the beginning of the graph, where the television insidiously lost details. That’s all regarding SDR materials. Taking a closer look at films with a wide dynamic range, we can observe exactly the same phenomenon of yellowing of the white balance as in films with a standard colour palette. The EOTF curve, which replaces our gamma curve, is practically perfect and cannot be faulted.

After calibration, the Filmmaker mode on the Samsung QN92D television shows significant improvement, particularly in terms of SDR content. The white balance has been greatly enhanced – the previous colour misalignment and dominance of red have been eliminated, resulting in a more natural colour reproduction. In terms of brightness, although the gamma chart did not require significant adjustments, it has been stabilised, which affects overall picture quality.

Regarding high-quality materials, the white balance has also improved in this case. However, it is important to note the contrast. The EOTF curve, which illustrates values in this area, initially seems correct. However, when we look at the details, the television struggles to maintain appropriate contrast in film materials. The EOTF curve reveals certain discrepancies, suggesting that despite advancements, there are still areas needing improvement in this aspect. The television still strives for excellence in contrast reproduction. One advantage of this television is colour saturation. Skin tones are rendered very well, and although some colours can be slightly oversaturated, the final effect looks truly appealing – the colours appear rich and vibrant.

Despite some shortcomings in contrast, after calibration, the Filmmaker mode on the Samsung QN92D offers excellent picture quality, with natural colour reproduction, making it a great choice for watching films.

As we mentioned earlier, LG televisions are equipped with advanced tools for carrying out the calibration process. We therefore used them to model the image in the way that the director intended. And without modesty, we must admit that we achieved this phenomenally. Both SDR and HDR materials present a level that clearly indicates that this is how a film should look. It is worth looking at the colour errors on the "ColorChecker" palette here, where practically none of them exceeds "1", apart from two samples.

Let’s check how the Samsung QN92D television performs with tonal transitions in very poor quality materials. The noise reduction feature demonstrates good effectiveness, improving the smoothness of tonal transitions even in challenging conditions. However, it should be noted that, as with other Samsung televisions, the effectiveness of this feature may lead to the removal of desirable elements, such as film grain, which can sometimes affect the authenticity of the image.

Regarding digital processing, the Samsung QN92D television also performs excellently. During testing, the image was presented very well, with the model shown in a natural and correct manner. Details such as branches in the background were reproduced with great precision, highlighting the television's ability to enhance the quality of low-resolution materials.

Once again, we will take a look at the function responsible for smooth gradation, but we will also address the one that aims to improve the quality of lower-quality materials. The default smoothing of tonal transitions, as we have seen, was not the worst, but it can still be improved. The function has a slider, which allows us to adjust its strength. We recommend using the first one, as it yields very good results and does not blur important details.

Image scaling in LG C4 is quite good; however, it cannot be said to be without flaws. The image is slightly sharper by default, although not in a very noticeable way. Admittedly, there are jagged edges on the trees, but this is not a major issue compared to other manufacturers.

The Samsung QN92D television is equipped with a 144 Hz panel; however, when watching content using the smoothness feature, the maximum refresh rate is 120 Hz. This means that both gamers and those who watch a lot of sports will be satisfied with the picture quality. It is also worth mentioning the available image enhancement options, such as the "blur and judder reduction" feature, which allows users to adjust the smoothness to individual preferences on a 10-point scale. Blur reduction is responsible for increasing the sharpness of quickly moving objects, while judder reduction smooths motion, eliminating the "stutter" effect. Thanks to these advanced settings, optimal visual experiences can be achieved, making the Samsung QN92D ideal for both dynamic scenes and intense gaming sessions.

In terms of motion blur, the television performs really well, and it is hard to find anything to criticise. The only comment we might have is a slight overshoot effect noticeable on dark backgrounds during our test with "Ufoludkiem". Nevertheless, with the advanced smoothness settings, the Samsung QN92D is perfect for both dynamic scenes and intense gaming sessions.

The maximum refresh rate that we can set on the LG G4 is 144 Hz. Naturally, this is only possible when connecting the television to a very powerful PC. In other cases, we will be operating at a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz, which is recommended if we primarily want to watch sport or content with a lot of motion dynamics. For those requiring high fluidity of the image, the manufacturer has implemented a multi-step motion smoother called "TrueMotion". It has been divided into two separate sliders that adjust the sharpness of moving images (De-Blur) and judder (De-Judder). Both sliders can be set within a range from 0 to 10, with each degree affecting the degree of smoothing, allowing everyone to find their golden mean.

The LG OLED C4 panel features an average response time of less than 1 ms (which directly results from our measurements), allowing for an incredibly clear image that is unattainable for LCD televisions, whose response times can be as high as several milliseconds. This is clearly visible in the pictures from the "UFO Test," showing no trailing blur behind the object.

The Samsung QN92/QN90 television is an excellent choice for avid gamers, worthy of the highest recommendations. This model offers virtually all the features available on the market in terms of gaming, making gameplay even more exciting. One of its key features is the 120 Hz panel, which provides exceptional motion smoothness, vital during dynamic action games. The television also has low input lag, ensuring lightning-fast responses to player commands. Additionally, technologies such as VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) and ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) adjust the refresh rate and automatically switch the television to game mode, enhancing the gaming experience even further. An additional advantage is the Xbox app, which allows playing favourite titles directly on the television, eliminating the need for a console. This is a typical feature of Samsung televisions, which makes them unique in the gaming world.

Auto Motion Plus Game is a feature that truly deserves praise for Samsung. It is a motion smoother that performs excellently in games, allowing for the perception of a higher frame rate – a 30 frames per second image looks like 45, and 60 Hz becomes close to 90 Hz. Importantly, this feature does not introduce significant lag (input lag does not exceed 25 ms), so it does not negatively affect gaming comfort, unlike many other motion smoothers available on the market. As a result, players can enjoy a significantly smoother image without compromising on responsiveness.

We can already say that LG C4, like practically every OLED television from the manufacturer, is exceptionally good in terms of compatibility with consoles and PCs. Thanks to the implementation of four full bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports at 48 Gbps, the manufacturer has included all features that enhance the gaming experience, among which we find simultaneous support for FreeSync and G-Sync technology. With such a tandem, gamers with a graphics card from AMD or Nvidia can confidently opt for C4. However, what should delight the players requiring the highest possible quality the most is the simultaneous implementation of HDR Dolby Vision and HGIG mode. The first is particularly important as it works with extremely low input lag in all settings.

A standard in the Korean manufacturer's televisions is also the implementation of GameBar, allowing for quick adjustments of settings "on the fly" without the need to exit the game. It also enables image adjustments for visually impaired individuals, which is a very nice touch. Another important piece of information is that when VRR technology is enabled, we will not experience a drop in contrast. This is, of course, due to the panel's design and the absence of conventional backlighting. However, it is normal for shades of grey to flicker slightly, although this is a characteristic feature of this function regardless of the manufacturer and television.

In summary: LG C4, just like all of the manufacturer's OLEDs equipped with high refresh rate panels and HDMI 2.1 ports, creates a harmonious whole with consoles. In practice, it is a complete television, and if we expect the highest possible performance in gaming, C4 will be an ideal choice.