Samsung S95C OLED TV overview: Wealthy colours, vibrant highlights, pure blacks

Value when reviewing

77-inch mannequin QN77S95CAFXZA, $4,499.99

Greatest Costs As we speak: Samsung S95C 4K OLED TV

$2499.99

$4,497.99

$4499.99

Samsung’s S95C is a formidable TV. Being the 2023 mannequin of a quantum dot OLED with 30% extra peak brightness will do this for you. Whereas LCD TVs supply loads of brightness and produce nice photos, there’s one thing about OLED that kicks you within the intestine.

There isn’t any thriller right here: it is the lifeless black blacks in an OLED panel’s coloration palette. With QD (quantum dot) OLED, saturated vibrant spots additionally create heat within the picture. That stated, it isn’t a TV fully above the competitors or with out weaknesses.

This overview is a part of TechHive’s in-depth protection of the very best TVs.

What are the options of the Samsung S95C OLED TV?

I examined the $4,500 77-inch (76.8-inch, measured diagonally) model of the S95C. That is loads of display screen, providing 4K decision, 10-bit coloration and a 120Hz refresh charge (as much as 144Hz for gaming. The TV additionally helps Samsung Gaming Hub, which helps you to sport to console-style video games with out the necessity for a standalone sport system.) I encountered disturbing flexibility within the ultra-thin (0.4-inch, Yowser!) 62-pound panel, even with two individuals holding it manipulate. These considerations proved to be unfounded and no harm was prompted.

The explanation the display screen may be so skinny is as a result of the entire TV’s inputs and outputs, together with its AC energy connector, are positioned in Samsung’s One Join breakout field. A single skinny One Join cable connects the field to the TV. Ports on the One Join field embrace 4 HDMI 2.1 (every of which helps variable refresh charges, considered one of which helps eARC), Ethernet, coaxial for cable/satellite tv for pc and over-the-air antennas, three varieties USB 2.0 (for mass storage, a keyboard or different equipment), a 3.5mm RS-232C (for customized management) and a Toslink optical digital audio output. There’s additionally the one port for the One Join wire which provides each energy and indicators to the TV.

Samsung

Through the use of the 400mm sq. VESA mounting level and the suitable bracket, you will get this TV nearly flush to the wall. And a 0.4 inch protrusion seems as nothing within the grand scheme. The bezel can be extraordinarily skinny, and the combo makes Samsung’s Ambient Mode mimicry of its environment or picture show significantly plausible.

The S95C TV is (or shall be) additionally out there in a 65-inch dimension for $3,300 and a 55-inch SKU for $2,500. Supported flavors of excessive dynamic vary are HDR10+ (Samsung’s Dolby Imaginative and prescient equal) and HLG. You’ll be able to management the TV with Google Assistant, Alexa and Samsung Bixby voice instructions.

There’s an environment friendly channel information, help for all the standard streaming providers (Netflix, YouTube, and many others.) in addition to the standard Samsung-only options just like the aforementioned Ambient Mode and Q-Symphony, which is solely the power to make use of the TV audio system with considered one of Samsung’s soundbars as a substitute of utilizing the TV audio system Or a soundbar.

Samsung Good TV Distant and UI

Until you arrange Bixby or Alexa, you may’t use the distant’s voice command characteristic. And with the Samsung Distant’s minimalist design that forces the Good Hub’s on-screen person interface to take a maximalist design strategy, you really want voice instructions if you wish to navigate in something aside from sluggish movement.

Jon L. Jacobi

The syrupy tempo is because of a mixture of the dearth of function-specific buttons on the distant, not making optimum use of the buttons that TO DO exist and compartmentalising settings and options. To entry settings, for instance, you first must open a facet menu, then a backside menu, then scroll by means of all these menu objects. Samsung does not even make good use of the distant’s navigation ring. In lots of instances it isn’t useful when it might be used to quick ahead, rewind and carry out different helpful features.

As I stated, voice management could enhance the issue, however I am not one to love chatting with my gadgets. Colour me a modernist with Luddite leanings. Alternatively, I am additionally leaning in direction of inexperienced, so I commend Samsung for making the distant rechargeable through a built-in photo voltaic cell, which largely eliminates the necessity to use a USB cable and AC adapter at this END.

From discussions with clients and different journalists, I do know I am not the one one criticizing this person interface. Put your ear to the bottom and hear, Samsung.

How does the Samsung S95C work?

There isn’t any doubt that the S95C’s blacks are pretty much as good as any within the enterprise; that’s, it’s associated to OLED TVs from LG and Sony. The S95C’s colours are practically lifeless, due to the usage of quantum dots, and the RGB OLED reveals a heat you aren’t getting from LG’s WRGB OLED units. Watching real-world materials, particularly materials in HDR, is a pleasure.

Peak brightness, in the meantime, has improved by what Samsung claims is 30 per cent. Final 12 months’s S95B mannequin had very vibrant highlights, however this new model appears to rock HDR a bit higher.

Alternatively, until you actually improve the utmost brightness in vivid mode or in any other case, massive areas of white can, at sure settings, seem hotter than optimum. Like a really pale pastel, normally with a pink tint. In different phrases, saturated highlights create a nice heat within the picture, however they’ll additionally generally distort the colour palette.

Jon L. Jacobi

After reviewing the LG Evo G3 WRGB OLED TV, with its sparse processing artifacts, it was a bit disappointing to see the shimmer and moire within the S95C’s detailed background pans, and the breakdown of the objects (leaping parts) quickly scrolling throughout the display screen . Shifting object decomposition has solely occurred within the Spears & Munsil torture exams, however shimmer and moiré have additionally appeared within the numerous movies I exploit to point out such artifacts. I anticipated higher.

Display screen uniformity is, after all, close to excellent, and you’ll view the TV from nearly any angle with out extreme distortion. High marks for this. However once more, that is type of the character of the OLED beast.

By way of audio replica, the Samsung S95C is on par with the LG Evo G3 and it is nearly pretty much as good as Sony’s A95K. It is clear and there is a greater than modest quantity of bass. The anti-reflective coating can be significantly efficient. Samsung additionally supplies its automated audio calibration which is able to regulate the sound in accordance with the setting of the TV. You’ll be able to after all edit from there.

Though that is of little or no concern to the typical shopper/part-time viewer, there are indicators that RGB OLED panels usually tend to burn out than the WRGB/WOLED panels utilized by LG. RTings.com addresses the problem on this video. Observe that burn-in solely happens when static content material similar to banners or logos are displayed for lengthy durations of time.

The Samsung S95C is a superb TV with room for enchancment

Everybody I do know with an S95C loves it. I might too, whatever the hardly ever seen processing artifacts and annoying Good Hub/One Distant interface combo.

That stated, if I used to be shopping for a TV and value wasn’t a problem, I might select a Sony A95K or LG Evo G3 over the Samsung S95C. That stated, value is an element for almost everybody, and all three of those TVs are improbable, so you may resolve primarily based on what’s on sale once you’re prepared to purchase. It is also value noting that none of them are extremely higher than the 2022 fashions they substitute, so you might discover some retailers providing nice offers as they give the impression of being to shut out stock.