Samsung, Sony, and LG all make glorious OLED televisions, however within the LCD area, manufacturers like Hisense and TCL are nipping at their heels, making it tougher to rationalize what is commonly a considerable premium.
That’s the market that Samsung and its QN90D finds itself in. If it’s going to ask consumers to fork over $2,700 for a brand new mini LED tv, it must carry much more to the desk than a model title. To that finish, Samsung put vital emphasis on enhancing the viewing expertise of the QN90D by juicing the brightness with out sacrificing shade accuracy, refining the standard of the on-screen image by means of a number of new applied sciences, and sustaining entry to cloud gaming instantly by means of the refreshed Tizen working system.
Loads of these options look nice on the aspect of the field however, fortunately, additionally they enhance the viewing expertise in the lounge too.
Samsung QN90D – Design and Build
Out of the field, the QN90D could be very simple. The stand, do you have to select to make use of it and never wall-mount your show, comes collectively shortly and simply with only a few screws. When orienting your cables, be sure to route the connections in order that they attain the correct aspect of the show, as the entire ports are over there apart from the ability supply, which sits alone on the left aspect.
Samsung hardly ever skimps on connectivity and the QN90D options 4 HDMI 2.1 ports, none of that are labeled outdoors of 1 being beneficial for gaming and one as eARC for HDMI-connected sound techniques. All 4 assist Auto Low Latency (ALLM), Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), and as much as 4K at 144Hz.
The again of the TV additionally consists of two USB-A connections, a LAN port, a cable enter, and an optical audio output port. The QN90D additionally helps Bluetooth 5.2 and WiFi 5.
I actually just like the look of Samsung TVs, and the sensation continues right here. The QN90D has very slim bezels that I hardly discover when watching TV and films, and the stand on this case is easy, sturdy, and oriented instantly under the middle of the TV. I choose this in comparison with the two-foot design seen on different TV designs, because it feels safer and it’s simpler to cover cables.
That final be aware is vital as a result of I might describe the cable administration on the QN90D as solely “nice.” While you may route the cables by means of the again of the stand, getting them there requires making an attempt to feed them by means of horizontally minimize slits on the again of the panel, which I’ve discovered to be a idiot’s errand. It’s an outdated design that has by no means labored properly and most cables are both too skinny or too thick to correctly match within the pre-cut slots. In the top, considered one of my HDMI cables was nonetheless seen, dangling off to the correct of the TV in an ugly manner.
Last be aware on the stand: it lifts the TV up simply excessive sufficient to suit a pleasant slim soundbar beneath. I’ve a Bose Soundbar 700 that I take advantage of for this check and that matches beneath simply sufficient, however in case you have something taller you’ll need to discover a completely different answer.
Samsung QN90D – The Remote
Samsung’s remotes are the only that I’ve examined they usually don’t deviate from that legacy right here. The QN90D’s distant stays the identical as on the corporate’s earlier televisions and options solely a handful of buttons. Because it’s so easy, some buttons must do double responsibility, so you’ll have to spend a while familiarizing your self with it in the event you haven’t used it earlier than.
The distant can also be solar-powered, so that you by no means have to fret about altering the battery. Just be sure to go away the distant face-down every now and then to maintain it charged.
Samsung QN90D – Software and UI
If you’ve learn any of my Samsung evaluations lately, that is the part the place I normally lament Tizen, Samsung’s customized TV working system. While I nonetheless don’t find it irresistible, Samsung did make some modifications to it this time round that considerably scale back how intrusive it’s and the way usually it auto-plays content material.
Previous Samsung TVs would default to taking part in some historical actuality present at virtually each flip, however this time round, the TV didn’t auto-play something at any level and I by no means as soon as discovered it foisting Samsung TV Plus onto me – massive thumbs up.
Tizen nonetheless doesn’t provide a deep stage of image customization although. Brightness, distinction, sharpness, and some image profiles can be found, however they’re very floor stage and under the requirements set by each different producer. Samsung additionally nonetheless doesn’t assist Dolby Vision HDR for what I can solely assume is the corporate’s continued refusal to pay Dolby its pound of flesh. That’s an actual disgrace, as a result of Dolby Vision is changing into an HDR customary and a few of the greatest content material is mastered to be seen in it.
Samsung has upped its recreation elsewhere, although. Through what it calls Daily+, Samsung is positioning its TVs to be the middle of a Samsung-connected dwelling. It brings collectively SmartThings, Health, Communication, and Workspace apps and has a brand new Workout Tracker in addition to a brand new telehealth service for pets known as Dr. Tail. As I don’t use some other Samsung units in my dwelling, these advantages don’t do a lot for me, however I think about them being very helpful to those that are totally invested in Samsung’s rising ecosystem of merchandise.
Finally, two different applied sciences value noting are the Real Depth Enhancer Pro and AI Customization Mode. The former sharpens foreground parts to spice up their visibility on display screen whereas the latter optimizes and upscales content material to make it look higher within the fashionable age. Sony has been doing one thing comparable for a while and now Samsung has a reasonably darn good model too. I discovered that 1080p content material seemed nearly as good as 4K, even from a couple of inches away from the tv, with restricted artifacting and pixelation. It’s an ideal add, particularly when it’s changing into tougher to compete with the likes of Hisense and TCL on panel high quality alone.
Samsung QN90D – Picture Quality
Those new software program options segue properly into the following part: image high quality. As with the previous couple of Samsung LCD panels, the QN90D mini LED show is, total, glorious. It’s able to reaching the eye-searingly vivid stage of two,000 nits, making it ultimate for placement in vivid rooms and for HDR content material.
The QN90D will get so vivid, my digital camera had a tough time metering the highlights after they have been set towards darkish backgrounds – the dynamic vary of its sensor simply can’t correctly meter what the QN90D is able to outputting, which could be very thrilling.
Beyond the brightness, Samsung additionally outfitted the QN90D with an anti-reflection coating that does a implausible job at mitigating glare, making the show much more ultimate for placement in window-lit rooms.
The HDR brightness optimizer guarantees to regulate the tone of the picture in real-time in order that display screen photographs are proven their greatest in any mild, and I can say that in my testing room, the panel seemed, typically, implausible.
That stated, whereas Samsung touts the off-angle viewing, it’s not nice. This isn’t an uncommon drawback for LED shows generally, however the QN90D loses distinction and will get washed out fairly shortly when viewing it from the aspect. For the very best quality, you’ll need to sit instantly in entrance of the panel.
Color-wise, out of the field, the QN90D was stable, testing at 97.2%, 76%, and 90.2% of the sRGB, Adobe RGB, and DCI P3 shade gamuts, respectively, with a mean delta E of 1.14 which is great. That low Adobe RGB rating will not be unusual for panels designed for televisions, but it surely does imply the QN90D received’t make a very good PC monitor for anybody doing color-critical work. These outcomes are nice out of the field and for many who care, skilled shade calibration will make it even higher.
I’ll say that earlier Samsung shows tended to lean inexperienced, however the QN90D truly has much less inexperienced than it does purple and blue.
The panel uniformity was superb outdoors of some less-than-ideal efficiency in three corners. This isn’t surprising and having a weak point on the edges is lots higher than seeing that uniformity challenge pop up in the course of the display screen the place content material spends nearly all of its time.
Overall, shade efficiency was what I might name “superb” and I seen no splotches, vignetting, or “soiled” areas.
Where the TV does have some noticeable points is on the subject of halo-ing. Bright objects like shapes or captions set towards a black background (like in the event you’re watching a widescreen film with subtitles) is not going to be sharp or distinct and as a substitute have a halo of sunshine round them, slowly falling off as they unfold out. This is extraordinarily troublesome to mitigate with conventional LED televisions regardless of what number of dimming zones they could have, so it wasn’t essentially a shock to see right here – I’m simply upset on the severity of the difficulty given the worth of this tv.
I additionally need to as soon as once more hammer the purpose that Samsung doesn’t assist Dolby Vision, which is changing into a bigger challenge as extra studios select to grasp within the HDR format – you must accept the conversion into HDR10+.
Samsung QN90D – Gaming Performance
While I feel Samsung TVs push distinction, brightness, and colours a bit larger than I feel is good for viewing tv and films, I actually have grown to love it on the subject of video video games. In Game Mode, the QN90D actually sings.
I examined Baldur’s Gate III, Apex Legends, and Destiny 2 on the QN90D and all three video games seemed and performed implausible. HDR made Baldur’s Gate III’s colours actually pop, whereas the excessive refresh charge at 120fps made player-versus-player interactions in Apex Legends and Destiny 2 look implausible. If you might be on PC, you may push your sign to 4K at 144p, in case your graphics card can deal with it.
Samsung’s Game Bar is again and it stays on-par with LG as my favourite method to shortly test what the panel is offering me from an hooked up console or PC. If a recreation says it’s sending me 120fps, I like to have the ability to confirm it and the Game Bar does that shortly and simply. There, it’s also possible to modify the VRR and total look of the Game Mode on a floor stage, do you have to need to refine how the QN90D shows content material. I say “floor stage” as a result of, as talked about, Samsung doesn’t provide you with a method to customise the look of the image all that a lot and that doesn’t change in Game Mode.
The QN90D continues Samsung’s glorious assist for cloud gaming by means of the supply of the likes of Nvidia GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming. You can entry your account, for instance Game Pass, instantly by means of the TV and play video games with an Xbox controller instantly by means of the QN90D with out the necessity for a PC or console. While it’s not the very best high quality image as a result of it’s being streamed by means of the cloud, I nonetheless keep that is very nice for youths and is a really cost-effective manner of bringing leisure right into a room.
How an image seems to be is, clearly, subjective, however I are inclined to assume Samsung is at its greatest for gaming. In 2024, that is considered one of my favourite panels to recreation on.
Samsung QN90D – Audio Quality
Samsung’s QN90D has what it calls Adaptive Sound Pro and Active Voice Amplifier Pro. The former makes use of onboard algorithms to find out the kind of audio being performed after which adjusting sound settings to make these come by means of as greatest as potential. The latter does what it appears like: focuses on voices to make them extra distinct.
The QN90D additionally provides Dolby Atmos and Object Tracking Sound, which means that even with simply the TV and no different audio sources, the QN90D will be capable to present some stage of 3D audio.
Look, you may’t battle physics, however Samsung does the perfect with the area it has accessible. The QN90D’s audio will get loud and distinct, however that doesn’t imply it sounds notably good on a regular basis. Voices are the place it excels, but it surely struggles with mids and lows as a result of, as you would possibly count on, there isn’t a number of room within the chassis of the TV to suit the drivers that would offer bass tones. For many, simply listening to what persons are saying on display screen is extra vital than mimicking a theater, and for these of us, what Samsung has carried out right here will suffice.
I, nonetheless, like a full vary, in order at all times I’m going to advocate you get a sound bar or sound system to offer an expertise that matches the visible constancy of the QN90D.
Samsung QN90D – The Competition
Samsung finds itself primarily competing with mini LED televisions from Sony, LG, Hisense, and TCL, though given its premium repute, extra doubtless the previous two. Sony’s Bravia 9 is equally priced for the 65-inch model however isn’t accessible at 55 inches just like the QN90D is. It’s the same state of affairs with the LG QNED90T which additionally doesn’t come smaller than 65 inches.
Hisense has a brand new U8N that’s much more inexpensive, is a serious redesign on the U8-series tv, and is lots cheaper. The identical might be stated of the TCL QM7 that’s coming later this 12 months.
In brief, Samsung is charging $2,700 for a 65-inch QN90D. That could be very costly and is breaking into OLED pricing territory. It’s not so good as an OLED both, so you must actually need the brand new options constructed round Samsung’s panel in addition to the intense brightness and glare resistance to see the worth in what the QN90D is providing. Hey, that’s what Sony’s been doing with its LED televisions for years now and continues to do with the Bravia 9, although, so you may see the place Samsung is coming from.
