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I recently got the chance to work in the ZDNET Louisville testing lab, where I tested the Samsung QN90F and saw how it performed in real-world tests rather than a carefully curated showroom experience.
Compared to the S95F OLED, which most people, including ZDNET's TV experts, rank among the top TVs of the year, the Samsung QN90F has a picture that's almost as vibrant and detailed, as well as slightly better object-tracking sound.
Also: The best Samsung TVs you can buy
For the price, it's a better value unless you're looking for features that only the S95F OLED has, such as the OneConnect box. I ran the Samsung QN90F through a battery of tests to assess its performance in various applications, including streaming and gaming. I also collaborated with our lab engineers to conduct Calman verification tests, evaluating the QLED panel's ability to accurately recreate images in both RGB and black-and-white.
Unlike the S90F, which had a significant blue shift in its color tests, the QN90F favors warmer tones. This can make some scenes look slightly oversaturated, and this effect can be exacerbated by the integrated blue light filter, which can be toggled on and off.
But I would personally rather have that than how lifeless they can look on screens that favor cooler colors. The warm color shift was most noticeable while screening black-and-white films, such as Casablanca, which pushed everything toward a more pale sepia tone that somehow felt more appropriate than the blue-gray of the S95F.
Read more: I tested the Samsung S95F OLED for a week, and I'm ready to give up my living room TV
The contrast is also fairly comparable to the more expensive OLED model, giving you deep blacks and sharp details that help brighter colors pop. The QLED panel handles fine details well across all picture modes, though the AI-assisted option does make some images look slightly fuzzy, especially if there are characters moving quickly or a lot of quick cut edits. However, where the QN90F really stands out when compared to the S95F OLED is in its audio.
Adam Breeden/ZDNET
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