Ahead of CES 2024, Samsung has revealed the latest additions to its QD-OLED TV range for 2024: the Samsung S95D and S90D. Although we’ve had no official release date or pricing information, we can be sure to expect that info in the coming weeks.
Samsung’s 2023 QD-OLEDs, the S95C and S90C, were two of the best TVs of 2023, both receiving five star reviews and awards at the TechRadar Choice Awards 2023. The S90C even de-throned LG’s OLEDs and was named our TV of the year. That’s a tough act to follow, so Samsung’s 2024 QD-OLED lineup comes with high expectations.
Samsung has confirmed details regarding the flagship Samsung S95D and S90D, both of which will be available in 55-77-inch sizes, and feature a couple of interesting upgrades. The first is that Samsung promises 20% more brightness, claiming that the S95D can achieve 1,600 nits peak brightness compared with the S95C’s 1,400 nits.
Another major announcement is the introduction of OLED Glare Free, an anti-glare screen coating that aims to eliminate reflections in bright rooms. This is being included with the Samsung S95D, but not the S90D (which will come with a matte screen). Samsung also claims it will have no effect on contrast or viewing angle. This could solve the age-old problem a lot of OLED TVs suffer from as OLEDs tend to focus on delivering accurate, jet-black tones and shadows, meaning they often lack brightness and can struggle in well-lit rooms.
Other than these two major announcements, the Samsung S95D and S90D are confirmed to support up to 4K 144Hz again, with FreeSync Premium Pro and FreeSync Premium capabilities on the S95D and S90D respectively for gaming. Both will also feature Samsung’s updated Game Bar 4.0, which introduces a new AI Auto Mode where Game Bar will automatically adjust picture and sound to suit the genre of game you’re playing such as RPG, FPS and so on
Samsung S95D and S90D: game-changing or more of the same?
The Samsung S95C was a huge step above its predecessor, the Samsung S95B, thanks to its better contrast levels, bolder colors and even higher brightness. The Samsung S90C also introduced QD-OLED at a more affordable price, with prices now even sitting around the same as a mid-range OLED such as the LG C3. This means the Samsung S95D and S90D have to exceed fairly lofty expectations.
The introduction of even higher brightness levels and an anti-glare screen (on the Samsung S95D) is a real game-changer for OLED TVs. A problem with a lot of the best OLED TVs is that even with higher brightness levels, such as the LG G3 with its MLA tech, reflections can still be an issue. So if these can be eliminated altogether, as we said above, one of OLED’s major setbacks is no longer an issue. Helped by even higher brightness levels still, the Samsung S95D could be the perfect OLED for bright rooms.
Samsung claims the S95D will achieve 1,600 nits peak brightness and if this claimed figure is correct, it would not only be the brightest OLED around ( we measured the Panasonic MZ2000 at 1,480 nits peak brightness), but also surpass mini-LED levels of brightness from the likes of the Hisense U8K.
But, delving deeper into the specs, the TVs seem almost identical. Both the S95D and S90D have the same speaker configuration and power output as last year’s models, the same gaming features and still no Dolby Vision. Now that’s not to say it’s a bad thing as both the S95C and S90C are brilliant TVs, but it almost seems like Samsung could have introduced something else to the mix.
Maybe there’s just a lot of expectation on the Samsung S95D and S90D as its predecessors did so much to innovate QD-OLED TVs. One thing for sure, though, is that with an anti-glare screen and higher brightness, the Samsung S95D could be the perfect TV.
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This post originally appeared on TechToday.