I know that the Samsung S95B QD OLED TV is from 2022 so why am I reviewing it now? For the very simple reason that when my fairly old LG LED TV finally died recently, the S95B is the replacement that I got. While Samsung released a number of successor QD OLED models in 2023 with better specs, this 2022 model, if you can find one, is a fantastic bargain. So, if you are looking for a great (not just good) TV on a tight budget, the Samsung S95B QD OLED is it.
QD OLED vs OLED vs LED
But first, a little history about OLED TVs vs LED TVs in general, and QD OLED specifically. For the longest time, if you want a TV that has the best picture quality, you go for an OLED TV. OLEDs have perfect blacks, better viewing angles, quicker response times and ultra thin panels. However, compared to LEDs, they are also significantly more expensive, not as bright, and susceptible to burn-in. Generally, if you are placing your TV in a room that has lots of sunlight or is brightly lit, you are better off with an LED TV because an OLED TV will look washed out. The other reason that an OLED TV may not be right for you if you are going to watch programs with static elements (i.e. the running ticker tape at the bottom of news/sports channels or games with HUD images) non-stop for hours, every day. These static elements may cause burn-in on the OLED display.
QD OLED on the other hand is a new OLED technology from Samsung that solves one of the shortcomings of normal OLEDs, the brightness level. QD OLED screens can match the brightness levels of most LEDs and at the same time, produce colors that are so unbelievably vivid and pure, it easily beats the best OLED TV has to offer. In other words, QD OLED offers the best of both worlds.
Up till 2022, Samsung did not produce any OLED TVs but was instead touting their own QLED (Quantum-dot LED) TVs as the better alternative. However, in 2022, Samsung released their first OLED TV using their brand new QD OLED panel, in the form of the S95B, with surprisingly very little fanfare. In my opinion, and the opinion of many TV experts, the S95B is superior to Samsung’s QLED line in many ways but it is not marketed as a flagship model as it should be. Though the pricetag was still relatively high, it was priced competitively when compared to LG’s OLED offerings. At the same time, picture quality wise, the S95B blew everything that LG had to offer including their then flagship G2 OLED model.
Why is the Samsung S95B QD OLED a great buy?
I have been eyeing an OLED TV for the longest time but cost has always been the biggest prohibition. Even the “cheap” low-end OLED models like the LG A series cost a whole lot more than LED TVs. As luck would have had it, I came across a great offer for the 55 inch Samsung S95B QD OLED at RM 4,700 (USD 1,000). Its original launch price in Nov 2022 was an eye-watering RM 10,500 (USD 2,200). Your mileage may vary depending on your country but I’ve been seeing similar deals elsewhere so happy hunting.
Granted, this is still a lot of money to spend on a TV considering you can get a decent 75 inch LED TV from the likes of TCL or Hisense for that price. As for competing OLED TVs, the entry level 55 inch LG A3 was selling for RM 9,000 (USD 1,900) and even the older generation A2 was selling for RM 4,200 (USD 900). In 2022, the Samsung S95B and the Sony A95K which uses the same QD OLED panel produced by Samsung, swept almost all the best TV awards. An award-winning flagship TV at this price is an absolute steal.
I’m not going to cover the nitty gritty details of the S95B as there are countless online sites and videos that have done a much better job than I can ever do. This review aims to answer the question if you should get an S95B today. The short answer is if you can find a good deal like I did, absolutely.
Of course, you will always find a better deal when settling for an older model. However, with this QD-OLED TV, the huge jump in picture quality over every single OLED TV ever released up to 2022 is what makes it such a sweet buy. Undoubtedly, if you value picture quality over screen size, you will be hard-pressed to find a better deal. Whether you prefer Samsung’s vivid Dynamic mode or the more accurate and cinematic Filmmaker Mode, I guarantee you will be delighted with this TV. However, do bear in mind that the S95B only comes in two sizes, 55 and 65 inch. The newer S95C series do come in 77 inch as well.
Besides being one of the best OLED TVs you can buy today, the S95B has a few other plus points as well. For one, it is a fantastic gaming TV that comes with 4 HDMI 2.1 ports, all supporting 4K 120 Hz. Furthermore, this TV is FreeSync Premium certified. If you own a PlayStation 5, an Xbox Series X or a gaming PC, you will appreciate these features.
Another plus point is that the built-in speakers are surprisingly fairly decent. Except for a little lacking on the low end, they actually come close to my old 2.1 soundbar. If you do decide to add a soundbar, the S95B comes with support for Samsung Q Symphony, a feature that combines sound from both the TV speakers and soundbar simultaneously. In other words, you can save on a sound system or at least hold off on buying one until a later date.
S95B cons to consider
As much as I love the S95B, it is not the perfect TV. There are a few things you might want to consider before you take the plunge like I did. Like all new Samsung TVs, the S95B runs Samsung’s Tizen OS. It has support for most popular streaming apps including Netflix, Disney+, Spotify and Amazon Prime. While Tizen OS is not particularly bad in any way, I find it less intuitive and requires a lot of button presses compared to Google TV. However, you can easily replace Tizen OS by adding a TV box of your choice like a Chromecast, Roku or Apple TV.
Another point to consider is the fact that like all Samsung TVs, the S95B does not support Dolby Vision. It only has support for the older HDR10 format and the competing free-to-use HDR10+ format. There are lots of information online on what the lack of Dolby Vision means and whether this will be an issue for you. Personally, I find that the contrast level on an OLED panel is so good, even non-HDR content looks really amazing. I haven’t watched enough Dolby Vision content outside of demo content at showrooms to make an informed recommendation but for me, it is a non-issue.
Alternatives to consider
Besides the Samsung S95B, there is one other QD OLED TV model that was released in 2022 – the Sony A95K. The A95K uses an identical QD OLED panel manufactured by Samsung. The main difference is that Sony TVs come with arguably better software processing especially when it comes to upscaling non-4K as well as SDR (non-HDR) content. If you watch a lot of such content, you may want to consider the A95K though if that is primarily what you watch, you are probably better off with a cheaper LED model. However, at launch, the 55 inch A95K cost a whopping USD 1,200 more than the Samsung S95B. For the best bang for my buck, the S95B still made better sense to me but it depends on the pricing you get in your area.
I am writing this review at the end of 2023. That means that in a few months’ time, the 2024 replacement models will be launching. And when that happens, the 2023 models will likely be discounted. If the price difference between the 2022 and 2023 models is small, by all means go for the newer models.
In 2023, Samsung launched the updated S95C as well as introduced the lower priced S90C line. QD OLEDs are so good that the S90C model swept most sites’ overall best TV of the year awards. While the S95C has better features, the S90C is the better buy overall.
The other contender for your money is the LG G3 OLED TV. While the S95B beat the 2022 LG G2 soundly, in 2023, LG made a dramatic comeback with the G3 by adding a new technology called MLA (Micro Lens Array) to it. This layer is made up of billions of micro lens that focus the OLED lighting thus greatly increasing the brightness to levels that even surpasses the QD OLED TVs. However, for color purity, QD OLED still reigns superior.
Conclusion
If you are looking for an OLED TV, I highly recommend going for an older QD OLED TV instead of a newer normal OLED TV, especially if the price difference is minimal. The 2023 models do have extra features that the 2022 S95B does not. For example, the new S95C has better brightness and the One Connect Box. Both are nice to have features in my book but not something I’ll pay more than double the price for. Ultimately, picture quality is the main criteria and the difference is negligible between the two TVs. I expect the 2024 models to have similar marginal improvements as well.
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