ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The QN90F TV has glorious image and sound.
- It is nice for streaming and leisure, with helpful show settings and options in tow.
- Not best for rhythm or precision platforming video games on account of response occasions.
extra shopping for selections
nov / 2025
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I just lately bought the possibility to work within the ZDNET Louisville testing lab, the place I examined the Samsung QN90F and noticed the way it carried out in real-world checks fairly than a fastidiously curated showroom expertise.
In comparison with the S95F OLED, which most individuals, together with ZDNET’s TV consultants, rank among the many high TVs of the yr, the Samsung QN90F has an image that is nearly as vibrant and detailed, in addition to barely higher object-tracking sound.
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For the worth, it is a greater worth until you are searching for options that solely the S95F OLED has, such because the OneConnect field. I ran the Samsung QN90F by means of a battery of checks to evaluate its efficiency in numerous functions, together with streaming and gaming. I additionally collaborated with our lab engineers to conduct Calman verification checks, evaluating the QLED panel’s capability to precisely recreate pictures in each RGB and black-and-white.
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In contrast to the S90F, which had a major blue shift in its shade checks, the QN90F favors hotter tones. This will make some scenes look barely oversaturated, and this impact could be exacerbated by the built-in blue gentle filter, which could be toggled on and off.
However I’d personally fairly have that than how lifeless they will look on screens that favor cooler colours. The nice and cozy shade shift was most noticeable whereas screening black-and-white movies, resembling Casablanca, which pushed every little thing towards a extra pale sepia tone that in some way felt extra applicable than the blue-gray of the S95F.
Learn extra: I tested the Samsung S95F OLED for a week, and I’m ready to give up my living room TV
The distinction can be pretty akin to the costlier OLED mannequin, providing you with deep blacks and sharp particulars that assist brighter colours pop. The QLED panel handles superb particulars nicely throughout all image modes, although the AI-assisted choice does make some pictures look barely fuzzy, particularly if there are characters shifting shortly or quite a lot of fast minimize edits. Nevertheless, the place the QN90F actually stands out when in comparison with the S95F OLED is in its audio.
I am unsure if it is on account of how razor-thin the S95F is, however the audio by no means sounded as full or as 3D because it may have been. The QN90F remains to be a skinny TV, however with extra room to create sound, you will take pleasure in a barely richer listening expertise, even with out establishing additional dwelling audio gear.
I in contrast each TVs by taking part in a couple of film musicals, Persona rhythm video games, and a wide range of music albums, and the QN90F persistently outperformed the opposite by way of sound high quality.
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In terms of gaming, the Samsung QN90F contains a devoted dashboard just like different Samsung TVs, permitting you to regulate enter latency, refresh charges, and choose gaming image modes tailor-made to your favourite genres. The enter latency was superb for many shooters and motion video games I play, like Ghost of Tsushima and Judgement.
Nevertheless, in the case of rhythm or platforming titles, it could actually change into irritating, as even with the bottom potential latency choice, a noticeable delay remains to be current, though it might not all the time be noticeable. Not sufficient to trigger frustration or vital points, however it’s one thing to bear in mind in case you’re doing one thing like an official pace run.
My largest criticism concerning the QN90F is that whereas it is simpler to place collectively than the S95F, the software program setup course of is tedious and time-consuming, with nearly countless privateness insurance policies, license agreements, and steered app lists to faux to learn or outright ignore till you will get to the house display screen and obtain what you really need.
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One other criticism I’ve is that there are not any superior image settings for adjusting shade temperature, sharpness, and distinction. You’ve 4 image modes to select from (Customary, Film, Filmmaker, and AI-Assisted), however none of them assist you to fine-tune any settings for a really customized image that works together with your house.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
All in all, the Samsung QN90F is a strong purchase in case you’re searching for a high-quality TV with glorious image and audio high quality, however do not essentially wish to spring for a costlier OLED mannequin. That is very true with all the vacation reductions that in this time of the yr.
With a hotter image and fuller sound, you get a barely extra satisfying expertise when watching older black-and-white movies, however some video games and films with a lot of colours would possibly look a bit oversaturated. (That is one thing you possibly can all the time modify in image settings, in fact.) It is an important worth for a QLED TV, particularly in case you can catch it on sale (because it usually is).
