The Samsung QN90A QLED is a flagship 4k LED TV. It's part of Samsung's 2021 Neo QLED lineup, which combines Mini LED backlighting with a quantum dot layer to display a wide range of colors at various luminance levels. The Mini LED backlighting helps the TV display deeper blacks as it has greater control over its local dimming feature, and it also gets very bright, enough to combat glare or bring out highlights. It comes with the Tizen smart platform, which is easy-to-use and has a ton of apps available to download, and the new remote has a solar panel in the back, so it uses sunlight to charge. It comes with a bunch of gaming features like variable refresh rate (VRR) support and HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, but only on one port, which is disappointing as you can't take full advantage of two next-gen gaming consoles at the same time.
Our Verdict
The Samsung QN90A is an excellent TV for any use. It's excellent for movies in dark rooms as its VA panel provides an excellent native contrast ratio and has a great local dimming to display deep blacks. It gets bright enough to combat glare and has fantastic reflection handling if you want to use it in a well-lit room while watching shows and sports. It also displays a wide range of colors for an excellent HDR experience. Also, it's amazing for gaming because it has variable refresh rate (VRR) support, low input lag, and quick response time for smooth motion handling.
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Excellent native contrast ratio.
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Great Mini LED full-array local dimming feature.
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Removes 24p judder from any content.
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Decent viewing angle.
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Incredible HDR peak brightness.
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A bit of blooming noticeable around bright objects.
The Samsung QN90A is excellent for watching TV shows in a bright room. It easily gets bright enough to combat glare in well-lit rooms and has fantastic reflection handling, meaning visibility won't be an issue. It has a wide viewing angle, so the image remains accurate when viewing from the side, which is great for watching shows with the entire family. Lastly, it upscales lower-resolution content like cable TV without any issues.
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Removes 24p judder from any content.
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Gets bright enough to combat glare.
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Fantastic reflection handling.
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Decent viewing angle.
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Some dirty screen effect visible in the center.
The Samsung QN90A is excellent for watching sports. Fast-moving content looks smooth thanks to its very quick response time, and it has a backlight strobing feature to help reduce motion blur. It's great for viewing in bright rooms thanks to its fantastic reflection handling and very high peak brightness. It has a decent viewing angle if you want to watch the big game with a few friends.
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Removes 24p judder from any content.
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Gets bright enough to combat glare.
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Decent viewing angle.
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Very quick response time results in smooth motion.
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Some dirty screen effect visible in the center.
The Samsung QN90A is amazing for gaming. It's packed with gaming features like HDMI 2.1 bandwidth and VRR support. Its 120Hz panel has a very quick response time, resulting in smooth motion, and the input lag is very low. It's great for dark room gaming thanks to its excellent native contrast ratio, but the local dimming feature performs worse in Game Mode than outside of it. Sadly, it only has one HDMI port that supports HDMI 2.1, so you can't take full advantage of both the PS5 and Xbox Series X if you connect them at the same time.
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Excellent native contrast ratio.
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Removes 24p judder from any content.
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Very quick response time results in smooth motion.
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FreeSync VRR support.
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Very low input lag.
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A bit of blooming noticeable around bright objects.
The Samsung QN90A is excellent for watching HDR movies. It displays a wide color gamut, and it supports HDR10+, but not Dolby Vision, so you can't take advantage of the Dolby Vision format in some streaming content. It gets bright enough to make highlights pop, has an excellent native contrast ratio, and its Mini LED local dimming feature helps it display deep blacks. It also has fantastic black uniformity, but there's still some blooming around bright objects.
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Excellent native contrast ratio.
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Great Mini LED full-array local dimming feature.
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Removes 24p judder from any content.
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Incredible HDR peak brightness.
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Displays wide color gamut.
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A bit of blooming noticeable around bright objects.
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No Dolby Vision support.
The Samsung QN90A is amazing for HDR gaming. It's excellent for gaming, thanks to its very quick response time and low input lag. It has native FreeSync support and G-SYNC compatibility to reduce screen tearing. In terms of HDR, it displays a wide color gamut and has incredible HDR brightness in Game Mode. It also has an excellent native contrast ratio to provide a great dark room gaming experience, but its local dimming feature isn't as good in Game Mode.
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Removes 24p judder from any content.
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Very quick response time results in smooth motion.
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FreeSync VRR support.
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Incredible HDR peak brightness.
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Displays wide color gamut.
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A bit of blooming noticeable around bright objects.
The Samsung QN90A is an excellent choice to use as a PC monitor. It has a very low input lag and quick response time to provide a responsive gaming experience. Thanks to its wide viewing angle, the image remains mostly accurate at the edges if you sit too close. You also won't have any issues in a well-lit room either, as it gets bright enough to combat glare and has fantastic reflection handling. Lastly, it displays proper chroma 4:4:4 with most signals, which helps it display clear text.
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Removes 24p judder from any content.
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Gets bright enough to combat glare.
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Decent viewing angle.
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Very quick response time results in smooth motion.
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Very low input lag.
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Some dirty screen effect visible in the center.
- 8.4 Mixed Usage
- 8.1 TV Shows
- 8.3 Sports
- 8.8 Video Games
- 8.3 HDR Movies
- 8.8 HDR Gaming
- 9.0 PC Monitor
- Updated Nov 20, 2024: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated Sep 11, 2024: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated Jul 17, 2024: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated May 02, 2024: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated Feb 13, 2024: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated Dec 05, 2023: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated Oct 12, 2023: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated Aug 09, 2023: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated Jul 24, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 1.11. With this update, we've added a new Upscaling: Sharpness Processing test and revamped our Blooming test so the scores and picture better match the real world experience. With this change, it was necessary to remove the Black Crush test. Finally, we've updated our usage scores to better align our scores with user expectations.
- Updated Jun 22, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 1.10. With this update we've revamped our Gradient testing, added a new test for Low Quality Content Smoothing, and expanded our Audio Passthrough testing.
- Updated Jun 07, 2023: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated Apr 03, 2023: We uploaded the brightness measurements and uniformity photos after running the TV for four months in our Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated Feb 24, 2023: Updated to Test Bench 1.9, modifying our Contrast testing and splitting our local dimming testing into multiple sections covering Blooming, Black Crush, and Lighting Zone Transitions. You can see our full changelog here.
- Updated Feb 06, 2023: We uploaded the brightness measurements and uniformity photos after running the TV for two months in our Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated Nov 17, 2022: We uploaded the initial brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
- Updated Aug 04, 2022: Updated to Test Bench 1.8, adding a new box for PQ EOTF tracking and updating our Color Volume and Color Gamut tests to better reflect real world usage. You can see our full changelog here.
- Updated Jul 14, 2022: Updated to Test Bench 1.7 with an updated HDR Brightness test that better reflects real world usage. We've also split the console compatibility boxes into separate PS5 Compatibility and Xbox Series X|S Compatibility tests. You can see our full changelog here.
- Updated Apr 28, 2022: We tested the TV with the PS5's new variable refresh rate (VRR) feature and confirmed that it's working properly. Since the PS5 only supports HDMI Forum VRR, this also confirmed that the TV supports that type of VRR.
- Updated Apr 25, 2022: We corrected a mistake in the image processing of the reflections photos. This error only impacted the published photo, and no changes were made to the score or results.
- Updated Mar 17, 2022: Updated review for accuracy and clarity.
- Updated Dec 21, 2021: We checked for an issue with colors washing out in certain picture modes.
- Updated Dec 16, 2021: Retested the SDR and HDR brightness after a firmware update.
- Updated Jun 18, 2021: We retested the backlight flicker with VRR enabled.
- Updated Apr 27, 2021: Updated the TV's firmware and retested the G-SYNC compatibility.
- Updated Mar 26, 2021: Review published.
- Updated Mar 23, 2021: Early access published.
- Updated Mar 12, 2021: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Mar 12, 2021: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated Feb 25, 2021: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 55 inch Samsung QN90A, and for the most part, the review is valid for the 65 inch, 75 inch, 85 inch, and 98 inch variants available in North America. There's a 43 inch variant, but it has a lower refresh rate and doesn't support HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, so it performs differently than the other models. Also, the 50 inch model has the same features but doesn't use the 'Ultra Viewing Angle' technology.
You'll also see it as the Samsung QN9, QN9D, or QN9DA at warehouse retailers like Costco or Sam's Club. Samsung's lineup is different in Europe, so this review isn't valid for the European QN90A, as the European equivalent is the QN94A, while the QN95A in Europe is similar but uses the One Connect Box. Below you can see the full model codes of each model, but keep in mind that the last six letters vary between countries and even different retailers.
| Size | US Model | Short Model Code | Refresh Rate | Variable Refresh Rate | Ultra Viewing Angle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43" | QN43QN90AAFXZA | QN43QN90A | 60Hz | No | No |
| 50" | QN50QN90AAFXZA | QN50QN90A | 120Hz | Yes | No |
| 55" | QN55QN90AAFXZA | QN55QN90A | 120Hz | Yes | Yes |
| 65" | QN65QN90AAFXZA | QN65QN90A | 120Hz | Yes | Yes |
| 75" | QN75QN90AAFXZA | QN75QN90A | 120Hz | Yes | Yes |
| 85" | QN85QN90AAFXZA | QN85QN90A | 120Hz | Yes | Yes |
| 98" | QN98QN90AAFXZA | QN98QN90A | 120Hz | Yes | Yes |
If someone comes across a different type of panel or if their Samsung QN90A doesn't correspond to the review, let us know and we'll update the review. Note that some tests, like gray uniformity, may vary between units.
Our unit of the QN90A was manufactured in February 2021; you can see the label here. You can also see a picture of our service menu here.
Compared To Other TVs
The Samsung QN90A is an excellent all-around TV with exceptional picture quality. It's an improvement over its predecessor, the Samsung Q90/Q90T QLED, mainly because the Mini LED backlighting provides brighter highlights. It's one of the best TVs we tested in 2021, but keep in mind that it's on the costly side, so only get this if you want the best picture quality possible, regardless of the price.
Also see our recommendations for the best Samsung TVs, the best QLED TVs, and the best 4k TVs.
The Samsung QN90A QLED is better than the Sony X95J, but if you really care about an accurate movie experience, some people might prefer the Sony. The Samsung has much better black uniformity and better contrast, but the Sony has a better local dimming feature, despite the Mini LED backlight on the Samsung. On the other hand, some people might prefer the Sony for watching HDR movies, as it tracks the EOTF more accurately, and many people prefer the processing on Sony TVs.
Overall, the Samsung QN90A QLED is better than the Sony X90J. The Samsung has a much wider color gamut, and it gets a lot brighter, more than enough to deliver a true cinematic HDR experience. It has better viewing angles because it has Samsung's 'Ultra Viewing Angle' layer, but this layer also causes a drop in the contrast ratio. That said, the Samsung's local dimming is significantly more effective at improving the black level. The Samsung has better response times, and unlike the Sony, its Black Frame Insertion feature can flicker at 60Hz in 60 fps content. It has FreeSync VRR support to reduce screen tearing when gaming, and it supports 1440p @ 120Hz on the Xbox Series X, while the Sony can't.
The Samsung QN90A QLED performs better than the Samsung QN90C/QN90CD QLED on a few tests, but overall, the QN90C looks a bit better, especially with HDR content. The QN90C has better tone mapping and tracks the PQ EOTF better, so HDR content looks better and is more accurate. The QN90C also uses a different panel type that natively has a wide viewing angle without needing additional filters, so there's no Ultra Wide Viewing Angle layer. It results in a slightly smaller viewing angle on the QN90C, but there's no distracting rainbow smearing from overhead lights.
The Samsung QN90B QLED is very similar to its predecessor, the Samsung QN90A QLED. The QN90B has a wider viewing angle but worse black uniformity and more noticeable blooming in dark scenes. Small highlights in HDR content in dark scenes are significantly brighter on the QN90B, so they pop more.
The Samsung QN90A QLED and the Samsung QN95B QLED deliver nearly identical performance; the biggest difference is their design. The QN95B's inputs are all housed in an external One Connect box instead of on the back of the TV. It helps deliver a cleaner setup, with a single cable going from the One Connect box to the TV, so it's easier to hide if you're going for a clean setup with no visible wires. The QN90A doesn't have this external input box, meaning your input cables have to be routed to the back of the TV instead.
The Samsung QN90A QLED is much better than the Samsung QN85B QLED for most users. The QN90A has a much better native contrast, so there's less blooming around bright objects in dark scenes, and it has much better reflection handling, so it's better suited for a bright room. On the other hand, whereas the QN90A only supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on one port, the QN85B supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on all four HDMI ports, so it's a bit more versatile, especially if you have multiple game consoles or a recent PC.
The Samsung QN90A QLED is much better than the Samsung Q80/Q80A QLED. They use different panel types, so the VA panel on the QN90A has a higher contrast, and the Q80A has wider viewing angles thanks to its IPS panel, but the viewing angles are still decent on the QN90A. The QN90A uses Mini LED backlighting, providing a better local dimming feature and allowing it to get brighter, especially in HDR, so highlights pop more.
The Hisense U8/U8H and the Samsung QN90A QLED offer very similar picture quality overall, but the Samsung has better processing and a wider viewing angle, so it's slightly better overall. The Hisense has better native contrast, and it has better accuracy in HDR, as most content is displayed at the brightness level the content creator intended. On the other hand, the Samsung TV has much better processing overall, so upscaled content looks a bit better, and there's less banding in areas of similar color. Thanks to its wide-angle filter, the Samsung is a much better choice for a wide seating arrangement, as the image remains consistent when viewed from the sides.
The Samsung QN90A QLED is a slight improvement over its predecessor, the Samsung Q90/Q90T QLED, mainly because it uses Mini LED as its backlighting. This allows more control over its local dimming feature, causing deeper blacks and higher brightness. The QN90A also doesn't have issues with local dimming in 'Game' mode the way that the Q90T does. Overall, they're very similar TVs with many of the same features.
The Samsung QN90A QLED and the Sony X95K are both high-end Mini LED TVs. Although they have many of the same features, the Samsung is a bit more polished overall with less blooming, higher peak brightness, and lower input lag for gaming. If you want a better all-around option, the Samsung TV is the better choice. However, the Sony TV supports Dolby Vision, so this is the better choice if you often stream content in Dolby Vision.
The Samsung QN90A QLED is better overall than the Sony X91J. While the Samsung is available in a range of sizes, from 43 to 85 inches, the Sony is only available in 85 inches. The Samsung uses Mini LED backlighting that allows it to get much brighter and have a better local dimming feature, so it's a better choice for watching HDR content. The Samsung is also a better choice for wide seating arrangements because it uses viewing angle technology to improve the viewing angles.
The Samsung QN90A QLED sits higher up in the lineup than the Samsung QN85A QLED, so it has better overall performance, but they use different panels. The QN90A uses a VA panel, providing a much higher contrast ratio to display deeper blacks. The QN90A also gets a bit brighter and has a slightly quicker response time, but neither should be too noticeable. On the other hand, the QN85A uses an ADS panel, so it has wider viewing angles, making it a better choice for wide seating arrangements.
Although they use different panel technologies, each with strengths and weaknesses, the Samsung QN90A QLED is much better than the LG QNED90. The Samsung has much higher contrast, significantly better black uniformity, and a better local dimming feature, meaning that it looks better in a dark room. The Samsung also has higher peak brightness and much better reflection handling, so it's better in a bright room, too.
The LG C2 OLED and the Samsung QN90A QLED are impressive TVs, and the best depends on your viewing conditions. The LG is a better choice for a dim or dark room, as it has much better contrast and no blooming around bright objects in dark scenes. On the other hand, the Samsung TV is a better choice for a bright room, as it gets significantly brighter.
The LG C1 OLED and the Samsung QN90A QLED are both excellent TVs, but they use different panels. The LG is an OLED with a near-infinite contrast ratio, nearly instant response time, and wide viewing angles. The Samsung has a VA panel, so it still has an excellent contrast ratio, but its viewing angles are only decent. OLEDs don't get as bright as LED TVs, and the Samsung uses Mini LED backlighting, allowing it to get exceptionally bright and making it better suited to very bright rooms.
Despite having a lower resolution, the Samsung QN90A QLED is much better overall than the Samsung QN800A 8k QLED. The main difference is the improved dark room performance. The QN90A displays a wider color gamut, has a much better contrast ratio, and it has a far superior local dimming feature, as there's too much blooming around bright objects with the QN800A. The QN800A is an 8k TV, but since there isn't much 8k content available in 2021, it's worth getting the QN90A.
The Samsung QN90A QLED and the Samsung QN900A 8k QLED are high-end TVs in Samsung's Neo QLED series, which use Mini LED backlighting. While the QN900A is an 8k TV with a price tag to match, the 4k QN90A performs better overall. The QN90A has a higher native contrast ratio and a better local dimming feature. It also gets even brighter in both SDR and HDR.
The Samsung QN90A QLED and the Samsung The Frame 2022 QLED are different types of TVs from different lineups. The QN90A is the flagship QLED TV, and while they both use QLED technology, the QN90A uses Mini LED backlighting and has a local dimming feature to provide great black levels and make small highlights pop. The QN90A also gets much brighter in SDR, so it combats glare, but The Frame has a different screen finish with fewer mirror-like reflections. They both have the same gaming features, but the QN90A has four HDMI 2.1 inputs, while The Frame is limited to one.
The Samsung QN90A QLED is better than the Hisense U9DG for most people. The Hisense has much better native contrast and a better local dimming feature, so it's a bit better for a completely dark room. On the other hand, the Samsung is significantly brighter, and it has better motion handling, with a significantly faster response time.
The Samsung QN90A QLED is better overall than the Samsung Q80/Q80T QLED. The QN90A uses Mini LED as its backlighting, so it gets significantly brighter and has improved local dimming, especially in 'Game Mode'. Other than that, each TV has the same inputs with HDMI 2.1 support. The QN90A is better for HDR content since it gets significantly brighter and has a slightly wider color gamut.
The Samsung QN90A QLED and the LG A1 OLED are very different TVs, as they use different panel technologies, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. The LG is a better choice for watching movies in a dark room, as it displays perfect blacks with no blooming, and has better uniformity. The Samsung is a better choice for gaming or for watching TV in a bright room, though, as it has a faster refresh rate, it supports advanced gaming features like HDMI 2.1 and variable refresh rate technology (VRR), and it's significantly brighter.
The Samsung QN90A QLED and the Sony A80J OLED use different panel types, but both offer amazing performance. The Sony is an OLED with a near-infinite contrast ratio, while the Samsung has a VA panel, so its native contrast is more limited. The Samsung uses Mini LED backlighting, and its local dimming feature allows it to produce exceptionally deep blacks. You may, however, notice a bit of blooming, especially when viewing off-angle, whereas the Sony has no visible blooming. The biggest advantage the Samsung has over the Sony is that it gets exceptionally bright, so it's better for bright rooms and can bring out more highlights in HDR.
The Samsung QN90A QLED is much better overall than the LG QNED99 8k, but they're different types of TVs. The Samsung is a 4k TV with a VA panel that has a much better native contrast. Its Mini LED local dimming feature is also much better, providing a superior dark room viewing experience. The Samsung gets brighter, so it makes highlights pop more in HDR, and it supports VRR. However, the LG can display 8k content and it has an IPS-like panel with wider viewing angles.
The Samsung QN90A QLED is better overall than the Sony X90K/X90CK. The Samsung delivers better picture quality than the Sony, with deeper blacks, less blooming, higher peak brightness, and a wider viewing angle. It also has FreeSync VRR support if you're a PC gamer. However, if you tend to watch Dolby Vision content from streaming services, the Sony TV supports it, which the Samsung doesn't.
The Samsung QN90A QLED is better overall than the Sony X950H, mainly because it has more gaming features. The Samsung has HDMI 2.1 support, allowing you to play 4k @ 120Hz games. It also has lower input lag and supports VRR to reduce screen tearing. In terms of picture quality, the Samsung uses Mini LED as its backlighting, so it gets much brighter and has a better local dimming feature in SDR, but the Sony's local dimming is better in HDR. Each TV has viewing angle technology to improve the viewing angles, but Samsung's is better, so it's a better choice for use in wide seating arrangements.
The Samsung QN90A QLED is a bit better than the Hisense U8G. The Samsung has better viewing angles, making it a better choice for a wide seating arrangement, and the local dimming feature is more effective at reducing black levels, improving contrast. The Samsung is also significantly brighter, but since the Hisense is also very bright, the difference is only noticeable with some content.
The LG G2 OLED is better than the Samsung QN90A QLED for most users. The LG has a near-infinite contrast ratio and perfect black uniformity, resulting in much better picture quality in a dark room, with no distracting blooming around bright objects. The Samsung gets significantly brighter, so it can better handle glare in a bright room, but it has worse picture quality and doesn't look as good as the LG in a dark room.
The LG G1 OLED is better than the Samsung QN90A QLED for most users. The LG has a near-infinite contrast ratio and perfect black uniformity, resulting in much better picture quality in a dark room, with no distracting blooming around bright objects. The Samsung gets significantly brighter, so it can better handle glare in a bright room, but it has worse picture quality and doesn't look as good as the LG in a dark room.
The Sony A90J OLED and the Samsung QN90A QLED are both excellent all-around TVs, but they use different panel types. The Sony is an OLED, so it has perfect blacks and an infinite contrast ratio. The Samsung, on the other hand, is an LED TV, and its use of Mini LED backlighting allows it to get exceptionally bright. The Sony may be a better option if you prioritize movies and picture quality, but the Samsung is a better option for gaming since it has lower input lag.
The LG GX OLED and the Samsung QN90A QLED are both excellent TVs, but they use different panel types. The LG uses an OLED panel that can turn individual pixels off, resulting in perfect black levels. It also has wider viewing angles and a near-instantaneous response time. However, the Samsung uses an LCD panel with Mini LED as backlighting, so it's much brighter, allowing it to make highlights pop in HDR. They both have a 120Hz panel with HDMI 2.1 support for gaming, but the Samsung has one HDMI 2.1 input, while the LG has four.
The Samsung QN90A QLED is better overall than the TCL 6 Series/R646 2021 QLED. They each have Mini LED backlighting, but the full-array local dimming feature on the Samsung has more dimming zones, so it produces deeper blacks in real content and has less blooming. It also has wider viewing angles thanks to Samsung's 'Ultra Viewing Angle' technology, but that means the TCL has a better native contrast ratio. The Samsung gets much brighter, especially in HDR, so it makes highlights pop more. TCL has one more HDMI 2.1 input compared to the Samsung, and even though it also has VRR support, its refresh rate range is more narrow than the one on the Samsung.
The LG B1 OLED and the Samsung QN90A QLED are both excellent TVs with different panel types. The LG has an OLED panel with perfect black levels, near-instantaneous response time, and wider viewing angles, and there's no blooming around bright objects. On the other hand, the Samsung has an LED panel that gets significantly brighter, making highlights in HDR pop more, and it doesn't risk permanent burn-in like OLEDs.
The LG GX OLED and the Samsung QN90A QLED are both excellent TVs with different panel types. The LG's OLED panel provides an infinite contrast ratio, perfect black uniformity, and wide viewing angles. On the other hand, the Samsung's LED panel gets significantly brighter, which is great for watching HDR content, and it doesn't suffer from burn-in like the LG. In terms of gaming, they each have HDMI 2.1 support; the LG has four HDMI 2.1 inputs, while the Samsung just has one.
The Samsung QN90A QLED is significantly better than the LG NANO90 2021. The Samsung is a high-end TV that uses Mini LED backlighting, so it gets extremely bright and delivers a more satisfying HDR experience than the LG. Even though the Samsung has a VA panel with a higher contrast ratio, it also has wider viewing angles than the LG, thanks to the 'Ultra Viewing Angle' technology. Also, the Samsung has a quicker response time, but they each have the same gaming features with HDMI 2.1 and VRR support. However, the LG is G-SYNC compatible, which the Samsung isn't.
The Samsung QN90A QLED is much better overall than the LG NANO99 8k 2021, but they have a few different features. The Samsung is a 4k TV with a VA panel and Mini LED backlighting that makes it get brighter, display deeper blacks, and have a better local dimming feature. The LG has a higher 8k resolution, and even though it has an IPS panel, its viewing angles aren't much better than those on the Samsung because of Samsung's 'Ultra Viewing Angle' technology. They each support HDMI 2.1 bandwidth and have 120Hz panels, but the Samsung has VRR support. The Samsung is also better for HDR because it displays a wider color gamut and has higher HDR peak brightness.
The Samsung QN90A QLED is better overall than the TCL 6 Series/R648 2021 8k QLED. They both have Mini LED backlighting, and the Samsung gets much brighter, especially in HDR, and it has a better local dimming feature because there's less blooming. the Samsung has better viewing angles because of the 'Ultra Viewing Angle' technology, so it's a better choice for watching shows or sports in a wide seating area, and it has better reflection handling. The TCL is an 8k TV, so it supports higher-resolution signals than the Hisense, but the Hisense also displays native 4k content better because it doesn't have to upscale it.
The Samsung QN90A QLED is a bit better overall than the Vizio P Series Quantum X 2020. The Samsung gets a bit brighter, and it has wider viewing angles thanks to its 'Ultra Viewing Angle' technology. The Samsung also has better gaming performance because there aren't any bugs with its VRR, it supports the PS5 with 4k @ 120Hz games, and it has a quicker response time. However, the Vizio has a better contrast ratio because it doesn't have any viewing angle technology.
Video
Test Results
The Samsung QN90A has a premium design that looks very similar to the Samsung Q90/Q90T QLED, except it's much thinner. It has a clean look with thin bezels that look good in any setup, and it's what you expect from a premium TV.
The TV is a bit wobbly on the metal stand, but it's not too noticeable. The center-mounted stand also elevates the screen high enough off the table so that you can place a soundbar in front and not worry about blocking your view.
Footprint of the 55 inch TV: 11.8" x 9.2".
The back is made of an etched plastic panel and there are tracks for cable management. The inputs are side-facing, but because they're set into the TV with a wall around them, they're hard to reach if you wall-mount the TV.
The Samsung QN90A is an extremely thin TV, even with the inputs built-in. It'll sit flush against a wall when wall-mounted.
The Samsung QN90A's build quality is fantastic. Although the entire TV, except for the stand, is made of plastic, it feels very solid and well-put-together. The textured plastic feels premium. There aren't any obvious issues or loose parts, which is what you'd expect from a high-end model. It's a bit wobbly on the stand, but that's because the panel is so thin and easy to move, and it won't be an issue unless you regularly move your TV around.
The Samsung QN90A has an excellent contrast ratio. Although its native contrast is lower than most VA panel TVs due to the 'Ultra Viewing Angle' layer, its local dimming feature helps it display remarkably deep blacks.
The Samsung 55QN90A has remarkable HDR brightness. Small highlights stand out the way they are expected to, but in SDR, large areas are less bright due to the aggressive ABL. Surprisingly, real content gets even brighter than the test slides, so this TV delivers an impactful HDR experience. Real scenes are brighter than the Samsung QN90B QLED, but small highlights in dark scenes aren't as bright.
The EOTF follows the target PQ curve fairly well, but the overall image looks brighter than intended. It has a slow roll-off at its peak brightness, meaning you won't lose details in bright objects. If you still find the image too dim, then set Contrast Enhancer to 'High' and ST.2084 to its max. This results in a noticeably brighter image, as you can see in this EOTF, but it doesn't change the peak luminosity.
These results are from the 'Movie HDR' Picture Mode with Local Dimming on 'High', and Brightness and Contrast at their max, with all other image processing disabled.
The HDR brightness in Game Mode is incredible. It's only slightly more dim than outside of Game Mode, and it's still bright enough to make highlights stand out in HDR games. There's no frame dimming with small highlights either, but you have to update the TV to its latest firmware to be like that.
The EOTF follows the target better than outside of Game Mode, but some bright scenes are still over-brightened. You can make it brighter by using the same settings as outside of Game Mode.
These results are with Game Mode enabled, Local Dimming on 'High', Brightness and Contrast at their max, Color Tone set to 'Warm2', Sharpness at '0', and Color Gamut on 'Auto'. There's a new Game HDR setting, and it's meant to optimize the brightness according to the content. It resulted in a less bright image than originally tested, but feel free to enable it if you find it looks better with your game.
The Samsung QN90A has outstanding SDR brightness, and it gets much brighter than the Sony X95J. It easily gets bright enough to combat glare in well-lit rooms. However, the Automatic Brightness Limiter (ABL) causes large areas of bright colors, like in a hockey or basketball broadcast, to be more dim.
These results are from after calibration in the 'Movie' Picture Mode with Color Tone set to 'Warm2', Brightness to its max, and Local Dimming on 'High'.
If you want the brightest image possible and don't mind losing some image accuracy, set the Picture Mode to 'Dynamic' with Color Tone on 'Standard'. It reaches 1,511 cd/m² in the 10% window using these settings.
The Samsung QN90A displays an excellent wide color gamut for HDR content. It has exceptional coverage of the DCI-P3 color space used in most HDR content. It even has decent coverage of the Rec. 2020 color space, which is important because more content will start to come out with this color space.
The Samsung QN90A has a great color volume. It displays bright and dark colors well, thanks to its high peak brightness and contrast ratio, meaning colors look vivid and highlights pop.
The Samsung QN90A has exceptional out-of-the-box accuracy, so you won't need to calibrate it for the best accuracy possible. Any white balance and color inaccuracies can't be spotted by the human eye, and the color temperature is close to the 6500K target. Gamma follows the target curve well overall, but dark scenes are too dark, and bright scenes are over-brightened, but neither are too noticeable.
The accuracy post-calibration is remarkable. Gamma now follows the target curve a lot better and the color temperature is even closer to the target.
You can see the recommended settings here.
This TV has decent gray uniformity. The edges of the screen are slightly darker than the rest of the screen, and there's dirty screen effect in the center, which gets distracting during sports. Luckily, uniformity is much improved in near-dark scenes.
The black uniformity is fantastic. It displays deep blacks, and there's only minimal blooming around the center cross with local dimming enabled. However, without it, the screen looks blue-ish, and there's a bit of clouding.
The Samsung QN90A has a decent viewing angle thanks to Samsung's 'Ultra Viewing Angle' technology. The image remains accurate when viewing from the side, but you'll see that the screen looks darker at really wide angles. Still, it's a good choice if you want to watch shows or sports with a few people around.
The Samsung QN90A has fantastic reflection handling. It handles external light sources well, but light scatters across the screen, creating a rainbow-like effect. It can be distracting during dim or dark scenes, as even indirect and dim light sources can cause this rainbow-like effect. However, it gets bright enough to fight glare with bright scenes, meaning they won't be as much of an issue.
480p content like DVDs is upscaled without any issues.
The Samsung QN90A uses a BGR sub-pixel layout, which negatively impacts how it displays text when using the TV as a PC monitor. You can read more about that here. The pixels look a bit blurry due to the 'Ultra Viewing Angle' layer.
The Samsung QN90A has an excellent response time. For the most part, motion looks smooth, and there's minimal blur. However, there's some overshoot in the darker transitions, which leads to inverse ghosting, as seen with the trailing letter R, but it's not distracting.
The Samsung QN90A uses pulse width modulation (PWM) to dim its backlight. It flickers at such a high frequency that you won't notice it. However, the flicker frequency drops to 120Hz in the 'Dynamic', 'Natural', 'Standard', and 'Filmmaker' Picture Modes, or if you enable the Game Mode or Picture Clarity settings, but it flickers again at 960Hz with VRR enabled. This low flicker frequency can cause headaches if you're sensitive to flicker, and it also causes image duplications with 60Hz content.
The Samsung QN90A has a backlight strobing feature, commonly known as black frame insertion, to reduce persistence blur. You can make it flicker at either 60Hz or 120Hz, and it helps reduce persistence blur, but it also introduces some image duplication. You can see that there's a duplicate R trailing the RTINGS logo. Note that the BFI scoring is based on whether it can flicker at 60Hz and 120Hz and not the actual performance.
The Samsung QN90A has a motion interpolation feature. It can interpolate 30 fps and 60 fps content up to 120 fps, known as the 'Soap Opera Effect'. It works properly in slow scenes, but many small artifacts appear when there are fast-moving objects on the screen. It can get distracting during busy scenes.
Due to the fast response time, lower-frame-rate content appears to stutter as each frame is held on longer. If it bothers you, try enabling the motion interpolation feature.
The Samsung QN90A automatically removes judder from all sources, and there aren't any settings you need to enable. It helps with the appearance of motion in movies, as each frame displays for a consistent amount of time.
The Samsung QN90A supports FreeSync VRR natively to reduce screen tearing. It works without any issues at its full refresh rate range. Although G-SYNC didn't work at launch, G-SYNC compatibility works, despite not being certified by NVIDIA, as long as you're on firmware version 1066 or higher.
The Samsung QN90A has incredibly low input lag in Game Mode. You can enable the motion interpolation feature in Game Mode, and although it increases the input lag, it's still low enough if you don't play competitive reaction-based games. Sadly, we couldn't properly measure the VRR input lag because it was giving us inconsistent readings. We experienced this with other TVs, and it's unclear whether it's an issue with the testing or the TV.
The Samsung QN90A supports all common resolutions up to 4k @ 120Hz. It also displays proper chroma 4:4:4 at every supported resolution, except for 1440p @ 120Hz, which helps it display clear text when you're using it as a PC monitor. Unlike other TVs like the Sony X90J and the Hisense U8G, this one doesn't have any issues displaying 4k @ 120Hz content properly. Samsung uses a different chipset than other brands, meaning you won't experience the same resolution halving issues.
Unlike Samsung's 2020 models, the Samsung QN90A doesn't have any issues displaying content from either the PS5 or the Xbox Series with 4k games up to 120 fps. It also has an Auto Low Latency Mode that switches the TV into Game Mode when launching a game from a compatible device.
Additionally, there's a new feature that you can access on Samsung TVs in 2021. If you hold the Play/Pause button on the remote, it brings up the 'Game Bar' page, showing you whether VRR is working and other useful gaming info. You can see what it looks like here.
Some owners have reported an issue with colors washing out in certain picture modes, like in Game Mode. We tried to reproduce the issue on our unit, but it's nowhere near as bad as other owners have reported. If you experience the same thing, let us know.
HDMI 4 is the only input that supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth. It's disappointing if you need to connect more than one HDMI 2.1 device, like if you have both a PS5 and Xbox Series X, so you can't take full advantage of them. You can connect an HDMI 2.1 receiver if that's the case, but you can't use the Xbox's VRR support. On the Samsung QN95A model in Europe, which comes with the One Connect box, there are four HDMI 2.1 inputs.
Both of the USB inputs are USB 2.0. It's also advertised to support ATSC 3.0, allowing you to receive over-the-air 4k channels in supported regions.
The Samsung QN90A supports passthrough for Dolby audio formats, including Dolby Atmos via TrueHD through eARC. However, it doesn't support any DTS passthrough, which is disappointing as many Blu-rays use this format.
The Samsung QN90A has an okay frequency response. It has a very well-balanced sound profile and gets loud enough for most environments, but it doesn't produce much bass.
The distortion performance is good. There isn't too much audible distortion even when playing at its max volume, but there's more distortion in the treble range when playing content at its max volume.
The updated 2021 Tizen OS interface is easy-to-use and feels smoother than previous versions.
There are ads on the home page and app store, and there's no way to disable them. They're not always there and may disappear at times.
Samsung's app store has many streaming apps available, and they run smoothly.
Samsung released a redesigned remote for the QLED TVs in 2021, with a similar design to 2020's Samsung The Terrace. It still has the same quick-access buttons as the previous model but with brushed plastic at the bottom. The remote doesn't use disposable batteries anymore, and there's a solar panel on the back so you can charge it that way or with a USB-C cable. The voice control with Samsung's Bixby does most common demands, like opening apps, changing inputs, and changing settings, but it can't search for specific content in apps.
There are buttons underneath the Samsung branding in the center to change volume, channels, source, turn the TV On/Off, and you can also navigate the menu a bit.
