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To try to better understand how long a TV should last, we're running 100 TVs through an accelerated longevity test for the next two years. We've just posted our 1-year video update with our latest findings on temporary image retention, burn-in, and more!

Samsung QN90B QLED TV Review

Tested using Methodology v1.11
Review updated Sep 05, 2023 at 10:57 am
Latest change: Retest Feb 13, 2024 at 11:44 am
Samsung QN90B QLED Picture
8.4
Mixed Usage
Value for price beaten by
: Samsung S90C OLED
8.3
TV Shows
Value for price beaten by
: LG C3 OLED
8.4
Sports
Value for price beaten by
: Samsung S90C OLED
8.7
Video Games
Value for price beaten by
: LG B2 OLED
8.1
HDR Movies
Value for price beaten by
: LG C3 OLED
8.8
HDR Gaming
Value for price beaten by
: Samsung S90C OLED
9.0
PC Monitor
Value for price beaten by
: Samsung S90C OLED
This TV was replaced by the Samsung QN90C/QN90CD QLED

The Samsung QN90B QLED is a premium 4k TV that replaces the Samsung QN90A QLED and is available in 43 to 85-inch sizes. This TV is part of Samsung's 2022 lineup, sitting between the Samsung QN85B QLED and the Samsung QN95B QLED. The QN95B is a similar TV with a One Connect box but a different processor. The QN90B features Samsung's Neo Quantum Processor 4k, and it uses Mini LED backlighting with over 900 dimming zones on larger sizes.

This TV comes with Samsung's proprietary Tizen OS smart interface, which offers a large selection of apps and games. The smart system has a few useful features, like the ability to control other smart devices and support for video calls with a compatible webcam. Besides that, it has gaming features you'd expect to find in a high-end TV, like variable refresh rate (VRR) support and HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, and the 43 and 50-inch sizes even have a 144Hz refresh rate.

Our Verdict

8.4 Mixed Usage

The Samsung QN90B is an impressive TV for most uses. It's great for watching TV shows or sports in a bright room thanks to its high peak brightness and superb reflection handling. It also upscales lower-resolution content well, which is important if your shows and sports aren't in 4k. It delivers an impactful HDR experience in a dark room thanks to its great contrast, impressive local dimming feature, and exceptional peak brightness in HDR, but it doesn't track the target PQ EOTF well. It also delivers an excellent gaming experience with low input lag, a fast pixel response time, and a slew of great gaming features. It's a fantastic choice for use as a PC monitor, as it supports most common resolutions, and chroma 4:4:4 is displayed properly, essential for clear text.

Pros
  • Bright enough to overcome glare in a bright room.
  • Image remains consistent at an angle.
  • Easy-to-use smart interface with a great selection of apps.
Cons
  • Some noticeable stutter in slow-panning shots.
8.3 TV Shows

The Samsung QN90B is great for watching TV shows in a bright room. It has fantastic peak brightness and superb reflection handling, so glare isn't an issue in bright rooms. It also has a wide viewing angle, so the image remains consistent from the side, which is great if you have a wide seating arrangement or like to move around with the TV on. The Tizen OS smart interface has a great selection of additional apps, so you're sure to find your favorite ones. Finally, it upscales lower-resolution content well, which is great if you have a collection of older TV shows on DVD.

Pros
  • Bright enough to overcome glare in a bright room.
  • Image remains consistent at an angle.
  • Easy-to-use smart interface with a great selection of apps.
  • Upscales lower resolution content well.
Cons
  • Some dirty screen effect.
8.4 Sports

The Samsung QN90B is an impressive TV for watching sports in a bright room. It has fantastic peak brightness and superb reflection handling, meaning it can easily overcome glare in a bright room. It also has a good viewing angle, so the image remains consistent from the side if you have a wide seating arrangement. It has a quick pixel response time, so fast-moving objects, like players, look clear, and it's easy to make out the action. It even upscales lower-resolution content well, so sports from cable boxes look sharp. Unfortunately, although it has decent gray uniformity overall, there's a bit of distracting dirty screen effect in the center of the screen.

Pros
  • Bright enough to overcome glare in a bright room.
  • Image remains consistent at an angle.
  • Fast response time.
  • Easy-to-use smart interface with a great selection of apps.
Cons
  • Some dirty screen effect.
8.7 Video Games

The Samsung QN90B delivers an excellent gaming experience. It has fantastic low input lag, ensuring your actions feel responsive with little delay. It also has an excellent response time, resulting in very little blur behind fast-moving objects. All four of its HDMI ports support HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, and it's fully compatible with everything the Xbox Series X and PS5 have to offer, including VRR support. Unfortunately, there's a bit of blooming in Game Mode when you have local dimming enabled.

Pros
  • Great contrast and an impressive local dimming feature.
  • Fast response time.
  • Exceptionally low input lag.
  • Supports all three VRR formats.
Cons
  • Some blooming in Game Mode with local dimming.
8.1 HDR Movies

The Samsung QN90B is a great TV for watching movies in a dark room. It has a great contrast ratio, and thanks to its impressive Mini LED local dimming feature, blacks look dark and uniform in a dark room. It gets exceptionally bright in HDR, so small highlights stand out incredibly well. It also has an excellent HDR color gamut and fantastic color volume, so HDR content looks vivid and lifelike. However, there are some downsides, as it doesn't track the PQ EOTF well, meaning the image appears brighter than the creator intended. It also has some issues with macro-blocking in low-quality content, like in compressed movies from streaming services.

Pros
  • Great contrast and an impressive local dimming feature.
  • Fantastic peak brightness in HDR.
  • Completely judder-free from all sources.
  • Easy-to-use smart interface with a great selection of apps.
Cons
  • Doesn't support Dolby Vision or DTS.
  • Some noticeable stutter in slow-panning shots.
  • Doesn't track the PQ EOTF properly; most scenes are brighter than expected.
8.8 HDR Gaming

The Samsung QN90B is an excellent TV for gaming in HDR. It delivers an excellent gaming experience with low input lag, a fast response time, and a slew of great gaming features, including HDMI 2.1 bandwidth and VRR support. HDR content looks incredible thanks to its exceptional peak brightness in HDR and great contrast, but its local dimming feature results in some blooming in Game Mode. It doesn't track the PQ EOTF properly, so most scenes are brighter than expected. On the plus side, bright highlights in games stand out well, and even large, bright scenes look good.

Pros
  • Great contrast and an impressive local dimming feature.
  • Fantastic peak brightness in HDR.
  • Fast response time.
  • Exceptionally low input lag.
  • Supports all three VRR formats.
Cons
  • Some blooming in Game Mode with local dimming.
  • Doesn't track the PQ EOTF properly; most scenes are brighter than expected.
9.0 PC Monitor

The Samsung QN90B is a fantastic choice for use as a PC monitor. It displays most chroma 4:4:4 signals properly, which is essential for good text clarity. It even has HDMI 2.1 bandwidth to take advantage of high-end graphics cards. It has a good viewing angle, ensuring the sides of the screen remain consistent when you sit close to the TV. It also has very low input lag, so it feels responsive when you're moving your mouse, and it has a quick response time, so there's very little blur behind fast-moving objects. Finally, it has fantastic peak brightness and superb reflection handling, so you don't have to worry about glare in a bright room.

Pros
  • Chroma 4:4:4 is displayed properly.
  • Image remains consistent at an angle.
  • Fast response time.
  • Exceptionally low input lag.
Cons
  • Some dirty screen effect.
  • 8.4 Mixed Usage
  • 8.3 TV Shows
  • 8.4 Sports
  • 8.7 Video Games
  • 8.1 HDR Movies
  • 8.8 HDR Gaming
  • 9.0 PC Monitor
  1. Updated Feb 13, 2024: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
  2. Updated Jan 05, 2024: Clarified that the smaller 43- and 50-inch sizes also support Motion Interpolation.
  3. Updated Dec 05, 2023: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
  4. Updated Oct 12, 2023: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
  5. Updated Sep 05, 2023: Updated text for clarity throughout to match the results after various Test Bench updates. Also confirmed that 1440p works with the PS5.
  6. Updated Aug 09, 2023: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
  7. Updated Jul 10, 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.
  8. Updated Jun 07, 2023: We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
  9. Updated Apr 25, 2023: We bought and tested the Samsung QN90C/QN90CD QLED and added a few relevant comparisons below.
  10. Updated Apr 03, 2023: We uploaded the brightness measurements and uniformity photos after running the TV for four months in our Accelerated Longevity Test.
  11. Updated Mar 09, 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.
  12. Updated Feb 24, 2023: Added the warehouse variant to the Differences Between Sizes And Variants section.
  13. Updated Feb 06, 2023: We uploaded the brightness measurements and uniformity photos after running the TV for two months in our Accelerated Longevity Test.
  14. Updated Jan 13, 2023: The Black Crush photo was too bright. We retook the photo and updated the score.
  15. Updated Dec 12, 2022: 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.
  16. Updated Nov 17, 2022: We uploaded the initial brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test.
  17. Updated Sep 23, 2022: We bought and tested the Hisense U8H. We've added a few relevant comparisons to this review.
  18. Updated Sep 06, 2022: Clarified that the rainbow-like effect in reflections is caused by the Ultra Viewing Angle layer.
  19. Updated Aug 22, 2022: Added that we tested the 43-inch model as a monitor.
  20. Updated Aug 02, 2022: We updated the text in the PQ EOTF box, as the results changed with our recent change in test methodology.
  21. Updated Aug 01, 2022: We discovered a flaw with the equipment used to force an HDR signal when measuring color volume and the color gamut. We've switched to a new tool and updated our measurements. The color gamut and volume have changed slightly.
  22. Updated Jul 28, 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.
  23. 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.
  24. Updated Jun 06, 2022: Updated text in Color Volume to better reflect its overall performance.
  25. Updated May 02, 2022: We updated the text with new information on the number of dimming zones. The 75 inch model has been confirmed to have around 900 zones, but we don't know how many zones the other sizes have.
  26. Updated May 02, 2022: Review published.
  27. Updated Apr 27, 2022: Early access published.
  28. Updated Apr 11, 2022: Our testers have started testing this product.
  29. Updated Apr 08, 2022: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  30. Updated Apr 02, 2022: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the 65-inch QN90B, and the results are also valid for the 55-inch (Samsung 55QN90B), 75-inch (Samsung 75QN90B), and 85-inch (Samsung 85QN90B). It's also available in 43-inch and 50-inch models, but they're a bit different as they support a higher refresh rate and have different screen coating; we tested the 43-inch model as a monitor. Note that with Samsung TVs, the six letters after the short model code (AAFXZA in this case) vary between specific retailers and regions and even between different retailers. The warehouse variant sold at Costco and other retailers is known as the Samsung QN90BD. There are no differences between the QN90BD and the QN90B, but the warehouse model comes with a five-year warranty.

Size US Model Short Model Code Warehouse Variant Refresh Rate Ultra Viewing Angle Layer Anti-Reflective Coating Dimming Zones
43" QN43QN90BAFXZA QN43QN90B 43QN90BD 144Hz No No Unknown
50" QN50QN90BAFXZA QN50QN90B 50QN90BD 144Hz No No Unknown
55" QN55QN90BAFXZA QN55QN90B 55QN90BD 120Hz Yes Yes Unknown
65" QN65QN90BAFXZA QN65QN90B 65QN90BD 120Hz Yes Yes 720
75" QN75QN90BAFXZA QN75QN90B 75QN90BD 120Hz Yes Yes ~900
85" QN85QN90BAFXZA QN85QN90B 85QN90BD 120Hz Yes Yes Unknown

Our unit was manufactured in February 2022, and you can see the label here.

Compared To Other TVs

The Samsung QN90B is an excellent TV overall, and it's one of the best 4k TVs with an LED backlight on the market. It's incredibly bright and versatile and fits well in almost any viewing environment. It also has an impressive selection of smart features and gaming features, so it's a great choice for pretty much anyone. While it's a fantastic high-end LED TV, it's still somewhat expensive, so if you're on a tighter budget and don't need the best performance, a mid-range TV like the Hisense U8/U8H is still a great alternative.

For more options, check out our recommendations for the best TVs, the best QLED TVs, and the best 4k gaming TVs.

Samsung QN90C/QN90CD QLED
43" 50" 55" 65" 75" 85"

The Samsung QN90C/QN90CD QLED is the replacement model for the Samsung QN90B QLED, and they each have their strengths and weaknesses. The QN90C has better tone mapping and tracks the PQ EOTF better, so HDR content especially looks better, despite the QN90B's better measurements on some aspects of picture quality. The QN90C also uses a different panel type that natively has a wider 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.

Samsung QN90A QLED
43" 50" 55" 65" 75" 85" 98"

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.

TCL QM8/QM850G QLED
65" 75" 85" 98"

The TCL QM8/QM850G QLED and the Samsung QN90B QLED are similar TVs, although the TCL is slightly better than the Samsung regarding contrast and brightness, making it the punchier TV overall. The Samsung does, however, have a much better viewing angle and better sharpness processing when upscaling low-resolution content, so it's the better TV to watch sports or TV shows with friends. It's also less buggy than the TCL, which is full of strange quirks.

Samsung QN95B QLED
55" 65" 75" 85"

The Samsung QN90B QLED and the Samsung QN95B QLED deliver nearly identical performance; the biggest difference between them 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 overall, 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 QN90B doesn't have this external input box, so your input cables have to be routed to the back of the TV instead.

Samsung QN85C/QN85CD QLED
55" 65" 75" 85"

The Samsung QN90B QLED is better than the Samsung QN85C QLED. The QN90B gets much brighter than the QN85C, but in practice, this isn't always noticeable as most content just isn't mastered to take advantage of such high brightness levels. The QN85C is the more accurate TV of the two; it respects the content creator's intent well. However, the QN90B is the more colorful TV, with a wider color gamut and better color volume, and it has much better reflection handling, although it does have some rainbow smearing.

Samsung QN85B QLED
55" 65" 75" 85"

The Samsung QN90B QLED is much better than the Samsung QN85B QLED. The QN90B has much better contrast, with deeper blacks and better uniformity in dark scenes. The QN90B also has much better reflection handling, so it's a better choice for a bright room, and it gets significantly brighter during most scenes in HDR.

LG C2 OLED
42" 48" 55" 65" 77" 83"

The LG C2 OLED is better overall than the Samsung QN90B QLED, but choosing one over the other also 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.

Sony X90K/X90CK
55" 65" 75" 85"

The Samsung QN90B QLED is better overall than the Sony X90K/X90CK. The Samsung gets brighter and has a better local dimming feature, so it displays deeper blacks with real content, meaning it's a better choice for well-lit and dark rooms. If you're also a gamer, the Samsung TV has a few more features like FreeSync VRR support. Lastly, the Samsung is better to use in a wide seating area because it has a wider viewing angle that makes the image remain consistent from the sides.

Sony X95K
65" 75" 85"

The Samsung QN90B QLED and the Sony X95K are both Mini LED TVs, but the Samsung is just a bit better overall. The Samsung is better to use in dark rooms as it has less blooming around bright objects, and even in bright rooms, it gets brighter. If you're a gamer, it's better to go for the Samsung as it has lower input lag and supports FreeSync, which the Sony doesn't.

Hisense U8/U8H
55" 65" 75"

The Hisense U8/U8H and the Samsung QN90B QLED deliver very similar picture quality overall, but the Samsung is a bit better overall. The Hisense has better native contrast, and it displays content closer to what 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.

Samsung S95B OLED
55" 65"

The Samsung S95B OLED is a better TV than the Samsung QN90B QLED. The main strength of the S95B is that it uses a QD-OLED panel to display perfect blacks and much brighter and more vivid colors than the QN90B, which makes the S95B the better choice for watching content in dark rooms. On the other hand, the QN90B is better if you need something for a really bright room, as it gets much brighter.

Samsung Q90/Q90T QLED
55" 65" 75" 85"

The Samsung QN90B QLED is a bit better than the Samsung Q90/Q90T QLED. The newer QN90B is a lot brighter, and it has better contrast with local dimming. The QN90B is also better for gaming, as all four of its HDMI ports support HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, meaning you can take full advantage of multiple consoles.

Sony X90J
50" 55" 65" 75"

The Samsung QN90B QLED is much better than the Sony X90J. The Samsung has much better reflection handling, and it's significantly brighter in SDR, meaning it can handle more glare in a brighter room. The Samsung also has better contrast with local dimming and much higher brightness in HDR, so bright highlights stand out better. Finally, the Samsung has a better viewing angle, so it's a better choice for a wide seating arrangement.

Sony X95J
65" 75" 85"

The Samsung QN90B QLED is better than the Sony X95J for most users. The Samsung has better contrast and a wider viewing angle, and it's significantly brighter, so small highlights stand out much better in dark scenes. On the other hand, the Sony TV has better processing, with better gradient handling and better tone mapping, so it's a slightly better choice for cinephiles. The Sony also has a slightly better local dimming feature, especially in 'Game' Mode.

Sony A95K OLED
55" 65"

The Sony A95K delivers a much better dark room viewing experience than the Samsung QN90B QLED. The Sony’s near-infinite contrast ratio delivers incredibly deep, uniform blacks and lets bright highlights stand out with no blooming. The A95K also delivers a more varied HDR experience because it can display a wider range of colors. On the other hand, the QN90B gets significantly brighter, so it's a better choice for a bright room with lots of natural light.

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Video

Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Curved No

The Samsung QN90B has a modern, sleek design, with incredibly thin bezels and a slim stand. The heavy central stand looks great and takes up very little space, but it doesn't prevent all wobble.

Design
Accelerated Longevity Test
Uniformity Pictures
Design
Stand

The center-mounted stand is quite heavy but small, so it doesn't take up a lot of space on your table. Due to the relatively small size of the stand, the TV tends to wobble easily.

Footprint of the stand on the 65-inch model: 13.3" x 11.2". The stand lifts the TV about 2.5 inches above the table, so some thinner soundbars fit in front of it without blocking the screen.

Design
Back
Wall Mount VESA 400x300

The back of the TV is mainly plastic, with fine horizontal etched lines that give off a brushed aluminum look. There are tracks along the back and the stand (see here), which help with cable management, but you won't be able to use those if you wall-mount the TV. Unlike the Samsung QN95B QLED, which uses an external input box known as the One Connect box, the inputs are in the back of the TV. This means they're difficult to access if you wall-mount the TV with a fixed bracket.

Design
Borders
Borders 0.35" (0.9 cm)
Design
Thickness
Max Thickness 1.06" (2.7 cm)
9.0
Design
Build Quality

The build quality is fantastic. The base is metal and quite solid, and the materials used feel premium. The back panel is mainly plastic and flexes easily, but this isn't unusual and doesn't cause any issues. The stand is extremely heavy, but due to its small size, it doesn't support the TV very well, so the screen wobbles easily.

Picture Quality
8.7
Picture Quality
Contrast
Contrast
73,455 : 1
Native Contrast
3,168 : 1

The Samsung QN90B has an excellent contrast ratio. With Local Dimming on 'High', it displays deep and inky blacks next to bright highlights in dark rooms. You can only disable Local Dimming in PC mode through the service menu, which we did for this test, but considering it has a low contrast ratio without local dimming, there isn't a reason for you to do this.

8.0
Picture Quality
Blooming

There isn't too much blooming around bright objects in dark scenes, like subtitles, but it's still there with the local dimming feature enabled.

7.0
Picture Quality
Lighting Zone Transitions
Local Dimming
Yes
Backlight
Full-Array
Dimming Zones Count Of Tested TV
720

The transition between dimming zones is decent, but it isn't as good as you'd expect from a high-end TV. The local dimming algorithm can't keep up well with fast-moving objects transitioning between dimming zones. While this isn't noticeable with most content, it can get distracting with fast-moving objects on dark backgrounds, as the leading edge is darker and the trailing edge has a bit of a halo effect.

8.0
Picture Quality
Contrast And Dark Details In Game Mode

Unfortunately, like most Samsung TVs, the local dimming feature in Game Mode seems to be spreading highlights out over a greater number of zones, so there's a bit more noticeable blooming compared to outside of Game Mode. The processing is also slightly slower, so zone transitions are more noticeable. However, it's mainly due to the increased blooming.

9.4
Picture Quality
HDR Brightness
Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
1,099 cd/m²
Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
1,222 cd/m²
Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
409 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
1,968 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
2,054 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
1,432 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
858 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
645 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
1,957 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
2,015 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
1,423 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
857 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
644 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.065

The Samsung QN90B is exceptionally bright in HDR. Small specular highlights are incredibly bright, so fine details stand out in any scene. Large, bright scenes are significantly dimmer because of the somewhat aggressive Automatic Brightness Limiter (ABL), but they're still bright enough for a good HDR experience. The display's brightness doesn't fade the longer highlights stay on the screen, which is great. These results are from after calibrating the HDR white point with the following settings:

  • Picture Mode: Movie
  • Brightness: Max
  • Contrast: Max
  • Local Dimming: High
  • Color Tone: Warm2

The 'Dynamic' Picture Mode is even brighter, reaching a peak brightness of 3,126 cd/m² with a 10% window, but it can't maintain those brightness levels, and the brightness decreases after a few seconds.

9.0
Picture Quality
HDR Brightness In Game Mode
Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
628 cd/m²
Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
793 cd/m²
Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
256 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
1,853 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
1,983 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
1,372 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
857 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
636 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
1,849 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
1,952 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
1,364 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
855 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
635 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.061

The HDR brightness in Game Mode is fantastic. While it doesn't get as bright as outside of it, it's still bright enough to make highlights pop in HDR for a satisfying HDR experience. These results are from after calibrating the HDR white point with these settings:

  • Picture Mode: Game
  • Brightness: Max
  • Contrast: Max
  • Local Dimming: High
  • Color Tone: Warm2
  • HDR10+ Gaming: Basic
  • Color Space: Auto

6.1
Picture Quality
PQ EOTF Tracking
600 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0526
1000 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0516
4000 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0480

Unfortunately, the Samsung QN90B QLED doesn't track the PQ EOTF properly, and most scenes appear significantly brighter than the content creator intended. There's also a very sharp cutoff at the TV's peak brightness, which causes bright white highlights to clip, so fine details are lost. It also behaves differently with different content, as content mastered at 4,000 cd/m² starts to roll off at lower peak brightness, and the TV's tone mapping kicks in earlier than with 1,000 and 600 cd/m² content.

There's some concern that some Samsung TVs detect when they're being calibrated or tested for a review and adjust the output to be more accurate. We measured the PQ EOTF with different window sizes and found that although it tracks the PQ EOTF accurately with more standard window sizes, it doesn't track accurately with real content.

PQ EOTF charts with different window sizes:

The EOTF performs similarly in Game Mode, but it gets even brighter than the target EOTF. You can try enabling Game HDR to get better PQ EOTF tracking, but it's still too bright.

9.3
Picture Quality
SDR Brightness
Real Scene Peak Brightness
1,197 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
2,037 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
2,120 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
1,430 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
859 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
612 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
2,018 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
2,079 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
1,415 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
857 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
611 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.068

This TV has fantastic peak brightness in SDR. It's bright enough to overcome glare in any room, even if you have a lot of windows or lights. Like in HDR, large, bright areas are dimmer due to its ABL, which means that some content, like sports, is dimmer, but it's still incredibly bright.

These measurements are from after calibration, in the 'Movie' Picture Mode with Brightness at its max, Local Dimming on 'High', and the Color Tone set to 'Warm2'.

8.6
Picture Quality
Color Gamut
Wide Color Gamut
Yes
DCI P3 xy
94.42%
DCI P3 uv
95.63%
Rec 2020 xy
71.76%
Rec 2020 uv
79.68%

This TV has an excellent color gamut. It has fantastic coverage of the DCI-P3 color space used by most current HDR content, so images look vivid and lifelike. It has decent coverage of the wider Rec. 2020 color space, and the tone mapping is good, ensuring fine details are preserved and easy to see in areas of vibrant, saturated color.

9.1
Picture Quality
Color Volume
1,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage ITP
88.7%
10,000 cd/m² Rec 2020 Coverage ITP
52.1%
White Luminance
2,042 cd/m²
Red Luminance
425 cd/m²
Green Luminance
1,539 cd/m²
Blue Luminance
115 cd/m²
Cyan Luminance
1,654 cd/m²
Magenta Luminance
537 cd/m²
Yellow Luminance
1,955 cd/m²

The color volume is fantastic. Most colors are displayed well at various brightness levels, and colors are just as bright as pure white. Thanks to its high contrast ratio, dark saturated colors are displayed well, but it isn't as good as an OLED.

7.8
Picture Quality
Pre Calibration
White Balance dE
3.57
Color dE
1.74
Gamma
2.20
Color Temperature
6,201 K
Picture Mode
Movie
Color Temp Setting
Warm 2
Gamma Setting
2.2

The Samsung QN90B has good accuracy before calibration. Colors have excellent accuracy overall, but some colors are still off. The color temperature is on the warm side, but it isn't bad enough to be noticeable. The white balance is okay, but brighter shades of gray are off. Gamma is close to the 2.2 target for a moderately lit room, but bright scenes are a bit too bright.

9.6
Picture Quality
Post Calibration
White Balance dE
0.41
Color dE
0.60
Gamma
2.23
Color Temperature
6,507 K
White Balance Calibration
20 point
Color Calibration
Yes

This TV is easy to calibrate and has fantastic accuracy after calibration. All issues are fixed, except bright scenes are slightly too dark now.

You can see our full calibration settings here.

7.4
Picture Quality
Gray Uniformity
50% Std. Dev.
2.348%
50% DSE
0.210%
5% Std. Dev.
0.416%
5% DSE
0.091%

The Samsung QN90B has decent gray uniformity overall. There are a few patchy spots near the center, which is a bit distracting when watching sports. The sides of the screen are also a bit darker than the center, but this isn't very noticeable with normal content. Gray uniformity in near-black scenes is much better, with no noticeable issues.

8.9
Picture Quality
Black Uniformity
Std. Dev.
0.537%
Native Std. Dev.
1.225%

This TV has amazing black uniformity with Local Dimming on 'High'. It displays deep blacks, but there's still some blooming around bright objects on dark backgrounds. Although you can only disable Local Dimming through the service menu, we still did so for testing, and black uniformity is worse with it off as blacks look blue and there's clouding throughout.

7.7
Picture Quality
Viewing Angle
Color Washout
29°
Color Shift
47°
Brightness Loss
45°
Black Level Raise
70°
Gamma Shift
47°

The Samsung QN90B has a good viewing angle. It's great if you have a wide seating arrangement or like to move around with the TV on, as the image remains consistent at an angle. The 43-inch and 50-inch models lack Samsung's Ultra Viewing Angle Layer, so they have a worse viewing angle. You can see the viewing angle of the 43-inch model here.

9.1
Picture Quality
Reflections
Screen Finish
Glossy
Total Reflections
1.7%
Indirect Reflections
1.0%
Calculated Direct Reflections
0.8%

The Samsung QN90B Neo QLED TV has superb reflection handling. The glossy coating significantly reduces the intensity of direct reflections, so glare isn't as distracting. Sadly, like other TVs with the Ultra Viewing Angle layer, there's a rainbow-like effect that scatters across the screen, but the 43 and 50-inch models don't have this layer and don't have this rainbow-like issue, as you can see here. The replacement model in Samsung's 2023 lineup, the Samsung QN90C/QN90CD QLED, doesn't have the same rainbow smearing on it.

8.5
Picture Quality
HDR Native Gradient
100% Black to 50% Gray
8.0
50% Gray to 100% White
10
100% Black to 50% Red
10
50% Red to 100% Red
10
100% Black to 50% Green
6.0
50% Green to 100% Green
8.0
100% Black to 50% Blue
10
50% Blue to 100% Blue
6.0

This TV has excellent gradient handling. You won't notice any banding with most content besides some minor banding in dark blues and greens.

6.3
Picture Quality
Low-Quality Content Smoothing
Smoothing
6.0
Detail Preservation
7.0

The TV struggles with smoothing out low-quality content, like streaming sources that use compression. It loses details, and there's macro-blocking in dark areas, which is disappointing for a high-end TV.

7.5
Picture Quality
Upscaling: Sharpness Processing

The Samsung QN90B upscales low-resolution content well, like if you're watching DVDs or cable TV. Some text can look blurry, but for the most part, it keeps details well. The recommended settings are with Picture Clarity off and Sharpness at '5'.

Picture Quality
Pixels
Subpixel Layout
BGR
Type LED
Sub-Type
VA

The Samsung QN90B QLED TV uses a BGR sub-pixel layout, negatively impacting 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.

Motion
8.8
Motion
Response Time
80% Response Time
3.3 ms
100% Response Time
7.9 ms

The Samsung QN90B has an excellent pixel response time. Most transitions are extremely quick, resulting in a short blur trail behind fast-moving objects. There's still some noticeable persistence blur, and there's overshoot in some dark transitions. This causes some inverse ghosting, but it isn't very noticeable.

9.9
Motion
Flicker-Free
Flicker-Free
No
PWM Dimming Frequency
960 Hz

This TV uses pulse width modulation (PWM) to dim its backlight, and the flicker frequency varies between picture modes and with certain settings. In 'Movie' mode, with the backlight set between '46' and the max of '50', the backlight flickers at 120Hz. However, it increases to 960Hz with a backlight setting below '46'. 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. This low flicker frequency can cause headaches if you're sensitive to flicker, and it also causes image duplications with 60Hz content.

Motion
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
Optional BFI
Yes
Min Flicker For 60 fps
60 Hz
60Hz For 60 fps
Yes
120Hz For 120 fps
Yes
Min Flicker for 60 fps in Game Mode
60 Hz

The Samsung QN90B Neo QLED has an optional backlight strobing feature, commonly known as BFI. This feature reduces persistence blur caused by the TV's fast response time. It works at both 60Hz and 120Hz, but the timing is a bit off, causing a duplicated image.

Motion
Motion Interpolation
Motion Interpolation (30 fps)
Yes
Motion Interpolation (60 fps)
Yes

This TV has a feature to increase the frame rate of low-frame-rate content up to 120Hz. It's okay overall on this TV, but it looks best in slow-paced scenes. In busy scenes with a lot of action, it doesn't look very good, and there are a lot of artifacts. Unlike some TVs, which stop interpolating when they can't keep up, this one keeps going, so there are more and more artifacts in busy scenes. Even the smaller sizes, like the 43-inch QN90B, support motion interpolation with 30 fps and 60 fps content and perform like the larger sizes.

6.3
Motion
Stutter
Frame Hold Time @ 24 fps
33.8 ms
Frame Hold Time @ 60 fps
8.8 ms

Due to this TV's quick pixel response time, low frame rate content, like movies, appears to stutter. It's mainly noticeable in slow panning shots. If this bothers you, the optional motion interpolation or backlight strobing features can help, but those features create other issues, so there's no perfect solution.

10
Motion
24p Judder
Judder-Free 24p
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via 60p
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via 60i
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via Native Apps
Yes

This TV automatically removes judder from all sources; no additional settings are needed. It's great for watching movies, as motion appears smooth.

9.4
Motion
Variable Refresh Rate
Native Refresh Rate
120 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
Yes
HDMI Forum VRR
Yes
FreeSync
Yes
G-SYNC Compatible
Yes
4k VRR Maximum
120 Hz
4k VRR Minimum
< 20 Hz
1080p VRR Maximum
120 Hz
1080p VRR Minimum
< 20 Hz
1440p VRR Maximum
120 Hz
1440p VRR Minimum
< 20 Hz
VRR + Local Dimming Yes

The Samsung QN90B is compatible with all three variable refresh rate formats and works across a very wide refresh rate range. Low Frame Rate Compensation (LFC) automatically engages at low refresh rates, multiplying frames to ensure a tear-free gaming experience even at very low frame rates. Note that the 43-inch and 50-inch models have a max refresh rate of 144Hz. You can read the review of the 43-inch model as a monitor here.

Inputs
9.6
Inputs
Input Lag
1080p @ 60Hz
11.1 ms
1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
89.2 ms
1080p @ 120Hz
5.9 ms
1080p @ 144Hz
N/A
1440p @ 60Hz
10.9 ms
1440p @ 120Hz
6.0 ms
1440p @ 144Hz
N/A
4k @ 60Hz
11.0 ms
4k @ 60Hz + 10-Bit HDR
11.0 ms
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
10.6 ms
4k @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
79.2 ms
4k @ 60Hz With Interpolation
24.4 ms
4k @ 120Hz
5.9 ms
4k @ 144Hz
N/A
8k @ 60Hz
N/A

The Samsung QN90B has very low input lag in Game Mode. This results in a very responsive gaming experience, ensuring your actions align with what you see on screen. If you're a fan of motion interpolation, Samsung's Game Motion Plus feature allows you to interpolate low frame rate games, improving motion clarity without adding much input lag. With the setting at its max, there's higher input lag than with it disabled, but it's still good for casual gamers.

9.6
Inputs
Supported Resolutions
Resolution 4k
480p @ 59.94Hz (Widescreen)
Yes
720p @ 59.94Hz
Yes
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
1080p @ 144Hz
No
1440p @ 60Hz
Yes
1440p @ 120Hz
Yes
1440p @ 144Hz
No
4k @ 60Hz
Yes
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
Yes
4k @ 120Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
4k @ 144Hz
No
8k @ 30Hz or 24Hz
No
8k @ 60Hz
No

This TV supports all common resolutions up to 4k @ 120Hz. Except for 1440p @ 120Hz, all supported formats display chroma 4:4:4 signals properly, which is essential for clear text from a PC. 4k @ 120Hz signals are displayed properly, with no resolution-halving or other issues.

Inputs
PS5 Compatibility
Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
Yes
1440p @ 120Hz
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
HDR
Yes
VRR
Yes

The Samsung QN90B is fully compatible with the PS5, as there are no issues. It also works with Sony's variable refresh rate feature on the console.

Inputs
Xbox Series X|S Compatibility
Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
Yes
1440p @ 120Hz
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
HDR
Yes
VRR
Yes

There aren't any compatibility issues with the Xbox Series X|S.

Inputs
Inputs Specifications
HDR10
Yes
HDR10+
Yes
Dolby Vision
No
HLG
Yes
HDMI 2.0 Full Bandwidth
Yes (HDMI 1,2,3,4)
HDMI 2.1 Class Bandwidth
Yes (HDMI 1,2,3,4)
CEC Yes
HDCP 2.2 Yes (HDMI 1,2,3,4)
ATSC Tuner
3.0 (NEXTGEN TV)
USB 3.0
No
Variable Analog Audio Out No
Wi-Fi Support Yes (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)

Unlike the 2021 Samsung TVs, this one supports HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on all four HDMI ports. It's great, as it gives you the flexibility to connect multiple high-bandwidth devices, like if you have both the PS5 and Xbox Series X. Unfortunately, it doesn't support Dolby Vision, which is a common HDR format, but it supports the similar, yet less common, HDR10+ format.

Inputs
Input Photos
Inputs
Total Inputs
HDMI 4
USB 2
Digital Optical Audio Out 1
Analog Audio Out 3.5mm 0
Analog Audio Out RCA 0
Component In 0
Composite In 0
Tuner (Cable/Ant) 1
Ethernet 1
DisplayPort 0
IR In 0
Inputs
Audio Passthrough
ARC/eARC Port
eARC
eARC: Dolby Atmos Over Dolby Digital Plus
Yes
eARC: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Yes
eARC: LPCM 7.1 Over Dolby MAT
Yes
eARC: Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Yes
eARC: DTS:X Over DTS-HD MA
No
eARC: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
No
eARC: LPCM Channels (Bitstream)
7.1
ARC: Dolby Digital 5.1
Yes
ARC: DTS 5.1
No
Optical: Dolby Digital 5.1
Yes
Optical: DTS 5.1
No

The Samsung QN90B supports eARC, allowing it to pass uncompressed high-quality audio from a connected source to your soundbar or home theater system. Sadly, it doesn't support DTS formats, which is disappointing, as many UHD Blu-rays use DTS for their lossless audio tracks. If you want a TV supporting DTS, check out the Sony X90K/X90CK.

Sound Quality
7.0
Sound Quality
Frequency Response
Low-Frequency Extension
95.14 Hz
Std. Dev. @ 70
3.18 dB
Std. Dev. @ 80
3.45 dB
Std. Dev. @ Max
5.15 dB
Max
90.3 dB SPL
Dynamic Range Compression
4.57 dB

This TV has a decent frequency response. The low-frequency extension, or LFE, is high, so it can't produce much thump or rumble, but this is normal for TVs. The frequency response above the LFE is well-balanced at moderate listening levels. However, there's a noticeable dip in the treble range at max volume, making dialogue harder to understand. It has an optional room correction feature, which was enabled for these measurements.

6.8
Sound Quality
Distortion
Weighted THD @ 80
0.204
Weighted THD @ Max
0.771
IMD @ 80
2.01%
IMD @ Max
9.49%

The Samsung QN90B has decent distortion performance. There's very little harmonic distortion in the treble range at a moderate listening level, but it increases slightly at max volume.

Smart Features
8.5
Smart Features
Interface
Smart OS Tizen
Version 2022
Ease of Use
Easy
Smoothness
Very Smooth
Time Taken to Select YouTube
2 s
Time Taken to Change Backlight
5 s
Advanced Options
Many

The 2022 version of Tizen OS is fast and easy to use. The interface now fills the entire screen instead of the bar that appeared in the previous version. It makes it easier to find your favorite content.

0
Smart Features
Ad-Free
Ads
Yes
Opt-out
No
Suggested Content in Home
Yes
Opt-out of Suggested Content
No

Unfortunately, like most TVs on the market, there are ads throughout the interface, and there's no option to disable them completely. They're not always present, though; there weren't any when we took photos of the interface.

8.5
Smart Features
Apps and Features
App Selection
Great
App Smoothness
Average
Cast Capable
Yes
USB Drive Playback
Yes
USB Drive HDR Playback
Yes
HDR in Netflix
Yes
HDR in YouTube
Yes

The included apps cover most of the common streaming services, and a great selection of additional apps is available in Samsung's app store. It's also compatible with Google Duo, which supports video calls with up to 32 people by connecting a compatible webcam to the TV.

8.5
Smart Features
Remote
Size
Small
Voice Control
Many Features
CEC Menu Control
Yes
Other Smart Features
Yes
Remote App Samsung SmartThings

The remote is slim and easy to use but has a limited selection of buttons, so you have to change most things through menus on the TV. There are four quick-access buttons for the most popular streaming services; unfortunately, there's no way to remap these to your favorites. You can recharge the remote via a solar panel on the back or with a USB-C cable (sold separately).

The Samsung QN90B is compatible with multiple voice assistants, including Bixby, Google Assistant, and Alexa, but you have to use the remote as it doesn't have a hands-free mode. Voice controls work well and allow you to launch apps, change inputs, or adjust certain settings.

Smart Features
TV Controls

The controls are beneath the Samsung branding on the bottom right side of the TV. A single button lets you power the TV on/off and change channels, volume, and inputs.

Smart Features
In The Box

  • Power cable
  • Remote control
  • User guide

Smart Features
Misc
Power Consumption 61 W
Power Consumption (Max) 175 W
Firmware 1204