Samsung S90C OLED  TV Review

Reviewed Jun 08, 2023 at 11:23am
Retest May 02, 2024 at 03:47pm
Tested using Methodology v1.11 
Samsung S90C OLED
9.0
Mixed Usage 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

8.6
TV Shows 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

8.9
Sports 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

9.4
Video Games 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

8.9
HDR Movies 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

9.3
HDR Gaming 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

9.5
PC Monitor 
Value for price beaten by

Not at the latest test bench

 307
 TV Settings
Notice: This TVs was replaced by Samsung S90D OLED

The Samsung S90C is a high-end 4k TV in Samsung's 2023 lineup, sitting below the Samsung S95C OLED. It has a QD-OLED panel, promising some of the brightest and most vibrant colors available on a TV. It has Samsung's LaserSlim Design, Neural Quantum Processor 4k AI upscaling with Quantum HDR OLED technology, and Motion Xcelerator Turbo Pro for enhanced motion processing. This TV officially supports 4k @ 144Hz, or 4k @ 120Hz on the 83-inch model, so it's a gaming powerhouse, especially with its full HDMI 2.1 Bandwidth support on all four HDMI ports. Like other Samsung TVs, it uses Samsung's proprietary Tizen OS smart interface, which offers a large selection of apps and games. It's available in four sizes: 55-inch, 65-inch, 77-inch, and a WOLED-equipped 83-inch size.

Our Verdict

9.0
Mixed Usage 

The Samsung S90C is a fantastic TV for every usage. It has good SDR peak brightness, so it's great for watching TV shows or sports in a bright room, especially with its superb reflection handling. It truly shines for HDR movies and games, especially in a dark room where its OLED panel, with its deep inky blacks, truly performs at its best. The very low input lag makes it fantastic for gamers, as your inputs are translated almost instantaneously to the screen. Its superb response time makes it a great choice for fans of fast-moving content, whether sports or games, as action stays clear and crisp throughout. Sadly it doesn't support any DTS audio formats, making it tricky for a home entertainment center, and it only has adequate low-quality content smoothing, which isn't optimal for streaming services with low bitrates.

Pros
  • Near-infinite contrast ratio for perfect blacks.
  • Superb reflection handling.
  • Incredibly bright colors.
Cons
  • Aggressive ABL can get distracting with large areas of brightness.
8.6
TV Shows 

The Samsung S90C is excellent for watching TV shows in a bright room. It has good SDR peak brightness and incredible reflection handling, so it can easily overcome glare in a bright room. It has a truly exceptional viewing angle, which is great for a wide seating area or for moving around the TV while watching it, as the image remains consistent. It also upscales lower-resolution content well, and the smart interface has a great selection of streaming apps, so you're sure to find your favorite shows. Unfortunately, its low-quality content smoothing is only adequate, so low-resolution or low-bitrate TV shows will have macro-blocking, even if upscaled well.

Pros
  • Superb reflection handling.
  • Exceptionally wide viewing angle.
  • Good peak brightness in SDR.
Cons
  • Aggressive ABL can get distracting with large areas of brightness.
8.9
Sports 

The Samsung S90C is an incredible TV for watching sports. It has exceptional reflection handling, which is great when watching shows in a room with glare, and the TV has good SDR brightness, so it handles bright rooms well. The TV's viewing angle is superb, so the image remains consistent even when viewing the TV from the side, so those sitting off-center will have a pleasant viewing experience. It has an incredible response time, so motion, like fast-moving players, is crisp and sharp, with no blurring. The TV has spectacular color uniformity, so when watching sports with large areas of uniform color, like hockey, you won't be distracted by annoying smudges or color variations in the image. Finally, the very good low-resolution upscaling means that sports are upscaled well without any weird artifacts.

Pros
  • Superb reflection handling.
  • Exceptionally wide viewing angle.
  • Good peak brightness in SDR.
Cons
  • Aggressive ABL can get distracting with large areas of brightness.
9.4
Video Games 

The Samsung S90C is a fantastic TV for immersing your evenings in virtual gaming worlds. Enabling Game Mode doesn't noticeably affect image quality, so your games look great and feel super responsive due to the TV's incredibly low input lag. The TV has fantastic reflection handling and good peak brightness in SDR, making it a good choice for bright rooms or rooms with glare. The response time is exceptionally low, so you won't have any blur or ghosting when the action gets hectic. It also officially supports 4k @ 144Hz (120Hz on the 83-inch model), making this a standout TV for gamers.

Pros
  • Superb reflection handling.
  • HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on all four ports.
  • Good peak brightness in SDR.
  • Incredibly low input lag.
Cons
None
8.9
HDR Movies 

The Samsung S90C is an excellent TV for watching the latest hit movies. Like all OLEDs, it has incredible contrast, with deep inky blacks and no blooming around bright highlights. And that's good, as its highlights get quite bright due to its very good HDR peak brightness. It also has excellent low-resolution upscaling, so your legacy DVD movies will look great. This TV has an incredible color gamut, truly excellent accuracy, and barely any HDR gradient banding, so HDR looks vibrant without any real calibration. Unfortunately, the TV has low-quality content smoothing; it's alright and preserves details well, but content like low-bitrate streaming services have macro blocking in dark scenes. It also doesn't support any DTS audio formats, so Blu-rays and DVDs don't sound their best as they tend to use DTS for their audio tracks.

Pros
  • Near-infinite contrast ratio for perfect blacks.
  • Removes 24p judder from any source.
  • Incredibly bright colors.
  • Amazing color gamut in HDR.
Cons
  • Doesn't support DTS passthrough or Dolby Vision.
  • Fast response time results in noticeable stutter.
  • Aggressive ABL can get distracting with large areas of brightness.
9.3
HDR Gaming 

The Samsung S90C is an outstanding TV for playing HDR titles. Enabling Game Mode slightly increases overall HDR brightness, making the TV less accurate but making games look bright and punchy. The TV has remarkably low input lag with Game Mode on, so games feel super responsive. The TV can handle all commonly used resolutions and officially supports 4k @ 144Hz (120Hz on the 83-inch model). It has fantastic reflection handling and great HDR brightness in Game Mode, so you'll enjoy gaming on this TV even on a bright, sunny day, although, like most OLEDs, it truly shines in a dark room. The response time is exceptionally low, so you won't have any blur or ghosting even when playing through the most intense scenes.

Pros
  • Near-infinite contrast ratio for perfect blacks.
  • HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on all four ports.
  • Incredibly bright colors.
  • Incredibly low input lag.
  • Amazing color gamut in HDR.
Cons
  • Over brightened in HDR Game Mode.
  • Doesn't support DTS passthrough or Dolby Vision.
  • Aggressive ABL can get distracting with large areas of brightness.
9.5
PC Monitor 

The Samsung S90C is a fantastic TV for PC gaming. It has a nearly-instantaneous response time and incredibly low input lag, so inputs are fluid and responsive, with almost no distracting motion blur behind fast-moving objects. Its viewing angle is amazing, so even if you sit in front of the TV, you won't notice any discoloration or dimming at the edges. It has good peak brightness in SDR and amazing reflection handling, so it'll look great even if your office setup is in a bright room or in front of some windows. Unfortunately, this TV doesn't use a standard RGB subpixel layout, so text isn't very clear when used as a monitor, and there is color fringing at the edges of bright windows or images due to the subpixel structure of QD-OLED panels. Finally, as with all OLEDs, there's a risk of permanent burn-in when exposed to static elements, like the UI elements of a computer desktop.

Pros
  • Superb reflection handling.
  • Exceptionally wide viewing angle.
  • HDMI 2.1 bandwidth on all four ports.
  • Incredibly low input lag.
Cons
  • Noticeable color fringing.
  • Aggressive ABL can get distracting with large areas of brightness.
  • 9.0
    Mixed Usage
  • 8.6
    TV Shows
  • 8.9
    Sports
  • 9.4
    Video Games
  • 8.9
    HDR Movies
  • 9.3
    HDR Gaming
  • 9.5
    PC Monitor
  • Changelog

    1.  Updated May 02, 2024: Changed the score and updated the text in the Upscaling: Sharpness Processing section of this review for consistency with our other reviews.
    2.  Updated Apr 25, 2024: Mentioned the newly-reviewed LG G4 OLED in the SDR Brightness section of this review.
    3.  Updated Apr 18, 2024: Mentioned the newly reviewed Samsung S90D/S90DD OLED in the HDR Brightness section of this review.
    4.  Updated Feb 29, 2024: Added information about the Samsung S92C Canadian variant in the Differences Between Sizes and Variants section of this review.

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    Differences Between Sizes And Variants

    We bought and tested the 65-inch Samsung S90C, and these results are also valid for the 55-inch and 77-inch models. The 83-inch model uses a WOLED panel instead of the QD-OLED panel found in the smaller sizes, so our results don't apply to it. Note that the last five letters in the model number (AFXZA in this case) vary between retailers and individual regions, but there's no difference in performance. There are also regional models, like the Samsung S92C and the Samsung S93C, but they're identical to the Samsung S90C.

    It's also sold as the Samsung S90CD at warehouse stores like Costco and Sam's Club. The S90CD offers the same features, picture quality, and processing capabilities but has more powerful speakers (60W vs. 40W on the S90C) and a longer warranty.

    Size US Model Warehouse Model Short Model Code Display Technology Maximum Refresh Rate
    55" QN55S90CAFXZA QN55S90CDFXZA QN55S90C QD-OLED 144Hz
    65" QN65S90CAFXZA QN65S90CDFXZA QN65S90C QD-OLED 144Hz
    77" QN77S90CAFXZA QN77S90CDFXZA QN77S90C QD-OLED 144Hz
    83" QN83S90CAFXZA QN83S90CDEXZA QN83S90C WOLED 120Hz

    There's also a similar model to this known as the Samsung S89C. There's a lot of confusing information about this model, as it seems to use different panels in different regions. In North America, it's known as the S89CB, and according to user reports, it uses a QD-OLED panel similar to the S90C. In this case, the main difference between that model and the S90C is that the S89CB doesn't support Filmmaker mode. In Europe, it's advertised as the S89C, without the 'B' at the end, and it appears to use a WOLED panel from LG Display, similar to the LG C3 OLED or the Sony A80L/A80CL OLED. It has worse color volume and a slightly narrower color gamut, and like the North American model, it doesn't support Filmmaker mode; otherwise, it performs about the same as the S90C.

    The Samsung S92C is a Canadian variant available in-store exclusively at Best Buy, but you can also purchase it online directly from Samsung. It offers the same picture quality and features as the S90C, but it has a 60W 2.1.2 channel speaker setup as opposed to the 40W 2.1 channel setup on the S90C.

    Our unit was manufactured in March 2023; you can see the label here.

    Popular TV Comparisons

    The Samsung S90C is an incredible OLED TV. It feels and looks like a repackaged Samsung S95B OLED but with official 4k @ 144Hz support. It doesn't get as bright as the Samsung S95C OLED or the LG G3 OLED, but it's still incredibly bright and vibrant, more so than the LG C3 OLED. Overall, it's a very impressive TV and is a better buy for most people than the more expensive S95C.

    See our recommendations for the best OLED TVs, the best 4k TVs, and the best TVs for watching movies.

    Samsung S90D OLED
    42" (WOLED) 48" (WOLED) 55" (QD-OLED) 65" (QD-OLED) 77" (QD-OLED) 83" (WOLED)

    The Samsung S90D OLED is marginally better than the Samsung S90C OLED. The S90D is a bit brighter in HDR, so highlights in HDR content stand out a little bit more, and it has better color volume, so it can display very bright colors a bit better. The S90D also has slightly better processing, so there's less banding in colors, and it does a better job with smoothing out low-quality content.

    Samsung S90F OLED
    42" 48" 55" 65" 77" 83"

    The Samsung S90F is a considerable upgrade over the older generation Samsung S90C. The newer panel is considerably brighter, especially in scenes where more of the screen gets bright at once. Small specular highlights in HDR are also significantly brighter, so it delivers a more impactful HDR experience. Unfortunately, the newer model also has a few downgrades, as it no longer supports ATSC 3.0 in the U.S. This means that it's limited to 1080p for over-the-air broadcasts.

    LG C4 OLED
    42" 48" 55" 65" 77" 83"

    The Samsung S90C OLED and the LG C4 OLED are similar TVs with only a few key differences. They're very similar in peak brightness, although the LG is noticeably dimmer in Game Mode while the Samsung isn't, making the Samsung the better choice for gamers. The LG is the better choice for movie fans, as it supports Dolby Vision HDR and passes through advanced DTS audio formats. The LG also has slightly better image processing than the Samsung, especially when watching low-bitrate content from streaming services due to its superior low-quality content smoothing.

    Samsung S95C OLED
    55" 65" 77"

    The Samsung S95C OLED is a bit better than the Samsung S90C OLED for basically only two reasons. First, the S95C has a sleeker, more uniform design, helped by moving all of its inputs to the external One Connect box. This makes the S95C a better bet for someone who knows they want to wall mount their TV and want it to look the best on their wall. Second, the S95C gets much brighter than the S90C, although this won't be that noticeable in practice except in a few super bright scenes.

    Show more 

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    How We Test TVs
    How We Test TVs

    We buy and test dozens of TVs yearly, taking an objective, data-driven approach to deliver results you can trust. Our testing process is complex, with hundreds of individual tests that take over a week to complete. Most of our tests are done with specially designed test patterns that mimic real content, but we also use the same sources you have at home to ensure our results match the real-world experience. We use two main tools for our testing: a Colorimetry Research CR-100 colorimeter and a CR-250 spectroradiometer.

    Test Results

    perceptual testing image
    Sort:
    RATINGS
    Category:
    All
    Design
    Style
    CurvedNo

    The TV looks and feels like a premium TV. It's heavy and sturdy and held in place well by its small metallic stand. The panel is thin and feels modern and classy.

    Accelerated Longevity Test
    Uniformity PicturesN/A
    Stand

    The stand is small but is solidly built from metal. It holds the TV very well, and lifts the screen about 3.36" above the table, so almost any soundbar fits in front of it without blocking the screen.

    Footprint of the 65-inch stand: 14.45" x 10.47"

    Back
    Wall MountVESA 300x200

    The back of the Samsung S90C is very similar to the Samsung S95B OLED. The central panel housing the inputs is made of smooth plastic, with included covers used to help with aesthetics and cable management. Like the S95B, the inputs are hard to reach if you wall-mount the panel with a fixed mount, so a mounting arm is recommended if you don't want to use the included stand.

    Borders
    Borders0.28" (0.7 cm)
    Thickness
    Max Thickness1.61" (4.1 cm)

    From the side, the TV looks very much like the Samsung S95B OLED, with a similar, very slight tilt back. It isn't noticeable at all in actual usage.

    8.5
    Build Quality

    The TV has excellent build quality. The materials used feel premium, and while there's some flex on the component housing on the back, the panel itself is made of metal and is resistant to flexing. There's some wobble on the stand when the TV is pushed forward or backward, but it quickly settles. The two bottom corners of the screen are very slightly bowed back; it's extremely subtle, and you won't notice it unless you're looking for it. It was also a problem on the Samsung S95B OLED, which can worsen if you lift the TV repeatedly. Unfortunately, the display shows fingerprints easily; they can be difficult to remove.

    Picture Quality
    10
    Contrast
    Contrast
    Inf : 1
    Native Contrast
    Inf : 1

    As OLED displays use self-emissive pixels instead of a backlight, pixels can independently brighten themselves up to their peak brightness, or inversely they can fully turn themselves off for perfect blacks. This ability to fully turn its pixels off gives OLEDs a nearly infinite contrast ratio, with bright highlights right next to perfect blacks with no blooming or haloing.

    10
    Blooming

    Since this TV uses self-emissive OLED technology, there's absolutely no blooming around bright highlights or subtitles in otherwise dark scenes.

    10
    Lighting Zone Transitions
    Local Dimming
    No
    Backlight
    No Backlight
    Dimming Zones Count Of Tested TV
    8,294,400

    The panel doesn't have a backlight, but thanks to its nearly infinite contrast ratio, it has the equivalent of a perfect local dimming feature with no zone transitions. We still film the zone transition video on the TV so you can see how the screen performs and compare it with a TV that has local dimming.

    9.5
    Contrast And Dark Details In Game Mode

    The TV's contrast and dark details in Game Mode are nearly identical to Movie Mode, but just a tad brighter and with a colder color temperature.

    8.5
    HDR Brightness
    Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
    912 cd/m²
    Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
    729 cd/m²
    Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
    288 cd/m²
    Peak 2% Window
    1,034 cd/m²
    Peak 10% Window
    1,027 cd/m²
    Peak 25% Window
    586 cd/m²
    Peak 50% Window
    330 cd/m²
    Peak 100% Window
    209 cd/m²
    Sustained 2% Window
    1,022 cd/m²
    Sustained 10% Window
    1,017 cd/m²
    Sustained 25% Window
    557 cd/m²
    Sustained 50% Window
    316 cd/m²
    Sustained 100% Window
    206 cd/m²
    Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
    0.100

    Update 10/05/2023: The 'Auto' color space bug has been fixed. As a result, we've retaken our brightness measurements with the color space set to 'Auto'.

    The Samsung S90C has excellent HDR peak brightness. Bright highlights are vibrant on this TV, although, like all OLEDs, the S90C has an aggressive Automatic Brightness Limiter (ABL), which significantly dims bright highlights when they take up a large portion of the screen. So scenes with a lot of bright areas, like a bright sunny day at the beach, are significantly dimmer on this TV than they are on a non-OLED panel.

    You can set Peak Brightness to 'Off' in HDR if the brightness fluctuations bother you, but this just makes every scene much dimmer, so now highlights never stand out.

    These measurements are after calibrating the HDR white point with the following settings:

    • Picture Mode: Filmmaker
    • Brightness: 50 (Max)
    • Contrast: 50 (Max)
    • Contrast Enhancer: Off
    • HDR Tone Mapping: Static
    • Color Tone: Warm2
    • Color Space Settings Auto
    • Peak Brightness High

    If you prefer a brighter but less accurate image, you can set HDR Tone Mapping to 'Active':

    If you want a very similar TV with even better HDR brightness, check out the Samsung S90D/S90DD OLED.

    8.5
    HDR Brightness In Game Mode
    Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
    901 cd/m²
    Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
    745 cd/m²
    Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
    377 cd/m²
    Peak 2% Window
    1,031 cd/m²
    Peak 10% Window
    1,026 cd/m²
    Peak 25% Window
    587 cd/m²
    Peak 50% Window
    325 cd/m²
    Peak 100% Window
    207 cd/m²
    Sustained 2% Window
    1,020 cd/m²
    Sustained 10% Window
    1,011 cd/m²
    Sustained 25% Window
    557 cd/m²
    Sustained 50% Window
    302 cd/m²
    Sustained 100% Window
    206 cd/m²
    Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
    0.101

    Update 10/05/2023: The 'Auto' color space bug has been fixed. As a result, we've retaken our brightness measurements with the color space set to 'Auto'.

    The Samsung S90C is very slightly over brightened in HDR Game Mode. As a result, it looks bright and vibrant but not as accurate.

    These measurements are after calibrating the HDR white point with the following settings:

    • HDR Picture Mod:e Game Mode
    • Game HDR: Basic
    • Brightness: 50 (Max)
    • Contrast: 50 (Max)
    • Contrast Enhancer: Off
    • HDR Tone Mapping: Static
    • Color Tone: Warm2
    • Color Space Settings: Auto
    • Peak Brightness: High

    If you prefer a brighter but less accurate image, you can set HDR Tone Mapping to 'Active':

    9.5
    PQ EOTF Tracking
    See details on graph tool
    600 Nit Tracking Delta
    0.0031
    1000 Nit Tracking Delta
    0.0036
    4000 Nit Tracking Delta
    0.0024

    The TV has superb PQ EOTF tracking, so content is displayed at the correct brightness level. It's a bit over-brightened at very low luminance levels, so dark shadows are a tad too bright, but then the TV follows the curve near perfectly up until the panel's max brightness. At that point, the panel clips anything above its peak brightness for content mastered at 600, 1000, and 4000 nits, so there's a loss of fine detail.

    7.6
    SDR Brightness
    Real Scene Peak Brightness
    381 cd/m²
    Peak 2% Window
    497 cd/m²
    Peak 10% Window
    494 cd/m²
    Peak 25% Window
    499 cd/m²
    Peak 50% Window
    318 cd/m²
    Peak 100% Window
    207 cd/m²
    Sustained 2% Window
    487 cd/m²
    Sustained 10% Window
    481 cd/m²
    Sustained 25% Window
    477 cd/m²
    Sustained 50% Window
    306 cd/m²
    Sustained 100% Window
    203 cd/m²
    Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
    0.057

    The TV has good SDR peak brightness. It's bright enough to overcome glare in a bright room. The panel's brightness is dimmed considerably by its Automatic Brightness Limiter (ABL), so large bright scenes are significantly dimmed. It's distracting when watching bright content, like hockey, for extended periods. Setting Peak Brightness to 'Off' effectively disables the ABL feature and reduces the peak brightness in all scenes.

    These measurements are after calibration with the following settings:

    • Picture Mode: Movie
    • Brightness: 50 (Max)
    • Peak Brightness: High
    • Color Tone: Warm2
    • Color Space: Auto

    If you need an OLED with better SDR brightness, check out the LG G4 OLED.

    9.5
    Color Gamut
    Wide Color Gamut
    Yes
    DCI P3 xy
    99.95%
    DCI P3 uv
    99.95%
    Rec 2020 xy
    86.37%
    Rec 2020 uv
    91.59%

    Update 10/03/2023: Samsung has fixed the issues with the 'Auto' color space setting. Every chart and result is now from the 'Auto' color space, as it now tracks the best. You can see how each color space setting compares in DCI-P3 here, or here for Rec. 2020.

    As is typical of TVs with QD-OLED panels, the Samsung S90C has an incredibly wide color gamut. It can display the full range of colors in the DCI-P3 color space used by most HDR content, with slightly oversaturated reds and greens. Coverage of the wider Rec. 2020 color space isn't as good, albeit still excellent. The tone mapping is a bit off, so highly saturated colors aren't displayed accurately.

    9.1
    Color Volume
    1,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage ITP
    99.5%
    10,000 cd/m² Rec 2020 Coverage ITP
    53.0%
    White Luminance
    1,028 cd/m²
    Red Luminance
    232 cd/m²
    Green Luminance
    744 cd/m²
    Blue Luminance
    57 cd/m²
    Cyan Luminance
    799 cd/m²
    Magenta Luminance
    288 cd/m²
    Yellow Luminance
    965 cd/m²

    Update 10/03/2023: Samsung has fixed the issues with the 'Auto' color space setting. Every chart and result is now from the 'Auto' color space, as it now tracks the best.

    This TV has exceptional color volume. The panel shows very bright colors well and gets very close to the same brightness as pure white. It can also display dark, saturated colors very well and highlights how good QD-OLED panels are at showing vibrant colors.

    9.1
    Pre Calibration
    White Balance dE
    1.31
    Color dE
    1.10
    Gamma
    2.17
    Color Temperature
    6,603 K
    Picture Mode
    Movie
    Color Temp Setting
    Warm 2
    Gamma Setting
    2.2

    The TV has superb pre-calibration SDR accuracy. It's a bit bright for a moderately-lit room, but the white balance and color accuracy are fantastic, with no noticeable issues. The color temperature is also nearly perfect, so this TV barely requires any calibration to look great overall.

    9.6
    Post Calibration
    White Balance dE
    0.31
    Color dE
    0.72
    Gamma
    2.20
    Color Temperature
    6,503 K
    White Balance Calibration
    20 point
    Color Calibration
    Yes

    After calibration, the Samsung S90C has fantastic accuracy, with no noticeable issues. Plus, it's relatively easy to calibrate.

    You can see our full calibration settings here.

    9.0
    Gray Uniformity
    50% Std. Dev.
    1.179%
    50% DSE
    0.099%
    5% Std. Dev.
    0.396%
    5% DSE
    0.095%

    The panel has fantastic gray uniformity. There's very little variation in brightness across the screen, which is great for any content. If you look closely, you see vignetting in the corners and very faint vertical lines along the panel, but you have to be very close to see them.

    10
    Black Uniformity
    Std. Dev.
    N/A
    Native Std. Dev.
    0.280%

    Since OLEDs can turn off individual pixels, the Samsung S90C has perfect black uniformity, with no distracting blooming or halo effect around bright areas of the screen in dark scenes.

    10
    Viewing Angle
    Color Washout
    70°
    Color Shift
    70°
    Brightness Loss
    70°
    Black Level Raise
    70°
    Gamma Shift
    70°

    The screen has an exceptionally wide viewing angle. Although nearly perfect, the image fades slightly at extremely wide angles. The colors also shift very slightly when viewed from those same extreme angles. In practice, however, you can move around the TV and see a consistent image at almost any angle.

    9.4
    Reflections
    Screen Finish
    Glossy
    Total Reflections
    1.2%
    Indirect Reflections
    0.7%
    Calculated Direct Reflections
    0.5%

    The Samsung S90C handles direct reflections incredibly well. Like the Samsung S95B OLED and the Samsung S95C OLED, the glossy anti-reflective coating significantly reduces the intensity of direct reflections. Still, due to the lack of a polarizer, the TV has a pink tint in a bright room even when turned off.

    9.3
    HDR Native Gradient
    100% Black to 50% Gray
    10
    50% Gray to 100% White
    10
    100% Black to 50% Red
    10
    50% Red to 100% Red
    8.0
    100% Black to 50% Green
    10
    50% Green to 100% Green
    8.0
    100% Black to 50% Blue
    10
    50% Blue to 100% Blue
    8.0

    The Samsung S90C has superb gradient handling in HDR. There's some barely noticeable banding in saturated reds, greens, and blues, but you have to look hard to see them.

    6.8
    Low-Quality Content Smoothing
    Smoothing
    6.0
    Detail Preservation
    8.5

    This TV's low-quality content smoothing is alright. It can't smooth out macro blocking very well, so it's very noticeable in dark scenes. Fine details are preserved very well.

    7.5
    Upscaling: Sharpness Processing

    The Samsung S90C does a good job at upscaling low-resolution content like DVDs or lower-resolution streams. Details are clear enough, but small hard-coded text is hard to make out.

    Sharpness processing was calibrated with no over-sharpening for low-resolution content, with the following settings:

    • Sharpness: 6
    Pixels
    Subpixel Layout
    Triangular RGB
    TypeOLED
    Sub-Type
    QD-OLED

    The Samsung S90C uses a unique subpixel structure. Instead of having all three subpixels in a row, each pixel forms a triangle, with the larger green subpixel at the top. This leads to color fringing, which is noticeable when displaying any content with horizontal lines, and it's especially bad when you use the TV as a PC monitor. For example, on a bright window on a Windows PC, you might notice a green fringe at the top since that is where the green subpixel is.

    Similarly, you can notice a purple fringe at the bottom of bright windows, as that is where the red and blue subpixels are. Furthermore, with this subpixel arrangement, text has just okay clarity on a PC, as Windows ClearType settings aren't designed for this subpixel structure and can't correct it.

    Note that the 83-inch model uses a WOLED panel, which uses a different subpixel structure than the smaller QD-OLED models.

    Motion
    9.8
    Response Time
    80% Response Time
    0.8 ms
    100% Response Time
    1.4 ms

    The Samsung S90C has a nearly-instantaneous response time, resulting in incredibly clear motion with almost no blur behind fast-moving objects. Due to the sample-and-hold nature of OLED technology, there's still some noticeable persistence blur when gaming at 60Hz, but it's hardly noticeable at higher refresh rates.

    10
    Flicker-Free
    Flicker-Free
    No
    PWM Dimming Frequency
    0 Hz

    This TV isn't technically flicker-free, as a small decrease in brightness corresponds with the display's refresh cycle. This is very different from pulse width modulation flicker (PWM) on TVs with LED backlights, and it's not noticeable.

    Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
    Optional BFI
    Yes
    Min Flicker For 60 fps
    60 Hz
    60Hz For 60 fps
    Yes
    120Hz For 120 fps
    No
    Min Flicker for 60 fps in Game Mode
    60 Hz

    The TV has an optional black frame insertion feature (BFI) that reduces the appearance of persistence blur caused by the TV's nearly instantaneous response time. It can only insert black frames at a 60Hz refresh rate.

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

    This TV has an optional motion interpolation feature to improve motion clarity. It doesn't work well on the Samsung S90C; there's lots of artifacting around small fast moving objects, even in slower scenes. In fast scenes, where motion interpolation tends to struggle, there's a higher-than-usual amount of artifacting and haloing.

    4.7
    Stutter
    Frame Hold Time @ 24 fps
    40.3 ms
    Frame Hold Time @ 60 fps
    15.3 ms

    Unfortunately, due to the nearly instantaneous pixel response time of the Samsung S90C, there's noticeable stutter with low frame rate content. It's especially noticeable in panning shots. The black frame insertion feature and the motion interpolation feature can help reduce the appearance of stutter, but they both have their drawbacks.

    10
    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

    The TV is judder-free when watching 24p movies or TV shows, even from sources that can only send a 60Hz signal, as long as you set Picture Clarity to 'Custom'. If you would rather enable Black Frame Insertion (BFI) with the Clear Motion option, you can set Judder Reduction to 10 to greatly reduce judder, but it doesn't eliminate it completely.

    9.5
    Variable Refresh Rate
    Native Refresh Rate
    144 Hz
    Variable Refresh Rate
    Yes
    HDMI Forum VRR
    Yes
    FreeSync
    Yes
    G-SYNC Compatible
    Yes
    4k VRR Maximum
    144 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 DimmingNo Local Dimming

    The Samsung S90C supports variable refresh rate (VRR) technology to reduce screen tearing. It works well across a wide refresh rate range and supports sources with Low-Frame-Compensation (LFC), ensuring your games remain nearly tear-free even when your framerate drops very low. It's also compatible with all three types of VRR, ensuring it's fully compatible with all sources that support that feature.

    Inputs
    9.7
    Input Lag
    1080p @ 60Hz
    10.1 ms
    1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
    76.1 ms
    1080p @ 120Hz
    5.3 ms
    1080p @ 144Hz
    N/A
    1440p @ 60Hz
    10.6 ms
    1440p @ 120Hz
    5.5 ms
    1440p @ 144Hz
    N/A
    4k @ 60Hz
    10.0 ms
    4k @ 60Hz + 10-Bit HDR
    10.2 ms
    4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
    10.0 ms
    4k @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
    67.1 ms
    4k @ 60Hz With Interpolation
    20.4 ms
    4k @ 120Hz
    5.4 ms
    4k @ 144Hz
    4.7 ms
    8k @ 60Hz
    N/A

    This TV has incredibly low input lag, ensuring a very responsive gaming experience with very little delay between your actions with your controller or mouse and the action on-screen.

    For retro gamers wanting to play in a 4:3 aspect ratio, only two resolutions work well: 640x480 @ 60Hz with an input lag of 27.8ms, and 1080p @ 60Hz, with an input lag of 27.4ms. Other 4:3 resolutions don't scale well or give improper resolution behavior.

    9.6
    Supported Resolutions
    Resolution4k
    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
    Yes
    8k @ 30Hz or 24Hz
    No
    8k @ 60Hz
    No

    The Samsung S90C supports most common resolutions up to 4k @ 144Hz. Chroma 4:4:4 signals are displayed properly with all supported resolutions, which is important for text clarity. Unfortunately, even though it can display chroma 4:4:4 properly, text from a PC isn't clear due to the unusual subpixel structure (see the Pixels section of the review for more on this issue). Note that the TV can only currently output 144Hz at 4k; 1080p @ 144Hz and 1440p @ 144Hz are unavailable. The TV can do 120Hz without issue at all resolutions, however. The 83-inch model of this TV is limited to a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz at all resolutions.

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

    This TV is fully compatible with everything the PS5 offers, like 1440p @ 120Hz and 4K @ 120Hz, as well as HDMI Forum VRR. It also has four ports supporting HDMI 2.1 bandwidth, which is great if you have multiple HDMI 2.1 consoles or want to connect a PC.

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

    This TV is fully compatible with almost everything the Xbox Series X|S offers, including 1440p @ 120Hz, 4k @ 120Hz, HDMI Forum VRR, and FreeSync Premium Pro. All four HDMI ports support the full bandwidth of HDMI 2.1, which is great if you have both consoles or a PC you plan on using with the TV. Unfortunately, Dolby Vision isn't supported on the TV.

    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)
    CECYes
    HDCP 2.2Yes (HDMI 1,2,3,4)
    ATSC Tuner
    3.0 (NEXTGEN TV)
    USB 3.0
    No
    Variable Analog Audio OutYes
    Wi-Fi SupportYes (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)

    The Samsung S90C supports the full 48Gbps bandwidth of HDMI 2.1 on all four HDMI ports. This allows you to take full advantage of multiple high-bandwidth devices, like if you own both current-gen consoles and a high-end gaming PC. Unfortunately, Samsung still doesn't support Dolby Vision but supports HDR10+ instead, which is very similar overall but not as widely supported. The TV also has variable analog audio out, so you can change the volume of any plugged-in analog devices, such as headphones, using the TV's remote.

    Input Photos

    The TV's inputs face down and to the sides, and there's a separate section for the headphone jack.

    Total Inputs
    HDMI4
    USB2
    Digital Optical Audio Out1
    Analog Audio Out 3.5mm1
    Analog Audio Out RCA0
    Component In0
    Composite In0
    Tuner (Cable/Ant)1
    Ethernet1
    DisplayPort0
    IR In0
    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

    This Samsung S90C supports many audio formats, including many Dolby Digital options. Unfortunately, it doesn't support DTS formats, which is disappointing, as many UHD Blu-rays use DTS for their lossless audio tracks.

    Sound Quality
    6.8
    Frequency Response
    See details on graph tool
    Low-Frequency Extension
    84.76 Hz
    Std. Dev. @ 70
    2.80 dB
    Std. Dev. @ 80
    3.63 dB
    Std. Dev. @ Max
    4.69 dB
    Max
    86.1 dB SPL
    Dynamic Range Compression
    4.78 dB

    Overall, the Samsung S90C can't produce much bass but has an overall well-balanced sound profile, so dialogue is clear. It sounds good at or near its maximum volume but doesn't get very loud.

    7.4
    Distortion
    See details on graph tool
    Weighted THD @ 80
    0.133
    Weighted THD @ Max
    0.245
    IMD @ 80
    2.47%
    IMD @ Max
    4.08%

    This TV has decent distortion performance. It performs very well in the treble range, and there isn't much distortion at max volume, but, again, this is helped by the TV's low maximum volume.

    Smart Features
    8.5
    Interface
    Smart OSTizen
    Version2023
    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 Samsung S90C runs the 2023 version of Tizen OS, which is easy to use. The Smart Hub interface is smooth and has many advanced options, making it easy to find your favorite content.

    0.0
    Ad-Free
    Ads
    Yes
    Opt-out
    No
    Suggested Content in Home
    Yes
    Opt-out of Suggested Content
    No

    Like most TVs on the market, there are ads throughout the interface of the Samsung S90C, and there's no option to disable them completely.

    8.5
    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.

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

    The remote is identical to the one included with the Samsung S95C OLED. The remote is slim and compact and is easy to use. It has a built-in rechargeable battery with a solar panel on the back of the remote. You can also recharge it via USB-C if it dies unexpectedly.

    The TV is compatible with the Bixby and Alexa voice assistants, and its remote has an integrated microphone for voice commands. Voice controls work well and allow you to launch apps, change inputs, or adjust certain settings.

    TV Controls

    The controls are on the bottom bezel of the TV near the center. A single button lets you power the TV on/off and change channels, volume, and inputs.

    In The Box

    • Power cable
    • Remote control
    • 3.5mm to RCA adapter
    • User guide
    Misc
    Power Consumption117 W
    Power Consumption (Max)284 W
    Firmware1123