We've finally gotten our hands on Samsung's new QD-OLED TV, which promises to produce brighter, more accurate colors than previous OLED screens by leveraging quantum-dot technology. We also spent some time with Samsung's new and better The Frame, a "lifestyle" TV that hangs on your wall like a work of art.
The Samsung S95B 4K TV, which will be available in 65- and 55-inch sizes next month, promises to enhance the brightness of its OLED display using red- and green-emitting quantum dots, resulting (theoretically) in purer and more realistic colors. Existing RGB+W OLED panels, on the other hand, enhance brightness by using white sub-pixels, which desaturates the hues.
The announcement of Samsung's QD-OLED panels is an exciting development for the TV industry, and we can't wait to get the S95B into our lab to see how accurate its colors are. Meanwhile, I got to see the S95B in person last week at a Samsung hands-on event in Manhattan's Meatpacking District.
Naturally, I couldn't properly assess the set's picture quality in Samsung's brightly lit, showroom-like setting in just a few minutes. However, after seeing 4K photos of swimming turtles and gently swinging tree branches (as is typical during these demos), I can report that the S95B's screen appeared to be about as bright and vivid as one could expect from an OLED, with plenty of texture and vibrant colors. It remains to be seen whether the S95B's colors are more realistic than those of typical OLED TVs until we can analyze one using our standard criteria and in our own testing environment.
When seen from the side, the S95B features an incredibly slim design with a thin but perceptible bezel. The TV's 60-watt, 2.2.2-channel speaker system, which supports Dolby Atmos, is housed in a projecting module at the rear of the television. The S95B's stand looks to be small (which is useful for both positioning and soundbar cable management) but sturdy.
The S95B, as previously stated, includes Samsung's upscaling Neural Quantum Processor 4K, as well as 4K@120Hz and VRR (variable frame rate) compatibility for its four HDMI 2.1 connectors.
Unfortunately (and similarly to Samsung's other TVs), the S95B does not support Dolby Vision, so you'll have to settle with standard HDR10 when it comes to streaming services like Netflix and Disney+. However, the TV does support HDR10+, which is used by services such as Amazon Prime Video.
Meanwhile, I checked out Samsung's updated version of The Frame, which features a new anti-reflective coating and a 10% increase in the color gamut.
When compared to last year's model, 2022's The Frame (available in 43-, 50-, 55-, 65-, and 75-inch sizes) seems far better–and brighter–at presenting artwork (my poor photos don't do it justice).
While the previous, glossier The Frame made Monet's Garden at Sainte-Adresse appear to be a print behind glass, the contemporary frame, with its anti-reflective surface, appears to be the canvas itself. Of course, you can see the pixel structure up close, but the illusion is fairly good from six feet away. Again, I should point out that I just spent a few minutes with the updated The Frame, so our final verdict will have to wait until our comprehensive review.
Samsung's QD-OLED-packing S95B is expected to launch this month, with prices beginning at $2,199.99(the bigger, 65-inch model costs $2,999.99). Meanwhile, The Frame will be available this month with a starting price of $999.
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