Samsung S95D review: Pushing the envelope

Introduction

Since its inception Samsung’s QD OLED tech has expanded the boundaries of what these panels are capable of, by combining blue OLED and quantum dot filters to deliver brighter and more saturated images. The S95D is the firm’s new flagship 4K TV, which uses a latest-gen QD OLED panel to promise brighter highlights and wider colours than ever before.

Stunning industrial design, extensive connectivity, superior sound, extensive gaming features, and a comprehensive smart system should then seal the deal. It’s tested here in 65in, QE65S95D guise – which will set you back £3,599 in the UK, the same as last year’s model. Let’s find out if it delivers…

Design & build: elegant simplicity

The Samsung S95D is undeniably eye-catching, with an elegantly simple ‘Infinity One’ design that combines a bezel-less screen with a slim panel that measures a mere 11mm from top to bottom. These ridiculously svelte proportions are partly thanks to the slimness of the OLED panel, but also down to the separate One Connect box, where much of the processing and all the connections are housed.

Build quality befits the S95D’s flagship status. The combination of brushed-metal outer trim and black textured rear then produces a stylish finish. The result is a TV that looks stunning when wall mounted, and since the panel only requires a single cable, the installation should be both tidy and relatively painless.

If you do decide to wall mount, you can choose between a standard 400x300mm VESA bracket or Samsung’s Slim Fit support. Alternatively there’s an attractive dark grey stand included that provides solid support and sufficient screen clearance for a soundbar. A reasonably small footprint makes it easier to position on a narrow surface.

Features: something for everyone

The S95D incorporates pretty much every feature Samsung offers, some of which are unique to the brand including that slim One Connect box. It houses all the connections and then attaches to the TV via a single cable, allowing it to be discreetly hidden away or mounted at the rear. There are four HDMI inputs, all of which can handle HDMI 2.1 functionality, and support HDR10, HLG, and HDR10+ Adaptive (but not Dolby Vision). VRR, ALLM, and 4K@144Hz are on board too, plus eARC in the case of HDMI 3.

There’s also a pair of USB connectors, an Ethernet port, dual satellite and terrestrial tuners, a CI (Common Interface) slot, a 3.5mm jack, and an optical digital output. In terms of wireless connectivity there’s Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, and Apple AirPlay 2.

The S95D ships with a brace of remotes – a standard black version and the Solar Cell controller. This offers a stripped-down choice of buttons that cover all the main functionality and control, plus direct access keys for Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and Samsung’s TV Plus.

The Tizen-powered operating system is a well-designed and intuitive smart platform that offers a comprehensive choice of streaming apps. Setup is simple thanks to the SmartThings app, which also provides control options, and there’s even a choice of Bixby, Alexa and Siri (via AirPlay 2) if you want a smart assistant.

Performance: super-bright and saturated

The first thing you notice about the Samsung S95D is the new ‘Glare Free’ screen filter, which has been ported over from the brand’s ‘The Frame’ lifestyle TV. Basically a coating that diffuses light in multiple directions to eliminate unwanted glare, it’s nothing short of amazing. You can literally point a torch directly at the screen and get virtually no reflection.

The new QD OLED panel is definitely a quantum leap forward, if you’ll pardon the pun. The peak brightness now hit 1,700 nits, a big step up from even last year’s effort, which topped out at around 1,400 nits. The colours have also been expanded with the gamut now covering a massive 123% of the DCI-P3 standard.

To get the best out of this TV I recommend selecting the Filmmaker mode. This immediately delivers a picture that’s highly accurate and has all the unnecessary processing turned off. The resulting images perfectly replicate the creator’s original intentions, whether the content is in SDR or HDR.

The brighter highlights and wider colours of HDR content combine with OLED’s inherent strengths of deep blacks and pixel-precision to produce incredibly dynamic images. You have a choice of Static or Active tone mapping for HDR10 and HLG formats: the Static option tracks the target curve precisely, retaining artistic intent, while Active analyses the HDR signal and adjusts the brightness accordingly. This year Active mode has been upgraded, so its dynamic tone mapping now works exceptionally well without introducing any unwanted clipping. This can prove very useful for watching HDR content during the day, or when it appears too dark.

Watching The Flash on 4K Blu-Ray perfectly reveals the S95D’s HDR prowess, with detailed images and wonderfully saturated comic book colours. The lightning that accompanies the heroes’ speed force is precisely rendered with specular highlights that pop, while the inky blacks ensure the dynamic range at both ends is expertly captured to deliver a remarkable contrast performance.

Samsung’s upscaling and image enhancements are superb, courtesy of an upgraded NQ4 AI Gen2 image processor which uses 20 individual neural networks and deep-learning algorithms to bring out all the details in high quality images, while also giving them added depth. It ensures that even the lowest resolution or heavily compressed content is very watchable. Full HD content looks almost 4K.

Motion handling is equally capable, producing moving images free of judder or other motion artefacts, even when the Picture Clarity setting is off. This is the best option if you want films to still look like film, rather than cheap video. If you prefer smoother motion when watching sport, the Custom setting is effective at bringing out more detail in players or fast-moving balls.

Gaming: ideal for current-gen consoles

The S95D is a cracking TV for gamers, and not just because unlike most of the competition it includes four HDMI 2.1 inputs with support for next-gen features like 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM. It also includes support for Freesync Premium, and Motion Xcelerator Turbo Pro 144Hz for even higher frame rate gaming.

Samsung’s Game Hub provides a choice of cloud gaming services, while the onscreen Game Bar that lays out all the main game settings and information in a handy interface.

A dedicated Game Mode delivers a super-fast input lag of 9.2ms, with an AI Auto Game mode letting the TV pick the correct setting for specific genres. As a result game play is detailed, smooth and responsive, with motion that’s free of tearing or other artefacts, even at the highest frame rates.

Sound: surprisingly immersive

The Samsung S95D doesn’t just deliver awesome pictures, it also sounds great – which is nothing short of a miracle when you consider the size-zero dimensions of the panel. Somehow Samsung has managed to fit in a 4.2.2-channel audio system with 70W of built-in amplification.

There are four speakers along the bottom, two built into the top of the panel, and a pair of rear woofers (each composed of four drivers). There’s no doubt those height speakers give the audio more dimensionality, while the rear woofers generate a surprising amount of bass.

Onboard Dolby Atmos decoding, along with the ability to send Atmos back via ARC, uses psychoacoustic processing add an increased sense of height, width and depth to any supporting soundtrack, resulting in a feeling of greater sonic immersion. Samsung’s Object Tracking Sound Plus (OTS+) also uses sophisticated audio processing to move sounds around to match the action on screen. It’s surprisingly effective, and amplification is also powerful enough to go loud without distorting.

If you have a Samsung soundbar that supports Q Symphony, this feature allows the TV to synch with it and the two can operate in harmony. In testing this worked well, with the S95D and HW-Q990D automatically syncing to produce a much bigger front soundstage.

Samsung S95D verdict

The Samsung S95D redefines what’s possible with an OLED TV, delivering brightness and colour saturation beyond any previous offering from Samsung – or the competition for that matter. The new ‘Glare Free’ screen filter is a revelation, while the upgraded picture processing gets the best out of whatever you’re watching.

The resulting SDR and HDR images are among the best and most accurate you’ll see this year. Once you add the elegant design, immersive sound system, capable smart system, and extensive gaming features, this flagship model becomes hard to resist.

Samsung S95D technical specifications

Screen size	55in, 65in (version tested), 77in
Resolution	3840×2160
HDR formats	HDR10, HLG, HDR10+ Adaptive
Inputs	4 x HDMI 2.1
Smart TV OS	Tizen
Dimensions	1444x894x268mm, 29kg (with stand)