Samsung 2024 QD-OLED TVs Review

For years, the display world has been a two-horse race, but Samsung’s latest QD-OLEDs are a clear signal that the status quo is over. This third generation of the technology isn’t just an incremental update; it’s a bold statement about the future of home entertainment. Samsung is pushing brightness and color purity to levels that challenge not just its rivals, but our very expectations of what a television can be.

Samsung’s 2024 QD-OLED lineup, spearheaded by the flagship S95D and its more accessible sibling, the S90D, represents a significant leap forward in picture quality. The core magic lies in combining the perfect blacks of OLED with the vibrant color and brightness of Quantum Dots. The result is a level of visual pop and realism that is simply staggering. The S95D, in particular, achieves peak brightness levels that were once the exclusive domain of high-end Mini-LEDs, allowing HDR highlights in movies and games to sear into your retina with breathtaking intensity. Colors are not just bright but also incredibly rich and voluminous, maintaining their saturation even in the most luminous scenes—a traditional weakness of competing WOLED technology.

The standout feature of the flagship S95D is undoubtedly its “OLED Glare Free” screen. This isn’t just another marketing term; it’s a genuinely transformative matte finish that diffuses ambient light with astonishing effectiveness. In a brightly lit room where other glossy OLEDs become distracting mirrors, the S95D maintains its deep contrast and color integrity. It’s a game-changer for daytime viewing, though some purists may argue the matte finish slightly softens the sharpest details compared to a glossy panel in a perfectly dark room. The step-down S90D forgoes this advanced screen but still delivers a phenomenal picture that will satisfy all but the most critical viewers.

From a design perspective, Samsung continues its pursuit of minimalist elegance. The S95D boasts the “Infinity One” design, featuring impossibly thin bezels and a uniform thickness of just 11mm. This is made possible by offloading all inputs and processing to the external One Connect Box, a clever solution for clean wall-mounting but one that adds an extra component to manage. Build quality is superb, with premium materials that feel as good as they look. The S90D is slightly thicker but remains a very sleek and modern-looking set.

On the software and features front, Samsung’s Tizen OS is as comprehensive as ever, offering a vast ecosystem of apps and a responsive user experience. However, the home screen has become increasingly cluttered with advertisements and content recommendations, which can detract from its premium feel. For gamers, this is arguably the best platform on the market. With support for up to 144Hz refresh rates, VRR, and the integrated Gaming Hub for cloud streaming, it’s a console and PC gamer’s dream. The only persistent weakness is the lack of support for Dolby Vision, with Samsung holding firm to its own HDR10+ standard. While most content looks spectacular regardless, the absence of the industry’s most popular dynamic HDR format is a notable omission.

Ultimately, Samsung’s 2024 QD-OLEDs are a triumph of engineering. The S95D is an unapologetic flagship designed for those who demand the absolute best in picture performance, especially in challenging, bright environments. The S90D, meanwhile, offers a massive slice of that same performance for a more palatable price, making it a powerful contender for the best high-end TV for the money. If you can look past the busy smart interface and the lack of Dolby Vision, you are rewarded with a visual experience that is second to none.

Where to Buy:

Check it out on Amazon