Samsung S95C OLED TV Review | Tom's Guide
In our full Samsung S95C OLED TV review, we take a closer look at all the upgrades to design, performance, gaming and more. Our benchmark testing proves this is one of the best TVs of the year, but check out our overview to see whether it's the best TV for you.
Transcript
00:00 I'm here with one of the most anticipated TVs for 2023, the Samsung S95C OLED TV.
00:06 As a reminder, this is the company's second shot at QD OLED, the panel technology that
00:10 promises a brighter OLED experience thanks to the addition of quantum dots.
00:15 And we had some reservations about Samsung's first time around, but this one has some upgrades
00:19 that move the needle.
00:20 Let's go take a closer look in our full review of the Samsung S95C OLED TV.
00:29 I know that design isn't always a priority for TV shoppers, but I happen to think that
00:33 this is exactly what a premium OLED TV should look like.
00:37 I'm testing out the 65-inch model, but the TV also comes in a new 77-inch configuration,
00:42 which is definitely an improvement in terms of options and catering to different size
00:45 needs.
00:46 Big screens are still very much in demand.
00:48 The S95C is noticeably slimmer than the S95B from 2022.
00:53 Not only that, the S95C has adopted Samsung's One Connect box that was previously reserved
00:58 for the top-shelf Neo QLED TVs.
01:01 If you were mounting this TV, you could also extend the One Connect box somewhere that's
01:05 more accessible, which is a huge plus, especially if you're someone who's going to switch
01:09 out inputs often.
01:10 This TV has four HDMI 2.1 ports, so there's plenty to work with.
01:15 That's relevant to gaming, of course, but the upgrade that really stood out in this
01:18 area is a jump up to a 144Hz refresh rate for the display when connected to a gaming
01:23 PC.
01:24 That's the most common refresh rate seen in gaming monitors, and likely a feature inherited
01:28 from Samsung's popular monitor division.
01:30 Pair that refresh rate with AMD's FreeSync Premium Pro, plus the excellent 9.2ms lag
01:36 that we measured in our tests, and this is a very fun gaming TV.
01:39 It automatically switches to game mode when you power up your console, which triggers
01:42 auto low latency for a responsive gaming experience.
01:45 It's cool if you want a TV just for watching movies and shows as well, so let's dig
01:49 into the performance.
01:51 We tested the Samsung S95C OLED TV in our lab, and across the board, the set performed
01:56 really well, like top notch marks.
01:58 The benchmark that blew me away the most is peak brightness.
02:01 Samsung did say that the S95C was brighter, but didn't specify how much.
02:06 We tested a 30% improvement, from 1010 nits to nearly 1370 nits in the same 10% window
02:13 in standard mode with HDR content.
02:15 That's just fantastic for an OLED TV, and honestly the type of upgrade that I've been
02:19 waiting to see from QD OLED.
02:21 The S95C also impressed in terms of color accuracy and color reproduction.
02:25 It tested a delta E accuracy score of 1.4 in filmmaker mode while covering about 140%
02:31 of the Rec.709 color space in standard mode, which are both in the range of what we want
02:36 to see from premium OLED TVs.
02:38 For reference, flagship LG OLED TVs usually earn similar scores in both these areas.
02:43 Upscaling on the S95C is powered by Samsung's NeuroQuantum Processor 4K, and I liked what
02:49 I saw.
02:50 I watched the car chase scene at the beginning of James Bond No Time to Die, and the picture
02:54 balance is beautiful.
02:55 There's a lot of complicated contrast in these scenes, and the set handled it very
02:59 well.
03:00 You get these blacks that look perfectly nuanced in HDR, with bright areas that hold integrity
03:04 without blooming thanks to those self-emissive pixels.
03:07 Obviously this scene is filled with motion, and none of the action suffered from artifacting
03:12 or other distractions.
03:13 All the while, I could watch this in a lit room thanks to the set's brightness abilities,
03:17 which is something that hasn't always been enjoyable with an OLED TV.
03:20 Truly my only complaint performance-wise is that this TV doesn't have Dolby Vision support,
03:25 so I would worry that there could be a disconnect between the creator's intent and the color
03:28 of the picture that's ultimately produced.
03:31 However, the set does handle HDR10, HLG, and HDR10+ formats, and it does get Dolby Atmos
03:36 for sound.
03:37 If you're getting a premium TV like this, I do recommend filling out your setup with
03:41 a great soundbar.
03:42 And why that's even more important for this TV is Samsung's Q-Symphony feature that
03:47 combines the TV's native speakers with a soundbar for a fuller soundscape.
03:51 I found it really helps raise the height of the vocals specifically.
03:55 Without the soundbar, the S95C sounds okay, but it lacks sophistication and bass and doesn't
04:00 get all that loud.
04:01 But again, this is a complaint with a very straightforward solution.
04:05 Beyond picture and sound performance, the Smart TV platform is a major part of using
04:09 this TV.
04:10 It has Samsung's Tizen platform with no real changes to note, and Samsung told us a while
04:14 back that's because they want customers to get used to the big change from a few years
04:18 ago.
04:19 I can't say it's my favorite in terms of navigation, but you can still find all the
04:23 major streaming apps.
04:25 What I do like is that this TV can act as a smart things hub, so if you're growing
04:29 your smart home or embracing matter, this TV can be the center of control, even with
04:33 devices from all different manufacturers.
04:36 When you're not watching or using the TV actively, enabling ambient mode can give you
04:40 a screensaver that's aesthetically pleasing or even tells you the time at a glance.
04:45 I would say that Samsung kind of made ambient mode mainstream, and while other TV makers
04:49 have taken their own spin on it, I still think this version is best.
04:53 To choose your content or ambient mode setting, you'll need a remote, of course.
04:56 This is Samsung's Eco Remote, named for the solar panel on the back and the rechargeable
05:01 battery.
05:02 It's pretty minimalistic as far as remotes go, but you do get dedicated launchers for
05:05 Samsung TV+, Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video, so it's very convenient for those who use
05:11 those services often.
05:12 Personally, I'm watching a lot of Disney+ these days, so that's great.
05:18 That is pretty much everything you need to know if you're considering the S95C as your
05:22 next TV.
05:23 I go more in depth on some of the test results and specs in my full review on TomsGuide.com,
05:27 but I can pretty confidently say that this is going to be one of the best TVs of the
05:31 year.
05:32 The upgrades to both the design and performance leave a very strong impression, and it's
05:35 exciting to see that there's still room for innovation in the TV space.
05:39 Is there anything in particular that you want to know about the Samsung S95C OLED TV that
05:44 I didn't cover here, or do you want to know how it compares to another TV on the market?
05:47 If you're subscribed to our channel and leave your questions in the comments, I'll be sure
05:51 to get back to you.
05:52 Otherwise, connect with us on social, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @tomsguide.
05:57 And as always, I'm @KateKozich.
05:59 Thanks for watching, I'll catch you next time.
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