In 2023, the boundaries between different TV technologies are evolving in exciting ways. OLED screens now offer unprecedented brightness alongside their renowned black-level performance, while Mini LED TVs use advanced local dimming to enhance black levels, adding to their natural brightness edge.

This blend of picture quality features across technologies is truly fascinating. Samsung's latest 4K Mini LED TV, the QN95C, highlights the ongoing divergence in TV tech, showcasing that these differences are indeed worth celebrating.

Price

At £3699, the Samsung QE65QN95C stands as a premium TV option. Interestingly, despite its advanced Mini LED technology, the QE65QN95C is actually £100 more expensive than Samsung's new QD-OLED TV, the S95C. This is notable even though the QN95C does not include an external One Connect box like its predecessors.

The 65-inch QN95C is complemented by other models: a 55-inch version at £2799, a 75-inch version at £4999, and an 85-inch version at £6999. It's important to note that certain screen specifications, particularly the exact number of local dimming zones, may vary between sizes.

As of now, the QN95C hasn't been released in Australia. The most premium Samsung 4K TV available there for 2023 appears to be the QN90C, which offers slightly fewer features and a less luxurious design compared to the QN95C.

Design

Our latest product showcases a sleek and modern design, which is both functional and aesthetically pleasing. The clean lines and minimalist approach make it a perfect fit for contemporary spaces, blending seamlessly with a variety of interior styles.

The attention to detail in the craftsmanship ensures not only durability but also a premium feel. High-quality materials have been thoughtfully selected to enhance the user experience, offering both comfort and style.

The intuitive layout and user-friendly interface make this product easy to use, even for those who are not tech-savvy. Every aspect of the design has been carefully considered to ensure it meets the needs of a diverse audience, making it accessible and enjoyable for everyone.

In summary, this product's design is a beautiful combination of form and function, providing an elegant yet practical solution for modern living.

The Samsung QN95C takes a bold step away from its 2022 predecessor. One major change is the removal of the One Connect box, and the adoption of the sleek Infinity One design, previously exclusive to Samsung’s 8K TVs. This results in an ultra-thin frame around the screen, blending seamlessly with a flat, slender back panel. The rear features a tasteful corrugated finish and metallic look along the sides, creating an elegant 360-degree design.

The QN95C makes a stylish statement whether mounted on a wall or placed on its robust metal plate desktop stand, which offers convenient cable management thanks to the grooves down its back. This thoughtful design choice helps offset the absence of the external One Connect box.

The TV comes with two remote controls: a standard button-filled one and a more compact, sleek 'smart' remote. Both may feel a bit lightweight for a flagship model, but they are user-friendly. The smart remote is particularly innovative, supporting recharging via a solar panel on its back or your router’s wi-fi signals. We hope this battery-free approach becomes standard for all remotes in the future.

Features

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The standout feature of the Samsung QN95C is its stunning screen design. Utilizing Mini LED technology, it packs in a myriad of tiny LEDs behind the screen, significantly boosting brightness and allowing for finer control over light distribution in the picture.

While its predecessor also used Mini LED technology, the 2023 model takes it up a notch with 1344 zones of local light dimming, a substantial upgrade from the previous model's 720 zones. This nearly 90 percent increase in dimming zones promises even more precise lighting control for an exceptional viewing experience.

The QN95C boasts a VA panel designed to minimize reflections and offer wider viewing angles than traditional LCD panels, enhancing its overall performance. Powering this advanced display is Samsung’s new Neural Quantum processor, which leverages insights from 20 different neural networks to optimize picture quality dynamically.

This enhanced processor doesn't just manage the increased dimming zones; it introduces the Real Depth Enhancer Pro feature, which meticulously adjusts multiple aspects of the image to create more lifelike, object-focused visuals. It also enhances Samsung’s already reliable HD to 4K upscaling and reduces input lag to just 9.8ms in Game mode.

Speaking of gaming, the QN95C’s four HDMI ports support the latest gaming technologies, including 4K/120Hz, VRR (Variable Refresh Rate, including AMD Freesync Premium Pro), and ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode).

The dedicated Game Bar menu provides quick access to various gaming-specific features. For instance, you can adjust response speed for enhanced visuals in RPGs, raise the brightness of dark areas to spot hidden enemies, magnify and share minimaps, and even set a virtual aiming point on the screen.

The high-bandwidth HDMI ports also seamlessly handle 4K/24p movie feeds in HDR10, HLG, and HDR10+ formats. However, the lack of Dolby Vision support remains a drawback considering its widespread availability compared to HDR10+.

On the smart front, Samsung has refined its system from the 2022 overhaul, making the home page more user-friendly and relevant. The Gaming Hub has also become a handy center for both connected and streaming game sources.

Complementing the impressive display is the QN95C’s 70W sound system, capable of delivering rich Dolby Atmos sound through a 4.2.2 channel configuration. Samsung’s Object Tracking Sound feature adds to this, ensuring a dynamic soundstage where sound effects are precisely placed.

The QN95C can wirelessly transmit Dolby Atmos sound to compatible Samsung soundbars and use the Q-Symphony feature to combine its speakers with those of a Samsung soundbar for a fuller audio experience.

For cinephiles considering professional calibration, the QN95C supports Samsung’s premium Smart Calibration system, allowing near-professional calibration using just a recent smartphone.

One unique feature of the QN95C is its slimline detachable camera, enabling gesture control and video calling. While these features might not appeal to everyone, they do add a layer of versatility to this high-end TV.

Picture

Imagine a movie night at home, where every scene is crisp, and every color pops. Enhancing your home theater experience begins with the picture quality. It's the lifeblood of any viewing experience, and we know just how vital it is to get it right.

Resolution Matters

High-definition is the cornerstone of modern viewing. Make sure your set-up supports at least 1080p resolution, though 4K offers breathtaking detail that brings every frame to life.

Brightness and Contrast

Don't underestimate the power of good contrast ratios and brightness levels. These features ensure that your picture remains vivid and true-to-life, regardless of the ambient light in your room.

Color Accuracy

Colors should be vibrant but natural. Look for displays that offer superior color accuracy, avoiding any hues that seem overly exaggerated or dull.

Refresh Rate

A higher refresh rate means smoother motion and a more immersive experience, particularly for action-packed movies and sports.

In essence, a top-notch picture quality is essential for an amazing viewing experience. Don't settle for less when it comes to the heart of your home entertainment system!

The moment you start watching on the QN95C, it's crystal clear that nearly doubling the dimming zone count has significantly improved its picture quality.

Bright highlights against black backgrounds are now less likely to produce distracting light halos compared to the QN95B. Haloing remains almost unnoticeable even when viewed from wide horizontal angles; only sharp vertical angles might reveal it more prominently.

In recent reviews of Samsung FALD (Full Array with Local Dimming) TVs, we've noted the brand's focus on reducing halos, sometimes at the expense of dimming small bright objects. However, the increased dimming zones in the QN95C mean this aggressive dimming is less frequent and less severe.

That said, the aggressive control of haloing still means small bright highlights might not achieve the same intensity and local contrast seen in OLED screens. Despite this, the QN95C shows marked improvement over the 2022 model.

The enhanced light accuracy on the QN95C allows for deeper black levels compared to the previous year's QN95B, which was already highly regarded for its minimal backlight interference. The 2023 model can achieve near OLED levels of black without the backlight array flashing on and off.

In scenes combining light and dark elements, the QN95C maintains deep black levels, especially in Standard and Filmmaker Mode presets, offering what are possibly the deepest and most consistent black levels in an LCD TV.

However, the Movie preset introduces a slight green undertone to dark scenes, revealing more shadow detail while potentially causing some black crushing (lost detailing in dark areas) in Standard and Filmmaker modes.

The default Standard picture preset, preferred for its brightness and contrast, can show noticeable backlight brightness shifts during abrupt bright-to-dark HDR scenes. Disabling the Contrast Enhancer function minimizes this issue, trading off some picture dynamism for more consistent immersion, particularly helpful during dark HDR movie scenes.

This brightness shift issue does not affect Movie or Filmmaker Mode presets, beneficial for home cinema purists. However, the color vibrancy in these modes may feel lacking compared to many competitors' Filmmaker Modes. While not ideal out of the box, Samsung could consider a preset between Movie and Standard.

On a positive note, the QN95C achieves extremely bright highlights in all presets, surpassing even the latest OLED technologies. This capability is notable in scenes with bright peaks within already bright imagery, avoiding halo issues.

In cases where small light highlights need dimming to avoid haloing, new OLED TVs like the LG G3 achieve more intense bright highlights. The QN95C excels with uniformly bright HDR images, achieving two to three times the brightness of top OLEDs, reaffirming its strength in bright HDR displays and bright room environments.

Image sharpness and purity continue to impress, with improved natural sharpness and better source noise handling due to the latest processing engine. Upscaling HD content also shows minimal unwanted side effects.

The default motion handling is the QN95C's primary processing drawback. The Auto setting for Picture Clarity can create unwanted distractions, making 24p films appear like soap operas. Turning off Picture Clarity reduces these issues but can lead to excessive judder with horizontal pans. A Custom Picture Clarity setting with judder and blur controls set to around level two or three offers a good compromise.

Although designed for HDR, the QN95C performs excellently with standard dynamic range sources. The Standard mode delivers SDR with almost HDR-like brightness, while Movie and Filmmaker Modes offer more authentic, dimmer SDR if preferred.

Lastly, the QN95C excels in gaming performance, handling 120Hz smoothly and supporting variable refresh rates effectively. It delivers an impressive combination of brightness, contrast, color saturation, and sharpness. The only missing feature is Dolby Vision gaming support, but with HGIG and HDR10+ available, it still offers a spectacular gaming experience.

Sound

Experience the magic of pristine audio quality that brings every note to life. Our latest offerings deliver an immersive sound experience, whether you're watching a movie, streaming your favorite music, or playing the hottest games. Feel the depth and clarity in every beat, every melody, and every sound effect. Enjoy a seamless blend of high and low frequencies that create a rich, vibrant soundscape. With advanced audio technology, you get unparalleled clarity, making every session more enjoyable. Discover the true potential of your audio equipment and elevate your listening experience today. No matter your preference, our products cater to all your audio needs, ensuring top-notch performance and satisfaction.

Samsung has often grappled with the quality of the built-in sound systems in its recent TVs, but the QN95C represents a significant improvement, particularly with its innovative Object Tracking Sound system.

The most impressive aspect is the expansive audio ‘landscape’ it offers. Films now project their sound far to the left, right, and even above the screen. This broader soundstage is powered robustly, ensuring it remains clear and cohesive.

Equipped with eight mid/bass drivers, the QN95C avoids the common issues of buzzing or chuffing, even with intense movie soundtracks. It also handles fine details without letting them become harsh or overbearing, thanks to ample headroom that prevents any shrillness.

The speakers can highlight subtle nuances in sound mixes without adding undue weight, coordinating seamlessly with Samsung’s latest OTS speaker setup to place effects accurately on and around the screen.

Ideally, the bass could delve deeper, the sound could project more prominently into the room, and the volume and dynamics could keep pace with the most dynamic soundtrack moments instead of peaking slightly early. Nevertheless, in the realm of practical TV audio, the QN95C’s sound performance is commendable.

Verdict

The QN95C by Samsung significantly elevates the game compared to its 2022 Mini LED TVs. With nearly double the number of dimming zones, this model enhances almost every aspect of picture quality, bolstered by a notably improved video processing system. Alongside these spectacular visuals, the QN95C delivers far more immersive and impactful sound.

While a few presets may need minor adjustments, it's a small effort for a television this impressive. The dazzling yet refined QN95C stands as the new benchmark in the LCD TV world.