Welcome to the era of vivid visuals - the dawn of Samsung's latest OLED TV for 2024, the S95D, is here. Sporting a sleek design in its 65-inch model, this television is a masterpiece of innovation. The heart of the S95D lies in its advanced Quantum Dot OLED technology, marking the third iteration of Samsung's brilliant engineering. If we thought the previous generation was a significant upgrade, the S95D takes it to a whole new level, setting a benchmark for what we expect from visual technology.

Price Insight

Good news for everyone keeping a close eye on their budgets – the launch price of the S95D's 65-inch model in the UK remains pleasantly unaffected by recent inflation trends, holding steady at £3599, which mirrors the debut price of its predecessor, the 65-inch S95C. Australians can also breathe a sigh of relief as the price tag shows no hike, standing firm at AU$4999.

In contrast, the US sees a slight adjustment, with the price inching up by $100 to $3400. Yet, considering the rave reviews and the top-notch performance of the TV, the consensus among AV enthusiasts is that it's a price worth paying.

Highlighting an interesting competitive edge, the S95D’s price tag presents a slight financial advantage over Samsung's Mini LED flagship, the 65-inch QN95D, undercutting it by £100 / $100. Despite both QD-OLED and Mini LED technologies being promoted as premier options by Samsung, the pricing subtly indicates a continued preference for the QLED tech that has been a long-standing focus for the company.

Design

Introducing the S95D: not just a TV, but a marvel of modern design. Imagine a television so sleek, it's practically a whisper on your wall. At an incredibly uniform 1cm depth, it's aimed squarely at those who cherish elegance and minimalism in their living spaces.

This TV isn't just about looks, though. It promises a visual feast, delivering stunning pictures that defy its slim profile. For those who prefer not to mount their TVs, the S95D comes equipped with a stylish, robust metal desktop stand, ensuring it complements any interior with ease—even on the slimmest of shelves.

The design extends to the smallest details. With a svelte bezel, the S95D keeps viewers riveted to the vibrant display, blurring the lines between the screen and reality. Plus, its rear panel sports a unique corrugated design, a testament to the thoughtfulness put into every inch of its construction.

Despite its ultra-thin silhouette, the S95D houses eight midrange audio drivers, a bold attempt at matching its visual prowess with equally impressive sound. A feat underscored by the innovative use of slim space without compromise on audio quality.

The marvel of its slimness is achieved through the use of an external One Connect box, a clever solution that houses all essential connections and processing units. This design choice enables a clutter-free setup with just a single, discreet cable linking everything to the TV.

To control this elegantly designed piece of technology, two remotes are provided: a traditional one brimming with buttons and a sleek, smart remote designed for ease of use. The latter even incorporates a solar panel, reflecting a commitment to both convenience and environmental consciousness.

Features

Introducing the remarkable S95D, the latest innovation in television technology, featuring the third generation of Samsung's QD-OLED technology. This cutting-edge design shines a blue organic light through red and green Quantum Dot layers for an RGB color reproduction that is as pure as it gets, without needing an extra brightness-boost from the white elements found in standard WRGB OLED screens.

The standout feature of every OLED screen is its self-emissive pixels, which produce light and color independently, offering unparalleled contrast and lighting control that surpasses even the most advanced LCD TVs.

The S95D elevates the QD-OLED game with its exceptional brightness. When you dive into HDR content, the brightness increase is instantly noticeable, showcasing a 20 to 30 percent improvement over its predecessor. This makes the S95D the brightest OLED TV to date, setting a new standard that others will find hard to match.

Equally impressive is the S95D's resistance to reflections, thanks to a new anti-reflection filter. This ensures that even on the brightest days, distractions from reflections are virtually eliminated, enhancing your viewing experience.

The inclusion of the Neo Quantum 4K AI Gen 2 processor means the S95D is smart as well as beautiful. This processor utilizes the power of 20 neural networks to enhance every frame, improving upscaling of sub-4K content and introducing a Real Depth Enhancer for a more lifelike viewing experience. Additionally, a new OLED HDR Pro system ensures color accuracy that meets even Pantone's strict standards.

Sound quality matches the exceptional picture, with Samsung's latest Object Tracking Sound+ system delivering precise audio placement, now compatible with Dolby Atmos. The power of the new processor also revamps Samsung's Tizen OS, offering smoother and more stable performance and innovative features customized for every user.

For gamers, the S95D doesn't disappoint. It supports 4K/120Hz and 144Hz gameplay, maintains low input lag in HDR game mode, and includes ALLM switching for the ultimate gaming experience. Its comprehensive gaming support consolidates all gaming services in one place through the Tizen OS Game Hub and provides a detailed Game Bar for gaming adjustments. While it lacks Dolby Vision Game mode, it supports HDR10, HLG, and HDR10+ formats, offering a vivid HDR picture.

Revolutionizing Entertainment: A New Dawn in TV Technology

Imagine immersing yourself in a visual spectacle where vibrant colors burst into life against the deepest of blacks, presenting a picture so real, it takes your breath away. Enter the latest innovation in OLED TV technology, which turns this dream into a reality. The revolutionary brightness and contrast on display transform your viewing experience, setting a new benchmark for what we can expect from our screens.

By exploring titles from our outstanding 4K Blu-ray collection, including blockbusters and cinematic masterpieces, viewers are treated to an unprecedented intensity of picture. Bright, dazzling highlights and lush, saturated colors coexist beautifully with the profound blacks that OLED technology is celebrated for, creating a contrast that surpasses anything seen before.

The magic behind this leap in quality is not just in the technology itself, but in the meticulous tuning of the panel's drivers and processors to deliver harmony on screen. This balance ensures that even the most intense scenes are presented with a natural depth and realism, without overemphasis on any single aspect of the color spectrum.

Notably, this TV shines (literally) in both dimly lit and brightly illuminated rooms, thanks to its groundbreaking brightness and an innovative anti-glare filter. These features ensure that you remain connected with every scene, regardless of lighting conditions, enhancing your overall viewing pleasure.

The commitment to delivering a consistently detailed, three-dimensional picture is evident across all content, attributed to sophisticated color mapping and the Real Depth Enhancer system. Whether in a standard viewing mode or the highly accurate Filmmaker Mode, the result is always a crisp, sharp image that brings the director's vision to life.

The adept handling of dark scenes is impressive, as are the viewing angles that preserve the integrity of the image from any position. Advanced settings also provide the flexibility to minimize common issues like motion blur or the 'soap opera effect', ensuring that every moment of action remains perfectly clear.

Moreover, the TV's upscaling capabilities are nothing short of phenomenal, turning HD content into a visual feast that feels both authentic and meticulously detailed. This careful enhancement preserves the natural texture of the original material, elevating your viewing experience to new heights.

Despite its many strengths, there are minor limitations and areas for improvement. These include challenges in maintaining the incredible brightness levels across all types of HDR content and minor inconsistencies in black levels and brightness in certain viewing conditions. Yet, these are but small footnotes in the grand narrative of what this TV achieves.

In summary, this marvel of technology represents not just an evolution but a revolution in home entertainment, setting the stage for the future of television. It's a testament to the relentless pursuit of excellence, offering a viewing experience that's as close to perfection as it gets.

Sound Quality Delight

Stepping into the audio arena after the visual feast delivered by the S95D's display, one might anticipate a continuation of that awe. However, the auditory experience, while proficient, doesn't quite ascend to the same heights.

The prowess of Samsung's object-tracking sound system is evident, casting an auditory landscape that not only surpasses the screen's physical boundaries in width and height but also excels in placing sounds with remarkable precision. This technology brilliantly maps the trajectory of moving sound sources, creating a dynamic and engaging listening experience.

Audio details emerge crisply and abundantly, ensuring that the intricacies of sound are neither muddled nor lost. Dialogue, a critical component of any viewing experience, maintains its clarity even amidst the most chaotic scenes, ensuring you never miss a word.

The sonic journey, while expansive, tends to lack a dimensional thrust forward, resulting in a presentation that, though vast, feels somewhat two-dimensional. The pursuit of an enveloping, cinematic sound is hampered by limitations in volume and dynamic range, with the low end failing to provide the depth and weight needed for a truly immersive soundscape.

Yet, it's worth noting a commendable aspect: this QD-OLED marvel from Samsung generally sidesteps the pitfalls of distortion and crackling, ensuring a cleaner, more reliable audio output than witnessed in some of its counterparts.

Our Takeaway

Stepping up from its remarkable predecessor, Samsung's latest QD-OLED innovation isn't just a leap forward – it's a game-changer in the TV technology landscape. This marvel challenges the conventional roles of TV tech in the modern audiovisual sphere, signaling a pivotal 'moment' that could reshape industry standards.

While we eagerly anticipate the arrival of 2024 MLA OLED TVs from industry giants like LG, Panasonic, and Philips, Samsung's S95D has undoubtedly raised the stakes, promising an exceptionally competitive year ahead in TV technology.