Samsung S95F OLED TV Review: Best Picture Quality for 2025

8.9/ 10
SCORE

Samsung S95F OLED TV

Execs

• Greatest image high quality I’ve ever examined
• Reduces reflections higher than different OLED TVs

Cons

• It is costly
• Not as brilliant because the LG G5 in some instances

OLED, or natural light-emitting diode, is a show know-how utilized in all the things from iPhones to gaming monitors to high-end TVs. It is good and getting even higher. In 2025, two OLED TVs stand out — Samsung’s S95F and the LG G5.

The LG G5 would be the brightest OLED I’ve examined, however the aggressive Samsung S95F has one thing extra helpful — the very best anti-glare system I’ve but seen. I additionally in contrast the S95F side-by-side to Samsung’s 2024’s S95D and located that the newer TV is ready to protect lit-room black ranges and distinction in a approach the earlier mannequin cannot.

With breakthroughs resembling “four stack” and blue phosphor, future TVs could possibly be even brighter. In order for you probably the most innovative TV you should buy proper now, nonetheless, the Samsung S95F clinches the prize. In comparison with the LG G5, the Samsung’s superior gaming and brilliant room efficiency give it the very best image high quality I’ve ever examined. It’s a well-deserving winner of the Editors’ Selection Award. Even so, at $3,300 for the 65-inch mannequin, it might pay to attend a number of months, as a result of prices usually come down within the fall. 

Editors’ notice, July 19: This evaluation was first printed on Jun 26, and the Samsung S95F has since been awarded the CNET Editors’ Selection.

Samsung S95F OLED TV sizes, sequence comparability

I carried out a hands-on analysis of the 65-inch S95F however this evaluation additionally applies to the opposite display sizes within the sequence. All sizes have related specs and may present principally the identical image high quality. 

Matte finishes and a connection field

This yr, Samsung has upgraded its “OLED Glare Free” system whereas additionally extending the know-how to its Neo QLED TVs. Nevertheless, the corporate is preserving with a shiny end for its S90F TV. I stay up for testing the variations between the display finishes of the S95F and S90F in a forthcoming evaluation.

As with the earlier mannequin, the S95F features a separate connection field — the One Join — which feeds the display through a silver umbilical cable. The field, which resembles an old-school PlayStation, measures 11.5 by 13 by 1 inches and homes all the TV’s inputs. If you happen to’re not wall-mounting, the package deal additionally features a shorter cable to connect the field on to the again of the TV. The included TV stand, although, has three separate items that do not appear like they need to go collectively and you will want to comply with the set up information to get it to work. If you happen to can afford white glove set up, possibly you must try this, even in case you’re wall-mounting. 

Having a separate field is most helpful in case you’re regularly swapping issues out related to your TV. If you happen to use an AV receiver or different swap field it isn’t mandatory. The distinction is, in contrast to the wireless LG M5 and wired LG G5, there isn’t any wired model of the S95. In order for you Samsung’s finest, it is the breakout field for you. 

Boasting simply that single port for the One Join field cable, the panel itself could be very skinny at simply 0.43 inch deep, even thinner than the LG G5. This eliminates a cluster of cables streaming from the rear of the TV and helps it sit as flush to the wall as potential. The entrance of the display is clear and minimalist and the rear is barely dotted with the round, built-in audio system.

The Samsung S95F needs to convey again one of many largest issues of 2012: gesture control! Again then, Samsung TVs had built-in cameras and you would wave at it to carry out primary capabilities, even scroll by means of net pages! The know-how died an ignominious loss of life, however the firm is bringing it again anyway, making it extra awkward within the course of. 

This time round you should personal a Samsung Gear watch. To check the characteristic I put one on and tried to regulate the TV with a sequence of hand and arm gestures, resembling a double wrist twist to activate the cursor. I discovered it to be inconsistent, significantly at monitoring, and typically needed to sweep my arm at full extension proper throughout my physique to get from one to the opposite aspect of the display. 

The onboard good TV programs of most televisions are fairly homogenous at this level and Samsung’s cannot be faulted for such consistency. The Samsung S95F dwelling web page consists of a sequence of classes on the left — Samsung Account, Search, Ambient, Samsung Day by day Plus Gaming Hub and Dwelling. House is the default and when displaying streaming providers it encompasses a sequence of related thumbnails. As some of the well-liked good TV platforms, due to the sheer variety of Samsung TVs on the market, it additionally has a spread of streaming providers and caters to players with Steam Hyperlink and Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Through the years, Samsung has pared down its distant to the naked minimal — a wafer-shaped clicker powered by a photo voltaic panel on the again. I most popular the chunky and colourful remotes of outdated however you probably did need to put batteries in these. If you happen to use your TV as a switch, the shortage of an enter button will seemingly rankle. You’ll be able to navigate to the Linked Units menu choice, however having a devoted button makes the method lots simpler. 

The TV comes with the corporate’s SolarCell distant, which, as its title suggests, is solar-powered. For the value it’s possible you’ll anticipate backlit buttons however its lack thereof is barely disadvantageous till you study the buttons. The most important disadvantage for energy customers is its lack of an enter button — one thing the brand new LG remotes additionally dispense with. In the meantime the clicker features a built-in mic and USB-C charging — for cloudy days, in the lounge.

Watch this: Samsung S95F OLED vs. LG G5 OLED: Which TV must you purchase?

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Quantum Dots of Solace

Whereas the aggressive LG G5 OLED debuted a brand new brightness-enhancing know-how referred to as “4 stack,” Samsung’s 2025 QD-OLED TVs, together with S95F, have caught with Quantum Dots. The outcome will not be as brilliant as LG’s know-how, in accordance with my very own exams, however nonetheless boasts comparatively correct colours and a good 30% improve in brightness year-over-year. 

OLED developments have been slightly muted lately however in 2025 there was a noticeable bounce in high quality. OLED can lastly sustain with the brightness of LCD whereas providing deeper ranges of distinction. New advances resembling LG’s blue phosphor tech imply that future TVs promise to be even higher.

In contrast to most high-end TVs, the S95F doesn’t have Dolby Vision HDR, and whereas I do not assume it is a massive deal, completists might look to LG, Sony and even Panasonic as a substitute. Connectivity is all housed within the One Join exterior field and contains:

• 4 HDMI 2.1 inputs 4K (165Hz max)
• 3x USB-A, 1x USB-C
• Optical digital audio output
• Wi-Fi 5
• Bluetooth 5.3
• Ethernet

Like most trendy TVs, the S95F encompasses a Gaming mode with its personal dashboard, even when it lacks the added Increase mode of its LG competitors. The S95F contains VRR help as much as 165Hz, with the quickest charges solely obtainable with PCs. Nevertheless all the HDMI ports additionally characteristic 4K/120Hz so that you will be indiscriminate about which port you plug your PC/gaming console into.

Excessive-end OLED comparability: LG G5 vs. Samsung S95F

TV and flicks

I in contrast the Samsung in opposition to its largest competitor, the LG G5, in addition to a extra reasonably priced mini-LED LCD — the Hisense U8QG — and final yr’s Samsung S95D in a darkish, theater-like surroundings. Whereas there have been variations in shade saturation between the Samsung and LG, I discovered that in these exams the 2 TVs have been fairly evenly matched. 

I began my comparisons by evaluating the S95F to the G5 utilizing the Spears and Munsil 4K Blu-ray benchmark, and located that the 2 TVs carried out very equally. The reds of tulips and strawberries on the Samsung have been richer than the LG, whereas the scenes that includes inexperienced grass have been conversely extra saturated on the LG. Of the 4 TVs, unsurprisingly, it was the less-expensive Hisense which carried out the poorest — as an illustration, the U8QB crushed all the white element in a snow scene. In the meantime, the S95D seemed slightly desaturated in comparison with the opposite three. 

By way of black ranges, it was the three OLEDs which popped, as anticipated, within the excessive distinction scenes of night time and flowers on a black background. Though LCDs can approximate the almost-infinite black of OLED, there have been nonetheless some minor blooming across the edges of the brilliant elements of the predominantly black screens on the Hisense.

Subsequent, I pulled up the opening sequence of the film It. As Georgie descends into the basement (3.04) the older S95D uncovered the best quantity of element subsequent to the staircase, making the latticed wooden of the steps probably the most seen. This was adopted by the S95F, which additionally uncovered extra shadow element than the G5. Lastly, whereas the Hisense’s shadow element was okay, there have been some areas of “floating black” the place the black space was extra grey, an artifact of its LCD-based know-how.

Switching to Oppenheimer subsequent, on the 1:51:24 mark I in contrast a shot of the New Mexico take a look at web site within the pre-dawn. On the Samsung S95F, I might see extra of the mountains within the distance however this was offset by extra banding within the night time sky. The pinpricks of sunshine, every representing spotlights, had slightly extra brightness on each Samsungs than on the LG G5. 

Whereas LG’s Vivid mode exhibits the best gentle output, its Filmmaker mode, which I utilized in all my comparability testing, is far much less brilliant. Certainly, the Samsung and LG’s Filmmaker mode have related outputs of round 2200 nits (see the sunshine output desk beneath).

Lastly, switching to 4K Blu-ray, it was throughout 1917’s Chapter 13 the place the shadow element of the S95F proved itself. The scene opens with a close-up shot of Lance Corporal Schofield (George MacKay) as he awakens in a ruined constructing. The G5 seemed slightly washed out right here with flat blacks, the S95F seemed finest with a extra stable trying image and it was capable of reveal extra particulars from his uniform. 

Brilliant lighting

Whether or not you select between the LG or the Samsung actually depends upon how vital brilliant room efficiency is to you. In order for you the absolute best image high quality, with minimal distractions, then anti-reflective know-how will be simply as vital because the panel itself. Loads of us are caught with home windows or overhead lights in unlucky locations, and never everybody watches TV at night time with the lights off. 

Typically although, when sitting in entrance of the TVs, and with the overhead lights on, I discovered that the S95F was capable of retain the distinction in darkish/black screens and with zero reflections. The S95D was subsequent finest, however black was slightly grayer within the gentle. The LG G5 was capable of replicate particulars from the room together with overhead lights and even myself(!) whereas I might nearly use the quite-reflective Hisense to verify my tooth for parsley.

The Samsung S95F and the LG G5 provide two takes on the way to decrease reflections. The Samsung’s matte display diffuses incoming gentle whereas the LG’s slight gloss makes an attempt to scale back reflectivity whereas additionally maximizing distinction. For LG, this strategy does work with dynamic content material. I discovered the G5 had higher distinction in a lit room when watching Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. At 26.30, Spider-Man is mendacity within the rubble after the Tremendous Collider explodes and whereas the Samsung appears to be like superb, the LG’s larger ranges of distinction made this scene pop in a extra impactful approach.

To check every TV’s skill to ban reflections, I “torture examined” every one by shining my cellphone’s flashlight a number of inches from the display. The S95F has a greater antireflective coating than final yr, and whereas the cellphone flashlight seemed like a candle within the distance on the S95D, the S95F provides a further layer of fog. The sunshine was nearly undetectable. The LG and Hisense, although, made these gentle sources identifiably cellphone-y.

Gaming

I examined the Samsung TV in 1080p and 4K HDR gaming modes, utilizing Leo Bodnar’s Lag testers, and located scores of 10.20ms and 9.67ms respectively. Whereas the LG G5 had a barely higher 1080p rating of 9.87ms, all of those lag instances are undetectable when enjoying video video games, which ideally must be below 20ms on the most.

I subsequent examined the TVs with a mixture of platform gaming (Ori and the Will of the Wisps) and first particular person shooters together with Doom Everlasting and Name of Responsibility. Because the Samsung does not help Dolby Imaginative and prescient, they usually have been all enjoying from the identical Xbox Sequence X supply, I set the Xbox to HDR10 mode. Maybe surprisingly, it was the Samsung S95F which had the brightest photographs by slightly, and it was additionally probably the most enjoyable to recreation on, adopted by the G5 after which the Hisense. The Samsung S95D had the worst trying recreation mode — it was washed out and flat. In the meantime, the G5 and the Hisense seemed very related, although when the Hisense wasn’t set to recreation mode it had vital blur.

Settings and film mode notes

TV producers are on an AI-everything kick proper now, and the S95F options an AI mode that’s enabled by default. If you drill down into its settings, it solely provides you two choices — AI Optimized or AI Customization (which regardless of the title is not configurable). Altering the primary mode to one of many different choices, resembling Film or Filmmaker, permits you to modify settings and I discovered these modes have been extra correct as effectively.

Portrait Displays Calman calibration software program was used on this evaluation. 

Learn extra: How We Test TVs