Samsung QN90A TV Review

Samsung QN90A TV Review

Samsung QN90A Neo QLED TV Review

The Samsung QN90A impresses right out of the box with excellent sound quality, a wide array of smart applications, and even support for webcam connectivity. Among its standout smart features is the inclusion of the Apple TV app, which works seamlessly with Apple’s AirPlay system, allowing users to stream content directly from their Apple devices.

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A Premium 4K Experience

While Samsung is known for its ultra-premium offerings—including 8K-resolution models and luxury Micro-LED displays—the QN90A stands out as a feature-rich 4K model packed with innovations.

The most notable advancement is its use of Neo QLED Mini-LED backlighting. This technology enhances traditional LCD image quality by dynamically brightening or dimming individual zones of the screen based on on-screen content. The result is:

• Improved local contrast
• Deeper blacks
• Brighter highlights

These enhancements contribute to a significantly better overall picture, making the QN90A a serious contender in the high-end 4K TV market.

Key Features of the Samsung QN90A

• Display Technology: LED LCD with Neo QLED Mini-LED backlight and local dimming
• Resolution: 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160)
• HDR Compatibility: Supports HDR10 and HDR10+ for enhanced brightness and contrast
• Connectivity:
  • 4 HDMI inputs (ideal for connecting multiple devices, including gaming consoles and media players)
  • 2 USB ports for media playback and device charging
  • Ethernet (LAN) port for stable wired internet connection
  • Optical digital audio output for high-quality sound system integration
  • RF (antenna) input for over-the-air TV channels
  • RS-232 (EX-LINK) port for remote system integration and control setups

These features highlight the QN90A’s versatility and readiness for both modern home cinema setups and smart connected environments.

Picture Quality and Display Technology

The Samsung QN90A stands out as one of the few TVs equipped with a built-in ATSC 3.0 tuner, making it compatible with Next-Gen TV broadcasts—a forward-looking feature for terrestrial signal upgrades.

Its Quantum Dot technology delivers exceptional image quality with 100% color volume, maintaining rich and accurate color reproduction in any lighting condition. The anti-glare panel and ultra-wide viewing angle ensure that the picture remains clear and vibrant, even when viewed off-center or in brightly lit rooms.

The QN90A also features Object Tracking Sound+ (OTS+), a multi-directional audio system that follows on-screen motion, creating a more immersive 3D sound experience.

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Smart Features and Tizen OS

The QN90A runs on Tizen, Samsung’s proprietary smart TV operating system, originally developed in partnership with Intel. Tizen now powers a wide range of Samsung devices, including:

• Smartphones
• Tablets
• Smart TVs
• Smartwatches
• Blu-ray players
• Smart home devices

The Tizen OS provides a smooth, app-rich interface with access to all major streaming platforms and smart features, including:

• Apple TV with AirPlay 2 support
• Voice assistant integration (Bixby, Alexa, Google Assistant)
• SmartThings home control compatibility

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QLED vs. Standard LED LCD

The QN90A is a QLED TV, which means it uses Mini-LED backlighting combined with a Quantum Dot layer to enhance brightness and color accuracy. Unlike OLED, which is a self-emissive technology, QLED relies on a backlight but benefits from the quantum dot filter (“Q” in QLED) that significantly improves visual quality over standard LED LCD TVs.

• QLED advantages:
  • Higher peak brightness
  • Excellent color saturation
  • Less risk of burn-in compared to OLED

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HDR and Refresh Rate

The QN90A supports HDR10 and HDR10+, offering a dynamic range boost with deeper blacks and brighter highlights. While Dolby Vision is not supported—a point that may matter to some—it’s not a significant drawback, as Samsung’s implementation of HDR10+ still provides vivid, detailed HDR performance.

A 120Hz refresh rate panel ensures smooth motion handling, ideal for fast-paced action scenes and next-gen console gaming.

Gaming Performance

Gaming is undoubtedly one of the strongest features of the Samsung QN90A. With next-gen console compatibility in mind, this TV offers a full suite of gaming enhancements that cater to both casual and competitive players.

All four HDMI inputs support:

• Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), including AMD FreeSync Premium
• Standard VRR protocols for smooth, tear-free gameplay
• ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), which automatically switches the TV to Game Mode and reduces input lag as soon as a game signal is detected

These technologies work together to deliver a responsive, fluid gaming experience, ideal for high-performance gaming on platforms like PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and gaming PCs.

Additionally:

• HDMI Input 3 is eARC-compliant, allowing for uncompressed audio passthrough to soundbars or AV receivers—perfect for those wanting immersive surround sound while gaming.

The result is a TV that not only delivers cinematic visuals but also performs brilliantly under pressure in fast-paced gaming environments.

Gaming Connectivity – Input Optimization

On the Samsung QN90A, HDMI Input 4 is specially labeled with a game controller icon and supports 4K at 120Hz, both with and without HDR. This input is specifically optimized for gaming, offering fast response times and high refresh rates for next-gen consoles and PCs.

It’s worth noting that none of the other HDMI ports support 4K/120Hz, which might be a limitation if you have multiple gaming devices or want to connect more than one 120Hz-capable source simultaneously. Still, for most users, one dedicated high-performance port will be sufficient.

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Image Quality – One of the Best Non-OLED TVs

When it comes to visual performance, the Samsung QN90A is arguably the best non-OLED TV on the market today. It excels in bright-room environments, offering:

• Exceptional peak brightness
• Deep, inky black levels
• Rich, accurate colors

The Neo QLED Mini-LED backlighting paired with Quantum Dot technology enables it to handle demanding HDR content beautifully—including formats like HDR10+ and HLG. While it can’t quite match the infinite contrast and perfect blacks of top-tier OLED TVs like the LG G1, it comes remarkably close, and with higher brightness that gives it the edge in well-lit rooms.

In testing, black levels were near perfect, with excellent local dimming control—though LG’s OLED displays still outperform it when it comes to absolute black and contrast precision.

Picture Settings and Accuracy

While Samsung’s Dynamic picture mode may offer the highest brightness on paper, it’s notoriously inaccurate in terms of color and contrast. For better accuracy in Standard Dynamic Range (SDR), the most balanced results were achieved using Natural Image mode combined with the Warm Color Temperature setting. The default setting leans toward a bluish tint, so switching to Warm is essential for a more neutral tone.

For even more precision, Cinema Mode or Filmmaker Mode is recommended. With the Brightness control set to 50, users can expect a calibrated output of approximately 620 nits, offering a clear and consistent image without overexposure or washed-out tones.

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HDR Performance and Brightness Behavior

The Samsung QN90A impresses with outstanding HDR performance, particularly in Cinema and Filmmaker Modes, where it maintains stable peak brightness. However, in Dynamic mode, both HDR and SDR outputs are unstable, initially spiking to 2,500 nits, then dropping sharply to 500 nits—a significant fivefold decrease that impacts viewing consistency.

Despite this, the QN90A is still one of the brightest TVs on the market, and thanks to its anti-reflective coating, it retains excellent contrast and color saturation even in bright, sunlit rooms.

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Uniformity and Screen Effects

In terms of screen uniformity, the QN90A lags slightly behind LG’s OLED models. During testing, it exhibited a mild dirty screen effect, which can be noticeable during slow panning scenes or when displaying solid color backgrounds. It’s not a dealbreaker but worth noting for discerning viewers.

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Gaming Experience Enhancements

In Game Mode, the QN90A delivers excellent input lag performance, making it ideal for competitive gaming. It appears brighter than LG OLEDs, and while it doesn’t offer multiple dedicated game picture modes, it includes Samsung’s Dynamic Black Equalizer feature, which allows users to boost shadow details in dark scenes—useful in fast-paced gaming.

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Stunning 4K HDR Playback

When it comes to 4K Blu-ray and HDR content, the Samsung QN90A is a top-tier performer. It outshines even the brightest OLED displays in peak luminance while still producing deep, inky blacks that rival OLED-level shadow detail. This makes it one of the best non-OLED options for home cinema enthusiasts who want both brightness and depth.

Picture Calibration and Professional Accuracy

While the default picture settings provided by Samsung are a solid starting point, those seeking the most accurate image quality will benefit from professional calibration. This is especially true for viewers who prioritize color fidelity and tonal precision in film viewing.

Among the built-in modes, both Cinema and Filmmaker presets offered the most accurate picture, delivering excellent grayscale and gamma performance, with only a slight red tint noticeable out of the box.

In Filmmaker Mode, the TV automatically disables all image enhancement settings, including motion smoothing, to preserve the content’s original look. It also activates ambient light detection, which can adjust brightness based on room conditions—useful in dynamic lighting but best turned off for calibration.

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Improved Accuracy Through Calibration

During professional calibration:

• Two-point grayscale adjustment was used to neutralize the red bias
• Light output was slightly reduced to achieve better balance without sacrificing brightness
• Gamma levels were fine-tuned for more accurate mid-tone performance

Post-calibration, both grayscale and color accuracy were significantly improved, resulting in a reference-level picture with excellent depth, realism, and visual coherence.

This level of precision allows the Samsung QN90A to fully showcase its Mini-LED and Quantum Dot potential, offering not just vibrant images—but true cinematic fidelity.

HDR images

Like SDR, Samsung’s film and filmmaking modes were the most accurate for displaying HDR sources. Both modes were significantly more accurate than the Dynamic mode.

Verdict

When it comes to sound, fantastic picture quality and extra features, Samsung has them all in the form of an awesome TV. Although, the LG CX OLED TV performs better in terms of certain features such as gaming; thanks to its anti-glare screen, 4K picture resolution and other features, this Samsung QN90A is an ideal choice.

Of course, the sound can only be perfect if we also pay attention to the acoustics of the room. With sound-absorbing acoustic panels and diffusers, we can improve and perfect the sound. In the case of home theatres, full obscurity is also an important criterion if you’re looking for a real cinema like experience, therefore it is worth placing acoustic curtains in front of the windows, which not only function as full blackout curtains, but also improve the acoustics.