'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean?
ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.
When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.
ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.
Samsung just unveiled its new TV lineup for 2023 and it's glorious
Last month, Samsung invited me to one of its facilities to check out the latest lineup of Samsung TVs, featuring the creme de la creme of its new 2023 TV family. Naturally, I accepted and got to test out the newest panels: The S95C OLED, the QN95C 4K QLED, and the QN900C 8K QLED.
Also: The best Samsung TVs
Time to game with the S95C OLED
First up, I checked out the 77-inch Samsung S95C OLED 4K smart TV. Older OLED models can feel bulky and take up a large amount of space. The new model is about as thick as my Google Pixel 6 Pro, making it great for both TV stands and wall mounting. This is in part thanks to Samsung's signature design of placing the processor and other chipsets into a panel behind the display that can rest on the console while the TV is mounted up top.
Also: My must-have OLED TVs: The crown jewel of home theaters
Samsung's S95C OLED TV offers a crystal clear and vibrant picture, and is about as thick as my Google Pixel 6 Pro smartphone.
Its display features a glossy finish, a design that will truly make all the colors pop on-screen. It's the first model that features Quantum Dot technology, making scenes from Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power pop, but I was in a windowless room, so I didn't get to see how it worked in a bright space. Therefore, out of caution, I hesitate to recommend this for brightly lit living rooms.
However, if you're putting it into a den or a darker living room, this is the display for you because the rich contrast coupled with the color makes for one gorgeous, detailed 4K cinematic experience for both casual viewers and, most importantly, gamers.
This is the only way you should be playing Stardew Valley: on an Samsung S95C OLED TV.
I played both Stardew Valley and Skyrim and immediately noticed the detailing -- and automatic 4K upscaling -- the S95C offers. The millions of self-lit pixels in this panel gave the gaming picture a fine contrast that kept my eyes glued to the screen, and the audio was solid enough that I felt it could be used sans a soundbar, but I will always recommend one to go with any TV.
Of all the TVs I tested, this picture was by far the best for wandering around Riften or fishing around Stardew. If you're a gamer, this TV is the one for you. This panel is available to order right now from Samsung's website in 55-, 65-, and 77-inch displays starting at $1,700.
The colors with this particular scene on the Samsung S95C 4K OLED smart TV have much since improved compared to its sister model, the QN90B.
Samsung's QN95C QLED wins for best all-around TV picture
Next up, I checked out the 77-inch Samsung S95C QLED smart TV. Unlike the OLED, this 77-inch panel didn't have any glare and displayed an even brighter picture than the QN90B I tested last year. I attributed this to the enhanced dimming and brightening zones used in this panel.
Also: The best QLED TVs
I put it to the test with a David Attenborough documentary and found myself blown away by the detailing of the QLED packed into its 77-inch screen. According to Samsung, experts at Pantone validated the colors on-screen to give a truly life-like picture -- and I'd believe that.
Every flamingo feather came in crystal clear detailing and color. Had I not known better, I would have thought this panel gave me 8K picture because the quality is so dang great, but I also attribute this to the enhanced Neo Quantum HDR+ and lighting technology implemented.
The flamingoes looked adorable and as pink as ever on this Samsung QN95C QLED TV display.
By far, the S95C QLED was my favorite TV to test because it also provided a truly bright picture for any space, with one of the largest improvements being the enhanced lighting and dimming zones. It also gave the most vivid coloring of all the TVs I tested, especially when it came to Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Another great feature of all of these panels is the built-in gaming hub, making it easy to play fan favorites for only $15 per month, no console needed.
While I didn't spot any issues with the audio (it was quite good), I also didn't spot the Slim One Connect hub, meaning it's all in the TV. It reflected in a slightly thicker display, but nothing that's a make-or-break scenario for any living room.
My verdict? This display will be the perfect blend for gaming and watching TV, and while you can most likely expect it in 65, 77, and 85-inch panels, it's not available quite yet. Stay tuned as I'll update this page when it drops.
While it was the darkest image of the three models I tested, the Samsung QN95C QLED TV still gives viewers a great picture.
Movie enthusiasts: The QN900C is your new go-to display
The last TV I tested was Samsung's flagship 8K panel: The QN900C smart TV. Samsung gave the zero-bezel TV some top-notch upgrades, including enhancing its Quantum Matrix technology to the Quantum Matrix Pro which brings up to 1.5 times more lighting zones. Ironically, of all the TVs I tested, I felt this panel was the darkest, but I was able to adjust the settings thanks to the expansive calibration settings the panel offers.
A quick walk around the Samsung QN900C 8K QLED TV shows how great the Ultra-Viewing Angle is on this top-notch display.
This TV comes with some of the best specs for a TV, including Dolby Atmos, Object Tracking Sound, Q-Symphony 3.0, and up to a 144Hz variable refresh rate for gaming. Zelda looked stunning on this panel thanks to the Motion Xcelerator Turbo Pro, but this TV's real claim to fame was while watching Amazon Prime's Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
Also: OLED vs. QLED: Which is better?
This panel offers the same Pantone-validated colors as the QN95C, Not only did the elves and Numenor provide life-like imaging, but also I felt I could spot every stitch in the costumes, and landscapes looked like cinematic masterpieces on the 77-inch screen. For movie enthusiasts, you'll want to pre-order this model. You can pick it up in 65-, 75-, and 85-inch sizes.