Do you still remember the first time you watched a DVD after watching VCD for so long? For younger readers, remember when you used an OLED screen phone for the first time after years of using an LCD screen? Our experience using the Samsung OLED 4K S95B is similar to the two experiences above but on a larger scale.
SPECIFICATIONS
Samsung OLED 4K S95B
65-inch Screen Size
Resolution 3,840 x 2,160 (120 Hz)
QD OLED panel
Neural Processor Quantum Processor 4K
GPU?
RAM?
Storage?
Tizen Operating System
HDR Yes / HDR10+
Maximum Description 1200 nits (peak)
Audio 2.2.2 60W
Dolby Atmos & Dolby Digital Plus
I/O 3x HDMI 2.1 (1x ARc), 2x USB-A 2.0, Optical Audio
DTTV Yes/DVB-T2
Bixby Virtual Assistant
Internet LAN/ WiFi 5
Bluetooth BT 5.2
Chromecast None
AirPlay 2 Yes
Size 1444.3 x 897.6 x 288.2 mm (with base)
Weight 25.5 kg (with base)
Sale Price RM 10,499 (55″)
RM 14,209 (65″)
DESIGN
If one word could be applied to the S95B, it would be “sexy”. Sexy not only because the screen panel has a thin bezel but the panel itself is only about 3mm thick. Thinner than a pencil or a modern smartphone.
The design named LaserSlim can be achieved due to the use of QD OLED technology that does not require a backlight (backlight) like an LED TV or QLED TV. Each pixel on the S95B has its own light source. Only at the bottom of the TV is the faucet slightly thicker, this is where the other components of the TV, the I/O part, the power source and the speakers are placed.
This thin body is also matched with a large but also thin base. This site is installed directly in the middle of the back panel of the TV. We personally like this kind of site design because it makes it easy to place soundbars, consoles, satellite TV boxes, modems and many other TV equipment under the TV. The foot-shaped base used on other TVs may be more stable but can prevent users from placing an oversized soundbar.
The screen on the reviewed model is 65″ with a 4K resolution but there is another model with a 55″ screen. It is of the OLED type with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. This panel also has HDR10+ support to display bright enough HDR content.
Samsung doesn't say what the top of the screen is on the official site. Based on reviews from other sites, it is between 1200-1400 nits. Not as bright as the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra screen (1750 nits) and far behind the Samsung QN90B which can reach 4000 nits. This is a shortcoming of OLED technology that will not be able to match the performance of QLED or Neo QLED screens.
The size of the TV is 1444.3 x 897.6 x 288.2 mm with a weight of around 26 kilograms. It is one of the lightest 65″ TVs on the market thanks to the LaserSlim design we mentioned earlier. It is indeed designed to hang on the wall without it sticking out so noticeably. A 300x200mm VESA mount can be used with it built into the back.
Although it is quite light for such a large TV, we do not recommend that you do the installation by yourself. In our opinion, three people are needed to ensure that no damage occurs during the removal of the TV from the box and the installation of the base. The LaserSlim design makes the S95B so thin that the screen bends when trying to lift it alone. The process of assembling this TV in the our lab was very stressful.
I/O options are good with 4X HDMI 2.1 one of which supports HDMI eARC. Yes this is not a typo because all four HDMI inputs on the S95B can support a 120Hz refresh rate to display inputs from modem consoles such as the PlayStation 5 as well as high-performance PCs. Typically only one HDMI 2.1 is provided on other brands of smart TVs. eARC support also supports Dolby Atmos audio at the highest bit rate.
This is paired with 2X USB-A 2.0, RJ45 LAN, optical audio output and RF connection. A DVB-T2 decoder is also provided for those who want to watch local terrestrial TV content.
All I/O are placed on the left side of the television with all connection ports pointing to the side. This greatly facilitates the connection of various cables and accessories when the television is suspended. The power connection port is located on the right side with a cable that is bent 90 degrees again to facilitate the process of hanging the TV. There is no option to remove the I/O One Connect Box like on other premium Samsung TVs.
Internet support is via LAN or WiFi 5GHz. This is necessary if you plan to stream 4K HDR content all the time without any issues. Various wireless accessories can be connected with bluetooth 5.2 tether.
USE AND VISUAL QUALITY
OLED panels these days offer accurate color balance and true blacks. Better than LCD and QLED LED TV panels that are also offered by Samsung. The contrast is also high helped by the Real Depth Enhancer system which can distinguish the subject from the background better. This is necessary considering that there is now a trend of streaming content showing dark scenes that are difficult to watch on a regular TV.
There is no color banding issue and we can enjoy high resolution content without any issues. With a maximum brightness of 1200 nits, HDR10+ content can be viewed at appropriate brightness. There is still no Dolby Vision and we can give up hope because Samsung has no interest in paying a license to support it.
Although this panel does not have the level of clarity of the Neo QLED panel which can reach 4000 nits, we are not complaining because in various situations, the content on the S95B screen can be viewed clearly in bright rooms and dark rooms. The glare issue is also not so noticeable with a good viewing angle.
There is no blooming issue that exists on the LED panel. All HDR content from various streaming platforms Netflix, Amazon Prime, Apple TV and YouTube can be displayed well and smoothly at 4K resolution. There is a mode to improve visual smoothness using Clear Motion mode but it is not activated by default.
Movie buffs can activate Filmmaker Mode which ensures the movie being watched stays at a cinematic 24FPS rate. For those who are less knowledgeable about visual settings, there is Intelligent Mode which activates the best mode for the content being watched.
The visuals are especially satisfying when playing native 4K content. Looks sharp, clear and very bright (in HDR mode). But at the same time non-native 4K content is also still displayed well helped by the Neural Quantum Processor 4K chip. The strength of Samsung TVs in our opinion is the ability to do better visual upscaling than their competitors who usually do not have this feature at all.
However, Neural Quantum Processor 4K has its own limitations. Content up to 720P is upgraded to a 4K panel satisfactorily in terms of sharpness but colors will still run away with color banding will be visible. Images from 720P also appear softer than native 4k. This can be clearly seen on HBO GO content which has a reputation of offering the least satisfactory streaming quality.
The content of The Last of Us and The Wire (which is over 20 years old) is still not very satisfactory. The detail in skin and color of these two series cannot be improved perfectly by Neural Quantum Processor 4K. Luckily the S96B panel is only up to 65″ because if it's bigger the HBO GO content flaw will be more noticeable.
In short, the S95B has the most satisfying TV panel we've ever reviewed in the our lab. Exceeding the panel capabilities of some previously tested Neo QLED TVs. If premium-level visuals are what you're looking for, the S95B doesn't disappoint at all.
GAMING
Screen performance for gaming is just as satisfactory as watching movies and TV series above. We say this because there is 4K 120FPS support on four HDMI 2.1 inputs. This is a rare find on TVs in the market. For those who have a PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and a high-end gaming PC you can plug all three simultaneously into the S95B and enjoy the highest visual level without issue. We were only able to test the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X during the review period because we didn't have a gaming PC with a powerful enough graphics card.
Content can be displayed well and easily. 4K 120FPS input is automatically supported without having to go through a complex process. Everything is smooth without visual tearing. To PC owners, the S95B supports AMD FreeSynch Premium. The only downside is that there is no NVIDA GSync for more complete support. Completing the gaming-friendly specs on this TV is Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) support and built-in VRR.
AUDIO
Two speakers with 60W output support Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital Plus with 60W output. The audio system uses a 2.2.2 channel configuration which is better than the usual 2.1 speakers. Because of this the audio quality of the S95B is much better than that used on most TVs.
The Atmos experience is satisfactory, but the bass boom and the 360 audio effect from above are not very robust. This isn't the best Dolby Atmos system out there but again it's far more satisfying than standard TV speakers. The sound volume is also very satisfactory.
For a real audio experience, we recommend purchasing a more premium soundbar audio system such as the Samsung S800B which can be paired wirelessly with Atmos support. Only Samsung TVs as far as we know support the Atmos system wirelessly on the TV.
TIZEN OS OPERATING SYSTEM
The Tizen OS operating system has various interesting features such as supporting the screen display of Samsung phones using two adjacent windows of content from the TV. Because under the Samsung ecosystem, it supports Samsung DEX for those who want to use the TV screen as a large computer screen. For those who use the internet of things (IoT) system, Samsung SmartThings built with various electronic equipment can be viewed from the S95B.
With Tizen OS, the smart television at home is not just a box that displays content but can be the hub of various smart devices at home. App support is good but still no Disney+ Hotstar even though it's been almost two years of this streaming service in Malaysia. We have been given various promises that the application will arrive but so far there is no dust.
Fortunately there is AirPlay 2 support which allowed us to stream Disney+ Hotstar from an iPhone to the S95B throughout the review period. Who is at fault here? Samsung or Disney+ Hotstar? This application can be downloaded if the country India is selected as the country on the TV settings. But this results in other applications such as Sooka and HBO GO not being able to be downloaded.
There is no information about the processing power on the chip, chip type, amount of RAM and storage on the official specifications. Regardless of the specifications it is not powerful enough to run all the above mentioned features quickly. There is a noticeable lag when trying to return to the home screen by pressing the Home button.
In-app usage is smooth but when returning to the home screen this smoothness disappears. Maybe not enough RAM or the Tizen OS has too many apps in the background that it interferes with performance. It's a bit disappointing because the experience of using Google Chromecast with Google TV is smoother even though it's just a dongle. It's hard to forgive an operating system that isn't very smooth when the selling price reaches RM15,000.
REMOTE CONTROL
The remote control is of the Eco Remote type that is offered as standard for Samsung smart TVs in 2022. The buttons are made of rubber and the body is made of black plastic. There is a round button that works as a four-way controller and a multi-function main center button. There are quick shortcut buttons for Netflix, Prime Video, Samsung TV Plus and Disney+. Only these two buttons can be used in Malaysia.
The remote control is easy to use and understand. Also comfortable in the hand. The power source is a built-in battery that charges using a USB-C cable, a solar panel on the back and absorbs power from radio frequencies.
Conclusion
In terms of visuals, audio, features and gaming, the Samsung OLED 4K S95B is the best TV ever reviewed in the our lab. The QD OLED screen offers a very satisfying visual quality. For gamers, it is able to support four 4K 120FPS inputs which is rarely seen on other TVs on the market. In short, if you want the best at the moment, the Samsung OLED 4K S95B is the TV we recommend to our readers.
In Malaysia the selling price is RM 10,499 for the 55″ model and RM 14,209 for the 65″ model. The only TV model we feel can match the S95B is The Wall. The problem is that The Wall with a 146″ microLED screen is sold at a price of RM1.23 million!
Best screen in class.
Beautiful thin design.
Supports four 4K 120Hz inputs.
Dolby Atmos audio support with good speakers.
Satisfying luxury I/O options.
Cons
No Dolby Vision.
Tizen OS is not very smooth.