Samsung S95D 4K TV review: The brightest OLED we've ever tested, but there's a catch

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The S95D is one of the best Samsung TVs you can buy and one of the most impressive high-end displays from any brand this year. It's Samsung's latest flagship OLED, improving upon last year's already excellent S95C. Most notably, it delivers the highest peak brightness I've ever recorded on an OLED display. 

It also offers top-notch color performance and incorporates a new anti-glare filter that cuts down reflections better than any display of this type. The matte screen does hurt black-level performance in bright rooms, but the S95D is the only OLED I've seen that can handle glare this well.

Competitors in this class, like the LG G4 and Sony A95L, perform a bit better in certain areas (and worse in others), but there's no doubt the Samsung S95D is a top contender in the premium TV market.

A new benchmark for OLED TV brightness

The Samsung S95D is a picture performance champ with all the bells and whistles that buyers should expect from a TV in this price range. Thanks to its QD-OLED panel (OLED with quantum dots), the display offers pixel-level contrast and a wide range of vibrant colors, which leads to exceptional high-dynamic-range (HDR) images. And on top of that, the S95D is the brightest OLED I've ever measured.

I put the TV in Filmmaker mode for testing purposes, which offers the most accurate picture settings. Using an X-Rite colorimeter, I measured a peak brightness of around 1,700 nits on a 10% HDR test pattern (a white box that takes up 10% of the screen). That's about 350 nits more than last year's version of this TV, the Samsung S95C, and about 200 nits more than the S95D's top competitors, including the LG G4. 

However, the S95D can only hit 1,700 nits in short bursts before dimming significantly. On the 10% test pattern, the TV gradually fell to around 750 nits and dropped more over time. I've seen this kind of behavior on a few other OLED TVs, but it's more extreme on this model than on competitors. But while that might sound like a major drawback, it actually isn't that big of a deal. It's rare for HDR videos to call for sustained brightness that high. Most highlights that actually need to get very bright (like a gunshot or an explosion in a movie) only flash on the screen quickly, and the S95D can handle those instances well.

As it stands, the S95D's brightness capabilities help the TV produce a vibrant image and give you plenty of headroom to pump up luminance and adjust settings to suit spaces that let in a lot of light. It also helps the TV display high-brightness HDR videos closer to how filmmakers intended them to look. And the results are fantastic.

The S95D delivers impressive image quality when watching actual movies and TV shows. During my testing session, I sampled various film sequences I use across all the TVs I evaluate, including scenes from 4K Blu-ray discs like "The Matrix," "Aquaman," "Ex Machina," "Blade Runner," "Game of Thrones," and "La La Land," as well as HDR streaming demos from YouTube.

With high-quality 4K material, the TV simply stuns. Fine details are sharp, contrast is high, and saturation is rich with bold hues that pop from the screen when called for. That said, while most demo material came through with the kind of bright saturation I expect from a QD-OLED with such high color volume, the climactic battle in "Aquaman" looked a bit more subdued than I was expecting. I have a hunch something wonky was going on with the settings, so I'll revisit that sequence when I conduct extended testing and update this section with additional findings. 

The opening scene from "The Matrix" is a great showcase for the S95D's contrast performance in a dark room. Bright specular highlights, like a police officer's flashlight, pop off the screen while black levels remain deep. And since each pixel on the TV's OLED panel can dim and brighten independently, the S95D is completely free from the kind of backlight blooming issues you'd see on competing QLED TVs. With the lights on, however, this scene reveals some of the drawbacks associated with the S95D's matte-screen finish (more on that in the next section).

The S95D handles gradients smoothly with minimal instances of banding. Our go-to real-world test scene from "Ex Machina" only revealed tiny hints of banding in the extreme red shades around one character's shoulder, which is about equal to what I've seen on other high-end sets.   

I also sampled a few regular HD videos in standard dynamic range and some lower-quality streams from Samsung's free live TV service, Samsung TV Plus, and the S95D handled them well. That said, upscaling isn't quite as good as you'll see on Sony's flagship TVs, so you'll get a slightly softer image with more source-related flaws visible.  

Note: The S95D is available in 55-, 65-, and 77-inch screen sizes, and they all offer the same display specifications. Samsung says all S95D models being shipped to retailers in the US right now use QD-OLED panels. However, there is speculation that the brand could sell versions of its 2024 OLED TVs with WRGB panels instead. WRGB OLED panels don't incorporate quantum dots, so any S95D TV with that panel type would offer reduced color and brightness capabilities. Again, this shouldn't be a concern for anyone shopping for an S95D now, but I'll update this review if WRGB variants end up being released in the US. 

The matte screen nearly eliminates reflections, but black levels suffer

One of the S95D's most striking features is its new glare-free screen filter. Virtually every other TV sold right now (including last year's S95C) uses a glossy finish that causes a reflective quality when you watch TV in a bright room. But, the S95D has a matte finish that significantly reduces glare and reflections. In fact, it almost eliminates them entirely. 

Seriously, this is one of the best screens I've seen for handling glare. The only other notable TV with a similar matte coating is Samsung's own Frame, but that model can't match the S95D's overall image quality. And when you add in the TV's high brightness capabilities, the S95D cements itself as a great option for rooms that let in a lot of light. However, the TV's glare-free screen does have a negative effect on black-level performance.

Instead of having the deep, inky quality that OLED black levels are known for, blacks look a bit elevated, hazy, and gray when watching TV with the lights on. This was very evident when viewing dark scenes, like the opening sequence of "The Matrix," in a bright room. 

I'm a bit torn about this side effect, and while I know that many buyers will love the perks of the S95D's matte screen, I lean toward preferring a glossier look that preserves black levels. I studied filmmaking and am a huge movie buff, so picture accuracy is one of the most important aspects of a TV to me. Deep black levels are a huge part of preserving the intended look of a movie, so the matte screen's negative impact on contrast is disappointing. That said, there's no denying how well the filter works at reducing reflections, so if you have a big issue with glare in your room, the pros here will outweigh the cons. 

Outside the matte screen, the S95D's design looks a lot like the 2023 S95C, and that's not a bad thing. This 2024 model carries over its predecessor's uniformly thin profile and has a similar pedestal stand, as well as a One Connect box, which houses all of the TV's video and audio ports instead of having them built into the panel. Build quality is also sturdy and a clear step up from cheaper designs used on sets from more budget-friendly brands. 

The smart TV interface is solid, and you can stream Xbox games with a subscription

Samsung's smart TV interface, which runs on the Tizen operating system, has received a few minor design tweaks for a slightly more streamlined look, but by and large, it offers a similar experience compared to last year's offering. 

Navigation through menus was snappy during my initial time with the TV and seemed a bit more consistent than last year's model. Some apps can still take a little longer to load than they do on dedicated streaming devices I've tested, but I like how there's now a loading bar that appears when opening apps. 

As with last year's model, the interface features a dedicated Gaming Hub section, and Samsung is still the only TV brand to offer built-in support for the Xbox app. This means you can stream Xbox games directly to the TV without a console, so long as you have an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership and a Bluetooth controller. 

Xbox streaming performance relies heavily on your internet connection and is limited to HD resolution in standard dynamic range with two-channel sound, but the feature gets the job done. It's not how I'd recommend playing top-tier releases, but it's solid for more casual titles.

Meanwhile, when playing video games via a connected console or PC, the S95D has all the premium features you should look for, including a variable refresh rate and support for up to 4K/144Hz to enable smooth gameplay.  

Should you buy it?

Based on my initial testing, the Samsung S95D is an excellent option for anyone who wants a high-end OLED TV. It delivers fantastic image quality with the highest peak brightness I've seen on a display of this type, and its matte-screen filter is a game changer for buyers who struggle with glare and reflections in their living rooms. 

However, that glare-free screen does hurt black-level performance with the lights on, so there's a definite tradeoff. If your room doesn't have issues with reflections, I recommend considering last year's S95C instead. It's cheaper and uses a glossy coating. And though the S95C's peak brightness is about 30% dimmer than the S95D's, it still gets bright enough for most needs. 

In this class, you should also consider the LG G4 and Sony A95L as alternatives. They both use glossy screens and have some other pros and cons compared to the S95D. Neither can get quite as bright as Samsung's flagship, but the G4 can sustain high brightness levels for a longer period of time, and the A95L benefits from Sony's superior picture processing to provide a slightly more accurate image. And they both support Dolby Vision, while the S95D does not. Check out our guide to HDR and Dolby Vision for details on why that feature could be a worthwhile perk. 

Ultimately, buyers seeking a premium viewing experience can't go wrong with any high-end OLED TV. But, the S95D's matte screen and exceptionally high brightness do give it an edge for viewers who want an OLED that's uniquely suited for combating glare and reflections in rooms that let in a lot of light.