Choosing between the Samsung QN90C LCD and the Samsung S90C OLED will largely depend on your viewing preferences and environment.
The QN90C LCD has very good brightness which makes it a solid choice for viewing in bright rooms. It also has great speakers built-in, which might save you from needing an external sound system.
The S90C OLED, on the other hand, offers superior overall picture quality, is spectacular for gaming with its high response rate, and provides a fantastic experience for movie watching with intense contrast and wide viewing angles. However, it is not as bright as the LCD, which could make it less ideal for very sunny settings. It does not have speakers as good as the QN90C, which might necessitate additional investment in sound equipment if audio quality is important to you.
Both TVs are similarly priced, so your decision should be based on the mentioned factors to ensure the best viewing experience according to your needs. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Samsung QN90C (LCD)
Best in class for bright room
Advantages of the Samsung S90C (OLED)
Excellent for dark room
Best in class for gaming
Excellent for movies & TV
Very good for sports
Excellent for news, talk, & other TV
Excellent for cartoons & animation
Excellent for use as monitor
Best in class viewing angle
Best in class reflections
Key differences
Picture Quality
8.1/10
9.4/10
7.38/10
CONTRAST
10.00/10
9.1/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
9.2/10
miniLED FALD
PANEL TYPE
RGB OLED
ADS / IPS
PANEL SUB-TYPE
QD-OLED
The Samsung S90C (OLED) has excellent picture quality, while the Samsung QN90C (LCD) has very good picture quality.
Movies & TV
8.0/10
9.4/10
7.38/10
CONTRAST
10.00/10
6.8/10
BLACK UNIFORMITY
10.0/10
8.0/10
UPSCALING
8.0/10
Yes
HDR10 SUPPORT
Yes
Yes
HDR10+ SUPPORT
Yes
No
DOLBY VISION SUPPORT
No
The Samsung S90C (OLED) is excellent for movies & TV, while the Samsung QN90C (LCD) is very good.
The Samsung S90C OLED excels in watching movies and cinematic TV due to its perfect black uniformity and contrast, as well as excellent viewing angles, which preserves image quality at different seating positions. In comparison, while the Samsung QN90C LCD provides very good contrast and local dimming that benefits movie watching, its limited black uniformity and narrower viewing angles might not match the OLED's performance in darker scenes or for viewers sitting off to the side.
Sports
7.0/10
8.7/10
8.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
8.2/10
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
10.0/10
8.0/10
UPSCALING
8.0/10
10.0/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.8/10
Yes
HLG SUPPORT
Yes
The Samsung S90C (OLED) is very good for sports, while the Samsung QN90C (LCD) is good.
The Samsung S90C (OLED) offers a better sports watching experience due to its superior response time and motion processing capabilities that make fast-moving scenes look clearer, along with best-in-class reflection handling and viewing angles, ensuring a consistent picture regardless of seating position. In contrast, the Samsung QN90C (LCD) is also good for sports but falls short in key areas like response time and viewing angles, though it outperforms the OLED in reflections handling, making it a viable option for brightly lit rooms.
Gaming
8.2/10
10.0/10
7.8/10
RESPONSE TIME SCORE
10.0/10
10.0/10
INPUT LAG SCORE
10.0/10
8.0/10
MOTION PROCESSING
8.2/10
75.0/100
GAMING LOCAL DIMMING
100.0/100
8.9/10
GAME HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.4/10
The Samsung S90C (OLED) is best in class for gaming, while the Samsung QN90C (LCD) is very good.
The Samsung S90C (OLED) provides the best response time and input lag which are crucial for gaming, giving gamers smoother visuals and more immediate reaction to controls, while the Samsung QN90C (LCD) has very good ratings in these areas but doesn't quite match the OLED's performance.
Cartoons & Animation
8.8/10
9.3/10
7.5/10
COLOR GAMUT SCORE
9.2/10
9.1/10
COLOR VOLUME SCORE
9.2/10
10.0/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.8/10
8.1/10
COLORS OUT OF THE BOX SCORE
8.8/10
7.7/10
GRAY UNIFORMITY
9.8/10
The Samsung S90C (OLED) is excellent for cartoons & animation, while the Samsung QN90C (LCD) is very good.
The Samsung S90C (OLED) is excellent for watching cartoons and animation because it has perfect blacks and a wider color gamut, providing vibrant and diverse colors, which are crucial for animated content. In contrast, the Samsung QN90C (LCD) is very good due to its strong SDR brightness and good color accuracy out of the box, but its color gamut isn't as expansive as the S90C's, making it slightly less ideal for animations that often use a wide array of colors.
Bright Room
9.7/10
8.5/10
6.5/10
VIEWING ANGLE
10.0/10
10.0/10
SDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
7.8/10
8.8/10
HDR BRIGHTNESS SCORE
8.0/10
9.0/10
REFLECTIONS SCORE
10.0/10
The Samsung QN90C (LCD) is best in class for bright room, while the Samsung S90C (OLED) is very good.
The Samsung QN90C (LCD) is the better option for watching TV in a bright room due to its excellent reflection handling and the best SDR and very good HDR brightness. In contrast, while the Samsung S90C (OLED) also provides very good HDR brightness and best reflection handling, its SDR brightness is not as high as the QN90C's, which may affect daytime viewing quality.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Samsung S90C (OLED) to be excellent for news, talk, & other TV, while the Samsung QN90C (LCD) is very good.
The Samsung QN90C performs very well for watching news, talk shows, and TV programs, boasting the best SDR brightness which enhances its performance in brightly lit rooms and strong upscaling for lower resolution content. In contrast, the Samsung S90C delivers excellent performance in the same categories, due to its perfect blacks provided by OLED technology and wide color gamut which produces rich and accurate colors without needing adjustments out of the box.
Cost
$1,299
$1,375
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Samsung QN90C (LCD) has a price of $1,299 and the Samsung S90C (OLED) costs $1,375.
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How the Samsung QN90C (LCD) and the Samsung S90C (OLED) compare to other TVs
"Samsung S90C is the company's attempt at making its QD-OLED technology more affordable. You get high-end pictures, great processing, top gaming tech, and a sharp design."
Get a great deal on the Samsung QN90C (LCD) or the Samsung S90C (OLED)
About Samsung
Samsung, a South Korean electronics manufacturer, holds the title of being the largest global TV vendor in terms of units sold. They offer a diverse lineup of TV products that cater to various budget ranges. A notable achievement in recent years is the development of Quantum Dots, a technology that enhances color reproduction, resulting in richer and more vibrant hues. Samsung TVs are well-regarded for their high manufacturing quality and user-friendly software, making them an excellent choice for consumers seeking an intuitive viewing experience.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec TVs team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest TV information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
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About the TV team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and TVs Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Jaime Roldán
TVs Expert
Jaime is a Colombia-based TV expert. He is an electronics engineer with 8 years of experience in the telecom sector and has been making TV recommendations for 12 years.