Samsung QN90D NEO QLED 43″ TV Review - Mini LED Brilliance!

[@TECHOSAUR]

Edit: In the video, I said that setting the HDMI Black Level on the Switch to normal or auto is better than low, but after going back and forth, I realized it's much better to keep the HDMI black level to low for the Switch too, as well as for the PC, PS5 Here's the difference between them on Switch ibb.co/mXdwGcn Low ibb.co/Q8Pkq36 Normal & Auto Let me know if you have any question about the QN90D 43" QN90C 43" vs. QN90D 43": kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2TcpniDo9-FbsU LG C4 42" Review : kzbin.info/www/bejne/jGWXf3hnbsuMp6s TV/Monitor playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLg8ANjUNzqfP82x1mxLdS7Th3YiFlsyn1 If you enjoy my content, PLease give it 👍, Subscribe, & Join the TECHOSAUR Community on Discord here : discord.gg/PXmJY6BP8b become a member: kzbin.info/door/-jauq-kZ20FrlnCMkx2gSQjoin Pateron: www.patreon.com/TECHOSAUR

[@MarthKoopa]

The HDMI Black Level settings have ZERO DIFFERENCE in quality, as it is simply supposed to be set to match what the connected device is outputting its RGB values in (either full or limited RGB). If you set it incorrectly, you will either wash out or crush+overbrighten detail. Just leave it on AUTO unless your device is reporting its RGB ranges incorrectly(probably not happening) LOW setting is for LIMITED RGB. Normal setting is for FULL RGB. Both ways will have identical picture. Mixing Low/Full or Normal/Limited will mess up the picture's detail

[@TECHOSAUR]

The HDMI Black Level setting differs from the RGB range. The HDMI Black Level on your TV determines how it interprets the signal's black levels, while the RGB range on your device sets the range of colors it outputs. Matching these settings is advisable to avoid picture issues like washed-out or crushed blacks. RGB range is usually best set to FULL for dynamic range color grading. I kept changing the HDMI Black Level between Normal/Auto and Low, and trust me, setting it to Low is the best change I've made on this TV. It completely removed the dusty-looking filter. Note that the HDMI Black Level setting might be disabled if you set the TV to Game Mode and 144Hz. However, changing it to 120Hz unlocks this setting even in Game Mode, allowing you to set 12-bit color (12 bpc) too.

[@stephgo954]

I was waitig for a review. You did it and very well done. Thank you.

[@TECHOSAUR]

Thanks , don't hesitate to ask anything about it, soon I'll do one for LG C4 42"

[@Eircans]

Great in-depth review. I think this TV’s picture quality with local dimming is amazing even without Dolby Vision. I think it’s worth it.

[@TECHOSAUR]

plus it has HDR10+ I use it with PC and it seems to be recognized in supported games showing in game HDR options

[@skyform]

Great review and you also made great comparisons with QN90C and C4 but I'm sorry to say this, your picture settings are totally off. Colors should never be set to native because some of colors are totally wrong and oversaturated on native. The same with hdmi black level, it shouldn't be at low, it crushes blacks and highlights. On top of all this you even enabled color booster which you also shouldn't. I had 42" C3, 43" QN90C and have 43" QN90D now next to 32" LG IPS monitor and 32" Innocn IPS Mini Led monitor which have really accurate colors and I did set QN90D so that it matches the two monitors. Trust me your settings are totally off with lots of black crush, missing highlights and very oversaturated colors.

[@TECHOSAUR]

I noticed that setting the HDMI black level to "Auto" can make shadows too bright, ruining the black contrast. Revealing hidden details, you will see colors crushed in shadows. Switching to "Low" truly transformed the experience for me; everything looked deeper, and blacks were much more concentrated, giving an OLED-level feel. However, I agree that the color booster is not a necessary change. Using the normal color slider yields the same results. I set the colors to "Native" because, on "Auto," yellows appeared off-like egg yolks with strange highlights and blue too, they lacked the deep saturation. Overall, it made the colors look washed out. I don't know how our opinions are contradictory, but I suppose it comes down to personal preference. I spent hours trying to optimize the picture to what I find appealing in different scenarios, gaming, desktop, watching. Now I don't need to do anything special when changing between them. I feel that everything is quite visible and, to my liking But I understand you may prefer other picture refinement settings, i showed the ones I feel are best based on what I can see, I still use them, this TV is my daily driver, I absolutely love it

[@skyform]

​@@TECHOSAURAh, my mistake, I see you are using windows in HDR, that's a different story. Though you have all these settings turned on in SDR because this truly makes a horrible picture in SDR. Your settings are fine for HDR but unfortunately QN90C and QN90D don't have a very accurate picture in HDR. It looks wrong compared to my Innocen Mini LED monitor, no matter how I change the settings. Some colors are simply off all the time. For example my Sony 65X95J is way closer to the picture of Innocen Mini LED monitor in Windows in HDR but Samsung is known for not being the most accurate while Sony has one of the most accurate image of all TV brands. I don't use windows in HDR anyway, I use it in SDR only and both QN90C and QN90D are nice screens for Windows in SDR. I have to say LG is on par with Sony regarding accuracy, the 42" C3 that I had before QN90C and QN90D was really accurate in both SDR and HDR, it was just as accurate as an IPS monitor but I couldn't stand the tinting and ABL. It was really distracting and annoying for Windows usage, imo a lot more than the contrast and color shift from VA panels on QN90C and QN90D.

[@jrod0125]

Thinking about dropping my 42C2 for this TV. I use it strictly as a PC monitor and am tired of worrying about burn in. Hate the fact that the C2 lowers its brightness when i play certain games. I love the contrast and black levels of OLED but am concerned about blooming with the Samsung.

[@TECHOSAUR]

Tbh, you shouldn’t be concerned about blooming. Samsung has been working quite well on increasing local dimming zones. I believe it’s ~500 in this one. Also, it’s good at controlling them. However, the panel latency is what you should be concerned about. There’s a significant downgrade going from OLED. To me, personally, it’s the worst thing about it, but as I said, for gaming and watching, it’s not noticeable, mostly if you scroll But I suffered from the same things you did with an OLED. It's frustrating

[@lamjk10]

I also got this as a possible replacement for my LG C3. Out of the box, with limited time on it and having a few adjustments on the settings, the contrast is on par with the C3 with the advantage of being much brighter and with better picture. However, I had problems with PC input that hopefully techosaur's video would help. The unit I have seems glossy.

[@lamjk10]

Just got this tv. Saw this video and wondering how to set it up for best picture quality as a pc monitor.

[@TECHOSAUR]

Did it work out ?

[@lamjk10]

@TECHOSAUR There are some differences with the available settings in my unit. Software is up to date. I selected warm 1 as advised by Caleb of digital trends. I'm still testing, but i'm confuse if i still need to enable hdr (ctrl+shift+b). I only tested with hdr KZbin videos and netflix.

[@lamjk10]

@TECHOSAUR weird thing is that the tv seems to be quite glossy, and viewing angles are not as bad as I would've expected.

[@lamjk10]

Overall it works well as a workstation. Features I like are the brightness, no need to deal with the annoying abl and the forced 1-2 min screen saver in the lg c3. Text clarity are the same but does not bother me much.

[@AnthonyRafha]

Suggestion, produce videos of side-by-side TVs, playing games and calibration and settings.

[@TECHOSAUR]

Yesss comparing video is coming pretty soon!!! As well as C4 42" VS C2 42"

[@user-ld6lo7vd1i]

Great video. Thank you. Will you be doing a review QN90D vs Bravia 9? Thank you

[@user-ld6lo7vd1i]

Sorry I forgot you already answered me regarding the Bravia 9

[@TECHOSAUR]

😊

[@laserxlars8056]

this one should have better a ips panel then Va

[@BoB-mb3fw]

Hi. Great very detailed review. Thanks. I waiting for your next comparison video -QN90C vs QN90D. Could you tell me if you see any improvement/difference regarding reflection on the new QN90D vs QN90C as last year 43" model didn't have any anti reflection screen according to Samsung website. Last year they did only on 55" and above models but this time they claim 43" and 50" screens comes with anti reflection screen as well. Thanks.

[@TECHOSAUR]

Thanks The QN90C 43" from last year also has an antireflection finish, exactly the same one found on the QN90D 43", even on its page it lists this feature Maybe it could be that in different regions some features are absent, but I can confirm that the QN90C has a very good anti-reflection and exactly the same one on the QN90D, there hasn't been any difference in that part, at least where I get it from in Europe, also in the coming video you will see that both are indifferent in finish here are the model numbers I got here QE43QN90CATXZT

[@TECHOSAUR]

Here's the QN90C 43" vs QN90D 43" comparing kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2TcpniDo9-FbsUsi=Weuq6TLtsqeJ6kbt Thanks !

[@gillleehahn7451]

very good video. i recently bought a qn90c. as I use my 43inch tc as a PC monitor as well. can you guide me regarding contrast enhancer as many tv reviewers do not like it.

[@TECHOSAUR]

Thanks Did you check my video of the QN90C 43" ? kzbin.info/www/bejne/epjTlGead56rnLMsi=GqO4-wGcCf_0xVKR

[@unclnphw]

Hi. What are the values are you getting on windows hdr calibration app? With contrast enhancer high HGIG and Dynamic black on low?

[@TECHOSAUR]

0.235 minimum luminance 400 maximum luminance 650 maximum full-frame luminance

[@scoob2818]

Is this using the same exact panel as the QN90C 43"? Or did they change to a different VA panel?

[@TECHOSAUR]

It's still a VA panel, and viewing angles are the same, not the greatest but the improvement I've seen is in local dimming, and I don't see dirty screen effect. Also, the panel on the QN90C used to be a bit tinted with blue. It wasn't giving me a true white on an all-white background; only when I put them side by side did I realize this. I set the color tone to "standard." The QN90D is much better in that manner. Could it be my panel was just bad on the QN90C Reading some reviews, it seems that the biggest upgrade lies in the newer chip, which is able to process images much better and upscale. This could be the reason behind the better local dimming I'm seeing as well. Still, it's not the biggest upgrade, as the QN90C was really great. I used it for a whole year, and I couldn't be happier.

[@scoob2818]

@@TECHOSAUR Gotcha. I have a QN90C 55" ADS panel. I kind of want to get a 50" or 43" QN90D strictly for my PC. Do you know if there are any panel differences in the 50" and 43" sizes? Does the 50" variant have the scrolling issue like the 43"? Also, is the 43" version you have a pure glossy screen? Rtings has the 65" having a semi-glossy screen. My QN90C 55" has a glossy screen.

[@lamjk10]

​@@scoob2818according to rtings the panels are the same up to 98 inches.

[@Sorianosebas]

Great video, I'm about to purchase this T.V but I'm afraid of ghosting issues since the Q80T I have in my living room has a terrible greenish ghosting when playing at 120HZ on PC. Does this t.v have any similar issue at high refresh rates for PC gaming?

[@Sorianosebas]

For anyone checking, I got the qn90D today and although it doesn't have the inverse ghosting the q80t had it still has a littoe bit of normal ghosting at every HZ being less noticeable at hugh refresh rates

[@TECHOSAUR]

I hardly ever notice ghosting in gaming. I play on 120-144hz. Surely, the more you focus, the more noticeable it gets, but at least for me, it's not distracting enough to cause me to see it during normal use. Perhaps only for gaming. In web browsing for PC, I see lots of ghosting when scrolling. I get text trails and afterimages, so just like any other display, there are pros and cons. Personally, I'm keeping it for my PC desk and console gaming

[@inakialonso5019]

Hi, I'm thinking of buying a monitor for my computer, but I also want to watch movies and play games on my PC. How would it work as a PC monitor?

[@TECHOSAUR]

It's a solid choice. It's my daily driver. I use it for all purposes: gaming, working, editing, and watching. This is what I use at my personal desk, and I'm quite satisfied with it. I recommend you watch all the videos I made comparing it to the previous QN90C as well as the LG C4 42. I'm making one about SDR vs HDR gaming; it will be up in the coming days. My only issue is viewing angles, so if you sit facing it, you won't have a problem, but if you place it at an angle, it's horrible; you'll immediately hate it. Also, the latency isn't the best, and you get a bit of a ghosting effect as I showed in the video, mostly in browsing and scrolling. In gaming, it's not noticeable. It has 144hz, 4 HDMI 2.1, 4k, and all features like adaptive sync, etc.. I personally recommend it especially if u can get it for a good price

[@inakialonso5019]

@@TECHOSAUR Knowing what you have told me, which other TV you recommend 100%, I am also thinking about this one which is a better ASUS ROG Strix XG43UQ monitor, I don't know how it will look in movies.

[@user-ld6lo7vd1i]

Thank you for the great video. We have the Samsung QN90A. Would you recommend upgrading to this tv? Thank you Peter

[@TECHOSAUR]

I never had the QN90A. I started with the QN90C and up. If you have the A, after yours there are the B, C, and now D models. There are significant differences in many aspects by now. First, the mini-LED was first-generation back in 2021 also the NEO QLED tech, and now it has improved with better local dimming, better upscaling, better HDR, colors, and an anti-reflective finish. Also, HDMI 2.1 is on all 4 ports, while the QN90A had only 1 port supporting HDMI 2.1. You can expect a lot of improvement over your current one in terms of panel and software. If you had the QN90C, I wouldn't say it's the case, but I think for anyone with A or B, it's safe to say it's going to be an upgrade.

[@user-ld6lo7vd1i]

@@TECHOSAUR Thank you so much for your response. Very helpful and much appreciated. Are you going to review the Bravia 9?

[@TECHOSAUR]

No, I'm not a TV expert by any means. I just happen to review and make guides for things that I own personally, mostly. It helps me explore rather than just review them and move on to the next thing. When I share things here, it's always going to be about a piece of tech that I spend time on and use personally, like the QN90D 43, which is my current personal TV/monitor that I use for work, gaming, etc. I'm surely happy to make videos that are relevant for others. For that, I'm trying to scale things up!

[@user-ld6lo7vd1i]

@@TECHOSAUR Okay I understand. So you feel I will notice a better picture quality upgrading to the QN90D from the QN90A?

[@TECHOSAUR]

​ @user-ld6lo7vd1i absolutely, I just uploaded a comparison between QN90C and QN90D kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2TcpniDo9-FbsU Amazing upscaling if you watch lower resolution, it doesn't work with PC or game mode but if you use any DVD, Blu-ray player or watch online upscaling works on lower resolution, you can find that part kzbin.infoUgkxnTuwt60tFWvHhUz1B7zHjEs3gXq4jXCh?si=FnhEPw0ZE5eZzxuj it also has better local dimming, Color Tone and HDR

[@tbone8839]

Does this tv have an option to turn the picture completely off and just have sound? for night time

[@TECHOSAUR]

Yes, it can be found in the accessibility settings. Here it is: ibb.co/7yS7YB2 You press it once, and screen turns off while sound still plays. If you press any button like tbe middle or any of arrows, it turns back on.

[@AnthonyRafha]

Great!

[@stevenhocking6407]

How's the upscaling compared to qn90c?

[@TECHOSAUR]

I made a comparison video between QN90C 43" and QN90D 43" Testing upscaling, mind-blowing on 720p 🤯 kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2TcpniDo9-FbsUsi=Weuq6TLtsqeJ6kbt

[@Bf3junky]

how many local dimming zones does it have ?

[@TECHOSAUR]

I don't know for sure I tried to search but Samsung doesn't specifically say the amount, I would be surprised if it has less than 500. I just did a small test I made 10 boxes, the most left is 1px then 2px etc until 10px on the far right I then took another picture from the side to see the blooming as squares get bigger and based on what I can tell from it, I think the count is less than 1000, I think 500-720 ibb.co/qk2N5Sn ibb.co/fGFw6Yr

[@awaisqaisar6696]

How are the viewing angles?

[@TECHOSAUR]

At 22:15, I tried to show what it's like. It's a VA panel, same as the QN90C 43" from last year, in terms of viewing angles. In that test, when you face the screen directly, circles are white, but when viewed from an angle, they lose their contrast, they become blue and inconsistent in the middle. Also later on in same video I show in real-world scenes, you can see that colors tend to shift or wash out compared to how they appear when viewed directly. I don't think its a good choice if you plan to look at it from angles, they're quite narrow

[@sinahack52]

Why ps5 games played as 60fps i want it 120fps

[@TECHOSAUR]

ofc it max at 120fps, but on the PS5 dashboard its always 60hz, it's capped, plus VRR is on so it gets above 60fps at 26:48 it shows the connected HDMI device specs VRR 48hz - 120hz and supported frequencies

[@AnthonyRafha]

I have a doubt. Is it possible to use this Cyberpunk HDR10+ on PS5 or just on PC? Grateful.

[@TECHOSAUR]

Unfortunately, the PS5 supports only HDR10, not HDR10+ standard as of now However, the Xbox Series X and S, as well as Windows 11, do support HDR10+.

[@JohnSmith-co4sm]

How are the viewing angles. I have the qn90b 43inch and it's terrible.

[@TECHOSAUR]

At 22:15, I tried to show what it's like. It's a VA panel, same as the QN90C 43" from last year, in terms of viewing angles. In that test, when you face the screen directly, circles are white, but when viewed from an angle, they lose their contrast, they become blue and inconsistent in the middle. Also later on in same video I show in real-world scenes, you can see that colors tend to shift or wash out compared to how they appear when viewed directly. I don't think its a good choice if you plan to look at it from angles, they're quite narrow I never had the QN90B 43" to know the difference but I can tell you its the same as QN90C 43" from 2023

[@JohnSmith-co4sm]

Thank you so much.

[@steinvynck774]

I.m afraid the colors are too saturated 😢

[@TECHOSAUR]

U can reduce the saturation easily, I've tuned it to about 15 with cooler booster on high

[@steinvynck774]

@@TECHOSAUR ok.. good to know! Are the colors than not faded or blank?

[@TECHOSAUR]

@steinvynck774 If you look at it from an angle, it will get terrible and washed out, which will destroy the whole image. But straight forward, it's decent. I love it more than the LG C4 OLED. Personal opinion.

[@PublicTalent]

Worst tv dont buy i purchased so much isse picture clarity is worst stuck