Samsung QN90A 55-trip 4K UHD TV overview: Mini-LED meets quantum dots

Samsung’s Neo QLED QN90A takes the firm’s already excellent QLED color and brightness and, thanks to some distance more granular mini-LED backlighting, enhances it with considerably better blacks. The general result is in actuality spectacular, even supposing Samsung restful has some work to realize on its zone dimming ways. 

Non-public and functions

The 54.6-trip (55-trip class) version of the QN90A I examined at the moment retails for spherical $1,700 and functions a 4K UHD (3840 x 2160), 120Hz, 10-bit camouflage. Stated camouflage implements quantum dots for correct, saturated color, and mini-LEDs for sophisticated backlighting. 

Mini-LEDs, because it is possible you’ll presumably presumably wager, are some distance smaller than passe backlight LEDs. They’re positioned closer to the filter/LCD layers to boost brightness and decrease bleed. And on legend of they’re employed in some distance bigger numbers, they additionally allow more proper zone dimming. How proper is reckoning on the selection of zones the seller decides to divvy them into. In the case of the 55-trip QN90A, that appears to be spherical 600. QN90A units with bigger camouflage sizes likely exhaust more.

This overview is phase of TechHive’s coverage of the handiest pretty TVs, the set apart you’ll gain reviews of the competition’s offerings, plus a buyer’s recordsdata to the functions you like to take be aware of when attempting to gain this form of product.

The QN90A comes with the the same iMac-esteem pedestal that we first saw from Samsung a year or so ago. It provides rather a runt of weight (9.3 kilos), but that’s an valuable for for stability. The fresh appearance and expertise to sit down on smaller surfaces are smartly fee it.

Along side stand, the unit weighs 48.3 kilos; with out it, 39 kilos. The QN90A is additionally remarkably skinny at valid one trip, which makes it search for good on the wall. To that cease, a 200mm VESA mount point is integrated. You will sight valid how skinny the TV is in the image under. The phase jutting out from the support is phase of the stand, not the TV itself.

Samsung

The port selection on the QN90A is in style, though extremely shy on legacy make stronger. There’s no composite, no factor, no analog audio in or out—not even a headphone jack. While the latter would possibly presumably presumably seem quaint in the age of Bluetooth, it would possibly presumably presumably be very to hand when your headphone batteries die in the midst of a movie. Will receive to you’ll need analog connections, you’ll want to buy an HDMI converter.

The contemporary stuff involves four HDMI ports on the TV itself. Three are mainly HDMI 2.0, with one being 2.1 to make stronger 120Hz sources. One more supports eARC. Whenever you weren’t mindful, vendors can implement particular person facets of the 2.1 spec as they desire.

There are additionally two USB 2.0 ports (for mass storage, a keyboard, or assorted devices), coax for cable/satellite tv for pc TV connections or an over-the-air antenna, ethernet, digital optical (Toslink) out, and an RS-232C (EX-Hyperlink, in Samsung terminology) port for personalized distant protect an eye on). Wireless connectivity is is by 802.1ac (Wi-Fi 5) and Bluetooth 4.2. Bluetooth audio devices are supported.

Samsung supports Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, besides it’s beget Bixby recount assistant. Other applied sciences onboard encompass Apple AirPlay 2; HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG (no Dolby Vision); plus Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.

There’s additionally a channel recordsdata, a smartly-liked recordsdata for all order material (pretty TV streaming), besides peculiar Samsung functions equivalent to Effectively being and free, curated order material in TV Plus. If over-the-air—aka broadcast—order material isn’t cutting it that day, TV Plus would possibly presumably presumably tide you over.

Variable refresh rate, auto low latency, and Freesync Top rate First rate are on board for gaming. Consoles join to HDMI input quantity four. The QN90A additionally sports activities each and each Filmmaker and IMAX Enhanced video modes.

Samsung

Samsun

With all that, you wouldn’t quiz the QN90A to be cheap, and being Samsung’s fresh one of the most reasonable 4K UHD TV, it isn’t. With the exception of the $1,700, 55-trip I reviewed, there are 50-, 65-, 75-, and 85-trip flavors promoting for $1,500, $2,600, $3,500, and $5,000 respectively. 

Far-off and interface

The QN90A makes exhaust of the newly revamped TM2180E smartly-liked distant protect an eye on, which functions a solar panel on the support for charging. There’s additionally a USB-C charging port ought to there be inadequate light accessible. It functions the the same minimalist layout as Samsung’s assorted remotes and has the the same radiant, twin-action (press forward, support, or down) channel-replace and volume-protect an eye on buttons. 

Samsung

Samsung’s Tidy Hub interface, with its dwelling row of icons that branch into associated functions, is additionally pleasing. As good because it is to rush searching for at, and as seamless because it marries with the distant, the is in actuality not very efficient.

It in general takes several button clicks to realize what most distant/interface programs will attain in one or two; largely on legend of you’re constantly drilling down thru dialogs to reach diverse settings.

Additionally, urgent Home takes you support to the the same set apart on the icon checklist on every occasion. A more efficient apporach would buy you to your final-used station. And whereas I love gives to reconnect to the final-used Bluetooth tool, it would possibly presumably well be good if it handiest did so when it senses the tool is accessible. Better yet, valid reconnect.

Samsung

I explore movies streamed from a NAS box, and Tidy Hub would buy the icon for that box from the dwelling row on every occasion it couldn’t detect it (this occurs to any offer connected to the TV). The DLNA app automatically plays any subtitles it finds, even after they’re the the same language, and there’s no formula that I’d gain to flip this off; as a replace, I had to hit the TV’s settings menu and manually flip them off.

Additionally, unlike Roku’s media participant, which remembers the final station for every not too lengthy ago considered movie, Samsung’s participant handiest every so continuously picks up the set apart I left off viewing. And all the pieces is lost when it loses song of the DLNA server on the NAS box.

I’m for certain being picky, and not a form of users circulation from sources on their dwelling community, but those nits are symptomatic of the interface most ceaselessly. Samsung ought to in actuality backseat style and compartmentalization in favor of effectivity and convenience. In assorted words, fewer clicks, please. 

Record and sound

The QN90A gives up arguably the most vivid image I’ve viewed on an LED-backlit LCD TV. Vivid, as in shiny with extremely saturated and correct color and excellent inequity. It’s comparable to OLED, with not rather the the same inky blacks, but a lot more brightness to counterbalance: almost 2,000 nits top in Dynamic mode. Yowser.

There are the functions I’ve already praised, but the QN90A additionally delivers very delicate motion, an insane amount of configurability (including color tweaking and motion-associated functions), wonderful camouflage uniformity (no cloudy areas), and minimal moiré and processing artifacts. Viewing angles are additionally excellent. 

However on condition that the QN90A is a excessive-cease, costly TV, the backlight performance turn into disappointing. There’s rush that’s rather noticeable when changing scenes animated a form of shaded or unlit areas and shiny objects. Additionally, in some cases, fresh enormous shiny objects unlit noticeably when others seem. In assorted cases, the brightness of shiny objects would vacillate; i.e., pulse slowly as if the TV had been perplexed as to what stage they ought to be station.

Samsung

These considerations didn’t manifest themselves distinctly with the overwhelming majority of exact-world field materials. Essentially, it took some ravishing strenuous testing to designate them. When I turn into shopping for them, then all yet again, I started noticing minor oddities in some of the more strenuous mainstream field materials. I didn’t come across the relaxation that ruined the viewing expertise, but the backlighting considerations had been discernible under scrutiny. 

Samsung ought to indubitably invest more time or presumably processing strength in their dimming algorithms and ways. Hopefully, a future firmware update will cure the subject. If the rush is in the panel circuitry, that would possibly maybe be more difficult to fix.

No subject the zone dimming, I turn into impressed by the QN90A’s overall image. Lush isn’t a note I’ve used with LED-backlit LCD TVs, but this one comes discontinuance to earning the adjective.

Sound turn into decent. It’s exquisite for informal viewing, but I’d make exhaust of outboard gear for the most handy expertise. Or exhaust headphones—my most smartly-liked resolution. 

A in point of fact factual TV, but additionally a costly one

Over my most smartly-liked beer on the porch having a peep out over the prairie, I’d call the QN90A a darn exquisite TV and bag nods. Right here in San Francisco, looking out at my neighbors sip $7 lattes, I’d call it the the same thing and bag a rather assorted reaction. I’d call it awfully darn exquisite if the zone dimming had been better and there turn into a headphone jack.

The backlighting considerations had been in actuality exceedingly uncommon, and not so many users make exhaust of headphones, so my handiest exact caveat is that there are darn exquisite TVs accessible for considerably decrease than what Samsung and the assorted large two vendors (LG and Sony, that is) fee. Yup, that final five percent of performance in actuality costs you.

• Samsung QN90A-sequence quantum dot 4K UHD TV (55-trip class)

  Samsung delivers the lushest LED-backlit LCD image money can take. While we receive now some nits to take associated to an every so continuously backlight and the absence of analog connections, but right here’s a huge TV.

  Consultants

  • Quantum dot color and mini-LED backlighting
  • Samsung’s most vivid 4K UHD image yet
  • Far-off protect an eye on with rechargeable batteries and solar panel

  Cons

  • No analog connectivity, including no headphone jack
  • No Dolby Vision make stronger
  • Not the most handy pretty TV particular person interface

Jon is a Juilliard-trained musician, used x86/6800 programmer, and lengthy-time (leisurely 70s) computer fanatic living in the San Francisco bay dwelling. [email protected]