I recently replaced my 13 year old Samsung TV with a brand new 65 inch Samsung Neo QLED and I want to guide you through my purchase decision process and share my first impressions.
13 years ago I bought a 46 inch Samsung TV, model number LE46A956 for about 2000.- EUR. This model came with all the bells and whistles: Full Array Local Dimming, Low Latency Game Mode and Full HD resolution just to name a few.
This year I finally decided to upgrade for the following reasons. First, I wanted a bigger screen with at least 4K resolution to make the most of my PS5 I recently purchased. Second, I wanted a TV with smart features, such as the ability to connect and sync all of my devices and third, reduce the overall power consumption by replacing the PlayStation as a media center.
The first and probably most important question I came across during my purchase decision process was: OLED vs. QLED.
And while I really love my iPhone 11 Pro OLED screen, I do not like the potential risk of image burn-in. Even in 2021, manufacturers of OLED TVs don’t offer any warranty for burn-in damage, at least not in Germany. And reading the manufacturers recommendations on their websites on how to prevent your TV images from burning in just throws me off. I mean, if I'm going to spend all this money on a brand new TV, I'd expect it to work flawlessly no matter what I watch on it. I really don’t want to worry about my watch time, using subtitles or watching TV shows that contain static elements or worry about certain PS5 games that contain static user interface elements.
That left me with LCD TVs. Initially I was hoping that the Hisense U8G will be released in Germany as well, but after contacting the support, they informed me that they can’t give me any information if this model will ever be released in Europe.
After researching and following reviews for months, I decided to go with the Samsung Neo Qled 2021 model QN95A. What I most like about it is that it comes with a non-built in One Connect Box that includes four HDMI 2.1 inputs. Nintendo is rumored to come out with a Nintendo Switch Pro soon and I just wanted have the option to connect more HDMI 2.1 devices in the future.
Another benefit of the One Connect Box is that you can hide all the cables behind your TV furniture and it looks very neat, no matter if you mount the TV on the wall or use the stand it comes with. By the way: If you want to mount your QN95A on the wall, Samsung recommends using the dedicated Samsung wall mount with the model number WMN-A50EA.
Speaking of wall mount vs. stand brings me also to the design aspects of the QN95A which I really love. The center stand has a very minimalist and sleek look. It almost appears that the TV is floating on top of the TV stand when looking at it from the front. The position of the stand also allows you to put it on a narrow sideboard or on top of your monitor speakers like I did.
I also love the slim design of the TV thanks to its Mini LED backlight and the small bezels that make all the difference especially if you compare it to my 13 year old Samsung TV. The big bezels of my older TV (LE46A956) were very reflective and since my TV is placed next to curtainless floor-to-ceiling-windows, sunlight and reflection has been a problem.
Luckily the Samsung QN95A comes with a very effective anti-glare coating and compared to my old TV it really does a great job. Along with the high peak brightness of 2000 nits it is no problem to watch TV no matter what time of day and how bright the sun is. This was another reason why I decided to go with a QLED instead of an OLED TV. OLEDs have less peak brightness and their screen is way more reflective.
I ordered the QN95A directly from Samsung and the good thing about this is that It came with a free assembly service and they also took my old TV with them along with all the packaging from the new TV. This is the reason why this video doesn’t contain any unboxing, since it was taken care of by the delivery service. The assembly itself looked very easy. All you have to do is to lay the TV on a flat surface and screw on the TV stand. That’s it.
Besides the TV and the One Connect Box and cables, it came with a solar rechargeable remote, warranty documents and manuals. I noticed in other reviews of the QN90A that in other parts of the world Samsung also includes a second remote, but in Germany only the solar rechargeable one is included.
Honestly I think the remote feels a little bit flimsy. It is very light weight and I just hope it’s durable. I do like the rechargeable solar back though and the option to charge it through its Mini USB.
The setup of the TV was very simple, you can use your smartphone or the TV remote to do it. Since I use all the smart TV features, it was important to me to connect the TV online via Ethernet cable. This made streaming and downloading apps on the TV very fast.
I also love that the TV works so well with Apple devices. The QN95A supports Airplay 2 and the ability to synchronize my iPad or iPhone to the big screen has been very convenient. Especially if you want to browse for something online together with friends and family, it is so much more comfortable to use your mobile devices instead of the internet browser available on the TV.
What I was very surprised about was that there is also an Apple Music App. Since I am an Apple Music user I am more than happy to use this service on the TV as well.
When I purchased the QN95A, Samsung had a special offer that included free one year subscriptions of different streaming services in Germany which I think is a great way to explore all the features your new TV comes with.
The picture quality is phenomenal and a huge step from my previous TV. Images are sharp and detailed and the colors are way more vivid than on my old TV. On sunny days it is a blessing that the TV gets very bright, in the evening though it is sometimes too bright and you might want to dim it down. I usually set the brightness to 20 out of 50. 4K videos and Gaming looks best on the TV, but also Full HD looks good thanks to the upscaling algorithm. On some Full HD movies on Netflix I noticed some artifacts though.
Initially I was also eyeing on 8K TVs, but the fact that there is no 8K content that makes upscaling with some artifacts on every single input source mandatory, made me decide to go for a 4K TV. I mean even 4K content is still very limited in 2021, but only 4K content is when you really get the most out of the QN95A. That is why Gaming is especially fun. The TV brings out all the details and colors and the image is just very crisp and sharp. Once you turn on your console the QN95A switches automatically into Game Mode that offers a very low input lag.
When it comes to colors and HDR I prefer the movie mode, even for gaming. The overall image looks the most natural to me and I don’t use any additional smart color or judder settings.
Three things that concerned me while watching other reviews of the QN90A were Blooming, Dirty Screen Effect and the lack of Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.
First let’s talk about Blooming. I have to say that in a bright room like mine Blooming is not an issue at all. Sometimes I am able to see a little halo effect around bright objects, but never to the point where it really bothers me. But then again, my point of comparison comes from a 13 year old TV with full array local dimming, where black levels were a joke compared to the QN95A. I also have to mention that the QN95A supports Ultimate UHD Dimming Pro, while the QN90A tested by most reviewers only supports Ultimate UHD Dimming. I contacted Samsung support regarding the difference, and they confirmed that Ultimate UHD Dimming Pro is better.
Regarding Dirty Screen Effect I ran several tests. DSE is noticeable in certain areas and I wish Samsungs quality control would be better. I then compared it to my old TV only to find out that the DSE was even worse. I never noticed it though, because 13 years ago I didn’t know nor cared about what Dirty Screen Effect was.
Last but not least I want to talk about Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support. I wish Samsung would support both, there is no other way around it. Many streaming platforms such as Netflix and Disney+ use Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. I am fine with the picture modes and HDR settings it comes with. As for comparison, I really would need to compare Dolby Vision to HDR and HDR 10 next to each other to really tell the difference though. That being said, the QN95A is still the best overall TV in 2021 at least for my needs and in my bright living room.
That brings us to my most favorite topic: The sound of the TV.
When it comes to the sound of the speakers I really love the option to use the built-in TV speakers along with other connected devices such as a sound bar or my studio monitors. I connected mine through an optical cable and the TV allowed me to adjust any sound delays so I can make sure that the built-in TV speakers are perfectly synchronized to my studio monitors. To me the built-in TV speakers sound clear, but very thin and I would always prefer to use my studio monitors instead of the built-in speakers. But in conjunction and if you balance the volume correctly, the built-in TV speakers enhance the overall surround experience when added to additional speakers.
Listen to it yourself in the video above and let me know in the comment section below, what you think.
That’s it for my QN95A review. Overall I am very happy with this TV and would highly recommend checking it out in person. Let me know in the comment section below if you have any more questions.
Hope to see you next time. Have a great one.