The Samsung TQ65S95D premium 4K TV (165cm) boasts an extremely bright QD-OLED panel that delivers intense colors and benefits from a new filter designed to erase all reflections, even in broad daylight. Its ultra-thin screen comes with a remote connector box for easy integration. Priced at €3,690, is the Samsung 2024 the ultimate model for home theater and video games?
Packaging & accessories
The Samsung TQ65S95D TV comes with a One Connect box that groups together all the connectors and some of the electronics. There are also two cables (30cm and 2.5m) to connect them. The box can be placed on the back of the TV stand or concealed in a cabinet. A power cable, user manual and rechargeable (solar-powered) remote control complete the package.
Presentation
The new flagship in the manufacturer’s range of high-end OLED 4K Ultra HD TVs, the Samsung TQ65S95D promises to be brighter than its predecessor and boasts an extremely high-performance anti-glare filter. This eliminates any mirroring of the panel, even in the middle of the day in a very bright room. As slim as ever, the screen of this Samsung TV comes with a remote box for the electronics and connectors, to simplify integration.
This Samsung TV displays images with deep blacks and intense colors, with a high dynamic range on HDR10 and HDR10+ content. It features a powerful NQ4 AI Gen2 processor for optimized display and upscaling of standard and HD sources to 4K.
The main streaming services are displayed directly on its home screen, and integrated telecom operator apps mean you don’t need to connect your TV set-top box to enjoy your TV subscriptions. The Dolby Atmos-compatible audio section totals 70 watts of power spread over 4.2.2 channels to spatialize movie and video game soundtracks.
Finally, the Samsung TQ65S95D’s OLED panel is 144Hz 4K compatible and supports AMD FreeSync Premium Pro VRR, to guarantee ultra-smooth gaming sessions on the PC. This Samsung TV lets you play video games with or without a PC or console thanks to the Gaming Hub, which provides access to the main Cloud Gaming services. All you need is a controller, or a keyboard and mouse, and a broadband Internet connection to play Xbox and PC games directly from your TV.
Key specifications
- OLED panel with Quantum Dots
- Anti-glare filter
- HDR10+ Adaptive & Gaming
- Ultra-slim design (11mm)
- One Connect remote box
- 4.2.2-channel sound (70 watts)
- Integrated woofers (bass)
- Solar universal remote control
- 120Hz/144Hz 4K compatible
- AMD FreeSync Premium Pro
- Gaming Hub
Configuration
Installing the Samsung TQ65S95D takes just a few minutes. Assemble the base, then screw it to the back of the screen using the included accessories, before installing it on a TV cabinet. The screen can then be connected to the One Connect box using one of the two cables supplied with the TV The shorter one is designed for mounting on the back of the TV stand. The longer version facilitates wall-mounting of the screen (requires a VESA 400×300-compatible TV wall mount, not supplied) and allows you to offset the connectors, concealing the box in a piece of furniture. Then all that’s left to do is connect the various sources to the box and switch on the TV.
Like most TV manufacturers, Samsung offers the option of configuring the TV with the remote control or from a smartphone, using the SmartThings control app. You then select the language and country, and activate or deactivate the intelligent mode.
As on the manufacturer’s previous generation of OLED TVs, when Intelligent mode is activated, the TV only provides access to two picture modes: Optimized and Visual Comfort. The Adaptive Image function must be deactivated via the Intelligent Mode Settings menu (General and Privacy menu) to manually access Dynamic, Standard, Eco, Cinema and Filmmaker modes.
The next step is to set up WiFi, unless you’re connecting the TV to the Internet box with a network cable. Next, select your region to set the DTTV channels, then search for the connected sources. Once these processes have been completed, the Samsung TQ65S95D is ready for use.
To carry out this test, we connected this Samsung TV to a wall antenna socket for DTTV reception. We also paired it with the Magnetar UDP800 4K UHD Blu-ray player with an Audioquest Cinnamon HDMI cable to play 4K Blu-ray movies. We also added a Zidoo Z9X Pro media player for playback of digital files. The Internet connection was done via network cable and wirelessly, using the Netgear Orbi RBK852 package.
Our impressions
Ultra-thin screen
The use of a remote One Connect box allows the manufacturer to significantly refine the silhouette of this TV. By separating the connectors and some of the electronics from the screen, the Samsung TQ65S95D’s thickness is limited to just 1.1 centimeters, making it easy to wall-mount this TV on an ultra-flat wall bracket.
To enable the TV to be installed on any type of furniture, it comes with a central stand. Made of two heavy steel elements, it ensures perfect stability and leaves enough height under the screen to install a soundbar without hiding the image. Unfortunately, once again this year, the manufacturer does not offer a swivel base.
New anti-glare filter
The Samsung TQ65S95D TV features an innovative, high-performance anti-glare filter that has earned it the UL-certified “glare-free OLED” designation, in compliance with current test standards.
Thanks to this brand-new filter, light pollution is virtually non-existent: any mirror effect, typical of first-generation OLED TVs, is now eliminated. This means you can watch TV and play video games in the middle of the day in a very bright room, without the image being distorted by ambient light.
On the other hand, the image appears a little less vivid than with a conventional OLED panel. However, the colors remain accurate and natural, and the image has a smoothness never before seen on a TV, similar to that of a projector. Movie lovers will certainly appreciate this cinema-like rendering, especially in Filmmaker mode. Fans of vivid color images may find that they’re a little less impactful here than with competing, brighter OLED TVs.
4K HDR images
With 20% more brightness than the previous generation, the Samsung TQ65S95D should, in principle, reveal more nuance and subtlety on all UHD 4K HDR content, especially all scenes shot outdoors in clear weather. At least with those encoded in HDR10 and HDR10+, as the manufacturer still refuses to support the Dolby Vision HDR format on its TVs. Dolby Vision videos are therefore processed using only the HDR10 data they contain, disregarding the dynamic metadata used to refine the image frame by frame.
The most demanding home theater fans, who swear by Dolby’s dynamic HDR format, will no doubt have a bone to pick with this Samsung TV. But that would be to deprive yourself of an excellent TV, because in reality, it’s not critical in everyday use. Even with HDR10, this Samsung screen handles dynamic range discrepancies perfectly, thanks to the efficiency of its tone mapping (remember to activate it in the Image/expert settings menu).
What’s more, the Samsung TQ65S95D boasts excellent image precision, with finely-drawn contours. Its broad color coverage and expert factory calibration ensure that all content, especially in Filmmaker mode, is rendered true to the filmmaker’s vision.
Just launch a 4K HDR streaming series or a UHD Blu-ray disc to confirm this. The Samsung TQ65S95D offers high brightness and contrast to bring images to life.
On the series Fallout, the TV lets you take full advantage of post-apocalyptic settings, whether you’re in the desert or forest with Maximus and the knight Titus, or in the company of the Ghoul and Lucie McLean in the ruins of Los Angeles. Highlights are intense and teeming with details, while colors are rich and nuanced. Once inside Shelter 33, we also appreciate all the work that went into the sets, costumes and photography. The image is also highly detailed, offering a great deal of precision and substance, both on the skin and on fabrics, leather and metal elements, for example.
The Green Mile on Blu-ray 4K HDR10 is just as enjoyable! The image reveals plenty of detail and substance, particularly in close-ups of faces, but also in the rendering of scenes shot in the prison. Different skin grains and clothing textures are rendered very realistically. As for the outdoor images, they show off the Louisiana landscapes bathed in light, with beautiful nuances in the blues and golds of the sky.
The Samsung TV shows finesse and precision in the management of the highlights, but also knows how to reveal many details in the darker parts of the image. The light is intensely reflected on the visors and badges of the prison officers’ caps, while the folds of their dark suits are adorned with numerous shades of dark blue.
We must, however, express a small reservation regarding the effect of this TV’s anti-glare filter. Compared with a conventional OLED TV with a glossy coating on the panel, the black looks a little less intense and deep on the Samsung. Colors are also slightly less bright. There’s nothing to prevent this, and it’s unlikely to be noticeable to most viewers. But this could be a turn-off for users accustomed to the inky blacks of other OLED TVs.
Video games
The Samsung TQ65S95D’s four HDMI 2.1 ports handle 4K images up to a maximum display frequency of 120Hz with the latest-generation video game consoles, and even 144Hz on PCs.
On Hogwarts Legacy, the TV plunges us effortlessly into the heart of the scenery, with superb lighting effects in the different rooms of Hogwarts thanks to Ray Tracing technology. Reactivity is perfect during the many battles, with no latency.
Gran Turismo 7 Standard Edition also benefits from impressive smoothness, and you can enjoy driving powerful GTs around the world’s racetracks with superb image quality and optimal responsiveness.
As for the Cloud Gaming offering, Samsung is now adding the Amazon Luna platform. What’s more, the Gamebar menu now offers even more functions, including automatic detection of game type for immediate adoption of the best settings.
Upscaling
Like all 4K UHD TVs, the Samsung TQ65S95D features upscaling of standard-definition and HD videos to 4K definition. With TV channels, programs broadcast in HD naturally benefit the most from this upscaling, and are displayed with an image quality close to that of a true 4K broadcast.
When the original image quality of DTTV content is lower, the final result after upscaling is more variable, but still superior to last year’s model.
On HD Blu-rays, the work of the Samsung processor proves effective, with very fine image quality on screen, almost as fine and detailed as a native 4K Blu-ray.
4.2.2-channel spatialized sound
The Samsung TQ65S95D features the same Dolby Atmos-compatible 4.2.2-channel audio system as its predecessor. The same drivers are located on the rear of the screen: two drivers for the front, two for surround effects and two others dedicated to Atmos vertical effects. There are also eight woofers, responsible for reproducing the lowest frequencies.
As with last year’s S95C model, the overall sound remains fairly frontal, without offering true 360° sound immersion around the audience. However, the sound effects on both sides of the screen are very wide.
There’s also an appreciable vertical dimension, as well as depth at the rear of the screen, thanks to the stand that distances the TV from the wall. The sound thus benefits from a certain texture. We also appreciate the TV’s ability to handle loud volume without saturation.
For truly immersive sound, this TV is ideally paired with a Dolby Atmos soundbar and subwoofer. All the more so if you opt for a Samsung model compatible with Q Symphony technology. This will allow both TV and soundbar drivers to operate simultaneously, enhancing spatialization. You can even enjoy Dolby Atmos sound without any cables between the TV and the soundbar!
Tizen
Samsung took advantage of the release of its 2024 TV generation to upgrade the Tizen interface. The new look includes three shortcuts at the top of the home page. “For You” features recent content and recommendations based on users’ tastes. “Live” groups all content currently being broadcast, organized by theme. Finally, the “Apps” tab gives access to all the apps available on the TV, also sorted by genre.
Tizen 2024 also lets you create five different user accounts, all of which can be customized. Each member of the family can organize the home menu and gaming hub according to their preferences, adding their favorite streaming services and games.
Samsung TQ65S95D compared with LG OLED65G4
In Filmmaker mode, both TVs offer accurate, natural colors. The Samsung makes a significant leap forward in terms of brightness, with a very dynamic image in HDR, despite its powerful anti-glare filter. The latter mattifies the image, giving it a lovely cinematic softness, which we really appreciated. Almost as bright, the LG seems to offer greater color intensity, but at the cost of more sensitivity to light pollution.
As for regrets, once again this year we deplore Samsung’s lack of Dolby Vision compatibility, which only supports HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG.
In terms of audio spatialization, the Samsung offers greater amplitude and better bass presence.
Samsung TQ65S95D compared with Panasonic TX-65MZ2000E
Equipped with an OLED Meta panel, the Panasonic TX-65MZ2000 competes with the Samsung in terms of brightness and HDR management. Both offer a wide dynamic range, with subtle gradations between the deepest black and the most intense white. In terms of color accuracy, the Samsung TV offers excellent calibration in Filmmaker mode, and competes effectively with the Panasonic in this field.
In terms of sound, Panasonic has the upper hand thanks to its integrated soundbar under the screen. Combined with side-mounted and up-firing drivers, it offers greater sound immersion thanks to improved spatialization. But this means a more massive profile (almost 7cm vs. 1.1cm for Samsung) and a slightly less attractive overall aesthetic.
Who is the Samsung TQ65S95D designed for?
The Samsung TQ65S95D should delight movie fans with its bright, well-contrasted 4K HDR images with accurate, realistic colors. For home theater and video games alike, it’s a must-have reference, day or night, thanks to its anti-glare filter.
Conclusion
With its very high brightness, accurate colors and excellent HDR management, the Samsung TQ65S95D is an excellent choice for a home theater. Its high-performance anti-glare filter means you can enjoy its superb image quality even in the middle of the day in a sunny room. The icing on the cake is the cinematic softness it lends to the image. For their part, gamers will appreciate 4K content management at up to 144Hz and its advanced gaming functions. The remote connector box is as practical as ever, and the ultra-slim silhouette of the screen very attractive. With the Samsung TQ65S95D, the Korean manufacturer once again pushes the limits of OLED technology and offers one of the most attractive premium TVs on the market.
We liked
- The splendid design
- The well-calibrated Filmmaker mode
- The finesse of HDR images
- The highly effective anti-glare filter
We would have liked
- Dolby Vision support
- A swivel base
