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Converted to Test Bench 1.10. With this update we've revamped our Gradient testing, added a new test for Low Quality Content Smoothing, and expanded our Audio Passthrough testing. The QE50QN90B continues Samsung’s tradition of delivering ultra sharp and detailed 4K pictures too, despite the screen being relatively small by today’s standards. What’s more, while the screen is obviously at its best with native 4K content, Samsung’s AI-assisted upscaling is also outstanding, adding detail and sharpness galore to HD sources without exaggerating noise or generating unwanted side effects. The QE50QN90B’s main event is its Mini LED lighting system, which crams far more and much smaller LEDs into the 50-inch screen than is possible with regular LEDs. This enables it to deliver more local light control and, potentially, more contrast and brightness than regular LED TVs can. Especially when partnered as here by a local dimming system which, in this case, sees the TV able to output different amounts of light from no less than 448 separately controlled zones. Viewing experience may vary according to the type of content, format and source. Upscaling may not apply to all sources and modes including PC souces and Game Mode.
The QN90B is a second gen Neo QLED Mini LED TV, and it’s another exceptionally bright effort that boasts wide-ranging colours. I do think, however, there’s a case to be made that too much brightness is not always a great thing.We updated the text with new information on the number of dimming zones. The 75 inch model has been confirmed to have around 900 zones, but we don't know how many zones the other sizes have. Its biggest audio issue, though, is the way its sound struggles to project forward, leaving film and TV audio mixes sounding rather swallowed and as if everything is happening somewhere behind the screen. Not surprisingly this can leave you feeling rather distanced from what you’re watching. Verdict Starting out viewing test patterns via a 4K signal generator and the Spears & Munsil UHD HDR Benchmark disc, a full-screen 100% white pattern and a lower-level gray one both showed a slight amount of color tinting and non-uniform brightness, though I can’t say I noted the same issue when watching regular programs. Better news: the QN90B was able to retain brightness and color vibrancy at viewing positions up to 45 degrees off from center, proving the effectiveness of the Ultra Viewing Angle feature. I was also impressed by how good pictures looked with overhead lights on – that anti-glare screen in action – though I did most of my evaluation with room lights switched off. Samsung’s revision of its Tizen interface has caused a few ruffles. I don’t dislike it, which sounds like damming it with faint praise, but given the number of features and options available, it makes sense for Samsung to go down dedicated hubs to give everything space. But there are some quirks. Samsung describes the QE50QN90B as a Neo QLED model, alerting us to the fact that it uses Quantum Dots to generate its colours rather than colour filters. This should, if other aspects of the TV are also up to snuff, result in a wider and more subtle colour gamut well suited to the extra colour range that typically accompanies high dynamic range content.
Sat head-on, there’s slight blooming to night-time scenes like the opening of the She-Hulk episode Ribbit and Rip It. I can see a slight haze surrounding the lights in the car park as Leapfrog tries (and fails) to take on a couple of robbers. Move off-axis and the blooming becomes more noticeable. There are four HDMI inputs (HDMI 3 supports eARC for passthrough of audio to a soundbar), digital optical out, CI+ 1.4, two satellite tuners, an aerial antenna, two USB ports and an ethernet for hardwired connection to the internet. If you want to connect wirelessly to the TV there’s Bluetooth 5.2 and Wi-Fi, along with DLNA and Samsung’s Wireless Dex support. Picture QualitySince 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions. See how we test. What’s more, despite the sophistication of its processing engine and lighting system, the QE50QN90B manages to get the time it takes to render images in its Game mode down to a hugely impressive 9.6ms (with 1080p/60Hz signals). Samsung’s Game Bar does, though, provide the option to sacrifice a bit of screen response speed in return for better, processing-assisted picture quality, along with other game-related adjustments such as the ability to raise the brightness of dark areas without impacting the rest of the picture so that you can more easily see enemies lurking in the dark. Rounding out the QE50QN90B’s impressive feature count is its Tizen-based smart interface. This remains as good as ever when it comes to content, with pretty much every streaming app you can think of present and correct, bolstered by Samsung’s increasingly impressive (due to it being more carefully curated) TV Plus system of fully streamed TV ‘channels’. All of the QE50QN90B’s high-end picture features are marshalled by the latest version of Samsung’s Neo Quantum 4K video processor, complete with improved upscaling and the accumulated knowledge of numerous neural networks that have been busy crunching through countless image types in Samsung’s labs to develop a vast database of picture optimisation shortcuts.
Certain features require express consent for the collection and use of personal information. Some features may require additional accessories (sold separately). Certain features, apps and services may not be available on all models and in all regions and are subject to change without notice. Internet connection required. Data, subscription or other charges may apply. Certain features are available only on free to air channels and/or require a Samsung Apps account. The Samsung QN90B is available in Canada, Australia, the United States, the UK and Europe, which is something of a surprise given it’s usually the flagship model that’s more widely available (the QN95B is not on sale in Canada). While the QE50QN90B joins other Samsung 2022 smart TVs in excelling on content quantity, though, it also labours under the same unhelpful new interface design. This can be sluggish when the TV is first switched on, can be confusing to navigate, and has a tendency to highlight content most people won’t actually be interested in.That remote carries more buttons but is still practical enough to control if you’ve got small enough fingers to press the smaller buttons. The smart remote is the less cluttered option for those who don’t like to be assaulted with buttons they’ll never use. It also comes with a solar panel that absorbs ambient light to charge itself or can be charged via USB-C.
As stated above, the QN90B series features Samsung’s Neo Quantum processor 4K. It supports the HDR10, HLG and HDR10+ high dynamic range formats, along with HGiG ( HDR Gaming Interest Group), but, as with past Samsung sets, Dolby Vision HDR has been left out in the cold. We uploaded the latest brightness measurements and uniformity photos for the Accelerated Longevity Test. If you’re wondering at this point how Samsung’s QN90B range differs from the more expensive QN95Bs, aside from tweaks to the design the only really significant thing is that the QN95B uses an external connections box, while the QN90B’s connections are built into the TV’s bodywork. Note, too, that there’s no 50-inch QN95B; that step-up range begins at 55 inches. That pricing puts it in among the LG OLED55C2, Philips 55OLED807 and Sony XR-55A75K as competing options. DesignWe uploaded the brightness measurements and uniformity photos after running the TV for two months in our Accelerated Longevity Test. Tizen is divided into four (technically five) sections: Search, Ambient, Gaming, Media and Menu. Ambient is where you can turn the screen into an art installation with a selection of prints (you’ll also have to contend with the dreaded NFTs). The Gaming Hub features cloud services such as Utomik and Xbox Game Pass, Samsung TVs are the only TVs you’ll find that app on. Media features streaming apps along with curated content from the likes of iPlayer, and Menu is where you’ll find options to tweak picture, sound, etc. Overall, the Samsung QE55QN90B’s performance is a colourful one that’s well-suited to bright rooms, but that level of brightness can overwhelm. Sound Quality
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