Samsung QN90B review – more expensive, but slightly better

A TV is the basic equipment of almost every living room. Some people do not make much difference to the quality of the image obtained, and others are willing to spend quite a lot on good quality equipment. The review of Samsung QN90B with Neo QLED technology is aimed at the second group of people, after all, it is one of the highest series of the Korean manufacturer. 

Set and price

The Samsung QN90B comes to us in a fairly thick cardboard, and the set and packaging are almost identical to last year’s QN91A . This means that the TV has a fairly large cardboard box that protects the contents well, and thanks to the greater depth, the TV is easy to remove. Inside, apart from the TV itself, we find a very heavy, but narrow TV leg, a remote control, a power cord and some papers. 

The Samsung QN90B is available in as many as six sizes , and thus there are big differences in prices. 

• The Samsung 43QN90B currently costs USD $1,199.99
• The Samsung 50QN90B currently costs USD $1,499.99
• The Samsung 55QN90B currently costs USD $1,599.99
• The Samsung 65QN90B currently costs USD $1,999.99
• The Samsung 75QN90B currently costs USD $2,999.99
• Samsung 85QN90B currently costs USD $3,599.99
• Samsung 98QN90B currently costs USD $14,999.99

The most popular sizes, i.e. 55 and 65 inches, are separated by a fairly large price difference, but they are still slightly cheaper than the C2 series OLEDs from LG. 

Samsung QN90B – specification

• Sizes from 43 to 85 inches
• Resolution 3840 x 2160 pixels
• Neo QLED technology
• MiniLED backlight
• Refresh 120 Hz
• Ultimate UHD Dimming technology
• HDR10 +, HLG support (Dolby Vision not supported)
• Support for Q-Symphony functions
• Speakers in configuration 4.2.2 with 60 W RMS power
• The function of sound that follows the subject
• Light intensity sensor
• 4x HDMI 2.1, 2x USB, 1x optical SPDiF, eARC support (HDMI 3)
• Set Weight with Stand 22.9 kg

Build quality and build

Compared to last year’s models, the design has changed into a big plus. The silver, aluminum frame at the bottom has significantly decreased, as is the manufacturer’s logo, although it is displayed a bit nicer. The TV itself is of course incredibly slim, only 259 millimeters thick . Thanks to this, it is very easy to stick it to the wall. 

The back of the TV is very simple, we will not find any specific features on it. The only thing that attracts attention are the cable guides, which in theory do the job, but thinner cables slip out of them easily . Overall, the TV fits perfectly and is just as well made. 

Connectors

The Samsung QN90B has all its connectors on the back of the TV. When viewed from the front, they are on the right, but have been placed in a delicate recess. This makes it difficult to access anything “fast”. Attaching a memory stick with some wall brackets will require you to remove the TV from the wall. 

Of course, there is an easy way to avoid this, like buying the QN91B that has One Connect Box, but it’s correspondingly more expensive . However, I am glad to have a full set of HDMI 2.1 connectors that support 4K 120 Hz signal. Avid gamers will surely be satisfied with that. The power connector, in turn, is located on the left side of the TV, about a third of the width of the TV as a whole.

A tiny remote control with a battery

Samsung QN90B in the set includes a really small remote control, which received very slight changes compared to last year’s options. The most important thing is to change the function buttons, because we won’t find Rakuten service here anymore, and instead is Disney + . Added to this was a button responsible for a web browser. The last change in the keyboard is a reworked multifunctional button, which can be used to call settings, numeric keys and colored function buttons. Simple and fun. 

Besides, it’s almost the same remote

Almost, because the earlier remote was slimmed down in the button section. This time, it is of equal thickness along its entire length. Aside from this fact, the pilot is almost the same as it was last year , which makes me happy, but won’t impress fans of standard large pilots anymore. Simple slats with the possibility of pulling them up and down are responsible for adjusting the volume and changing channels, where a full press is also responsible for muting all sounds. 

Caring for the environment, i.e. a solar panel

The remote control that comes with the Samsung QN90B TV does not require battery replacement , which is one of the biggest advantages in my opinion. The controller is equipped with a battery that can be charged in two ways. The first is to simply turn the remote control over and let the sun shine through the solar panel where the battery cover usually is. The second option is to simply charge it via USB-C which is located on its bottom. 

The operating system, or Tizen in all its glory

Samsung QN90B is equipped with the proprietary Tizen system, which, like every possibility among operating systems in TV sets, has its better and worse sides. First of all, it is one of the smoother systems out there. However, this does not mean faster, because almost every time you start the application, instead of a nice animation or a screen with the logo of the program being launched, spinning dots appear. However, it doesn’t look good. Apart from this drawback, the system looks very aesthetically pleasing, although I preferred the older version a bit more. It was easier to read for the user. 

There are also problems

The main problem is the translation of some options . For example, on the main screen I chose the “Ambient” option, assuming that I would be shown images as on TVs from The Frame series. Instead, NFT images showed up. The return to the list of applications was even less readable, because there was an option called “Files”. 

I assumed in advance that this option is used for external storage, but it is where everything I needed is there. It also happened to me that instead of the application, I showed a white screen with an error message on the Internet network that does not want to reload despite the availability of the Internet . The only thing that helped me was to hold down the back button until I got back to the home screen. This likely closes the application completely, not just minimizes it.

The options are simplified, and some features need to be dug into

The basic settings on the Samsung QN90B TV are easily accessible, because it is enough to press one button and we get most of the necessary things. We can find here, among other things, picture and sound modes, source selection or turning on the game mode. When changing many of these options, the TV set will keep telling us about the possible increase in power consumption, which annoys me personally, but most people do not play with it as much as I do. 

The picture settings are divided into two parts

In the basic settings above, we find a button that redirects us to the basic configuration options in terms of the image. However, to get to the full settings, you need to select “All settings”. This shows a menu known from older Samsung TVs , where there is everything we need, along with settings for zone blanking, or an option called “Contrast enhancer”, which has been strangely translated again. Its description sounds the opposite in terms of how it works, which is very confusing. 

The pilot bothers you? Replace it with a smartphone

With the help of the SmartThings application, we can operate the Samsung QN90B TV using the phone itself . A very interesting option is the possibility of using the TV as a preview for the camera from the phone, although personally I do not see many applications for this solution. The application itself also allows us to turn the TV off and on to simulate the presence at home, or even turn it down when we try to sleep, and the household prefer to watch movies at night. 

The image quality is top notch, but without DV

Samsung QN90B is equipped with Neo QLED technology, MiniLED backlight, has several hundred zones of zone blanking, so there is almost nothing to complain about here. The only thing that I still miss in TVs from this company is the lack of Dolby Vision. Samsung still insists that HDR10 + is sufficient, which makes me very sad, because productions often support either HDR10 without a plus or Dolby Vision. HDR10 + is still the rarer solution, so you have to grit your teeth and use HDR10 many times. 

What can I say, it’s just great

Samsung QN90B copes well with everything I turned on it. Starting from animated series like Star Wars: Scabby Zgraja, through Blade Runner, ending with the F1 race at Hungaroring. In the meantime, more of this has happened, of course, but these positions are rather the most crucial and made the biggest impression on me. 

Dark but colorful – The Bad Batch

The series, the story of which begins in parallel with the end of the Clone Wars, was created in a manner typical of newer productions from the Star Wars universe. As a rule, it is quite dark, although it has many highly contrasting scenes, or those with quite vivid colors. With it, I did not experience the slightest problems with image quality, excessive contrast or lack of detail in the shadows. In this respect, the production of Disney is quite a challenge for TVs, but the Samsung QN90B overcame them without any problems. 

Over 700 highlight zones do a very good job

This is the same amount as last year’s model, so we didn’t even see a slight evolution in this regard. Still, the whole thing looks really great. I can only observe any blooming in the star shots, and still staring quite hard. Thanks to this, the contrast is really amazing and despite the lack of total blackness, during the day it can seem greater than on OLED TVs, thanks to a much greater maximum brightness. 

Very good viewing angles

I have heard opinions that you have to sit practically in front of TV sets with VA matrices so that the viewing angles do not interfere with the reception. In the case of the Samsung QN90B, this is not true, because I could easily look at the TV at an angle of 30 degrees, and still not see any problems or bloomings. Only at a very large angle, or sitting very close to the TV, I could see differences in colors, or gently leaking backlight, which cannot be seen straight ahead.

There is one small problem with moving

Very generally, the sooner the better. The quick movement looks very good and natural on the Samsung QN90B TV screen. The whole thing is very readable and fatigue-free. It is worse with very slow movements, which are not usually found in sports, as long as we are not watching chess. With slow movements, such as the folding of spacecraft wings in Star Wars, or shots where there is slow camera movement with static objects. Then the image skips slightly, but turning on smoothing movements to even the lowest level completely eliminates the tearing of the image. 

The colors are great, but not perfect yet

Samsung QN90B almost fully covers the DCI-P3 color palette. In addition, it does it with very little distortion, which I could not measure due to the TV modes that cannot be turned off when connected to a computer . It does not allow you to start Filmmaker mode when connected to a Windows computer. 

Comparing the picture with my private TV, where the deltaE error does not exceed 1.5, I only noticed a slightly more yellowish picture. The Samsung QN90B was set to Filmmaker mode at the time and the color temperature was set to Warm 2 . Warm 1 mode, on the other hand, is much greener, and Natural goes down towards blue, so ultimately Warm 2 remains the best option. 

Is the Samsung QN90B suitable for a bright living room?

It is suitable for virtually any room. The maximum brightness of 2000 nits allows you to use the TV even when the sun is shining on it . Additional anti-reflective layers reduce reflections quite strongly, which maximizes this impression. I used the QN90B myself mainly next to a large balcony window, and never once had a problem seeing something on the screen. The same applies to the night, the screen can be dimmed without losing the image quality very much. In combination with the automatic brightness function, the impression of too bright or too dark screen disappears . I personally turned it off, but I just like it when the tv blinds me. 

The sound is correct, but nothing else

Due to the thickness of the TV, we cannot expect too much. The manufacturer boasts a 4.2.2 audio system with a power of 60 W, an audio tracking system, but it’s just okay. In this price range, I would expect much more than understanding the dialogues and pleasant dynamics achieved by TV sets costing half the price of the title Samsung QN90B. A good solution, however, is Q-Symphony, which allows us to connect the TV speakers with an additional manufacturer’s soundbar. This is supported by the soundbar and improves the sense of spaciousness thanks to the additional speakers on the TV.

Read Also: Review of Samsung QN91A Neo QLED – perfection in a moment

Samsung QN90B review – summary

The Samsung QN90B costs a lot, because $2,000 for a 65-inch model is a lot of money. Is it worth it? And yes and no, because the differences from last year’s models are small, mainly in terms of design and software. The prices of this year’s high-end TVs, however, went up quite significantly, so the TV is priced similarly to the biggest competition in the form of OLEDs from LG. The one that is better will be smashed only in the matter of whether you prefer to have a brighter screen or perfect blacks. And still, I would consider adding a soundbar or home theater system to my TV. 

About Post Author

Sankesh Verma

Sankkesh Verma is a technical guy who brings a unique combination of strategic, creative, and technical expertise to identify elements that constitute success, propose solutions, and help build them. He is the founder of “Webbpearl” which is a highly-acclaimed web development agency that offers web design and development, mobile app development, and digital marketing. More importantly, he is the admin of Techtiper.

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