Samsung smart TV boasts a super-slim frame and no messy cables
Samsung QN95A Neo QLED 4K HDR Smart TV.
Despite the fact that I’ve been reviewing tech for decades, I can only remember one other occasion where I tested a TV. It was the mid-nineties and the set was from the well-known phone, but not so well known TV maker, Nokia. The widescreen CRT (cathode-ray tube) TV was enormous for its day at 28-inches — a mere portable by today’s standards.
Samsung kindly sent me their latest 65-inch behemoth the QE65QN95A for a few weeks trial along with a soundbar (Q800A) to test.
The QN95A is what Samsung calls Neo QLED which is their version of mini LED technology that can achieve contrast levels close to OLED levels without the worry of burn-in, although I’m not convinced that’s as big an issue as some might suggest.
An area where QLED improves on OLED technology is in brightness and the QN95A can get stunningly bright especially when you turn on the special Filmmaker mode. This makes this TV ideal in a brightly lit room.
There is not too much to say about the design of this TV set since it’s almost bezel-less. I do love the single centre stand which means you don’t need a massive TV stand to place it on. Of course, you can also mount it to a wall if that suits you better.
At 2.6cm the QN95A is ridiculously thin but some of this is because it uses Samsung’s One Connect box for power and connections.
The Samsung’s One Connect box connects to the TV at the back via a thick silver cable. The box itself is the source of power and includes four HDMI 2.1 ports along with 3 USB ports, an optical port for digital audio, an ethernet port and the usual aerial connections. This makes life so much easier than having to reach into the back of the TV to connect cables. It also makes for a much tidier setup too. The only downside is that you have an extra box to deal with.
The inclusion of HDMI 2.1 means you’re ready for next-generation consoles and gaming at 4K at 120Hz. Consoles like the PS5 and Xbox One Series X can both take advantage of HDMI 2.1 but so too can a lot of high-end PCs. This may not be something you need now but it’s good to know you’re covered for any future devices that can take advantage of the newer standard.
The One Connect also features support for eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel), ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), and VRR (Variable Refresh Rate). This is also one of the only TVs to include full support for AMD FreeSync Premium Pro but not Nvidia G-Sync although it is G-Sync-compatible. Gaming features don’t end there as there’s a dedicated pop-up Game Bar menu for quick access to game-related features. Input lag in game mode is incredibly low for a TV at around 10ms.
Samsung’s Tizen OS is incredibly intuitive to use and comes preloaded with all of the popular streaming apps including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV, RTE Player and Rakuten. You also get Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Deezer.
Unlike many other competing brands, Samsung doesn’t include support for Dolby Vision. Instead, you get HDR10+.
You get two remotes and the smaller one, which I used the most, has a neat trick on the back. It has a small solar panel that continually charges the internal batteries via light from either the sun or house lights. You can also charge it via the USB C socket on the bottom of the remote.
The second remote is standard and comes with all the buttons and features you’d expect.
I watched a lot of content from a variety of streaming apps. I’m not a TV reviewer and it would be unfair of me to say this is the best TV out there. My subjective opinion is that the size, 65-inches makes for incredible immersion, especially in a smaller room. I don’t understand why people complain about big TVs in small rooms because a ‘big’ TV is a big room will seem small. You need the size for the full experience and unless you don’t like the aesthetics, or it won’t fit physically, bigger is always going to be better.
While watching a dark show like ‘See’ on Apple TV, I could see what all the hype was about and how near blacks are to OLED TVs.
Other more colour movies look stunning too with lots of punch and clarity that made it hard to go back to my old TV. HDR works well with good out-of-the-box colour balance, contrast and detail in both the highlights and dark areas. You can play with lots of advanced settings including sharpness, colour and even the option to boost the shadow detail but in general, I was more than happy to use the default presets. The colours are vibrant but look natural and there’s lots of detail without the image looking over sharpened.
The QN95A sound system is impressive considering how thin it is. Dialogue is natural and correctly placed in the sound stage which is surprisingly spacious. However, it’s no substitute for a dedicated soundbar or surround sound system.
The QN95A is astonishing in both features and picture quality. While I wasn’t upset when Samsung came to collect it as it was taking up valuable space on my coffee table, I do miss the size and visual experience. The QE65QN95A is currently available at a reduced price and is very competitive with competing OLED models, so go and check it out for yourself.
Available from electrical retailers for €2,500 (RRP €3,500) and an additional €330 cashback. Also available in 55, 75 and 85-inch sizes.
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