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Samsung’s best 4K TV of 2021 is QLED (QN90A review)

OLED TVs have the best picture quality available, but Samsung’s latest QLED model is gunning hard for the crown. Powered by an all-new mini-LED backlight and more precise light control, it promises superior brightness without blooming and stray illumination. Can it topple the king? Here’s a full, in-depth comparison. 00:20 Mini LED 00:45 Design 02:13…

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OLED TVs have the best picture quality available, but Samsung’s latest QLED model is gunning hard for the crown. Powered by an all-new mini-LED backlight and more precise light control, it promises superior brightness without blooming and stray illumination. Can it topple the king? Here’s a full, in-depth comparison.

00:20 Mini LED
00:45 Design
02:13 Remote
03:01 Menu system
04:38 Gaming
06:07 Picture quality
08:15 Conclusion

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102 Comments

102 Comments

  1. Dominick Scalzo

    May 29, 2021 at 12:13 pm

    Would love for you to review the Hisense especially the U8DG when it comes out!

    • Samsung QN90A

      May 29, 2021 at 5:38 pm

      Poor viewing angles

  2. Carie Saad

    May 29, 2021 at 12:32 pm

    OK, enough about the TV. Where can I get those hover skate thingys?

    • Blood Angel

      May 29, 2021 at 12:44 pm

      Segway’s Drift W1 Electric Skates, Google will find you a place.

  3. K Nida

    May 29, 2021 at 12:44 pm

    Thank you

  4. Vedraj r.m

    May 29, 2021 at 12:46 pm

    No Dolby vision?? That is a deal breaker

    • Stephen Patterson

      May 30, 2021 at 1:00 am

      Why? Do you know what Dolby Vision ACTUALLY does? If you have a very high performing display, the difference between HDR10 and DV is negligible. DV really exists as an aid to mid level TVs that can’t handle fixed meta data HDR well. This is a TV that CAN handle it well so it wouldn’t help them out much in terms of IQ. All it would do is make them have to raise prices to cover the licensing fees. This is coming from the owner of a Sony that began life as HDR10 only then gained DV support through an update. Netlix and Vudu basically looked the same as far as I could tell.

  5. Nyle

    May 29, 2021 at 12:47 pm

    One there a version with a One Connect box?

  6. Smit Thakor

    May 29, 2021 at 12:51 pm

    I have Sony a8g oled

  7. Victor S.

    May 29, 2021 at 12:56 pm

    I want the Segway’s skates, cool video, had fun watching the CNET girl trying to skate.

  8. avicii electro

    May 29, 2021 at 12:59 pm

    Aguante el OLED

  9. Wallace Rigby

    May 29, 2021 at 1:14 pm

    OLED really need to be brighter. HDR just looks so vibrant and beautiful in most scenes(most movies aren’t shot in darkness) on non-OLED displays.

    • Shane M

      May 29, 2021 at 8:51 pm

      It would be amazing if we could get a tv with the blacks of OLED and the brightness of QLED.

    • bign3ck

      May 29, 2021 at 11:30 pm

      A90j

    • Stephen Patterson

      May 30, 2021 at 12:46 am

      @bign3ck Only peaks around what? 800 nits? Still not good enough. Plus the A90J has issues with black and near black rendering.

  10. cbalano

    May 29, 2021 at 1:27 pm

    Again, no mentioning of the burn-in issues with OLEDs.

    • sonsolar

      May 29, 2021 at 4:46 pm

      Because they don’t really have that issue any longer.

    • Samsung QN90A

      May 29, 2021 at 5:39 pm

      @sonsolar wrong, I have seen three Sony A8H with permanent burnin

    • sonsolar

      May 29, 2021 at 5:57 pm

      @Samsung QN90A It’s possible for sure, but I’m on my personal 3rd oled haven’t b had an issues. With the technology they put into current panels *most people won’t ever experience it. It’s tons point where it’s not worth mentioning, especially if it’s a review for a tv that isn’t even oled. The tv being reviewed here is Qled.

    • GoldRaion

      May 29, 2021 at 9:35 pm

      @sonsolar ” 3rd oled ” no wonder you don’t have burnin in your tvs.

  11. Concerned Newfie

    May 29, 2021 at 1:27 pm

    Peak 4k was 2019, my 2020 Q95T already had tech removed and now only found in the 8k. 2021 is worse. But then CNET’s days of in depth reviews has been gone for at least a decade. Fluff.

  12. Noah Love

    May 29, 2021 at 1:33 pm

    Your videos are good

  13. Gary Whitney

    May 29, 2021 at 3:55 pm

    How hard is it to replace the remote battery as it wont recharge for ever

    • Stephen Patterson

      May 30, 2021 at 12:50 am

      It’ll recharge and stay alive far longer than a set of replaceable batteries would. Considering how little use a TV remote gets over its lifespan, a rechargeable battery should last the life of that TV. Whereas replaceable batteries would have to be replaced numerous times. Considering how many TVs Samsung sells in a given year, that’s hundreds of thousands if not millions of batteries being kept out of landfills. It’s not just convenience, it’s higher sustainability

  14. Gary Whitney

    May 29, 2021 at 3:58 pm

    I wish Samsung did dolby vision

  15. F Bart

    May 29, 2021 at 5:21 pm

    I’ve been all over a rechargeable remote for awhile now. It’s about time!

  16. m m

    May 29, 2021 at 5:59 pm

    Almost as good as oled!?!? No thanks I’ll keep my lg

    • EJKA Legal

      May 31, 2021 at 12:21 am

      Nah, new neo qled better than oled and much brighter. You may as well have a black & white CRT.

  17. ArthropodSpidey

    May 29, 2021 at 7:46 pm

    samsung tvs don’t last beyond 3 years. Terrible quality control

  18. Geo Laden

    May 29, 2021 at 8:25 pm

    Nice tv

  19. Kushagra Gupta

    May 29, 2021 at 8:39 pm

    Why does Samsung not want to do OLED, it’s frustrating

  20. Ganesan G

    May 29, 2021 at 8:45 pm

    Hey, it’s Katz reviewing tvs again!!! 🤘🤪

  21. Giovanni Ortiz

    May 29, 2021 at 10:18 pm

    All tvs and echo dots needs Marta’s voice.

  22. bign3ck

    May 29, 2021 at 11:29 pm

    Oled is still better, seen it, looks like an lcd.

    • DETERMINOLOGY

      May 30, 2021 at 12:42 pm

      Facts, He said almost as good as OLED but we know QLED has blooming so its not even close and there’s nothing even close to having that much dimming zones in a QLED compared to OLEDs 8,294,400 pixels which are like dimming zones

    • Sambain

      May 30, 2021 at 6:07 pm

      @DETERMINOLOGY QLED is crap but so is OLED. Enjoy black crush, burn in and ABL on your “fancy” new OLED.

    • DETERMINOLOGY

      May 30, 2021 at 6:10 pm

      @Sambain if oled was that bad no one would be buying it but it’s just your opinion

    • Sambain

      May 30, 2021 at 6:13 pm

      @DETERMINOLOGY People are buying OLED because they “think” its good. Again, enjoy your black crush (OLEDs crush details in dark scenes) and ABL (which automatically dims the TV the brighter it gets). I’m keeping my eye on Dual layered LCDs, but because they are energy hogs, I doubt they will make it to the US.

    • DETERMINOLOGY

      May 30, 2021 at 6:18 pm

      @Sambain gg

  23. Stephen Patterson

    May 30, 2021 at 12:47 am

    Oh my word, CNET reviewed a high end set that ISN’T an OLED??!!! Feel like you guys have been missing from the TV space since like 2015 lol

    • John B

      May 30, 2021 at 4:59 pm

      He has also been AWOL on high end Sony televisions regardless of display technology.

  24. ReasonablleDoubt

    May 30, 2021 at 1:22 am

    CNET knows nothing about TVs. Watch other reviews for the truth.

  25. ReasonablleDoubt

    May 30, 2021 at 1:22 am

    John B sucks

    • John B

      May 30, 2021 at 5:10 pm

      Nice coping mechanism you have there.

  26. Laura Oliver

    May 30, 2021 at 1:27 am

    The mellow odometer greely scream because flag decisively heap alongside a previous cost. chubby, unequal spade

  27. Wesley Maloney

    May 30, 2021 at 8:38 am

    Samsung best 4k TV for 2021 is the QN95A with the one-connect box .

    • J Y

      May 30, 2021 at 8:05 pm

      You get a free ps4 and a cable to hold up a bridge with that one lol

  28. Charles Bloomer

    May 30, 2021 at 8:47 am

    A rechargeable remote is interesting. In my experience though 2 or 3 AA’s or AAA’s last for ages, years sometimes. I like centrally positioned stands. Wide fitting ones like on the Sony A90J are often too far apart for TV cabinets, even on smaller screen sizes.

    • Steve L

      May 30, 2021 at 7:26 pm

      I don’t know about the A90J, but on my A80J, you can move the legs closer. It basically has 3 positions, closer, wider, and higher/wider for soundbar placement.

  29. Koreskalp

    May 30, 2021 at 10:05 am

    Hope that you can ask Samsung if their intention is to rollout this new technology into all of their high end TVs and in particular into the Frame which is so far behind in terms of technology compared to its concurrence.

  30. JUR O

    May 30, 2021 at 12:52 pm

    Hey guys, this is the best TV for 2021! Review over! Go buy it now!🤫😉
    Why you showed mass effect…..I never played 3 for more then 20 minutes after I murdered my whole team in 2
    ..🥲 and I played the first 1 so many times not knowing that out bound could be broken in the last mission in part 2 ,everybody gone…☹ 💔

  31. T. Smith

    May 30, 2021 at 1:51 pm

    Too bad they don’t have Dolby Vision, that’s the deal breaker for me why I won’t get it.

    • In Aere Ediflcare

      May 30, 2021 at 11:11 pm

      How is that a deal breaker.. HDR would look better in a 1400nit panel than in a 700nit one with DV.

  32. Liam Featherstone

    May 30, 2021 at 2:53 pm

    QLED is and still will never be OLED. I’ve got one of each the LG OLED is a year older than my Samsung QLED and there’s no comparison

    • TL PRODIGIES

      May 30, 2021 at 3:24 pm

      QLED > OLED. I’d rather have a little bit of blooming vs burn in. Don’t want to babysit my TV.

  33. TL PRODIGIES

    May 30, 2021 at 3:23 pm

    It’s an amazing TV, but the blooming does bother me at times.

    • Bat Tech

      May 31, 2021 at 1:19 pm

      I own it and hardly any blooming, even in game mode.

    • TL PRODIGIES

      May 31, 2021 at 2:05 pm

      @Bat Tech There is blooming, but mainly on subtitles. Sometimes it’s noticeable while gaming too.

  34. Basem Almoudares

    May 30, 2021 at 4:19 pm

    Hey David! but why Samsung aren’t producing OLED like TVs like LG, and is Samsung manufacturing its mobiles screen the same way, i.e. are they LED-backlit only, not a real LED panels!

    • John B

      May 30, 2021 at 5:09 pm

      No, mobile RGB panels are different from WOLED panels for televisions. There is a rumor that Samsung will purchase WOLED panels from LGD and start manufacturing their own OLED televisions.

  35. Eman

    May 30, 2021 at 5:02 pm

    I wouldn’t give Scamsung one cent for this tv. Yea its good but they disrespectful with the pricing and its far from perfect. Id go U8g get a BB warranty and save ALOT OF MONEY

  36. Whisper Status 74

    May 30, 2021 at 5:13 pm

    David! How do you not have a youtube channel! You are the OG TV guy!

    • John B

      May 30, 2021 at 5:47 pm

      Either that or find a different employer. 5-6 TV reviews per year just doesn’t cut it.

  37. Sambain

    May 30, 2021 at 6:01 pm

    FALD TVs are garbage. Mini LEDs are just fancy FALD trash. OLED TVs are garbage and is a scam. Dual Layer LCDs and Micro LEDs are the future.

  38. TravionMusic

    May 30, 2021 at 6:43 pm

    I hope Hisense sells more this year.

  39. stereotype69

    May 30, 2021 at 8:05 pm

    Is there a huge crack all across the screen that no one seems to talk about?

  40. Jr Moncivais

    May 30, 2021 at 11:27 pm

    Too much blooming.

  41. Tay Tay

    May 31, 2021 at 12:06 am

    Had this tv went with the c1 instead.. it wasn’t a bad tv I just don’t think it was worth the price

  42. Rockovissi

    May 31, 2021 at 2:05 am

    But does it pass through multichannel lossless PCM? Because I have a Q70R and this is a big issue for me. Because the lack of eARC, you can’t have Dolby Atmos and Freesync at the same time. You have to choose one or the other. I bought the TV for Freesync but don’t even use it because I’d rather have Dolby Atmos.

  43. Anthony Hershko

    May 31, 2021 at 2:11 am

    I have the QLED Q90R and I hate the blooming problem…
    I had LG CX and she had bad upscale and she was super darker.
    I had to use again the QLED Q90R.

    • DETERMINOLOGY

      May 31, 2021 at 2:14 am

      To each their own, Ill take a darker image which OLED isnt even that dark over a QLED thats brighter which has blooming.

    • Anthony Hershko

      May 31, 2021 at 3:08 am

      @DETERMINOLOGY True, but it was super darker, I think it’s only with LG.

    • DETERMINOLOGY

      May 31, 2021 at 3:22 am

      @Anthony Hershko I mean tho from what ive seen OLED isnt that dark compared to overly bright QLEDs which brings the blooming issue. They are dimmer but the contrast and the peak brightness OLEDS have ill take any day

  44. Jeff

    May 31, 2021 at 3:36 am

    The 1st think he said, almost as good as OLED…why doesn’t Samsung just make an OLED?

  45. Dangerous One

    May 31, 2021 at 5:41 am

    Does it have Apple TV app?

    • Shaaz's Tech Hub

      May 31, 2021 at 7:56 pm

      Yes

  46. Davicito

    May 31, 2021 at 6:04 am

    This tv is just wow, highly recommend it if you like a bright and colorful image.

  47. finest creations

    May 31, 2021 at 8:23 am

    Sorry but OLED IS OLED wish it becomes cheap. Also i dont mind a normal LED if its 8k . PPI is more important

  48. Renuka Sharma

    May 31, 2021 at 8:24 am

    Which latest model you suggest in samsung 2021 in 50″

    • SirGurky

      June 1, 2021 at 4:07 pm

      50QN90A

    • ChefStoney

      June 1, 2021 at 5:06 pm

      @SirGurky Do you know the difference between that and the 50QN93A? I recently purchased it, but am now curious what the difference is

    • SirGurky

      June 1, 2021 at 5:09 pm

      @ChefStoney it will be a regional difference! You US?

    • ChefStoney

      June 1, 2021 at 5:22 pm

      @SirGurky Ah I see. I’m from The Netherlands. Might be something West EU related

  49. Stephen Powdexter

    May 31, 2021 at 9:45 am

    I see very low inventory at my local Best B. Very few TVs, mostly the cheap models. More TVs at Costco but a curious shortage of sub-55” models.

  50. Michael Gonzales

    May 31, 2021 at 10:31 am

    Depending on one stream of income had never made any millionaire and earning check doesn’t put you in Forbes

    • Thomas

      May 31, 2021 at 1:21 pm

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    • Thomas

      May 31, 2021 at 1:21 pm

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      May 31, 2021 at 1:27 pm

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      May 31, 2021 at 1:32 pm

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    • Johannes Puck

      May 31, 2021 at 1:37 pm

      Making your first million could be really hard but it all depends on how versatile you can be with your investment

  51. Matt Jones

    May 31, 2021 at 1:54 pm

    Stop excusing Samsung for not putting Dolby Vision in their TVs. It’s absolutely ridiculous, anti-consumer, and is purely a cost-saving move on their part to avoid licensing fees. This is a $2,300 TV. Vizio, Hisense, TCL, LG and Sony all support Dolby Vision on sets costing less than half as much, so Samsung can clearly afford it. Saying it performs well in HDR10 is like saying HD DVD was just as good as Blu-Ray in 2006. Is it technically true in terms of picture quality at the time? Sure. Is it becoming very clear that Dolby Vision is becoming the HDR standard? Yes.

  52. AntrAcsA

    May 31, 2021 at 5:14 pm

    Sorry but G1 is not the brightest OLED TV…

  53. Shaaz's Tech Hub

    May 31, 2021 at 7:45 pm

    Does YouTube TV work for you!?

  54. Raza Saigol

    May 31, 2021 at 11:02 pm

    Disappointing that samsung does not include 4 hdmi 2.1 ports. While LG does. And yet they charge premium pricing for these tv’s…. Everyone now has more than one console or streaming box that is hdmi 2.1. Switching your hdmi cable is going to be inconvenient.

    • Alec Le Chiffre

      May 31, 2021 at 11:54 pm

      We have that version in Europe. The model number is QN95A. But for some reason Samsung decided not to sell that specific version in the US. 🤔

  55. Jesus Mauri

    June 1, 2021 at 6:12 am

    What about movement?

  56. gokul krishna

    June 1, 2021 at 7:23 am

    👍🙂🙏🇮🇳

  57. Ares Varvaro

    June 1, 2021 at 8:42 am

    “If, for some reason, you don’t want an oled tv…” emhh I don’t know like BURN IN?! Are we really gonna try and hide the fact that this new mini led technology is going to completely annihilate the market for oled screens?

  58. Way

    June 1, 2021 at 9:24 am

    You guys don’t knock Samsung enough for not supporting Dolby Vision.

  59. Bogdan Serbanescu

    June 1, 2021 at 3:53 pm

    Sony 2021 TV line up has all features Samsung 2021 Tv’s do not have.

  60. Moody Ali

    June 1, 2021 at 5:32 pm

    I disagree the hisense u8g is better

  61. moosyx

    June 1, 2021 at 6:53 pm

    This is the wrong smsung
    The good one is the (QN95A) this one has all 4 hdmi 2.1 and a conect box

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