Also striking as you listen for longer is how accurately specific effects such as voices, gun shots, engine rumbles and so on are placed both on and off the screen. The 50QN90A may not have a Dolby Atmos decoder, but it often sounds more ‘spatial’ than many TVs that do. It’s worth adding, though, that if this feature appeals to you its effect is more pronounced on larger screen sizes. Samsung’s penchant for sharpness continues to its upscaling of sub-4K content. Samsung has applied AI technology to its upscaling for a couple of generations now with consistently striking results, but the 50QN90A confirms that the technology continues to improve. Especially when it comes to dealing with any compression or colour noise an HD source might contain. With all this content there’s a danger of information overload, so Samsung has wisely added a Universal Guide. This new feature is designed to collate all your favorite games, movies, sports, and streaming services into a single user-friendly interface. From the nightly news to a classic movie, the Quantum 4K Processor automatically adjusts the brightness and upscales everything you’re watching to 4K – no matter the original source. Remarkable contrast with HDR 2000

The Samsung QN90A’s 10-bit panel supports HDR and, while not as impressive as the higher-end Neo QLED models, does deliver measurements comparable with some OLED TVs. Peak brightness hits 750cd/m² in Dynamic Mode on a 10% window, and although the more accurate Filmmaker Mode maxes out at 650cd/m², this can be delivered on a full field white pattern. Percentage Luminance drop at 35 degree horizontal angle from the centre of the screen with 50% white outputThat said, the capability to produce brighter, more color-saturated images is one thing – but knowing when and where to employ that technology is a whole different matter. That’s where the Neo Quantum Processor 4K takes over. Using 16 neural networks, the Neo Quantum Processor 4K analyzes images on a frame-by-frame basis, upscaling the image if it’s coming from a sub-4K resolution using an image database and boosting contrast and color saturation. Max light output HDR (high dynamic range) while displaying a live scene and white square taking up 10% of the screen (measured in Nits) We corrected a mistake in the image processing of the reflections photos. This error only impacted the published photo, and no changes were made to the score or results.

The only catch with the 50QN90A’s upscaling is that it can start to look too fizzy with very grainy sources. This slight harshness can be softened away by the noise reduction options, but this inevitably leads to softer, occasionally slightly processed-looking results. To reiterate this point, though, the fizzing problem only happens with unusually grainy sources. With relatively pristine HD images the 50QN90A’s upscaling is outstanding. New this year is HDMI 2.1 support for amazing 4K HDR gaming to take advantage of the new Xbox Series X and Playstation 5 with 120hz and 60fps simultaneously. It’s not all easy money for this TV, though. Boost this set to its contrasty best and you’ll occasionally notice that there’s a little dark detail that’s lost. There is also the odd moment where the TV’s brightness gets a touch out of control and details can sometimes be either overblown or underplayed. It’s possible to tone both of these down but to take them away would also hobble the QN94A’s very best characteristics. Screen Sizes: 55-, 65-, 75-, and 82-inches | 4K: Yes | HDR: Yes | Panel technology: QLED | Smart TV: Yes | Curved: No | Dimensions: 1450 x 922 x 284mm (WxHxD) | Weight: 35kg | 3D: No | Inputs: 4xHDMI, 3xUSB, 2xRF, optical, Ethernet, CI slotLose yourself in what you're watching with anti-reflection, which minimizes distractions from sun and light so you can enjoy sports and movies any time of day.

There’s no doubt that the Samsung Q90T is an excellent TV, and you certainly shouldn’t discount it for not being an OLED or not having as many dimming zones as its ‘predecessor’.

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Samsung’s Tizen OS continues to be the best TV interface this year and we don’t see that changing any time soon. While Sony and LG suffer the temporary hiccups of missing UK catch-up services and, in the case of the former, an HDMI update for VRR that never seems to come, Samsung and Tizen are as solid, fully-featured, graphically appealing and easy to use as ever. We hope that whoever came up with it has a suitably large office with a top-floor panoramic view. They deserve it. The first chapter’s police raid on the National Opera House in Kiev is a masterclass of HDR performance. This TV is so bright compared to OLEDs, with the Mini LED technology allowing for such careful pinpoint control of that luminance, that it’s hard to draw our eyes away from the action even for a second.