Samsung recently announced its 98-inch 4K UHD QLED TV, and they have now followed that up with the QN83S90C 83-inch 4K UHD OLED TV. What makes this significant is that this is the largest OLED-based TV Samsung has offered, definitely challenging LG for OLED TV market dominance.
Whether they are successful in that endeavor remains to be seen, but the benefit for consumers is more choice for those that prefer OLED TVs over LCD-based TVs such as Samsung’s Crystal UHD, QLED, and neo-QLED models.
Tip: While the QN83S90C comes with an 83-inch screen, there are smaller models in the S90C Series including 77, 65, and 55-inch screen size models.
How The QN83S90C Fits Into The Samsung TV Line-up
Besides the big screen, what is important to point out is that this new 83-inch model does not incorporate Samsung’s homegrown QD-OLED panel technology as the other models in the S90C series do.
Instead, the QN83S90C uses a WOLED panel sourced from LG Display. The main reason for this move by Samsung is that its QD-OLED panels are not available yet in screen sizes larger than 77 inches. For the full story on the Samsung/LG Display arrangement, read our report: Samsung Inks Deal With LG Display For OLED TV Panels.
Although Samsung sees this as a smart strategic move to battle LG Electronics with the same LG Display-sourced panels, this could prove to be confusing for consumers going forward. Samsung will be marketing both its QD-OLED and WOLED-based TVs as OLED TVs. There is already an issue with today’s LCD TVs being marketed as LED TVs.
This means that you can’t trust that models within the same series are necessarily using one display technology or the other. Of course, many consumers may not notice the difference, but videophiles and product reviewers have commented and written about the differences.
Tip: LG Display and LG Electronics are separate companies. LG Display makes OLED panels that they sell to several brands – they are not just a supplier for LG Electronics. That is how Samsung was able to secure WOLED panels for its TVs.
That being said, the features offered on the new Samsung OLED model are specific to this set and will be different than what LG might offer on their own OLED TVs.
Video Processing/HDR
The 83S90C incorporates Samsung’s Neural Quantum Processor which is designed to deliver extended brightness and vivid color mapping. The HDR10,10+ and HLG formats are supported. However, Samsung TVs do not support Dolby Vision. Smart 4K upscaling with AI detail restoration is included.
Tip: Color palette range and fidelity validated by Pantone.
Gaming Support
The 83S90C series incorporates a 0.1-millisecond response time with both 4K/120Hz refresh rate support (Game Motion Plus and Motion Xcelerator Turbo+). Cloud gaming support via the Gaming Hub for NVIDIA GeForce NOW, Microsoft Xbox, Utomik, and Amazon Luna is included.
Smart Features
The 83S90C includes Samsung’s Tizen-powered Smart Hub which provides access to all major streaming services as well as additional streaming apps that can be installed via the Samsung App Store. Samsung TV Plus is also included, providing direct access to almost 250 add-supported channels of news, sports, and entertainment content.
The Samsung SmartThings Hub is also part of the feature package. The Hub automatically synchs compatible devices (Samsung and approved third-party products) for easy control.
Tip: If you receive some or all your TV program over the air via Antenna, the 83S90C support both the current TV broadcast system (ATSC 1.0) and the increasingly available (depending on the market) NEXTGEN TV (ATSC 3.0) broadcast system.
The 83S90C also includes access to Samsung Health Monitoring features.
Thin Design
Despite its very large screen size, the Samsung 83S90C has a very stylish 4mm thick design.
Audio
Although the 83S90C is very thin, it still has enough room for a 2.1 40 watts/channel built-in speaker system with Dolby Atmos support and Object Sound Tracking.
However, if you need a bigger boost, this TV also includes Samsung Q-Symphony (ver 3.0). This allows the built-in TV speakers to be paired with Samsung Q-Series and S-Series soundbars to create an immersive surround experience with greater dynamic impact.
Solar Cell Remote Control
The 83S90C continues the trend of including Samsung’s SolarCell remote that can be charged via a light or via a USB-C connection.
Pricing and Availability
The QN83S90C, which uses a WOLED panel, is priced at $5,399.99 and is available at Samsung.com and Amazon as of July 24, 2023.
Other S90C series models are also available. Keep in mind that the following models incorporate QD-OLED Display technology.
- 77-inches (QN77S90C): $3,599.99 or less at Samsung.com, Crutchfield, Amazon
- 65-inches (QN65S90C): $2,599.99 or less at Samsung.com, Crutchfield, Amazon
- 55-inches (QN55S90C): $1,899.99 or less at Samsung.com, Crutchfield, Amazon
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