Samsung's QLED TV, the QN90B, will be one of its flagship series in 2022, and one of the brightest we'll be seeing this year. As Samsung's QN90A last year had a peak brightness of around 1,800 nits. This year's model reaches even higher highs of over 3,000 nits for its brightest mode. With Light Adaptive Shaping, Samsung has developed a technique for controlling the TV's brightness that uses the Neo Quantum Processor to analyze lines, shapes, and the surface of images on the screen before determining the amount of light that is emitted from the Mini-LEDs. It is difficult to speculate how all of this technology will compare to LG's 2022 OLED TVs until we have spent more time with them, but for now, we suggest that the Samsung QN90B will be one of the best, if not the brightest, TVs to be released in 2022.
Price And Availability
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A number of Samsung's television models are part of the Samsung 2022 lineup including models such as the QN90B, the S95B OLED, the QN95B, the QN80B, the Q70B, the Q60B, and 8K TVs such as the Samsung QN900B and QN800B. Pricing wise, the Samsung QN90B is one of the more expensive models in Samsung's lineup and is typically priced above its competitors. As an example, the 43-inch Samsung QN90B starts at $1,199, while the industry average 55-inch screen is priced at $1,899. These two models are complemented with a 50-inch model (1,599), a 65-inch model (2,599), a 75-inch model (3,499), an 85-inch model (4,999) and a jaw-dropping 95-inch model (14,999). With such high pricing, the Samsung QN90B is in a tough position.
Design
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It seems that Samsung has not changed much about the design of its QN90B - at least not on the exterior. Upon viewing it, you will notice that it has a nearly bezel-less display that stands on a pedestal base a few inches off the tabletop. Due to this unique design, the TV has the appearance of floating in a dark room - which is quite dramatic when you first see it - but it does mean that you'll need a lower-profile soundbar to go along with it so that it does not obstruct the IR receiver located in the lower right corner of the screen. On the subject of remote controls, the Samsung QN90B is shipped with the solar-powered remote Samsung introduced last year. The battery can be charged by placing it on a window near the sun, which is a more convenient option than scrambling around for new batteries when the old ones run out.
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One of the biggest disappointments in terms of the design of the TV is the fact that it does not use Samsung's OneConnect box which hosts all the inputs and outputs and connects to it via a thin wire. Rather, all HDMI ports should be connected directly to the back of the television, and cables should be hidden by using grooves in the back. There are a number of HDMI 2.1 inputs on the back, making it easy to connect the latest consoles, including the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5.
Performance
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The design of the QN90B isn't noteworthy, but there is a great deal to say about its performance - in terms of brightness, it is hard to beat. Samsung's QN90B scored around 3,500 nits in a 10% window when we tested the TV in its brightest HDR mode. This is not only a significant increase from last year, but is also an impressive figure when compared to other LED-LCD and OLED TVs from other manufacturers. So how did Samsung achieve these results? Actually, it's a combination of mini-LEDs which power the TV, Shape Adaptive Lighting we mentioned earlier, and the Neo 4K Processor, which can reroute power to boost 10% windows of light. Using less technical language, the TV's processor determines which pockets of Mini-LEDs are required to display the given content, and then supplies extra power to those pockets.
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It appears to be a good practice. A 4K Blu-ray player connected to the QN90B allowed us to watch Planet Earth II in 4K HDR for close to an hour. The colors, as you might expect, have appeared vibrant as we traveled in Southeast Asia, Africa, and the peaks of South America. In no small part, the crispness of the details on the myriad creatures is attributable to the processor and Light Adaptive Shaping technology, while the contrast of the night scenes is outstanding. It was hard to tell if some darker details were being lost in the process of black level crushing, but we'll keep testing once we have a final unit for review. Nevertheless, the QN90B is absolutely unbeatable in bright scenes. It is understandable that no one will expect you to use 3,500 nits of brightness every time you turn on your television - that would be blinding, especially when the TV is in a dark room. It is for moments where an extra brightness is needed - for example, shots of the desert at high noon and flashes of color. Furthermore, it will also help reduce glare during the daytime in rooms that have uncontrollable ambient light, although not as effectively as The Frame's anti-glare coating.
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The Samsung QN90B has a native refresh rate of 120Hz when it comes to handling motion. This makes it one of the better TVs for people who enjoy sports and action movies. However, you are also welcome if you are not in one of these categories. While the majority of Samsung's motion smoothing technology is turned on by default, you may be able to adjust it by switching to Filmmaker Mode or going to the advanced settings. In terms of content in HD/SDR, though we didn't have much time to spend with it as we did in 4K/HDR, Samsung's upscaling algorithm made HD content look sharp. When we receive the final review sample, we will continue to evaluate it, but cable TV viewers should be able to see a significant improvement in picture quality when they upgrade from an older 4K TV.
Audio
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When you set Amplified as the audio mode, you get a soft and spacious sound, and when you set it to Normal you get a direct and loud sound. While both modes served their purposes well, a TV this beautiful needs matching audio, and for that reason, you will likely need a sound bar.
Samsung's California-based audio lab is currently manufacturing some of the world's best soundbars. Using eARC, all of these 'bars support Dolby Atmos - as does the QN90B - so the TV can produce great sound by simply picking up a second piece of equipment at check-out. If your budget doesn't allow you to get an additional soundbar, the TV's built-in speakers are fine and you will not be disappointed, but there's still room for improvement.
Interface
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The new look of Samsung's wildly popular Tizen smart platform in 2022 is polarizing. With a tile design and left-hand navigation bar, the latest version of Tizen looks a whole lot more modern. By displaying tiles that represent streaming services and content from multiple services, you can easily turn on your TV and re-watch your favorite show or movie. When you are starting up the TV and want to go to one streaming service as soon as possible you may find the content-first presentation is cluttered and overbearing. For you to download apps, you will also need a Samsung account, which can be another stumbling block during the setup process.
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When it comes to the best streaming services, Tizen provides a wide range of choices. Netflix and Prime Video both offer small collections of HDR10+ movies, as well as Hulu, HBO Max, and Disney Plus. However, Samsung's TVs do not support Dolby Vision, so viewers who typically stream content in this format will not be able to see it. The gamer community will, on the other hand, find a lot of appeal in this game. Samsung announces that it will be adding support for game streaming services such as Google Stadia and Amazon Luna later this year. The company also states that Xbox Game Pass will arrive at some point in the future. The latest releases from Microsoft's studios will be accessible without a console when it is released. Gamers will also appreciate the improved Game Bar that can be accessed by long-pressing the play/pause button, which displays the current refresh rate and response time when in Game Mode. The latter was measured at 9.8ms, which is quite good for a non-OLED TV.
Conclusion
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The Samsung QN90B offers a number of enhancements over its predecessor. Light Adaptive Shaping should make colors look brighter and geometric shapes more distinct, plus you'll be able to go even higher in brighter scenes that could use a touch more punch. That said, the price does seem a bit high considering that last year's model is available for half the QN90B's launch price. We cannot make a definitive decision until we conduct field testing on it - but for those who missed last year's model or have the money to upgrade, Samsung's QN90B appears to be continuing its trend of setting the gold standard in 4K HDR televisions. But if it doesn't, Samsung QN90A is always an option.