The Samsung QE65QN95A is the flagship 65-inch 4K TV in 2021. It gains this status through a combination of a new Mini-LED backlighting system, a number of new gaming features (including the world’s first support for FreeSync Premium Pro) and a new video processing engine that takes TV picture quality to a whole new level.
In addition, the Samsung QN95A series has several technologies that were not present in last year’s models. We propose to consider the review of Samsung QE65QN95A 4K HDR Mini LED on the example of a TV with a diagonal of 65 inches, in order to draw a conclusion for ourselves: is it worth buying TVs of the QN95A series from Samsung.
Samsung QN95A Design
Samsung’s QE65QN95A TV designers have largely abandoned the solid monolithic design that has characterized Samsung’s high-end LCD TVs over the past few years. Thanks to Samsung’s switch to MiniLED lighting, the new 4K kit has a fairly shallow depth.
This makes it a more efficient option for wall mounting. It also gives the device a more futuristic look. The screen bezel is exceptionally narrow, which is also a plus. The QE65QN95A is largely cable-free thanks to the external connection box.
It transmits all video sources to the screen over a single long silver cable, including audio and even power. This is not the first time Samsung has used the One Connect external unit in its premium TVs.
However, the device that comes with the QE65QN95A is much thinner than previous versions. If you do not hang the QE65QN95A on the wall, then you need to attach it to a center-mounted reinforced plate stand that gracefully tilts back behind the screen to provide the necessary counterweight.
Remote control
Samsung TV QE65QN95A comes with two remote controls. The smart remote control is powered by a solar panel on the back. The build quality of every piece of the QE65QN95A, with the exception of the plastic “standard” remote, is exceptional. This is to be expected from such an expensive TV.
Backlight Mini-LED
The biggest achievement of Samsung QN95A TVs is the introduction of Mini-LED technology . Therefore, the QN95A can provide 792 separately controllable lighting zones. For comparison, the flagship of the 2020 brand with 4K resolution has just over 100 such zones.
The idea is that Samsung was able to deliver such a colossal increase in blackout zones at almost the same price as its predecessor, the QE65Q95T, when it launched . The contrast potential of so many dimming zones is even more exciting. In its Dynamic Mode, the TV actually delivers 2700 nits of brightness in a white HDR window covering 10% of the screen.
The screen stays at this extreme brightness for a very short time, but it can certainly hold up. An even smarter stock image preset still offers just over 2000 nits. This time, this level of brightness can be held more steadily. There are also modes like “Movie” and ” Film » (Filmmaker), which provide a more “precise” picture.
Additional settings
While the QN95A TVs offer a fairly effective set of factory picture presets, there is plenty of room for tweaking. The system includes full color and white balance control, as well as a combination of local dimming and contrast enhancement tools. In addition, there are useful options for customizing motion processing.
Artificial Intelligence
With the new QLED models, Samsung has taken AI processing to a whole new level. The latest Neo Quantum processor calculates how best to handle incoming images, trains at least 16 different neural networks, not just one set of neural network results available for 2020 Samsung TVs.
FreeSync Premium Pro in games
Game processing is now a big part of the potential responsibilities of any high-end TV. This model is equipped with many new features related to games. The QE65Q95A is the first TV to support FreeSync Premium Pro – AMD’s system for better HDR as well as variable refresh rates.
The TV also has a new game bar that, when a button is pressed, recalls the current key settings selected by the user, as well as the format of the game signal that the TV receives.
These are all very important in order to achieve optimal performance in various games. In addition, the Samsung QN95A TV is the first TV to support gaming with both 21: 9 and 32: 9 aspect ratios that some PC companies offer gamers.
Low input lag
Input lag is the time it takes for the TV to render the received image data. In the model under consideration, it is 9.2 ms in game mode with a 1080p / 60 Hz signal. Latency can drop to 5.8ms if the console or computer is capable of transmitting 4K / 120Hz signal to the TV.
This is a groundbreaking figure that will not allow the Samsung QE QN95A to be blamed for any gaming glitches. It is possible to introduce a slight reduction in jitter at the cost of an additional input latency of only 5ms or so, and a black frame insertion mode that still increases the input latency to a respectable 39ms or so.
There is also a shadow detail adjustment that can be used to brighten or darken dark areas without affecting the rest of the image. This could potentially help gamers discover hidden opponents in games.
Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos are missing
Finally, there are two notable features that the Samsung QN95A lacks. This is support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos . The former is not surprising given Samsung’s preference for its own rival HDR10 + system. Apparently Samsung is not going to take into account the relatively wide distribution in the world of Dolby Vision content and its upcoming appearance on the Xbox Series X game console .
The lack of Dolby Atmos support is less important considering how efficient Samsung’s own OTS sound system is. However, it seems odd these days that a TV with a 4.2.2 speaker system only transmits Dolby Atmos to external audio devices via eARC HDMI and cannot decode that signal itself.
Image quality
The QE65QN95A with Mini LED backlight provides a significant improvement in picture quality over all previous Samsung LCD TVs. As you’d expect, the Mini-LED’s most immediate benefit can be seen in the contrast of the screen.
Remarkably, the screen manages to combine the colossal brightness value mentioned earlier with an inky black color that is barely overshadowed by any hint of bloom. Samsung has long been known for the impressive black levels that LCD technology can achieve.
However, blooming suppression previously depended on Samsung having to reduce the brightness of light objects that appear against a dark background. Now in the QN95A series, bright objects retain most of their brightness and do not cause blooming, no matter how dark their surroundings are.
In other words, the QE65QN95A exhibits remarkable contrast without compromising on shadow detail. The new QN95A provides a noticeable improvement in color reproduction over last year’s Samsung models.
Inevitably, the new feature sets continue to use the quantum dot technology that the brand has championed for generations. Now, however, to mark the advent of Mini-LED, this technology is called Neo QLED .
Scaling
The exceptional sharpness of the QE65QN95A is applicable even to enlarged HD images. The new, more advanced level of artificial intelligence implemented by Samsung in the upscaling process provides a wonderful combination of significantly improved detail and extremely low source noise.
Particularly impressive is the upscaling system’s ability to tell the difference between natural film grain and other types of noise. So it comes as no surprise that the QE65QN95A’s high contrast and color capabilities blend well with SDR content.
Sound quality
While the main attraction of the QE65QN95A is the picture quality, the audio also sounds very confident. The QN95A Samsung 4K has a 4.2.2 channel configuration with a total output of 70W. This is a step up from last year’s flagship sound system.
The device is supported by the Samsung Object Tracking Sound system, which makes the sound play exactly from the desired part of the screen. The TV delivers clear, detailed, and generally harsh sound even when the scene is tilted. The OTS system also does what it promised.
It not only reproduces sounds in the desired area of the screen, but also tracks by ear any movement that the emitted object produces. The QE65QN95A sound also works surprisingly well with Samsung soundbars, which use the proprietary Q-Symphony feature, which combines sound from the TV speakers with sound from the soundbar to create a more expansive soundstage.
Connections
Perhaps the best news for gamers is the 4 x HDMI 2.1 ports at 40Gbps. Through the third HDMI port in the One Connect box, it is possible to implement the eARC option. Other connections include three USB ports, Wi-Fi, Ethernet line-in, Toslink, antenna inputs, pay-channel slot, and Bluetooth.
It is worth buying Samsung QN95A if
1. You value incredible peak brightness as well as high-contrast images.
2. You need super-fast games with next-generation consoles.
3. You are installing the TV on a wall instead of a stand.
You should not buy Samsung QN95A if
1. You can’t afford such a price.
2. You are watching content that uses Dolby Vision.
3. You are about to buy an OLED TV.
Conclusion
To conclude Samsung’s QN95A review, it is worth adding that the introduction of Mini-LED technology into the QE65QN95A finally allowed Samsung to solve the problem of how to achieve excellent black levels and remove harsh bright reflections without seriously affecting one of the other. It also boasts some great new gaming features and another leap forward in imaging. But there are also disadvantages.