Screen size: 65in (also available in 55in, 77in)
HDR formats: HLG, HDR10, HDR10+
HDMI inputs: x4 (4 x 40Gbps HDMI 2.1)
Gaming Features: 4K/120, VRR, ALLM, HGiG
Dimensions (hwd, without stand): 83 x 144 x 1.1 cm
The S95C is a TV par excellence, with fantastic contrast, exceptionally clear images and a full range of gaming specs. But it lacks subtlety, making it a bit of a sledgehammer to crack a nut – shadowing could use more nuance, while the overall picture settings could be turned down a bit. The sound is also a bit thin and uninspired.
For
- Incredible contrast
- Clear, vibrant and super sharp
- Excellent gaming specifications
In return for
- A slight lack of subtlety of the image
- No Dolby Vision
- Substandard sound for the price
Screen size: 65 inches (also available in 55 inches, 77 inches)
HDR formats: HLG, HDR10, HDR10+
HDMI inputs: x 4 (4 x 48 Gbps HDMI 2.1)
Gaming Features: 4K/120Hz, VRR, ALLM
Dimensions (hwd, without stand): 83 x 144 x 1 cm
The S95D is a major improvement over its already impressive predecessor. It’s a much more balanced, consistent performer, with a lot of subtlety that was sorely missing from the S95C. Audio still leaves a lot to be desired, but that hasn’t stopped it from being the frontrunner for TV of the year so far.
For
- Phenomenal brightness, contrast and color
- Excellent game support
- The anti-glare filter works almost eerily well
In return for
- Filter has minor negative side effects
- Audio lacks power and impact
- A small loss of shadow detail
It’s what’s known in journalism as an ‘inverted ferret’, but in the TV world it should perhaps be called ‘doing a Samsung’. For years, the brand touted the virtues of its own QLED technology, saying how much better it was than OLED. Three years ago it launched its first QD-OLED TV – and it hasn’t looked back.
The third-generation S95D is one of the best OLED TVs we’ve tested so far this year, and a notable improvement over the 2023 S95C. But it’s quite pricey. Do the improvements justify the higher price? Or is it better to buy last year’s model?
Samsung S95D vs S95C: Price
The 65-inch S95C launched in 2023 for £3599 / $3300 / AU$4999 – that’s the same price as this year’s S95D (except in the US, where the S95D’s launch price was $100 higher).
The 55 and 77-inch models are also cheaper than the launch prices of their predecessors in the UK. See the table below for an in-depth comparison.
Swipe to scroll horizontally
| Mate | Samsung S95C | Samsung S95D |
|---|---|---|
| 55in | £2699 / $2500 / AU$N/A | £2499 / $2599 / AU$2995 |
| 65in | £3599 / $3300 / AU$4999 | £3599 / $3400 / AU$4999 |
| 77in | £5099 / $4500 / AU$6495 | £4599 / $4599 / AU$7995 |
But that’s only half the story. For TVs (especially Samsung models), launch prices don’t last long. Right now you can buy the 65-inch S95D for £2650 and the equivalent S95C for an astonishing £1629. So shop.
**Winner: Samsung S95C**
Today’s best deals for Samsung QE65S95C, Samsung QE65S95D and Samsung QE55S95C
Samsung S95D vs S95C: Design
(Image credit: Which Hi-Fi?)
In terms of design, there’s not much to choose from. Both are incredibly sleek, as they outsource their connections and processing power to an external One Connect box. This can be attached to the stand if desired, or kept separate if you’re wall-mounting.
As we say, there’s not much in between, but the S95D is a tiny bit slimmer: 1cm thick, compared to the S95C’s 1.1cm. The bezels are also incredibly thin, which really draws your attention to the screen, making for an immersive viewing experience. As we said in our S95D review: “It’s one of the thinnest, most lip-licking wall-mountable TVs there’s ever been. A devious monolith that has no right to deliver the powerful images that We’re going to describe later.”
Both TVs also benefit from an anti-reflective coating that suppresses reflections, which is especially useful when watching summer sports with the bright sun shining through the window.
**Winner: Samsung S95D**
Samsung S95D vs S95C: Features
(Image credit: What Hi-Fi? / Netflix, Entergalactic)
OLED TVs have been getting brighter lately, and this isn’t more clearly illustrated than with these two Samsung TVs. The S95C is about 30 percent brighter than the S95B that preceded it, and the S95D about another 30 percent brighter than that. These are Samsung’s numbers, and it’s tricky to put an exact figure on a feature like this. But an increase in brightness of about 60 percent in just two years is phenomenal. We can confirm that the S95D is noticeably brighter to the eye than the S95C.
Both TVs use Samsung’s QD-OLED panel technology, which shines blue organic light through red and green Quantum Dot layers to produce the images, resulting in ‘pure’ RGB color reproduction without the extra brightness-enhancing white element that is used by standard WRGB OLED (often called ‘WOLED’) displays.
They also share many common features. Both support the HLG, HDR10 and HDR10+ formats of HDR, but not Dolby Vision. That means Dolby Vision gaming isn’t necessary for either, but otherwise gamers are very well catered for, with 4K/120Hz (144Hz for PC), VRR and ALLM across all four 40Gbps HDMI 2.1 inputs.
The S95D has a newer processor (the Neo Quantum 4K AI Gen 2), which has the combined power of 20 neural networks. This boosts the TV’s picture processing features, such as better upscaling of sub-4K content, the Real Depth Enhancer and the new OLED HDR Pro system for more accurate color mapping (with results validated by Pantone). It also powers Samsung’s Object Tracking Sound+ system, which spreads sound effects throughout the room. This system now also works with Dolby Atmos sound mixes.
The S95D also runs the latest version of Samsung’s Tizen TV OS. It’s a bit slicker and more stable than on the S95C, and has some new features (a profile system and a For You content accumulator that brings together everything you’ve watched and recommends content).
**Winner: Samsung S95D**
Samsung S95D vs S95C: Photo
(Image credit: Which HiFi?)
The S95C performs solidly with four stars, which gives you an idea of the image quality. Surprisingly, we found Filmmaker mode to be a bit dull and lacking in dark details, although overall details are very good. The image is also still sharp, which provides a solid image with sufficient depth.
Play with the settings and the dullness quickly disappears, revealing brightness and contrast that is nothing short of glorious. The richness and vibrancy of the colors can’t be matched by many OLED TVs, and the stunning clarity with inky blacks is a great combination.
If only it were more subtle. Colors are a little richer than what you might describe as authentic, but overall the balance is good. It’s just that any sense of nuance is gone. There is some black crush combined with some exaggerated lighting that tries a little too hard. Skin tones in particular suffer.
The S95D is noticeably brighter than the S95C. Movies like Mad Max: Fury Road really shows what it can do, with stunningly bright white highlights and beautifully saturated colors. Typically for an OLED TV, the black levels are sufficiently deep. This means that the contrast goes through the roof. But unlike the S95C, subtlety isn’t sacrificed at the altar of punchiness.
Add the anti-glare filter to the exceptional clarity and you have the best TV for watching in bright rooms.
There is less clipping of subtle colors and peak light details in the brightest bright shots than with the S95C, meaning the image looks more consistently detailed and three-dimensional. The Real Depth Enhancer does its job, adding a sense of depth to make the image more lifelike, while the finer reproduction of tones across a wider color volume often means the image looks sharper and brighter than its predecessor.
But it’s not perfect. The anti-glare filter can make black levels look slightly elevated in bright rooms, with faint traces of haze visible around brighter objects. The Standard mode includes some minor variations in the base brightness level between cuts. And there is some loss of subtle shadow detail in dark areas. But these are very minor flaws in what is a fantastic TV.
**Winner: Samsung S95D**
Samsung S95D vs S95C: Sound
(Image credit: Which Hi-Fi?)
We praised the S95C’s sound as punchy and dynamic, and therefore more engaging, than many OLED TVs. There’s a decent sense of space, but it really lacks weight and depth. The advantage of this is that it doesn’t have the kind of low-end distortion common to most of its rivals, but it also makes the audio a little underwhelming. The upper mids can also sound a bit harsh, and the overall sound lacks projection. Not good.
But the S95D isn’t much better. Samsung’s Object Tracking Sound places sounds with decent accuracy and details are crisp and clear. The dialogue is also quite clear.
But it once again lacks decent projection, making it sound a bit flat rather than enveloping you in the action. Even when turned up, the S95D lacks a cinematic noise level, while the limited dynamic range and muddled bass don’t add much impact.
**Winner: Draw**
Samsung S95D vs S95C: Verdict
The S95D is clearly the better TV. Samsung’s QD-OLED technology has come a long way in just a year, with stunning image clarity and more detail. It’s a shame Samsung didn’t invest in the sound department in the same way, but a soundbar will fix that soon.
However, the S95C can currently be had for around £1000 less than its successor, so you’ll have to decide how much these improvements are worth to you…
MORE:
Full reviews: Samsung S95C And Samsung S95D
Samsung S95D vs Sony A95L: Which super bright OLED TV is the best?
LG G4 vs Samsung S95D: Which 2024 flagship OLED TV is better?
