While Samsung hasn't quite enjoyed the same success as LG and Sony when it comes to our recent reviews, it's still a brand we greatly respect and recommend. It's core strength lies in its versatility, as its current lineup encompasses every TV type we can think of, including OLED, Mini LED, QLED and LED.
That being said, it's settled into somewhat of a "jack of all trades but master of none" position within the last year as its flagship S95C QD-OLED had one too many compromises on the picture front, resulting in a four-star review. The Neo QLED (aka Mini LED) powered QN95C, on the other hand, did earn itself a five-star review and for good reason too; you can find out more below.
Some previous generation five-star Samsung TVs have stuck around and can be a great option if you want a brilliant TV without blowing your budget.
How to choose the best Samsung TV for you
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Before you lay down your cash, there are a few things to consider. 4K and HDR will improve the picture quality drastically, but only when fed compatible content, so check your source. And do remember that no Samsung sets support Dolby Vision – they plump for Samsung's own format, HDR10+.
Samsung was the first to sell 8K sets in the UK, and while there's still very little 8K content available, 8K sets are worth considering. This is because they upscale 4K content using Samsung's processing tech, and generally do it very well. As for size, measure where you'll put your TV and see which set will suit your space best. Bigger isn't always better – if it towers over your sofa, you might want to reconsider.
Keen gamers will require a TV with HDMI 2.1. Also worth knowing: Samsung's first QD-OLED TV launched last year and was met with great acclaim here, with the pair of second-generation models showing promise, but the first one that we've reviewed not quite living up to its predecessor's showstopping debut.
Right, now for the fun bit – choosing your next Samsung TV.
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The Samsung S95B is one of the world’s first Quantum Dot OLED TVs (along with the excellent Sony A95K). So if you like the idea of immersing yourself in a brand new TV technology, the Samsung QN65S95B is well worth considering.
While not always the most subtle performer, the S95B QD-OLED delivers thrills aplenty. It's incredibly thin over the vast majority of its rear – just a couple of millimetres deep. It also displays a wide selection of digital artworks on the screen when not watching TV.
But, why would you not be watching TV when the S95B serves up such phenomenal contrast? It delivers the sort of immaculate, ultra deep blacks long associated with the best of the OLED world. Better yet, it offers a level of brightness that we haven’t seen before on any regular OLED TV.
Connectivity is superb, audio quality is pleasant enough, and Samsung has included no fewer than three built-in voice assistants (Bixby, Google Assistant and Alexa). The new Tizen interface feels a tad cumbersome compared to previous versions, but it's still extremely good.
All in all, the S95B is a brilliant argument for QD-OLED TV technology. If it's within budget, there's very little to disappoint the early adopter.
It's worth noting that availability is limited in the UK now as this model has been superseded by the S95C (also found on this list), but it appears to still be in stock in the US.
Read our full Samsung QN65S95B review
On the surface, at least, the traditional divisions between different TV technologies appear to be breaking down. In 2023 we’ve got OLED screens turning to new technologies to deliver levels of brightness alongside their traditional black-level prowess that we never thought OLED would be capable of, while in the LCD world we’ve got Mini LED TVs combining their tiny light sources with much more advanced local dimming to introduce better black level performance to go with their traditional brightness advantage.
Fun though this picture quality convergence sounds in principle, though, the reality as represented here by Samsung’s new flagship 4K Mini LED TV, the QN95C, suggests that not only is there actually still plenty of TV tech divergence out there, but that such divergence is actually something to celebrate.
After only achieving a relatively mild improvement over their predecessors with its 2022 Mini LED TVs, Samsung has moved things on much more convincingly with the QN95C. Nearly doubling the number of dimming zones has elevated almost every aspect of picture quality, aided and abetted by an also much-improved video processing system. The spectacular new pictures are partnered, too, by far more immersive and impactful new sound.
A few presets require a bit of tinkering, but provided you can live with that (and surely you can), the dazzling but also newly refined QN95C is very much the LCD TV world’s new benchmark.
Read our full Samsung QE65QN95C review
Samsung’s long run as the (mostly) undisputed champ of the budget TV world took a hit last year as big improvements from some rivals coincided with a strange dip in the South Korean brand’s usual standards. And with so much of its energy seemingly focused on its new QD-OLED ventures and keeping ahead of an ever-growing chasing pack with its Mini LED sets, can we really expect Samsung to have put the hard miles in to get more affordable sets such as this 55-inch CU8000 back on track, too?
The 55-inch CU8000’s pictures are a handy improvement over those of its 2022 BU series predecessors, getting Samsung back on track as one of the better-performing ‘budget’ brands.
At the heart of this improvement is better handling of its edge-based lighting system. This manages to deliver deeper black levels while also suppressing more effectively the backlight clouding and inconsistencies that affected those 2022 BU models. There’s occasionally a faint hint of light ‘jetting’ in the bottom corners, but this hardly ever draws your eye unless you’re actively looking for it.
While not quite a budget classic on the level Samsung used to deliver routinely, the 55-inch CU8000 still delivers good picture quality and impressively comprehensive smart features for such an affordable TV – all wrapped up in an attractive, well-built and slender design.
Read our full Samsung CU8000 review
We’ve been talking about QD-OLED for so long, it’s easy to forget that the very first QD-OLED TV arrived in shops only a year ago. Said TV, the Samsung S95B, certainly set the cat amongst the pigeons when it burst onto the scene, thanks to its combination of OLED’s pixel-level contrast control and QLED’s colour vibrancy and (some of its) extra brightness.
It’s a great TV, too, receiving the full five stars in our review, but it is worth remembering that it’s a first-gen product – and something of a toe in the water for a company with a long-standing anti-OLED stance.
For 2023, Samsung is venturing a little further into the vibrant blue waters of QD-OLED with a two-model range, of which this S95C is the flagship model. Unlike the step-down S90C, which is in spec terms very much like last year’s S95B, the S95C boasts second-generation QD-OLED technology that promises vastly higher peak brightness and, we’re told, greater durability. It also has a One Connect box to keep cables away from the display and, to these eyes, one of the most stylish overall designs of any TV you can currently buy.
In theory, this is Samsung properly delivering on the promise of QD-OLED technology, and it’s fair to say that it’s one of the most technically capable TVs we have ever tested. It’s not, though, the best TV you can currently buy, particularly on a performance-per-pound basis.
The Samsung S95C is a spectacular TV that can and will knock your socks off. There’s probably never been a consumer TV that’s more technically capable or more dynamic in actual use.
Unfortunately, that dynamism doesn’t go hand-in-hand with subtlety. To be clear, this is no blunt instrument of a TV, but its shading isn’t as nuanced and natural as it could be and, at this price, you are justified in expecting a best-of-both-worlds performance.
It feels as if Samsung is right on the cusp of true greatness here. With a slight rebalancing of its processing or even some greater granularity to some of its currently quite forthright picture settings, the S95C would be almost perfect.
Read our full Samsung S95C (QE65S95C) review
How we test the best Samsung TVs
Here at What Hi-Fi? we review hundreds of products every year – and that includes many of the best Samsung TVs. So how do we come to our review verdicts? And why can you trust them?
We have state-of-the-art testing facilities in London, Bath and Reading, where our team of expert reviewers do all of our testing. This gives us complete control over the testing process, ensuring consistency.
All products are tested in comparison with rival products in the same price category, and all review verdicts are agreed upon by the team as a whole rather than an individual reviewer, again helping to ensure consistency and avoid any personal preference.
The What Hi-Fi? team has more than 100 years experience of reviewing, testing and writing about consumer electronics.
From all of our reviews, we choose the best products to feature in our Best Buys. That's why if you take the plunge and buy one of the products recommended below, or on any other Best Buy page, you can be assured you're getting a What Hi-Fi? approved product.
MORE:
Our guide to the Samsung 2023 TV lineup
Our pick of the best Sony TVs: LCD, OLED, HD, 4K HDR
And the best LG TVs: LCD, OLED, 4K HDR
