Samsung’s first foray into Mini LED is a resounding success, with this Neo QLED TV delivering blacks that give OLED a run for its money.
The Samsung QN95A is the company’s new flagship Neo QLED 4K TV for 2021, and the first to embrace a Mini LED backlight. Not to be confused with Micro LED, which is a completely different self-emissive display technology, Mini LED uses a newly-developed backlight that’s much smaller and more efficient, resulting in a significant increase in dimmable zones and thinner panels. The results speak for themselves, with superb SDR and HDR images that benefit from deep blacks and brighter highlights, all of which are delivered without blooming or loss of shadow detail. The inclusion of quantum dot technology delivers saturated and nuanced colours, and thanks to the Filmmaker Mode these images are also extremely accurate. Unlike last year, Samsung is not short-changing its 4K line-up in an effort to push sales of the 8K ranges. So the QN95A boasts an impressive set of features, which is headlined by a well-designed and comprehensive smart platform that includes every major streaming app. There’s also a host of cutting-edge gaming features that’ll please next-gen console owners. The QN95A doesn’t just look good, it also sounds fantastic thanks to Object Tracking Sound Plus (OTS+), which somehow manages to cram a powerful 4.2.2-channel sound system into the TV’s ultra-slim chassis. This is another triumph of industrial design from Samsung, with a minimalist but elegant shape, solid metal stand, and nearly bezel-less screen. Given the excellent audio capabilities, it’s a shame there’s no onboard Dolby Atmos decoding, and Samsung’s continued refusal to embrace Dolby Vision remains a source of frustration, but otherwise the only real complaint is a lack of Freeview Play support. However, overall this is a superb new model, and successfully lays down the Mini LED gauntlet. The Samsung QN95A is the flagship Neo QLED 4K TV for 2021, and comes in a choice of 55-,65-, and 75-inch screen sizes. The model reviewed here is the 65-inch QE65QN95A, which retails for £2,999 – though it’s also available in 50-inch,55-inch,75-inch, and 85-inch sizes. You probably won’t get it in the US, given its predecessor, the Q95T, never made it stateside – but you will be able to get it in the UK, and we expect it to come to Australia later in the year. The Samsung QN95A continues the elegant and minimalist design ethos introduced last year, with a slim panel and virtually no bezel. Considering there’s a full-array Mini LED backlight and eight speakers behind the panel, it’s a wonder Samsung has managed to squeeze everything into a chassis only 15mm deep. The stand is easy to assemble and complements the overall aesthetic. It’s also fairly heavy, providing robust and stable support. If you prefer, you can wall mount the QN95A using the optional ‘No Gap’ bracket, with the single cable from the clever One Connect box making installation easy, stylish and tidy. The One Connect box itself has been slimmed down, and is now sleeker and more elegant. The reduced size also makes it more discreet, allowing the box to be easily hidden away if necessary. The textured matte black finish is another welcome addition, replacing the earlier glossy black boxes, which were a magnet for fingerprints and smudges. The box houses four HDMI inputs, one of which (HDMI 3) supports eARC. All of the HDMI inputs are capable of handling up to 40Gbps, which means they can accept 4K/120Hz, VRR and ALLM. While not full HDMI 2.1 connections, they offer sufficient bandwidth, making this TV a great choice for next-gen gamers who want to take full advantage of their new console or consoles. In terms of other physical connections, it’s a fairly standard selection with two USB 2.0 inputs, twin tuners for terrestrial and satellite broadcasts, a CI slot, an optical digital output, and an Ethernet port. There’s also a solid choice of wireless connections, with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and support for Apple AirPlay 2. The QN65A comes with two controllers: a standard black plastic zapper, and the new sleek metal Solar Cell remote. This simplified wand is comfortable to hold, easy to use with one hand, and includes all the main controls, plus some dedicated buttons for popular streamers.
