Samsung’s flagship 4K QLED TV is a strong choice
Samsung’s QN90D sits atop the company’s current 4K QLED TV pile, offering strong picture quality and excellent gaming performance. It isn’t necessarily the best option in Samsung’s lineup, however. After all, Samsung also makes 4K OLED TVs like the S95D (an Editors’ Choice winner) and 8K LED TVs like the QN900D. Priced at $2,699 for the 65-inch version we tested, the QN90D costs a bit less than the same-size S95D ($3,399.99) and half as much as the QN900D ($4,999), and it’s available in far more screen sizes ranging from 43 to 98 inches. It’s an appealing high-end TV, though if you want to splurge on the best, we recommend the S95D for its better picture quality and more stylish design.
Editors’ Note: This review is based on testing performed on the 65-inch model of the QN90D series. Apart from the screen-size difference, the $1,499.99 43-inch QN90D is identical in features, and we expect similar performance.Design: Simple and Functional
The QN90D looks sleek and simple, with a bezel-free screen bordered by a narrow dark gray metal band around the edge. It sits on a wide hexagonal dark metal base and is held up by a relatively narrow neck on the back that gives the vague impression that the screen is floating. The lower right corner of the screen features a slight rectangular bump that holds the sensor for the remote (though the remote can also connect wirelessly to the TV through Bluetooth).
Unlike last year’s flagship QN95C (and the newer 8K QN900D and S95D OLED), the QN90D has a conventional series of ports on the right side of the back of the TV instead of a separate OneConnect box that connects to the screen through a single wire. This is a standard configuration for almost all TVs aside from the aforementioned models, and isn’t any less convenient than using a OneConnect box unless you want the elegance of just one wire running from the panel. Facing right on the back of the TV are four HDMI ports (one eARC), two USB ports, one Ethernet port, an optical audio output, an antenna/cable connector, and a 3.5mm EX-Link port for integrating the QN90D into a home theater system.
The QN90D uses Samsung’s Eco Remote, the same advanced remote included with the QN900D, as well as the company’s flagship TVs from last year. It’s a simple, rectangular wand with a circular navigation pad near the top and volume and channel rockers below, along with dedicated service buttons for Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Netflix, and Samsung TV Plus. A solar panel is on the underside of the remote, letting you power the built-in rechargeable battery by simply flipping it over and exposing it to light. A USB-C port is also on the bottom end of the remote for charging it with a cable.Software: Still Tizen OS
Samsung’s Tizen smart TV OS drives the QN90D, like it does for all of the company’s TVs. It’s rich in features, but a bit frustrating in design. The good news is that it supports all major streaming services, including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Crunchyroll, Disney+, Max, Netflix, Twitch, and YouTube.
