Samsung was the first company to show off a 4K TV based on QD-OLED technology at CES 2022, and now, at CES 2023 it has unveiled two new QD-OLED models — the S95C Samsung OLED and S90C Samsung OLED — and each will be available as 77-inch models. Both will also be offered in 55- and 65-inch sizes. The news came one day after Samsung Display confirmed it would show its next-gen “QD-OLED 2023” panel at the show in a 77-inch size.
When QD-OLED-based TVs debuted in 2022, Samsung and Sony revealed the first two 4K TVs models within hours of each other: the Samsung S95B and the Sony A95K. Both TVs proved to be absolutely stunning in terms of picture quality, leaving our reviewer no choice but to award them a rare 10/10 rating. But the TVs themselves weren’t especially large; only 55- and 65-inch sizes were introduced.
As QD-OLED is a new technology, with new fabrication requirements, this was expected. But it also kicked off a lot of speculation over how long it would take Samsung Display (currently the sole manufacturer of QD-OLED TV panels) to create larger sizes. The answer, apparently, is not long at all.
The larger available size is the main selling point for the S95C, but Samsung says you’ll also get a few other benefits, too, like a boost in brightness. The new panel uses OLED HyperEfficient EL material combined with optimization software for up-to-2,000 nits of brightness. There’s also an improved native refresh rate of 144Hz (up from the S95B’s 120Hz), and it has AMD’s FreeSync Premium Pro certification, something Samsung claims is a first in the OLED TV world, both of which should make gaming smoother.
Speaking of gaming, the S95C also gets Samsung’s updated Gaming Hub for Tizen OS, which has access to cloud gaming platforms like Microsoft Xbox, Utomik, and Amazon Luna. New for 2023 is 4K support for Nvidia GeForce Now, which Samsung says has never been previously offered.
And while the S95C continues to be one of the thinnest TVs on the market, Samsung has upgraded the audio system, using a Dolby Atmos-capable, top-mounted, 4.2.2 channel setup, with 70 watts of power. This brings with it a few design changes too. Now, instead of a super-thin screen with a thicker bottom portion, the screen is a bit thicker, but it’s a uniform thickness, much like Samsung’s QLED TVs. The similarity extends to the backpack-style One Connect box that houses the S95C’s connections — it now sits on the back of the center stand.
In typical CES style, Samsung hasn’t said when the 77-inch S95C will go on sale or how much it will cost, but we’ll likely get these details by the end of March 2023. What we do know is that LG currently prices its 77-inch OLED TV models at about $1,000 more than its 65-inch models.
If we follow that formula for QD-OLED pricing, we might be looking at $3,800 to $4,000, given that Samsung debuted the Buy at Amazon at $2,800. It’s worth noting that it saw a major price drop to just $2,000 during 2022’s end-of-year Boxing Day sales, so we could well see lower pricing on the S95C by the end of 2023.
If the S95C is too pricey, Samsung is also going to sell a version that lacks the One Connect box. The S90C will come in the same 55-, 65-, and 77-inch sizes, but it won’t be as bright. Samsung says the S95C will be approximately 30% brighter than the S90C.
