Key Points
- The Samsung S95B is a popular choice for smart television enthusiasts due to its quantum dot display technology that enhances image brightness and sharpness.
- The biggest complaints about the S95B include the risk of burn-in, limited resolution for cloud gaming, a poor operating system interface, bloatware, and occasional issues with red or green horizontal lines.
- Possible alternatives to the S95B include the Samsung S95C, LG C3 2023, Sony A95L 2023, and Sony A95K 2022.
There’s no shortage of opinions concerning the biggest complaints about the Samsung S95B. But let’s say it upfront; the S95B is a great entertainment choice for the smart television aficionado.
Utilizing quantum dot display technology bumps up the image brightness, sharpens black images, and provides “eye candy” images in bright rooms that leave you wondering where the S95B has been all your life.
Overview
Samsung’s S95B was released in 2022. The S95B (depending on whom you listen to) was a game changer. Historically, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display provided superior contrast. Quantum dot light-emitting diode (QLED) displays generate the best color and brightest images.
The S95B combined the quantum dot and the light-emitting diode display technology into a single platform, the quantum dot organic light-emitting diode (QD-OLED) television.
Reviews of the S95B have been largely glowing, but prices have dropped over twenty-five percent since the S95B was released. Is it the right smart television for you? Let’s look at the specifications and see what all the hype is about.
Specifications
| Released | 2022 |
| Size | 55 or 65 inches |
| Resolution | 4K (3,840 x 2,160) |
| Display type | QD-OLED (OLED + quantum dots) |
| HDR support | HDR10, HDR10+, HLG |
| eARC support | Yes (HDMI 3) |
| Native refresh rate | 120Hz |
| Smart platform | Tizen OS |
| Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) | Yes |
| Processor | Neural Quantum Processor 4K |
| Other features | FreeSync Premium, Game Bar 2.0, Filmmaker Mode, Samsung Health, MultiView, Ambient Mode+, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Bixby |
The Biggest Complaints About the Samsung S95B
If you’re purchasing a $300 television, you’d expect to have a few complaints about its performance. Top-dollar televisions should deliver the absolute best performance.
If you picked up the Samsung S95B 65″ television when it was released in 2022, you’d have paid approximately $3,000. Today you’ll be plopping down roughly $1,600 for the exact same TV.
While consumers can expect the price of electronics to drop after the initial production release, is a 50% reduction in the purchase price indicative of an underlying performance issue? Let’s delve into the biggest complaints about the Samsung S95B and see if these complaints matter to you.
S95B Complaint 1: Risk of Burn-In
A television or a computer monitor with burn-in has a permanent, visible mark that remains on the screen no matter what you’re watching or doing. The root cause of the burn-in is leaving a fixed image, like a desktop screen or a television station with a banner at the top or bottom of the screen. (Think CNN, Fox, or ESPN channels.)
The S95B is prone to burn-in, or image retention, in extreme situations. In repeated tests, the S95B was found to have image retention issues when the channel selection remained tuned into or streaming the same channel.
- Contains 8.3 million self-illuminating pixels
- Built-in Dolby Atmos object sound tracking
- Smart TV hub to help find movies, shows, and games you want to play
- Xbox Game Pass built-in, no console necessary
The easiest method to avoid this issue is to change channels! Don’t leave the S95B streaming 24/7 on a single channel or a game with a continual static, stationary image. The continual banners telling you the latest game scores, or breaking news, aren’t your best friend.
The S95B is not your friend for a desktop monitor. No matter how much you’re moving things around on your desktop, the odds are great that you’ll have burn-in issues in the areas where the image is static.
Please don’t do it. This is one of the complaints about the Samsung S95B that’s absolutely something to pay attention to!
S95B Complaint 2: Cloud Gaming
The good news is that the S95B’s Game Menu includes Nvidia GeForce Now, Stadia, and Xbox Game Cloud. You don’t need a gaming console to play these games, but you do need a controller! Nice touch!
The bad news is that the Xbox Game Pass streams at a maximum of 720p. If you’re accustomed to playing at 4K, this is a shock to the eyeballs.
It won’t be noticeable if you’re playing games targeting children, like My Friend Peppa Pig. If you’re playing the latest Xbox game on your PC at 4K and switch to the S95B at 720p, you’ll notice the difference in the resolution.
S95B Complaint 3: Poor Operating System Interface
You don’t need to dig too deep to find a boatload of S95B users that dislike the smart TV operating system. A common complaint is the poor user menu design.
Users feel that they end up having to “dig deep” into the smart TV menu to find the setting that they find on other systems (Sony, LG) with ease. S95B users loudly complain about the slow operating system. “Slower than a snail.”
S95B Complaint 4: Bloatware
The S95B comes fully equipped with a hard drive full of bloatware. Users complain about precious hard drive space being consumed by applications that they have no intention of ever using.
Removing the application from your home screen is as easy as a few remote control clicks, but that only removes the pre-installed application from the home screen, not the hard drive.
©VasiliyBudarin/Shutterstock.com
You’ll need to use your remote control to jump into “developer mode” to delete the pre-installed Samsung S95B applications.
A common user complaint about the pre-installed applications revolves around the home screen. The user finishes watching a show and leaves the television on the home screen.
The S95B will select a pre-installed application and begin showing content. As one user put it, “The TV never shuts up.” Removing the bloatware will allow you to increase your hard drive space and reduce the annoying autoplay for home applications.
S95B Complaint 5: Red/ Green Horizontal Lines
A common complaint concerning the S95B is the occasional issue with red or green horizontal lines. Samsung recommends determining if the horizontal green or red lines are moving vertically up and down the screen or if the red or green line is stationary.
If the red/ green lines are moving up and down the screen, Samsung recommends checking the peripheral PC, HDMI, and video output connectors are properly connected. Disconnect and reconnect each line.
If the red/ green lines are stationary, Samsung recommends a Picture Test. (Menu > Settings > All Settings > Support > Self Diagnosis > Picture Test). If the Picture Test fails to correct the issue, Samsung recommends contacting a Samsung Technician for support.
Users found that a pixel refresh often temporarily rectifies the situation. Unfortunately, a pixel refresh often doesn’t correct the root issue. Often, a Samsung technician visits the user’s home to replace the motherboard or display screen (or both!).
Possible Alternatives to the S95B
Now that we’ve discussed the major complaints about the Samsung S95B, we’ll look at a few possible alternatives. You didn’t think we’d leave you hanging out to dry, did you??
Samsung S95C
- Neural Quantum Processor 4K can effectively manage color and contrast
- 1374 nits of peak brightness ideal for darker rooms
- HDR 10, HDR 10+, and HLG
- Offers smart features for gamers like GameBar 3.0, Minimap Sharing 3, and Virtual Aim Point
- New year, new model! The S95C has three different sizes available in 2023.
- The SAMSUNG 55-Inch Class OLED 4K S95C costs about $2,150.
- The SAMSUNG 65-Inch Class OLED 4K S95C is a bargain at around $2,500.
- The SAMSUNG 77-Inch Class OLED 4K S95C will deplete your bank account by approximately $4,000.
- The primary difference between the S95B and S95C models:
- Added size; the S95C has a 77″ model
- The native refresh rate is improved from 120Hz (S95B) to 144Hz (S95C)
LG C3 2023 Model
- a9 AI Processor Gen6
- 4K resolution
- webOS 23
- Features NVIDIA G-Sync, AMD FreeSync Premium, and VRR
- 77-inch screen
- The LG delivers an outstanding range of television sizes, from 42″ to 83″. Finding the “perfect sized” LG to suit your needs shouldn’t be a problem.
- With a native refresh rate of 120Hz, the LG C3 has a slower refresh rate than the S95C.
- The LC C3 supports every type of audio format, which the S95B or S95C does not.
- The less expensive price point (compared to the S95C) may be of interest to consumers seeking a 55″, 65″ or 77″ television.
Sony A95L 2023 Model
- Sony is slated to release the A95L within the next few months — rumors on the street report price tags falling between $3,800 and $6,800.
- Early reviews indicate that the brightness levels are twice what’s available in the A95K 2022 model.
Sony A95K 2022 Model
- Broad viewing angle
- Cognitive Processor XR
- QD-OLED technology delivers vivid colors
- Dolby Atmos and DTS:X with Vertical Surround Engine
- Great reflection-handling capabilities
- 360 Spatial Sound
- Sony released the A95K in 2022 with a 55″ and 65″ model. The A95K sports a 120Hz native refresh rate and an intuitive menu and remote operation. The performance of the A95K is comparable to the Samsung S95C. If you can live with a 65″ television instead of a 77″ one, the Sony A95K may be the perfect selection.
- Gamers will note that the A95K only has two HDMI 2.1 4k gaming ports at 120Hz. The Samsung S95C has four HDMI 2.1 4k gaming ports at 120Hz.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©8th.creator/Shutterstock.com.
