Samsung QE65Q95T

At first glance, Samsung’s 2020 flagship 4K TV may cause a bit of confusion, but get it up and running and this 65in set proves to be a brilliant performer

4K television | ₹2,59,990

KEY FEATURES

4K

QLED

HDR10+

HDR10, HLG, HDR10+

Samsung has made some odd decisions regarding its 2020 TV line-up and, while we don’t want to get bogged down in model numbers right at the start of this review, it’s worth unpicking the company’s strategy in order to figure out where the QE65Q95T sits in the range.

Last year’s 4K flagship, the Q90R, initially appears to have been replaced by not one, but two models: the Q90T and this Q95T (in fact, many countries, the US included, get only the Q90T). The main difference between the two models is the One Connect system, which sees all connections routed through a separate box – the Q95T has it but the Q90T goes without.

However, Samsung says that the Q90R has in fact been replaced by the Q800T, which is an 8K model. So, we should therefore consider the Q95T we are reviewing here as a replacement for the Q85R set from last year.

Confusing strategy

It’s confusing to say the least. If Samsung is so keen for us not to consider the Q90/95T as a replacement for the Q90R, then why not simply call this model the Q85T and retire the Q90 model number? It does also strike us that if a marketing strategy takes this much explanation, it’s probably not a great strategy overall.

So, what is the Q95T, really? It’s the top 4K TV in Samsung’s 2020 TV range, but it’s also in some ways a downgrade on last year’s top 4K model, and it’s hard not to be disappointed by that prospect.

On the other hand, its starting price is much lower than that of the Q90R and, crucially, it’s an excellent performer in its own right.

Fewer dimming zones

This is, of course, a QLED model with a direct, full-array backlight. But while the Q95T is rated at 2000nits for peak brightness, as per the Q90R, the number of dimming zones has been slashed to something closer to that of the Q85R.

Samsung doesn’t release specific numbers, but we understand the Q95T has only around a quarter of the number of dimming zones of the Q90R, which could have a big impact on contrast. The Q95T has an anti-reflective screen, though, and the wide viewing angle tech that Samsung introduced last year.

There’s a new version of the Quantum Processor 4K too, which brings new features such as Ultimate Precision Processing, designed to reduce banding in lower resolution content, and upgrades to existing features such as Texture Creation (for increased perceived detail) and Active Tone Mapping (for highlights that better combine punch and authenticity).

The sound system has had some serious attention, too, with the Q95T boasting eight drivers – two more than the Q90R and four more than the Q85R. Samsung refers to this arrangement as 4.2.2, but these numbers shouldn’t be interpreted as if they were a Dolby Atmos system. Instead, we’re dealing with four midrange drivers, two woofers and two tweeters.

Two of the mids are positioned along with the two woofers at the bottom of the chassis and the other two mids and the tweeters are at the top. Samsung says this set-up, which it calls ‘Object Tracking Sound’, produces a bigger, more open and more even sound. While that sounds like Atmos, it’s important to note that the TV doesn’t actually reproduce Atmos soundtracks, though it will pass them from an external source or integrated streaming app to a dedicated sound system using HDMI eARC.

Meeting HDMI 2.1 specs