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TV 2.0 is finally here! With this massive update, we've completely revamped the way we test and score TVs, with an emphasis on how a TV performs in a bright room. You can read about all the changes in our 2.0 changelog.
- Table of Contents
- Top
- Main Differences
- Brightness
- Black Level
- Color
- Processing
- Game Mode Responsiveness
- Motion Handling
- Reflections
- Panel
- Inputs
- Design
- Smart Features
- Sound Quality
- Comments
Samsung S90D/S90DD OLED (QD-OLED) vs LG C4 OLED
Side-by-Side Comparison
Products
Samsung S90D/S90DD OLED (QD-OLED)
LG C4 OLED
Tested using Methodology v2.0
Updated Mar 26, 2025 12:51 PM
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comTested using Methodology v2.0
Updated Mar 18, 2025 01:21 PM
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Resolution4k
Native Refresh Rate144Hz
TypeOLED
Sub-TypeQD-OLED
Dolby VisionNo
Screen FinishGlossy
Resolution4k
Native Refresh Rate144Hz
TypeOLED
Sub-TypeWOLED
Dolby VisionYes
Screen FinishGlossy
Variants
- QN42S90DAEXZA (42" (WOLED))
- QN48S90DAEXZA (48" (WOLED))
- QN55S90DAFXZA (55" (QD-OLED))
- QN65S90DAFXZA (65" (QD-OLED))
- QN77S90DAFXZA (77" (QD-OLED))
- QN83S90DAEXZA (83" (WOLED))
- OLED42C4PUA (42")
- OLED48C4PUA (48")
- OLED55C4PUA (55")
- OLED65C4PUA (65")
- OLED77C4PUA (77")
- OLED83C4PUA (83")
Our Verdict
Samsung S90D/S90DD OLED (QD-OLED)
LG C4 OLED
The Samsung S90D/S90DD OLED is mostly better than the LG C4 OLED. The Samsung gets brighter in HDR, so bright highlights stand out more on it, and it maintains its HDR brightness better while in Game Mode. The Samsung TV also has a wider color gamut, better color volume, and better HDR gradient handling, so colors in HDR are more vibrant, lifelike, brighter, and have less banding. The Samsung has a wider viewing angle, and the image doesn't have a green tint that worsens as you move off-center, so it's the better choice for watching TV in a group setting. However, the LG supports Dolby Vision and DTS audio formats, so it's the better option for those looking to get the most out of their physical media.
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42"
42"
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48"
48"
OLED48C4PUA
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55"
55"
OLED55C4PUA
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QN55S90DAFXZA
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65"
65"
OLED65C4PUA
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QN65S90DAFXZA
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77"
77"
OLED77C4PUA
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QN77S90DAFXZA
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83"
83"
OLED83C4PUA
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QN83S90DAEXZA
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Main Differences for
Threshold
Home Theater
8.7
8.5
HDR Color Volume
9.0
7.6
SDR Color Volume
9.3
7.9
HDR Brightness
8.3
7.7
Full Comparison
Brightness
HDR Brightness
8.3
7.7
HDR Hallway Photo
HDR Cityscape Photo
HDR Landscape Photo
Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
1,045 cd/m²
804 cd/m²
Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
755 cd/m²
590 cd/m²
Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
319 cd/m²
265 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
1,199 cd/m²
950 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
1,193 cd/m²
932 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
640 cd/m²
614 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
334 cd/m²
331 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
214 cd/m²
194 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
1,192 cd/m²
917 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
948 cd/m²
905 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
614 cd/m²
582 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
329 cd/m²
328 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
211 cd/m²
192 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.101
0.096
HDR Brightness In Game Mode
8.2
6.7
HDR Hallway Photo
HDR Cityscape Photo
HDR Landscape Photo
Hallway Lights (~1950 cd/m²)
973 cd/m²
798 cd/m²
Yellow Skyscraper (~700 cd/m²)
822 cd/m²
415 cd/m²
Landscape Pool (~300 cd/m²)
392 cd/m²
165 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
1,193 cd/m²
920 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
1,190 cd/m²
923 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
641 cd/m²
491 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
335 cd/m²
296 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
216 cd/m²
196 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
1,187 cd/m²
891 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
795 cd/m²
894 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
584 cd/m²
472 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
330 cd/m²
294 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
213 cd/m²
195 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.097
0.097
SDR Brightness
6.5
6.5
Real Scene Peak Brightness
381 cd/m²
411 cd/m²
Peak 2% Window
496 cd/m²
427 cd/m²
Peak 10% Window
493 cd/m²
425 cd/m²
Peak 25% Window
497 cd/m²
405 cd/m²
Peak 50% Window
316 cd/m²
382 cd/m²
Peak 100% Window
209 cd/m²
259 cd/m²
Sustained 2% Window
487 cd/m²
420 cd/m²
Sustained 10% Window
486 cd/m²
420 cd/m²
Sustained 25% Window
487 cd/m²
401 cd/m²
Sustained 50% Window
313 cd/m²
379 cd/m²
Sustained 100% Window
206 cd/m²
258 cd/m²
Automatic Brightness Limiting (ABL)
0.057
0.030
Black Level
Contrast
10
10
Contrast Picture
Contrast
Inf : 1
Inf : 1
Native Contrast
Inf : 1
Inf : 1
Lighting Zone Precision
10
10
Lighting Zone Precision Picture
Lighting Zone Transitions
10
10
Preferred LD Video, Moving Object
Local Dimming
No
No
Backlight
No Backlight
No Backlight
Dimming Zone Count Of The Tested TV
8,294,400
8,294,400
Contrast And Dark Details In Game Mode
9.5
9.5
Lighting Zone Precision Photo In Game Mode
Preferred LD Video, Moving Object In Game Mode
Game Transitions With VRR And Preferred LD
Black Uniformity
10
10
Black Uniformity Picture With Preferred Local Dimming
Std. Dev.
N/A
N/A
Native Black Uniformity Picture
Native Std. Dev.
0.155%
0.144%
Color
SDR Color Volume
9.3
7.9
DCI-P3 Gamut Rings
CIELAB DCI-P3 Coverage
99.90%
93.69%
BT.2020 Gamut Rings
CIELAB BT.2020 Coverage
83.40%
62.82%
HDR Color Volume
9.0
7.6
P3 Color Volume ITP Picture
1,000 cd/m² DCI P3 Coverage ITP
99.4%
79.2%
2020 Color Volume ITP Picture
10,000 cd/m² BT.2020 Coverage ITP
55.2%
36.2%
White Luminance
1,197 cd/m²
1,008 cd/m²
Red Luminance
281 cd/m²
104 cd/m²
Green Luminance
856 cd/m²
333 cd/m²
Blue Luminance
62 cd/m²
38 cd/m²
Cyan Luminance
919 cd/m²
365 cd/m²
Magenta Luminance
342 cd/m²
134 cd/m²
Yellow Luminance
1,133 cd/m²
425 cd/m²
SDR Pre-Calibration Color Accuracy
8.2
8.7
Pre White Balance Picture
Pre Gamma Curve Picture
Pre Color Picture
White Balance dE 2000
2.17
1.61
Color dE 2000
1.44
0.97
Gamma
2.12
2.19
Color Temperature
6,892 K
6,262 K
Picture Mode
Movie
Expert (Dark Space)
Color Temp Setting
Warm 2
Warm 50
Gamma Setting
2.2
2.2
SDR Post-Calibration Color Accuracy
9.6
9.7
Post White Balance Picture
Post Gamma Curve Picture
Post Color Picture
White Balance dE 2000
0.20
0.26
Color dE 2000
0.88
0.62
Gamma
2.19
2.20
Color Temperature
6,532 K
6,460 K
White Balance Calibration
20 point
22 point
Color Calibration
Yes
Yes
HDR Pre-Calibration Color Accuracy
8.3
8.9
HDR Pre White Balance Picture
HDR Pre Color Picture
White Balance dE ITP
4.88
3.95
Color dE ITP
6.5
5.3
Color Temperature
6,857 K
6,303 K
Picture Mode
Filmmaker
Cinema
HDR Post-Calibration Color Accuracy
9.4
9.4
HDR Post White Balance Picture
HDR Post Color Picture
White Balance dE ITP
3.20
2.50
Color dE ITP
3.90
5.00
Color Temperature
6,572 K
6,474 K
Processing
PQ EOTF Tracking
7.8
8.8
PQ EOTF Graph
600 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0057
0.0033
1000 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0058
0.0033
4000 Nit Tracking Delta
0.0049
0.0039
Low-Quality Content Smoothing
7.3
8.6
Low-Quality Content Smoothing Picture
Smoothing
7.0
9.0
Detail Preservation
8.0
7.5
Upscaling: Sharpness Processing
8.0
8.0
Sharpness Picture - 480p
HDR Native Gradient
9.8
7.8
HDR Gradient Picture
100% Black To 50% Gray
10
6.0
50% Gray To 100% White
10
6.0
100% Black To 50% Red
10
8.0
50% Red To 100% Red
10
10
100% Black To 50% Green
8.0
8.0
50% Green To 100% Green
10
6.0
100% Black To 50% Blue
10
10
50% Blue To 100% Blue
10
8.0
Game Mode Responsiveness
Input Lag
9.0
9.0
1080p @ 60Hz
10.1 ms
10.0 ms
1080p @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
83.8 ms
89.6 ms
1080p @ 120Hz
5.4 ms
5.3 ms
1080p @ Max Refresh Rate
4.7 ms
4.6 ms
4k @ 60Hz
10.1 ms
9.9 ms
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
10.1 ms
9.9 ms
4k @ 60Hz Outside Game Mode
67.4 ms
89.5 ms
4k @ 60Hz With Interpolation
19.7 ms
85.5 ms
4k @ 120Hz
5.4 ms
5.3 ms
4k @ Max Refresh Rate
4.8 ms
4.6 ms
8k @ 60Hz
N/A
N/A
Supported Resolutions
9.7
9.7
Resolution
4k
4k
480p @ 59.94Hz (Widescreen)
Yes
Yes
720p @ 59.94Hz
Yes
Yes
1080p @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
Yes
1080p @ 144Hz
Yes
Yes
4k @ 60Hz
Yes
Yes
4k @ 60Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
Yes
Yes
4k @ 120Hz @ 4:4:4
Yes
Yes
4k @ 144Hz
Yes
Yes
8k @ 30Hz Or 24Hz
No
No
8k @ 60Hz
No
No
Variable Refresh Rate
8.5
8.5
Native Refresh Rate
144Hz
144Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
Yes
Yes
HDMI Forum VRR
Yes
Yes
FreeSync
Yes
Yes
G-SYNC Compatible
Yes
Yes (NVIDIA Certified)
4k VRR Maximum
144 Hz
144 Hz
4k VRR Minimum
< 20 Hz
< 20 Hz
1080p VRR Maximum
144 Hz
144 Hz
1080p VRR Minimum
< 20 Hz
< 20 Hz
VRR + Local Dimming
No Local Dimming
No Local Dimming
CAD In Game Mode @ Max Refresh Rate
9.7
9.6
Pursuit Photo Max Refresh
CAD Heatmap Max Refresh
Transition At Max Refresh
0 to 31
0 to 31
Avg. CAD
24
39
Best 10% CAD
14
7
Worst 10% CAD
52
106
CAD In Game Mode @ 120Hz
9.7
9.7
Pursuit Photo 120Hz
CAD Heatmap 120Hz
Transition At 120Hz
0 to 31
0 to 31
Avg. CAD
24
35
Best 10% CAD
14
6
Worst 10% CAD
50
94
CAD In Game Mode @ 60Hz
9.7
9.6
Pursuit Photo 60Hz
CAD Heatmap 60Hz
Transition 60Hz
0 to 31
0 to 31
Avg. CAD
25
45
Best 10% CAD
14
6
Worst 10% CAD
54
132
PS5 Compatibility
PS5 Screenshot
Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
Yes
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
Yes
Yes
1440p @ 120Hz
Yes
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
Yes
HDR
Yes
Yes
VRR
Yes
Yes
Xbox Series X|S Compatibility
Xbox Series X Screenshot
Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
Yes
Yes
4k @ 120Hz
Yes
Yes
1440p @ 120Hz
Yes
Yes
1080p @ 120Hz
Yes
Yes
HDR
Yes
Yes
VRR
Yes
Yes
Motion Handling
Stutter
4.3
4.2
Frame Hold Time @ 24 fps
40.9 ms
41.3 ms
Frame Hold Time @ 60 fps
15.9 ms
16.3 ms
24p Judder
10
10
Judder-Free 24p
Yes
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via 60p
Yes
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via 60i
Yes
Yes
Judder-Free 24p via Native Apps
Yes
Yes
Response Time
9.7
9.6
Pursuit Photo 60Hz
Response Time Heatmap 60Hz
Transition At 60Hz
0 to 31
0 to 31
First Response Time
0.8 ms
0.4 ms
Total Response Time
1.2 ms
3.9 ms
Worst 10% Response Time
5.3 ms
10.3 ms
Flicker
Backlight chart
Flicker-Free
No
No
PWM Dimming Frequency
0 Hz
0 Hz
Black Frame Insertion (BFI)
BFI Picture
BFI Frequency Picture
Optional BFI
Yes
Yes
Min Flicker For 60 fps
60 Hz
60 Hz
60Hz For 60 fps
Yes
Yes
120Hz For 120 fps
No
No
Min Flicker For 60 fps In Game Mode
60 Hz
60 Hz
Motion Interpolation
Motion Interpolation (30 fps) Picture
Motion Interpolation (30 fps)
Yes
Yes
Motion Interpolation (60 fps) Picture
Motion Interpolation (60 fps)
Yes
Yes
Reflections
Direct Reflections
8.2
6.5
Ring Light Picture
Direct Reflections Graph
Peak Direct Reflection Intensity
21.3%
42.4%
Screen Finish
Glossy
Glossy
Ambient Black Level Raise
5.7
9.3
Black Level Raise Picture
Bright Room Black Level Raise Graph
Black Luminance @ 0 lx
0.00 cd/m²
0.00 cd/m²
Black Luminance @ 1000 lx
2.14 cd/m²
0.24 cd/m²
Total Reflected Light
9.1
8.8
Bright Room Off Picture
Ring Picture Total Reflection
Total Reflected Light Intensity
4,259% ⋅ pixel
7,717% ⋅ pixel
Diffraction Artifacts
No
No
Ambient Color Saturation
8.1
7.2
Bright Room Color Volume Graph
Low-Luminance Colors @ 1000 lx
62.65%
65.68%
Mid-Luminance Colors @ 1000 lx
78.81%
56.69%
High-Luminance Colors @ 1000 lx
77.95%
37.68%
Panel
Viewing Angle
9.9
8.9
Viewing Angle Video
Chroma Graph
Color Washout
70°
48°
Hue Graph
Color Shift
70°
27°
Lightness Graph
Brightness Loss
70°
70°
Black Level Raise
70°
70°
Gamma Shift
70°
70°
Gray Uniformity
8.0
8.1
50% Uniformity Picture
50% Std. Dev.
1.468%
1.063%
50% DSE
0.103%
0.120%
5% Uniformity Picture
5% Std. Dev.
0.417%
0.323%
5% DSE
0.098%
0.102%
Panel Technology
Spectral Power Distribution
Pixels Picture
Type
OLED
OLED
Sub-Type
QD-OLED
WOLED
Subpixel Layout
Triangular RGB
RWBG
Inputs
Input Specifications
Side Inputs Picture
Rear Inputs Picture
HDMI
4 (4x HDMI 2.1)
4 (4x HDMI 2.1)
HDMI 2.1 Rated Speed
48 Gbps
48 Gbps
ATSC Tuner
1.0
1.0
USB Ports
2
3
USB 3.0
No
No
Audio Out 3.5mm
1
0
Wi-Fi
Yes (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)
Yes (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)
Ethernet Speed
100 Mbps
100 Mbps
Composite In
0
0
Digital Optical Audio Out
1
1
Audio Passthrough
ARC/eARC Port
eARC
eARC
eARC: Dolby Atmos Over Dolby Digital Plus
Yes
Yes
eARC: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Yes
Yes
eARC: LPCM 7.1 Over Dolby MAT
Yes
Yes
eARC: Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Yes
Yes
eARC: DTS:X Over DTS-HD MA
No
Yes
eARC: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
No
Yes
eARC: LPCM Channels (Bitstream)
7.1
7.1
ARC: Dolby Digital 5.1
Yes
Yes
ARC: DTS 5.1
No
Yes
Optical: Dolby Digital 5.1
Yes
Yes
Optical: DTS 5.1
No
Yes
HDR Format Support
HDR10
Yes
Yes
HDR10+
Yes
No
Dolby Vision
No
Yes
HLG
Yes
Yes
Design
Style
Design Picture
Curved
No
No
Stand
Stand Picture
Back
Back Picture
Wall Mount
VESA 300x200
VESA 300x200
Borders
Borders Picture
Borders
0.28" (0.7 cm)
0.24" (0.6 cm)
Thickness
Thickness Picture
Max Thickness
1.61" (4.1 cm)
1.77" (4.5 cm)
Build Quality
7.5
9.0
Build quality picture
Smart Features
Interface
Smart TV Picture
Smart OS
Tizen
webOS
Version
2024
24
Ad-Free
0.0
0.0
Ads Picture
Ads
Yes
Yes
Opt-out
No
No
Suggested Content in Home
Yes
No
Opt-out of Suggested Content
No
No
Remote
Remote Picture
Voice Control
Yes
Yes
TV Controls
Controls Picture
Mute Switch
Yes
Yes
In The Box
In The Box Picture
Misc
Power Consumption
102 W
78 W
Power Consumption (Max)
231 W
215 W
Firmware
1059
03.10.31
Sound Quality
Frequency Response
7.4
6.7
Frequency Response
Low-Frequency Extension
71.27 Hz
80.00 Hz
Std. Dev. @ 70
2.82 dB
1.18 dB
Std. Dev. @ 80
2.93 dB
1.68 dB
Std. Dev. @ Max
4.86 dB
5.56 dB
Max
88.1 dB SPL
84.2 dB SPL
Dynamic Range Compression
4.08 dB
5.13 dB
Digital Room Correction
Yes
Yes
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42"
42"
OLED42C4PUA
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QN42S90DAEXZA
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48"
48"
OLED48C4PUA
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QN48S90DAEXZA
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55"
55"
OLED55C4PUA
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QN55S90DAFXZA
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65"
65"
OLED65C4PUA
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QN65S90DAFXZA
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77"
77"
OLED77C4PUA
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QN77S90DAFXZA
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83"
83"
OLED83C4PUA
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QN83S90DAEXZA
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Samsung S90D/S90DD OLED (QD-OLED)
LG C4 OLED
Comments
LG C4 OLED vs Samsung S90D/S90DD OLED (QD-OLED): Main Discussion
What do you think of these products? Let us know below.
Looking for a personalized buying advice from the RTINGS.com experts? Insiders have direct access to buying advice on our insider forum.
Thanks!
Yes, the Shield would help with this, and it’s generally well-regarded as a powerful processor, so you very likely would get better results by watching TV through that instead of the native apps. It’s hard to quantify exactly how impactful this would be, though.
Would nvidia shield tv help with Low-Quality Content Smoothing? If so how much would the impact be? It doesn’t necessarily need to be a precise number on this score. Would it make the s90d on the same level as the c4 on this category? Also would nvidia shield tv make these two tvs upscaling significantly better?
I wonder if we have/had the same Sony LED from 2022 (X90K). Good TV, but I’ve had a couple issues that I am considering putting in a claim for with my Best Buy warranty. If I could get an upgrade out of the deal it would be between the C4 or S90D (I want to go OLED) and I’m leaning towards S90D if incomes down to it v
I’m really happy to hear that you’re enjoying your TV, thanks for posting this update with your thoughts!
I’m following up on my original question that prompted Adam Babcock’s response to this thread on November 27.
Between the C4 and S90D, I went with the latter. I am just a normal guy who doesn’t use instruments or advanced calibration techniques beyond what I read here. I primarily watch Blu-ray UHD HDR content and had a 2022 Sony LED TV. I decided to forgo the Dolby Vision in the C4 because I believed Adam’s assertion that the QD-OLED screen was superior to the WOLED screen. This was further echoed by the sales rep where I bought my TV (he had no incentive to sell me one or the other because they were both priced the same).
After three months with the S90D, I have strong conviction that I made the right decision. The movies I watch are so beautiful and detailed, it is difficult to imagine it being much better with Dolby Vision. In this case, I believe Adam’s comment that the quality of the screen outweighs the impact of not having Dolby Vision.
Could I be proven wrong? Yes. But the only way to do that is to have the C4 next to my S90D playing the exact same content. Ignorance is bliss I guess. I think it is this reason why you don’t hear people with bad things to say about either the C4 or the S90D – you can’t go wrong if you are primarily watching UHD HDR content on these TVs.
We recently put out an updated article that breaks down the benefits of DV versus other formats like Samsung HDR10+. The gist of it is that it’s not as important with a TV of this caliber. That being said, you really can’t go wrong with either TV. I’m a 4k Blu-ray collector as well, and when facing the same decision I went with the LG over the Samsung, but it’s really a personal preference thing. It also depends on the type of content you’re watching. Nature documentaries like Planet Earth and anything animated is more likely to be mastered in a wider color space, so those will stand out better on the Samsung. With most other content the difference isn’t as noticeable.
Does this hold true for 4k Blurays with Dolby Vision?
I hope this doesn’t qualify as buying advice. As a 4k Blu-ray collector, the LG C4 sounds like it gets a slight edge, but I also enjoy gaming, and the S90D gets the edge in this regard. Am I missing out going with TV over the other?
As a more general question, what are the advantages of DV and DTS vs. the wider color gamut and other advantages of a QD-OLED?