New OLED - Samsung S95B vs Sony A80K (1 Viewer)

[art3mis]

Need some buying advice after spending a day watching YouTube reviews. My 12 yr old Panny plasma is past its expiry date so in the market for an Oled.
After initial searching narrowed my choice to the Samsung S95B or the Sony A80K which my local Best Buy has on sale. I don't think the extra $1000 premium for the newer Samsung A95C is worth it.
I work in the vfx industry and have a background as photographer filmmaker so color picture accuracy is paramount. I’ve read that in general Samsung over saturates their colors. With the latest firmware update in Filmmaker Mode has this been resolved?
The other issue less important is the very poor UI that Samsung has.
Can any owners of either tv suggest other reasons to buy one over the other?
Also is the BestBuy extended warranty a good idea? 4 years for an additional $200?
Thanks!

 

[BrianSiano2]

I have the Samsung S95B. You can easily recalibrate the picture color settings. You get four settings, and each one can be recalibrated.

The only complaint I have is that the Samsung will frequently gradually dim the image as you watch: you have to bring up the settings menu for the picture to snap back to full brightness. I have no idea why the TV does this. There is a fix, involving using a different Samsung remote and accessing the service menu (and endangering the warranty), but I have not yet tried it. Search on terms like "Samsung S95B dimming" and you'll learn more. I truly wish Samsung would issue a firmware update that fixes this.

 

[Robert_Zohn]

@ art3mis Welcome to HTF!

Samsung's S95C is a very nice upgrade from the formidable 2022 S95B. However, Samsung Display's new 2023 QD OLED panel is upgraded to be brighter, and more energy efficient. Samsung Electronics upgraded the video processor, power supply, and the audio system and chassis frame. The S95C just went on sale today.

Since you also mentioned Sony's A80K, I also want you to know Sony has also very nicely enhanced the new 2023 A80L. Again with the new LG Display OLED module that is about 10% brighter and also more energy efficient. The biggest upgrade with the new A80L is the XR processor that now has XR Clear that makes low resolution content, like cable and DVDs that are upscaled cleaner and with more detail. Also Sony's new 2023 Contrast Enhancer algorithms improves the tone mapping accuracy so you have more detail and depth in the images.

@ BrianSiano2 Samsung's 2022 S95B is a little too aggressive with their Anti Brightness Limiter, ABL. They do that to protect the power supply and the QD OLED panel. You can go into the service menu to bypass the ABL, but it will void your warranty and will make the TV a little more susceptible to burn-in.