Great TVs really do come in small packages. I’ve been watching the 43-inch Samsung QN90C NeoQLED 4K TV for a few weeks and I can’t believe the picture quality this TV has. It can reach such deep, rich black tones and such bright colours that if I had to describe it in a few words I’d say it was a QLED that looks like an OLED. While I’ve never had a TV smaller than 55 inches before, I think 43 inches is the perfect size for a bedroom, office, or garage. It’s also available in larger sizes, and if this model is any indication, the picture quality would be absolutely stunning on a bigger screen.
Here’s a look at what I thought of the Samsung QN90C NeoQLED TV.
Features on Samsung QN90C NeoQLED TV
The Samsung QN90C NeoQLED is a very thin, very light TV that comes packaged with a stand. It weighs 9.4 kg (20.72 lbs). The stand resembles a computer monitor stand and you’ll need a screwdriver to attach it. The 43-inch model is the smallest size in the QN90C lineup, and you can also choose it in 50, 55, 65, 75, and 85 inch sizes.
- 43 inch 4K QLED TV with Mini LED backlight
- Neo Quantum HDR+ for vivid colour and exceptional brightness and Auto HDR Remastering for improved SDR content
- 4K Neural Quantum Processor is AI-powered to upscale your content
- Anti-Glare coating and Ultra Viewing Angle Technology
- Dolby Atmos and Object Tracking Sound+
- Samsung Gaming Hub lets you play your favourite games in one location without the need for a console
- 120Hz native refresh rate with up to 144Hz and 9.7 milliseconds input lag
- Real Depth Enhancer and Pantone Validated Colour
- Smart Hub organizes your streaming content and Smart Things connects you to your smart home devices
- 4 HDMI ports, 2 USB, and an Ethernet port
- Solar cell remote control stays charged for months
Testing out Samsung QN90C NeoQLED
It’s hard not to be impressed by the Samsung QN90C NeoQLED TV. When you tap the remote the TV slides open and you’re presented with a bright screen packed with a ton of streaming and live TV choices. There is a menu on the left that lists a few of your TV options including search, ambient, game, media, connected devices, and settings.
NeoSlim design
This TV is very thin and there is a very small frame around IT that lets you enjoy the full size of the screen. Samsung calls the design NeoSlim. It’s the type of TV you can mount on the wall and use as a photo frame when you’re not watching, and I would definitely opt for a wall mount over the included stand. A wall mount would look more elegant and be more functional, and I’m a little leery about the durability of the stand. While I like the minimalist design, I was a bit nervous about knocking the stand and having it fall over. The TV is so light it doesn’t seem like it weighs it down enough to hold it in place if you bump it.
The QN90C has an anti-reflective coating that’s very effective. If you’re watching with your curtains open and you have bright light shining through the windows, it’s minimized when you’re watching. Sometimes, when scrolling through the menus, I could see light from the window reflecting on the screen, but when I started watching a movie or a TV show, it disappeared or was dimmed enough that it didn’t interfere with watching.
This TV also comes with the new Samsung SolarCell remote control. It has a small solar strip on the back so it can recharge via sunlight and the design is part of Samsung’s sustainability plan. If you ever run out of battery power you can also plug it in via USB-C.
Picture quality on Samsung QN90C NeoQLED
I spent a few weeks binging Netflix and Disney+ on the Samsung QN90C. The best way to describe the picture quality is to say that, if someone put me in front of the TV and I didn’t know anything about it, I would have a hard time determining whether or not it’s an OLED. One of the reasons I say that is the high contrast. I know a NeoQLED can’t achieve true black the way an OLED can and Mini-LEDs aren’t capable of turning off and on individually like OLED, but this TV can produce blacks that are so deep and dark you might struggle to tell the difference. At night, in a dark room without any light shining in, the screen looks pitch black.
QLED TVs with Mini-LED backlight are great for rooms without a lot of natural light. My house is shaded by trees so I need the brightest TV possible in every room. The default brightness on this TV was more than enough for a room without natural light, and even when I turned on the lights and watched with the curtains open it was still very bright.
The QN90C has a 4K Neural Quantum Processor that’s AI-powered to upscale everything you watch, and it has Neo Quantum HDR+ to brighten images, Real Depth Enhancer to make images more realistic, and Pantone Validated Colour so colours look bright and natural no matter what you’re watching. Colour is very sharp and natural, and in some cases, I thought it was so vivid I wanted to dial the brightness down a bit.
No matter what I watched on this TV, it looked better than on my own TV. Whether I was watching old YouTube videos I uploaded of my kids, black and white TV shows, or my favourite Marvel movies on Disney+, everything had sharp detail and cinematic colour. I watched a few IMAX-enhanced videos on Disney+ and Netflix and they looked spectacular too. The picture quality on this TV is so fantastic I didn’t even think about the fact that it was only 43 inches.
Samsung Gaming Hub and Neo Quantum HDR+
I’ve talked about the Samsung Gaming Hub in other reviews but I’m even more impressed with it now that I’ve linked it up to my Xbox Game Pass account. All you need is a controller and a good Internet connection and you can stream all of your Xbox games without plugging in your console. There are other platforms you can stream too including Amazon Luna, GeForce Now, and Utomik. The Gaming Hub also has videos so you can watch Twitch broadcasts and other gaming content.
This TV is amazing for gaming, and Neo Quantum HDR+ adds detail and brightness to dark games. My go-to game for testing out a new TV is always Red Dead Redemption, and I thought the TV really brought a natural quality to the game. Dark scenes and shadows are more detailed than I’ve seen on other TVs. The TV also has 120Hz native refresh rate with the option to enhance it to 144Hz in game mode and a minimal 9.7 milliseconds lag. With a console plugged in it’s fast enough to keep up with the most intense action games and you don’t experience blur or delay between controller and game.
If you’re going to connect your controller to the TV and stream games, my suggestion is to plug in the TV via Ethernet and maintain a close position to the TV. It takes a lot of bandwidth to load and stream the games, and while we have a very fast 5G network we use to connect our TVs we had a much smoother experience after we plugged in. I also tried to use an older Xbox controller that didn’t maintain a strong Bluetooth connection so there was a lot of lag between the controller and the TV. Any lag we experienced disappeared as soon as I added my PS5 controller.
Sound quality on Samsung NeoQLED
There are two different sound modes on the Samsung QN90C—Standard and Amplify. I thought the sound was great considering the size of the screen and how thin it is. When watching movies I kept the volume at 30 and in Amplify mode. Dialogue was very clear, and it felt like it was coming from a center speaker. This TV uses Object Tracking Sound technology to optimize sound and send it to your TV’s speakers in a way that makes it feel as though it’s moving with the action. It’s not as precise as a set of home theatre speakers or a sound bar, but it gives the TV great quality. It’s a good feature when you’re using the TV in your bedroom and you don’t want to add a sound bar or speakers.
The sound quality was loud enough to send my cats running when I put on a cat video. Nothing gets them in front of a TV faster than the sound of birds, and as you can see in the photos, my buddy Apollo made himself comfortable while he watched a few hours of squirrel videos.
Should you choose the Samsung QN90C NeoQLED?
If you’re looking for a second TV in a smaller size, the 43-inch Samsung QN90C NeoQLED is hard to beat. After using it for a few weeks it would be an easy choice for my bedroom. I’ve been firm in my decision to upgrade to an OLED for my next living room TV, but now I’m wondering if I have to. In my opinion, the QN90C gives you an OLED-quality picture that’s brighter and more vivid than most OLEDs, but it can still reach those deep black tones you really want for movies and gaming.
Samsung Gaming Hub is such a great addition to Samsung’s Smart Hub, and it’s nice that I can pick up a controller and game without plugging in a console. For streaming TV and movies, you can access all of your favourite apps on a smart screen that’s easy to navigate. I also love how Samsung SmartThings is integrated with this TV. I was pretty surprised when I was watching and my TV popped up a notification that my range had finished preheating. All of the smart devices you add to SmartThings can be accessed on your TV.
I am always impressed by Samsung TVs, and they just keep getting better and better. You can find the Samsung QN90C NeoQLED 4K TV in 43 inches as well larger sizes at Best Buy right now.
I watch 2=3 hours of news on weekdays and a couple of hours on the weekends to catch up with series On-Demand, plus hockey of course!
It’s good to learn from Shelley’s review that the Neo QLED display can do blacks close to OLED, which is important since I love sci-fi … especially Star Trek (original, Next Gen, Picard, Strange New Worlds) and the new Battlestar Galactica, so lots of time in outer space! 🙂
I get up early and I am watching the news on CBC for a couple of hours in the morning. I switch to BBC and EuroNews for the afternoon to keep up with what’s happening in the world. News alone is about seven hours a day. Then I watch various movies or TV series until after dinner. In the evening I switch to sport’s for NFL and NHL games. So I would guess that I would watch 10-13 hours of TV each day.
I learned the solar cell remote control stays charged for months. I watch about 10 hours of TV per week
I learnt that the Mini LED backlights on this TV will make it great for watching HDR content. On the current monitor(TV) that we have, we watch about 20 hours per week.
This has Anti-Glare coating and Ultra Viewing Angle Technology?? I’ve always hated the placement of our TV because of the glare & I hate having the curtains closed during the day even more! Even with the glare, we have the TV on far too often – most likely 14 hours a day between everybody. Big price to pay when you’ve had a rainy summer & need to entertain a toddler!
I learned about solar cell remote control. I watch 3 – 5 hours daily.
I watch TV about 6 hours a day.
About 4 hours of TV get watched.
I learned that it has an effective anti-reflective coating.
We probably watch about 2 hours on a weeknight and maybe 3 or 4 on a weekend night. If we arent meeting friends we’ll binge watch a TV show. I didnt know you could get up to 144Hz on a TV. That would be great for gaming.
We watch about 2 hours of TV a day.
I learned this television has an Anti-Glare coating.
I didn’t know about the Gaming Hub! Sounds cool. We typically watch between 14-30 hours of TV per week here.
We watch about 40 hours of tv a week. I learned this tv has a 4K Neural Quantum Processor that is AI-powered.
We watch about 3-4 hours of TV in a day.
I learned that this TV comes with the Samsung SolarCell remote control which can recharge via sunlight.
We watch maybe 1.5 to 2.5 hours 4 to 5 times a week. I learned it has 4 HDMI ports, 2 USB, and an Ethernet port.
We watch about 2 hours per day so that Auto HDR remastering that the article talks about would really come in handy
112 Hours per Week. (16 Hours per day). 7am ~ 11pm. Large Multi Generational Family.
Ton of streaming and live TV choices.
I didn’t know this tv came with a solar cell remote. Great feature.
We often watch about 2 to 4 hours of tv per weekday depending on our schedule.
I learned the solar cell remote control stays charged for months. We watch about 2-4 hours of t.v. daily
I learned about solar cell remote. I watch about 4 hrs a day
I learn about solar cell remote control. I watch 3 – 5 hours daily.
I watch 3 to 5 hours daily. I learned it has 4 HDMI ports, 2 USB, and an Ethernet port.
The Anti-Glare coating and Ultra Viewing Angle Technology are great features. We watch about one hour per day.
I learned that it has a solar remote which is a cool feature. My hubby watches about 3 hours of television most evenings.
I usually watch 2-3 hours in the evening. Not a gamer, but I find the builtin gaming hub interesting.
I watch maybe 1.5 to 2.5 hours 4 to 5 times a week. I learned it has 4 HDMI ports, 2 USB, and an Ethernet port.
I guess about 10hr a week and I learned about the Anti-Glare coating and Ultra Viewing Angle Technology .
The TV is on about 12 hours a day in my house on the days that someone is home, mainly in the winter.
I learned that Neo Quantum HDR+ adds detail and brightness to dark games. I play a lot of games on my TV and do find that some of them are very dark, so this would be great.
Again I am surprised at how thin and light these new Samsung tvs are…makes it so much easier for lifting and moving.
All up we all watch probably about 4 to 5 hours a day on our tv so it would be great to have a nice one like this one.
learned about solar cell remote – sounds great – watch about 5 hrs a day – well it’s on and I listen and watch sometimes
learned about anti glare coating / watch about 12 hr day
Totally amazed to learn that about the Samsung SolarCell remote control with a small solar strip on the back so it can recharge via sunlight – awesome! Now how much TV? Hmm.. 1-2 hours per day for the adults, most of the time, another 2 for the kids separately.
I learnt some things about the Anti-Glare coating and Ultra Viewing Angle Technology. We watch a good 3 hours every day, so around 20 per week.
We watch way too much TV, probably 30 hours per week. I learnt about the AI powered 4K Neural Quantum Processor. Crazy!
We watch about 3-4 hours of TV in a day.
I learned that this TV comes with the Samsung SolarCell remote control which can recharge via sunlight.
I watch about 2 hours each night after dinner.
Love that there are two different sound modes and this doesn’t require me to buy a separate sound bar for my bedroom.
I’m very surprised to learn about solar cell remote control. Where have I’ve been?
We watch more tv than we’re proud of lol. Probably 20ish hours a week. the Anti-Glare coating and Ultra Viewing Angle Technology is the most interesting thing I learned about. Tvs have come a long way!
Learned that the 4K Neural Quantum Processor is AI-powered to upscale your content and give vivid picture quality. I usually watch 2 or 3 hours of TV per day.
I watch a couple hours of TV a day, I learned that the QN90C has an anti-reflective coating that’s very effective.
I like that it comes in a 43″ size as so many of the high quality tv’s are only available in larger sizes.. & I don’t like a huge screen in my bedroom. 43″ would be perfect. The anti glare coating is also a great feature. I personally watch maybe an hour of tv each day… although the tv is usually on for a few hours until it shuts off automatically.
This set offers deep blacks, which enhances the colours.
Viewing times vary a lot, but three hours is probably exceeded every day because of sports and movies.
The fact the 43” QN90C has anti-glare coating and @ ultra viewing angle is great.It’s a plus that the solar cell remote control stays charged for months. as a senior I watch a fair bit of TV
My TV blew in July this year so I got a used TV because I’ve been searching out @Qled. I really need to know what great options I want before a major purchase.
This one that you reviewed has so many positive options for me. Being at home,mostly with arthritic pain, I can say I watch over 60 hours of TV a week.
The Anti-Glare and Gaming hub as well that the 43 inch weighs @ 20 lbs, making it easy for me to lift up, are great for me. There are also so many other options too like, Pantone color and solar cell. I can go on and on.
Thanks for a great review.
I have a very bright living room and a Samsung QN90C NeoQLED sounds like the TV for me with its Anti-Glare coating and Ultra Viewing Angle Technology. The TV keeps me company about 4 to 5 hours a day.
I’ve discovered that the TV has a compact frame, which results in a larger viewing screen. In my household, we typically watch television for approximately one hour per day.
I watch about 20hr a week and I learned about the Anti-Glare coating and Ultra Viewing Angle Technology .
I learned from this review that this tv is light and thin weighnig about 20 pounds and can be lifted by one person! I have actually a tv in every bedroom of my house and one in the basement and one in the living room. Tv gets watched quite a lot in my mothers home.
I learned about the Samsung gaming hub, the TV is usually on, but not much actually gets watched
The Anti-Glare coating and Ultra Viewing Angle Technology would be wonderful … a perfect seat anywhere in the room!!! I usually watch at least 3 hours a day but sometimes, I have to watch from my iPad since the TV isn’t that great!
The Smart Hub lets you contnect to smart devices around your home. We watch between 2 hours to 4 hours depending on the day of the way.
The anti glare reflective coating is ideal for multi purpose rooms. We watched about 8-10 hours of TV a week.
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