Samsung KE55S9CST Pro Reviews

After what seemed like an eternity, big-screen OLED TV is finally here, albeit slightly different from the conventional flat panel we’re expecting. Having promised so much by virtue of its self-emissive pixels, the Samsung KE55S9C doesn’t disappoint, putting forth a contrast performance that is off the charts thanks to the TV’s ability to render true 0 cd/m2 blacks. This unsurpassed level of black reproduction also breathes life into every single programme we watched on the display, injecting so much vibrance, depth and insight which – if you can pardon our use of a cliché – makes all sorts of content look 3D. For what essentially is a first-generation product, the Samsung S9C curved OLED TV comes across as incredibly polished, helped in no small part by the company’s video processing know-how and deep understanding of what constitutes an accurate image. And the scary thing is, there’s still room for improvement. The sample-and-hold driving technique causes the OLED television to exhibit LCD-like motion blur, though this can be attenuated to a certain extent by either motion interpolation or black frame insertion. Input lag was also too high for competitive gaming; we’d like to see Samsung try to cut this down to make its TVs more appealing to the many gamers who are beginning to take note of this important parameter. And while the curved design has grown on us through our review period, a flat version would almost certainly be more popular among potential buyers, especially those who wish to wall-mount their sets. In spite of these minor shortcomings and the curved geometry (which is subtle enough to get used to anyway), in terms of picture quality the Samsung KE55S9C is the best direct-view display – of any size, at any price – we’ve ever laid eyes on, beating even the Panasonic ZT60/ZT65 and the legendary Pioneer Kuros. It isn’t cheap, but then again, the crème de la crème usually isn’t.