Earlier this year, I tested the LG B6 — the brand’s 2026 entry-level OLED — and while I was still impressed by its performance, it wasn’t quite the upgrade I’d hoped for over last year's model.
The step-up LG C6 was a huge step forward from its own predecessor, so I’d hoped the same would be true for the B6 — but even though it wasn’t the big upgrade over the B5 I’d anticipated, it's still a great TV.
Samsung has its own entry-level OLEDs, the S85 range, and the 2026 model, the S85H, has just landed in our testing lab, so I decided to compare them side-by-side.
Something to note is that I’ll be using the LG B6E, which is the same as the LG B6 minus a couple of AI features and a back panel design — the general processing and panel is the same.
So can the Samsung S85H de-throne the LG B6 as the best budget OLED? And which of these TVs will be the best Black Friday buy?
Colors and detail
Both TVs have fantastic colors, but the B6E's (right) have more vibrancy and punch than the S85H (left) for most scenes (Image credit: Nintendo / Universal Pictures / Future )
Color reproduction is excellent from both TVs in Filmmaker Mode, and they perform lot more closely than I anticipated. While Samsung’s TVs have traditionally had bolder, brighter colors, I found the B6E’s actually looked more vibrant in the scenes I tested.
Watching The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, reds in the movie, such as Mario’s overalls and the red of Toad’s spots, were punchier on the B6E than the S85H. Whenever the Lumas were on screen, their bodies were brighter on the S85H, but this gave them a paler look, whereas on the B6E their body colors were more saturated and looked richer.
For the most part though, colors were great on both TVs, and they both did a fantastic job rendering the movie’s candy-colored cartoon world.
Watching a real-world movie, the B6E (right) still has more vivid colors, but the S85H's look excellent (Image credit: Disney / Future )
Switching to a real-world movie in The Sound of Music, it was a similar story once again. The B6E’s colors were slightly bolder, seen during the Do Re Mi scene with the green fields looking more vibrant.
The same was true of the fruits in the market scene, with the reds, oranges and yellows looking more dynamic on the B6E. Skin tones also had more color and life to them on the B6E, which made the picture feel more realistic.
In The Sound of Music though, I noticed that the S85H has crisper textures, giving the picture more depth, giving people and objects a more 3D-like look. Details appeared slightly more refined on the S85H too, in the overall shape and definition of objects such as the creases in people’s clothing and the texture of the mountain in the background.
Brightness
Despite very similar brightness measurements, the B6E (right) renders this scene from Lawrence of Arabia with more brightness. (Image credit: Sony Pictures / Future )
For brightness, both the S85H and B6E delivered very similar test results. The S85H clocked 833 nits peak HDR brightness in a 10% window in Filmmaker Mode, while the B6E hit 808 nits peak HDR brightness (10%) in its own Filmmaker Mode. HDR fullscreen (100%) brightness was similar too, with the S85H hitting 158 nits to the B6E’s 143 nits, again both measured in Filmmaker Mode.
On paper then, the S85H is ever so slightly brighter than the B6E. In practice, using a desert scene from Lawrence of Arabia, this wasn’t the case. The white sands of the desert were a brighter white on the B6E compared to the S85H. The same was true with the blue sky, which looked brighter on the B6E despite the S85H’s higher brightness in fullscreen areas. I suspect this is to do with the B6E’s processor.
As I said above in the color section, sometimes colors looked brighter on the S85H, giving the perception of higher brightness. Again, this seems to be down to the S85H’s processing of certain scenes.
One thing these TVs have in common however is that both had a reflective screen, which made dark scene viewing more challenging. Neither could match the likes of the mid-range Samsung S90H OLED, which has an effective anti-glare screen perfect for bright rooms. If you pick up one of these TVs, you’ll need to think about how bright your room is.
Contrast and dark scenes
Both TVs deliver strong contrast with deep black levels, but the S85H (left) has deeper black tones. The B6E (right) has the more balanced contrast (Image credit: Future)
Both TVs deliver very similar contrast. Watching The Batman, there are plenty of high contrast scenes that show both the S85H and B6E to be capable OLEDs. The B6 arguably demonstrates stronger perceived contrast thanks to its punchier HDR highlights.
As Batman explores the crime scene at Mayor Mitchell’s house, torches, lamps and flash bulbs from cameras have more punch on the B6E, which creates stronger contrast with the dark tones of the environment. The S85H still looks great however.
The shadow detail from both TVs is excellent too, with both preserving details such as the textures in Batman’s armor during the subway scene, or the finish of the furniture in the Batcave or Mayor Mitchell’s house.
Watching Project Hail Mary, both TVs again deliver powerful contrast, with the B6E showing slightly stronger contrast, again thanks to the HDR highlights such as the lights from the ship’s console or the light from stars in space having more punch on the B6E.
However, watching in dimmed conditions, the S85H actually delivers inkier black tones, which suit the shots of space throughout. Again, the S85H demonstrates crisper textures, which gives the movie a more lifelike appearance.
Which is the best Black Friday buy?
Both TVs are great budget OLED options, but the B6E is the better Black Friday buy: for now. (Image credit: Future)
Both TVs demonstrate brilliant picture quality, with each having an advantage over the other (the S85H’s textures and black levels vs the B6E’s brightness and contrast) and they both have very similar feature sets, especially for gaming. Both carry four HDMI 2.1 ports supporting 4K 120Hz, full variable refresh rate support, and ultra-low input lag, meaning they could rival the best gaming TVs.
In terms of price, the 55-inch models are priced very similarly too, with some current price variations in regions. The 55-inch S85H costs $999 / £999 / AU$1,899, while the 55-inch B6E costs $799 / £999 / AU$1,699, meaning the B6 55-inch is cheaper in the US and Australia right now. Black Friday deals have already started at some retailers and the star pick is the 48-inch B6 at Best Buy for $599 and I expect that to be the blockbuster deal out of these two models. But, as we approach Black Friday, the S85H’s price will drop, especially in larger sizes than the 48-inch.
Honestly, there’s very little difference between these TVs from a picture perspective, so my pick would be whichever has the best deal available. Right now that’s the B6/B6E, especially in the 48-inch size. I do expect the S85H’s prices to drop and start matching the B6 in other sizes across all regions, but right now the best Black Friday buy is the B6/B6E.
LG launches new 97-inch OLED panel reaching 4,000 nits, 165Hz and with 1.1% reflectance
Arriving first in the LG W7 Wallpaper TV with Zero Connect wireless box
The screen is a huge improvement over the previous 97-inch panel, which essentially dates back to 2022
Two weeks ago, we were excited by the prospect of more affordable massive OLED TVs, but noted that LG Display's current 97-inch OLED panels were relatively old TV tech. That's about to change dramatically. LG has unveiled a new version of its gorgeous Wallpaper evo TV with a brand new 97-inch OLED panel that could make it one of the best OLED TVs for big rooms.
The TV was revealed in the CES 2027 Innovation Awards, in which the LG evo 97inch Wallpaper TV is an honoree. And the specifications are very tasty indeed.
The evo TV has the model name 97W7 and features a 97-inch 4K display, in a frame designed for flush wall mounting. There's no on-board processing or ports to ruin its slim design: it has a wireless connection via LG's nifty Zero Connect system, which is lossless for quality.
The panel is said to deliver up to 4,000 nits of peak brightness, providing 83% BT.2020 color gamut coverage with 1.1% reflectance. This sounds like performance should basically match the five-star LG G6 in its smaller sizes — that model has a 97-inch version, but it uses the same panel LG has used since 2022, so the brightness, color and reflectivity are all weaker.
The new TV offers 165Hz with variable refresh rate support, and you get the Gallery+ art display features that turn the TV into an art gallery. And last but not least it has a virtual 11.1.2-channel virtual surround system built in.
Full specs, pricing and availability haven't been released yet but the new evo 97W7 looks like it's going to be something special — and that OLED panel will surely make its way into other LG TVs. It looks like 2027's going to be a good year for TV buyers with big rooms to fill and big budgets to spend.
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14-channel Class D amplification and Dolby Atmos 5.1.2
Five colors of Threadform fabric to blend with your decor
$999 (about £745 / AU$1,422)
For as long as there have been speakers, there have been attempts to make them look less speaker-y — but as far as I know, there's never been an attempt to make them look like someone knitted them. Enter the Knit Form, a serious soundbar with a very unusual design. It's intended to blend in, not stand out.
As you can see, it's very different to its rivals: if you look at our current best soundbars line-up, there's a lot of long black-grilled lozenges out there. This is much more colorful.
The Knit Form comes from the mind of Joel Sietsema, formerly senior product and brand leader at Denon and Marantz's parent company, Sound United. But its unique selling point comes courtesy of his wife, an interior designer, whose response to his speaker concepts was to want every one of them hidden. The Knit Form is the result of that, Sietsema says. "Form is what happens when you design for the home first. It should look like furniture, sound incredible, and be easily integrated into the technology you’ve already welcomed in your space.”
It may look like a draught excluder but this is a high-end soundbar with a serious specification, serious backers and serious audio expertise. And that fabric isn't exactly ordinary either.
(Image credit: Knit Sound)
Knit Form soundbar: key features and pricing
Let's start on the outside. The fabric is Threadform, an acoustically transparent textile that keeps its color and lasts a long time. It's available in five different colors on the Form.
Beneath the Threadform there's a 14-channel, class D amp delivering 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos via its internal drivers, center dialog speaker and dual subwoofers. It has Bluetooth 5.3 input with AirPlay, Google Cast and Spotify Connect, and it also transmits audio over Auracast. There's a single HDMI ARC/eARC for the TV and an optional smartphone app that enables you to customize the sound settings.
The Knit Form is designed to get out of the way of your entertainment. There's no front-facing logo; the status lights turn off during viewing; and the five colors are "designed to complement a space rather than compete with it." I really like it, especially in the terracotta-ish Ember colorway. It's recommended for TVs 55 inches or over.
The Knit Form is available exclusively from Knitsound.com in Cloud White, Slate Black, Pebble, Sandstone or Ember with a price tag of $999 (about £745 / AU$1,422). The optional flush wall bracket is $79 (about £59 / AU$112).
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The Samsung S90H is the brand’s mid-range OLED TV for 2026. It delivers brilliant performance and features across the board, putting it up there with the best TVs of the year. While it doesn’t quite dethrone the rival LG C6 for me, the S90H proved to be a worthy opponent when I put the two side-by-side.
Picture quality is the S90H’s best highlight. With an effective anti-glare screen, it’s perfect for OLED viewing in a bright room, without many compromises. It delivers vibrant, punchy colors, powerful contrast and crisp, realistic textures. While there were black crush issues during some scenes, there were settings to mitigate this, meaning the S90H delivers picture quality that’s up there with the best OLED TVs.
The S90H is one of the best gaming TVs on the market. With a full suite of features, including 4K 165Hz and full VRR, and an ultra-low input lag time of 9.2ms (4K 60Hz), the S90H delivers strong gaming performance.
The S90H’s built-in sound is pretty good overall, being accurately connected to the action on screen, with punchy bass and good width. The S90H’s AI Sound is also competent and improves on the standard built-in sound, although I still found speech and mid-tones could get a bit muddled at times. While its built-in speakers are good enough for casual viewing, I’d recommend adding one of the best soundbars to match its fantastic picture.
Priced similarly to its rival LG C6, the S90H is very good value for money. It covers pretty much every base you’ll need and is available in sizes 42-83-inch. A 55-inch model will currently cost you $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,995, and while there are cheaper TVs with similar features available, the S90H offers great bang for your buck.
Samsung S90H review: Prices & release dates
The Samsung S90H shows exceptional detail (Image credit: Future)
Release date: May 2026
42-inch: $999 / £899 / AU$1,995
48-inch: $1,099 / £999 / AU$2,395
55-inch: $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,995
65-inch: $1,499 / £1,6,99 / AU$3,995
77-inch: $2,499 / £2,499 / AU$5,495
83-inch: $3,499 / £3,599 / AU$7,495
As Samsung’s mid-range 2026 OLED TV, the S90H sits above the entry-level Samsung S85H and below the flagship Samsung S95H (known as the S99H in the UK). It’s available in six sizes, from 42-inch to 83-inch. The above prices are what you can expect to pay at the time of writing (November 2026).
The 55-inch model I tested launched for $1,999 / £1,799 / AU$2,995 in May/June 2026. Since its release, prices have fallen in all sizes in the US and UK, with the 55-inch model now priced at $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,995. (Prices remain unchanged in Australia.) The 55-inch LG C6, the S90H’s direct rival, currently retails for $999 / £1,199 / AU$2,495, and I expect the S90H’s prices will fall in line with the C6’s soon.
Samsung S90H review: Specs
Screen type
OLED
Refresh rate
165Hz
HDR support
HDR10, HDR10+, HLG
Audio support
Dolby Atmos
Smart TV
Tizen
HDMI ports
4 x HDMI 2.1
Built-in tuner
ATSC 1.0
Samsung S90H review: Benchmark results
1 / 4
Brightness measurements
Samsung S90H
HDR Filmmaker Mode (10% window)
1689
HDR Filmmaker Mode (Fullscreen)
305
LG C6
HDR Filmmaker Mode (10% window)
1427
HDR Filmmaker Mode (Fullscreen)
247
Samsung S95H/S99H
HDR Filmmaker Mode (10% window)
2739
HDR Filmmaker Mode (Fullscreen)
449
07501,5002,2503,000
nits
HDR Filmmaker Mode Data
Product
HDR Filmmaker Mode (10% window) (nits)
HDR Filmmaker Mode (Fullscreen) (nits)
Samsung S90H
1689
305
LG C6
1427
247
Samsung S95H/S99H
2739
449
Samsung S90H
HDR Standard Mode (10% window)
1677
HDR Standard Mode (Fullscreen)
329
LG C6
HDR Standard Mode (10% window)
1364
HDR Standard Mode (Fullscreen)
243
Samsung S95H/S99H
HDR Standard Mode (10% window)
2831
HDR Standard Mode (Fullscreen)
463
07501,5002,2503,000
nits
HDR Standard Data
Product
HDR Standard Mode (10% window) (nits)
HDR Standard Mode (Fullscreen) (nits)
Samsung S90H
1677
329
LG C6
1364
243
Samsung S95H/S99H
2831
463
Samsung S90H
SDR Filmmaker Mode (10% window)
260
SDR Filmmaker Mode (Fullscreen)
163
LG C6
SDR Filmmaker Mode (10% window)
333
SDR Filmmaker Mode (Fullscreen)
237
Samsung S95H/S99H
SDR Filmmaker Mode (10% window)
220
SDR Filmmaker Mode (Fullscreen)
219
0100200300400
nits
SDR Filmmaker Mode Data
Product
SDR Filmmaker Mode (10% window) (nits)
SDR Filmmaker Mode (Fullscreen) (nits)
Samsung S90H
260
163
LG C6
333
237
Samsung S95H/S99H
220
219
Samsung S90H
SDR Standard Mode (10% window)
512
SDR Standard Mode (Fullscreen)
299
LG C6
SDR Standard Mode (10% window)
391
SDR Standard Mode (Fullscreen)
234
Samsung S95H/S99H
SDR Standard Mode (10% window)
229
SDR Standard Mode (Fullscreen)
229
0150300450600
nits
SDR Standard Data
Product
SDR Standard Mode (10% window) (nits)
SDR Standard Mode (Fullscreen) (nits)
Samsung S90H
512
299
LG C6
391
234
Samsung S95H/S99H
229
229
HDR color gamut
Closer to 100% is better. Taken using a colorimeter and test pattern generator.
Samsung S90H
UHDA-P3
99.3
BT.2020
76.5
LG C6
UHDA-P3
99.7
BT.2020
75.9
Samsung S95H/S99H
UHDA-P3
99.9
BT.2020
89.2
0255075100
HDR Filmmaker Mode Data
Product
UHDA-P3 ()
BT.2020 ()
Samsung S90H
99.3
76.5
LG C6
99.7
75.9
Samsung S95H/S99H
99.9
89.2
Picture accuracy
A lower score is better. Taken using a colorimeter and test pattern generator.
SDR Delta-E
Samsung S90H
2.4
LG C6
1.3
Samsung S95H/S99H
1.6
0123
SDR Delta-E Data
Product
Value
Samsung S90H
2.4
LG C6
1.3
Samsung S95H/S99H
1.6
Input lag
Lower is better. Taken using a Leo Bodnar 4K HDMI Video Signal Lag Tester.
Samsung S90H
4K 60Hz
9.2
1080p 120Hz
4.8
LG C6
4K 60Hz
9.2
1080p 120Hz
4.7
Samsung S95H/S99H
4K 60Hz
9.5
1080p 120Hz
5
012345678910
ms
HDR Filmmaker Mode Data
Product
4K 60Hz (ms)
1080p 120Hz (ms)
Samsung S90H
9.2
4.8
LG C6
9.2
4.7
Samsung S95H/S99H
9.5
5
The above EOTF graphs show the Samsung S90H's accuracy in hitting different HDR brightness levels in grayscale. The closer to the yellow line, the more accurate a TV is. As with all our tests, these results are out of the box, without calibration, to demonstrate the performance most people will get. As you can see, the S90H did very well on all three target tests, showing little deviation from the reference line. (Image credit: Future)
Spectral power distribution refers to the intensity of light that a source will display at various wavelengths of color. It can reveal how accurately a source shows color at different light levels and help to understand how a TV handles color. (Image credit: Future)
Samsung S90H review: Features
The Samsung S90H has four HDMI 2.1 ports (Image credit: Future)
Glare Free screen
WOLED panel on 55-inch UK model
NQ4 AI Gen 3 processor
Much like last year’s Samsung S90F, the panel on the S90H can vary based on size and region, though most models now seem to use a standard WOLED panel rather than a QD-OLED panel. Based on my measurements, I can confirm the 55-inch model I tested in the UK uses a WOLED panel.
The S90H has Samsung’s OLED Glare Free screen, which reduces mirror-like reflections in bright rooms. It uses Samsung’s NQ4 AI Gen 3 processor, the same one used in the flagship S95H/S99H, which has AI picture features such as Real Depth Enhancer Pro and AI 4K Upscaling Pro.
It supports HDR10+ enhanced HDR format, but like all Samsung TVs, there’s no support for Dolby Vision. For sound, the S90H supports Dolby Atmos but doesn't support DTS formats.
For audio, it uses a 2.1-channel, 40W speaker system and features Object Tracking Sound Lite (OTS Lite), a step-down version of the OTS+ used in the flagship S95H/S99H. There are two sound modes, Standard and Amplify, and a number of AI sound features, such as Adaptive Sound Pro and AI Sound Controller Pro.
The S90H supports 4K 165Hz, full VRR including AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync (the latter being introduced into Samsung’s TVs in 2025), ALLM, and HDR10+ gaming. These are featured in all four HDMI 2.1 ports.
Samsung’s own Tizen OS is the smart TV platform here. It features the Vision AI companion, which can be used to recommend content and help with settings. In terms of app support, the S90H supports all major streaming apps, including BBC iPlayer and ITVX for those in the UK.
Features score: 5 / 5
Samsung S90H review: Picture quality
The S90H delivers punchy, vibrant colors that look great for movies like The Super Mario Galaxy Movie(Image credit: Nintendo / Universal Pictures / Future )
Vibrant, punchy colors
Effective glare screen
Occasional black crush
Starting with brightness measurements, the S90H registered an impressive 1,689 nits peak HDR brightness (measured on a 10% window) in Filmmaker Mode, a great result for a mid-range WOLED TV that beats the LG C6’s 1,427 nits in the same tests. It also registered 305 nits fullscreen HDR brightness, again besting the C6’s 249 nits in the same tests.
When I compared the C6 and the S90H side by side, however, the C6 had higher perceived brightness, which I believe was the work of the C6’s processor. Still, in isolated viewing, the S90H’s picture looked bright, even in the often dim Filmmaker Mode. Movie Mode, which looks brighter in person, registered similar results in the same tests. Movie Mode does have Active Tone Mapping on by default (it’s set to Static in Filmmaker Mode), which would explain the added brightness in practice.
The S90H has Samsung’s OLED Glare Free screen, which is effective at reducing mirror-like reflections, meaning darker scenes are still visible in bright rooms. With Movie Mode on, I was even able to watch a challenging scene from The Batman with no reflections.
When watching daytime TV via Samsung TV Plus, the S90H’s upscaling proved effective. It sharpened textures for news broadcasts and streaming sports. Watching an HD movie, Treasure Planet on Disney Plus, the S90H again did a good job upscaling. Activating the Auto HDR Remastering feature boosted brightness, colors and contrast effectively. This feature also worked well for sports streamed through Prime Video, adding more depth to the picture.
Switching to reference 4K Blu-ray scenes, the S90H demonstrated excellent picture quality. It produced vibrant, punchy colors that looked great in scenes from Speed Racer, accurately rendering the vivid oranges, pinks, and yellows of the Racer family's candy-colored kitchen. In The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Mario and Luigi’s red and green overalls were striking, and the Lumas had plenty of punch, which made the movie look fantastic.
The S90H has strong contrast, balancing light and dark tones well in movies like The Batman (Image credit: Warner Bros / Future )
Measuring HDR color gamut, the S90H hit 99.3% of the UHDA-P3 color space and 76.5% of the BT.2020 color space. These are great results in line with mid-range OLED rivals like the LG C6 and even flagship models like the Samsung S95H/S99H and LG G6 in the UHDA-P3 space, which is important for HDR content.
The S90H also demonstrated strong contrast, with a great balance between light and dark tones. Scenes from The Batman, whether it was the crime scene in Mayor Mitchell’s house or the Batcave, all looked fantastic, with bright lamps contrasting well with dark surroundings. The S90H’s blacks were inky and deep, and perfectly showcased in the shots of space from Project Hail Mary.
While the S90H does mostly deliver great shadow detail, with textures such as the roof and back wall of a dimly lit subway in The Batman still legible, this is where I noticed the S90H was prone to some black crush in its default Filmmaker Mode. Dark tones in movies like The Batman and Project Hail Mary looked too dark, resulting in occasional detail loss. Bumping up the Shadow Detail setting from 0 to the maximum 5 mitigated a lot of this, but there was still a hint of black crush in places.
The S90H delivers crisp textures and great motion, which works well for movies like Speed Racer(Image credit: Warner Bros / Future )
Motion is very good on the S90H when you have the right settings. Watching a soccer game on Prime Video with the default settings, where Blur and Judder reduction are set to the maximum 10, resulted in some motion artifacts like ghosting of the ball. Reducing Blur to 3 and Judder to 5 or 6 resulted in smooth motion that didn’t look artificial. The same settings also worked well for movies, such as the high-speed races in Speed Racer and the Batmobile chase in The Batman.
Throughout viewing, textures looked very refined and realistic, giving everything a near-3D-like level of detail. People in particular looked incredibly lifelike, and with HDR pictures, everything looked crisp.
Picture quality score: 5 / 5
Samsung S90H review: Sound quality
The S90H's built-in sound is good overall, but I'd recommend a soundbar to match the picture quality (Image credit: Warner Bros / Future )
2.1 channel, 40W speakers
Object Tracking Sound Lite (OTS Lite) is effective
Mid-tones can be muddled
The S90H has a 2.1-channel, 40W speaker system and supports AI Sound features such as Adaptive Sound Pro and uses OTS Lite. There is support for Dolby Atmos, but not DTS. There are two sound modes to choose from: Standard and Amplify.
I was impressed by the S90H's punchy bass on its default Amplify settings, which did a good job rendering the rumble of the Batmobile’s engine in The Batman. During the same Batmobile chase scene, the S90H’s speakers delivered fantastic detail, such as swerving tyres and impacts with traffic, and the sound was accurately mapped to the action on screen, showing the effectiveness of the OTS system.
It also demonstrated a good balance between the score and other sound effects. While speech was mostly clear, it did get lost at times during the chaotic moments within the scene. I noticed too that mid-tones could get a bit muddled at times, but the sound was still very good.
Turning on the Adaptive Sound Pro setting in the AI Sound menu (found under the AI settings in the Advanced Features menu) yielded some good results, which I’ve not always found with AI sound modes on other TVs. More width was added, extending the sound further beyond the screen; the volume was louder overall, and more detail was produced. Bass was punchier, but it had lost the warmth of the default Amplify Mode. For a lot of viewing, you could get away with not using a soundbar, but the sound doesn’t quite match up to the picture’s excellence, so I’d recommend a soundbar for movies.
Sound quality score: 4 / 5
Samsung S90H review: Design
The S90H 55-inch I tested uses a central, pedestal stand FutureThe S90H is incredibly thin in the top portion of its frame Future
Razor-thin frame
Lightweight but premium build
SolarCell remote
The most striking thing about the S90H physically is its razor-thin frame. While there is a bit of bulk on the rear panel to accommodate speakers and various connections like HDMI ports, the top of the frame is incredibly slim. This gives it a sleek, modern appearance that makes the TV feel premium.
The S90H has a lightweight design, but still feels premium when viewed on its stand. The supplied plastic pedestal stand on my 55-inch review model did feel a little cheap compared to the rival LG C6's metal stand. However, once fully assembled, the TV was visually appealing.
As with most Samsung TVs, the S90H is supplied with Samsung’s SolarCell remote. While on the small side, the inclusion of Solar and USB-C rechargeable options is very useful. The design hasn’t changed much in the past few years, but honestly, it doesn’t need to.
Design score: 4.5 / 5
Samsung S90H review: Smart TV & menus
Tizen is a good smart TV platform, but has its drawbacks (Image credit: Future)
Tizen smart TV platform
Easy-to-navigate menus
Some odd quirks that can be annoying
Samsung’s own Tizen smart TV platform is used in the S90H and is generally a good, easy-to-use interface with useful hubs to divide up particular apps. The Home hub houses all apps and content recommendations, while the Game hub, naturally, houses everything to do with gaming.
Like many smart TV platforms, Tizen’s home screen features banner ads that take up about half the screen, pushing apps further down the page. I also found that, at times, Samsung TV Plus would autoplay the show I previously had on when I was trying to go to different sources. I found this frustrating, but eventually the S90H played ball.
There are a good number of picture settings on offer that can really make a difference (Shadow Detail being one of them), and they're fairly easy to find. Sound settings are a bit limited compared to other TVs I’ve tested. While the AI settings can help with this, they're kept in a separate menu. Overall, Tizen is a serviceable smart TV interface, but doesn’t quite match up to LG’s webOS or Roku.
Smart TV & menus score: 4 / 5
Samsung S90H review: Gaming
The S90H is an excellent TV for gaming FutureThe Game Hub is a useful space for all things gaming Future
Four HDMI 2.1 ports
Full suite of features
Ultra-low 9.2 ms input lag
The S90H is well equipped for gaming, with four HDMI 2.1 ports that support 4K 165Hz, full VRR including AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync, ALLM, and HDR10+ gaming. It also has a Game hub where cloud gaming apps such as Xbox and Nvidia GeForce Now are housed, as well as links to Twitch streams.
The S90H's input lag measured an ultra-low 9.2ms at 4K 60Hz and 4.8ms at 1080p 120Hz. This performance translated when I was actually testing gaming on the S90H, with ultra-smooth motion during Battlefield V. As I whipped around missions, the S90H easily rendered all the action during high-intensity battles as I targeted enemies and dodged enemy fire.
The S90H’s excellent picture quality did wonders for games too, delivering crisp textures, balanced contrast and bold colors, all of which could be seen in various missions during Battlefield V.
Gaming score: 5 / 5
Samsung S90H review: Value
Similarly priced to rival OLEDs
Great performance and features
Cheaper mini-LED with similar features available
The S90H covers pretty much every base you’ll need, and while it would be nice to have Dolby Vision supported, the picture quality is good enough to do without it. The 55-inch model I tested has an MSRP of $1,999 / £1,799 / AU$2,995.
Since its release in May 2026, prices for the S90H have fallen, and at the time of writing (November 2026), a 55-inch model costs $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,995. While this puts it at the same price as the C6 in the UK, LG’s model is cheaper in the US and Australia at $999 / AU$2,495. I don’t expect the S90H to be more expensive for long, however, as prices will likely level out the further we get into its life cycle.
There are budget mini-LED TVs, such as the TCL QM7L/C7L, available for less that deliver great performance and features in their own right, but right now, the S90H is probably one of the best-value OLEDs you can get.
Value score: 4.5 / 5
Should you buy the Samsung S90H?
(Image credit: Future)
Samsung S90H
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Features
Full suite of features that covers nearly every base for movies and gaming
5/5
Picture quality
Stunning colors, strong contrast and realistic textures. Also great for bright-room viewing thanks to its glare free screen
5/5
Sound quality
Great detail and accuracy with punchy bass, but mid tones can sound muddled and sound could be wider
4/5
Design
Premium build with sleek design, ultra-thin frame
4.5/5
Smart TV and menus
Tizen is mostly good and easy to use, but has some quirks that can make it frustrating at times
4/5
Gaming
Full suite of gaming features with ultra-smooth performance to match: a top-notch gaming TV
5/5
Value
Fully specced mid-range OLED TV that might be pricier than rivals now, but prices will drop.
4.5/5
Buy it if...
You want superb OLED picture quality The S90H's picture quality is excellent, delivering vibrant colors, powerful contrast, lifelike textures and great motion handling.
You want to watch OLED in a bright room The S90H's glare-free screen is effective at eliminating reflections in bright rooms, meaning challenging dark scenes can even be watched in brighter conditions
You want an OLED for gaming The S90H is fully equipped for gaming and delivers razor-sharp performance with smooth gameplay and brilliant picture quality
Don't buy it if...
You need Dolby Vision Like all Samsung TVs, the S90H does not support Dolby Vision, which is used for streaming services, 4K Blu-ray and some gaming consoles.
You don't want to set up your picture The S90H delivers great picture quality, but you have to put in some work to get the picture just right, especially for darker scenes.
You want the best smart TV platform Tizen is mostly a good smart TV platform, but I found there were some frustrations from time to time.
Also Consider
Samsung S90H
LG C6
TCL QM7L/C7L
Samsung S95H/S99H
Price (55-inch)(current)
$1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2995
$999 / £1,199 / AU$2,495
$699 / £849 / AU$1,395
$1,899 / £1,899 / AU$3,999
Screen type
OLED
OLED
SQD mini-LED
QD-OLED
Refresh rate
165Hz
165Hz
144Hz
165Hz
HDR support
HDR10+, HDR10, HLG
Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG
Dolby Vision, HDR10+. HDR10, HLG
HDR10+, HDR10, HLG
Smart TV
Tizen
webOS 26
Google TV
Samsung Vision AI (Tizen)
HDMI ports
4 x HDMI 2.1
4x HDMI 2.1
4 (2 x HDMI 2.1)
4x HDMI 2.1
LG C6 The S90H's biggest rival, the C6 is LG's mid-range 2026 OLED. It delivers similar excellent picture quality and features. The C6 is cheaper right now in some regions, but that could change soon. This one comes down to personal preference, although if you want an OLED for a bright room, the S90H is the better option.
TCL QM7L/C7L The TCL QM7L (US)/C7L (UK/Aus) is the brand's mid-range SDQ mini-LED. While the S90H delivers better overall picture quality, the QM7L/C7L is better value for money, offering great picture quality and features for a fraction of the price.
Samsung S95H/S99H The Samsung S95H (US/Aus)/S99H (UK) is the flagship OLED in Samsung's lineup for 2026. It's brighter and has more refined picture quality than the S90H, but is significantly pricier. The S90H is better value for money in terms of price vs performance, but the S95H/S99H is the best choice if you want elite OLED.
Tested using SDR and HDR sources in varying lighting conditions
Measurements taken using Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software
I first tested the Samsung S90H over a few days with casual viewing to establish its best picture modes, landing on Filmmaker and Movie modes for movies and TV shows and Standard for sports and daytime TV.
I then commenced subjective testing. I watched reference scenes from 4K Blu-ray and other sources to test the S90H's picture quality, looking at color, contrast, detail, upscaling, textures, motion, and sound quality.
I then moved onto objective testing, taking measurements using specialized equipment. This included a Jeti Spectral 15VA spectroradiometer, profiled with a Klein K-10A colorimeter, a Murideo Six G 8K Metal test pattern generator, and Portrait Displays' Calman color calibration software to record these measurements.
The first test I conducted was for brightness, measuring the S90H's HDR and SDR brightness using 1-100% sized white window test patterns, with the focus being on peak (10%) and fullscreen (100%) brightness.
Next, I tested the S90H's HDR color gamut coverage, focusing on UHDA-P3 (also known as DCI-P3) and BT.2020 color spaces.
I then tested the color and grayscale accuracy of the S90H in SDR, using the Delta-E averages (the margin of error between the test pattern source and what's shown on screen).
I also tested the S90H's HDR EOTF in 1,000, 4,000 and 10,000 nits. This test shows its accuracy at both light and dark levels. I also measured the S90H's Spectral Power Distribution, which demonstrates its color performance, using the Jeti spectroradiometer.
Finally, I tested the S90H's input lag using a Leo Bodnar 4K HDMI Input Lag Tester, measuring 4K 60Hz and 1080p 120Hz speeds in milliseconds.
Welcome to the October 2026 Blu-ray Bounty, where we test some of the latest 4K releases from each month. If you’re new here, you can read previous editions of the Blu-ray Bounty at the link.
4K Blu-ray is a big deal here at TechRadar, as not only is it our primary source for testing the best TVs and best soundbars, but we’re also collectors ourselves, always on the lookout for new discs to add to our own compilations.
This month, I’ll be testing four new discs, and if you hadn’t seen last month’s edition, we’ve upgraded our in-house home theater system. We’re now using a full separate AV system, consisting of a 5.1 Bowers & Wilkins 600 series range of speakers, all powered by the Denon AVC-3900H 9.4-channel AV receiver. We’re still using the LG G6, one of 2026’s best OLED TVs, as our display, and our tried and true Panasonic DP-UB820, the best 4K Blu-ray player on the market.
In last month’s September 2026 Blu-ray Bounty, I tested a mammoth 10 discs, with particular highlights including Supergirl and Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu.
Interview with the Vampire (1994) (Warner Bros)
Warner Bros / Future Warner Bros / Future Future
Based on Ann Rice’s 1976 novel of the same name, Interview with the Vampire tells the story of the relationship between Louis de Pointe du Lac (Brad Pitt), a man turned into a vampire by Lestat de Lioncourt (Tom Cruise). The movie cuts between 1791 Louisiana and 1991 San Francisco, where Louis is interviewed by reporter Daniel Molloy (Christian Slater). The movie also stars Kirsten Dunst and Antonio Banderas.
This 4K disc is a showcase for contrast. Candles are used continuously throughout the movie as a means of lighting, and create some really interesting contrast-y scenes. Black levels are rich and deep, and when paired with the candles, create powerful contrast that looks superb on our G6 OLED. The 4K restoration still keeps the movie low brightness, but does well to bump the luminosity in the right places.
Textures have been restored nicely, giving everything a 3D-like look, especially in close-up shots of skin. Colors have a true-to-life, natural look about them, shown in Lestat’s eccentric clothing. Fire has a lovely HDR punch, and with a bright display it truly pops on screen. Some film grain has been maintained, but the picture really has been refined here.
The Atmos soundtrack included delivers great detail too. As a flaming torch passes across the screen, the sound travels from the left front speaker to the right accurately with the movement on screen. As a mansion burns down, the roar of the flames produces a satisfying, detailed bass. During scenes with rain, there is a perceived sense of height thanks to Atmos’ object-based sound, even without height speakers in our setup.
Toy Story 5 (Disney Pixar)
Disney / FutureDisney / FutureFuture
The fifth installment in the Toy Story franchise, Toy Story 5 follows Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the other toys as they deal with the arrival of Lilypad, a tablet that becomes the new favorite of the local children, including the toys' owner Bonnie.
As you’d expect from a Pixar movie, the animation is incredibly crisp with rich textures that give the movie a nice depth. Colors pop on screen, with the red of Jessie’s hat and hair in particular looking incredibly punchy. Other colors like yellow, pink and green have a really nice look to them too, appearing true-to-life throughout the movie. In darker scenes, blacks are rich and inky on our LG G6 and contrast was strong, shown in the scene at the docks. If your TV supports Dolby Vision, you’ll be rewarded.
The 4K disc supports Dolby Atmos and Dolby soundtracks. During my testing, our system processed the soundtrack as Dolby Digital Plus with Dolby Surround and not the full Dolby Atmos, even though our other reference discs worked with Atmos. This may be something to bear in mind if you don’t have a full 7.1.4 channel Dolby Atmos system (this is the listed configuration on the case, so the disc may be compressing the soundtrack as a result).
The soundtrack is still excellent however, with plenty of detail and accurate sound placement. As humans exit a room chatting, the sound travels from the rear speakers to the front. Speech is crystal clear throughout and there’s plenty of power. As the gang run after a van, the bass produced is satisfyingly punchy from Bullseye’s gallop. There’s great balance as well between all other effects and the score, producing a wide soundstage. Despite a lack of height speakers, as Buzz flies through the air, there’s a perceived sense of height that adds to the experience.
Directed by Guillermo Del Toro, Frankenstein is the director’s take on Mary Shelley’s novel of the same name. It follows the story of Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac), a scientist whose reanimation experiments result in the creation of The Creature (Jacob Elordi), with dire consequences. The movie also stars Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz and Charles Dance.
Frankenstein is visually stunning on 4K Blu-ray. There are plenty of scenes with high contrast that really play with shadows to create engaging images shown best during night scenes as Victor works in the tower. The balance between light and dark tones is excellent, capturing the Gothic tone of the movie. Textures are crisp and true-to-life, especially with people.
Colors, while used somewhat sparingly, really pop when on screen, shown in the green, grassy fields during The Creature’s tale. Red is also striking, shown with blood and in some of the costumes the wealthier characters wear. HDR highlights, such as the Sun on the horizon, have a good punch too, which really showed up on our LG G6.
The disc supports an incredibly detailed Dolby Atmos soundtrack. One of the showcases for this was the re-animation scene. The crackling of thunder is mapped to each speaker with pinpoint precision, and as it rumbles, the bass produced by our subwoofer is weighty and fills the room. As the camera moves around the room, the sound accurately follows the action on screen. Other effects, such as Victor working with body parts, also sound visceral and realistic.
Little Shop of Horrors (1986) (Warner Bros)
Warner Bros / Future Warner Bros / Future Future
An adaptation of the 1982 musical of the same name, which is itself an adaptation of the 1960 movie The Little Shop of Horrors, Little Shop of Horrors follows Seymour (Rick Moranis), a shy man who works in a run-down flower shop and falls for his co-worker Audrey (Ellen Greene). He buys a mysterious plant and names it Audrey II and it soon grows into a giant, talking plant that attracts customers. But Audrey II has some nefarious intentions.
A Dolby Atmos soundtrack is featured here and sounds fantastic. The Atmos mixes for all the musical numbers have a great balance between the instruments and vocals, all given equal clarity and power. Whether it’s the delicate strings and twinkling piano keys of songs like ‘Somewhere That’s Green’ or the punchy guitars and pounding bass of tracks like ‘Feed Me (Git it!’), the Atmos soundtrack is superb.
Visually, this is a great 4K restoration. Textures have been cleaned up and refined, most obvious in people’s skin. Colors are punchy and vibrant throughout the movie, from the green on Audrey II’s plant body to the brightness of a yellow cab. Black levels are deep, with strong shadows during night scenes cast by the stage-style lighting. While there is some film grain present, the picture has mostly been cleaned up, giving it a more modern look.
Blood Simple (StudioCanal)
StudioCanal / Future StudioCanal / Future Future
Blood Simple follows the story of bartender Ray (John Getz) and his affair with his boss and bar-owner Julian’s (Dan Hedeya) wife Abby (Frances McDormand). Julian hires detectives to follow the pair and kill them if the affair is proven to be real. This was the directorial debut of the Coen Brothers, and McDormand’s on-screen debut.
The 4K restoration of Blood Simple is very good overall. Textures have been cleaned up well, shown predominantly in people’s skin and faces, giving them a more modern look. There is plenty of film grain still present here, more so in some shots than others. Colors, when used, such as the neon at the bar, have a good vibrancy.
Where this disc shines most though is in its darker scenes. Black levels are inky and there are plenty of high contrast scenes, with light and dark tones balancing well to create strong shadows across people’s faces.
The 4K disc supports a DTS-HD 5.1 MA soundtrack. While there isn’t a ton here to push your home theater system, the soundtrack still shows great detail. As a car passes Ray and Abby in the opening, the sound of it is mapped to the speakers accurately, passing from left to right on the front speakers. Speech is cleanly rendered and the piano-led noir score is crystal clear and balances well with other effects.
Inside Llewyn Davis (StudioCanal)
StudioCanal / Future StudioCanal / Future Future
Inside Llewyn Davis follows the story of fictional songwriter Llewyn Davis (Oscar Issac), a struggling musician in 1961. Although the character of Davis is fictional, the story was partly inspired by the autobiography of folk artist Dave Van Ronk. The movie was directed by the Coen Brothers.
Inside Llewyn Davis looks great in 4K. Textures are refined and lifelike, from people’s skin to details in clothing. While the movie has a distinctive ‘hazy’ gray look, colors look natural and have some nice punch to them. Scenes in bars during performances show nice contrast, with deep black tones in shaded areas balancing well with stage lights and natural light seeping in.
A Dolby Atmos soundtrack is included, and it sounds brilliant. Songs have a great Atmos mix that are delivered with real clarity and detail, particularly ‘Fare Thee Well’ at the start of the movie. Live performances show off the wide soundstage, accurately rendering the echo from within a room as Llewyn sings in the opening scene.
Elsewhere, the sounds of New York City demonstrate plenty of detail, with the sounds of car horns and general conversation mapped to the rear speakers. As trains pull into a subway, the sound travels from speaker to speaker accurately. Speech and vocals are clear throughout and balanced well with other effects.
The organization, Citizens Voice, is asking the Portuguese courts to review LG's statement against findings by the technology title TEK Notícias, which says the statement didn't directly explain tests involving audio storage when the TVs were offline, or of named security vulnerabilities in webOS.
Citizens Voice wants the courts to investigate and determine whether the data collection breaches consumers' rights, and if so to take action against not just LG but against retailers, too.
LG won't be the only smart TV maker watching the Portuguese action with interest, and other consumer advocates are likely to be paying attention, too. TV privacy is a hot topic right now, and a separate study of smart TVs earlier this year found that multiple manufacturers' TVs were ignoring privacy opt-outs either by design or accident.
When opting out doesn't opt you out
(Image credit: Northeastern University)
Watching the Watchers is an analysis of US smart TVs and their automatic content recognition (ACR) activities, carried out by researchers at Northeastern University (via The Verge).
As the researchers explain: "2% of U.S. households have a smart TV that can take snapshots of whatever is on screen and report them back. We measured where that data goes, and whether turning the feature off actually stops it."
The researchers tested 12 different commercial TVs across multiple brands including Samsung's Tizen OS, LG's webOS, Roku OS, Google TV, Fire TV, VIDAAA and Smartcast OS.
While the majority were well behaved, only used ACR on their own streaming services (while respecting Netflix and other third parties' no-ACR stances), and offered user opt-outs for ACR, those opt-outs only "fully worked" on four platforms: webOS, Google TV on Sony, VIDAA OS and Fire TV OS.
Rather worryingly, 30 out of 30 test runs using Samsung's own TV streaming service found that despite opting out of ACR, the runs all showed "traffic consistent with ACR" if you used Samsung's own streaming channels. And 100% of opted-out runs on Vizio didn't seem to make any difference to ACR at all: every run "still sent traffic to its Amazon Kinesis ACR endpoint, with no decrease."
The researchers go into much more detail in their research paper, but the 'tl;dr' is that opting out might not opt you out completely or at all depending on which smart TV you have. However, there is an important caveat: ACR data is usually encrypted (VIDAA OS is the exception), so the researchers can't say with 100% confidence that the data transmitted on every platform is definitely ACR information. The best they can do is say that it sure looks like it.
It seems to me that this is another example of tech firms' overreach running up against consumer advocacy and privacy legislation: as a former EU resident I've spent many years reporting on tech firms batting heads with regulators over data usage and privacy.
And it seems to me that there's a simple solution for smart TV makers: be up-front about what data you're using and what you're doing with it, and make sure opting out means exactly that. It's probably a lot cheaper than going to court.
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The JMGO N3 Ultimate is the new, top-of-the-line option from JMGO. It brings a lot of what the brand had already been packing into a new design with a motorized gimbal stand and adjustable optics that provide quick or finely controlled setup options.
The JMGO N3 Ultimate's projection can be splendid, thanks to bright RGB lasers that give the projector enough juice to hold up in even well-lit rooms. The N3 Ultimate has vivid color and crisp detail, too. Unfortunately, the brightness isn’t matched by effective dimming to offer better performance in dark scenes, which is perhaps its biggest setback. Its motion could also be smoother without so many artifacts, but it’s not terrible either.
All told, it’s a capable projector that could serve a lot of people well, as long as they’re not seeking out dark, home theater setups where contrast is as important as brightness. At its $2,999 / £2,499 list price, it’s competitively priced compared to the best projectors, but it’s been on sale for much less and becomes all the better a bargain.
JMGO N3 Ultimate Review: Price and release date
Release date: 2026
List price: $2,999 / £2,499
The JMGO N3 Ultimate launched in 2026 and is now widely available. It has a $2,999 £2,499 list price, but it has already seen substantial discounts. At the time of writing, it was available for $2,349 / £2,119.
JMGO N3 Ultimate Review: Specs
Supported screen sizes
40-300 inches
Optical technology
3 Laser DLP
Brightness (specified)
5,800 Lumens
Audio
2x 12.5-watt speaker
Ports
1x USB-A, 2x HDMI 2.1 (1x eARC)
Smart TV
Google TV
Dimensions
12.14 x 9.05 x 10.79 inches / 308.36 x 229.87 x 274.07mm
Weight
15.32 lb / 6.94kg
JMGO N3 Ultimate Review: Design and features
Built-in Google TV
Motorized gimbal stand and optical lens adjustments
1080p/240Hz VRR mode for gaming
JMGO has been rocking the same design for a few years now, and the JMGO N3 Ultimate does little to shift that. It’s still a fairly compact, two-tone rounded box sitting aloft on a gimbal stand with a rotating base, making it easy to set up and point the projection where you want it.
This go around, JMGO has incorporated small motors for electronic control of the stand. By holding a dedicated button on the remote control and using gyro controls, you can adjust the tilt and rotation of the projector. It’s good for quick adjustment but not for fine tuning.
In an interesting twist, the N3 Ultimate is JMGO’s projector that least needed this technology, as the projector incorporates advanced optics with adjustable zoom and lens shift. The zoom can shift the projector from a 0.88:1 to a 1.7:1 throw ratio, giving it a ton of range. Meanwhile, the lens shift lets it move the projection up or down by 130% or sideways by 53%, so you really just need to point it perpendicular to your wall, and you should have no trouble shifting and squeezing the projection to fit without any keystone correction.
(Image credit: Future)
Those manual controls are how you’ll get the best picture, but the JMGO N3 Ultimate has a host of automated tools that can quickly make adjustments for you, which may be convenient if you’re moving it often. It can analyze the projection area available to it, re-aiming, shrinking, and shifting the picture to fit. I found this using digital keystone even when it really wasn’t called for, though, so I wouldn’t count on it doing the best job.
One additional automatic tool that may be more helpful is the wall color adaptation. This uses the projector's camera and a series of test patterns to tweak colors so they appear better on your wall. You won’t need this if you use a screen, but it worked well on my beige walls.
Since the projector can move quite a bit in operation, it fits its connectors all at the base, rather than the rear of the projection unit itself. This can still get in the way of rotation, but makes vertical tilt a non-issue. The projector doesn’t have a great selection of ports, though, with just two HDMI 2.1 ports, one of which is eARC and probably should be kept for that purpose. There’s also a single USB-A port.
(Image credit: Future)
Thankfully, you don’t need to use any of those HDMI ports for basic streaming. The projector has built-in Google TV, and it operates quickly on its 4GB of memory. Annoyingly, it pauses playback while navigating menus sometimes (sometimes it doesn’t), but it’s quite serviceable otherwise. It even gets 64GB of storage, which can be useful if you use lots of apps. Perhaps, more crucially, the projector connects over Wi-Fi 6, giving it faster and more stable connectivity to work with while streaming.
For cinephiles, the JMGO N3 Ultimate supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision. Meanwhile, for gamers the projector can shift from 4K60Hz over to 1080p/240Hz and even brings VRR for smooth, low-latency, responsive gaming. There are some trade-offs though. Enabling VRR hurt clarity no matter if I left the projector at 4K or swapped to 1080p. Even at 1080p, VRR took a small toll on clarity. Fine text exhibited artifacts that looked like chroma subsampling. In games, it wasn’t an issue, but navigating Windows on PC to select games to play, it was a nuisance.
(Image credit: Future)
Apart from its gyro controls, the Ultimate's remote is pretty basic. It has the standard Google TV controls and thankfully a pill-shaped volume control that’s easy to feel out in the dark. It includes shortcuts to Prime Video, Netflix, YouTube, and one app of your choice. Google TV Freeplay gets a separate shortcut at the top of the remote. Annoyingly, there’s no mute button for quick silencing and while the remote has motion-activated lighting behind some of its keys, it doesn't behind the shortcut buttons.
Since the JMGO N3 Ultimate is fairly portable, JGMO includes a foam carrying case that can fit it, the remote, and the power adapter all inside. It’s not exceedingly robust or impressive, but it’s not too bulky and should do a better job protecting the hardware than a typical backpack would.
Design & features score: 4.5 / 5
JMGO N3 Ultimate Review: Picture quality and performance
Wonderfully bright and colorful
Black levels could be darker
Crisp 4K visuals and responsive 1080p gaming
The JMGO N3 Ultimate has brightness in spades, and that’s where it shines best. When it comes to darkness, it can struggle. It fails to sink into darkness where it needs to, and the raised grays are distracting to see, never mind the regularly present letterboxes. Even when scenes aren’t very dark, these shortcomings are clear. Neither Dolby Vision nor adaptive brightness features seem to do the trick.
Thankfully, as soon as more light is called for, the JMGO N3 Ultimate delivers. It pumped out over 5,200 lumens by my measurements, which is plenty for most scenarios and not too far off the rated 5,800 lumens (nor did it require an awful picture setting). Bright scenes are clear and vibrant. Shadows look stronger in contrast to the brightness and the brightness is even enough to give the JMGO N3 Ultimate a solid showing in a modestly lit room. This makes it a great match for casual viewing, news, and bright cartoons. That brightness makes it all the easier to go big without the image getting too dim.
FutureFutureFuture
Alongside the brightness, the color of the RGB laser projection is stunning, just as it’s been in other projectors I’ve tested with the tech. When watching Supergirl, the glow of the green sun has plenty of depth, and the red cape glows majestically whenever the sun hits it. When Kara’s laser vision rips through the Brigands, it’s properly dazzling. The world of Pandora in the Avatar series is also lushly presented.
Motion can be hit or miss. By default the projector wants to use unsightly interpolation that presents loads of artifacts and makes the projection feel like anything but high-fidelity. With the MEMC setting dropped to low, it doesn’t look so bad, avoiding distracting soap opera effect and serious artifacts while helping reduce some of the stutter that occurs when it’s disabled entirely.
FutureFutureFuture
One area RGB laser projectors have been improving is the DLP rainbow effect. I’m not terribly sensitive to it, but I can usually catch it if I’m looking for it. Lately, I’ve been spotting it less and less on high-end laser projectors, but I can still catch it on the JMGO N3 Ultimate. Thankfully, it’s subtle, and I find it’s largely limited to subtitles
The adjustable optics help ensure a sharp picture from wherever you want to project. Stretched across about an 150-inch section of my wall, 4K looked brilliant in my living room.
(Image credit: Future)
Outside of movies, the JMGO N3 Ultimate proves a great option for gaming. You want crisp detail from corner to corner in games, since you never know where something precious is hiding, and the optics help provide this. Latency is satisfyingly low at 4K but sinks to negligible levels at 1080p/240Hz. Mousing around my screen and zipping through levels in Hades 2, I didn’t feel a hint of latency in that mode.
The speakers on the JMGO N3 Ultimate aren’t bad, but they certainly aren’t an adequate match for the projection. They put out decent volume, helping ensure you’ve got enough sound to work with when you want to plop the projector down somewhere and start enjoying right away. They even provide some low-end, helping bump up effects in movies. But the quality of stereo sound won’t be very good unless you’re sitting perfectly in center with the projection.
Picture quality & performance score: 3.5 / 5
JMGO N3 Ultimate Review: Value
Can serve multiple purposes well
Cheaper than many rivals while offering competitive brightness
The JGMO N3 Ultimate is a capable projector and can work well for folks who aren’t committing to a pitch-black home theater where its weaker black levels will steal focus.
At $2,999 / £2,499, it’s still fairly competitive with what’s on the market, but at $2,349 / £2,119, it’s more of a steal. It can compete with large TVs on value while providing the flexibility to enjoy movies and TV in 4K or switch over to 1080p for high-speed gaming. The different realms it can cover all from a single product help boost its value.
Value score: 4.5 / 5
Should I buy the JMGO N3 Ultimate?
JMGO N3 Ultimate Scorecard
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Design and features
The JMGO N3 Ultimate brings a lot to the table. It’s built for flexibility with adjustable optics and a motorized stand that can make setup quick and easy without sacrificing image quality. It’s well equipped for movies and gaming, and it has built in streaming capabilities and serviceable speakers. It could have more ports and a better remote, though.
4.5/5
Picture quality and performance
The JMGO N3 Ultimate delivers on brightness and clarity, making it a joy to watch bright, colorful content with. It can even hold up well in rooms with a lot of ambient lighting. Where it falls short is in its contrast and motion, having distractingly elevated black levels that hurt dark scenes and either slight panning stutter or artifact-laden motion smoothing.
3.5/5
Value
With plenty of brightness and versatility at a surprisingly competitive pricing, the JMGO N3 Ultimate offers up a lot of value.
4.5/5
Buy it if...
You don’t like turning out all the lights The JMGO N3 Ultimate has brightness to spare, letting it handle dim and even well-lit rooms fairly well. If you don’t like viewing in the dark, this makes it a good match.
You want quick and easy flexibility The JMGO N3 can work in a lot of different setups and it makes getting it all lined up easy. If you’re always moving your projector around, that can save you a load of time.
You want versatility The JGMO N3 Ultimate can tackle 4K video, 1080p gaming, precise and careful optical setup, or quick and effortless setup. Its ability to step into different roles can be very convenient if you have a lot of different needs.
Don't buy it if...
You’re looking for OLED performance Few projectors do a great job with their black levels, and even the best aren’t really on the level with OLEDs. The JMGO N3 Ultimate isn’t even close, with raised black levels that don’t really look great in dark scenes.
You have lots of input sources With just two HDMI ports, the JMGO N3 Ultimate is a recipe for annoyance if you have a handful of consoles, a Blu-ray player and the like. Heck, it doesn’t even have a 3.5mm jack you can use to free up the eARC port.
You don’t move your projector ever A big part of the package, and therefore what you pay for, is the flexibility of the gimbal and optics. If you’re not planning to take advantage of them, you can save some money by looking elsewhere.
2x HDMI (x1 eARC), 1x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0, 1x 3.5mm, 1x optical audio out
Valerion VisionMaster Max This projector may not be as bright, but it has wonderfully flexible optics, great visual performance and profound black levels that make it a far more worthy home theater projector. It tends to be a bit more expensive, though.
Hisense C2 Ultra The Hisense C2 Ultra isn’t nearly as bright and doesn’t have the same degree of flexible optics as the JMGO N3 Ultimate. Still, it tends to cost nearly as much. This helps highlight how much the technology has progressed and come down in price in a short time. Read our full Hisense C2 Ultra review.
Xgimi Horizon 20 Max This model has most of the same capabilities and qualities as the JGMO N3 Ultimate, just in a different package. It had strong contrast in our testing, but it skips the motorized gimbal. If you know you want that dark performance, it’ll probably be the better pick, though you may be best just grabbing whichever is cheapest when you’re shopping since both have frequent discounts. Read our full Xgimi Horizon 20 Max review.
How I tested the JMGO N3 Ultimate
Tested at home in multiple, real-world viewing conditions
Presented the display with a variety of media and formats
I have tested numerous projectors and displays over the last half-decade
I tested the JMGO N3 Ultimate at home, in real-world conditions. This saw it faced with ambient light coming in from numerous windows, in-room lighting, as well as ambient noise that both the projector and speaker systems had to overcome. The projector was tested both against a bare, white wall and an Akia Screens CineWhite screen. It was presented with streamed content, HDR and non-HDR, and console gameplay.
My testing evaluates the projector’s performance with respect to its price and competition from other models I and colleagues at TechRadar have tested.
I have been testing projectors since 2021 and displays for even longer.