Performance Analysis

Samsung NEO QLED 65QN900A TV visual performance and optical construction analysis

By Piseo — Dec 2022

With a “all in one plate” construction of the backlight unit stack, Samsung makes the assembly of the NEO QLED 65QN900A TV easier

Key Features

Measurement and analysis of brightness, brightness uniformity, contrast, EOTF, color, color uniformity, angular performance, halo in video, high and standard dynamic range (HDR and SDR) formats.
Measurement and analysis of artifacts such as screen reflectance and flicker.
Description of the MiniLED-based backlight unit technology.
Details about LED emission characteristics.
Analysis of the BLU spectral emission after conversion by the QD.
Main characteristics and roles of the different films in the optical stack.
Backlight unit operation when displaying a simple scene.

Product objectives

Provide test results and quality analysis of the performance of the Samsung NEO QLED 65QN900A TV.
Give insights into the optical architecture and explain how Samsung managed the technical challenges.
Show how the backlight optical construction contributes to the user experience.

This analysis is intended for display system designers, system architects, and marketing teams.

Report objectives

After several years and many announcements, MiniLED backlights are coming to the market. According to manufacturers’ claims, they will allow LCD displays to offer a contrast similar to OLEDs, while providing high brightness. All this while offering reduced power consumption, a very thin form factor (thickness), and cost/price competitiveness with OLED.

With its QN900A Neo QLED TV, Samsung announces a brighter image for better contrast – all in 8K.

To evaluate the benefits of this new type of backlight, DXOMARK and PISÉO – leaders in the assessment of consumer electronics quality and photonic system architecture, respectively – have teamed up to produce this report.

To evaluate the display quality of the Samsung NEO QLED 65QN900A TV, DXOMARK carried out visual performance measurements. This report presents the test results and the performance comparison.

In order to understand the technology of the QN900A Neo QLED backlight, PISÉO has analyzed the optical architecture of the unit. This report includes a description of the eight optical films integrated between the MiniLED array and the LCD panel.

Based on their own analyses, DXOMARK and PISÉO have carried out a cross-analysis to show the links between the user experience and backlight optical construction.

Approach to analysis

Tests and quality analysis of the performance of the Samsung NEO QLED 65QN900A TV, based on DXOMARK protocol and covering:

Video at high and standard dynamic range (HDR and SDR): brightness, contrast, EOTF, color, angular performance, halo
Artifacts: flicker, reflectance

To understand the technology of the Samsung NEO QLED 65QN900A TV backlight, PISÉO analyzed the optical architecture of the unit by:

Disassembling the Samsung NEO QLED 65QN900A TV to access the backlight unit
Delayering the optical stack
Analyzing the material and the mechanical structure of each layer
Analyzing the optical properties of each layer
Analyzing the LED emission characteristics and the local dimming features at LED board level

Main conclusions

MiniLED displays, and the future microLED displays, are clearly a disruption for the display industry. This is both in terms of performance, as analyzed in this report, and also in terms of supply chain. All the major consumer electronics manufacturers such as Apple, Samsung, TCL and Skyworth, and display device manufacturers, are testing the market with new products and adapting their supply chains. They are also trying to find differentiation in terms of design, and choices of the right display architecture, as well as choice of the right components and modules.

This revolution is revealed by the YOLE Group’s different analysis capabilities. Teardown, supply chain, and reverse costing is done by YOLE System Plus. Performance analysis is done by PISÉO. YOLE Intelligence studies company strategies and market evolution. Meanwhile, DXOMARK analyzes the visual performance of the display. Together, we have decided to launch a series of performance analysis reports to cover the most important MiniLED displays available on the market. Besides the Samsung NEO QLED 65QN900A TV, this year we released studies of the following tablet, monitor, and TVs:

Apple iPad Pro MiniLED 12.9” – visual performance and optical construction analysis
Samsung Monitor MiniLED Odyssey Neo G9 – visual performance and optical construction analysis
TCL 85X925 Pro 85” MiniLED 8K TV – visual performance and optical construction analysis

These products are part of the first MiniLED displays available on the market.

These reports are available and reveal the design differences of these displays, the supply chain choices, the key suppliers, and new technologies implemented.

Based on these reports, next year we will release an overview report with a performance comparison and analysis of the four products.

Do you have an account?

Search

Samsung NEO QLED 65QN900A TV visual performance and optical construction analysis

With a “all in one plate” construction of the backlight unit stack, Samsung makes the assembly of the NEO QLED 65QN900A TV easier