Samsung QN65QN900DFXZA

The Samsung QN900D is a flagship 8K Mini-LED TV with best-in-class audio, stunning brightness, and excellent gaming features. It's overkill for most people since 8K content barely exists, but the upscaling and processing are genuinely impressive. If you can find it near $1,788 instead of $3,900, it's a much easier buy.

The QN900D's Mini-LED backlight with Samsung's best local dimming is the star here. Black levels get impressively close to OLED territory while pushing brightness higher than most OLEDs can manage. The NQ8 AI Gen3 processor handles upscaling from 4K and 1080p sources, and it's genuinely good at it. You won't find much native 8K content, but 4K Blu-rays and high-bitrate streams look sharp and clean.

For gaming, you get a 120Hz native panel, four HDMI 2.1 ports, FreeSync Premium Pro, VRR, ALLM, and HGiG mode. Motion Xcelerator 240Hz helps with fast sports and action scenes. The 6.2.2-channel, 90W speaker setup is the best built-in audio we've measured on a TV this year. Most people can skip a soundbar for casual viewing, though a dedicated system still beats it for movies. The 100% color volume claim holds up in practice too. Colors stay saturated even in bright scenes, which is where lesser QLEDs fall apart.

Against the LG C5 OLED, the QN900D wins on brightness, built-in sound, and gaming features like FreeSync Premium Pro. But the C5 has perfect blacks, better viewing angles, and Dolby Vision. If you watch in a dark room, the OLED is the better pick. If you're in a bright living room, the Samsung fights back hard.

The Sony BRAVIA XR A95L is the other big name here. Sony's processing is still the best for motion and upscaling, and the A95L's QD-OLED panel is gorgeous. But it's also expensive and tops out at 4K. The QN900D's 8K panel and higher peak brightness give it an edge for large, bright rooms. The TCL QM7K and Hisense U8 are the budget alternatives. They get you Mini-LED brightness for way less money, but their processing, audio, and build quality don't touch the Samsung. The Roku Plus Series isn't even in the same conversation for picture quality.

Here's where things get interesting. The QN900D's price in USD ranges from $1,788 to $3,900 depending on where you look. That's a $2,112 spread, which is wild. The lower end comes from one US listing, and if you can find it near $1,788, this TV suddenly becomes a much easier recommendation. At $3,900, you're paying a serious premium for 8K resolution that most people won't fully use. For context, a 65-inch LG C5 OLED or Sony A95L will give you perfect blacks and better per-pixel contrast for less money in many cases. But neither matches this thing's brightness or built-in audio. If you want the brightest, sharpest LCD Samsung makes and you find it at the low end of that price range, it's a solid deal.

The Samsung QN900D is Samsung's flagship 8K Neo QLED for 2024, and it sits at the very top of the TV food chain. This 65-inch Mini-LED panel packs a 7680 x 4320 resolution, the NQ8 AI Gen3 processor, and a 6.2.2-channel Dolby Atmos sound system into an ultraslim Infinity Air design. It's not cheap, but it's aimed squarely at people who want the absolute best picture Samsung can make right now.

If you're searching for the best 8K TV for streaming and smart home use, this one keeps showing up for good reason. Our database puts its audio at the 100th percentile, display at the 99th, and connectivity at the 99th. That's about as close to a clean sweep as we see. The smart features score in the 94th percentile, so Tizen, Alexa, and SmartThings all play nicely together here.

But 8K is still a weird spot in 2024. There's barely any native 8K content out there. What you're really paying for is Samsung's best upscaling, best local dimming, and best processing. The question isn't whether this TV is good. It's whether you'll actually notice the difference over a great 4K OLED that costs less.

Skip the QN900D if you mostly watch movies in a dark room. A 65-inch OLED like the LG C5 or Sony A95L will give you perfect blacks, better viewing angles, and Dolby Vision for less money. Also skip it if you're on a budget. The TCL QM7K and Hisense U8 deliver Mini-LED brightness for a fraction of the price. And if you don't have a high-end 4K Blu-ray player or fast internet for high-bitrate streaming, the 8K resolution is mostly wasted. This TV is for people who want the brightest, sharpest LCD available and don't mind paying for it.

Should you buy the Samsung QN900D? If you want the brightest, sharpest, best-sounding LCD TV Samsung has ever made and you can find it under $2,000, yes. It's a fantastic TV for sports, streaming, and gaming in a bright room. The smart home integration is excellent, and the built-in audio genuinely surprised us.

But if you mostly watch movies in a dark room, a 65-inch OLED like the LG C5 or Sony A95L will give you better contrast and Dolby Vision for less money. And if you don't have a huge 4K Blu-ray collection or high-bitrate streaming setup, the 8K resolution is mostly wasted. This is a luxury purchase, not a practical one. For the right buyer, it's incredible. For everyone else, a great 4K TV gets you 95% of the experience for half the price.