Samsung's S95C OLED TV was one of the most anticipated TVs of the year. It is a panel technology called QD-OLED, which promises a brighter OLED experience with the addition of quantum dots. And while we had some initial concerns about Samsung's new TV category, the S95C has upgrades that move the needle.

For one thing, it has a new 77-inch configuration with a slimmer design than the previous generation Samsung S95B OLED TV. It also includes the One Connect Box for cable management; PC gamers will benefit from a 144 Hz refresh rate, and the significant increase in brightness will improve performance across all content and viewing environments.

It's easy to recommend the S95C as one of the best TVs you can buy today. That said, we've posted our full review of the Samsung S95C OLED TV below, so you can see if it's the right TV for you based on our detailed testing.

We reviewed the 65-inch model of the $3,299 / £3,599 Samsung S95C OLED TV. This OLED TV has a smaller 55-inch size for $2,499 / £2,399 and a larger 77-inch size for $4,499 / £5,099.

The size options are limited compared to LG and Sony OLED TVs, but the addition of the 77-inch model makes it more versatile than last year's version of this TV. The Best 55-inch and Best 65-inch TVs all remain popular as well.

To help you decide which version makes sense for you, we've created a "Which Size TV to Buy" guide. No matter which one you choose, you should expect the same performance as the 65-inch test model. All sizes offer the same collection of ports and Samsung's Neural Quantum Processor 4K.

The Samsung S95C OLED TV has all the visual marks of a premium OLED TV, including metal materials, a bezel-less screen, and an impressively thin panel. At only 10 mm thick, it is even thinner than the S95B.

Samsung made the TV thinner by offloading components into its proprietary One Connect box, a cable management solution that facilitates input switching. When this TV is wall-mounted with an optimal TV mount rather than the included central stand, the One Connect box places the TV flush with the wall while providing a more convenient access point to the ports.

Speaking of ports, this TV has four HDMI 2.1, one of which supports eARC for the soundbar. In addition to the three USB ports, it also has a built-in ATSC 3.0 tuner, which allows users to watch NextGen TV in areas where 4K terrestrial broadcasts are available.

Testing of a Samsung S95C OLED TV with an X-Rite i1 Pro spectrophotometer and SpectraCal CalMAN Ultimate calibration software showed that this display reproduced approximately 141.5% of the Rec 709 color space in standard mode Rec 709 color space in standard mode. For comparison, the LG C2 OLED TV covered 134.5%.

The Samsung S95C OLED TV also had a Delta-E accuracy score of 1.4 in Filmmaker mode (closer to 0 is best). Nevertheless, the S95C does not have Dolby Vision, which may cause discrepancies between the creators' intentions and the colors of the final produced image. Most viewers, however, will be pleased with the impressive HDR and HDR10+ performance.

HDR brightness is where we found one of the biggest improvements between the Samsung S95B OLED and the S95C OLED. Samsung said the S95C was brighter, but did not specify how much. We tested a 30% improvement in standard mode with HDR content, from 1010 nits to nearly 1370 nits, the same 10%. This is great for an OLED TV. Of course, with a QLED TV, especially one that can reach over 2300 nits in its brightest mode, such as Samsung's QN95C Neo QLED TV, you can get an even brighter picture.

The upscaling of the S95C is done by Samsung's Neural Quantum Processor 4K. I saw the car chase scene at the beginning of "James Bond: No Time to Die" and the images looked beautifully balanced. The set handled the complex contrasts and artistic shadows of this scene very well. Thanks to minimal blacking, the blacks looked perfectly nuanced in HDR, and the bright areas retained their integrity without blooming thanks to the self-illuminating pixels.

The scene was full of movement, and none of the action was plagued by artifacts or other distractions. On the other hand, I was able to view this in a bright room thanks to the set's brightness capabilities, something I did not necessarily enjoy on my OLED TV. Similarly, off-angle viewing of this set was better than other sets, maintaining color even beyond the ideal 45 degrees.

The last test applies to the gaming experience on the Samsung S95C OLED TV. The lag time was excellent at 9.2ms, providing responsive gameplay in a variety of genres. Meanwhile, when connected to a gaming PC, the S95C's new 144Hz refresh rate is activated. This is the most common refresh rate for gaming monitors and is likely a feature inherited from Samsung's popular monitor lineup.

Combine this refresh rate with AMD's FreeSync Premium Pro and the S95C becomes one of the best gaming TVs available. When the console is turned on, it automatically switches to gaming mode and activates the automatic low-latency mode (ALLM). Samsung's Gaming Hub provides a dedicated gaming area on the TV, complete with a game bar for quick access to key game settings.

If you get a premium TV like the Samsung S95C OLED TV, we recommend completing your entertainment setup with one of the best sound bars available. This is even more true for the Samsung 2023 TV in particular because of Samsung's Q-Symphony feature, which combines the TV's native speakers with the soundbar to create a fuller soundscape. We have found it particularly useful for raising the height of vocals.

Without the soundbar, the S95C's sound is just okay. It lacks refinement and thumping bass, and the volume is not as loud. Again, the soundbar is an easy solution. A Dolby Atmos-compatible set would pair well with the S95C.

The Smart TV platform is a major part of using this TV. Samsung's S95C OLED TV is powered by the company's Tizen platform, which has not changed this year. Samsung said a while ago that this is because they want their customers to get used to the major changes from a few years ago.

We can't say it's our favorite in terms of navigation, but you can still find all the major streaming apps plus a lot of free content from Samsung TV Plus. What we like is that this TV acts as a hub for SmartThings. If you are expanding your smart home or adopting the Matter smart home protocol, this TV can be your center of control.

When not watching or using the TV, Ambient mode activates a sort of screen saver. Ambient mode can be customized to play with a carousel of aesthetically pleasing animations and images. Samsung made Ambient mode mainstream. Since then, other TV brands have added their own twists on ambient mode, but we still like Samsung's version best.

The remote control for the Samsung S95C OLED TV is thin and minimalist. It is generally easy to use, but the limited number of buttons means that additional menus must be used to change settings and manage inputs. Fortunately, there are dedicated launchers for Samsung TV Plus, Netflix, Disney Plus, and Amazon Prime Video, which is useful for frequent users of these services.

We also like the fact that the remote can be charged via USB-C or the solar panel on the back. Replacing batteries is a hassle, especially when you are relaxing to watch a movie. Needless to say, such a remote control is much more environmentally friendly.

It is easy to recommend the Samsung S95C OLED TV. The upgrade in both design and performance leaves a strong impression, and it is exciting to see that there is still room for innovation in the television arena. Furthermore, it addresses gamers with a stronger determination than any Samsung TV to date.