Samsung S95D vs. S95C: Our TV expert pit the brand's top OLEDs head-to-head

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The S95 series is Samsung's flagship OLED TV lineup. It offers high-end picture quality and is geared toward buyers willing to pay a premium for the brand's best performance. Right now, shoppers can choose between two S95 models: the 2023 S95C and 2024 S95D.

The S95D is meant to replace the S95C, but the latter will remain available until existing stock sells out. Both TVs have similar capabilities, but the S95D can get a bit brighter, and it has a new matte screen that significantly reduces glare and reflections. However, the older S95C costs much less, and its glossy screen has some unique perks that videophiles might prefer.  

To help you decide which high-end Samsung TV is best for your needs, I put both models head-to-head. I've been reviewing home entertainment products for over a decade, and my findings are based on hands-on testing time with each TV. Here's why I think the S95C remains a better buy for most people searching for a premium OLED. 

Samsung S95D vs. S95C: Picture performance

The S95D and S95C both use QD-OLED (OLED with quantum dots) panels, which enables them to produce pixel-level contrast control and a wide range of bright colors. They also offer excellent viewing angles so you can sit off to the side of the screen without noticing any drop in image quality. 

When watching actual movies and TV shows, both displays provide impressive high-dynamic-range (HDR) performance. But while both TVs are neck and neck in most picture quality aspects, there is one area where the S95D has a more notable edge over the S95C: peak brightness. In fact, the S95D is the brightest OLED TV I've ever measured. 

On a 10% HDR test pattern (a white box that takes up 10% of the screen), I measured a peak of around 1,360 nits on the S95C. On that same test pattern, I measured a peak of around 1,700 nits on the S95D. That's an increase of 340 nits or about 25%, which is a solid jump. 

That said, the S95D can only hit 1,700 nits briefly before dimming significantly. But since most highlights that need to get that bright (like an explosion in a movie) only appear on screen for quick flashes, this limitation isn't that big of a deal. 

Ultimately, the S95D's increased brightness gives it a slight advantage over the S95C for two reasons. One, it gives you more headroom to adjust the S95D's settings and pump up the screen's brightness to help combat issues with glare in rooms that let in a lot of light. And two, it enables the S95D to more accurately cover the full range of brightness that filmmakers intend when mastering HDR content that exceeds 1,000 nits. This means that extreme highlights can come through with a bit more detail and visual intensity on the S95D than they would on the S95C. 

But while the S95D's brightness performance is the kind of thing that home theater nerds like me geek out over, it's important to note that the real-world benefits of this extra luminance can be subtle. If you watch both TVs next to each other while set in their brightest modes or playing HDR movies with especially bright highlights and colors, you'll certainly see a difference. But for average TV viewing, the S95C's brightness remains sufficient.  

So, while the S95D does technically deliver superior image quality, I don't think its performance benefits are big enough to justify its more expensive price tag. The S95D will eventually come down in price, and the S95C will sell out, so this will become a moot point. But for now, it's hard to justify spending so much when you can still snag the S95C for around $1,000 less. 

Samsung S95D vs. S95C: Glare and reflections

Even more so than their brightness capabilities, the biggest difference between the S95D and S95C is how each TV handles reflections. The S95C uses a glossy screen, while the S95D uses a matte screen. Both have their pros and cons, but the S95D's matte coating offers a big improvement in reducing glare and reflections. 

Glossy screens, which are used in nearly every TV sold, can cause noticeable reflections in certain rooms. To combat this, manufacturers use different kinds of anti-reflective filters. The S95C's anti-reflective filter does a solid job for a screen of its type, but depending on where your windows and indoor lights are positioned, you could still run into issues with glare.

On the other hand, the S95D's matte screen virtually eliminates reflections and glare entirely. If you struggle with reflections in your room, the S95D is a game changer. The only other 4K sets with similar matte-screen coatings are Samsung's own Frame TV and Hisense's upcoming Canvas TV, but those models can't match the pixel-level contrast that the S95D's OLED panel produces.

Unfortunately, the S95D's matte screen has one notable side effect: it hurts black-level performance in a bright room. Though reflections and glare are dramatically reduced, black levels lose a bit of that deep, inky quality that OLEDs are known for and instead look slightly gray and hazy. 

This is especially true when displaying darker scenes, like the opening action sequence of "The Matrix." This scene starts in a dimly lit room and then moves outside at night. The darkest elements of the scene are meant to be pure black, but because of the S95D's glare-free coating, they take on a more cloudy look that flattens the distinction between shades of black and gray. This makes it harder to discern details in shadows. 

The S95C's anti-reflective filter isn't immune to this kind of side effect either, as it can cause a slight elevation of black levels and a faint pinkish hue in extremely bright rooms. But I never found those effects on the S95C noticeable during day-to-day viewing. In contrast, the elevated black levels caused by the S95D's matte screen are more pronounced and easier to notice.

So, when it comes to bright room viewing, there are clear tradeoffs with each TV. The S95D's matte screen can handle glare and reflections better than any other TV on the market, but the downside is that you get elevated black levels that can give some dark scenes a flat look. Conversely, while the S95C's glossy screen preserves deep black levels better in bright rooms, it's much more prone to showing reflections when hit with light from certain angles.  

As a big home theater enthusiast, I prefer the S95C's glossy screen since black-level performance is one of the most important aspects of preserving an accurate image. The matte screen is definitely helpful for certain use cases and could be ideal for specific setups, but I wish Samsung had implemented it on a step-down model rather than its 2024 flagship. Or better yet, offered it as an optional alternative.

Samsung S95D vs. S95C: Design and interface

Outside their screen coatings, the S95D and S95C have nearly identical physical designs. Both TVs have a thin profile that measures around 0.4 inches thick and use a separate One Connect Box to house all of their video and audio inputs instead of having those ports built into the panel.

The One Connect gives you more flexibility for cable management, and both models have four HDMI 2.1 ports and one ATSC antenna port. However, the S95C has an ATSC 3.0 port, while the S95D has been downgraded to an ATSC 1.0 port. ATSC 1.0 supports receiving HD broadcasts, while ATSC 3.0 can also support 4K broadcasts.

The switch to ATSC 1.0 is disappointing, but it's not as big a deal as it might sound. Actual 4K broadcasts are rare, and most people buying a high-end set like this rely on cable boxes or streaming services for live TV rather than digital antennas. Likewise, you can purchase a separate ATSC 3.0 tuner if needed. 

The One Connect Box can be slotted right onto the back of the TV stand to hide it from view. The metal stand itself is also very similar for both TVs, with a sturdy pedestal design.

Samsung's smart TV interface, which uses the Tizen operating system, has been slightly updated for the S95D versus the S95C. The S95D's layout has been tweaked and streamlined, and there's a new loading graphic when you open an app, but general functionality and features remain the same.

Samsung S95D vs. S95C: Price and availability

The 2024 S95D is meant to replace the 2023 S95C, but the S95C will remain available to purchase for as long as the existing inventory lasts. Though exact street prices fluctuate, the S95C is often on sale for as much as $1,100 less than the S95D. Both models are available in 55-, 65-, and 77-inch screen sizes, and here's how pricing compares for each option at the time of writing:

The S95D's price should gradually fall as the year goes on, and I expect to see big discounts during events like Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday. By the time the holiday shopping season rolls around, prices for current- and previous-year TV models usually even out. It's important to remember that the S95C will get harder to find in the fall and winter as stock depletes.

The bottom line

The S95D and S95C are both impressive OLEDs, but the cheaper S95C remains a better value for most buyers in the market for a flagship Samsung TV. 

The pricier S95D technically offers better image quality with brighter HDR performance. But for typical use cases, I don't think it's worth the premium, while you can still find the S95C for less money. 

However, buyers specifically looking for a glare-free TV should consider paying extra for the S95D. It's the only high-end TV that can combat reflections this well. I generally prefer the superior black-level performance you get with the S95C's glossy screen, but the S95D's matte screen is uniquely suited for rooms where glare is a persistent issue. 

For more details on each TV, check out our full Samsung S95C review and our full Samsung S95D review. 

And for more TV recommendations, visit our guides to the best 4K TVs, best OLED TVs, and best Samsung TVs.