As a home theater enthusiast researching your next TV upgrade, you‘ve likely narrowed your search to 2022‘s finest displays – the LG C2 OLED and the Samsung QN90B QLED. Both manufacturers packed these models with cutting-edge display technology sure to deliver a supreme viewing experience. But differences in panel types, features, and pricing guarantee one will better suit your needs.
In this guide, you‘ll discover how these premium televisions compare beyond the spec sheet so you can confidently decide which earns a place in your living room. With over a decade of display reviewing under my belt, I‘ve put both the stellar LG C2 and Samsung‘s flagship Neo QLED to the test to help guide your buying decision.
At a Glance: LG C2 vs Samsung QN90B
Before diving into performance breakdowns and evaluations across key TV capabilities, let‘s briefly summarize what the LG C2 and Samsung QN90B each bring to the table:
|| LG C2 | Samsung QN90B |
|–|–|–|
| Display Type | OLED Evo | QLED (VA Panel w/ Quantum Matrix Backlight) |
| Backlighting/Dimming | Per-Pixel | Quantum Mini LEDs/Precision Dimming Pro |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz Native | 120Hz Native |
| Response Time | Virtually Instantaneous (OLED) | 6ms |
| Price for 65"| $1796.99 | $1997.99 |
| Gaming Features | 4K/120fps/VRR/ALLM/G-Sync/FreeSync Premium | 4K/120fps/VRR/FreeSync Premium Pro|
| Audio System | 40W 2.2 Channel | 60W 4.2.2 Channel |
| Smart Software | webOS 22 | Tizen with Smart Hub |
| Voice Assistants Supported | Google Assistant/Alexa | Bixby/Google Assistant/Alexa |
Now that you have a high-level sense of what each brings to the table, let‘s break things down category by category.
Picture Quality Showdown
As you evaluate display technologies for an immersive, cinematic experience in your home, picture quality reigns supreme. Let‘s compare how both OLED and QLED fare.
Light & Shadow Control
Deep, uniform blacks. Striking brightness capable of overcoming glare. Your ideal display precisely controls light levels across the entire luminance range. Here‘s how the LG C2 and Samsung QN90B achieve exemplary contrast:
With independent per-pixel lighting control, the LG C2 OLED can turn off individual pixels completely to achieve virtually infinite black level depth. This helps it produce stunning shadow detail – you‘ll make out nuanced gradations even in the darkest scenes. Measured black level sits at an inky 0.0005 nits – that‘s orders of magnitude deeper than LCD competitors.
- Samsung combats LCD‘s native contrast limitations by utilizing quantum mini LED backlights with precise local dimming. With nearly 2000 zones, the sets can selectively boost brightness in highlighted areas up to 2000 nit peaks while keeping blacks down around 0.7 nits.
Where QLED struggles is keeping blacks evenly dark across the entire panel. Blooming can occur, with light bleeding out from bright zones onto darker regions. The LG C2‘s pixel-perfect control avoids this entirely.
Color Performance
Vibrant, accurate color proves integral to immersive viewing as well. Both displays knock this out of the park:
- Leveraging OLED‘s ability to perfectly deactivate individual red, green and blue sub-pixels, the LG C2 avoids the color filter layers required by LCD technologies. This helps it produce exceptional color saturation and tone accuracy across the entire DCI-P3 color spectrum with Gamut coverage measured at over 99% in Cinema Home picture mode.
- Samsung fights back with exceptional brightness and its proprietary Quantum Dot filtration on the QN90B. Color volume – measured by color saturation across varying luminance levels – reaches 85% coverage of Rec 2020, edging out many OLED competitors. Deep reds and greens impress in person.
Viewing Angles
For viewers sitting off center or Multiple viewers spread across the room, Most LCD televisions see degraded color accuracy and contrast at wider angles:
- Thanks to perfectly consistent per-pixel emmision, OLED completely avoids these off-axis issues. You‘ll enjoy the same stellar picture quality with accurate colors and blacks sitting anywhere in your room. The LG C2 makes an excellent option for larger rooms with multiple potential seating locations.
- Samsung‘s QLED panel loses some contrast when viewed over 20° off center. Colors remain fairly consistent though thanks to the anti-reflective layer. For largely head-on viewing positions, the QN90B holds its own.
Considering these pros and cons, the LG C2 OLED provides stellar picture quality for dark room movie viewing while the Samsung QN90B offers increased brightness for handling well-lit environments. Both perform admirably across the board though.
Let‘s Compare Gaming Capability
Modern TVs need to pull double duty as both cinematic displays and low latency gaming monitors. How will the LG C2 and Samsung QN90B stack up as your next-generation console‘s ideal companion?
Responsiveness
Latency makes or breaks a immersive gaming experience – sluggish displays manifest as controller lag and lengthy input delays. Here‘s how these models fare:
- Relying on instantaneous pixel response times measured under 0.1ms, the LG C2 delivers exceptionally snappy, responsive gameplay. Actions translate on-screen the moment you provide controller input, keeping you fully immersed.
- While no LCD can match OLED, Samsung continues closing the LCD responsiveness gap on the QN90B. Its VA panel hits under 6ms response times while 120Hz refresh rate and backlight strobbing further combat motion blur. The minor latency won‘t bother average gamers.
Connectivity
Both the LG and Samsung smartly futureproofed connectivity for the latest generation game consoles:
- Each model contains a full suite of HDMI 2.1 inputs supporting 4K gaming at 120fps. Auto low latency mode, variable refresh rate capability, and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro compliance provide perfectly synced, tear-free gaming.
- For PC gamers, LG goes a small step further by baking in official Nvidia G-Sync compatibility. This ensures smooth variable refresh rate gameplay from GeForce GPUs.
With best-in-class low latency playback and high frame rate 4K support over HDMI 2.1, both the LG C2 and Samsung QN90B make fantastic gaming partners for Xbox and Playstation owners. LG takes a slight lead catering specifically to PC players.
Sound Quality Differences
While many home theater owners pair premium televisions with dedicated surround sound setups, a display‘s built-in speakers still play an important role. Let‘s see how audio shaked out:
- The Samsung QN90B packs an impressive sonic punch – 60W of power drives a 4.2.2 channel speaker configuration. Support for Dolby Atmos 3D audio playback ensures an enveloping sound field. Samsung‘s custom Q-Symphony tech even allows audio sync with compatible Samsung sound bars.
- LG counters with AI Sound Pro – the TV‘s 2.2 speakers are boosted through digital processing to emulate a 7.1.2 channel surround system. You‘ll enjoy some sense of directionality and audio immersiveness without external speakers. Dolby Atmos playback helps as well.
For engaging audio straight out of the box, Samsung‘s more powerful dedicated speakers give it the edge over LG‘s virtualized surround sound. Of course, adding a dedicated sound system levels the playing field.
Smart TV & Software Comparison
Streaming video and browsing smart apps directly on your television have gone from nice-to-have to necessity. How do the smart platforms compare?
Both Samsung‘s Tizen-based Smart Hub and LG‘s webOS platform offer full app support with all major streaming video services tightly integrated. Navigation stays smooth thanks to fast underlying processors – no lag jumping between apps and menus.
In terms of experience though, LG webOS leans simpler and more intuitive through use of the advanced Magic Remote‘s point-and-click operation. Tizen offers greater depth of options and customizations for those wanting to tweak. Both support built-in far-field voice assistants as well (though Samsung offers Bixby as an additional option).
For most user‘s streaming and smart TV needs, both platforms offer stellar, refined experiences. LG‘s cleaner interface philosophy wins over many users though.
Physical Design Factors
Let‘s briefly touch on physical design variation between the two models:
- Weighing in at a svelte 83 lbs without its stand, the LG C2 cuts an incredibly slim, minimalist profile – you‘ll almost forget its on the wall. Unique Gallery Series mounts allow for flush fit.
- Samsung counters with heavier duty construction – expect 106 lbs if wall mounting the QN90B. The integrated stand remains centrally located just like LG too.
Both sport modern stylings that disappear nicely into home decors. For the absolute thinnest form factor, LG C2 takes the trophy.
LG C2 vs Samsung QN90B: Which Should You Buy?
So how do you decide? First, consider your priorities:
- For home theater video in darker rooms, LG C2 leads the industry in picture quality. Perfect blacks and vibrant color from OLED outshine any LCD.
- Samsung‘s Neo QLED makes a better bright room display where increased luminosity battles glare better. Blooming issues are less noticeable as well.
- Gamers wanting absolute fastest reflexes for intense multiplayer need OLED‘s virtually non-existent input lag. But Samsung delivers admirable performance itself.
- Those still relying on TV speakers may prefer Samsung‘s impressive built-in sound system over LG‘s simulated surround.
Now factor in pricing – both start around $1800 for the ever-popular 65" size as of writing. Deals can bring the LG C2 down closer to $1500 at times while Samsung stubbornly maintains premium cost.
Evaluating the above performance breakdown through the lens of your viewing priorities should help decide which suits you best. For most buyers playing a mix of games and movies though, I believe the LG C2 OLED to be the superior overall performer considering its visual prowess, gorgeous design, and lower cost. But Samsung absolutely brings the competition with QN90B‘s Neo QLED prowess.
Hopefully this comprehensive comparison guide has covered everything needed to pick your next dream TV. Feel free to reach out in the comments section with any additional questions! Good luck and happy viewing!
