If you‘re considering Samsung‘s cutting-edge TV display technology for a 2023 upgrade, two models likely dominate your search – the highly-rated QN90B QLED that launched last year and the upcoming Micro LED CX revealed at the recent CES showcase.
Deciding between these premium Samsung televisions means weighing factors like:
- Display advancements (self-emissive Micro LED vs. quantum dots)
- Picture quality
- Gaming performance
- Features for streaming and connectivity
- Prices
- And more
This guide will compare Samsung‘s television titans across those categories to determine:
- Exactly how thepixel structures behind the QN90B QLED and Micro LED CX impact real-world viewing
- Where each model excels or falls short for applications like cinema, sports, gaming, and beyond
- How features for gaming, streaming, smart ecosystems and other functionality stack up
- When paying the higher cost for the 2023 Micro LED CX becomes worth it over the still-superb 2022 QN90B release
- And ultimately, which technology showcase Samsung TV better suits your needs!
Let‘s dive into Samsung‘s best for a head-to-head evaluation.
First, a deeper look into what constitutes the display foundations of each television technology…
What is QLED/Quantum Dot LED TV?
The Samsung QN90B falls under the QLED (quantum dot LED) TV umbrella. These televisions utilize a variant of traditional LED-backlit LCD technology enhanced through Samsung‘s Quantum Dot layer. This layer, when stimulated by the LED light source, produces exceptionally pure and accurate red and green light.
The quantum dots effectively act as microscopic color filters to achieve greater color volume. This helps QLED TVs like the QN90B deliver vivid, highly dynamic images with excellent brightness partly through Increased luminance from the Quantum Dot enhancement.
Other characteristics that help the QN90B QLED excel include:
Local Dimming Zones – Instead of lighting the entire display uniformly, full array local dimming divides the TV into zones that can be dimmed or brightened independently. This heightens contrast for truly deep blacks adjacent to bright areas. The 65" QN90B offers nearly 500 local dimming zones!
Anti-Reflective Coating – The QN90B minimizes glare through an anti-reflective coating layered onto the Quantum Dots. This allows bolder images even in sunlit living rooms.
Wide Viewing Angles + Antireflection – QLED TVs often suffer degraded picture quality outside head-on viewing. But the QN90B‘s anti-glare coatings help widen angles up to ~60 degrees off-center with less color and contrast drop-off.
Now let‘s explore Micro LED…
What is Micro LED TV Technology in the CX?
Rather than utilize liquid crystal layers and separate LED backlights, Micro LED displays contain pixels comprised of tiny LEDs themselves. Put another way, each self-emissive Micro LED pixel emits its own light. This differs from the QN90B‘s reliance on quantum dot filtering combined with separate LED zone manipulation to produce images.
With Micro LED‘s tiny LEDs (under 100 microns wide) making up RGB pixels directly, several benefits emerge:
Supreme Brightness Control – With per-pixel light emission, Micro LED can wield far greater control over luminance across the entire brightness range, from deepest blacks to intensely bright highlights.
Lightning Response Times – Activating LEDs nearly instantly allows for response times down to the microsecond range. Samsung lists an astonishing 2 nanoseconds for the CX! This enables refresh rates up to 240Hz.
No Burn-in Risk – Unlike organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TVs that decay over time, Samsung says Micro LED diodes retain their luminance essentially forever without permanent burn-in.
Wide Color Gamuts – Micro LED is capable of expansive color with increased saturation and wider gamuts approaching 100% of P3 or more. This could extend past what even the QN90B QLED produces.
Bespoke Sizes – Micro LED cabinets can be created in custom shapes and aspect ratios. While the CX will still come in set diagonal sizes, future installations may one day scale to perfectly fit spaces.
Now that we‘ve broken down the core display technologies powering these models, let‘s see how they translate to real-world performance…
Samsung designed both the QN90B and CX to deliver superb 4K high dynamic range (Dolby Vision) imaging. Powerful onboard processors analyze and enhance picture quality on the fly. But with differences in how pixels emit light, how do viewing experiences ultimately stack up?
Samsung QN90B QLED Review
The QN90B achieves outstanding movie and television viewing through quantum dots, advanced dimming algorithms, effective anti-glare coatings and superb color. Specular highlights in HDR pop brightly while blacks reach satisfyingly dark levels thanks to the full array local dimming.
Detail remains clear and images retain accuracy even when viewing at wide angles up to around 60 degrees off-center. Fast motion also stays smooth; Samsung ratings the QN90B at an impressive 4.6ms gray-to-gray response time.
Gaming likewise impresses on the QN90B. Near-instant input lag combined with up to 4K/120Hz VRR support enables aggressively smooth gameplay. Features like auto low latency mode switch the TV into an optimized gaming state. Samsung also adds gaming-centric settings such as aspect ratio options and genre-specific calibration.
For other usage like sports or streaming films, the QN90B continues excelling through colorful, highly dynamic imagery. Motion clarity truly shines with fast camera panning or quick subject movement. Ultimately the QN90B brings quantum dot/LCD technology nearly as far as achievable until a bigger leap emerges….which brings us to Micro LED.
Samsung Micro LED CX Analysis
As mentioned, Micro LED employs no color filters, liquid crystals, polarizers or traditional LED backlights. Instead, the self-emissive LED pixels possess incredible control over luminance. Samsung quotes intensity output reaching up to 2000 nits, nearly double the peak brightness of most consumer TVs.
Combine this with steerable beams, a micrometre-scale grid structure and ultra-black depths, and the CX renders astonishing specs like 2,000,000:1 native contrast ratio and accuracy meeting 99% of DCI-P3 color space.
So how does this high dynamic range prowess actually look? In person, the pinpoint LEDs should minimize blooming that creeps around bright objects on LCD displays. Adjacent colors will burst from inky blacks through brightly lit highlights. Expect an almost overwhelming degree of depth from content mastered for premium home theaters.
And remember – no risk of permanent burn-in exists as each LED operates independently without wearing down over time. Motion fluidity will likewise achieve new levels thanks to response times under a millionth of a second.
The one unknown remains pricing. But the CX clearly surpasses essentially any consumer television in multiple performance vectors.
Beyond core picture factors, buyers also use TVs as central smart hubs for gaming, streaming, web access and connecting other devices. Let‘s compare what the QN90B and Micro LED CX models offer.
Gaming Pros on Both Models
For gaming, Samsung packs both the QN90B QLED and Micro LED CX with next-gen features:
Auto Low Latency Mode – Games automatically trigger optimized latency settings
4K @ 120 Hz – HDMI 2.1 inputs enable up to 4K gaming at 120 frames per second
Variable Refresh Rate – Adaptive sync eliminates tearing or stuttering between 30Hz up to 120Hz
FreeSync Premium Pro & G-Sync Compatible – Support for both major adaptive refresh rate standards works across Xbox, PlayStation and PC
Ultra-Fast Response Times – QN90B targets 4.6 ms while the CX claims an world class ~2 nanoseconds
New GameBar 3.0 Software – Centrally adjust settings or launch picture-in-picture views for walkthroughs/maps
Clearly both models set new standards for gaming. But the CX looks to smash expectations with itscombination of raw speed and next-gen features. The freedom to enable every setting maxed out could give CX buyers an edge for years.
Streaming & Connectivity
Samsung‘s polished Tizen software underlies the interface for core streaming apps, settings menus and features. Owners gain access to all major platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube, Plex, HBO Max, Apple TV+, Disney+ and hundreds more via the app store.
The 2023 update also brings the Samsung Gaming Hub for accessing leading titles through the cloud without a console. Both TVs additionally support screen mirroring, Google/Alexa voice commands, Bluetooth headphone connections, and interacting with IoT smart home platforms.
Given common Tizen underpinnings, streaming and connectivity options shouldn‘t drastically change moving from QN90B to CX Micro LED models. But CX may introduce functionality tailored to its cutting-edge display. We‘ll know more as its launch nears.
Either way, Tizen delivers an intuitive smart TV experience that essentially matches competitors. You‘ll enjoy all the essential apps and features buyers expect in 2023.
The Micro LED CX clearly pushes television imaging, design and performance to daring new heights. But stratospheric prices to match may keep its radical display firmly positioned on the bleeding edge rather than in mainstream living rooms.
Consider instead purchasing the still-superb QN90B QLED from Samsung for under $3,000 if you want near top-tier quality without breaking budgets. Between quantum dot enhancement, excellent local dimming, impressive gaming specs, rich smart features and striking design, the QN90B still satisfies as an aspirational television that outperforms nearly every LED/LCD before it.
But for home theater aficionados with expansive budgets, the Micro LED CX becomes the ultimate television to dream about until it launches later 2023. If having the pinnacle Samsung display matters most, the promise of Micro LED with true per-pixel self-emission simply can‘t be matched. Early adopters with money to burn would doubtlessly treasure the CX as an engineering showpiece demonstrating the TV world‘s shimmering future.
Either way, Samsung stays committed to pioneering achievement in home entertainment. We can‘t wait to see how 2023‘s heavyweight QLED vs. Micro LED showdown plays out!
