Samsung Q90T vs Q90R: Which one comes with the best features?

Being one of the most high-end brands, Samsung has manufactured some great models of 4K QLED TV in 2020, among which Samsung Q90T is one of the most stunning ones. On the other hand, Samsung Q90R is the predecessor of the Q90T. We are going to compare Samsung Q90T vs Q90R and see what features difference Samsung brings to Samsung Q90T.

They provide amazing quality in almost every aspect, including HDR entertainment. Almost all aspects of picture quality produced by them are great, from its deep black, smooth color gradient, wide color gamut, and outstanding HDR peak brightness. Apart from HDR both of them have 4K resolution, quantum 4K processors, and similar smart TV features.

And if you notice the difference you cannot much accept the Samsung Q90R have Ultra Black Elite feature but Samsung Q90T does not come with this feature and Samsung Q90T also comes with 1 less USB port than Samsung Q90R. But Samsung Q90T has more advanced sound technology and Ambient Mode than Samsung Q90R.

Samsung Q90T

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Samsung Q90R

Usage difference: Samsung Q90T vs Q90R

Ground of Comparison	Samsung Q90T	Samsung Q90R
Movies	Great, has a deep dark, excellent black uniformity, and good local dimming performance	Great, has a deep dark, excellent black uniformity, and good local dimming performance
TV Shows	Great, Has high SDR peak brightness and good upscaling	Great, Has high SDR peak brightness and good upscaling
Games	Better, has a bit lower input lags in 60 Hz than the Q90R, supports VRR technology, allows you to play games with almost no screen-tearing. Has good pixel response time and BFI mode that allows playing fast games with smooth picture quality. Also, the VRR of the Q90T is compatible with FreeSync and HDMI Forum.	Good, has a bit higher input lags in 60 Hz than the Q90T, supports VRR technology, allows you to play games with almost no screen-tearing. Has good pixel response time and BFI mode. Also, the VRR of the Q90T is only compatible with FreeSync, not HDMI Forum.
HDR Movies	Good, has a combination of its extremely deep black, excellent black uniformity, and good local dimming performance make shadow details of HDR images can be shown excellently. Its HDR peak brightness is bright enough to show HDR images looks obviously in a bright room. Has a brighter highlight than 1000 nits.	Better, the Q90R has all the same features in this aspect, but its HDR peak brightness is brighter than the Q90T that makes it a better choice.
PC Monitor	Better, Supports most of the input methods including eARC and HDMI 2.1.	Good, Doesn’t support eARC and HDMI 2.1. Supports the other input methods.
Sports	Good, has good SDR peak brightness and good reflection handling also has an excellent pixel response time that makes motion looks clear on its screen. It has a BFI mode and a good side viewing angle.	Better, have all the same features as the Q90T, moreover, it has better SDR peak brightness than Samsung Q90T, which makes it even better.
HDR Gaming	Better, has a higher contrast ratio, evenness of black, low input lag, great response time.	Good, Has low lag and good response time, though the lag is a bit higher than the Q90T.
Price	Less Expensive	More Expensive
Overall	Better	Good

Feature Difference: Samsung Q90T vs Q90R

As we are done with the basic usage of these two models, it’s time to look at another comparison table that shows the comparison between their different general features and specs. Before buying a smart QLED TV, it is important to know about these features and other stuff.

There are many features of QLED TV from different aspects that you need to know. And most features will be discussed later in their respective sections. But here is a table that compares some general features of the Samsung Q90T and Samsung Q90R.

Ground of Comparison	Samsung Q90T	Samsung Q90R
Digital Broadcasting	ATSC/ ClearQAM US, DVB Europe	ATSC/ ClearQAM US, DVB Europe
Analog Tuner	Yes	Yes
Ultra Black	No	Ultra Black Elite
Display Type	LED	LED
Viewing Angle	Ultra Viewing Angle	Ultra Viewing Angle
Upscaling Technology	4K AI Upscaling	4K AI Upscaling
HDR Support	HDR10, HDR10+ HLG	HDR10, HDR10+ HLG
Motion Technology	Motion Rate 240	Motion Rate 240
Display Processor	Quantum Processor 4K	Quantum Processor 4K
Ambient Mode	Ambient Mode+	Ambient Mode
Smart Platform	TIZEN	TIZEN
Sound Technology	4.2.2CH 60W Object Tracking Sound Dolby Audio	4.2 CH 60W Dolby Audio
HDMI/ USB Inputs	4/ 2	4/ 3
Native Refresh Rate Panel	120 Hz	120 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate	Yes (FreeSync, HDMI Forum)	Yes (FreeSync)
Speaker Channel	4.2.2	4.2

Samsung Q90T vs Q90R: Overview

As we know that both Samsung Q90T and Q90R among the best models of Samsung QLED TVs, now it is time to see which one is better than the other one. As one of them is the predecessor and the other one is the successor, you might think that there is no debate here about which one will be the better one.

But don’t come to the conclusion just yet. Here we will have a detailed overview of which model is better and works more efficiently than the other one in which aspects. None of them has the total edge over the other one, as while one is better in certain aspects, the other brings more to the table in other different aspects.

So after seeing the overview it will be easier for you to choose a model based on your needs and preferences. So now let’s jump into the side-by-side comparison and overview of the Samsung Q90T and the Samsung Q90R.

7 facts I considered for the impact analysis

You have had a brief idea about the differences between the Samsung Q9oT and the Samsung Q90R. You have gotten a rough idea about which model works better in which aspects. But it’s time to get a more detailed idea about the different aspects of these two models, and then you will have a deeper understanding of them.

Then you will find it even more convenient to choose one among them according to your preference. And in order to understand more about the models and more about their comparison, there are 7 important facts to consider. These factors are

Picture Quality
Sound quality analysis
Design
Operating System and Processors
Smart Features
Connections
Control Options

Now these 7 factors of the Samsung Q90T and the Samsung Q90R will be analyzed and each of their impact in each of the sectors will be known and that will help you to consider one of them as your choice.

Fact 1 of 7: Picture quality

Ground of Comparison	Samsung Q90T	Samsung Q90R
Motion Rate	240	240
Refresh Rate	120	120
Resolution	3840 x 2160	3840 x 2160
Color	100% Color Volume with Quantum Dot	100% Color Volume with Quantum Dot
Dimming Technology	Ultimate UHD Dimming Pro	Ultimate UHD Dimming
Backlighting	Direct Full Array 16X	Direct Full Array 16X
HDR (High Dynamic Range)	Quantum HDR 16X	Quantum HDR 16X
Picture Engine	Quantum Processor 4K	Quantum Processor 4K

Contrast and Local Dimming Feature

As it’s typical of LED TVs with VA panels, both of these models have a good contrast ratio. But the use of “Ultra Viewing Angle” makes their native contrast ratio lower than most LED TVs with conventional VA panels that are around 4000:1 for the Q90T and around 3250:1 for the Q90R.

Fortunately, both of them have an excellent local dimming feature that can significantly upgrade their contrast ratio up to 11000:1. Combined with their excellent black uniformity, dark scenes of images can be shown excellently on their screen.

The HDR images’ shadow details are able to be shown the way they should in HDR. Also, their local dimming feature is able to reduce blooming around highlight fairly well. Overall, both the Samsung Q90R and the Q90T are great LED TVs for dark rooms.

Backlight Technology

Both the Samsung Q90T and the Q90R use the same backlight technology that is a Direct LED panel with Full Array Local Dimming or is called Direct Full Array 16x. But sadly the number of the dimming zones of this local dimming technology is unknown.

To dim the backlight in both models, a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) system with a dimming frequency of 960 Hz is used. But both of their dimming frequency can be changed to 120 Hz or 60 Hz depending on the setting of picture mode as they both have ab optional BFI (Black Frame Insertion) Mode.

Motion Technology

Both the Samsung Q90T and the Samsung Q90R are powered by Motion Rate 240 in order to maximize their performance in handling motion. Actually, this feature is also a BFI technology like one used in the backlight technology system.

Depending on the picture setting, this BFI tech changes its dimming frequency to 120 Hz or 60 Hz. Moreover, both these models also have the same refresh rate panel frequency that is 120 Hz. And this panel frequency makes them support any content with a frame rate up to 120 Hz or interpolate lower frame rate content up to 120 Hz.

Both the Q90T and Q90R also support the VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) tech, in addition to the native refresh rate panel. Their refresh rate resolution ranges between 20 Hz and 10 Hz at the resolutions of 1080p and 1440p, while their refresh rate ranges between 48 to 60 Hz at 4K resolution.

But there is a difference between these two models in the respective VRR formats supported by their VRRs. The Q90T supports both the FreeSync and HDMI Forum as its VRR format, whereas the Q90R only supports FreeSync.

To help to make their motion clearer, both of them have a BFI tech mode as mentioned earlier. Both of their BFI techs support both 60 Hz and 120 Hz. The dimming frequency of Q90R will be changed to 120 Hz if the Auto Motion Plus is set to ‘Auto’ or ‘Custom’.

Its dimming frequency in the game mode is always set at 120 Hz. Its dimming frequency can also get changed to 120 Hz if the “LED Clear Motion” is enabled. On the other hand, in the case of the Q90T, the dimming frequency will be changed to 120 Hz f the picture mode is changed to ‘Standard’, ‘Dynamic’, ‘Natural’ or ‘Game’.

Contrarily the dimming rate will drop to 120 Hz if ‘Picture Clarity’ is enabled. The rate can be dropped to 120 Hz by enabling ‘LED Clear Motion’ too in the Picture Clarity setting. Even though the motion gets cleared in both these models, the backlight flicker might be noticeable at times due to low dimming frequency.

Side Viewing Angle

The use of an anti-glare optical layer called “Ultra Viewing Angle” may slightly reduce their contrast ratio and color gamut, but on the other hand, this can make their side viewing angle coverage better. If on conventional VA panel, the black level usually starts to rise at around 15 degrees off center and front on their screen, the black level can be maintained at up to 70 degrees.

The color accuracy also can be better maintained on their screen than conventional VA panels. On the screen of the Q90R color, the shift is started at around 40 degrees, and color washout is started at around 30 degrees, while on the screen of the Q90T, the color shift is started at around 50 degrees, and color washout is started at around 40 degrees.

And lastly, they both are able to maintain their brightness level at up to around 40 degrees for the Q90R and 45 degrees for the Q90T. Meanwhile, the conventional VA TV usually loses its brightness started at around 30 degrees.

Color Performance

The Samsung Q90R may have a bit wider color gamut than the Q90T, but the difference doesn’t have a significant impact on normal content. And overall, their color gamut is equally great. The Q90R can cover around 90% in DCI P3 XY color space, while the Q90T can cover around 89%. Moreover, in DCI P3 UV color space the Q90T covers around 93%, while the Q90R can cover around 94%.

This means, almost all colors of HDR images mastered in DCI P3 like HDR10 or HDR10+ can be produced accurately. Both of these two models also have good color volume. They can produce deep dark colors really well. Most of the saturated bright colors also can be seen fairly well, except the very bright blue ones.

As we have known, all the LED TVs cannot produce very bright blues. But in general, they both can produce dark and bright colors across the gamut. As a result, the HDR of images can be seen colorfully on their screen with very accurate color.

While the Samsung Q90R has a bit wider color gamut, the color gradient of the Samsung Q90T is a bit better than its predecessor. But just like their color gamut, their difference in color gradient doesn’t have a significant impact on normal content.

And overall, their color gradient is equally great. There may still be some visible banding in certain colors, particularly in dark greens and darker grays, but for most people, this should not be noticeable.

However, if you still feel bothered by banding, both of these models have the feature of removing banding. On the Samsung Q90R, you can set “Digital Clean View” to “Auto”. While on the Q90T, you can enable “Noise Reduction”. But keep in mind, this setting might be able to reduce banding, but on the other hand, this can cause the images to lose some fine details in certain scenes.

Fact 2 of 7: Sound quality analysis

Ground of Comparison	Samsung Q90T	Samsung Q90R
Dolby	Yes	Yes
Sound Output	60W	60W
Woofer	Yes	Yes
Speaker Type	4.2.2 CH	4.2 CH
Object Tracking Sound	Yes	No
Q Symphony	Yes	No
Multiroom Link	Yes	Yes

Both the Q90T and the Q90R provide amazing sound quality. As we can see from the table, the Q90T has an upgraded speaker version, as the Q90R’s speaker version is only 4.2 CH. The Q90T also has an object tracking sound, unlike Q90R. However, both of them support the Dolby Sound System.

Fact 3 of 7: Design

Ground of Comparison	Samsung Q90T	Samsung Q90R
Screen Size	55, 65, 75 & 85 inches	65,75 & 82 inches
Style	Flat Panel	Flat Panel
Screen Bit	10 bit	10 bit
Screen Type	Quantum Dot	Quantum Dot
Screen Technology	VA	VA
Stand Type	Bending Plate (Titan Black)	Bending Plate
Bezel Width	Slim	4 Bezel-less

Both the Q90T and Q90R use the same VA panel technology powered by quantum dot technology. A TV with VA panel technology usually has a good native contrast ratio that allows them to produce deep dark.

But also a TV with a VA panel usually has a poor side viewing angle. But since they both have an anti-glare optical layer called “Ultra Viewing Angle”, they have a much better side viewing angle than most VA TVs.

The use of Ultra Viewing Angle slightly reduces their native contrast ratio and color gamut. The use of Quantum Dot Panel technology allows both of them can deliver a wide color gamut. Apart from panels, both of them provide other amazing design techs too, as seen in the table.

Fact 4 of 7: Operating System and Processors

Both the Q90T and Q90R are powered by the same image processors, which is Quantum Processor 4K. This image processor can process the images excellently; their processors also make them have some AI-related features like Adaptive Brightness, Adaptive Volume, and Adaptive Sound.

This processor also makes their Up-scaling engine produce better 4K Up-scaled images than a conventional 4K Up-scaling engine. And as operating systems, they both have Tizen. Tizen controls all the smart features and other operations.

Fact 5 of 7: Smart features

Ground of Comparison	Samsung Q90T	Samsung Q90R
OS	Tizen 5.5	Tizen 5.0
Wi-Fi	Yes	Yes
Bluetooth	Yes	Yes
Smart Hub	Yes (including Sports, Music and TV Plus)	Yes (including Sports, Music and TV Plus)
Bixby	Yes	Yes
Digital Clean View	Yes	Yes
ConnectShare	Yes	Yes
Closed Captioning	Yes	Yes
Game Mode	Yes	Yes
Eco Sensor	Yes	Yes
Mobile to TV Mirroring, DLNA	Yes	Yes
TV to Mobile Mirroring	Yes	Yes
Google Assistant	Yes	Yes
Alexa	Yes	Yes
Auto Channel Search	Yes	Yes
InstaPort S (HDMI Quick Switch)	Yes	Yes
Channel Guide	Yes	Yes
Ambient Mode	Yes	Yes
Auto Power Off	Yes	Yes
AI Technology	Yes	Yes
Apps Platform	Smart TV with Bixby Voice, Apps, and Full Web Browser	Smart TV with Bixby Voice, Apps, and Full Web Browser
Auto Motion Plus	Yes	Yes
Embedded POP	Yes	Yes
Anynet+ (HDMI- CEC)	Yes	Yes
V-chip	Yes	Yes
USB HID Support	Yes	Yes
AI Upscale	Yes	Yes
Easy Pairing	No	No

Both the Samsung Q90T and Q90R feature the same smart TV platform, which is Tizen OS, powered by Samsung’s Bixby. But the Samsung Q90T comes with the 2020 version and the Q90R comes with the 2019 version, though there are not many changes offered by the 2020 version. Their smart TV platforms are easy to use and run very smoothly.

They both also have a lot of interesting pre-installed apps like YouTube, Amazon Videos, Netflix, Hulu, Web Browser, Games, Live TVs, etc. Their smart TVs also support most the AI-related features like Smart Things, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, AirPlay 2, etc.

It also supports some features like Chromecast, USB Drive Playback, USB Drive HDR Playback, YouTube in HDR, Netflix in HDR, and others. It also has great built-in navigation powered by Bixby. And lastly, with Samsung’s apps store’s support, it allows you to download many interesting apps, games, themes, and others from your Samsung TV.

Fact 6 of 7: Connections

Ground of Comparison	Samsung Q90T	Samsung Q90R
HDMI	4 (3 ver. 2.0, 1 ver. 2.1)	4 ver. 2.0
USB	2	3
Ethernet	Yes	Yes
RF In (Terrestrial/ Cable)	Yes	Yes
RF In (Satellite Input)	Yes for Europe, No for the US	Yes for Europe, No for the US
Digital Audio Out (Optical)	Yes	Yes
Audio Return Channel Support	Yes	Yes
eARC	Yes	No
One Connect	No	Yes
Samsung OneRemote	Yes	No

Both the Q90R and Q90T are equipped with 4 HDMI ports as their main connectivity option. All of their HDMI ports support HDMI 2.0 Full bandwidth, HDCP 2.2, and CEC. One of the HDMI ports (HDMI 3) also supports ARC (Audio Return Channel).

Here the advantage of Q90T is one of its HDMI ports supports HDMI 2.1 full bandwidth (HDMI 4) and eARC. But the Q90R doesn’t support eARC and HDMI 2.1. Besides supporting most features, their HDMI ports also easily support high resolution.

The Q90R has one more HDMI port than Q90T. If the Samsung Q90T has 2 USB Ports only, the Q90R has 3 ports. None of their USB ports is USB 3.0, which means all of their USB ports are USB 2.0. They both also have 1 RF In (Tuner In), 1 Ethernet port, and 1 Digital Audio Out (optical).

They aren’t equipped with Composite In and Component In. Moreover, on the Q90T, different ports are placed on the back and side of the panel while on the Q90R, most of the ports are situated on a separated box called “One Connect Box”.

Fact 7 of 7: Control options

Ground of Comparison	Samsung Q90T	Samsung Q90R
Remote Control	TM2050C	TM1950C
Remote App	Samsung SmartThings	Samsung SmartThings
Voice Assistant	Yes	Yes

Both of them are equipped with Samsung Smart Remote as their main controllers. The difference is the Q90R comes with the 2019 model (TM1950C) while the Q90T comes with the 2020 model (TM2020C). At a glance, there is no upgrade offered by the 2020 model over the previous one.

They both have a built-in microphone for voice navigation s and the voice navigation works amazingly. They both have a feature called “Samsung OneRemote” that makes them act as a universal remote, allows you to control other devices with a single Samsung remote.

Not only HDMI CEC devices can be controlled by this remote, but also other devices that only support InfraRed connection. However, there is a single difference in the 2020 version as it has a Samsung TV plus button instead of a button featured for Hulu.

Some Major Differences between Samsung Q90T and Q90R

So far we have seen that in most of the aspects the Samsung Q90T and the Q90R are quite similar. They bring similar advantages to the table in many cases and you can’t differentiate between them based on those.

However, we can also see from the above discussion that there a few major differences between these two models. And at the end of the day, these few differences will help you determine which one provides better services and which one you should choose to buy. So now it is time to look at the aspects these two models are different in and have a brief analysis.

Object Tracking Sound & Speaker System

There is a new feature called the “Object Tracking Sound” in the Samsung Q90T QLED TV, whereas this feature is absent in the old Samsung Q90R model. Object Tracking Sound is able to track every motion on the screen so that you can enjoy more realistic 3D sounds.

And the speaker system in the Samsung Q90T is also advanced as it comes with a 4.2.2CH 60W speaker system. On the other hand, the Samsung Q90R only comes with a 4.2CH 60W speaker system. The 4.2.2CH 60W speaker system is able to support Object Tracking Sound to bring more realistic 3D sounds.

Samsung Electronics put Dolby audio features in both of the TV to make your movie and gaming more enjoyable.

Ambient Mode and Real Game Enhancer Version

Both the Samsung Q90T and the Q90R come with their own version of Ambient Mode and Real Game Enhancer. Here the Q90T comes with upgraded and improved versions of both the Ambient Mode and Real Game Enhancer.

Samsung Q90T comes with Ambient Mode+ and Real Game Enhancer+ that comes with minor improvements from Ambient Mode and Real Game Enhancer integrated with Samsung Q90R. The Ambient Mode+ is able to provide advanced blending by mimics the wall behind it, instead of matching the background of the Ambient Mode.

And regarding the game-enhancing, Q90T’s the Real Game Enhancer+ comes with better optimization than Real Game Enhancer in reducing halo and blur.

Price

Samsung Q90T was initially introduced at a lower price than Samsung Q90R for similar screen size options. But in some places, the Q90R models are sold at a similar price as the Q90T. But even apart from that if we look at value for money, we will see that the Samsung Q90T provides more value for money than the Samsung Q90R. As the Q90T provides a lot more upgraded options than the Q90R provides for the same price range. Also, find out the Difference between LG TVs and Samsung TVs

Product Differentiator

Samsung Q90T QLED vs LG CX OLED

The LG CX OLED is a superior TV for most applications than the Samsung Q90T QLED, yet the Q90T still performs admirably. Because to its OLED display, the LG features perfect blacks, superb viewing angles, and improved motion management. It also boasts much improved gray uniformity and a larger color range with more realistic colors right out of the box.

The Samsung, on the other hand, can be quite a bit brighter and has less input latency. In addition, unlike the LG’s OLED screen, the Samsung’s screen does not suffer from persistent picture retention or burn-in. Most OLED users who watch regular, varied content won’t have a problem with this, but if you watch a lot of static visuals, it might be a problem.

Samsung Q90T QLED vs Samsung Q80T QLED

The Samsung Q90T QLED and Samsung Q80T QLED are very identical in terms of functionality. The most significant change is in performance, where the Q90T outperforms the Q80T by a little margin. The Q90T boasts a better contrast ratio and peak brightness, as well as much improved gradient performance, which results in less banding. The Q80T, on the other hand, offers greater color accuracy and black uniformity, which might be related to panel variation.

Verdict

The Samsung Q90T and Q90R are great TVs for any kind of usage. They provide above-average performance for whatever task they’re used. But if we have to call one of the superior, it is hard as it is kind of a draw between them considering all the aspects.

The Q90R has better peak brightness, works better in bright rooms or when used for playing HDR content. Again, the Q90T has better input lags at 60 fps and has a better side viewing angle, is more responsive when used for playing 60 fps games.

Now, the decision comes back to you as you should choose one based on your own preference and need. Both will be great in their own ways. However, The Q90T can be a bit better choice being a newer model. Check out What is the difference between a Smart TV and streaming device Chromecast.