Samsung Electronics today announced that its 2025 OLED TV (S95F model) has been officially certified as a Real Black display by the Verband der Elektrotechnik (VDE), a leading electrical engineering certification institute in Germany.¹ By meeting the required standards to be genuinely considered Real Black, Samsung has proven that its OLED technology delivers a true black viewing experience.

The certification validates the OLED display’s crisp, reflection-free images with near-perfect blacks measured below 0.005 nits in dark environments, as well as black accuracy in sunlit rooms and even under direct sunlight. The result is crystal-clear visuals with rich, deep blacks in their truest form.

“Earning VDE’s Real Black certification is proof of our commitment to taking OLED technology to new heights,” said Hoon Seol, Vice President and Head of CE Division at Samsung Electronics Germany. “We look forward to bringing more customers the opportunity to experience world-class picture quality with the deepest blacks and color clarity.”

“VDE’s ‘Real Black’ certification is awarded only to displays that excel in our most demanding evaluations,” said Ansgar Hinz, the Chairman and CEO of VDE. “Samsung’s OLED stood out for its ability to maintain rich, accurate blacks across a wide range of lighting environments — from home theaters to brightly lit living rooms. This achievement reflects both technological excellence and a commitment to delivering consistent picture quality in real-world conditions.”

Meeting the Highest Standard for Real Black Validation

The flagship OLED TV series comes equipped with Samsung’s advanced Glare-Free 2.0. VDE’s certification affirms the exceptional performance of this proprietary technology, which preserves the depth and details of the OLED display’s black levels by minimizing reflections.

To earn this certification, Samsung’s OLED S95F series was evaluated on how “truly black” the display appears under various viewing conditions, with performance assessed through three rigorous tests:

• Ambient light impact in bright rooms: The display was evaluated for the level of distraction caused by light reflections for viewers while watching TV.²
• Black levels in dark settings: In a dark room test, the display’s black level performance was measured to ensure it met the standard of 0.005 nits or less.³
• Surface gloss level: Screen surface reflections were measured to determine the amount of glare of Samsung’s Glare-Free Technology.⁴

Exceptional Color for Gaming and Entertainment

The Real Black-certified OLED series delivers exceptional color clarity and contrast that brings every detail to life, whether in fast-paced games or cinematic scenes. The advanced OLED Glare-Free technology enhances this experience by preserving rich colors and deep blacks in any lighting conditions so that viewers can enjoy stunning, true-to-life visuals no matter the content.

Samsung has led the global TV market for 19 consecutive years,⁵ a position built on its leadership in premium displays and leading-edge innovations in viewing experiences. In addition to the VDE Real Black certification, Samsung’s 2025 OLED TV lineup is the first in the industry to be certified with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and has recently been validated as NVIDIA G-SYNC compatible, ensuring seamless performance and smooth gameplay.

To learn more about Samsung OLED TVs, visit www.samsung.com

¹ All sizes of the 4K OLED TV S95F series (55’’, 65’’, 77’’ and 83’’) have received certification.
² Greyscale discrimination AVG ΔE2000 ≤ 5 in a bright room with 500 Lx.
³ Black level ≤ 0.005 nits in a dark room (based on ITU-R BT.2100-3 under VDE’s dark room conditions).
⁴ Samsung OLED: ≤ 15 Gloss Unit (GU) (ex. Mirror: 100 GU)
⁵ Omdia, Feb-2025 (Results are not an endorsement of Samsung).

The 2022 Samsung Lifestyle TVs won the ‘Eye Care’ Certification from Verband Deutscher Elektrotechniker (VDE) in Germany, one of Europe’s largest technical-scientific associations with more than 36,000 members. The certification applies to Samsung’s 2022 Lifestyle TV models including The Frame, The Serif and The Sero. The screens are evaluated on various categories, including ‘Safety’, ‘Gentle to the eyes’, flicker level, uniformity and color fidelity.

(From left) Seokwoo Yong, EVP and Head of R&D Team, Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics and Cherif Kedir, President & CEO of VDE

The new Lifestyle TVs were assessed for safety from blue light emission and melatonin inhibition levels based on a light hazard classification method set by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Samsung’s 2022 Lifestyle TVs satisfy the IEC’s standards for screen flickering, which can cause eye fatigue or headache for viewers. They were also recognized for excellence in color fidelity and picture quality uniformity, both elements of which contribute to eye comfort level while watching TV.

(From left) Seokwoo Yong, EVP and Head of R&D Team, Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics and Wyatt Brannan, Vice President of North America Consumer, Medical & Information Technology of UL

Samsung’s 2022 Lifestyle TVs¹ were also verified as ‘Glare-Free’ by Underwriters Laboratories (UL), a leading independent safety science company. UL’s verification validates the ‘Glare-Free’ claim by assessing the products against Unified Glare Rating (UGR) testing standard set by the International Commission on Illumination (CIE). Samsung’s new Lifestyle TV models use a new Matte Display with anti-glare, anti-reflection and anti-fingerprint properties to deliver the optimal brightness and provide the best picture quality without glare.

• Reflected Glare, which determines whether the objects on a TV screen are visible even when external light is reflected on the surface
• Discomfort Glare, which determines whether a TV screen is too bright
• Disability Glare, which determines whether a TV screen is overly bright when watching TV in a dark room

These glare assessments were calculated based on test results of watching TV in both 300 lux, which is equivalent to a brightly lit work area, and in 70 lux, which is usually the value for a dimly lit work area.

(From left) Seokwoo Yong, EVP and Head of R&D Team, Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics and Raj Shah, Vice President at Marketing of Pantone

Additionally, Samsung’s all new 2022 QLED models received the world’s first ‘Pantone Validated’ certification from Pantone, the world-famous brand in the global color industry and creator of the Pantone Matching System (PMS).

These models receiving this recognition from Pantone include all 20 newly released models – 15 QLED TVs in both 4K and 8K and five monitors. Samsung’s 2022 QLED TV line-up was recognized for its accurate expression of 2,030 Pantone colors and newly added 110 skin tone shades.

“As TVs become more of an entertainment hub in the home, there’s an increased demand for screens with top-tier picture quality that minimize eye strain,” said Seokwoo Yong, Executive Vice President and Head of R&D Team, Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “This recognition from leading global institutes validates our technology that delivers best-in-class images along with the most comfortable watching experience.”

¹ Applicable to Samsung’s 2022 Lifestyle TVs consisting of The Frame, The Serif and The Sero.

“This award shows that digital inverter compressor technology can save significant levels of energy in practice,” said Kook-Jeong Seo, Head of the Thermal Energy Lab, Digital Appliances Business at Samsung Electronics. “Going forward, we will continue to develop products that contribute to reducing energy consumption and support sustainability.”

The digital inverter compressor serves as the ‘engine’ for Samsung’s main refrigerator line-up, and is the component responsible for determining how much energy the refrigerator consumes. Currently, nearly all of Samsung’s refrigerator solutions incorporate digital inverter compressors. While traditional compressors operate at a fixed speed, digital inverter compressors are able to automatically adjust their energy use between 1,050 and 4,300RPM according to need, at any given time. Samsung digital inverter compressors use around 30% less energy than ones with single-speed induction motor compressors, and thus also help contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. They have also been certified by German institution Verband Deutscher Elektrotechniker (VDE)1 to last up to more than two decades in durability.

The ability of Samsung compressors to intelligently detect changes in temperature and adjust accordingly has additionally allowed for the emergence of other unique features in the company’s full refrigerator lineup. Refrigerators from the Samsung Chef Collection, for instance, feature a unique fixed-temperature technology called Precise Chef Cooling that maintains a temperature variation rate of less than 0.5 degrees Celsius (0.9 degrees Fahrenheit), ensuring that food stays fresher, for longer.

¹ Result based on test conducted by VDE under Samsung-defined test protocol on compressor of selected models only

The smartphone revolution transformed the way we see the world: offering access to communication, information and entertainment – all in the palm of our hands. At the center of this revolution lies the smartphone’s display.

From watching the latest blockbuster to snapping breathtaking pictures, the highest levels of brightness, color accuracy and contrast are crucial to delivering the best possible color expression and the optimal mobile experience. The Galaxy S10’s striking colors and beautiful display have garnered considerable media attention, and the device has been designated DisplayMate’s highest-ever “Excellent A+” grade. This outstanding visual experience begins with the Dynamic AMOLED display.

Brilliant (1200-nit) Brightness

No matter where you are, you can enjoy a clear and bright viewing experience with the Galaxy S10 line. The Dynamic AMOLED display ensures that you can check your messages or easily search for restaurant recommendations without having to find a shaded spot when you’re outside and on the go.

When it comes to displays, brightness is measured in terms of luminance – the amount of light per square unit that the display emits or reflects. With a peak luminance of 1200 nits (40 percent greater than the Galaxy S7), the Galaxy S10’s display allows users to enjoy bright, clear images even under direct sunlight, without having to shade the screen with their hand or turn their back to the sun.

The Galaxy S10 is the world’s first mobile display to support HDR10+¹ which optimizes content’s brightness levels to offer users truly immersive viewing experiences. The display is backed by the official HDR10+ logo certification, which was created after several months of discussion with related organizations and companies to expand the HDR10+ certification standard – a standard that had previously only applied to TVs – to mobile devices.

Utilizing its HDR10+ Dynamic Tone Mapping feature, the Galaxy S10 ensures that content like films and shows are depicted precisely as their creators intended. This allows the display to adjust brightness to every single scene, creating better shadow detail, and making light scenes lighter and dark scenes darker.

The Galaxy S10 opens the door for users to enjoy an ever-growing collection of HDR10+ mobile content. This includes the rich library of HDR10+ content that’s accessible via Amazon Prime – the collection which was previously only available on HDR10+-compatible TVs. The Galaxy S10’s camera also allows users to record their own HDR10+-quality content with true-to-life colors and brightness.

Ever-So-Accurate Colors (0.4 JNCD)

Years of innovation in display technology have led to new heights of color expression for smartphone displays.

This is especially noticeable when viewing photos. Have you ever received photos from your friends whose colors looked washed out when viewed on your smartphone’s screen? A lack of color reproduction could be to blame. When it comes to color reproduction, it doesn’t matter how well a photo is shot, nor how high-quality the camera may be. Rather, it all depends on the color reproduction capacity of the display.

Like Samsung’s QLED TVs, the Galaxy S10’s display has been certified by Verband Deutscher Elektrotechniker (VDE) to produce 100 percent color volume in the DCI-P3 color range. This means that just like Samsung’s latest TVs, the Galaxy S10 can be counted upon to deliver a viewing experience that’s second to none. While previous Galaxy devices’ AMOLED displays have supported a wide range of colors, the Galaxy S10’s display takes color reproduction to the next level, producing true-to-life colors at the highest brightness levels.

The Dynamic AMOLED display received a score of 0.4 from DisplayMate for their evaluation of its Just Noticeable Color Difference (JNCD)². This stunning level of color reproduction makes watching a movie or show on the Dynamic AMOLED display a cinematic experience. It also helps ensure that when shopping for clothes or other products online, the colors of the items that you see on your screen will closely match the colors of those items in real life.

A World-Class (2,000,000:1) Contrast Ratio

When watching a movie or playing video games, the deeper the contrast, the more immersive the visual experience. In fact, the ability to make out shadowy figures in the dark can mean the difference between life and death when you’re playing a first-person shooter game.

The Galaxy S10 line takes gaming and watching videos to the next level through the combination of an industry-best, VDE-certified 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio. The former opens the door for even more distinctive and accurate color gradation³, while the latter enables the display to produce exceptional detail and deeper contrast.

When gaming, greater contrast makes it that much easier to navigate dark settings and spot items and lurking enemies. When watching dark scenes in a film like the latest space-set thriller, the enhanced contrast allows even the most subtle of details to shine through.

“We innovate with displays to make the mobile experience more enjoyable and immersive,” said Kee-Hyon Park, adisplay R&D engineer in Samsung Electronics’ Mobile Communications Division. “That’s why we’ve enhanced every aspect of the Dynamic AMOLED display: to add brilliant, high-quality visuals to more aspects of daily life.”

¹ HDR10+ is a next-generation open standard for high dynamic range (HDR) video. The HDR10+ Logo License Program is the product of a joint venture established by Samsung Electronics, 20th Century Fox and Panasonic Corporation. HDR10+ logo certifications are evaluated by VTM Group, a certification/logo management services company based in the U.S.

² The Just Noticeable Color Difference (JNCD) measurement evaluates color accuracy based on the bare minimum color difference that the human eye can perceive. The closer a display’s JNCD score is to zero, the more accurate its colors are.

³ Accurate low-gradation color expression technology is not included in the Galaxy S10e.

* Images and videos included in this article have been simulated for illustrative purposes.

No matter how big the TV screen is, if it doesn’t have the necessary picture quality, users won’t be able to realize the power of the screen. That’s why large-sized TV has inevitably led to the increase in demand for Ultra High Definition (UHD). UHD is a 4K (3,840X2,160) picture quality, which is applied to TVs that measure over 65 inches. The technology is about to take yet another step up as 8K (7,680X4,320) TVs are ready to be commercialized.

But this is an era whereby even the number of pixels isn’t enough in isolation. To produce the best picture quality possible, it’s also important to consider the environment this content will be viewed in and the quality of the original content itself. The paradigm is shifting and it’s vital that all considerations are taken into account to produce an experience that everyone will enjoy.

UHD TV Beyond FHD TV

Worldwide UHD TV sales surpassed FHD (Full High Definition) TV for the first time last year, according to market researcher IHS Markit. It is expected to ship more than 100 million units this year, which is about 45% of the total TV market. In 2022, the proportion of UHD TV is expected to reach 60%.

Samsung UHD TV sales volume is also on the rise. Sales of Samsung UHD TVs in the fourth quarter of last year already exceeded 50% of the total Samsung TV units sold globally. In the first quarter of this year, Samsung UHD TV sales also increased by more than 35% compared to the same period last year.

What is the Standard for Ultra-High-Definition?

In the ultra-high-definition TV market era, standards for judging picture quality are further developing. For example, is a TV able to reproduce colors with real-life brightness, particularly when the normal TV viewing environment is brighter than many would expect? According to the DOE survey, consumers in the U.S. and Europe usually watch TV in a bright environment with an average home illuminance level of 79 lux. Can a TV react and provide an accurate picture in these, and other common viewing use cases?

Experts advise consumers to look beyond the high resolution to see the different factors that cause the difference in brightness, contrast, and content when consumers watch TV. The way consumers view TV and the way experts gauge a TV’s ability to deliver is much more sophisticated than it ever has been. The TV needs to be more versatile because it’s used to do more things. That means Samsung has to be stringent to make sure its QLED products perform not just according to the specifications but also according to real life usage.

Blacks and Colors Transformed

When watching a dark scene in a bright environment, the reflection of objects around the screen can cause discomfort. QLED TV solved this problem by using Anti-reflection technology. Even under daylight or bright lighting, an anti-reflective screen dramatically reduces glare, allowing one to be more immersed in images regardless of the surroundings.

Along with this, Samsung is also working to expand the ecosystem to upgrade HDR (High Dynamic Range) technology, which is an integral function of ultra-definition TV. Since last year, Samsung has been developing HDR10+, which is one step more advanced than HDR10, a standard for realizing HDR video. HDR10+ is a technology that shows optimal contrast ratio for each scene through ‘Dynamic Tone Mapping’ technique which applies different contrast to each scene. The company is expanding its HDR10+ content in cooperation with global companies such as Amazon, 20^th Century Fox, Panasonic and Warner Bros.

AI Upscaling the Content

High quality content is as important as the ultra-high definition TV specification.

Many of the most recognizable names in video content such as Netflix, YouTube and various cable companies already provide UHD content. However, due to the burden of production cost, consumers are not able to enjoy 4K UHD broadcasting content on TV unrestrictedly yet.

The problem here is that if low-quality content is shown on a big screen, the pixels are usually enlarged artificially, causing the picture to shake or lose clarity. Samsung Electronics has solved this problem by installing the ‘4K Q Engine’ based on semiconductor technology on its QLED TV.

‘4K Q Engine’ is a technology that upgrades SD (400,000 pixels) and FHD (2 million pixels) class image to 4K (8 million pixels) class. Based on artificial intelligence, it applies a 5-step algorithm (Image Signal Analysis ▷ Noise Reduction ▷ Improved 1st Detail ▷ 4K Upscaling ▷ Improved 2nd Detail) to improve image quality and express hidden details. In actual comparison, in the FHD image, the part where the light in the night view of the city is clearly separated by the ‘4K Q Engine’.

What’s more, 8K AI Technology will be introduced in the latter half of the year and will offer an even better picture and sound expression.

QLED TV’s dramatically improved picture quality this year has been widely praised by many media outlets including Tech Radar, What Hi-Fi, and AVS Forum. Trusted Reviews gave Samsung’s QLED the Highly Recommended mark and said: “The Samsung QE65Q9FN is the most impressive TV I’ve reviewed in years. It effectively combines the strong brightness and colour of Quantum Dot LED (QLED) with the deep blacks and almost the lighting precision of OLED. That’s a huge deal in a world where you generally choose one or the other.”

“As TVs gradually get larger in size and the competition for premium picture quality becomes fiercer, detailed and subtle image rendering performance is growing in importance,” said Doochan Eum, Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “With Samsung QLED TV’s enhanced brightness, contrast, content, we are continuing to provide consumers with a superb immersive viewing experience.”