I measured Samsung's Micro RGB TV color accuracy in a lab - and it's perceptually perfect
ZDNET’s lab test finds Samsung’s R95H Micro RGB TV delivers near-perfect SDR color accuracy, while HDR needs calibration to look its best.
Intelligence analysis by GPT-5.4 Mini
ZDNET’s first Data Bytes evaluation of Samsung’s R95H says the new Micro RGB panel can reproduce color with exceptional precision. The headline result is that SDR performance looks perceptually perfect, but HDR is less consistent out of the box.
ZDNET tested Samsung’s new TV like a science project in a lab. In regular TV mode, its colors were so accurate they looked almost perfect, like a crayon drawing matched the real colors very closely. In brighter movie mode, it still looked good, but some colors needed a little fixing.
Analysis
What ZDNET tested
ZDNET’s engineering team measured the Samsung R95H in its Louisville lab using Calman calibration software, a Murideo 6G 8K Metal Generator, and spectroradiometric gear. The team focused on Samsung’s claim that the set can cover the BT.2020 color spectrum, and it ran the TV in filmmaker mode with brightness optimization turned off.
SDR results were the standout
In SDR, the R95H posted a Delta-E color accuracy score of 1.84, which ZDNET says is strong enough to be perceived as essentially perfect by most viewers. The set reached 97.28% of Rec. 709 gamut coverage and, with local dimming set high and brightness maxed, hit 2,095 nits of luminance. ZDNET says that in normal viewing, color shifts should be difficult to notice.
HDR was good, but not as clean
The HDR numbers were less uniform. ZDNET measured a Delta-E of 4.26, which is above the ideal threshold, and notes that this can make some skin tones, skies, or saturated objects look a bit too strong or slightly off. Still, the panel reached 2,353 nits in HDR and covered 94.38% of Rec. 2020 gamut in the lab.
The article’s broader point is that Samsung’s Micro RGB design, with separate red, green, and blue LED backlights and redesigned focusing lenses, appears to reduce color bleed and bloom while preserving strong contrast. On the evidence ZDNET gathered, the technology looks especially impressive for standard TV viewing, even if HDR still benefits from tuning.
Key points
- ZDNET tested the Samsung R95H Micro RGB TV in a lab using standardized measurement tools.
- In SDR, the TV scored a Delta-E of 1.84, which ZDNET says is perceptually perfect.
- The set reached 97.28% of Rec. 709 gamut coverage and up to 2,095 nits in SDR testing.
- HDR performance was less consistent, with a Delta-E of 4.26 and a need for calibration.
- ZDNET says the new Micro RGB design appears to reduce color bleed and sharpen contrast.
If Samsung’s Micro RGB technology scales well, it could bring OLED-like color precision to a different kind of display. The strong SDR numbers suggest viewers may get excellent everyday picture quality with less color bleed and better contrast.
The HDR results show the set is not fully polished out of the box, so some content may look too vivid or slightly inaccurate without calibration. If that pattern holds, buyers could still need setup work to get the best picture, especially for HDR viewing.
