OLED reigns as a premium TV technology, but it has been traditionally weak in one area: screen reflections.
A combination of lower overall brightness compared to mini-LED TVs, plus a glossy screen coating on most sets, makes even some of the best OLED TVs susceptible to mirror-like reflections, where objects in the viewing environment appear reflected on the screen. This can impact the overall viewing experience, especially with darker scenes.
While OLED TVs have gotten significantly brighter over time, they can still suffer from TV reflections, especially when viewing in brighter rooms. That situation changed in 2024, when Samsung released the Samsung S95D with its OLED Glare-Free screen. This innovative new screen tech made viewing even darker movies easier in brighter rooms.
When we reviewed the S95D, we found its Glare-Free screen to be largely effective, but there was one catch: black levels and shadow detail were compromised by Samsung’s matte screen, resulting in black crush. That was something we didn’t find when we tested another premium OLED, the LG G4, a model that used a more typical, somewhat glossy screen
Cut to 2025, and the Samsung S95F and the LG G5, one of 2025’s best TVs, have both entered our testing lab, the former with a new OLED Glare-Free 2.0 screen and the latter with an improved anti-reflection screen.
Bright room viewing
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When displaying bright content in a bright room, both the Samsung S95F and LG G5’s high brightness let them easily handle any mirror-like reflections. This was the case even with both TVs set to Filmmaker Mode, a more accurate, but typically dimmer picture mode.
The difference between the two TVs was easier to spot with darker pictures. In particular, The Batman, a challenging movie due to its low brightness (it was mastered at 400 nits compared to the industry standard 1,000 nits), showed how much more effective the S95F’s screen was at reducing reflections.
With both TVs once again in Filmmaker Mode, the S95F eliminated mirror-like reflections during the opening subway fight scene. Even overhead lights were reduced to a haze (more on that below). On the LG G5, objects in our testing room were reflected on the screen and obscured the picture, with Batman now near-impossible to see. I could even see myself on the screen when I sat in front of it.
The G5 fared a lot better when I set both TVs to their brighter Movie modes. The boost in brightness provided by Movie mode made the same dark subway scene now mostly watchable, though black levels did appear slightly raised. And on the S95F, switching to the brighter Movie mode made The Batman look that much clearer.
Direct reflection handling
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To test the Samsung S95F’s Glare-Free screen against the LG G5’s anti-reflection screen, I placed a bright spotlight in front of both TVs in a pitch black room. Now, this sort of torture test isn’t something you’re likely to do at home, but it effectively demonstrated how both TVs handle light sources.
The Samsung S95F’s anti-glare screen reduced the light to a haze, giving it a fuzzier, softer look. It did, however, spread the light across the screen, something I noticed during my regular testing with our lab’s overhead lights on. But the actual spotlight wasn’t visible, meaning the S95F had eliminated the mirror-like reflections.
The LG G5’s anti-reflection screen did a respectable job reducing reflections of the light from the spotlight, containing it rather than spreading it like the S95F’s Glare-Free screen. However, the spotlight itself was on full display.
Black level limitations
One thing that became clear during my tests was that the LG G5 had superior black levels, even in brighter viewing conditions.
While the S95F’s Glare-Free screen was far more effective at eliminating reflections with our testing room’s overhead lights set to full, its black levels weren’t as deep as on the G5. For example, when watching a scene from Nosferatu where Hutler waits in the forest at night for a carriage, the G5 displayed deep, inky black levels, while blacks on the S95F took on a grayer tone.
Watching bright content such as the Wizard & I scene from Wicked, both TVs showcased solid black levels with plenty of depth, but the S95F’s didn’t have the same 3D-like quality as the G5. Elphaba’s black dress had more depth on the G5, with clearer detail and texture compared to the S95F.
Black and white scenes from Oppenheimer, viewed in both Filmmaker and Movie mode, once again revealed that the G5 had deeper black levels than the S95F, though I found this to be a closer fought contest.
With both TVs in a simulated evening living room environment (with one lamp to the side of the room), both showed brilliant contrast and rich black levels in the same subway scene in The Batman from earlier tests, but again, the G5 was the clear victor.
Final thoughts
What became clear during my comparison test was that, if you want an OLED TV for watching in a seriously bright room, the Samsung S95F with its Glare-Free screen is the winner. It eliminates mirror-like reflections more effectively than the G5, which is crucial for watching darker movies such as The Batman and Nosferatu.
However, you will need to compromise on black levels with the S95F. Don’t get me wrong, Samsung’s flagship OLED still delivers a stunning picture, but if you’re looking for the most accurate, deepest black levels, the G5 is the winner.
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james.davidson@futurenet.com (James Davidson)
