One of Samsung's best TVs of all time is on sale and would be a great TV for the Olympics

If you're in the market for a TV with the best possible picture for watching the 2024 Summer Olympics, then you'll have a difficult time finding many TVs better than Samsung's S90C OLED TV from 2023, especially for the price.

The 65-inch version usually retails for $2,599, Amazon usually sells it for $1,997, and right now the Samsung S90C OLED is on sale for $1,597 (very close to its all-time low of $1,497).

Since the Olympics are often a place for the latest developments in high-tech broadcasting and storytelling to get rolled out, having a TV like the S90C OLED to watch would be a treat because of the HDR performance, smooth motion, and great off-angle viewing.

There's consensus in the TV industry and among TV reviews that OLED TVs generally have superior picture quality to the various versions of LCD TVs -- LED, QLED, and Mini LED being the latest versions -- because of their excellent contrast, dynamic range, color intensity, and ability to reproduce the deepest black parts of a picture.

The Samsung S90C OLED TV is last year's model and is in the process of being superseded by 2024's S90D (on sale for $1,797), but there's very little difference between the two models. The 2024 version is a little bit brighter, but that's something you'll only notice if you put the two TVs side by side or if you're putting the TV in a very bright room.

The other thing to keep in mind with the S90C is that it's Samsung's mid-range OLED. The top-of-the-line model from 2023 is the S95C. But again, you're not going to notice much difference between the S90C and the S95C, which retails for $700 more at $3,299 but is also on sale for $1,697.

The biggest benefit of the S95C is that it comes with Samsung's OneConnect Box, which makes the TV thinner and offers an ingenious way of only having to send one wire up to the TV if you're mounting it on a wall and want a clean, minimalist look. The picture quality between the two TVs, however, is nearly identical. Again, the S95C is also a little bit brighter. 

Also: This Sony Bravia is one of the best TVs you've never heard of - and it's on sale

Nevertheless, I've been testing an S90C since the end of 2023, and it is plenty bright enough to enjoy the best content. I've tested it with some of my favorites, such as Dune, Tron: Legacy, and Avengers: End Game, and it offers an incredible picture to immerse you in the most cinematic stories. I have no hesitation in calling the S90C one of the best TVs that Samsung has ever made. 

There are very few drawbacks to the S90C, but I'll mention a couple of things to keep in mind. I don't love Samsung's built-in software and user interface running on its proprietary Tizen platform because it's not very intuitive to navigate, and it doesn't always do justice to the picture quality of the content from streaming services. I'd recommend connecting an Apple TV 4K or a 4K Chromecast with Google TV to get a better user experience and streaming content that's better optimized to take advantage of the S90C's great picture.

Like most TVs, the onboard sound quality of the S90C is mediocre, so it's well worth adding a soundbar to take advantage of the cinematic potential of this TV. I'd recommend the Samsung Q900C or the more affordable Hisense AX5125H. I've tested both of these soundbars, and the Samsung is great for big, booming sound, while the Hisense is a very solid option for the money and a significant upgrade over the built-in sound of virtually any TV. 

Also: The best TVs of 2024: Expert tested

Lastly, I want to mention one other TV, the Samsung S95D. This is the 2024 version of Samsung's flagship OLED. Before you invest in an OLED TV like the S90C, I have to let you know that I consider the S95D to have the best picture quality of any OLED on the market, primarily because of its non-glare screen. Not everyone loves a matte finish, but the one on the S95D is exceptional. It does not detract from the picture but enhances it, making it great to watch in a bright room. That's why I've called the S95D the best TV of the year. That said, even during and after Prime Day, the 65-inch version is only on sale for $2,897, $500 off its normal $3,397 price. So you could almost get two S90C TVs for the price of one S95D right now.

If money was no object, the two TVs I would most recommend right now would be either the Samsung S95D or the Sony Bravia 9. That said, I consider the Samsung S90C and the Sony X90L the TVs that offer the best picture and features for the price.