Per-content picture modes
| Content | Mode | Key settings |
|---|---|---|
| Kaleidescape cinema, Apple TV+ films | Movie (Nicole-acceptable default) | Warm 2, HDR Tone Mapping Active (~2x brighter highlights vs Static per Rtings), Contrast Enhancer Off, Auto Motion Plus Off, Peak Brightness High, AI Picture Pro Off, Brightness 12–30 (12 = ~200 nits dark room; raise for NYC ambient light), Contrast 45, Sharpness 0 |
| Filmmaker (solo cinephile alternate) | Filmmaker | Warm 2 (FMM-locked), HDR Tone Mapping Static, Contrast Enhancer Off (FMM-locked), Peak Brightness High, Gamma: {ST.2084} −1 (Rtings-confirmed; tracks PQ EOTF accurately on S95F). Mastering-intent accurate but darker — use only when watching solo and want strict cinematic fidelity. |
| PS5 Pro, Switch 2, PC | Game | Game Mode On per input, Game Motion Plus Off, VRR On, FreeSync Premium Pro On |
| Daily TV, news, sports | Standard | OK to leave defaults |
Why Movie + HDR Tone Mapping Active (Nicole default): Nicole finds Filmmaker too dim. Standard looks blown out. Movie + HDR Tone Mapping Active is the middle: ~1,100 cd/m² highlight peaks (close to Standard's perceived brightness) with accurate Warm 2 color, no contrast/sharpening processing, no motion smoothing. Rtings measured Hallway scene: Static 632 cd/m² → Active 1,136 cd/m². Per-HDMI-input persistence means you can switch to Filmmaker for solo cinephile sessions and Movie persists for shared viewing — no daily re-tuning.
Filmmaker Mode lockouts (UHD Alliance FMM spec — not user-overridable): Auto Motion Plus → Off, Contrast Enhancer → Off, Color Tone → Warm 2, AI Mode → Off. These are forced by the mode itself; you cannot change them while in Filmmaker.
AI Mode conflict: If AI Mode (Intelligent Mode) is On, Filmmaker Mode is greyed out and unavailable. Disable AI Mode first: Settings → General & Privacy → Intelligent Mode Settings → Off. (Source: Samsung Community, July 2025)
Per-mode lockout matrix
| Setting | Filmmaker | Movie | Standard | Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auto Motion Plus | Locked Off | User-editable | User-editable | Game Motion Plus replaces |
| Contrast Enhancer | Locked Off | User-editable | User-editable | User-editable |
| Color Tone | Forced Warm 2 | User-editable | User-editable | User-editable |
| AI Mode | Locked Off | User-editable | User-editable | Locked (AI Auto Game Mode separate) |
| Peak Brightness | User-editable | User-editable | User-editable | User-editable |
| HDR Tone Mapping | User-editable (Static default) | User-editable | User-editable | Game HDR replaces |
Source: rtings.com S95F settings (May 2025); UHD Alliance FMM spec; Samsung Community lockout reports. [DATA GAP: exact per-setting greyed vs forced in Filmmaker not individually documented for S95F; matrix inferred from spec + Rtings Frame 2024 parity.] Default mode is Movie (Nicole-acceptable; HDR Tone Mapping Active). Filmmaker is the solo cinephile alternate — lockouts above apply when in Filmmaker only.
OLED burn-in protection QD-OLED matters
Menu path: Settings → All Settings → General & Privacy → Panel Care
- Pixel Shift: On
- Adjust Logo Brightness: Low (default) — dims static logo areas
- Pixel Refresh (manual): run monthly if 4+ hrs/day gaming. Trigger path: Settings → All Settings → General & Privacy → Panel Care → Pixel Refresh → Start. TV must stay off approximately 1 hour during run; do not interrupt.
- HGIG firmware requirement: Game HDR Basic (Samsung's HGIG label) requires firmware 1203+ to function correctly. Firmware 1125.9 broke HGIG; it was restored in 1203. Verify: Settings → Support → About This TV.
- Screen Saver: Enable — Settings → All Settings → General & Privacy → System Manager → Time → Screen Saver
- Avoid: static content (news ticker, paused game) at full brightness for more than two hours
Per-input settings
| Input | Label | Settings |
|---|---|---|
| HDMI 1 | (Sync Box output) | Game Mode On (ALLM/VRR fallback), Anynet+ On |
| HDMI 3 | "Game Console" (was "PC") | Rename via External Device Manager. HDMI Black Level Normal when GPU outputs RGB Full — prevents crushed blacks. Menu path: Settings → All Settings → Connection → External Device Manager → HDMI Black Level → select HDMI 3 → Normal. |
| HDMI 4 (eARC) | — | Connected to Denon Main Out 1. Required for S95F internal app audio |
HDR support: HDR10 / HDR10+ / HLG. No Dolby Vision (architectural — Samsung doesn't license DV). VRROOM converts DV signals to HDR10 with dynamic metadata.
Sources
s95f_picture_mode_tuning.md s95f_picture_mode_lockouts.md samsung_s95f_earc.md s95f_mat_passthrough.md