Samsung will give you a free 65-inch 4K TV right now, but Amazon's offer is even better

Earlier this week, Samsung unveiled the official prices of its 2024 TVs, opening the floodgates for entertainment enthusiasts and long-awaited upgraders to put their money where their mouths were for the latest home displays. Like LG and TCL, AI is at the core of this year’s Samsung TVs, from the anti-glare S95D OLED model to the growingly popular Frame TV to the humble 4K QLED that most people will likely end up buying. Oh, and Samsung will toss in a 65-inch 4K TV — the TU690T model from 2022 — with any of its TVs you preorder, so that’s sweet.

Not to be outdone, Amazon’s Big Spring Sale this weekend is both matching Samsung’s free TV offer and discounting every model by $100, making it the destination for Prime members to upgrade to the latest QLED, OLED, 8K, and lifestyle sets.

Without question, the showstopper of Samsung’s 2024 TV lineup is the S95D OLED, which ZDNET’s Jason Hiner and I first laid eyes on at CES in January. The model before it, the S95C OLED was already fantastic when we tested it, and the newest model steps things up with an anti-glare display that solves one of the biggest issues with today’s OLED panels: neutralizing the distracting reflections of ambient light to produce greater contrast and, somehow, stronger color intensity.

There’s also the cheaper S90D model that losses the anti-glare treatment but still gets an updated AI processor for depth enhancing, ramping the refresh rate up to 144Hz, and improved 4K upscaling. I’ll note that the S90D doesn’t come in sizes smaller than 55 inches, which is compared to, say, LG’s new C4 OLED that’s available in 42- and 48-inches.

Also: Samsung’s S95D OLED is the best TV of CES 2024 and best in the world right now

The big upgrade with this year’s Frame TV is its ability to dip down to 60Hz refresh rate for reduced power consumption. As for the expensive but more-accessible-than-ever 8K models (QN800D and QN900D), Samsung’s hoping that its new AI upscaling and motion-enhancing features will be enough to entice potential buyers, in case the bonus 65-inch TV doesn’t do the trick.

Lastly, let’s talk about the “free TV.” It’s the TU690T model, released back in 2022, with a passable Crystal UHD 4K processor (for upscaling) and two HDMI ports. The exact display technology, dubbed “Direct Lit LED” is no local dimming like on the best mini LED sets we’ve tested at ZDNET, but according to Amazon buyers, should get bright enough in most lighting conditions. 

Ultimately, the free 65-inch TV, which typically sells for $449, shouldn’t be the main reason you buy one of Samsung’s 2024 models. But if you were already considering picking one of them up, whether it’s the Frame TV, OLED, or 8K QLED, having an extra set for the basement, guest room, or just as backup is not the worse idea. And Amazon will even deduct an extra $100 if you’re a Prime member.