Philips OLED809/819 vs Philips PUS8359 (VA)

Philips OLED 809 delivers a more than satisfactory HDR effect. The television is capable of generating luminance exceeding 900 nits in almost every scene, and sometimes even over 1000. This result allows for a full experience of materials with a wide tonal range. The only moment when Philips OLED 809 cannot generate higher brightness is in a scene from the film "The Meg," which features a large amount of bright white across much of the screen. However, it cannot be said that this is a weak result, as it represents a significant improvement over its predecessor. Overall, such values for OLED panels produced by LG Display, which do not have MLA technology, are very, very good. Combined with high coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut, they allow for an HDR experience in a remarkable dimension. Philips OLED 809 test indicated that this television supports popular HDR formats such as Dolby Vision and HDR10+.

Philips PUS8359 didn't impress us with its performance in HDR materials. This model is capable of generating a maximum brightness of 320 nits, and often even less. Such results, combined with the lack of support for HDR Dolby Vision, mean that the image will be significantly darker compared to the source material. Therefore, it would be more beneficial for this television to play SDR content. This is also suggested by the quite low coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut at 83%, resulting in significant colour deficiencies. The fact remains that the television supports an HDR format based on dynamic metadata; however, HDR10+ is such a niche format that it doesn't offer any major advantages.

The best factory mode in which we conducted all our tests was "Filmmaker", which is now quite standard in televisions from this manufacturer. However, let's take a look at its characteristics before we start the calibration process. The first aspect we will examine is white balance, as despite being inconspicuous, it determines whether the image will be free from any tints. The graph clearly shows that in both SDR and HDR content, two colours dominated: red and green, which caused a strong yellow tint that was pervasive throughout the image. This is perfectly visible on the "ColourChecker" palette, where all colours shifted towards their warmer counterparts. The second thing we will scrutinise are, in our opinion, the two most important graphs in the context of image quality assessment: gamma and the EOTF curve. Both are intended to maintain appropriate brightness and contrast. The first describes the level of brightness in SDR materials, while the second depicts the rate of luminance increase. Analysing the first one, we can see that it has been remarkably lowered compared to the reference value indicated by the orange line. This situation resulted primarily in a sharp increase in brightness and a significant decrease in contrast, reminiscent of what one would expect from OLED televisions. The EOTF curve showed greater "caution" and only slightly brightened the entire image to 50% of the maximum brightness.

The best factory mode in terms of fidelity to the source material was "Film". This is what we used during our tests. Just like every other factory mode in televisions, it had its drawbacks. So we'll check what exactly was wrong with both SDR and HDR materials. In both cases, the white balance exhibited an excessive dominance of the green and red colour combination. This created a yellow tint spreading across the entire image, causing issues such as yellowed whites and problems with skin tones. This state of affairs was perfectly illustrated on the "ColourChecker" palette, where each of the tested samples was pushed towards its warmer counterparts. The foundation of the image is primarily contrast and black. These are represented by gamma charts and the EOTF curve. Looking at the first one, we can see a true rollercoaster, as both elevated and lowered gamma can be observed. The heavily elevated gamma caused visibility issues in black levels, whereas the lowered gamma resulted in a dramatic reduction in contrast. In this context, the EOTF curve performed significantly better, as it only slightly brightened the image.

Philips, like most leading manufacturers, has been providing advanced tools for the calibration process for years. Here, we find 2- and 20-point grey scale adjustments as well as an advanced CMS (Color Management System). As you can see, this has brought extremely beneficial results and fundamentally changed the perceived image. Practically every one of the elements mentioned above has undergone a transformation and has been returned to its natural state. This is particularly evident on the "ColourChecker" palette, where the measured samples are harmoniously in their places. It must be said that the white balance has turned out exceptionally well, allowing us to enjoy a clean image free from any tint in both SDR and HDR materials. The biggest issue with OLED809, which is gamma, has been properly modelled and only occasionally shows minor errors that won't affect the overall picture. The EOTF curve, on the other hand, has been stripped of that slight brightening and now presents itself almost referentially.

Philips provides a wide range of image calibration tools in both its higher-end and budget models. We utilised these tools and got to work, which wasn’t as easy as many of you might think. While we managed to model the white balance, significantly improve the gamma, and refine the EOTF curve in both cases, the deltaE errors remained exceptionally high. There are several reasons for this situation, which are directly related to the low coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut and the maximum brightness of the unit in HDR material.

Philips OLED 809 didn't perform too well in the test for the smoothness of tonal transitions. Moving on to the part of the test where we assess the behaviour of the TV's algorithms, we will again check the function responsible for removing posterisation. In fact, such a function exists in the menu and has several options available. As you can see in the photo on the left, although its presence has been confirmed by us, it is not useful. Only at the highest setting does it effectively remove disruptions, but it blurs the entire image in the process. Therefore, it is completely unusable.

Time and again, you and we find ourselves watching materials of lower quality. In this case, the quality of the image upscaling algorithms can have a salvaging effect. We must admit that those implemented in OLED 809 work quite efficiently and improve the image quality without visible artefacts. You can only notice slight edge blurring, but it is unlikely to be noticeable during normal viewing.

In this paragraph, we will look at two functionalities. We will once again take a look at the feature responsible for tonal transitions, but we will also check how the television handles image scaling. The option responsible for smooth gradation is called "Distortion Reduction." As we have established, it quite effectively smooths out inconsistencies. However, we must point out two things: we cannot enable it for HDR material, and it blurs details in films.

The tested television does not boast the best image scaling. The overall blurriness of the image is quite noticeable, but what’s worse, it blurs details. This is particularly evident on the branches and hair of the model. There is also a characteristic white halo around the character.

The maximum refresh rate we can set on the tested television is 144 Hz. This value can be achieved by connecting it to a really powerful PC. In the case of consoles or television, everything remains the same. For those who require high movement fluidity or dislike the characteristic judder of films recorded at 24 fps, the manufacturer has prepared a fairly advanced motion smoothing system. In the dedicated tab, we will find the “Smoothness” slider responsible for eliminating judder and “Blur Reduction”, which helps increase the sharpness of dynamic elements. The function works very well and granularly, meaning each of the settings has a real impact on the perception of motion. We also mention that it works at a refresh rate of 120 Hz, as it operates on the multiples of film or television materials. Thanks to such an extensive set, every user will find their happy medium. In the photo, we present our choice, which is slight smoothing without the soap opera effect.

Motion is influenced not only by the settings on the television but also by the response time of the panel itself. OLED televisions feature the best response time on the market, which in the case of 809 is about 0.1 ms. There are no IPS/ADS or even VA panels that significantly come close to the results of organic panels.

Philips PUS8359 will not be the best television for sports. The reason for this is the lack of implementation of even the basic motion smoothing feature, which was to be expected given the price of the device. We also note that we are dealing with a VA panel, whose sharpness does not stand at the highest level by itself. This type of panel is mainly associated with high contrast, which comes with a rather slow response time, as we can clearly read from the matrix analysis results. As you can see, from the pictures captured in fast motion, the image is blurred typically for this type of panel. While it may not be the ideal option, it can conditionally be used for watching sports; however, one must keep in mind the less-than-sharp motion. It is worth mentioning that movies will be characterised by judder since the television does not possess any, not even the simplest, motion smoother.

The Philips OLED 809 supports all the technologies included in the HDMI 2.1 standard, and during our tests, each one activated without any problems. Therefore, we must state that this television is perfect for all gamers, both those using a console and a computer. It's worth mentioning that the manufacturer has implemented the HGIG mode, which is a great alternative to Dolby Vision, which unfortunately on the OLED809 is unplayable due to the very high input lag.

A nod to gamers is also the inclusion of a dedicated GameBar, which allows monitoring of current gameplay parameters and quick adjustments of settings. There is also a function to activate a crosshair, which will be very useful when shooting from a sniper rifle, but from the so-called hip. Additionally, we can also find a shadow enhancement function for better visibility in shadows and a colour filter for gamers with visual impairments.

In summary, the OLED 809 is a very good and versatile device for gamers. Anyone who purchases this television for gaming does not need to worry about anything, as it is simply designed for gaming. Especially since features such as VRR, ALLM, G-Sync, FreeSync, and HDR Dolby Vision gameplay will allow for an even deeper immersion in their favourite title. Lastly, we should note that the only downside of the television in game mode is the artificial sharpening of the image, regardless of the settings, and it cannot be 'softened.'

It won’t be a surprise if we say that Philips PUS8359/12 only has the most basic support for consoles. Once we connect the console, we can expect features like VRR and ALLM. This is quite pleasing for the former, as life has shown that even in more expensive units, there can be issues with this. A nice touch is the implementation of a special GameBar that allows changing settings on the "fly", so we won't have to exit the gameplay and become unnecessarily distracted. This feature also allows for adapting the gameplay to the needs of individuals with disabilities, which will certainly be extremely beneficial.