Compare: Philips OLED809/819 vs TCL P7K / P79K

Philips OLED 809 is quite a versatile television that appeals to a wide range of consumers. Its standout feature among all the TV models on the market is the multicoloured Ambilight backlighting. It often allows for even greater immersion and engagement in the world of film. What is most important in televisions—contrast, black levels, and colour reproduction—are all at a high standard, which is something that will always impress in OLED TVs. The tested television, while performing quite well in our tests, does have some notable drawbacks. These include the quality of tonal transitions and the jumpy operation of the dynamic tone mapping feature. In some cases, these can be slightly irritating to sensitive eyes. However, Philips OLED 809 performs really well in other aspects, particularly in two areas: gaming performance and motion smoothing. The former stands out significantly, as each of the implemented features operates without the slightest hiccup, allowing for an even more immersive gaming experience. As for motion smoothness, it matches the high level of support for gaming. Thanks to two sliders, whose effects are noticeable at every position, every user is able to find the best level of smoothing for themselves. One cannot overlook the Google TV system, which operates very smoothly and during the tests, there were no instances of any "stuttering".

It’s time to gather all observations. The TCL P7K / P79K is a television that smartly juggles compromises, offering significantly more in its price range than one might expect. Its undeniable advantage is the VA panel, which guarantees deep blacks and high contrast, while an impressively rich package for gamers (with VRR and support for 120 Hz at lower resolutions) makes it a phenomenal choice for console owners. The whole thing is tied together by a functional Google TV system. Of course, the low peak brightness means that HDR content lacks spectacular highlights, and the TV's performance in sunlit rooms is limited. And while, at its relatively low price, the P7K / P79K is quite a decent option, its biggest rival turns out to be… its more refined sibling, the P8K. Often FOR a small extra fee, we get a device that is a class above – with a native 4K 144 Hz panel, significantly better audio system, and generally higher operational quality, which is reflected in its much higher rating on our portal. Therefore, the final verdict must be as follows: if your budget is absolutely non-negotiable, the P7K / P79K will be a good and cost-effective choice. However, if you can afford to add a small amount, the P8K model will offer significantly more and will ultimately be a more satisfying investment.

Philips OLED 809, as the name suggests, uses an organic matrix. Like the vast majority of manufacturers, it comes from the LG Displays factory, which is not surprising, as other leading manufacturers, such as Sony and Panasonic, also use them. The application of this type of panel allows for achieving an ideal result in the contrast and black tests. Thanks to such results, the image is incredibly plastic and free from any blooming effect of bright texts on a dark background, which has become an inherent feature of televisions with local dimming. This is enabled by the very construction of the panel, which is not made up of many layers of filters, but of organic conductive polymers, controlled by electrical impulses. Therefore, if we want to achieve black, the pixel turns off to a value of 0, rather than being covered up. The lights present in the test image are perfectly separated from each other, which is extremely difficult, and often impossible for LCD televisions. One of the strongest points of Philips OLED 809 is its ability to render contrasts. Philips OLED809 test showed that the television handles the separation of bright elements, such as headlights, from the dark background excellently.

In discussions about image quality, the conversation almost always begins with the issue of black depth and contrast, which are parameters defining the plasticity and realism of the viewed world. And here, the TCL P7k/P79k immediately lays its strongest advantage on the table – a VA-type panel. It is its construction that ensures the native relationship between the brightest and darkest parts of the image is more than satisfactory, especially in the context of the price segment this model represents. In the majority of scenes, the achieved black has a noble depth, which allows for building an engaging spectacle for the viewer. To illustrate the scale, it's worth mentioning that competing constructions based on IPS panels often offer results that are even four or sometimes five times lower, which constitutes a chasm in direct comparison. Of course, as we venture into the territory of budget-oriented models, we must be aware of certain compromises. Thus, in the discussed television, we will not find an advanced local dimming system that could further enhance the impression of contrast. The absence of this feature is, however, fully understandable and constitutes a logical consequence of the product's positioning in the market – this technology in TCL's portfolio for 2025 has been reserved for higher-positioned, more prestigious series marked with the letter "C".

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+.

When it comes to assessing HDR performance, we need to be clear and straightforward without any marketing fluff: the P7K/P79K is not and never was meant to be a champion in this area. The maximum peak brightness that this panel can generate hovers around just 300 nits. This represents a threshold, a sort of thin red line between what can be considered barely satisfactory HDR signal and what is, in reality, only slightly better than standard dynamic range (SDR), unfortunately leaning towards the latter. Synthetic tests confirmed this harsh reality – our measurements taken during movie sessions showed that the luminance in key bright scenes rarely exceeded 200-250 nits. Therefore, this is not a TV that would allow content created in a wide tonal range to truly shine, and that must be openly acknowledged.

Unfortunately, the issue of colour reproduction is presented just as conservatively. Although the manufacturer positions this model within the "QLED" family, owing to the use of a PFS LED filter, the results do not match the heightened expectations. The coverage of the wide DCI-P3 colour gamut reaches only 86%. Compared to the market, this is at best an average result, since most devices that utilise additional layers to expand the colour spectrum easily achieve values at a minimum of 90-92%.

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.

Every reliable assessment of image quality must start with selecting the most optimal, factory preset mode. In the case of the tested P7K/P79K model, the choice was made without hesitation for the "Film" mode. It is the mode that presents an image closest to the intentions of its creators, avoiding both the exaggerated brightness of the dynamic mode and the excessive dimming known from eco settings. And it must be admitted that, for a device in this price range, the factory calibration is surprisingly decent, although it is not without a few stumbles. The most noticeable shortcoming turned out to be the not entirely correctly set white balance. A slight dominance of the blue component gives the image a subtly cool, frosty character, straying from the ideal neutrality that the director intended to show us. The television handles the reproduction of greyscale in the standard dynamic range much better – the gamma curve is almost exemplary. The only slight reservation can be made for the darkest parts of the image, where a delicate deviation from the norm causes a loss of some detail in the shadows. The most significant challenge, however, for the TCL software was interpreting the HDR signal, as illustrated by the EOTF curve. The television follows its own, rather free path here – the darkest details are disproportionately brightened, followed by a noticeable slowdown in brightness increase for mid-tones. Fortunately, most of these imperfections are of a software nature, which can be eliminated. With that thought in mind, we proceeded to the process of professional calibration.

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.

The calibration process turned out to be spot on, especially in the context of standard dynamic range (SDR) content. We successfully managed to eliminate the tendency of the television to showcase cool tones, restoring white to its natural neutrality. Moreover, the precise adjustment allowed us to correct a slight error in the gamma curve, enabling the darkest parts of the image to regain proper depth, without any signs of unnatural brightness. The results are measurable and impressive – in the ColorChecker test, the vast majority of colour reproduction errors fell below the perceptual threshold, achieving a deltaE value of below 2. This is a result that more expensive models would not be ashamed of. Unfortunately, in the case of HDR content, we encounter a wall in the form of the panel's structural limitations. And although we managed to bring the colours into line, the software's specifics mean that the television still adapts brightness in its own way, as evidenced by the persistent, non-standard EOTF curve. To summarise, calibration adds tremendous value, but it is important to be aware that it won't overcome certain physical barriers. The slightly elevated blacks, resulting from the lack of local dimming, and limited peak brightness mean that HDR content won't always be able to showcase its full potential. This is simply not the main task of this display; its true strength, especially after professional tuning, lies in viewing SDR material.

Equally important as colours, black and contrast in the context of image quality assessment, is its purity. The quality of tonal transitions can also be included in this category. How many of you have experienced the “banding” effect on your older screens? It is extremely annoying and often effectively hinders immersion in the series or film being watched. Philips OLED 809 unfortunately has some of those issues that are better left unmentioned. However, out of editorial duty, they deserve to be examined and assessed, which will be quite simple given their lack of complexity. As you can see, practically every scene showed a lack of fluidity between colours. And just like in the movie “Kingsman,” this is still acceptable, but in other productions, you really cannot leave a dry thread on them, especially when looking at “The Green Knight.” There, the dense fog has practically been replaced by horizontal bands and indistinct geometric shapes. There are televisions that can manage tonal transitions perfectly, but unfortunately, Philips OLED 809 doesn't belong to that group. During testing, we could see the banding effect, particularly in demanding scenes, which negatively impacts the viewing experience. Philips OLED 809 test indicates that even the options for removing posterization are not sufficiently helpful, which can be considered a serious flaw.

The issue of the fluidity of tonal transitions, or popular grading, is another area where the P7K / P79K evokes mixed feelings and surprises with its dual nature. If we were to assess solely its ability to render smooth colour gradients, we would undoubtedly award it a solid score of 8/10. Unfortunately, this entire positive image is disrupted by the use of very aggressive and visually unpleasant dithering. This artifact is particularly noticeable on demanding test screens – such as the one depicting an actor submerged in red water – where rough, unnatural textures appear on uniform colour planes, revealing the digital nature of the image. This is particularly disappointing as it is not a new problem. It seems to be a sort of hangover from previous generations of budget TCL models, which is a shame, as it marred what is fundamentally a quite competent image and is a mistake that could have been avoided.

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.

After a series of harsh evaluations, thankfully, it’s time for some praise, and this is deserved by the TCL AiPQ image processor for its work in the field of digital processing and content scaling. It should be noted right away that we are not talking about the level known from flagship models; nonetheless, in the price segment represented by the P7K/P79K, the results achieved are more than solid. The function that smooths tonal transitions performs particularly well, effectively eliminating posterization, which are the characteristic bands often visible in materials with higher compression, for instance, from choose.tv. The algorithm can elegantly remove unwanted gradients, which ultimately looks really good. The television also handles upscaling competently, which means the task of raising low-resolution materials to 4K standard. The resulting image, although it may seem a bit too sharp out of the box, is fortunately not a problem. The software allows for free adjustment of this parameter using a sharpness slider, allowing the final appearance to be easily tailored to personal preferences.

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.

The issue of fluidity and sharpness of motion image is inextricably linked to the fundamental parameter of the panel, and in the case of the TCL P7K/P79K, we are dealing with a panel that has a native refresh rate of 60 Hz. This specification at the outset defines its capabilities and makes it hard to unequivocally recommend it to enthusiasts of dynamic sports broadcasts. During quick camera movements, the image loses sharpness, and the panel also shows a slight tendency to smudge, which may be noticeable to more sensitive viewers. Fortunately, not everything in this aspect has been left to chance. The manufacturer has implemented a simple motion smoothing system, which is primarily used in film materials recorded at 24 or 30 frames per second. Thanks to a dedicated slider, the user can decide on the final nature of the motion – from maintaining a fully cinematic, slightly jerky image, to achieving a very smooth, almost theatrical effect. It is a simple yet effective tool that allows one to adjust the viewing experience to their own preferences.

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.'

Although on paper the native 4K@60Hz matrix might suggest that the TCL P7K/P79K is not a TV tailored for gamers, the reality turns out to be surprisingly different. On the contrary, the manufacturer has ensured a rich set of features that make it a very friendly companion for next-generation consoles. Onboard, we find key technologies such as ALLM, which provides automatic switching to low-latency mode, and VRR, or variable refresh rate, which eliminates screen tearing. The list is rounded off with support for Dolby Vision Gaming and a simple yet functional Game Bar. However, the real and extremely pleasant surprise is something else. It turns out that the TV effortlessly supports a high refresh rate signal of 120Hz, but at lower resolutions – 1080p and 1440p. This is fantastic news for console owners, who know how rarely games run in native 4K at a full 120 frames per second. The option to choose between higher resolution and doubled smoothness is therefore an incredibly sensible compromise.

In summary, while the P7K/P79K may not be the target screen for the most passionate, tournament gamers, it offers a package of options for casual or occasional console users that is hard to find among many competitors at this price point.

The results of the input lag measurements on the Philips OLED 809 are at a high level, regardless of the signal or resolution. All gamers will surely appreciate the manufacturer's efforts, thanks to which a game running at 4K120Hz with HDR has only 5 ms of lag, which is practically unnoticeable even in online games. One should not forget about the proper implementation of the game mode with Dolby Vision, which can be praised for a similar response time of 13 ms. In this case, the Philips OLED 809 receives our highest score.

Completing this rich package for gamers is a parameter that has a direct impact on comfort and performance in gameplay – input lag. Already in native 60 Hz mode, the television can boast an excellent result of just 15 ms. However, the real magic happens when switching to 120 Hz mode, where the lag drops almost by half, reaching values below 10 ms. Such responsiveness ensures that every command from the controller is transmitted to the screen in the blink of an eye, which will be appreciated not only by professionals but by anyone who values smooth and direct interaction with the game.

Just like in games, the tested television performs excellently, but when it comes to everyday text work, it doesn't quite measure up. Its latency is very low; however, the issue lies elsewhere. The television does not support chroma 4:4:4, which results in unpleasant font blurriness, regardless of the given refresh rate. While this is not usually a problem in games, it can be quite annoying during text work due to poor readability. Additionally, the pixel layout in WOLED matrices doesn't make things easier for it.

We finally arrive at the area that can undoubtedly be described as the biggest achilles heel of the TCL P7K/P79K – its compatibility with a PC. This is paradoxical because on paper, everything looks promising. The presence of G-Sync and support for high refresh rates at lower resolutions could suggest that it will also be a great monitor. Unfortunately, practice brutally verifies these assumptions. The key problem is the lack of support for full 4:4:4 chroma sampling. In everyday use, this translates to terrible font rendering quality – they, especially coloured ones, become jagged, surrounded by artifacts, and simply poorly readable. And that’s not all, as in PC mode, the problem of aggressive dithering also becomes apparent, giving the whole image an artificial, overly digital look. The only consolation in this situation is the fact that in games we can take advantage of the extra hertz and G-Sync technology, but these are not advantages that could compensate for the fundamental shortcomings in displaying a static interface. The verdict is therefore clear: while it may still hold up as a screen solely for gaming with a PC, in the role of a monitor for work or browsing the internet, the P7K/P79K simply performs poorly.

A widely known advantage of OLED panels is their efficiency when viewed even at sharp angles. There is no noticeable drop in contrast or colour saturation. However, a characteristic feature of panels produced by LG Display, which are not used in top models, is a tint in marine or cyan shades when viewed from a wide angle.

Moving on to the issue of viewing angles, we enter a realm where VA matrix technology dictates unavoidable conditions. As expected, this is the weak point of this model. It is enough to step away from the screen axis to observe a gradual degradation of the image: colours begin to fade, contrast noticeably drops, and blacks lose their depth. In direct confrontation with IPS panels, which are renowned for their generosity in this aspect, the VA matrix must concede superiority to its competitor. Is there a silver lining? Paradoxically, yes. Weak viewing angles are indeed the price we consciously pay for the fundamental advantage of this technology – a significantly higher native contrast and deeper blacks viewed head-on. Thus, we can say that this is a television that favours the viewer sitting in the “ideal” spot, offering them a maximally vivid image at the cost of universality.

For many years, the issue of the performance of OLED TVs during the day has been raised. Many people still believe that these are not receivers intended for such use. They probably have a point, particularly when it comes to screens from several years ago. Technology has advanced, and currently, there are no objections to recommending such a TV for today. Admittedly, a glossy screen doesn't sound like something that would support this claim, however, it's hard to argue against the pictures that you can see for yourself. Another point we would like to highlight is the contrast during daytime use. This, in contrast to QD-OLED panels, and even OLEDs equipped with MLA technology, is higher. This is due to the absence of excited quantum dots and micro-lenses.

The last practical test for any television is its daily performance in daylight conditions when it must compete with ambient light. In this competition, the TCL P7K / P79K starts with a certain advantage due to its satin screen coating. Its structure does quite well at suppressing direct reflections, dispersing them and protecting the image from excessive colour fading or brightening of blacks. However, passive combat against reflections is one side of the coin. The other is the active ability to "punch through" bright surroundings, and here one of the key limitations of this model comes to light. The previously mentioned peak brightness of around 300 nits is simply too low to ensure a fully comfortable and dynamic viewing experience in a heavily sunlit lounge. In such conditions, the image may lack punch, and scenes with lower brightness may lose readability.

Before we dive into the software that controls the television, it’s impossible not to mention the biggest distinguishing feature of the manufacturer's televisions. This is, of course, the multicoloured Ambilight backlighting, which is located on the back of the device and displays colours tailored to what's happening on the screen, often allowing for an even greater immersive experience. The Philips OLED 809 is powered by the Google TV system. This is an undeniable advantage compared to some other models from the manufacturer, which use the proprietary TitanOS system, significantly more closed off and limited in terms of available applications. With Google TV, we can install practically any application, both from the store and directly from online repositories via an APK file.

The Google TV system also offers many conveniences related to control. We can easily connect a keyboard with a touchpad, which greatly simplifies typing queries and navigation. Additionally, thanks to integration with Google, we can issue voice commands using the remote, which are quickly and accurately interpreted by the system.

In summary: Google TV is currently one of the most popular systems on the market. Thanks to a powerful CPU, it runs very smoothly and stably, without freezing or stuttering during testing. This is definitely the best option for those who want to get the most out of their television's capabilities and appreciate the openness and versatility of the system.

Smart Features – the power of Google TV

The heart and operational brain of the TCL P7K / P79K is the Google TV system, which in itself is a huge advantage. This platform opens access to an almost endless library of applications from the Play Store, ensuring we won't miss any key streaming service. Integration with other devices is exemplary – Apple device owners will appreciate the seamless cooperation thanks to AirPlay, while users of Windows and Android systems can easily take advantage of screen mirroring features. The Google Assistant also deserves a mention, as it handles voice search in Polish exceptionally well, remaining one of the most effective and convenient solutions of its kind on the market. The operation of the system on the tested model can be described as "above average." The interface is mostly smooth, but during testing, it experienced occasional slowdowns and even sporadic "freezes" that required a moment of patience. Minor hiccups are also noticeable in the translation of some system messages, which can be clumsy – these are merely minor oversights on TCL's part that do not affect overall functionality.

Classic Features

In the age of smart systems, traditional television functions often take a back seat, and this case is no different. A significant advantage is the inclusion of a classic remote control with a numeric keypad, which does not require precise aiming at the screen for communication, significantly enhancing user comfort. The presence of Bluetooth technology for connecting external devices, such as headphones or speakers, also counts as a plus. However, this is essentially where the list of conveniences ends. It's evident that TCL has placed nearly everything on the Google TV card, treating classic features as an absolute minimum. Thus, we won’t find options for recording programs from built-in tuners to a USB drive or the once-popular PiP (Picture-in-Picture) feature. It is therefore a basic package that simply works but offers nothing beyond what is essential.

The default file player on the Philips OLED 809 is quite impressive, although it does have some drawbacks. It handles a wide range of video file formats exceptionally well, except for two less common ones. It deserves high praise for its inclusion of all the checkboxes confirming playback of various subtitle formats. The TV can manage any photo resolution, making it an excellent screen for viewing family albums or studio photos. The rest, including supported photo and audio formats, is satisfactory, and those formats the TV cannot play are either uncommon or obsolete. Moreover, it's not a problem, as we can download an app from the app store that will solve these issues.

The built-in media player in the P7k/P79k model is at least a curious case, putting us in quite an unusual situation. On one hand, its engine handles the decoding of most popular video formats, which is of course good news. On the other hand, we encountered a surprising and frustrating issue – the default application has a fundamental problem with correctly displaying Polish diacritic characters in subtitle files. Instead of letters like "ą", "ę" or "ż", empty squares or random, illegible symbols appeared on the screen. Fortunately, thanks to the flexibility of the Google TV system, this problem can be easily circumvented. Installing an alternative, advanced player, such as the tried-and-true VLC or KODI, fully resolves this inconvenience. The situation is strange in that this flaw did not occur in other TCL models we tested earlier. So we are dealing with a clear software oversight, which, hopefully, will be corrected in a future update.

At the outset of this paragraph, it should be noted that sound quality is always subjective. In our opinion, the audio system that the manufacturer has equipped the Philips OLED 809 is at quite a high level. The bass is well-defined, but at the same time, it does not overshadow the mid and high tones. Looking at it from another perspective, when choosing a TV in this price range, we are more likely to already have an additional audio system. In this context, the tested television will definitely not disappoint, as it supports practically every important standard, including Dolby Atmos and, more importantly, DTS-HD Master Audio.

In terms of the built-in audio system, the TCL P7k/P79k presents a level that can be described as functional and adequate, but lacking in audiophile ambitions. The speakers play quite loudly, and dialogues in films and TV shows are conveyed clearly and without distortion, which is crucial for everyday use. However, the audio scene definitely lacks the foundation of low frequencies. This is a direct consequence of the absence of a dedicated subwoofer – an element that in the higher P8K series, took the form of a large Onkyo subwoofer at the back of the cabinet, which contributed to its sound strength. Here, that element is simply missing, making the sound seem flatter and devoid of the depth that creates a cinematic atmosphere. We also noticed a peculiar issue with the software – when attempting to set the maximum volume, the TV automatically reduces it. It's hard to definitively say whether this is a form of protection against distortion or a minor software glitch, but it's a shame, as the power reserves seem to be a bit greater.

Philips OLED809/819 vs TCL P7K / P79K

Advantages

Disadvantages

Our verdict

TV appearance

Where to buy

Contrast and black detail

HDR effect quality

Factory color reproduction

Color reproduction after calibration

Smoothness of tonal transitions

Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions

Blur and motion smoothness

Console compatibility and gaming features

Input lag

Compatibility with PC

Viewing angles

Daytime performance

Panel details

TV features

Classic features:

Smart features:

Smart Features – the power of Google TV

Classic Features

Playing files from USB

Apps

Sound