Philips PUS8359 (IPS) vs XIAOMI A PRO 2026

The quality of the HDR effect on the Philips PUS8359/12 television is also not impressive. A brightness level of 280 nits is too low, resembling standard SDR more than true HDR, which is clearly evident on the five tested test cards. Additionally, the television does not impress in terms of colour gamut coverage – just 76% DCI-P3 is a result that can be considered poor, especially compared to other models in a similar price range.

If you're counting on the cinematic HDR experience in the new Xiaomi A Pro 2026, it's best to temper your expectations. This TV is simply too dim to fully realise the potential of contemporary films or series designed for the highest quality image. Our measurements showed brightness levels in the range of 200–300 nits, which are values that are more suited to SDR content than to ambitious HDR productions. In practice, this means that while most films look decent, they certainly won't evoke the 'wow' effect that other TVs do. Fortunately, not everything is lost – credit has to be given to the PFS LED filter used here, a solution similar to the quantum dot technology found in QLEDs. Thanks to this, the coverage of the DCI-P3 colour palette reaches about 94%, resulting in vibrant, saturated colours in the vast majority of materials.

The most faithful factory mode in terms of compliance with the source material turned out to be "Film," which was used in our tests. However, like other factory modes, it also had its drawbacks. Both in SDR and HDR materials, we noticed issues with white balance, where the dominance of green and red resulted in a yellowish hue. This effect was particularly evident in the form of yellowed whites and unnatural skin tones. The "ColourChecker" palette test showed that each colour was shifted towards warmer tones, which affected the accuracy of colour reproduction. A key aspect of the image is also contrast and brightness, which can be assessed by analysing the gamma charts and the EOTF curve. In the gamma chart, we observed significant deviations – both excessively high values that caused loss of detail in the shadows and excessively low values, which led to a drastic drop in contrast. Compared to gamma, the EOTF curve performed better, only slightly brightening the image, which had a less negative impact on overall quality.

What we saw in Filmmaker mode really surprised us – and unfortunately not in a good way. The mode advertised as the Hollywood standard resembled more of a display in a shop window. The white balance was shifted towards blue, which led to massive colour errors and the effect of blown-out scenes in SDR content. It was a bit better, though far from perfect, in HDR materials. There were also problems there – colour saturation and the entire palette consistently drifted towards cooler tones, resulting in an image that had an artificial, cold tint rather than a cinematic character. In other words: even in Filmmaker mode, which should be the showcase of this television, we got an effect far from expectations.

Philips, in both its cheaper and more expensive models, offers a wide range of tools for image calibration. We used them to improve the quality of the displayed image, although it was not as straightforward as it might seem. We managed to adjust the white balance, improve the gamma, and fine-tune the EOTF curve; however, despite these efforts, the deltaE errors remained at a very high level. The main causes were limited coverage of the DCI-P3 palette and low maximum brightness, which significantly affected the final outcome. While the overall presentation is much improved, the design features of the television did not allow us to achieve spectacular results.

Even though Xiaomi isn't a brand associated with top-tier televisions, it's fair to say that even in a budget model like the A Pro 2026, the manufacturer left plenty of calibration settings. After a few adjustments, the SDR picture took on a completely new look. The colours stopped veering into blue tones, the whites gained a sense of naturalness, and most errors dropped to a practically invisible level. As a result, SDR content looked very good, surprisingly so for this price range.

It was a slightly different story with HDR materials. Here, it was immediately noticeable what we had already mentioned – the overexposure of bright scenes and issues with balance control. Calibration helped only partially, as the limitations of the panel itself were at play. However, it must be emphasized that in the case of SDR, the television changed beyond recognition, and definitely for the better.

In this paragraph, we'll take a look at two functionalities. We'll once again examine the function responsible for tonal transitions, but we'll also check how the television handles image scaling. The option responsible for smooth gradation is called "Distortion Reduction". As we've established, it does a pretty good job of smoothing out inconsistencies. However, we must point out two things: we are unable to enable it for HDR content, and it blurs details in films.

The television being tested cannot boast the best image scaling. There is a noticeable overall blurriness in the image, but worse still, it blurs details. This is particularly evident on the branches and the model's hair. A characteristic white halo around the figures is also visible.

Upscaling and digital image processing in the Xiaomi A Pro 2026 are not among the model's strong points. One might expect that since the television was not designed to achieve record brightness levels, the manufacturer would have opted for a more robust processor and a set of features that would "enhance" lower quality images. Unfortunately – we were also met with significant disappointment here. On the plus side, it has reasonably decent upscaling, which handles HD content and boosts it to 4K in an acceptable manner. However, that is where the list of advantages ends. The television does not offer any features to improve tonal transitions or smooth out digital imperfections, so in most cases, we receive a raw image, exactly as we deliver it from an external source. On a large screen, this lack of support makes lower quality content look simply bland. An additional problem is the phenomenon of overscan. When watching older material, it happens that part of the image is cut off, which only intensifies the impression that Xiaomi has quite a bit of catching up to do in this category.

Philips PUS8359 is not the best choice for watching sports. The lack of even basic motion smoothing features means that the picture in dynamic scenes isn't sharp enough. Despite using an IPS panel (43 and 55'), which theoretically should provide better clarity than VA panel variants, there’s no noticeable improvement in terms of motion blur. In photos of fast movement, it’s clear that the figure of the little green man is distinctly blurry, indicating that the TV struggles to maintain sharpness in dynamic shots.

The motion fluidity in the Xiaomi A Pro 2026 is an interesting compromise that results from the hybrid matrix used here. At a native resolution of 4K, the maximum refresh rate is 60 Hz – sufficient for those who mainly watch movies and series. It is with them in mind that the manufacturer added a motion smoother, allowing users to adjust the image to their own preferences – one can opt for greater fluidity or leave it with more "cinematic" frames depending on the settings.

In terms of console compatibility, Philips PUS8359 is mainly suitable for casual gamers. Although the TV is equipped with an HDMI 2.0 port, it offers features such as Automatic Low Latency Mode (ALLM), Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), and Game Bar. ALLM automatically switches the TV to low-latency mode, making quicker reactions during gaming easier, while VRR smoothly adjusts the refresh rate, eliminating screen tearing issues. The Game Bar provides quick access to game settings and ongoing parameter monitoring; however, in our opinion, it performs worse compared to competitors' solutions.

However, more demanding gamers may feel disappointed. Philips PUS8359 does not support advanced HDR formats in games or higher refresh rates, which is due to the use of a 60 Hz panel. These shortcomings limit the TV’s ability to deliver smooth and detailed experiences during fast-paced, dynamic gameplay.

No indeed – since Xiaomi has added the "Game Boost 120 Hz" feature here, one might expect that they'd follow up with a solid gaming package. Unfortunately, reality quickly dampens that enthusiasm. Aside from this mode (which, it must be said, is a great addition in a budget build), we only have a rather peculiar player panel. It's hard to call it a full-fledged "game bar" – it's more of a simple overlay on the TV's Menu with limited options. And that’s about it. There’s no ALLM, so the TV won’t switch to game mode automatically. There’s no VRR, so you can forget about smooth frame synchronisation. We also won’t find support for Dolby Vision in games or the HGiG format, which are increasingly becoming the standard on consoles. In short: apart from Game Boost 120 Hz, which indeed allows for a more enjoyable experience at 1080p or 1440p, Xiaomi A Pro 2026 offers nothing that particularly appeals to gamers.