Ambilight because that's exactly where we need to start, it's the biggest reason to buy the PUS8500. The three-sided backlighting on the TV looks fantastic, especially in the evening. It creates atmosphere, masks contrast imperfections, and makes viewing simply more enjoyable. Even if the black isn’t perfect here, at high contrast the native VA panel is just good. On top of that, there’s really decent input lag and several gaming features like ALLM and VRR. Although there’s no HDMI 2.1 or 120Hz panel, casual gaming should be a pleasure. Especially since it plays responsively and without delays. Let’s add full support for audio formats – it includes both Dolby Atmos and DTS, so soundbar owners also have something to be happy about.
But let’s not kid ourselves – this is still a budget TV, and at times that’s quite obvious. Brightness is average – not so weak that you can't watch anything, but if you hit an exceptionally sunny day, watching under such conditions without blinds can be problematic. However, in our opinion, the biggest disappointment with the PUS8560 is the Titan OS operating system. Despite the fact that the system debuted some time ago, some things just didn’t work – for example, screen mirroring from a phone despite the manufacturer stating that this feature is present. There are fewer apps than the competition, and the system itself feels a bit clunky. Generally, it seems to do something already, but it clearly lacks refinement.
Of course, this isn’t a TV meant to compete with top models. But if someone is looking for something simple, with the cool atmosphere that the Ambilight system provides, it’s quite a fair proposition. You just need to know what to expect and accept the compromises, of which there are plenty here.
The idea behind The One series has remained practically unchanged for years, and with the Philips PQS9001 this is both an advantage and its biggest weakness. Once again, we get a versatile mid-range TV whose main distinguishing feature is Ambilight. The lighting that follows what is happening on the screen can completely change the atmosphere of an evening movie session, and for many people it will be the main reason to choose this TV. That is hardly surprising, because once you get used to the effect, it can be difficult to go back to watching without it. The picture quality itself is good, but we have already seen a very similar level from this series in previous years. The VA panel provides decent blacks, colours are nicely saturated, and the brightness is sufficient for comfortable viewing in a typical living room. It is a shame, however, that Philips did not take another step forward and introduce at least basic local dimming. In a dark room, blacks can look noticeably bluish, and HDR, while clearly visible, does not make as strong an impression as it could. After so many years of The One being on the market, we would have expected a little more progress here.
There has, however, been a noticeable improvement in Titan OS. Compared with last year, and especially with the version from two years ago, the system has become much more pleasant to use. There are more apps, many smaller functions have been improved, and a number of irritating bugs we previously complained about have been fixed. Overall, it works reasonably well, although we are once again frustrated by the remote control, which still requires you to point it directly at the TV. Philips continues to rely on infrared for regular navigation, even though voice control uses a wireless connection. That makes it even harder to understand why the same connection was not used for navigating the menus. The One also has quite a lot to offer gamers. Four HDMI 2.1 ports and a broad set of gaming features are one thing, but what impressed us most was the panel’s response time. Our unit showed practically no visible smearing, even on dark backgrounds, which is quite rare for an LCD TV with a VA panel. Philips deserves a lot of credit for that. The ability to play at 4K 144 Hz or Full HD 240 Hz also makes the TV an interesting option for PC users. Unfortunately, there is still one unfinished element: using Dolby Vision in games on Xbox results in very high input lag.
The PQS9000 therefore leaves us with mixed feelings. It can surprise with excellent motion handling and shows that Philips has clearly worked on its operating system, but we do not see a similar step forward in picture quality. This is a TV we can recommend primarily to fans of Ambilight. If that lighting system is the main reason you are considering a Philips, then buying The One makes a lot of sense. It is still worth checking, however, whether you can find a Mini LED model with good local dimming at a similar price. Such a TV may offer deeper blacks and more impressive HDR performance. In the end, the choice comes down to what matters more to you: the atmosphere created by Ambilight or better picture quality itself.
Direct comparison
