Compare: Philips The One (PUS8959 / PUS8919 / PUS8909 / PUS8949 vs Philips PML8709

Philips PUS8959, also known by other designations under the abbreviation PUS89 (depending on the retail network), is a model from the popular series The One. Its biggest standout feature is the Ambilight system, which continues to make a great impression. The three-sided backlighting adjusts to the image on the screen, making films, series or games literally extend beyond the edges of the TV. The One is also a good option for gamers. The 120 Hz panel and low input lag make games run smoothly, and the motion on screen is clear. We tested several dynamic titles on the console, and the TV handled them without any issues – no stuttering or delays. Additionally, support for HGiG allows for better rendering of HDR effects in games. This is a great solution if we care about matching the image with what the creators intended. The picture quality is good, particularly during the day. With a brightness level of 550 nits, The One performs well even in well-lit rooms, and Dolby Vision in HDR movies delivers vivid colours and sharp details. However, the ADS panel has its limitations – black in dark scenes more resembles a grey shade, which can be noticeable when watching in a darkened room. When we watched movies with the lights off, the lack of depth in the blacks was somewhat striking. The Titan OS operating system is something that still needs refinement. It’s fast, but the limited number of applications can be frustrating for those used to more extensive platforms like GoogleTV. In daily use of Netflix or YouTube, it works flawlessly, but if we're counting on more advanced features, the system may not meet expectations. Overall, the Philips The One is a good choice in its price range. The Ambilight system impresses and significantly enhances the viewing experience, especially in the evening. It’s also a solid option for gamers, thanks to the smooth image and low input lag. Although the black level isn't perfect, and the operating system needs improvement, the TV excels in everyday use. For fans of unique solutions like Ambilight, this is a proposal that definitely deserves attention.

Philips PML8709 is a model that stands out in the offering of the Chinese-Dutch manufacturer due to its uniqueness. Instead of the classic Philips operating system - TitanOS, we find the well-known Google TV, which provides extensive personalisation options and access to a vast library of apps. This is a television that, on one hand, entices with very good contrast, and on the other – surprises with several unusual design decisions. In terms of picture quality, the PML8709 offers excellent contrast, which combined with wide colour gamut coverage ensures great colour reproduction – especially after calibration. Despite having a 60 Hz panel, the television performs well in occasional gaming thanks to support for features such as ALLM, VRR, and a low input lag of around 13 ms. On the flip side, Philips has deprived this model of one of the biggest advantages of its TVs – the Ambilight system. This is a surprising move that may disappoint many brand fans. Another weak point is HDR performance – despite promising contrast results, the television performs averagely in this category. Average brightness and issues with detail in brighter scenes give the impression that something has clearly gone wrong in the implementation of this feature. Philips PML8709 is a television full of contrasts. On one hand, it offers solid black quality and interesting solutions for gamers, while on the other – some limitations, such as the absence of Ambilight or average brightness, mean that it is not a model without flaws. It is a good choice for those who appreciate the versatility of Google TV and are looking for a television for everyday use.

The television Philips PUS8959 is based on an ADS panel, which offers slightly different parameters compared to the popular VA panels. In the tested screens, the contrast was around 2000:1, making the black level far from ideal. ADS panels are known for their weaker contrast compared to VA panels, which in practice means that instead of deep black, we see more navy or grey shades. However, the ADS panel is still better than the standard IPS panel, which cannot achieve such a level of contrast. Additionally, the Philips PUS8959 is not equipped with local dimming technology, which could improve these parameters. The absence of this function exacerbates the effect of shallow blacks, particularly noticeable in dark scenes, such as those in the movie "Sicario 2". Instead of intense black, the screen generates a silvery glow, which can be bothersome, especially when watching in darker conditions. All of this leads to a visual experience that lacks depth, and details in dark scenes are not as well visible as one might expect from higher-end screens. Despite the lack of local dimming, the television is equipped with what is known as Global Dimming. The television is capable of completely dimming the panel to achieve higher contrast, but at the cost of details that may blend together, for example, lights in the test screen from the movie Oblivion. It’s worth noting that the model we received for testing has quite noticeable blobs resulting from uneven backlighting, although this isn't a dealbreaker; one should consider when purchasing that we might receive a similar piece.

The model name 8709 “PML” refers to Philips' mini-LED technology, but can we truly call its backlighting that? In the 65-inch version, we counted only 96 local dimming zones. For mini-LED standards, this number seems too low, raising questions about whether we are indeed dealing with a full-fledged mini-LED here. However, if we look at the black quality, the TV performs quite well. On the first two test patterns and in less demanding scenes, the picture looks very decent – blacks are deep and the contrast is satisfactory. Problems begin with more complex scenes, such as the last three test patterns, where minor light elements appear on screen. The local dimming algorithm seems to “lose track,” unable to decide whether to brighten or darken a particular area. The result is noticeable errors – reduced black quality and unevenness in the image. An example of the operation of local dimming zones can be seen in a scene from the film Sicario 2. You can see how the dimming zones attempt to replicate details, but at the same time, this leads to a slight brightening around the helicopter lights. Nevertheless, despite these shortcomings, the black level in the Philips PML8709 turns out quite well, especially considering its price range.

The luminance graph for Philips PUS8959 shows that the television can achieve around 550 nits of brightness, which can be considered a satisfactory level. Such brightness allows you to feel the effects of HDR, which stand out particularly in more demanding scenes. In the tested patterns, the television performed quite well, even in challenging sequences like those from "Sicario 2". Due to the lack of local dimming, the television does not dim small bright elements, and they shine at the full "power" of the television but at the cost of silvery blacks, which we mentioned in the paragraph about black levels. It’s also worth praising Philips PUS8959 for its good coverage of the DCI-P3 colour palette, which is around 94.5%. This ensures that the colours are vivid and close to the creators' intentions, which further enhances the quality of HDR effects and the experience of watching high dynamic range content.

Looking at the contrast results, we expected that the algorithms responsible for the zones in the Philips PML8709 would be at least decent. However, what we encountered during testing is difficult to explain. The average brightness we managed to achieve was just 350 nits, which is definitely too low to fully enjoy HDR effects. In practice, the TV barely stands out compared to an average SDR. The situation becomes even more surprising in test scenes, such as the second one from the movie Life of Pi or Sicario 2. Small light elements achieve just 120 nits there, making them practically imperceptible. Such a level of brightness is completely below modern HDR standards and significantly diminishes the experience of watching high-quality content. The only bright spot in this category is the very good coverage of wide color gamuts – DCI-P3 at 97% and BT.2020 at 83%. This ensures that colors are saturated and well-reproduced, which can somewhat improve the overall experience of watching HDR materials. However, the lack of adequate brightness means that even this cannot save the Philips PML8709 in this category.

The television Philips PUS8959 has been tested in the best, theoretically most precise picture mode – Filmmaker. Although the name suggests film quality, it unfortunately falls short of perfection. The biggest issue in this mode is the white balance, both in HD and 4K content. It is characterised by a significant dominance of the red colour and drops in the green levels, resulting in unnatural colour reproduction. For example, white elements of the image have a noticeable pink hue, and the green is less intense, which diminishes the overall naturalness and colour balance. The ColorChecker test confirms these errors – it is clearly visible how the colour samples "deviate" from the proper values, which can best be observed on the sample squares that should precisely reproduce the colours. The lack of accuracy in this regard affects the realism and fidelity of the image, which is particularly undesirable in Filmmaker mode.

As for the brightness characteristics, the gamma graph resembles a roller coaster – with small elements displayed on the screen, the brightness is excessive, causing details to become overly exposed. Conversely, at higher gamma values, the image loses contrast and becomes too dark, making the whole appear lacking in dynamism. Similar problems can be observed in the EOTF characteristics – the television is unable to accurately reproduce the brightness levels, negatively impacting the overall picture quality.

Though theoretically the Filmmaker mode in the Philips PML8709 should provide natural colour reproduction, in reality it resembles a store mode more. In the white balance, both for HD and 4K content, there is a clear dominance of blue. This causes the image to appear washed out and cold, which is particularly noticeable in the comparative image below.

The brightness characteristics also leave much to be desired. Both gamma and the EOTF curve exhibit excessive screen brightness. As a result, there is a loss of detail in both the brighter and darker areas of the image, further diminishing its credibility and naturalness. Bright elements appear unnaturally flat and little varied.

These significant issues with white balance and brightness characteristics lead to noticeable errors in colour reproduction, which can easily be seen in films as well as the Colour Checker test. The colours are inaccurate, affecting the overall image quality and visual experience. The factory settings require significant improvement in order to fully enjoy the potential of this television.

After calibration, the Philips PUS8959 shows a significant improvement in colour reproduction, especially in HD content. The white balance is exceptionally even, and the Delta E error values are below 1, which can be regarded as an outstanding result. Additionally, the gamma, which affects brightness in lower quality materials, performs very well, maintaining a stable level at 2.4, leading to an appropriate balance between bright and dark areas of the image.

When it comes to 4K HDR materials, there is also a noticeable improvement. The white balance, although not as perfect as in HD content, no longer suffers from excessive red exposure, making the image appear more natural and harmonious. Unfortunately, regarding the EOTF characteristic, it’s difficult to speak of any significant improvement, which stems from the structural limitations of the television that prevent substantial enhancement in this aspect.

Nevertheless, overall, it looks much better after calibration, making the Philips PUS8959 one of those televisions where it's truly worth investing time in precise calibration to achieve satisfactory image quality.

Philips offers advanced image calibration tools in its televisions, which we decided to fully utilise. The results? Although we managed to improve many aspects, it wasn't without difficulties. White balance was one of the biggest challenges – despite our efforts, it could be called fighting against windmills. We were able to significantly correct it, so the picture now looks much better than in the factory settings, but it is still far from perfect. Especially in some scenes, a subtle dominance of blue is visible, although not as intense as before. We achieved a significant improvement in brightness characteristics – gamma now appears much more stable. The EOTF curve looks correct at first glance, however, when analysing movie content, it is evident that the television has trouble maintaining the proper characteristics. The algorithms are "struggling", trying to adjust brightness, which may be due to the limited number of dimming zones that do not always handle more complex scenes well. Overall, the picture after calibration looks much more pleasing to the eye – colors are more natural, and colour reproduction errors have been minimised. Although it is still not perfect, the Philips PML8709 now presents itself much better than in the factory settings.

The gradation on the Philips PUS8959 television looks very good, offering smooth tonal transitions in most scenes. Occasionally, minor issues can be detected, especially in transitions between certain colours, where subtle inconsistencies are noticeable. However, these imperfections are subtle enough that they do not significantly impact the overall viewing experience and can be considered completely acceptable. In everyday use, the television provides good enough gradation quality to satisfy even more demanding users, maintaining the naturalness of the image and a lack of glaring tonal distortions.

The fluidity of tonal transitions in the Philips PML8709 is at a very high level. The colour gradation is incredibly smooth, and the transitions between shades look natural and detailed. Even in more demanding scenes, the television performs excellently. Minor issues may arise with bright elements, where the gradation can be slightly less precise. However, these are such subtle differences that only the most demanding purists will notice them. For most users, the effects will be fully satisfying, and the image will maintain its impressive quality.

When it comes to smoothing tonal transitions, the "Distortion Reduction" function in the minimum position performs quite well, effectively smoothing tonal transitions without excessive impact on other elements of the image. In testing, I did not notice that the reduction negatively affected the structure of the image, such as film grain or details of objects – everything remains in its place, which is a big plus for users who value the natural look of film material.

As for digital processing, the image looks pretty good, although it features very softened contours, giving it an almost "leafy" character. This effect may evoke mixed feelings – some users will appreciate the fluidity and delicacy of this type of presentation, while others may find it too gentle, losing detail. It is a matter of individual preference, but it must be admitted that Philips PUS8959 provides quite subtle yet effective tools for improving tonal transitions without excessive interference with the natural character of the image.

The distortion reduction feature in the Philips PML8709 smooths tonal transitions, but its effectiveness leaves much to be desired. We recommend setting this option to "Medium" - at this level, the effect is noticeable but not excessive. Unfortunately, compared to other Philips models, the smoothing effect is less effective, meaning that certain tonal transitions may still appear somewhat uneven. An additional drawback is that this feature also smooths other details, such as the textures of materials like shirts, which can affect image sharpness.

As for image scaling, the television performs very well. The image appears smooth and free of noticeable "jaggies". This effect may appeal to many users, although some might prefer a more vivid look. Fortunately, the television allows for adjustment of the sharpness parameter, enabling us to tailor the image to individual preferences.

Philips PUS8959 TV is equipped with a 120 Hz panel, which should satisfy more demanding users, especially those who love watching dynamic sports broadcasts or playing games. Such a high refresh rate allows for significantly smoother images, being a key aspect during dynamic scenes and fast actions.

For those who prefer watching movies, the TV offers an additional motion smoother that allows adjustment of the frame rate according to personal preferences. The Philips PUS8959 features a 10-step adjustment for functions called "Smoothness" and "Motion Blur Reduction". The "Smoothness" function increases the number of frames through interpolation, making movement on the screen smoother, reminiscent of the so-called "soap opera effect". Meanwhile, "Motion Blur Reduction" focuses on minimising streaking and improving motion clarity, which is particularly noticeable in dynamic sequences such as action scenes or fast sports shots.

Philips PML8709 is one of the few models with mini-LED technology on the market, offering a refresh rate of 60 Hz. While it’s not a panel for the most demanding gamers, it should satisfy those who mainly watch movies. The TV is equipped with a “Motion Style” feature, which is a motion smoother that allows you to adjust the fluidity of motion according to your preferences – from a more “plastic” look to a cinematic aesthetic with clearly visible frames.

Philips PUS8959 is a television that will surely please gaming enthusiasts. It supports most modern technologies useful during gameplay, such as HGiG, allowing for better representation of HDR effects in games. As a result, the image is more aligned with what the game developers intended to achieve.

The television also supports displaying images at 120 Hz, ensuring smoothness and dynamism, particularly important during action games and sports broadcasts. The Game Bar feature provides quick access to game settings, making it easier to adjust the image according to user preferences without interrupting gameplay.

Unfortunately, the Dolby Vision mode does not offer low input lag, which may be noticeable during dynamic scenes. Nevertheless, thanks to the HGiG feature and high refresh rate, the Philips PUS8959 remains an attractive choice for gamers, offering good image quality and suitable smoothness during gameplay.

Philips PML8709 is a television aimed more at casual gamers, mainly due to the 60 Hz panel, which won’t meet the expectations of the most demanding users. However, for those who appreciate gaming at a more moderate pace, this model may prove sufficient.

The television offers several gamer-friendly features, such as ALLM (automatic switching to game mode) and VRR (variable refresh rate), which help in providing smoother image display without annoying stutters. Furthermore, in terms of HDR, we find the implementation of HGiG, which adjusts the HDR effect to the specifics of games, ensuring a more natural image in appropriately optimised titles. Unfortunately, there is no support for Dolby Vision mode, which may be noticeable in games that utilise this format.

A nice addition is the presence of a basic "Game Bar," which allows for quick previewing and modification of the most important settings related to gaming. It’s a simple but useful touch, especially for those who frequently change their configuration between different types of gameplay. Despite some limitations, the Philips PML8709 offers a solid set of features for less demanding gamers.

Philips PUS8959 TV offers impressive results in terms of input lag, making it a great choice for gamers. For 120 Hz content, the lag is less than 6 ms, which is an absolutely excellent result and allows for immediate response in games, especially in dynamic titles. For 60 Hz content, the input lag is 15 ms, which is also an outstanding result and ensures comfortable gameplay in most cases.

Unfortunately, the Dolby Vision mode does not perform as well, as the input lag increases to 31 ms. While such a result may be acceptable for less dynamic content, for demanding gamers it may prove insufficient, impacting precision and reaction speed. Nonetheless, in standard modes, Philips PUS8959 still offers remarkable performance, making it a competitive choice in the TV market for gamers.

The Philips PML8709 performs very well in terms of input lag. With supported resolutions, results around 13 ms are more than sufficient to ensure a comfortable gaming experience. Such a reaction time means that even more dynamic games do not cause annoying delays. As a result, gamers can enjoy smooth gameplay without unnecessary stress.

Philips PUS8959 works excellently as a monitor for use with a PC. With support for chroma 4:4:4, it provides full colour clarity, which is crucial for text work – fonts are sharp and readable, regardless of the background they are on. This makes using office applications, browsing the internet, and graphic editing comfortable and precise.

Additionally, the low input lag provided by the television ensures smooth and responsive operation, which is important both during everyday tasks and in more dynamic applications, such as gaming or multimedia editing. Philips PUS8959 is an excellent choice for users looking for a television that also functions as a PC monitor, offering high image quality and user comfort.

Philips PML8709 offers a dedicated mode for PC, however, its capabilities are significantly limited. The TV does not support chroma 4:4:4, which greatly affects the readability of fonts – text appears blurry and is difficult to read, which disqualifies this model for those planning to use it as a monitor for work or document viewing. Additionally, even though in G-Sync tests the TV showed compatibility, the picture when using this feature is very unstable, with frequent stutters. Such unpredictability eliminates the benefits that should come with support for adaptive sync.

The only positive aspect in the context of PC collaboration is the low input lag, which may be an advantage for those using the TV mainly for gaming. Nevertheless, the limitations in chroma support and issues with G-Sync mean that PML8709 is not the best choice for PC users.

Philips PUS8959, equipped with an ADS panel, offers quite decent viewing angles, definitely better than those found in VA panels. The image retains its quality even when viewing from a wider angle – colours are vivid, and contrast does not deteriorate as much as in VA panel televisions. Because of this, watching the television from different spots in the room still allows for enjoyment of well-saturated colours and overall image quality, which makes Philips PUS8959 perfect for larger rooms and during shared viewing with family or friends.

Philips PML8709, equipped with a VA panel, offers average viewing angles typical of this type of panel. The image deteriorates in quality when viewed from a greater angle – colours wash out and contrast noticeably decreases. This is a characteristic feature of VA panels and is worth keeping in mind, especially if we plan to watch the TV from different spots in the room. For viewers sitting directly in front, however, the image remains clear and well-reproduced.

Philips PUS8959 features a satin finish on the panel that effectively dampens light reflections, which is beneficial when using the television in bright daytime conditions. However, such a finish causes blacks to take on shades of grey during the day, losing their depth and intensity, which impacts the perception of the image in darker scenes.

A brightness level of 562 cd/m² allows for comfortable television use during the day, even in well-lit rooms. The image is bright enough to cut through daylight, and the reduction of reflections ensures decent visibility of content, making Philips PUS8959 a good choice for rooms where the lighting level cannot always be controlled.

The Philips PML8709 is equipped with a satin matrix, which average handles glare reduction. In moderately lit rooms, reflections won't be too bothersome, however, in strongly sunlit conditions, the situation may become problematic. An additional challenge is the relatively low screen brightness, at around 330 cd/m². This level may prove insufficient for comfortable viewing in bright rooms, where the image may appear too dark and unclear. The television will perform better in controlled lighting conditions, but for those looking for a model that handles daytime viewing well, this could be a significant limitation.

Philips PUS8959 is equipped with a three-sided Ambilight system – a flagship patent of this brand, which has been enjoyed by a dedicated group of fans for years. Ambilight is based on dynamic lighting of the wall behind the television, adapting to the content displayed on the screen, significantly enhancing the viewing experience, especially in a darkened room. This effect is unique and adds a certain kind of "magic" to watching, making many users choose Philips specifically for this feature.

When it comes to the operating system, Philips PUS8959 uses Titan OS – a system that is still in the early stages of development. There are visible growing pains, especially since Philips has moved away from Android in most of its models. Titan OS has a limited number of available applications. This is frustrating for those accustomed to a broader ecosystem like GoogleTV. Additionally, the television does not have AirPlay functionality, which limits its compatibility with Apple devices and may be a drawback for users looking for a flexible way to stream content.

The user features of Philips PUS8959 are a mix of pros and cons. The remote control that comes with the television is quite annoying – it requires aiming directly at the screen, which can be inconvenient. On the other hand, the voice function works without the need to aim, but it only supports English. On the plus side, the remote is backlit, making it easier to use in the dark. The television lacks PiP (Picture-in-Picture) functionality and the ability to record programs, which is a significant omission. However, the television is equipped with Bluetooth, allowing users to connect headphones or a keyboard, which can be useful – especially given the limited number of available applications, which may encourage the use of the built-in web browser.

Philips PML8709 runs on the Google TV operating system. This is quite a surprising choice, considering it isn’t the flagship model of the brand. Fortunately, it has avoided the implementation of the less popular TitanOS, which can be seen as a plus. Google TV offers a well-known, clear interface and wide capabilities in terms of app installation, making the television more versatile.

In terms of user features, the television performs solidly. Daily use of the device is enjoyable thanks to support for voice search in Polish. The ability to connect peripheral devices such as keyboards, mice, or headphones via Bluetooth enhances its functionality. Unfortunately, the PML8709 does not offer more advanced options, such as USB recording or the PiP (picture-in-picture) feature, which may disappoint more demanding users.

An interesting fact, and quite a surprise, is the absence of the Ambilight system, for which Philips is commonly known. The decision to omit this technology in the PML8709 model seems puzzling, especially since Ambilight is often cited as one of the greatest strengths of televisions from this brand.

Although the Titan OS system on the Philips PUS8959 TV is still in its early stages, it deserves praise for supporting Polish subtitles embedded in films, which is a significant convenience for users dealing with external files. If we want to play a film from a connected USB device, the TV will do this without any major issues, providing a comfortable viewing experience without the need for additional subtitle configuration.

As for photos, the TV should have no major difficulties playing them. It supports most popular formats, although there is a lack of support for less common standards, such as HEIC used in Apple devices. This means that some photos, especially from newer Apple devices, may require prior conversion to a more standard format in order to be played on the Philips screen.

Philips PML8709 handles playing multimedia files from USB well. The television shouldn't have issues supporting most popular video, audio, and photo formats, making it a versatile tool for home entertainment. Files are read smoothly, and the interface of the built-in player is simple and intuitive.

However, a significant downside is the lack of support for Polish diacritics in subtitles, due to the incomplete implementation of the UTF-8 standard. Subtitles with Polish characters are displayed incorrectly, which can be frustrating for those watching films in their native language. This shortcoming means that users seeking full compatibility with subtitles may have to resort to using external media players.

The sound on the Philips PUS8959 unfortunately leaves a lot to be desired. While you can hear low frequencies in the playback, the bass is very weak, which results in overall unsatisfactory sound quality. The television performs averagely, especially when compared to more advanced sound systems available on the market.

Despite the average quality of the speakers, the television supports all essential audio codecs, which may please users utilizing external home theatre systems. Thanks to compatibility with various audio formats, the Philips PUS8959 can offer a good audio experience when connected to the right external speakers or amplifier, providing a fuller, more cinematic sound.

The sound quality in the Philips PML8709 is average and standard for a television equipped with speakers rated at 2 x 10 W. The audio is sufficient for everyday viewing, but it's hard to expect deep bass or clear details in more demanding scenes. On the positive side, it does support Dolby Atmos and DTS.

Philips The One (PUS8959 / PUS8919 / PUS8909 / PUS8949 vs Philips PML8709

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

TV efficiency during daytime

Details about the matrix

TV features

Playing files from USB

Apps

Sound