- Matching (Score) |
- Our verdict |
- Competing TVs |
- 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 |
- TV features |
- Apps |
- Playing files from USB |
- Sound |
- Panel details
Philips OLED811 Review
OLED801 / OLED811
Available screen sizes:
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Panel type: WRGB OLED Refresh rate: 165Hz Brand: PHILIPS Resolution: 3840x2160 System: Titan OS Model year: 2026
This review is an English translation of the Polish original. Read the original on Wybierz.tv.
Philips OLED811 is a higher-end OLED TV from the Dutch manufacturer. The Series 8 has been very popular for years, mainly thanks to better panels than the Series 7 and the inclusion of Google TV. This year a lot has changed, primarily when it comes to the Smart TV system. Philips has opted for its own Titan OS, which replaces Google's platform in the OLED811. Has that system developed enough over the past year to meet expectations for a TV in this class? And how does the picture quality itself stand up in light of these changes? We've put it to the test!
PHILIPS OLED811 - Our verdict
8.1
Overall rating
Philips OLED811 is a mid-range OLED for 2026 that stands out from its biggest rivals mainly for one thing: Ambilight. The light that follows the picture and spreads across the wall can change the mood of the whole viewing experience. In the evening the screen seems to extend beyond its frame and watching gains an extra bit of charm. For some it will be a pleasant extra, for others a decisive reason to pick Philips again. The picture itself is very comparable to what models like the LG C6 or Samsung S90H offer when using the same panel type. You get deep, perfect blacks that make bright elements really pop. The OLED811 can deliver strong HDR and, importantly, after calibration the picture is close to the reference. There’s no big advantage over the competition, but there’s also no sense that by choosing Philips for Ambilight you’re sacrificing image quality.
Gamers also get a few solid upgrades over last year’s model. Thanks to the MediaTek Pentonic 800 chipset we finally have four HDMI 2.1 ports, so connecting several devices, for example consoles, a PC and a soundbar, no longer means you have to decide which one gets the full capabilities of the port. Gaming itself is very enjoyable — the TV responds quickly, supports variable refresh rate, and from a PC it allows gaming in 4K at 165 Hz. It’s a pity the new processor’s capabilities haven’t been put to equally good use when processing lower-quality sources. The biggest doubts, however, concern the operating system. Titan OS replaced the popular Google TV and, although it has clearly developed over the past year, it’s still hard to call the change a good one. True, the system runs more smoothly, has more useful features, and its library already includes most popular streaming services. Still, the choice of apps is much smaller than Google’s (or the competition’s), and in our view that remains the OLED811’s biggest drawback. People using less popular services may feel that difference particularly strongly.
Is it worth buying? Yes, if Titan OS meets your needs. In terms of picture and the gaming features, the OLED811 has as much to offer as its rivals, but Ambilight gives it something others don’t. Philips therefore gives and takes a bit. It adds a unique viewing atmosphere but limits freedom of app choice. If the services you use are available, this compromise may be worth accepting.
Advantages
Three-sided Ambilight, which creates a great atmosphere while watching
Perfect blacks and excellent contrast from the OLED panel
Powerful HDR effect. Brightness of about 1500 nits
Very good viewing angles
Excellent motion handling (no motion blur)
Supports 4K at 165 Hz
Four HDMI 2.1 ports
Extensive features for gamers
Supports multiple audio/video formats: Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, HDR10+, DTS
Disadvantages
Titan OS has a smaller app library than Google TV and most competitors
Infrared remote requires pointing at the TV (sometimes responds slowly)
Very high input lag in games with Dolby Vision
Visible posterisation (mainly in bright scenes)
Untapped image processing potential of the Pentonic 800 processor
Movies and series in UHD quality8.5
Classic TV, YouTube8.7
Sports broadcasts (TV and apps)8.5
Gaming on console8.9
TV as a computer monitor8.6
Watching in bright light6.0
Utility functions7.9
Apps7.7
Sound quality7.6
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PHILIPS OLED811 - Competing TVs in this price range
PHILIPS OLED811 - TV appearance
HDMI inputs: 0 x HDMI 2.0, 4 x HDMI 2.1 (48Gbps) Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI), Mini-Jack (Headphones) Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
Build quality: Good
Stand type: Central
Bezel color: Graphite
Stand: Swivel
Flat design: No
Accessories: Stand
In terms of looks the Series 8 hasn't changed much, but that's hardly a complaint. The Philips OLED811 still looks very good. Slim bezels and a slender panel give it a light feel, and the simple, dark styling suits a range of interiors. From the side you can clearly see the protruding rear section of the chassis. The screen itself is extremely thin, but the back traditionally takes up more room.
The real magic happens at the back: three-sided Ambilight. LEDs placed along the top and side edges cast light onto the wall that matches the picture, visually extending it beyond the screen borders. In the evening this can completely change the room's atmosphere and add extra charm to the viewing experience. It's still one of the most distinctive features of Philips TVs.
The central swivel stand is another plus. It looks decent despite being plastic, doesn't require as wide a piece of furniture as side-mounted feet, and lets you easily angle the screen towards your viewing position. The quality of the plastics on the back does leave something to be desired. For a premium TV you'd expect a slightly more refined finish.
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PHILIPS OLED811 - Contrast and black detail
10/10
Result
∞:1
Result
∞:1
Result
∞:1
Result
∞:1
Result
∞:1
Black levels and contrast are categories where the Philips OLED811 showcases all the advantages of OLED technology. Each pixel emits light independently and can be switched off completely, so black is simply black. No grey halo or blooming around bright objects. During evening viewings this creates a striking effect: stars in the night sky, city lights or text on a dark background remain clearly separated from a perfectly black surround.
So it's hard to expect any improvement over other OLEDs here, because in terms of black depth and contrast the result is already exemplary. The OLED811 doesn't need local dimming zones or a compromise between the brightness of a small object and the black around it. Even a single bright point can sit next to a completely switched-off pixel, giving the image excellent depth.
It's precisely in scenes with a lot of black that the advantage over Mini-LED TVs becomes apparent. Even the most advanced local dimming systems control larger areas of the picture, so in demanding shots they can produce a halo around bright elements or dim them to preserve the dark background. The Philips OLED811 doesn't have that problem.
Halo effect and black detail visibility:
PHILIPS OLED811 - HDR effect quality
7.6/10
Supported formats: HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, HLG
Luminance measurements in HDR:
Result
1225 nit
Result
1310 nit
Result
1443 nit
Result
1368 nit
Result
626 nit
Philips OLED811 uses the new generation WOLED EX panels, also found in models like the LG C6 and Samsung S90H. After calibration we measured about 1500 nits, which is a very good result for an OLED TV. You can see that clearly in films and series. Flashes of light have the right punch, especially when they appear on a dark background. In those scenes the OLED811 can deliver really impressive HDR. Of course this doesn't mean you'll see that level of brightness in every shot. When the screen is filled with a large area of white or a wide explosion, brightness falls to around 600 nits. That's still a good result, but such scenes don't have the same impact as small bright elements on a dark background. That's a known limitation of OLEDs and the OLED811 is no exception.
Colours
Aside from HDR brightness, colours also matter and here Philips also performs very well. It covers almost the entire DCI-P3 gamut, which contains most of the colours used in HDR films and series. So you get rich reds and lush greens, and while watching it's hard to fault it in that regard. It looks a bit worse with the much wider BT.2020 gamut — its most saturated shades are already beyond the reach of this panel. There's also the issue of the white subpixel that the WOLED panel uses to help boost brightness. With very bright colours you can see a certain "washout": the colour is bright but loses some of its intensity. It's in exactly these situations that Samsung Display's QD-OLED panels have the advantage. In most films and series, though, this won't be something that immediately jumps out at you.
BT.2020 color gamut coverage and primary color luminance
| Data set | BT.2020 | P3 | R | G | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synthetic patterns | 75.0% | 99.3% | 60% | 60% | 70% |
| Film measurements | 74.9% | 99.3% | 59% | 60% | 71% |
BT.2020 BT.2020 and P3 – average color gamut coverage (percent of the target gamut).
R, G, B – average primary color luminance relative to target (percent).
Scene from the movie “Pan” (about 2800 nits)
Scene from the movie “Billy Lynn” (about 1100 nits)
In movie scenes the OLED811 performs very well and in most cases reproduces an image close to what we see on the reference monitor. This applies both to Billy Lynn, where brightness reaches around 1,100 nits, and to a much more demanding scene from Pan, with brightness around 2,800 nits. Philips handles not only typical HDR material but also content mastered for much higher brightness levels. Sometimes only details in the brightest whites are missing. The TV can't always resolve them, and instead of subtle gradations we see a uniform bright patch. That depends on the scene, though, because in other shots the details remain clearly visible. Overall, there's little to fault here.
HDR luminance chart:
Where tone mapping in HDR10 falls short, Dolby Vision helps. Earlier we mentioned that some detail gets lost in the brightest whites — in the same scene played back in Dolby Vision that problem no longer occurs. You can clearly see it in the shot with the horses: the snow regains texture, and the trees in the background are more distinct and don’t blend into the bright sky. The extra image information helps the TV better adjust the scene’s brightness to the panel’s capabilities.
Static HDR10
Dynamic: Dolby Vision
Factory color reproduction
7.8/10
The film mode on the Philips OLED811 is sensibly set up straight out of the box. Most colour errors remain minor in both SDR and HDR, so you can comfortably sit down to watch without adjusting the settings first. There are no large inaccuracies that would immediately distract from the film.
It’s not quite perfect, though. The white balance shows a slight lack of red relative to green, so whites and greys can have a faint greenish tint. It’s not a strong colour cast, but measurements clearly show it. There are also small luminance deviations in SDR: some parts of the image are slightly brightened, and the deepest tones aren’t always reproduced evenly. In HDR the TV stays much closer to the reference, although it occasionally lifts detail from the shadows. These are generally things that can be refined. The factory film mode provides a good starting point, and calibration will reveal how much more you can get out of it.
Color reproduction after calibration
9.3/10
After calibration the Philips OLED811 delivers an image very close to the reference. We managed to even out the white balance and remove the slight colour cast visible in the factory settings. ColorChecker errors for SDR and HDR fell to around 1 to 2, with many samples even below 1. That's a level at which differences from the reference are hard to spot with the naked eye. We also improved the gamma, with only a slight lift remaining in the brightest whites. In HDR the EOTF curve also stays close to the reference, although the TV still tends to slightly boost the brightness of small details, such as stars or subtitles. That gives the picture a bit of extra brightness that shouldn't be there, but otherwise it's hard to find fault. It was already good out of the box, and calibration allowed us to iron out most of the remaining issues.
PHILIPS OLED811 - Smoothness of tonal transitions
7.5/10
Compared with Philips' previous OLEDs, the smoothness of tonal transitions has clearly improved. The biggest difference is in the dark parts of the picture, which can cause WOLED panels quite a few problems. On the OLED811 they have been smoothed very well, with tones flowing smoothly from one to the next, without obvious banding or posterisation. That's a big plus, especially when watching dark scenes.
Unfortunately, it isn't as good in brighter shots. That's where we have the biggest reservations: instead of a gentle transition between tones you can sometimes see distinct boundaries, in other words posterisation. It can be noticeable, and it's a pity the improvement seen in dark scenes didn't extend to the brighter areas of the picture to the same degree.
Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions
6.8/10
Smooth transition function
Image without overscan on the SD signal
The OLED811 handles processing lower-quality material reasonably well, though it's far from perfect. The "Banding reduction" function helps smooth tonal transitions and on the low setting gives a pretty good effect. It doesn't remove banding between shades as effectively as similar solutions from some competitors, but at least it doesn't introduce new artefacts. It's a sensible setting for everyday viewing. Still, there's a bit of a letdown, because the MediaTek Pentonic 800 chipset used here can, in other manufacturers' hands, deal with the effects of heavy compression more effectively even at similarly low settings. A lot therefore depends on how a given manufacturer uses its capabilities.
We have a few more comments about the upscaling to 4K. There's plenty of detail, but overall the image looks rather soft. Edges are heavily smoothed, so the picture lacks some sharpness and clarity. You can partially correct this with the sharpness slider in the menu, though that will be extra edge enhancement rather than recovering detail. On the plus side, there's no overscan, and even with an SD signal the TV doesn't crop the edges of the picture.
PHILIPS OLED811 - Blur and motion smoothness
8.5/10
Maximum refresh rate of the panel: 165Hz
Film motion smoothing option: Yes
Blur reduction option: Yes
BFI function 60Hz: No
BFI function 120Hz: No
In terms of motion handling the OLED811 performs superbly. At 120 Hz, which is useful for console gaming and watching sport, the image remains clear and moving objects don't leave noticeable trails. The OLED's fast pixel response helps here. You can see it clearly in the UFO test, even on a dark background. There are also controls for motion smoothing. In movies you can adjust the strength of smoothing to your taste, from preserving a cinematic feel to much smoother motion. A separate blur-reduction control is useful for fast-paced content like live sports broadcasts.
Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate):
Blur (4K@165Hz ):
Once you connect a computer you can go even further. The new panel allows up to 165 Hz at 4K resolution, which will be especially appreciated by players of fast-paced shooters or racing games. Of course the computer still has to generate enough frames, but the TV itself is capable of that.
PHILIPS OLED811 - Console compatibility and gaming features
9.5/10
- ALLM:
Yes
- VRR:
Yes
- VRR range:
48 - 165Hz
Dolby Vision Game Mode:
Yes, high input lag - Correct implementation of HGIG:
Yes
- 1080p@120Hz:
Yes
- 1440p@120Hz:
Yes
- 4K@120Hz:
Yes
- Game bar:
Yes
The OLED811 has almost everything you’d expect from a TV for gaming. It supports 120 Hz at Full HD, 1440p and 4K, and when connected to a PC it can reach up to 165 Hz. It also offers VRR to help avoid screen tearing when frame rates fluctuate, and ALLM, which automatically switches to game mode. So you don’t have to go into the settings every time you start your console.
Another plus is the properly working HGiG, which ensures that once HDR is set on the console the TV doesn’t apply its own changes to image brightness. The Game Bar is also available, letting you check signal parameters and quickly change settings useful while gaming. The list even includes Dolby Vision for games, but there’s a significant catch here, which you’ll read about below.
PHILIPS OLED811 - Input lag
8.8/10
OLED811 responds instantly. We measured 14 ms at 60 Hz and just 5 ms at 120 Hz, both in Full HD and 4K. Those are excellent results that let you comfortably play even fast online multiplayer games. Unfortunately, when Dolby Vision is enabled the situation changes dramatically: at 60 Hz latency rises to 157 ms, and at 120 Hz it’s 57 ms. The first result in particular already causes a clearly noticeable lag between a movement on the controller and the response on screen. For gaming it’s definitely better to stick with HDR10.
| SDR | HDR | Dolby Vision |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p60: 14 ms | 2160p60: 14 ms | 2160p60 DV: 157 ms |
| 1080p120: 5 ms | 2160p120: 5 ms | 2160p120 DV: 57 ms |
| 2160p60: 14 ms | ||
| 2160p120: 5 ms |
PHILIPS OLED811 - Compatibility with PC
8.6/10
Chroma 444 (max. resolution and refresh rate): Yes
Font clarity: Good
Readability of dark text and shapes: Very Good
Input lag in PC mode (4K, max. refresh rate): 5ms
Matrix subpixel arrangement: RGWB
Max refresh rate: 165Hz
G-Sync: Yes
The Philips OLED811 works very well with a PC. The manufacturer has finally managed to correctly implement 4:4:4 chroma, even at maximum resolution and refresh rate. As a result, small text and coloured edges are readable, without the blurring or rainbow fringing that comes from loss of colour information. Dark text on dark backgrounds also holds up well, which TVs can struggle with. There are still minor imperfections related to the RGWB subpixel layout. Fonts are not as sharp as on a classic RGB monitor, and with white letters you can see faint red halos up close. From a normal viewing distance you barely notice it, though it’s easier to spot when sitting close at a desk.
Where it really shines is gaming from a PC. The combination of 4K at 165 Hz, working G-Sync and input lag around 5 ms makes the OLED811 excellent for that. If you have a computer that can take advantage of that refresh rate, it’s definitely worth plugging it into the Philips.
PHILIPS OLED811 - Viewing angles
7.8/10
Brightness drop at an angle of 45 degrees: 32%
The viewing angles on the OLED811 are excellent and among the best on the market. Even when sitting well off to the side you still see an image with deep blacks and well-saturated colours. That's a big advantage over LCD screens. You don't have to sit exactly in front to enjoy good picture quality.
QD-OLED panels perform even better, keeping colours more faithful at off-axis angles. On the Philips, at wider off-axis angles the whites shift slightly towards greenish tones, but the effect is so small that it's hard to find it bothersome while watching. We'd even say that in this respect this is the best WOLED panel sample we've tested so far.
PHILIPS OLED811 - Daytime performance
6/10
Panel finish: Glare
Reflection suppression: Decent
Black levels during daytime: Very Good
OLED811 copes with daytime viewing, although in a very bright living room it already has its limits. Peak brightness in SDR reaches about 600 nits, a level comparable with the LG C6 or Samsung S90H, which use the same panel. That’s noticeably more than basic OLEDs and will be plenty for most people. Bear in mind, though, that this brightness isn’t maintained across the whole screen — it falls with a lot of white, and the average from our measurements was around 392 nits.
A bigger issue can be direct reflections from windows or lamps. The glossy coating dampens them reasonably well, but they’re still clearly visible on the screen, especially in dark scenes. It doesn’t diffuse reflections as effectively as matte screens, so placing the TV opposite a large window isn’t the best idea. On the plus side, black levels remain very good even in daylight. In a typical living room the Philips will therefore perform without major problems, but with strong sunlight falling directly on the screen you’ll want blinds.
Panel brightness
Philips OLED811: 392 cd/m2
PHILIPS OLED811 - TV features
7.9/10
System: Titan OS
System performance: Good
- HDMI inputs: 0 x HDMI 2.0, 4 x HDMI 2.1 48Gbps
- Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI), Mini-Jack (Headphones)
- Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
- TV reception: DVB-T, DVB-T2, DVB-S, DVB-S2, DVB-C
Classic features:
Recording to USB (terrestrial TV): No - Recording programming: No
- Picture in Picture (PiP): No
- RF remote control (no need to aim): Infrared
- Backlit remote control: Yes
- Teletext: Yes
- Audio only mode: Yes
- Bluetooth headphones support: Yes
- Simultaneous Bluetooth headphones & TV audio: Yes
Smart features:
- AirPlay: Yes
- Screen mirroring (Windows Miracast): Yes
- Voice search: Yes
- Voice search in native language: Yes
- Ability to connect a keyboard and mouse: Yes
Smart features — Titan OS
The Smart TV system is the most controversial change in the OLED811. Philips has dropped the user-favourite Google TV in favour of its own Titan OS. For many people this may be a hard decision to accept, although Titan is getting noticeably better year on year and runs more smoothly. We have working AirPlay, screen mirroring from a computer and voice search in Polish. System responsiveness has improved too, though you can still notice small delays when navigating the menus. We have the impression the IR remote is partly to blame, as it doesn’t always pick up commands immediately. The biggest limitation compared with Google TV is the smaller selection of apps. That doesn’t mean it’s empty, however — you’ll find Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, CANAL+, and Apple TV has recently joined the library. If you mainly use popular services, Titan should be fine, but it’s worth checking availability of less well-known apps before buying (see the list at the bottom 😉).
Ambilight
Ambilight remains one of the best reasons to consider a Philips TV. On the OLED811 it’s three-sided — LEDs along the top and sides of the casing light the wall with colours matched to what’s happening on screen. In the evening this creates a great effect and can change the whole room’s atmosphere, so we awarded extra points for this feature. You don’t have to use the dynamic picture tracking though. If you prefer a calmer viewing environment you can set a static white light. It’s a pleasant option for evening sessions when you don’t want to sit in front of a bright screen in a completely dark room.
Classic features
For regular TV viewing the OLED811 performs well, though it lacks USB recording and picture-in-picture (PiP). You can connect Bluetooth headphones and use them alongside the TV’s speakers. What bothers us most, however, is the infrared control mentioned earlier. The remote itself is quite interestingly designed: it’s backlit and has a hybrid keyboard with a numeric section. It’s a shame you still have to point it at the TV like with old sets. With equipment at this level we’d prefer to just press buttons without worrying which way we’re holding the remote. Hopefully Philips will fix that in future models.
Sound connection options
HDMI audio:
Other audio outputs:
- Toslink: Yes
- Stereo (Mini-Jack): Yes
Wireless audio:
- Bluetooth: Yes
Supported audio formats (external HDMI eARC audio):
- Dolby Digital Plus 7.1: Yes
- Dolby True HD 7.1: Yes
- Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC): Yes
- Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD: Yes
- DTS:X in DTS-HD MA: Yes
- DTS-HD Master Audio: Yes
Senior accessibility
- Numeric keyboard on TV: Yes
- Font size adjustment: Yes
- Audio description: Yes
PHILIPS OLED811 - Apps
7.7/10
PHILIPS OLED811 - Playing files from USB
8.6/10
| Maximum photo resolution: | Supported photo formats: |
|---|---|
| 4 Mpix | JPEG |
| 6 Mpix | HEIC |
| 8 Mpix | PNG |
| 10 Mpix | GIF |
| 12 Mpix | WebP |
| 16 Mpix | TIFF |
| 20 Mpix | BMP |
| 24 Mpix | SVG |
| 28 Mpix | |
| 32 Mpix |
The USB player in the OLED811 handles most of the audio and video formats we test, so it's perfectly adequate for watching a movie or playing music from a USB stick. Our main reservations are about photos, specifically the strangely selective handling of their resolutions. The TV opened 8, 16 and 32 Mpix files, but couldn't cope with the rest. So it's not that the photos are simply too large, because the player can display a higher-resolution image and refuse to open a smaller one. When browsing holiday photos this can be genuinely annoying, as some will need to be converted on a computer first... or you could just use remote screen mirroring...😉
PHILIPS OLED811 - Sound
7.6/10
93dB
Maximum volume
Supported codecs (TV speakers)
Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Dolby True HD 7.1
Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC)
Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD
DTS:X in DTS-HD MA
DTS-HD Master Audio
There have been a few concrete changes to the sound compared with last year’s OLED820. The rear subwoofer is gone and the 4.1 speaker layout has been replaced by a 2.2 configuration. Despite these changes the OLED811 still sounds good and fairly even. It can play louder, and the sound even seems a touch fuller than a year ago. The bass has suffered; although the sound has weight, the low end lacks the depth of its predecessor. You can hear this most clearly in films and music when you’re waiting for a stronger hit. That said, it’s still well above average for built-in TV speakers. If you want deeper bass and more distinct spatial effects, it’s worth considering a soundbar or a system with an AV receiver. Philips gives you plenty of flexibility: it supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS, and will pass Dolby TrueHD tracks over HDMI eARC to compatible equipment without any problems. So there’s room to upgrade later if you decide to expand the sound system.
Sound Quality Test:
Acoustic Measurements
93dBC (Max)
75dBC
PHILIPS OLED811 - Panel details
Software version during testing: TPM267E_V167.002.054.151
Panel uniformity and thermal imaging:
Backlight Type: WRGB OLED
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