Philips PML9009 / 9019 / 9059 vs Samsung S90F QD-OLED

Philips PML9009 does not really operate at the highest values in HDR content. Most effects with brightness at around 550 nits will not leave us thrilled with the lighting effects, although they are quite stable, which is a plus and will make a considerable difference compared to SDR content. It is worth noting that we can only achieve a good result in one scenario, namely in the film "Gemini", where the flashlight as the only light source can shine. Why in that scene specifically? The answer is quite simple. The scene itself does not contain a large amount of black, and the flashlight is not as large an object as the sun in the first and last scenes. Overall, the brightness measurement results in HDR content do not provide a basis for recommending this television for viewing productions that utilise a wide colour spectrum. Although it is worth noting that this model can cover it to a decent extent of 93% in the case of the DCI-P3 palette.

The biggest difference between the 65-inch S90F and the other versions is brightness. The QD-OLED panel can reach up to 1700 nits in laboratory tests, which is over 500 nits more than the variant with a WOLED matrix. This translates to a decidedly stronger and more engaging HDR effect. In most scenes, bright parts of the image look fantastic, and we must admit that we were positively surprised, as we expected results more similar to the WOLED version, but we got an effect that makes a great impression even in films. Just like with every OLED, there are moments when the panel needs to limit its brightness a bit. This mainly refers to full-screen, very demanding scenes – for example, in the last test frame from the film "The Meg," the brightness drops to around 800 nits. However, it is hard to consider this a disadvantage, as it is still an excellent result, unprecedented in OLED televisions in this price range. Everything suggests that the 65-inch S90F could be one of the best choices this year for those looking for a strong OLED at a reasonable price. Another advantage of the QD-OLED matrix in HDR content is its colour gamut coverage. Thanks to quantum dots, the television achieves almost a full 100% of the DCI-P3 colour space and nearly 90% of the BT.2020 colour space. These values place it alongside much more expensive models and make it exceptional in its class.

The best factory mode used during our tests was "Filmmaker". Here, we will look at both SDR and HDR content. The element that distinguishes them is primarily the EOTF curve in materials with a wide colour gamut and the gamma in those recorded "the old way". Starting with SDR films and series and the most basic thing we can observe, which is white balance, we see a significant dominance of red colour. This led to a yellow tint across the entire image, causing unnaturally looking faces and yellowed whites. This flaw is also evident on the "ColourChecker" palette, where all colours have shifted towards their warmer counterparts. Looking at a more significant graph, that of the gamma responsible for image contrast, we see considerable errors starting from the very beginning. From the left, the value we measured, marked by a connected ellipsis, clearly spiked upwards, causing complete merging of details in the darkest scenes. This state of affairs remained until 10% screen brightness, after which it dipped below the reference orange line, leading to a deterioration in contrast, which, as we know, the Philips PML9009 already lacks. In HDR materials, the white balance issues were very similar to those in SDR content. The discrepancy arises when checking the EOTF curve, which controls the rate of brightness increase and severely limited it, causing the image to appear unnaturally dark. As for the colours themselves, there were more reasons for concern here, as the television's too low luminance caused a huge discrepancy between the actual state and the correct one, which is perfectly visible on the error graph, often exceeding the scale.

Samsung S90F, like most modern televisions, offers several picture modes, but in line with our tradition, we tested it in the most important one, which is Filmmaker. This setting makes the image look much more natural than in the default, often overly saturated modes. It is neither excessively vivid nor artificially subdued – just closer to what one should actually see. However, this does not mean it is perfect. The S90F had noticeable shortcomings in white balance, mainly in the blue range, which gave a slightly yellowish filter effect on most scenes. One might argue that it looks more "filmic" because it is warmer, but let’s not kid ourselves – George Lucas didn't shoot Star Wars in sepia 😉 (a comparison with the scene can be found, as always, below). In HDR materials, there was also an issue with brightness management. The EOTF curve clearly showed that the television brightens the picture more than it should, leading to some effects appearing too intense and deviating from the reference. Fortunately, a large part of these shortcomings can be eliminated through professional calibration – we will discuss the effects of this procedure further on in the test.

Philips PML9009, like most leading manufacturers, has been offering advanced tools for the calibration process for years. Thus, we find 2- and 20-point greyscale adjustment as well as an advanced CMS (Colour Management System). The differences resulting from calibration are evident, and even someone not paying attention to picture quality (although there probably aren't many such here) will notice a positive difference. Both SDR and HDR materials have undergone a significant transformation. The former, as well as the latter, have primarily rid themselves of the unpleasant yellow tint resulting from a red colour dominance in white balance. As for the SDR materials and gamma, although it is not 'lined up' perfectly and still loses dark details, the rest of it is on a more than decent level, and minor errors will not be noticeable. The colours themselves look infinitely better, and thanks to low deltaE errors, they are nearly reference-quality. On the other hand, the HDR materials, due to the low luminance of the unit, were not blended as we would have liked. Although the white balance has been largely normalised, here and there one can notice a slight blue tint. Fortunately, the EOTF curve turned out to be much more accessible and allowed for practically ideal geometry. Unfortunately, due to the screen's insufficient brightness, colour errors are still quite high.

Calibration quickly revealed that the S90F has a significant margin of capability. The image in SDR immediately gained a natural quality – classic films no longer looked as if someone had applied a yellowish filter to them, and the colours regained their proper character. It is a return to the atmosphere of the original, without the impression that someone tried to "age" it forcefully. In HDR content, the difference was even more pronounced. The EOTF curve was managed almost to a reference level, and any deviations are so subtle that most viewers won't even notice them. In practice, the S90F shows an image very close to perfection after calibration. Compared to the WOLED version, it performs even better – mainly due to the wider colour gamut coverage, which makes the colours appear fuller and more intense.

Judging by how PML9009 Philips handled tonal transitions, the image scaling test should perform equally well. This time we are examining the television's algorithms responsible for enhancing the quality of images that have been recorded in lower quality. Such images can be found in various television programmes or older films. In this regard, Philips PML9009 performs quite mediocrely and significantly blurs the image. This is particularly evident in fine branches or the model's hair.

We will take another look at the tonal transitions, which performed remarkably. Within the unit, we find several levels of smoothing. Even the lowest setting can effectively eliminate any non-fluid tonal transition and will work well with the vast majority of content. More importantly, none of the settings for this function softens the effect of film grain, which is extremely important in terms of alignment with the director's vision. However, we note that sometimes it may turn out that fine details will be blurred.

The S90F performs really well here, although there are some comments that recur with most Samsung televisions. The noise reduction feature can effectively smooth out unwanted colour transitions in poorer materials, such as television or YouTube, making them simply look better. However, it should be noted that it operates quite aggressively and can also soften elements we wouldn't want to touch, like facial details. Therefore, if we want to use it, it’s best to set it to 'medium' and be aware of the compromise it entails. The upscaling itself is at a high level – low-quality materials are upscaled towards a 4K-like image. The only caveat is that the S90F can still struggle with so-called overscan, meaning it slightly trims edges with very poor materials like 576p and lower.

Philips PML9009 is equipped with a panel that has a native refresh rate of 120 Hz. This is the essential minimum for watching all kinds of sports and is recommended for comfortable gaming in favourite titles on consoles or PCs. The manufacturer has prepared an effective system for improving the sharpness of moving images for those who do not like the characteristic stuttering of footage recorded at 24 fps or require a high level of motion fluidity, for example, when watching football matches. In the dedicated tab, we find the "Fluidity" slider, which helps eliminate stuttering, and "Motion Blur Reduction," which aids in increasing the sharpness of dynamic elements. This function works very well and granularly, meaning each setting has a real impact on the perception of motion. With such a set, every user will find their sweet spot. In the picture, we present our choice, which is a slight fluidity enhancement without the soap opera effect.

A matter directly related to motion is the pixel response time of the panel itself. The best in this regard are, of course, OLED panels, followed by IPS and ADS-based units, and finally, VA. Despite the overall good quality of the systems responsible for smoothing the image, the use of a VA panel carries consequences in the form of a black halo behind fast-moving objects. While this will not occur frequently in the tested television, it will be visible here and there.

S90F is an OLED with a refresh rate of 144 Hz, but in practice, it primarily indicates how it performs at 120 Hz, as this frequency is most significant when watching sports. The QD-OLED panel is no different in this regard from WOLED panels – the response of the pixels is nearly instantaneous, so motion is rendered with surgical precision. The result is predictable. The image is virtually devoid of motion blur, making gaming on consoles, matches, or other sports broadcasts incredibly enjoyable on the S90F.

Fans of films and series have not been overlooked either. Like every Samsung television with a refresh rate of 120 Hz and above, the S90F features a proprietary motion smoothing technology called "Image Clarity." Here, we find two sliders – blur reduction and judder reduction – which allow for improved fluidity of materials recorded at 24 frames and tailoring the effect to personal preferences.

Philips PML9009, equipped with HDMI 2.1 ports at full bandwidth, supports all features dedicated to gamers. The most basic ones, such as VRR and ALLM, are a given, but G-Sync, FreeSync, and gaming in HDR Dolby Vision with low input lag are not. These features activate without any issues and during the tests conducted, they did not present any problems. Such preparation of the television is certainly a strong point and one can say that it is a unit dedicated to gamers. For more advanced users, we also mention that the PML9009 is equipped with an HGIG mode, which will be particularly felt by gamers, as there are still relatively few games supporting Dolby Vision. This mode primarily allows for the adjustment of HDR effects to the capabilities of the television on a special board, in order to avoid dimming or burning out the image.

The television additionally features a special menu - GameBar. This allows for editing the unit's settings "on the fly", without the need to exit the game. We will also find features such as enabling a crosshair or adjusting black levels for better visibility of opponents in shadows.

In a brief summary of this paragraph, the Philips PML9009 is a unit that will certainly capture the attention of gamers. Thanks to its versatility, it will allow playing any title in the highest quality without compromises. Especially since features such as VRR, ALLM, G-Sync, FreeSync, or gameplay in HDR Dolby Vision will enhance the immersion in the favourite title.

The S90F is a television that truly brings a lot of joy when gaming. To start, we have four full-fledged HDMI 2.1 ports, which means you can connect all consoles and PCs without worrying about which device has priority. This is a convenient and practical solution that is by no means a given with other manufacturers. Additionally, there are key features such as automatic game mode (ALLM), which automatically switches the screen to low-latency settings, and VRR frame synchronization that operates in a wide range from 48 to 144 Hz. As a result, the picture remains smooth regardless of whether we're playing fast-paced online shooters or more leisurely narrative titles. The Game Bar also deserves a mention – a panel that allows quick access to several useful additions. For example, you can enable an additional crosshair in the centre of the screen, enlarge the minimap, or, in the case of PC, change the aspect ratio. Lastly, there is also the unique Game Motion Plus mode from Samsung. Its purpose is to smooth out older or poorly optimized titles, and it actually works pretty well. Thanks to this mode, even less polished games can look better and provide a more enjoyable gaming experience than on other televisions that theoretically offer the same technical specifications.