Philips PUS7009 (VA) vs XIAOMI A PRO 2026

In terms of HDR effect quality, Philips PUS7009 performs very poorly. A brightness level of 250 nits does not allow one to enjoy HDR effects, and the image resembles more of a standard SDR. There is no question of dynamic effects or vivid light bursts. The coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut is only 75%, which is definitely insufficient. The lack of full colour coverage means that the colours are not as vibrant as they should be, resulting in a flat and unconvincing image. There are no aspects for which this model could be praised in the context of HDR.

If you are hoping for a cinema-grade HDR effect in the new Xiaomi A Pro 2026, you better cool your expectations quickly. This television is simply too dim to fully showcase the capabilities of contemporary films or series designed for the highest image quality. Our measurements showed brightness in the range of 200–300 nits, which is more akin to SDR content than ambitious HDR productions. In practice, this means that while most films may look fine, they certainly won't evoke that "wow" effect that other televisions are known for. Fortunately, not everything is lost – we must credit the PFS LED filter used here, which is 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 television was tested in movie mode, which – despite its name – does not provide accurate image display. The white balance in both 4K HDR and HD/SDR content shows drops in red, causing the image to appear cooler and the colours to lose their natural warmth. The gamma brightness characteristics and the EOTF curve confirm that the television struggles to maintain appropriate brightness – it boosts it significantly, resulting in an unnaturally washed-out image. This effect can be seen in the comparisons below, where everything looks as if it has a milky filter applied. Additionally, the limited coverage of a wide colour palette also does not favour quality – color checker tests indicate significant colour variations, making it difficult to achieve faithful image reproduction.

What we saw in Filmmaker mode took us by surprise – and unfortunately not in a good way. The mode advertised as Hollywood standard resembled more of a shop window display. The white balance was shifted towards blue, leading to significant colour mistakes and burnt-out scenes in SDR content. It was slightly better, though still not perfect, in HDR materials. There were also issues there – the colour saturation and the entire palette consistently drifted towards cooler tones, resulting in an image that had more of an artificial, cold tint instead of a cinematic character. In other words: even in Filmmaker mode, which should showcase this television, we got an effect far from expectations.

After calibration, the image improved significantly, especially in terms of white balance, which is now more stable, and the hues have become more natural, eliminating the previous impression of an overly cool image. The calibration brought noticeable benefits in terms of tonality – the shadows and midtones are now more realistic, and the overall effect appears more harmonious. Unfortunately, hardware limitations still affect image quality. The brightness characteristics remain problematic, despite our efforts, and due to poor coverage of the DCI-P3 and BT.2020 colour spaces, delta E errors are still at a high level. Although the calibration improved some aspects, the television still does not allow for complete satisfaction.

Although Xiaomi is not a brand associated with top-tier televisions, it must be acknowledged that even in a budget model like the A Pro 2026, the manufacturer left plenty of calibration settings. After a few adjustments, the SDR image gained a completely new look. Colours stopped drifting towards blue tones, whites took on a more natural quality, 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 somewhat different with HDR materials. Here, it was immediately evident what we had already mentioned – clipping in bright scenes and issues with balance control. Calibration helped only partly, as the limitations of the panel itself played a role. However, it must be emphasized that for SDR, the television had transformed beyond recognition and in a decidedly positive direction.

When it comes to tonal transitions in low-quality material, the function called "Distortion Reduction" (the "minimum" setting) effectively improves gradation, eliminating unattractive tonal transitions. However, this setting on Philips televisions is quite aggressive – while it does not blur grain or good quality material, it can introduce undesirable effects and blur elements that should remain sharp when the signal is poorer.

In terms of image scaling, Philips PUS7009 performs decently. A significant advantage is the absence of cropped image edges, meaning no overscan, which allows for the display of the full frame without loss. The image is noticeably enhanced, making characters and backgrounds, such as the model or branches in the background, look quite detailed and natural, even with lower quality signals. Although scaling is not perfect, as it can remove desired details in the distance, the effects are good enough for most users to be satisfied.

Upscaling and digital image processing in the Xiaomi A Pro 2026 are not among the strengths of this model. One might expect that since the television was not designed to achieve record brightness levels, the manufacturer would focus on a more robust processor and a set of features that would "enhance" lower-quality images. Unfortunately – and here we are also faced with significant disappointment. On the positive side, we can note reasonably good upscaling, which handles HD materials and boosts them up to 4K in an acceptable manner. However, this is where the list of advantages ends. The television does not offer any features that improve tonal transitions or smooth out digital imperfections, so in most cases, we get a raw image, exactly as we deliver from an external source. On a large screen, such a lack of support makes lower-quality materials simply look bland. An additional problem is the phenomenon of overscan. When watching older materials, it happens that part of the image gets cut off, which only amplifies the impression that Xiaomi still has a lot of ground to make up in this category.

Philips PUS7009 does not have motion smoothing capabilities, which means there is no option to adjust the image for a more choppy or smoother, cinematic effect. Such features could positively influence the reception of dynamic scenes. In terms of motion blur, this model is equipped with a 60 Hz VA panel, which offers slightly worse results than the variant with an IPS panel. The VA panel introduces minimally greater motion blur, although the differences are not significant and should not pose a problem for most viewers.

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

In terms of compatibility with consoles, Philips PUS7009 is likely to satisfy casual gamers. Although equipped with HDMI 2.0, it offers features such as ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), and Game Bar. ALLM automatically switches the television to low latency mode, which speeds up responses during gaming, while VRR adjusts the refresh rate to minimise screen tearing. Game Bar provides quick access to gaming settings and monitors key parameters, although it visually falls short compared to competing solutions. However, more demanding gamers may feel underwhelmed. Philips PUS7009 does not support advanced HDR formats in games, and the 60 Hz panel limits the ability to display smooth and detailed images in dynamic scenes, which may not satisfy fans of fast-paced action games.

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