Philips PUS8359 (IPS) vs Panasonic W70A

The quality of the HDR effect on the Philips PUS8359/12 TV is also not impressive. The brightness level of 280 nits is too low, resembling standard SDR more than true HDR, which is clearly visible on the five tested test patterns. Additionally, the television does not excel in terms of colour gamut coverage – a mere 76% of DCI-P3 is a result that can be considered poor, especially compared to other models in a similar price range.

HDR on the Panasonic W70A unfortunately does not impress. A brightness level of 250–300 nits is simply too low to feel the true magic of cinematic effects in dynamic, bright scenes. Images that should “burst” with light look rather flat, and fine details in bright areas often get lost in the average luminance of the panel. On the positive side, the HDR effect is at least stable. The television does not fall into excessive brightness or lose details during rapid scene changes. Everything is predictable and calm, although unfortunately rather unimpressive. Another issue is the colour gamut coverage. The W70A has not been equipped with an additional layer of quantum dots (often known as QLED), which means the colours appear rather mediocre. There is a lack of depth in reds, saturation in greens, and precision in reproducing subtle shades.

The most faithful factory mode in terms of compliance with the source material turned out to be "Film", which was used in our tests. Nevertheless, like other factory modes, it also had its flaws. In both SDR and HDR materials, we noticed issues with white balance, where the dominance of green and red resulted in a yellowish tint. This effect was particularly noticeable in the form of yellowed whites and unnatural skin tones. The "ColourChecker" palette test showed that every colour had shifted to warmer tones, affecting colour reproduction accuracy. A key aspect of the image is also contrast and brightness, which can be assessed by analysing gamma charts and the EOTF curve. On the gamma chart, we noticed significant deviations – both excessively high values, which caused loss of detail in the shadows, and excessively low values, which led to a drastic drop in contrast. Compared to gamma, the EOTF curve performed better, only slightly brightening the image, which had a less negative impact on overall quality.

The Panasonic W70A was tested by us in movie mode, which theoretically should guarantee the most natural image reproduction. Unfortunately, as is often the case with budget TVs, the reality proved far from ideal.

In HD (SDR) content, the white balance was severely disrupted by an excess of red and a noticeable drop in blue tones. The effect? The image had a distinctly warm, almost yellowish glow, which is clearly visible in the comparison photo. In the case of 4K HDR material, the situation reversed. Here, the image became excessively cold and bluish, causing scenes to lose their naturalness and depth. The differences are visible even to the naked eye, especially in the bright areas of the image. The Colour Checker palette test confirmed our observations. Most colour samples did not hit their intended points, "drifting" towards warmer shades in SDR and cooler ones in HDR. As for brightness characteristics, both gamma and the EOTF curve showed significant issues. The image tended to excessively brighten certain areas, disrupting balance and leading to a loss of detail in darker and lighter regions.

In summary – the factory colour reproduction settings in the Panasonic W70A leave much to be desired. The image is far from neutral, and errors in white balance and gamma mean that a solid calibration is needed to extract the TV's full potential.

Philips, both in its cheaper and more expensive models, offers a wide range of tools for image calibration. We used them to improve the quality of the displayed image, although it was not as straightforward as it might seem. We managed to adjust the white balance, improve the gamma, and fine-tune the EOTF curve, but despite these efforts, the deltaE errors were still at a very high level. The main causes were limited coverage of the DCI-P3 palette and low maximum brightness, which significantly affected the final result. Although the overall presentation is much better, the design features of the television did not allow us to achieve spectacular results.

Panasonic W70A, despite its limitations, provided us with considerable scope during calibration. Thanks to well-developed tools, we managed to achieve a significantly better white balance in both HD (SDR) and 4K HDR content. The issues with excess red in SDR and overly cool images in HDR have disappeared. The gamma brightness characteristic has also improved, maintaining stability and preventing excessive brightening or loss of detail in darker areas.

So where is the problem? Unfortunately, there are barriers that even professional calibration cannot overcome. Poor coverage of a wide color gamut means that the television cannot fully reproduce colours in HDR material. There is a lack of saturation, and subtle colour transitions still appear somewhat "flattened." Another limitation is brightness management, which results from the applied IPS panel. In the comparative image with the actress's face in colourful clothing, it is clearly visible how some shades are noticeably muted, and colours lose their depth and vibrancy.

Calibration has extracted from the W70A as much as possible. The image is now significantly more natural, and the errors in the factory settings have been effectively corrected. Unfortunately, hardware limitations in the form of poor colour gamut coverage and an average panel mean that even after calibration, we are unable to achieve spectacular effects, especially in HDR content.

In this paragraph, we will take a look at two functionalities. Once again, we will examine the feature responsible for tonal transitions, but we will also check how the television handles image scaling. The option responsible for smooth gradation is called "Distortion Reduction". As we have established, it quite effectively smooths out irregularities. However, we must point out two things: we are unable to enable it for HDR materials, and that it blurs details in films.

The tested television cannot boast the best image scaling. The overall blurriness of the image is quite noticeable, but worse still, it blurs details. This is particularly evident on the branches and the model's hair. A characteristic white halo around the figures is also visible.

We checked how the Panasonic W70A performs when improving content of lower quality than 4K, and it must be said that in this regard, the television does quite respectably. The "Zeroing Counter" function is responsible for smoothing tonal transitions. The optimal setting turned out to be the Average option, which effectively smooths out issues with colour gradation while not ruining the film grain. This is the setting we recommend for most users, as it provides a balance between enhancing the smoothness of transitions and maintaining the naturalness of the image.

When it comes to image scaling, the Panasonic W70A performed really well. The test panel with a model was positively received – the details on her clothing were well reproduced, and the contours of her face retained clarity. In the background, we noticed slight "jaggies" on thin branches, but these are details that only a very keen eye would catch. However, it is worth noting a certain drawback of this model – the television tends to overscan, or slightly cropping the edges of the image. This is not a very intense phenomenon and will be practically unnoticeable for most users, but if we care about a perfect fit of the frame, it is worth keeping this in mind.

Philips PUS8359 is not the best choice for watching sport. The lack of even basic motion smoothing functionality means that the image during fast-moving scenes is not adequately clear. Despite the use of an IPS panel (43 and 55'), which theoretically should offer better sharpness than VA panel variants, there is no noticeable improvement regarding blurring. In pictures with fast movement, the figure of the alien is clearly blurry, indicating that the television struggles to maintain sharpness in dynamic shots.

The Panasonic W70A is equipped with a 60 Hz panel, which immediately suggests that the television is best suited for watching films, series, or everyday TV content. In more dynamic scenes, such as sports broadcasts or games, the limitations of the panel become more noticeable. However, it is worth noting the presence of a motion smoother called "Effect", which offers three degrees of adjustment - low, medium, and high.

Each of the settings allows you to adjust the smoothness of motion to your own preferences, minimising motion blur and improving clarity in dynamic shots. In practice, the Medium setting seems to be the most versatile – it offers better fluidity without excessive "soap opera effect", which can look artificial in feature films. The High setting may work well for sports broadcasts, but in films, it can disrupt the natural character of motion.

In terms of compatibility with consoles, Philips PUS8359 is mainly suited for occasional gamers. Although the television is equipped with an HDMI 2.0 port, it offers features such as Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), and Game Bar. ALLM automatically switches the television to low latency mode, making quicker reactions easier during gameplay, while VRR smoothly adjusts the refresh rate, eliminating screen tearing issues. The Game Bar provides quick access to game settings and real-time monitoring of parameters; however, in our opinion, it performs worse compared to the competition's solutions.

However, more demanding gamers may feel unsatisfied. Philips PUS8359 does not support advanced HDR formats in games or higher refresh rates, which is due to the use of a 60 Hz panel. These shortcomings limit the television's capabilities in delivering smooth and detailed experiences during fast, dynamic gameplay.

The Panasonic W70A is a television that is more suited to occasional gamers than to avid players. The 60 Hz panel does not allow for the full potential of next-generation consoles to be realised, especially in dynamic titles. The lack of HDMI 2.1 somewhat limits its capabilities, but fortunately, it features functions such as ALLM, which automatically switches to game mode, and VRR, which helps minimise screen tearing. It is worth noting the support for Dolby Vision in games and HGiG, which makes HDR more predictable and looks solid. It is just a shame that there is no Game Bar. This feature has become standard in many televisions and provides quick access to the most important settings for gamers. The W70A performs adequately for gaming, but it has its limitations. It will work well for calmer titles, but more demanding gamers may feel a lack of fulfilment.