Compare: Philips PUS8500 vs Xiaomi S Pro 2026

Ambilight, as this is what we need to start with, is the biggest reason why it's worth buying the PUS8500. The three-sided backlighting of the television looks fantastic, especially in the evening. It creates an atmosphere, masks contrast shortcomings, and makes watching a film simply more enjoyable. Even if the black levels aren't perfect, the native VA panel offers decent performance at high contrast. Additionally, there’s quite a good input lag and several features for gamers such as ALLM and VRR. Although HDMI 2.1 and a 120Hz panel are absent, playing casually should be a pleasure. Especially since it feels responsive and without delays. Let’s also mention the full support for audio formats – both Dolby Atmos and DTS are included, so soundbar owners can also rejoice.

However, we won't sugarcoat it – this is still a budget television, and at times it’s clearly evident. The brightness is average – not weak enough to prevent viewing, but on an exceptionally sunny day, watching without curtains can be problematic. Nevertheless, in our opinion, the biggest disappointment of the PUS8560 is the Titan OS operating system. Despite the fact that the system debuted some time ago, certain functions simply refused to work – for instance, screen mirroring from a phone despite the manufacturer claiming that such a feature is present. There are fewer apps than in the competition, and the system itself operates rather clumsily. Generally, while it does have some features, it evidently lacks refinement.

Of course, this isn’t a television meant to compete with top models. But if someone is looking for something simple, with a great atmosphere provided by the Ambilight system, it is quite a fair proposition. You just have to know what to expect and accept the numerous compromises present here.

Is it worth buying the Xiaomi S Pro 2026? The answer to this question is quite complicated. Let's start with what is really great about this television. First of all, the Xiaomi S Pro 2026 has an excellent price-to-specification ratio. We get a Mini LED panel with very high brightness that performs exceptionally well in a sunlit living room. Additionally, it has a fast refresh rate of 144 Hz (and even 288 Hz) and a full package for gamers: two HDMI 2.1 ports, support for VRR, and remarkably low input lag (below 10 ms). If we mainly watch "regular" content and play games, this is truly a fantastic screen. Even the built-in 30W speakers are surprisingly good and support Dolby Atmos. Unfortunately, there is also a second, very problematic side to this model. In short: the software. We have the impression that Xiaomi has provided us with excellent "parts," but could not make them work together correctly. The biggest issue is the HDR mode – the primary reason for buying a television today. For unknown reasons, the television in HDR mode (HDR10, Dolby Vision) does not manage its dimming zones well. As a result, the black that should be deep becomes gray or navy blue, like in a standard LCD television. There are also other software faults such as the terrible implementation of HGiG or the fact that the Dolby Vision mode for gamers is useless due to the enormous input lag (100 ms). Additionally, the television has very poor capabilities for digital image processing. So how can this be summarised in terms of price? In its price range, the Xiaomi S Pro 2026 crushes the competition in terms of specifications. Other televisions at this price point are usually basic LCD models without dimming and often only with a 60 Hz panel. The question is therefore: what is more important to you? If you are simply looking for a very bright and inexpensive television for watching TV during the day and gaming, and you are willing to calibrate it – you will be very satisfied with it. However, if you are looking for a television to enjoy stunning HDR in films and games right out of the box, you will be terribly disappointed with this model. In that case, in our opinion, it is better to pay a bit extra for a basic OLED television or a more refined Mini-LED model from the competition.

The Philips PUS8560 in the size we tested is equipped with a VA panel. As a result, black levels – as far as LCD televisions go – can be deemed decent. And that is exactly the case with this model. Both black levels and the overall impression of contrast in the film scenes we tested were really quite good – the image does not bleed, and details are visible even in challenging sections.

But the panel alone is not everything. Unfortunately, the PUS8500 does not come with local dimming (which is a given considering the television segment), so one must be aware that in completely dark conditions, the black can resemble shades of navy more than true black. On the other hand – and here’s a plus for Philips – the Ambilight system does an excellent job. The backlighting genuinely affects the perception of contrast. Therefore, even if technically the black is not perfect, subjectively the viewing experience becomes much more pleasurable. For many people, this is enough to make an evening screening truly impressive.

Let's get to the point, which is what is most important in the Mini LED panel: black levels and contrast. The Xiaomi S Pro 2026 is built on a VA matrix, which already promises deep blacks from the start. Adding to that is the Mini LED backlighting with a very large number of local dimming zones. In the 65-inch variant we tested, we counted as many as 532. This is a solid number that should provide precise control over the backlighting. It should be noted that this number is proportional to the size – by choosing the smaller 55-inch variant, there will be correspondingly fewer zones, and in larger models, more.

So, how does the black level perform on the S Pro 2026? The answer is complex.

Overall, it is really quite good, and we see a clear improvement compared to the problematic model from 2025. As you can see from our measurement charts, the results are sometimes spectacular. In most of the film scenes we measured in SDR (standard dynamic range), the contrast could be confidently described as very good and even comparable to designs three times as expensive. Well, it could be... and here we come to the paradox of this model. The issue is how the television manages the zones in scenarios other than SDR. As soon as we feed the television a higher-quality signal, such as an HDR series or Dolby Vision from streaming platforms (Netflix, HBO Max or Disney+), something strange happens. We have the undeniable impression that the television suddenly... forgets that it has been equipped with local dimming zones at all. As can be seen in our video below, the black levels in such scenes resemble more shades of dark grey or navy blue. Additionally, there is a subtle flickering of the entire screen. This is a level we would expect from televisions entirely devoid of a local dimming system. It seems that Xiaomi decided to fix one, but key, flaw of last year's 2025 model over the course of a year. And they succeeded – we no longer have the annoying "zone disco", the image is stable. It's just a shame that when consuming content of the highest quality (HDR), this entire advanced system becomes completely useless.

When it comes to the HDR effect on the PUS8560, it can fairly confidently be stated that it is very average. The panel brightness is around 350 nits, which we consider to be the absolute minimum for watching content in this format. However, this is not a result that will astonish a viewer searching for the best possible picture.

On the plus side, it is worth noting that the PUS8500 series – including the PUS8560/12 we tested – is advertised as a QLED television. And indeed, we can expect a wider colour spectrum here. This model is equipped with an additional filter (PFS), and a DCI-P3 colour coverage of around 90% should suffice for the majority of users. This filter works very similarly to quantum dots. As a result, the colours are quite well saturated. It is not an outstanding result, but it is entirely sufficient for watching films and series from streaming platforms.

When it comes to HDR quality, the Xiaomi S Pro 2026 is undoubtedly a very bright television. On our synthetic measurement patterns, we were able to generate peak brightness of around 1400 nits. This result is not only very good but truly spectacular, considering the price of this model. However, as we always emphasise, for our editorial team, measurements and the experiences from the content viewed on a daily basis - from films and series - are more important. So let's analyse how the Xiaomi performs with film material. The result is, unfortunately, quite mixed. When very bright scenes appear on screen, the S Pro 2026 really shows its full potential and can achieve a real 800-1000 nits in bright elements. Moreover, even smaller objects can "burn" the eyes - in scenes from the film Sicario 2, small metal elements of the helicopter were truly vivid. The problem is that - and here the story comes full circle back to our contrast assessment - in such scenes we cannot count on absolutely cinematic black. In our opinion, this compromise is too great; high visibility of details in bright areas should not come at the cost of such a significant boost to black levels. And although the HDR effect itself can make a stunning impression here, it is essential to remember that when very challenging, mixed scenes appear on screen, we might feel a slight disappointment. Exactly the one we mentioned in the previous paragraph regarding issues with dimming in HDR mode. As a consolation, it is worth adding that the S Pro 2026 has been equipped with an additional PFS filter (similar in function to a QLED layer), which effectively broadens the colour gamut coverage. As a result, measurements showed DCI-P3 coverage reaching up to 94%. This gives us confidence that in most colourful scenes, the image will appear rich and appropriately saturated.

We tested the television with the best available factory settings, namely in Film/Filmmaker mode – this is the mode we recommend for everyday viewing. Unfortunately, it is not without its flaws. Both in HD and HDR content, the image had a noticeable tendency to a pink tint, caused by an excessive amount of red and blue in the white balance. Another issue turned out to be excessive brightness in the image, which was confirmed by both the gamma chart and the EOTF curve. This feature was responsible for loss of detail and washed-out colours in more challenging HDR scenes that we mentioned earlier. The overall result led to significant colour reproduction errors – in extreme cases, the delta E value exceeded 7, while the threshold for visible errors for the human eye is around 3. This situation can be improved with calibration, and you can read about its effects below.

Of course, all our measurements were carried out in "Film" mode, which is typically the best and most accurate choice we get straight out of the box. It needs to be said plainly: although it is the best mode, it is still very far from ideal. Firstly, the television has a clear tendency to impart a cool, bluish tint to the image – this is due to a poorly set white balance. Additionally, there is the issue of how the S Pro 2026 manages its brightness straight out of the box, which results in an overly vivid image. These two flaws contribute to truly significant colourimetric errors (Delta E). In HDR content, they were able to exceed our anticipated error scale of "10" by twofold (meaning values close to 20). As a reminder – the threshold for perceivable error by the human eye is a Delta E value of around 3. Results at the level of 20 indicate that the image significantly deviates from what the director intended.

The Dutch manufacturer offers quite a sizable amount of settings in its products, so as usual, we decided to tinker with them a bit. The effects are immediately noticeable – we managed to correct the white balance, which made the image stop appearing excessively pink. The brightness characteristic has also been partially evened out, of course, within the limits set by the television itself. The image is no longer overly exaggerated, and the overall reception after calibration is definitely better than in the factory settings of the Filmmaker mode.

One could only critique the EOTF curve characteristic, which still indicates that the image has a tendency to brighten HDR materials. Despite our efforts, the darkest parts of scenes are still sometimes too bright, and the brightest ones do not always achieve their full contrast potential. However, it must be clearly stated that we are dealing with a typically budget construction – one cannot expect reference-level reproduction of HDR content from it.

Calibration has definitely helped this model – it improved the balance, toned down the aggressive colour palette, and brought the image closer to what one might expect from a well-configured movie mode. However, there are certain limitations that cannot be overcome.

So how does the S Pro 2026 perform after our calibration procedure? We have to admit that after calibration, the television becomes a really very pleasant device for watching everyday content. As you can see in the graphs, in HD (SDR) materials, both white balance and gamma values have been brought to nearly perfection. Most importantly, colourimetric errors have become practically unnoticeable to the human eye. In this scenario, the S Pro 2026 is simply an excellent television that, after professional calibration, can provide a lot of enjoyment from watching. However, it is worth clearly noting – our efforts have not helped much in 4K HDR mode. Despite the calibration, the television still interprets the image quite strongly "in its own way," which is clearly visible in the measurement of the EOTF curve (brightness tracking). It’s a bit of a shame, as it shows that the problem lies not in the panel itself, but in the software. Underdeveloped image management algorithms in HDR content can, unfortunately, rule out this television for many more discerning users.

The PUS8560 handles colour transitions into smooth gradients very well. During tests, the image appeared coherent and natural, and serious issues with tonal transitions occurred only in very dark scenes – for example, in a shot with red water, where subtle cuts between colours could be noticed. However, these are rather exceptions that do not spoil the reception of most content. It is worth mentioning another phenomenon that more significantly affects the quality of the image – the so-called dithering, which refers to a slight "tingling" visible on uniform backgrounds. This effect can be particularly noticeable in high-quality materials and can somewhat spoil the impression of image clarity. It is for this flaw that we deducted some points in our evaluation.

Let us now turn to the analysis of tonal transitions, that is, the fluidity with which the television can render transitions between closely related shades. In the case of the Xiaomi S Pro 2026, the image that emerges from this is distinctly ambivalent. On the one hand, we have bright gradations. When scenes with a blue sky or other smooth transitions in the light areas of the image appear on the screen, the S Pro 2026 handles them exemplary. They look perfectly smooth, with no visible artefacts.

Unfortunately, the situation changes dramatically as soon as dark scenes take the stage on the screen. Frankly speaking – they look really poor. Instead of a smooth tonal transition in the darkness, the screen very clearly shows the joins of colours and unappealing "stepping" of the gradients. This is very noticeable in darker films or games and can effectively ruin the viewing experience.

Philips PUS8560 offers a function for reducing posterization, hidden under the name "distortion reduction". And although it indeed fulfills its role by smoothing out problematic tonal transitions, it works a bit too broadly. In practice, it affects not only colourful gradients but also softens faces, the textures of clothing, and the surfaces of furniture. This compromises the authenticity of the image – especially in films where natural texture is very important. However, if someone is looking for smoothing at all costs, it's best to set this option to "Low". For cinema image enthusiasts – we definitely do not recommend it.

On the positive side, the quality of upscaling older materials is noteworthy – the PUS8560 model handles them surprisingly well. The image retains its natural softness, without artificially boosted sharpness. It is also worth mentioning that the television correctly displays content with very low resolution, avoiding issues with image edge cutting (so-called overscan).

Let's start with the issue we raised in the previous paragraph: can the television actually fix the problem of dreadful tonal transitions in dark scenes? Theoretically, yes – in the menu, we find a feature with the promising name "Colour Contour Removal." Well, "theoretically." Unfortunately, in practice, this setting – regardless of which of the three power levels is chosen – yielded absolutely no real results. So we are dealing with a feature that, in practice, only exists in the menu. Moving on to the quality of upscaling (scaling the image from a lower resolution to 4K), unfortunately, we have more bad news for you. The S Pro 2026 performs very poorly at this task. Interestingly, the phenomenon of "overscan" (slight cropping of the image) is not a major issue here. The fact is that the television simply displays a very raw, unprocessed image. Its attempt to upscale the signal to a higher resolution looks simply lacklustre and lacks any form of "intelligent" improvement. There is no denying it – the entire digital image processing is the real Achilles' heel of this model.

The Philips PUS8560 is a television equipped with a panel featuring a refresh rate of 60 Hz, which immediately limits its capabilities in terms of displaying dynamic content. Watching sports or playing on a console is not particularly enjoyable. The situation is further worsened by the lack of any option to improve the smoothness of films. In the menu, we won't find settings that would allow us to enable a motion smoother or even a slight motion smoothing for films recorded at 24 frames per second. You can imagine the effect. The image can appear jerky, especially in shots with panoramic camera movements.

On paper, the S Pro 2026 specification looks impressive. The television is equipped with a native 144 Hz panel, with the ability to display images at up to 288 Hz in a dedicated gaming mode. These are amazing results, but what interested us most, in the context of everyday use, was how the television handles motion blur and how the image looks at 120 Hz. After all, this is the frequency used by consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, and it is desired by sports fans. Generally, the panel "holds up". The matrix is sufficiently fast to meet these challenges, and objects displayed at native 120Hz fluidity are shown correctly. As for the software, the television is equipped with motion smoothing technology; however, with a key caveat – it works only for input signals up to 60 Hz. This means it is primarily suitable for traditional television, films, and series. Thanks to this, we can adjust the fluidity of the image to our own preferences – from a very smooth, "theatrical" approach to setting the slider to "zero" and maintaining a fully cinematic character.

Although the Philips PUS8560 is not designed with gamers in mind, the manufacturer has decided to equip it with a few features that may prove useful when connecting a console. On board, we find automatic switching to game mode (ALLM), as well as a simple connection status information bar – the so-called Game Bar. It does not make a particularly strong visual impression, but it serves its purpose. The presence of variable refresh rate (VRR), operating in the range of 48 to 60 Hz, may come as a surprise. While this is not a wide range, in the case of less demanding games or titles with unstable frame rates, VRR can help reduce screen tearing. However, this is the only element that could be considered beyond the minimum.

It must be made clear that the PUS8560 is not equipment for gamers looking for a responsive screen and full support for modern console features. It lacks HDMI 2.1 ports, the refresh rate is limited to 60 Hz, and the response time of the panel is not among the fastest. This model may be suitable at most for casual gamers who want to enjoy the Ambilight system.

For gamers, the Xiaomi S Pro 2026 is almost an ideal proposition on paper. It is equipped with two HDMI 2.1 ports, which allow us to unlock (although these options are somewhat hidden in the menu) the full package of features: ALLM, VRR and, crucially, the ability to work in 4K at 144 Hz. This last feature should particularly please the owners of powerful PCs. The television also has something resembling a gamer panel – and although it's hard to call it a fully-fledged "Gamebar", it serves its purpose by displaying key information. It’s just a shame that in its default form, it obscures a relatively large portion of the screen.

The biggest issue we have with this model, however, concerns how the S Pro 2026 handles games in HDR mode. To put it bluntly: it doesn’t handle it well at all. Due to the television having a poorly implemented HGiG feature (the HDR tone mapping standard for games), it is very easy to "overexpose" the image during initial HDR calibration on the console. If someone is unaware of this software flaw and follows the on-screen instructions, they will simply set the image incorrectly, resulting in burnt-out details in the bright areas. Another major problem is the Dolby Vision mode for games. While it does work, it generates such a high input lag that it becomes noticeable in dynamic titles. (You can check all our lag measurements in the paragraph below). In summary: Generally speaking, this is a really very good screen for gamers, but with one small caveat. We would rather avoid using HDR mode on it – unless we decide to manually set the brightness bar on the console "by eye", completely ignoring the instructions from the console’s pictogram.

The input lag on the PUS8560 is very good. When we previously mentioned that this screen is rather for the "casual gamer," there is nothing to be ashamed of in this regard – even when compared to screens aimed at gamers. Results around 12 ms are truly outstanding, allowing for an enjoyable responsive gameplay experience. It doesn't matter whether we are playing in Full HD or 4K – the lag remains equally low, so if you value a quick response time, the PUS8560 will definitely not disappoint in this aspect.

We move on to one of the most important measurements for gamers, namely signal delay (input lag). Overall, the Xiaomi S Pro 2026 performs excellently here. Generally, in game mode, the lag is very low. With 120 Hz content (from consoles or PCs), we easily achieved results below 10 ms. These are truly outstanding results and, in practice, completely imperceptible for most people, even those very sensitive to lag. Unfortunately, there is one "but" that constitutes the biggest flaw of this model in gaming. This is concerning the Dolby Vision Gaming mode. When this mode is activated, input lag rises to an astronomical level of around 100 ms. At this value, the delay between our movements on the controller (we tested on an Xbox console) and what is displayed on the screen becomes really significant and irritating. Therefore, our recommendation is simple: we absolutely do not recommend using the Dolby Vision Gaming mode on this television.

When it comes to working with a PC on the PUS8560, it looks... quite strange. Chroma 4:4:4 is present in "Monitor" mode, but there is a problem with grey fonts – not all subpixels are lit, which results in the text appearing jagged. On the other hand, in "Game" mode – chroma 4:4:4 disappears, but the grey fonts look correct. In practice, we are therefore forced to juggle settings if we want to have perfectly readable text at all times. And what about gaming on the computer? Our opinion remains the same as for consoles – it is doable, but without fireworks. There is no variable refresh rate for G-SYNC graphics cards, and the refresh rate itself remains relatively low. However, we can once again highlight the very low input lag, which saves the situation in dynamic games.

Generally, when it comes to gaming, the S Pro 2026 is a fantastic screen for PC owners. It offers a refresh rate of up to 288 Hz at Full HD resolution or a full 144 Hz at 4K. All of this, supported by technologies such as AMD FreeSync or G-Sync, really caters to very demanding gamers. And what about "desktop" work? Here we have good news. Although the displayed font may not be perfectly sharp (like on a dedicated PC monitor with an IPS panel), it is presented in a really pleasant and readable manner. This is due to the proper implementation of Chroma 4:4:4 sampling, which ensures that text is clear and there are no issues with coloured fringes.

The viewing angles on the PUS8560 are precisely what one would expect from a VA panel - it's not the best. The image loses quality even with a slight shift off-axis – colours become washed out and black begins to resemble a dark navy. This is, of course, the price paid for the better contrast that VA offers when viewed directly. In the case of our 55-inch model, this is still acceptable, especially if the television is positioned perfectly opposite the sofa. However, with larger screen sizes or a less central placement in the living room – it could become a problem for comfortable viewing.

As for a television equipped with a VA panel, we must admit that the decrease in brightness when deviating from the screen's axis is relatively small in the Xiaomi S Pro 2026. However, one must remember the second, crucial aspect – colour saturation significantly degrades at angles. This is typical behaviour for televisions with VA panels that do not have additional coatings to widen viewing angles. Is this a downside of this television? Probably not. It's simply a characteristic, the price we have to pay for the key qualities of a VA panel in the form of its high native contrast.

The PUS8560 performs moderately during the day. The satin matrix coating quite effectively dampens reflections, which means that light from windows or lamps does not interfere too much. The blacks also look decent for a VA panel – even in daylight, there are no significant losses in contrast. However, all the charm fades when it gets really bright. The panel's brightness is around 300 nits, which is definitely too little to speak of full comfort in a heavily lit room. In such conditions, the PUS8560 simply needs to be aided by blinds – otherwise, the image begins to look rather pale.

Due to its very high peak brightness, the Xiaomi S Pro 2026 performs exceptionally well in brightly lit rooms. In most scenarios, it is capable of "cutting through" even very strong room lighting. However, it should be noted that the matrix used here averages out in terms of reflecting light. This means that in darker areas of the image, or when the television is displaying a dark scene, direct reflections (e.g. the reflection of a window or lamp) may be annoying. Nevertheless, the S Pro 2026, as a television for a bright living room, will perform very well indeed, thanks to its tremendous brightness.

Classic TV Features:

If you are looking for a television that "works" in the most basic sense – the PUS8560 will fulfil that role. In terms of classic features, we have a rather minimalist set. On the plus side, there is an electronic programme guide (EPG), teletext, a backlit remote control with a classic numeric keypad, and a headphone jack input. It sounds a bit like a dream set for seniors – and there is some truth to that. However, it must be stated clearly: this is a television with very limited capabilities. We will not find recording functions from DVB tuners to USB here, nor is there a PiP mode or other conveniences known from more expensive models.

Smart TV:

How does the SmartTV perform on the PUS8560? Well, this is where it gets a bit more complicated. The PUS8560 runs on the Titan OS, which in this particular implementation posed significant problems. Some features, although present "on paper," simply did not work. For example: Wireless screen mirroring functions, such as Chromecast or Miracast – we tried to activate them from several different phones and laptops… without success. Perhaps this will be fixed in the future, but at the time of testing – it did not work. Additionally, the system's speed left much to be desired – switching between applications or home screens was simply slow. A considerable portion of the menu functions seems to be well hidden in the depths of a poorly organised system. To make matters worse, the library of available applications is quite limited. Even though the situation with applications is better than last year, it is still far from ideal. The situation tries to be salvaged by a modern remote – slim, elegant, backlit, and really well made. Unfortunately, it operates on classic infrared, so you have to aim it at the screen. The only exception is voice control, which works via Bluetooth… it’s just a pity that it doesn’t support Polish.

Operating System (Google TV)

The enormous advantage of the Xiaomi S Pro 2026 is undoubtedly the presence of the Google TV system. This gives us access to a gigantic library of applications – we can find literally everything here, from leading VOD platforms to niche players. The system also offers a plethora of useful features, such as a built-in Chromecast, support for AirPlay and Screen Mirroring, as well as an efficiently functioning voice search. The Google TV system itself is great, but one must take a slight grain of salt with its implementation by Xiaomi. During our tests, it occasionally exhibited what could be described as a "breathlessness." Animations could stutter slightly, and the response to commands was not immediate. This is certainly not the level of fluidity that we are accustomed to with top-tier, significantly more expensive models equipped with more powerful processors.

Television Features and Connectivity

How does the S Pro 2026 perform as a "regular" television? Unfortunately, here we have less good news. In terms of traditional television viewing, we can only commend this model mainly for having a convenient remote control with a numeric keypad – which (surprisingly) is not a standard today. However, this is where the conveniences end. We will not find either USB recording functionality (PVR) or a PiP (Picture-in-Picture) option. On the plus side, we appreciate the extensive Bluetooth connectivity options. We were able to connect external devices to the television, such as wireless headphones, a keyboard, or a mouse, without any issues, which significantly simplifies operation.

The PUS8560 handles the playback of most popular video and audio formats from a USB memory stick without any major issues, so there’s no point in detailing the compatibilities one by one. In everyday use, it should simply work – and it does. The only thing worth noting is the handling of images. Although the television easily recognises popular file extensions, there are instances when some images simply do not display when the graphic files have very high resolutions. This may not be a huge problem, but it’s good to keep it in mind, especially if we want to view photographs straight from the camera. Apart from that, the PUS8560 shouldn’t pose any significant issues with playing files from USB.

The built-in, default media player in the Xiaomi S Pro 2026 is – given the capabilities of the Google TV system – simply weak. Its biggest drawback is the fact that it does not support characters other than those from the standard alphabet. As a result, it does not display, among others, Polish fonts in subtitles or file names. Fortunately, as we have already mentioned, the heart of the television is Google TV. This system allows for the quick installation of an external, significantly better player, such as VLC or Kodi. For this television, we recommend installing an alternative player immediately after the first start-up.

The television sounds quite pleasant and can confidently be regarded as having sufficient sound levels for most users – both for watching everyday programmes and for an evening viewing of a series. Moreover, a pleasant surprise is that even in this budget-friendly series, Philips has chosen to acquire licenses for full audio formats such as Dolby Atmos and DTS. This is great news for owners of home cinemas and soundbars, as it means full compatibility and no need to "fiddle around" with connecting external devices.

We have to admit that the S Pro 2026 has pleasantly surprised us. The television is equipped with a 30W speaker system, which, for its class, sounds really very good. There is even a noticeable hint of bass, and the mid and high tones are quite well balanced. Of course, all of this is within the capabilities of what the television's speakers can deliver, yet it is a level we did not expect from such a relatively inexpensive model. A huge plus is also the support for top audio technologies. The television is capable of decoding not only the very popular Dolby Atmos format but also the recently quite rarely seen DTS:X, which we mainly find on Blu-ray discs.

Philips PUS8500 vs Xiaomi S Pro 2026

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

Daytime performance

Panel details

TV features

Classic features:

Smart features:

Classic TV Features:

Smart TV:

Operating System (Google TV)

Television Features and Connectivity

Playing files from USB

Apps

Sound

Sound Quality Test

Acoustic Measurements