Sony X75WL vs Philips PML8709

The luminosity chart for the X75WL Sony television showed a maximum value of 350 nits, which is unfortunately not an impressive result. The television does not surprise with its brightness, and all the HDR scenes we tested lacked depth and the appropriate light effect that should accompany HDR content. Additionally, the poor coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut makes it difficult for the television to reproduce rich colours, which significantly affects the overall viewing experience of HDR content. The lack of adequate brightness and weak colour coverage mean that HDR effects are very limited in this model.

Looking at the results of the contrast, we expected that the algorithms responsible for the operation of zones in the Philips PML8709 would be at least decent. However, what we encountered during testing is difficult to explain. The average brightness we managed to achieve was only 350 nits, which is definitely too little to fully enjoy the effects of HDR. In practice, the television barely stands out against the backdrop of an average SDR. The situation becomes even more surprising for test scenes, such as the second one from the film Life of Pi or Sicario 2. Small light elements reach only 120 nits there, making them practically imperceptible. Such a level of brightness is completely at odds with contemporary HDR standards and significantly diminishes the experience of watching high-quality content. The only bright spot in this category is the very good coverage of wide colour gamuts – DCI-P3 at 97% and BT.2020 at 83%. This means that the colours are saturated and well-reproduced, which may improve the overall experience of watching HDR materials, if only a little. However, the lack of adequate brightness means that even this cannot save the Philips PML8709 in this category.

Colour reproduction tests for the model Sony X75WL are carried out in movie mode, which offers the best image settings, but it also has its flaws. The biggest problem with the X75WL Sony is the white balance – for both HD and 4K HDR content – which is characterised by a dominance of blue. As a result, the entire image feels too cold. The colour checker confirms these errors, showing that the colours lean towards cooler tones. In terms of brightness characteristics, the contrast gamma is at a fairly decent level, however, the same cannot be said for the EOTF curve. There are significant issues with maintaining appropriate brightness – the image is either overly bright or too dim, which impacts the visual perception of content.

Although theoretically the Filmmaker mode on the Philips PML8709 should provide natural colour reproduction, in reality it resembles store mode more closely. In the white balance, both for HD and 4K content, there is a clear dominance of the blue colour. This causes the image to appear washed out and cold, which is particularly noticeable in the comparative photo below.

The brightness characteristics also leave much to be desired. Both the gamma and EOTF curve show excessive screen brightening. As a result, there is a loss of detail in both the brighter and darker areas of the image, which further diminishes its credibility and naturalness. Bright elements appear unnaturally flat and lacking in variety.

These significant issues in white balance and brightness characteristics lead to noticeable errors in colour reproduction, which can be easily seen in films as well as in the Colour Checker test. The colours are inaccurate, impacting the overall image quality and visual experience. The factory settings require significant improvement in order to fully enjoy the potential of this television.

X75WL Sony is one of those cases where image calibration may not be highly spectacular, but it offers a very good improvement in the perception of colours. The white balance, for both HD and 4K materials, has been significantly improved – there is no longer a strong dominance of cooler shades. The gamma curve also appears more stable, which translates into better image quality. However, the biggest issue remains the EOTF curve, which is responsible for brightness in 4K materials. Due to the technological limitations of the television (IPS panel and lack of local dimming technology), it is hard to speak of a significant improvement, as we cannot extract more from this model. Despite these limitations, the tonal quality of the image has been significantly enhanced.

Philips offers advanced image calibration tools in its televisions, which we decided to fully utilise. The results? Although we managed to improve many aspects, it was not without difficulties. White balance was one of the biggest challenges – despite our efforts, this can be described as a fight against windmills. We managed to correct it significantly, resulting in the image now looking much better than in the factory settings, but it is still far from perfect. Particularly in some scenes, a subtle dominance of blue is visible, although not as intense as before. We achieved a substantial improvement in brightness characteristics – gamma now appears much more stable. The EOTF curve initially looks correct, however, when analysing film content, it is evident that the television struggles to maintain the appropriate characteristics. The algorithms are "battling," trying to adjust brightness, which may stem from the limited number of dimming zones that do not always cope with more complex scenes. Overall, the image after calibration looks much more pleasing to the eye – colours are more natural, and errors in colour reproduction have been minimised. Although it is still not perfect, the Philips PML8709 now performs significantly better than in the factory settings.

In the case of low-quality tonal transitions, the television Sony X75WL performs poorly. The lack of any feature to improve tonal transitions results in noticeable imperfections in colour gradation. However, one can credit the quite good digital processing – the image is displayed without overscan, and overall it looks relatively good thanks to the added slight sharpness, which some users may appreciate.

The distortion reduction function in the Philips PML8709 smooths tonal transitions, but its effectiveness leaves much to be desired. We recommend setting this option to "Medium" – at this level, the effect is noticeable but not excessive. Unfortunately, compared to other Philips models, the smoothing effect is less effective, which means that certain tonal transitions may still appear a bit uneven. An additional drawback is that this function also smooths out other details, such as the textures of materials like a shirt, which can affect the sharpness of the image.

When it comes to image scaling, the television performs very well. The image appears plastic and free of noticeable "jaggedness." This effect may appeal to many users, although some may prefer a more pronounced appearance. Fortunately, the television allows for sharpness adjustment, and this enables us to tailor the image to individual preferences.

The X75WL Sony television is equipped with a 60 Hz panel, making it more suitable for watching films than for dynamic gaming. This model features a motion smoothing function called Motionflow, which allows the user to adjust the picture on a 10-point scale. Smoothness is responsible for adding intermediate frames, thereby increasing the fluidity of motion, while the image becomes more theatrical, minimising the cutting effect. Clarity reduces motion blur, which is particularly useful in fast scenes such as sports or dynamic actions in films. With this feature, users can adjust the fluidity and sharpness of motion to their own preferences.

The Philips PML8709 is one of the few models with mini-LED technology on the market, offering a refresh rate of 60 Hz. Although it is not a panel for the most demanding gamers, it should satisfy those who mainly watch films. The television is equipped with the "Motion Style" function, which is a motion smoother that allows you to adjust the smoothness of motion according to preferences – from a more "plastic" look to a cinematic aesthetic with clearly visible frames.

X75WL is not the best television for gamers. It only has the ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) feature and a basic Game Bar, which are not enough to satisfy more demanding users. In this price range, one could expect support for features like VRR or 120 Hz refresh rates - although in FULLHD, which are already standard - unfortunately, they are lacking here. This is a major downside for Sony, as the competition offers much more for gamers in a similar budget.

Philips PML8709 is a television aimed more at casual gamers, primarily due to its 60 Hz panel, which may not meet the expectations of the most demanding users. However, for those who appreciate gaming at a more measured pace, this model may prove sufficient.

The television offers several gamer-friendly features, such as ALLM (automatic switching to game mode) and VRR (variable refresh rate), which help deliver smoother visuals without annoying stutters. Furthermore, in terms of HDR, it includes an HGiG implementation that adjusts HDR effects to the specifics of games, providing a more natural image in properly optimised titles. Unfortunately, it lacks support for Dolby Vision mode, which may be noticeable in games that utilise this format.

A nice addition is the presence of a basic "Game Bar," which allows for quick viewing and modification of the most important gaming-related settings. This is a simple but useful feature, especially for those who often switch configurations between different types of gameplay. Despite some limitations, Philips PML8709 offers a solid set of features for less demanding gamers.