Philips OLED809/819 vs TCL P89K / TCL P8K

The Philips OLED 809 delivers a highly satisfactory HDR effect. The television can reach luminance levels exceeding 900 nits in most scenes, and in some cases, even surpassing 1000 nits. This brightness ensures a rich and immersive experience for HDR content with a wide tonal range. The only exception occurs in a scene from the movie The Meg, where a large amount of bright white occupies most of the screen, preventing the TV from reaching higher brightness levels. However, this is not a significant issue, as the performance is still a considerable improvement over its predecessor.

Overall, these brightness levels, especially for an OLED panel not equipped with MLA technology, impress. Coupled with excellent coverage of the DCI-P3 colour spectrum, the Philips OLED 809 offers a truly spectacular HDR viewing experience.

The maximum brightness of the TCL P8K is around 300 nits, although in actual movie scenes, the TV maintains more around 250 nits. These values cannot be considered sufficient for achieving a full HDR effect – they are more akin to a solid base for SDR content. Therefore, we won’t see spectacular flashes, bursts of light, or moments when the screen truly “blinds” you, as is the case with more expensive models. The image is somewhat flattened, and the differences between light and shadow are more symbolic than realistic. Fortunately, TCL has a few aces up its sleeve that save the overall impression. One of them is the coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut at around 93–94%. Thanks to an additional QLED layer (PFS LED), colors gain depth and intensity, clearly surpassing standard LCD panels. As a result, although the typical “wow effect” associated with HDR brightness is lacking here, the image can still impress with its saturation and vibrant tones, making movie scenes pulse with colors and avoiding a heavily faded appearance.

The best factory mode in which we performed all our tests was "Filmmaker," which is quite standard in televisions from this manufacturer. However, let’s first examine its characteristics before the calibration process. The first aspect we will focus on is white balance, as it is critical to ensuring the image remains free from any colour cast. The chart clearly shows that in both SDR and HDR materials, two colours dominated significantly: red and green, resulting in a strong yellow tint that affected the entire image. This was particularly noticeable on the "ColourChecker" palette, where all colours shifted towards their warmer counterparts.

The second aspect we will assess is what we consider to be the two most important charts for evaluating picture quality: gamma and the Electro-Optical Transfer Function (EOTF) curve. Both aim to maintain appropriate brightness and contrast. The first chart, which describes the brightness levels in SDR materials, shows that the brightness was significantly lower than the reference value marked by the orange line. This resulted in a sharp increase in brightness and a notable decrease in contrast, which was inconsistent with typical OLED television behaviour. The EOTF curve, on the other hand, showed greater "moderation," subtly brightening the overall image only up to 50% of the maximum brightness.

In Filmmaker mode, the TCL P8K revealed certain imperfections in image reproduction from the start. We noticed that the television tends to slightly brighten scenes – its gamma was somewhat lowered, which made the image appear slightly "washed out," lacking depth, as if the contrast had slipped out of control. This was most evident in HDR content, where the EOTF brightness curve clearly deviated from the reference values. As a result, the darker parts of the image looked too gloomy, while the brighter sections didn't always reach the proper level of luminance. A second noticeable issue was a slight oversaturation of blue – the television stubbornly boosted this color, which caused some parts of the image, especially skin tones and reds, to have a slight purple tint. This is not a major flaw, but to a discerning eye – noticeable. Fortunately, most of these errors could be corrected during calibration. You can see the results of this adjustment in the graphs and photos below.

Philips, like most leading manufacturers, has been providing advanced calibration tools for years. The inclusion of 2- and 20-point grayscale adjustments, along with an advanced CMS (Color Management System), has yielded extremely beneficial results and fundamentally improved the perceived image. Nearly every element previously mentioned has undergone a transformation and has been restored to its natural state. This is particularly noticeable in the "ColourChecker" palette, where the measured colour samples align harmoniously. Notably, the white balance has been excellently calibrated, ensuring a pure image free from unwanted tint in both SDR and HDR content. The previously problematic gamma has been well addressed, with only minor errors that do not impact the overall performance. Similarly, the EOTF curve has been refined, removing the subtle brightening effect, and now offers a truly reference-quality presentation.

After calibration, the TCL P8K showed a completely different face. It managed to achieve nearly perfect, even reference-level color reproduction in both SDR and HDR content. The screen no longer had a tendency towards a cool tint, and the white balance was perfectly balanced. The gamma values for SDR material also finally look as they should – the image has the proper depth and no longer appears washed out. The only remark that can still be made about the P8K concerns its "Chinese" traits, known from most TCL models. The TV still likes to manipulate saturation in HDR content in its own way – sometimes slightly boosting it, sometimes smoothing it out, which means the effect is not always fully predictable. Nevertheless, after calibration, the colors look stunning, and their accuracy is truly surprising. In most cases, measurement errors dropped below values of 1-2, which is a result that significantly more expensive models would not be ashamed of.

Philips OLED 809 struggled significantly in the smooth tonal transitions test. Focusing on the TV's algorithms, particularly the feature responsible for removing posterisation, the results were disappointing. This function, which offers several adjustable settings, proved ineffective in practice. The highest setting, while it does mitigate inconsistencies, it simultaneously blurs the entire image, rendering it virtually useless.

When dealing with lower-quality content, the performance of image upscaling algorithms becomes crucial. In this regard, the algorithms implemented in the OLED 809 perform admirably. They enhance image quality effectively, with minimal visible artefacts. Although slight edge fraying can occasionally be observed, it is unlikely to be noticeable during typical viewing sessions.

The TCL P8K performs somewhat worse when it comes to the fluidity of tonal transitions in lower quality materials. The television does offer a feature to smooth out unwanted bands, but its effectiveness leaves much to be desired. Even at the highest setting, it’s hard to say there’s a real improvement – at times the effect is even the opposite of what was intended, as the feature can introduce small artifacts and unnatural blurriness on the screen.

On the other hand, upscaling, or scaling the image to 4K resolution, looks significantly better. The P8K handles this task surprisingly well – HD content, and even SD, is enhanced in an aesthetically pleasing manner without excessive loss of sharpness. There are indeed slight "hard" edges typical of this class of equipment, but this can easily be adjusted with the sharpness slider according to personal preferences. The final effect is more than satisfactory, especially considering the price range in which this model is located.

The maximum refresh rate achievable on the Philips OLED 809 is 144 Hz, a feature that can be fully utilised when connected to a high-performance PC. However, when connected to consoles or used for standard television viewing, the refresh rate remains at typical values. For users seeking enhanced motion fluidity or wishing to eliminate the characteristic choppiness of films shot at 24 fps, Philips provides a sophisticated motion-smoothing system.

In the settings menu, there is a "Smoothness" slider designed to reduce choppiness, along with a "Motion Blur Reduction" option to enhance the sharpness of fast-moving elements. These features perform impressively and allow for granular adjustments, ensuring that each setting has a tangible impact on motion perception. Notably, the system operates effectively at a refresh rate of 120 Hz, taking advantage of multiples of video frame rates. With this comprehensive range of options, users can easily fine-tune the settings to suit their preferences. For example, slight smoothing without inducing the soap opera effect offers a balanced viewing experience.

Motion clarity on the OLED 809 is further bolstered by the exceptional response time of the OLED panel, measured at approximately 0.1 ms. This surpasses the performance of IPS/ADS or VA panels, making OLED technology unrivalled in this area.

TCL P8K is one of the cheapest televisions offering a 144 Hz refresh rate, which in itself is already a significant advantage in this price segment. Thanks to the fast panel, this model can confidently be recommended to both sports fans and video gamers – the image is smooth, and movements of the ball or dynamic actions look natural. However, this does not mean that the P8K is only suitable for sports. On the contrary – it can maintain the right dynamics in movies as well, without introducing an artificial effect of "theatricality," as long as we set the parameters wisely. The television is equipped with a motion smoother called "Motion Clarity," which features two sliders: blur reduction and flicker reduction. The first is responsible for smoothing the image by generating additional frames, which increases fluidity but may cause a slight soap opera effect. The second, on the other hand, limits flicker and improves sharpness in motion, although it may slightly darken the screen. Appropriately adjusting these two parameters allows for a really good balance between natural movement and fluidity. The 60 Hz panel is good for dynamic content, although more demanding users will notice that it is not a top-tier display in terms of motion clarity.

The Philips OLED 809 fully supports all technologies included in the HDMI 2.1 standard, and during testing, each activated without issue. This makes the TV an excellent choice for gamers, whether on console or PC. Notably, it features HGIG mode as a strong alternative to Dolby Vision, which is less ideal for gaming on this model due to its high input lag.

The TV also includes a dedicated GameBar for monitoring gameplay parameters and adjusting settings quickly. Features like a crosshair overlay for sniper shots, shadow enhancement for better visibility, and a colour filter for gamers with visual impairments further enhance its gaming appeal.

In summary, the OLED 809 is a fantastic choice for gaming, equipped with VRR, ALLM, G-Sync, FreeSync, and HDR Dolby Vision gaming for a deeply immersive experience. The only drawback is the artificial sharpness in game mode, which cannot be fully softened, regardless of settings.

Although the TCL P8K is a budget TV, it certainly can’t be said that it’s not suitable for gaming. On the contrary – this is a screen that can pleasantly surprise any gamer. It features two HDMI 2.1 ports, allowing us to easily output 4K at 120 Hz. For those gaming on PC, they will also appreciate the fact that the TV can even operate at 240 Hz refresh rate in lower resolution – a small thing, but it’s nice. In addition, there’s a full set of gaming-specific features: automatic game mode, Game Bar for quick parameter previews, VRR, HGiG, and support for Dolby Vision in games. All of this makes gaming on the P8K a truly enjoyable experience – the picture is smooth, the response is quick, and the TV communicates well with next-gen consoles. The TCL P8K shows that a cheap screen doesn’t have to mean giving up fun. Definitely not when it comes to gaming.