Philips PML8709 vs Samsung QN80H

Looking at the contrast results, we expected that the algorithms responsible for the zones in the Philips PML8709 would be at least decent. However, what we encountered during testing is hard to explain. The maximum brightness we were able to achieve was only 350 nits, which is definitely too low to fully enjoy HDR effects. In practice, the TV barely stands out against an average SDR. The situation becomes even more surprising in the case of test scenes, such as the second one from the movie Life of Pi or Sicario 2. Small light elements reach only 120 nits there, making them practically invisible. Such a level of brightness is completely inadequate to modern HDR standards and significantly diminishes the viewing experience of high-quality content. The only bright spot in this category is the very good coverage of wide color gamuts – 97% DCI-P3 and 83% BT.2020. This ensures that colors are saturated and well reproduced, which can improve the overall viewing experience of HDR materials, even if just a little. However, the lack of appropriate brightness means that even this cannot save the Philips PML8709 in this category.

Samsung QN80H is without a doubt a bright TV. In synthetic tests it breaks the 1000-nit barrier, which on paper already promises a solid HDR effect. In practice the screen really shows its claws, though it can't fully spread its wings (or its backlight 🤔) in every situation. The best impression comes from bright, expansive shots. Sunlit exteriors or heavily lit scenes look really good on it. Brightness then stays around 700 nits, which gives a noticeable step up in quality over standard SDR. Problems start in dark scenes with small, pinpoint highlights. The QN80H tends to heavily dim them, doing everything it can to protect black levels. On one hand we gain better contrast, on the other... we lose some of the dynamics and the sparkle of fine HDR details. The TV therefore has considerable potential, but the dimming algorithm can be too restrictive.

Color gamut coverage

Colors are good too. The QN80H uses quantum dot technology, and in our measurements it covered 93% of the DCI-P3 space and about 70% of BT.2020. Today those results won't exactly blow anyone away, but in real-world use they're more than enough to deliver vivid, natural-looking images in most movies and TV series. Colors are properly saturated and, after proper tuning, don't look artificial or overly aggressive.

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

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

These significant problems in white balance and brightness characteristics lead to noticeable color reproduction errors, which can be easily seen in films as well as in the Colour Checker test. The colors are imprecise, affecting the overall image quality and visual experience. The factory settings require substantial improvement to fully enjoy the potential of this television.

The QN80H's factory settings were really good, especially compared with most TVs that come into our tests. Of course, we performed measurements in Filmmaker Mode, and that's the mode we recommend turning on right after the initial setup. In SDR material our unit was set up surprisingly well. The white balance was very even, colors looked natural, and the errors were so small they were hard to spot without measurement equipment. The only weak point was the gamma. In brighter parts of the image the TV brightened them a bit too much, so the picture sometimes lost a little depth. Even so, we'd like most TVs to look this good straight out of the box.

It was a bit worse in HDR. The white balance itself was still set correctly, so the problem wasn't with the colors but with how the QN80H managed image brightness. You could see that immediately on the EOTF chart. The TV brightened large parts of scenes too much, causing the brightest elements to blow out. Interestingly, at the same time very small points were often dimmed too much. As a result some fine detail simply disappeared. So the factory Filmmaker Mode in HDR isn't bad, but it's definitely not as well calibrated as in SDR.

Philips offers advanced image calibration tools in its televisions, which we decided to fully utilize. The effects? While we managed to improve many aspects, it was not without difficulties. White balance was one of the biggest challenges – despite our efforts, it can be called a battle against windmills. We managed to correct it significantly, making the image look much better than in the factory settings, but it is still far from perfect. Particularly in some scenes, a subtle dominance of blue is noticeable, though not as intense as before. We achieved significant improvement in brightness characteristics – gamma now presents itself much more stably. The EOTF curve looks correct at first glance; however, when analyzing film content, it becomes evident that the television has difficulty maintaining the appropriate characteristics. The algorithms "struggle" to adjust brightness, which may result from the limited number of dimming zones that do not always cope with more complex scenes. Overall, the image after calibration looks much more pleasant to the eye – colors are more natural, and errors in color reproduction have been minimized. Although it's still not perfect, the Philips PML8709 now presents itself much better than in the factory settings.

The biggest difference after calibration was in HDR Filmmaker mode. SDR was already very good out of the box, so we didn't have much work to do there. In HDR, however, we managed to tame the way the QN80H handled brightness, as it had been over-brightening most scenes. After calibration the picture is calmer, more natural, and much closer to how a faithful picture should look.

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, meaning that some tonal transitions may still appear slightly uneven. An additional drawback is that this function also smooths other details, such as material textures like shirts, which can affect image sharpness.

As for image scaling, the television performs very well. The image appears plastic and free of noticeable "jaggies." This effect may appeal to many users, although some may prefer a more pronounced look. Fortunately, the television allows for adjusting the sharpness parameter, enabling us to tailor the image to individual preferences.

Digital image processing in the Samsung QN80H is handled by the second-generation NQ4 AI processor. It's a chip we already know from earlier models and it still performs very well, especially with lower-resolution material. The image is effectively upscaled to 4K, but without excessive sharpening and without the feeling that the TV is forcing improvements on the source material.

The "Noise Reduction" feature also proves useful. It can noticeably reduce posterization and visible banding in poorer-quality material, particularly in low-bitrate streaming. However, it's important to remember that it doesn't work without side effects. It can remove some film grain and slightly smooth the image. So with a good-quality source we'd leave this feature off. If, however, banding and uneven tonal transitions bother you more than losing some grain, "Noise Reduction" can be a really useful addition.

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

Motion blur and motion handling on the QN80H are really good, mainly thanks to the fast panel. In 4K the screen refreshes at up to 144 Hz, and when switched to Full HD and connected to a PC it can reach as high as 240 Hz. That's new for Samsung TVs and a nice bonus for people who want to use the TV for PC gaming as well. We were more interested, however, in how the QN80H performs at 120 Hz, since consoles use that refresh rate. Here it's really good. The panel doesn't have a big problem with the smearing typical of VA panels, and slight trails behind moving objects are mostly visible on dark backgrounds. This is nothing that would interfere with normal sports viewing or gaming. The TV also includes a motion smoothing system that Samsung calls "Image Clarity." You can adjust judder reduction and blur reduction separately, so it's easy to tailor its operation to movies, sports, or your own preferences.

Philips PML8709 is a television aimed more at occasional gamers, mainly due to its 60 Hz panel, which does not meet the expectations of the most demanding users. However, for those who appreciate gameplay 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 in displaying images more smoothly without annoying stutters. Moreover, in terms of HDR, we find here the implementation of HGiG, which adjusts the HDR effect to the specifics of games, providing a more natural image in appropriately optimized titles. Unfortunately, there is no support for Dolby Vision mode, which may be felt in games that utilize this format.

A nice addition is the presence of a basic "Game Bar," which allows for quick preview and modification of key settings related to gaming. It's a simple yet helpful feature, especially for those who often change their setup between different types of gameplay. Despite certain limitations, the Philips PML8709 offers a solid set of features for less demanding gamers.

Samsung QN80H is a TV that scores very well on gamer-oriented features. The biggest new addition for 2026 is DLG mode, which allows refresh rates up to 240 Hz when the image is switched to Full HD resolution. This option is aimed mainly at PC users, but it also shows that Samsung is still heavily developing the gaming side of its TVs. That’s not the end of the list of advantages. The QN80H has four full-featured HDMI 2.1 ports, which in this price range still isn’t standard. You can therefore connect multiple consoles, a PC, or a soundbar at the same time without worrying which input supports the full picture capabilities. The TV also supports VRR, ALLM, and HGiG, so it’s hard to fault its basic feature set. One downside remains the lack of Dolby Vision, which may matter especially to Xbox Series X owners. That said, it’s not a flaw that rules out the QN80H as a gaming TV. Samsung includes a feature still missing from most manufacturers: its proprietary motion interpolator, Game Motion Plus. It’s a motion interpolator that also works in game mode, allowing you to improve the smoothness of titles running at 30 or 60 frames per second without a drastic increase in input lag. In practice, Game Motion Plus can make a much bigger difference than Dolby’s processing, especially in more demanding games that don’t offer a 60 FPS mode. The image becomes noticeably smoother while controls remain responsive enough. So despite the lack of Dolby Vision, the QN80H is still one of the best-equipped TVs for gamers in its class.