Philips PML9009 / 9019 / 9059 vs LG OLED B5

The Philips PML9009 struggles to deliver the highest HDR performance. Scenes with effects around 550 nits don’t provide particularly impressive lighting, though the effects remain stable, an improvement over SDR materials. A notable exception is in Gemini Man, where a flashlight as the sole light source stands out. This is likely due to the absence of large dark areas and the relatively small size of the light source compared to scenes with larger, brighter elements like the sun. While the brightness results in HDR content aren’t quite strong enough to recommend this TV for productions utilising a wide colour gamut, it’s worth mentioning that the model does achieve decent coverage, reaching 93% of the DCI-P3 spectrum.

LG B5 is a moderately bright OLED TV. Regardless of the scene, it can generate around 500 nits of peak brightness. And interestingly, it does this even in full-screen shots flooded with white, where most OLEDs usually fall short. So, is this screen suitable for HDR movies? Yes – absolutely, because such brightness really allows you to feel the magic of HDR effects. However, it's worth noting that compared to last year's model B4, the new B5 is darker – by about 100 nits. It may seem like a small difference, but at such average peak values, it makes quite a significant difference. Fortunately, the TV makes up for it with another advantage – excellent coverage of the DCI-P3 and BT.2020 color gamut. As a result, HDR movies look really colorful, vibrant, and impressive even in more demanding scenes.

During testing, the Philips PML9009 performed best in the factory "Filmmaker" mode, which we evaluated across both SDR and HDR content. A key characteristic observed in this mode is the EOTF curve’s behaviour in HDR content and gamma settings in SDR, designed to enhance image accuracy. However, the PML9009 presented noticeable issues, particularly with white balance, as a pronounced red dominance created a yellow tint across the entire image. This affected skin tones and white areas, with faces and whites appearing unnaturally warm. The colour shift was confirmed through the "ColourChecker" palette, where colours leaned towards warmer shades.

In the gamma analysis, responsible for image contrast, we noticed considerable inaccuracies early on. Our measured values spiked above the reference, causing dark scenes to lose detail and merge visually up to about 10% screen brightness. Following this, the values dropped below the target line, further degrading contrast—an area already challenging for this model.

In HDR content, the white balance remained similarly flawed, and the EOTF curve also restricted brightness levels, resulting in a dim, muted image. Colour inaccuracies were even more pronounced here, with lower luminance levels causing large deviations from accurate colours, which were clearly visible on the error graph, often exceeding acceptable limits. While aiming for cinematic quality, this mode ultimately fell short in delivering balanced colour and contrast fidelity.

We tested the B5 in Filmmaker mode and... we would like to see more TVs like this straight out of the box. Really. The white balance is set very well – there is practically nothing to complain about. Well, if one were to be very picky, one might notice a slight deficiency in blue, which makes the overall picture have a slightly yellowish tint. But that’s just our editorial nitpicking. Most of you probably won't even notice it. We also have some minor reservations about brightness management in HDR format. The EOTF curve – that is, the one responsible for how the TV distributes brightness in a scene – is slightly below the ideal. In practice, it can happen that the darkest parts of the image may be displayed too dark and simply... disappear. But these are details that only come out in measurements. Overall: we are impressed. But we also know that LG TVs respond very well to professional calibration. They can produce nearly reference-quality images, so – even though it's already very good out of the box – we allowed ourselves to take an extra step and fine-tune everything to perfection.

Philips has long provided sophisticated calibration tools, including 2-point and 20-point grayscale adjustments as well as an advanced CMS (Colour Management System). These allow users to make significant improvements, and even those less attentive to image quality will likely notice a positive difference post-calibration. Both SDR and HDR content benefit from this process, notably eliminating the prominent yellow tint caused by an overemphasis on red in the white balance.

For SDR content, although gamma adjustments don’t entirely resolve the loss of detail in dark areas, the overall improvements bring most content to an impressive standard, with minimal, hardly perceptible errors. Colour accuracy is notably enhanced, achieving nearly reference quality with low deltaE errors.

HDR content, however, remains somewhat limited due to the display’s lower brightness capability. While the white balance has largely been corrected, a slight blue tint can occasionally appear. The EOTF curve aligns very well, providing accurate geometry, though colour errors persist due to the limited luminance. This calibration offers a substantial improvement but may still fall short for viewers who expect high brightness levels in HDR.

We must admit that we didn't have much work with the LG B5. It's one of those TVs that looks good right from the start, but after calibration… it can really impress. The white balance was brought to almost perfect levels – to a degree of error invisible to the human eye, unless you are a professional colorist with a magnifying glass at the screen. We also managed to control the TV's slight tendency to dim the darkest details, especially in HDR scenes. After proper tuning, everything looks coherent: the black is still deep, but not information-hungry. The highlights retain a natural sparkle, and the colors align with the director's vision. It's really one of those models that show you don't have to spend a fortune to get almost reference-quality image. If you can decide on professional calibration – it's definitely worth it for the B5.

Given the impressive handling of tonal transitions by the Philips PML9009, one might expect similar success in the image scaling test. However, the results were less than stellar. When upscaling lower-quality images, like those from certain TV programmes or older films, the Philips algorithm tended to blur fine details noticeably, especially in intricate elements like fine branches or a model's hair.

On the other hand, the tonal transition performance remains noteworthy, with the TV offering several levels of smoothing. Even at the lowest setting, it effectively addresses non-smooth transitions in most materials, and crucially, it preserves the film grain effect, maintaining fidelity to the director's vision. However, it’s worth noting that some fine details may still appear slightly softened.

LG B5 really surprised us positively in terms of dealing with lower quality content. Thanks to the enhancement and smoothing features, HD or even SD materials get a new life. Importantly – when this option is turned on at the "low" or "medium" level, we don't get the impression that the image is artificially softened or overly smoothed. Details remain intact, film grain does not disappear, and object edges do not look washed out 😉. It's a really useful tool – especially if you watch terrestrial TV, archival materials, or content from YouTube in lower resolutions. The image is clean, cohesive, and simply pleasant to the eye.

Upscaling as such works very well – even content of poor quality is rendered with surprising fidelity. Unfortunately, there was a small hiccup. While the menu offers an option to turn off overscan, the television still struggles to display very low-resolution images correctly. It’s a minor detail, but when watching older materials – it can be annoying.

The Philips PML9009 has a 120 Hz native refresh rate, a baseline standard for watching sports and an ideal setting for gaming on consoles or PCs. Philips includes an effective motion-enhancement system for users who want to reduce the stutter of 24 fps content or need fluid motion for fast-paced scenes, like in football matches. The dedicated "Smoothness" slider effectively mitigates stuttering, while "Motion Blur Reduction" enhances the sharpness of dynamic content. Each setting produces a noticeable difference, so users can tailor the motion effects to their preferences. Our recommended setup achieves a moderate smoothing effect, avoiding the exaggerated “soap opera” appearance.

Regarding pixel response time, VA panels like this generally fall short compared to OLED or even IPS panels, which can lead to a slight "black halo" trailing behind fast-moving objects. Although not a frequent issue with this TV, the effect can be seen in certain scenes.

The LG B5 is a television with a 120 Hz OLED panel. It may not sound as impressive as the marketing terms "144 Hz" or "165 Hz" found in gaming monitors, but honestly? The smoothness is still excellent. The picture is sharp, smooth, and simply enjoyable to watch – even when there’s a lot happening on the screen. The organic panel does its job – the pixel response time is nearly instantaneous, which means there’s no blurring or smearing that can ruin dynamic shots. Sports, fast-paced games – everything looks clear and distinct.

We also have LG's classic motion smoother, TruMotion. This feature allows you to smooth out films shot at 24 frames per second – in other words, most of what you watch on Netflix or on Blu-ray discs. If you set the “De-Judder” slider to lower values, you'll get an image closer to the cinematic experience – with a slight judder, but without artificiality. Higher settings? Soap opera effect guaranteed. Fortunately, LG gives you the choice, and you can tune everything as you like.

The Philips PML9009, with HDMI 2.1 ports supporting full bandwidth, is thoroughly equipped with gamer-focused features. Core functions like Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) are included, as well as the additional perks of G-Sync and FreeSync compatibility and low-lag HDR Dolby Vision support. All these gaming features activate seamlessly, proving this model’s suitability for gaming. The TV’s HGIG mode, particularly beneficial for gaming, adjusts HDR effects to the television’s capabilities to avoid image dimming and blooming, an advantage given the still limited number of games supporting Dolby Vision.

For added convenience, the PML9009 has a GameBar menu, allowing in-game setting adjustments without needing to exit. This menu includes features like a crosshair option and black level correction, which can enhance the visibility of shadowed areas—ideal for competitive play.

Overall, the Philips PML9009 offers a comprehensive setup for gamers, supporting VRR, ALLM, G-Sync, FreeSync, and HDR Dolby Vision to deliver immersive, high-quality gaming experiences across a wide range of titles.

There are already a few televisions on the market with the label "for gamers" that don’t really understand what that means. The LG B5 is not one of them. Everything here is right – there are four HDMI 2.1 ports, it has 120 Hz, VRR and ALLM, and it also has a Game Bar that is actually useful, not just looks good in the promotional folder. You connect your console – it works. You set 4K at 120 Hz – it works. You have an Xbox and want to play in Dolby Vision – it works too. And not in the sense of "it theoretically supports it," but rather it really turns on, looks good, and you don’t have to fiddle with the settings for half an hour. On top of that, there’s the HGiG picture mode, which LG has implemented correctly – meaning that HDR in games doesn’t turn the screen into a flashlight but shows exactly what it should. There are no surprises here, no strange limitations, no "buts." And you know what? That’s how it should be. Kudos to the LG B5!