Philips PML9009 / 9019 / 9059 vs Philips OLED770

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.

The Philips OLED770 does not attempt to compete with the brightest OLEDs on the market, and it would actually be hard to expect that, as it is the lowest model in Philips's series for 2025. In our measurements, it achieved a maximum brightness of about 700 nits, which allows for enjoyment of HDR effects in scenes where light appears point-wise – for example, in the flash of headlights or a starry sky. In such moments, the picture can truly impress. However, it is different when there are more bright elements on the screen. The television, like many cheaper OLEDs, limits brightness in those cases, and the entire picture noticeably dims. This was best seen in a scene from the movie The Meg, where the sun rises behind an oil rig – at that point, the brightness dropped to about 250 nits, nearly three times less. The HDR effect remains visually pleasing, but it is worth being aware that this model performs best in scenes with less intense light. Fortunately, the OLED770 has an ace up its sleeve – the coverage of the DCI-P3 color palette is as high as 99%, so colors in movies and games are saturated and very close to what the creator intended to convey.

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.

The first measurements already show that the factory settings of the Philips OLED770 have a lot to improve even in Filmmaker mode. The white balance chart clearly shows a lack of blue, which gives the image a slightly yellowish tint. In practice, the white is not snow-white, but leans towards warmer hues – which some may even like, but from the accuracy perspective, this is a deviation from the norm. The gamma, on the other hand, tends to be on the darker side – the average value is about 2.6 instead of the reference 2.4. In the mid-tones, the image appears muted and more saturated, which may look too "filmic," but takes away some naturalness. However, the biggest issues can be seen in color reproduction. The average error is relatively high, and some colors – especially shades of gray – clearly deviate from what should be seen. In everyday viewing, this means that sometimes colors may look less natural than we would wish.

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.

Philips OLED770 has shown signs from the beginning that it houses significant potential, but it was difficult to fully see this in the factory settings. The image was sometimes too warm, and some colors seemed to have lost their naturalness along the way. However, calibration revealed that it is a television very receptive to adjustments – it reacted to every correction and almost immediately unveiled another layer of its capabilities. The white balance was successfully set both in SDR and HDR, eliminating the yellowish glow and presenting a neutral, clear white. Gamma stabilized closer to perfection, allowing midtones to regain their naturalness, and shadows no longer appeared artificially darkened, possibly even with a slight brightening effect. The effect was obvious... Movies are watched with greater ease; the image has cinematic depth, but without the feeling that something is exaggeratedly darkened. However, the most interesting part was the work on colors. Out of the box, the errors were not dramatic but slightly noticeable – skin tones were sometimes too warm, and gray didn’t always have the shade we expected. After calibration, the error values dropped to around 2, and in many cases even below 1. This is a level significantly lower than the threshold of perception for the human eye. In other words, after correction, the colors finally “clicked” into place. Looking at the screen, we had the impression that the television had begun to speak with a full voice. Like an instrument that has finally been well-tuned.

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.

The problem of the previously mentioned color connections can largely be mitigated by the "distortion reduction" feature, which is an algorithm for smoothing tonal transitions in Philips TVs. It works best at a low setting—effectively eliminating unwanted color bands while not introducing strange artifacts or losing image detail. It's one of those features that is truly worth keeping switched on.

The issue with upscaling is somewhat less favorable. The image from a lower resolution can be too soft, while at the same time, distinctive "jaggies" appear in certain areas. The impression is that the algorithm is trying to reconcile two contradictory directions—smoothing and sharpening—and ultimately hasn't found the golden mean. As a consolation, it's worth noting that the television has no issues with overscan, meaning it doesn't cut off the edges of the image, which sometimes happens with other competing models.

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 issue of the panel in the Philips OLED770 is not entirely straightforward. The manufacturer claims a 120 Hz panel, but our measurements showed that the screen can accept a 4K signal even at 144 Hz. This sounds like great news – because who wouldn't want an extra mode for PC gaming at this price? However, the reality turned out to be more complex. With 120 Hz materials, the television behaves like most OLEDs – the picture is absolutely clear, with no trace of ghosting or blurring, making it ideal for both fast-paced games and sports broadcasts. The problem arises only at 144 Hz. Unlike models with official support for that frequency, here we observe the phenomenon of so-called frame skipping. This means that the television is unable to display all frames – some of them are skipped, causing the motion to lose fluidity, and double outlines appear on the screen. The effect resembles the operation of the BFI function, which Philips does not offer in this model anyway.

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.

If someone is looking for a gaming TV, the Philips OLED770 is a candidate that's hard to ignore. The mere fact that we have an OLED here provides a great starting point – perfect blacks and infinite contrast make evening sessions in atmospheric games look like they’ve been pulled straight from the cinema. On top of that, there’s the Ambilight system, which features LEDs on the back of the TV that extend the image onto the wall behind the screen. The effect is such that even regular gameplay in FIFA can look like a small spectacle, and in horror games, the atmosphere becomes really intense. On the technical side, it’s pretty good as well. The Philips OLED770 supports Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) up to 120 Hz, has an automatic low latency mode for gamers (ALLM), and if someone is using an Xbox Series X, they can also count on Dolby Vision support in games. You just need to know that in this mode, input lag is slightly higher than standard, although still at an acceptable level. As a bonus, we get the “Game Bar” panel, which is a special tool strip for gamers. It's not the most conveniently designed solution, but it allows you to check key parameters without leaving the game. In total, this presents a picture of a TV that on one hand has all the most important gaming features, and on the other can add something unique – Ambilight. And it’s this mix of technology and visual effect that makes the OLED770 one of the better screens for gaming in a home environment.