PHILIPS PUS9010 (IPS) vs Samsung M80H

In the Philips PUS9010 version with an IPS panel, HDR brightness unfortunately falls short compared to the previously tested 55-inch variant with a VA panel. The difference is about 100 nits, which is clearly noticeable given the relatively low values. While the VA version could exceed 500 nits, here the maximum brightness reaches around 400 nits. This level still allows for watching movies and series in HDR, especially on streaming platforms, but the effects are clearly more subdued. Bright elements do not have as much impact, and scenes requiring high luminance appear less impressive. On the positive side, the coverage of the DCI-P3 color palette is commendable. The IPS version offers about 91%, which is roughly 5% more than the variant with the VA panel. This translates to slightly better color saturation in HDR content, despite the lower brightness. Colors can appear more vivid and consistent, particularly in colorful scenes.

The M80H is not one of the brightest TVs. Its peak brightness is around 350 nits and we saw similar results in most of our test scenes. That's not enough to produce genuinely impressive HDR — bright highlights lack punch and the overall image is a bit too dark. In practice, HDR on the M80H resembles a well-presented SDR image more than clearly more dynamic wide-range content. The picture can still look fine, but it's hard to point to strong specular highlights, clearly bright light sources, or an effect that immediately separates HDR from ordinary content.

Colors

One of the M80H's strengths is its color. The TV uses a PFS-based backlight filter, which allows it to display a significantly wider color gamut than a standard LCD screen without filters. Our measurements confirm this — the M80H covers about 96% of the DCI-P3 gamut and 72% of BT.2020. Those are very good results, which let the colors appear strongly saturated. Samsung's policy here is interesting. The M80H is not part of the QLED family, even though in terms of color it is practically on par with models carrying that label. From an image-quality standpoint, that doesn't matter much; the colors are simply good.

We assessed color reproduction, as always, using factory settings, focusing on movie mode, which in the case of Philips usually offers the best starting point. This is also a good moment to show how much the same TV model can vary depending on the panel used. Looking at white balance, the overall trend remains similar to the variant with a VA panel. There is still excessive red in the whites, but in the tested unit with an IPS panel, there are also deficiencies in the blue channel. As a result, the image has a slightly different color character, which can be clearly seen in the comparative materials. This is a very good example showing why ready-made settings downloaded from the internet may not always work even within the same model.

However, returning to the assessment itself, this unit performs quite well, especially in SDR content. Color tests show correct saturation and color consistency, without glaring errors that could interfere with everyday viewing. In HDR materials, slight deficiencies in reds are already noticeable, but these are not flaws that completely ruin the perception of the image. The biggest limitations do not stem directly from the colors but rather from whites and blacks. The use of an IPS panel and slightly lowered gamma results in the image being slightly boosted in brightness, while the weak black further affects perceived contrast. This makes the overall look brighter, but at the same time, it loses depth, especially during evening viewing.

Filmmaker mode is reasonably well set up out of the box, though it falls short of perfect. In SDR material the most noticeable issue is an excess of red in the white balance, which makes the image look a bit warmer than it should. HDR content shows a similar character. As for the brightness response, in SDR the gamma stays close to the target for most of the range. Small deviations are mainly visible in darker areas, which in places are a little too dim. In HDR the very darkest details are slightly lifted, while from around 65% brightness the image begins to be gently darkened. This is largely due to the way the TV controls its brightness. Overall, Filmmaker mode looks good straight out of the box, but the image can still be improved.

After calibration, the image was brought to a really reasonable level. Everything looks coherent and natural, and when it comes to color reproduction, it's hard to definitively state whether we have a VA or IPS panel. This is a good sign, showing that the TV has a solid foundation for further adjustments. It's worth noting the larger color gamut coverage in this variant, which can slightly improve the reception of colorful scenes, especially in HDR content. However, this advantage is largely counterbalanced by the elevated blacks, resulting from the use of an IPS panel. Limited black depth affects perceived contrast, especially when watching in a dark room. As a result, despite the noticeable improvement after calibration, the final assessment remains the same as in the variant with a VA panel. Better colors are not able to fully compensate for the weaker blacks.

After calibration, the M80H performs really well, especially with basic SDR content. Regular broadcast TV, YouTube, or movies viewed without HDR can look very accurate on it. After correcting the white balance, errors are minor, though you can still sometimes see that the TV tends to oversaturate the most saturated reds. In HDR you can also improve the picture and correct its main faults, but it doesn't reach the level of pricier models. Samsung quite heavily restricts color adjustment options in HDR, so in many areas we have to accept what the TV offers out of the box. Calibration lets us improve some parameters, but we are no longer able to change the overall image character of the M80H.

In the Philips PUS9010, we find another iteration of the P5 Perfect Picture image processor, which aims to improve the quality of weaker materials. One of the components of this system is the distortion reduction function, responsible for smoothing tonal transitions. It works effectively and actually reduces visible color gradation. Unfortunately, it does so rather aggressively. In practice, it can dull details such as material textures or film grain. This is a clear compromise, so we wouldn't recommend it for movie screenings. It performs much better with looser content, like YouTube or regular television. The P5 processor also handles lower resolution materials quite well. The image is soft, sometimes even too soft, but it can easily be adjusted with the sharpness slider, tailoring the effect to personal preferences. Additionally, the lack of edge cropping in SD materials is a plus, which is still not standard in this class of televisions.

Although the M80H is positioned fairly low in Samsung's lineup, the manufacturer equipped it with one of its stronger processors, NQ4 AI Gen2. The same chip can be found in Neo QLED TVs and the lower-tier OLED S85H. That's good news, because the processor does a very good job improving weaker source material. Upscaling performs best. Low-resolution content is displayed properly, and edges don't look overly jagged. Of course the TV won't create details that aren't in the source, but regular broadcast TV and older recordings look decent on it. One drawback is overscan, that is, edge cropping, which cannot be fully disabled. The tonal transition smoothing feature, the so-called noise reduction, also works well. The processor can effectively reduce visible signs of heavy compression, but it does so not without side effects. At higher settings it can overly smooth the image, remove some fine detail, and even eliminate film grain. Therefore we recommend using this feature primarily for content that actually has problems with heavy compression and posterization.

Philips PUS9010 has a 4K panel with a refresh rate of 144 Hz, which will be appreciated primarily by sports fans and gamers. This is especially evident in dynamic scenes where motion is sharp, and annoying trailing is nearly absent. When it comes to movies (standard 24 fps), Philips provides us with a proven set of settings known from higher series. Two sliders are used to control motion. The “Smoothness” slider allows you to adjust the image to your taste: at low settings, we maintain a cinematic character, while moving the slider to the right gives us a perfectly smooth, albeit slightly “theatrical” effect. On the other hand, the “Motion Blur Reduction” is a feature made for sports – it ensures that fast objects do not lose details and remain clear.

The M80H performs very well for watching sports and gaming. The TV is equipped with a panel with a refresh rate of up to 144 Hz at 4K, and when the resolution is lowered to Full HD it can handle up to 240 Hz. PC gamers will benefit most from the latter option.

The panel also handles 120 Hz content well, which matters especially for console gaming. The high refresh rate is useful for watching sports too, and motion blur is relatively low. That’s important because VA panels are not known for the best results in this respect. With the M80H, fast-moving objects do not produce a very noticeable trail.

The Philips PUS9010 is truly a solid machine for gaming. It has everything that matters: VRR, automatic game mode (ALLM), and support for HGiG. The latter is a great feature—it allows HDR in games to be set exactly as the creators envisioned. The television handles 120 Hz refresh rates effortlessly at every popular resolution (1080p, 1440p, and 4K). It doesn't matter if you connect a PS5, Xbox, or a powerful PC—everything runs smoothly and just as it should. Gamers will also appreciate the Game Bar. It's a quick, clear menu that immediately shows whether low latency mode is active. This is especially useful when frequently switching between different consoles. The experience is completed by Ambilight. Evening sessions with this lighting are on a whole different level; the image seems larger, and dynamic scenes leave an even better impression. Even if someone isn’t a fan of such “gimmicks,” it’s hard to deny that it’s impressive.

The M80H can be a very good choice for gamers on a slightly smaller budget. Feature-wise it offers essentially the same as Samsung's much more expensive TVs. All three HDMI inputs support HDMI 2.1, so even if one is taken by a soundbar connected via eARC there’s still room for a PC and consoles. There’s also VRR up to 144 Hz at 4K and up to 240 Hz in Full HD. Samsung has properly implemented HGiG as well, so after performing HDR calibration on the console, games are appropriately matched to the screen’s capabilities. That won’t make the M80H any brighter, but at least it won’t unnecessarily wash out the brightest parts of the image. There’s also a Game Bar for quick access to the most important settings and a Gaming Hub that lets you play in the cloud without a console. The M80H also includes Game Motion Plus, which creates extra frames and improves the smoothness of games running at 30 or 60 fps. Input lag then rises to about 59 ms, but it’s still roughly three times lower than with the typical motion smoothing on other manufacturers’ TVs. We don’t really recommend it for online multiplayer, but in more relaxed titles it can work very well.