- Matching (Score)
- Our verdict
- Competing TVs
- TV appearance
- Where to buy
- Contrast and black detail
- HDR effect quality
- Factory color reproduction
- Color reproduction after calibration
- Smoothness of tonal transitions
- Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions
- Blur and motion smoothness
- Console compatibility and gaming features
- Input lag
- Compatibility with PC
- Viewing angles
- TV efficiency during daytime
- TV features
- Apps
- Playing files from USB
- Sound
- Details about the matrix
Philips OLED820 Review
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Panel type: WRGB OLED Refresh rate: 144Hz Brand: PHILIPS Resolution: 3810x2160 System: Google TV Model year: 2025
In the world of televisions, it’s easy to get lost, as most of them look like twins. The same parameters, the same slogans about cinematic quality and refresh rates that are supposed to ensure the highest quality picture. After a while, one begins to wonder if there’s really something that can surprise. The Philips OLED820 on paper has everything that the competition offers, but it adds its own hallmark – Ambilight, which is a multicolored illumination spreading around the screen. However, that’s only part of the story, as in a television, the whole picture counts: image quality, HDR, smoothness, and everyday user comfort. We decided to check all this to see if the OLED820 truly deserves your attention.
PHILIPS OLED820 - Our verdict
8.0
Overall rating
The Philips OLED820 is a very successful and significant step forward compared to last year's model, the OLED 819. For many people, the main reason for purchasing it will, of course, be Ambilight: the multi-colored lighting system that sets Philips TVs apart from the competition. It’s no surprise, as it made a huge impression on us as well. It's not just an impressive gadget, but a real addition that can change the perception of the content being watched and add depth to it. However, Ambilight should not overshadow what the OLED820 offers as a screen. Here we have almost infinite contrast, high brightness in HDR films, and excellent color reproduction, which improves even more after slight tweaking or professional calibration. This setup guarantees one of the best pictures available on the market today, and we are also aware that the TV offers something unique and unprecedented elsewhere. It is also equipment that works well for gaming. A 144 Hz panel and HDMI 2.1 ports open up access to the full capabilities of new-generation consoles, and low input lag makes gameplay exceptionally responsive. The operating system also deserves praise – Google TV. This is a much better solution than the proprietary Titan OS found in lower-end Philips models, such as the OLED770. And this is a serious argument for paying extra for this model. A larger app library, a more efficient voice assistant, and fewer system errors contribute to a noticeably better everyday experience. Of course, the Philips OLED 820 is not free from minor shortcomings – some software issues are apparent, and certain features could be better refined. Nevertheless, the overall presentation is very solid. Perhaps the OLED820 is not a revolutionary TV, but it is a very successful and well-balanced option in Philips’ lineup. It combines excellent picture quality, a complete set of features for gamers, and a unique addition in the form of Ambilight. If you’re looking for a solid mid-range OLED that not only offers good picture quality but also something distinctive and exceptional, the OLED820 should be high on your shopping list.
Advantages
Ideal contrast and black thanks to the WOLED panel
High HDR brightness (up to 1300 nits) and wide coverage of the DCI-P3 color palette (99%)
Support for multiple HDR formats including Dolby Vision and HDR10+
Great motion fluidity, no motion blur, refresh rate up to 144 Hz
Full support for gamers: HDMI 2.1 (2 ports), VRR, ALLM, HGiG, Dolby Vision in games, low input lag
Ambilight, which realistically affects image perception and distinguishes the TV from the competition
GoogleTV system with a huge app base and great voice assistant
Extras in the form of: Backlit remote and rotating stand
Support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X audio formats
Disadvantages
Only two HDMI 2.1 ports (with 2 consoles and a soundbar, we are forced to "juggle" the cables)
Lack of many classic "TV" features, e.g., USB recording or PiP mode, the infrared remote can be annoying
Slight issues with color matching (much better than last year but far from the competition)
Font readability issues when working with PC (lack of full Chroma 4:4:4 support)
Movies and series in UHD quality8.3
Classic TV, YouTube8.6
Sports broadcasts (TV and apps)8.5
Gaming on console9.4
TV as a computer monitor6.5
Watching in bright light5.7
Utility functions6.8
Apps9.6
Sound quality7.7
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PHILIPS OLED820 - Competing TVs in this price range
PHILIPS OLED820 - TV appearance
HDMI inputs: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 2 x HDMI 2.1 (48Gbps) Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI), Mini-Jack (Headphones) Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
Build quality: Premium
Stand type: Central
Kolor ramki: Graphite
- Stand: Swivel
- Flat design: No
- Accessories: Stand
The OLED820 is a television that immediately gives the impression of being well thought out. The first thing that catches the eye and gives it character is, of course, Ambilight. It is this lighting system that makes Philips TVs stand out from the crowd and attract attention more than the competition. Combined with the picture quality provided by OLED panels, it is hard to pass by it indifferently. The television itself may not be the thinnest representative of its family, as the classic OLED “rear” sticks out a bit, but the whole looks very elegant. Additionally, there is a metal central stand that not only adds solidity but also allows the screen to be tilted to the side. Although OLED guarantees wide viewing angles, the ability to slightly turn the television can be surprisingly useful. Therefore, the Philips OLED820 has several features that truly make it stand out from the crowd.
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PHILIPS OLED820 - Contrast and black detail
10/10
Result
∞:1
Result
∞:1
Result
∞:1
Result
∞:1
Result
∞:1
Visibility of details in the lights:
Contrast and black are the domain of OLEDs, and the Philips OLED820 is no exception. The WOLED panel from LG Display works the same as in the LG C5 models or the Samsung S90F, providing exactly what we expect – perfect black and infinite contrast. Whether we are watching challenging scenes full of fine details or simpler frames flooded with uniform black, the television always performs excellently. It separates light from darkness with surgical precision, creating an extraordinary sense of depth in the image. And while different technologies can be debated, in this category, OLED simply reigns, and the Philips OLED820 only confirms this rule.
PHILIPS OLED820 - HDR effect quality
7.5/10
Supported formats: HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG Color gamut coverage: DCI P3: 99.3%, Bt.2020: 76.4%
Luminance measurements in HDR:
Result
1035 nit
Result
1235 nit
Result
1356 nit
Result
1315 nit
Result
521 nit
When it comes to HDR quality, the Philips OLED820 uses the same class of WOLED panel that we find in its biggest competitors – LG C5 or Samsung S90F. This means we can count on truly solid performance. This year, mid-range OLED panels are capable of exceeding the threshold of a thousand nits, and the model tested reaches around 1300 nits in some films. This is an outstanding result that allows for an extremely precise depiction of the director's vision, as contemporary productions are mastered in such brightness ranges. Of course, there are situations where even the OLED820 has to compromise. Full-screen scenes flooded with white, like those in the movie The Meg, can drop brightness to 400–500 nits, which clearly weakens the effect. This is a characteristic of OLED technology that has not yet been fully eliminated. Despite this limitation, it is hard not to appreciate the HDR in this model – high luminance and wide coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut at 99% make the picture simply look great.
Scene from the movie “Pan” (about 2800 nits)
Scene from the movie “Billy Lynn” (about 1100 nits)
Comparing the OLED820 to our reference display, we were truly impressed by how well the television adapts to different scenes. The fireworks in Billy Lynn and the golden sky from the movie Pan looked stunning – the screen did not lose details, and bright points were shown with great precision thanks to successful tone mapping. One could point out a slight tendency to "swallow" details in very dark scenes, such as the faces of secondary characters in Billy Lynn, but that is a minor issue in the grand scheme. The Philips OLED820 left a very positive impression after this comparison and demonstrated that it can compete with the reference surprisingly well.
HDR luminance chart:
Luminancja HDR
Luminance of RGB colors
While writing about the excellent adaptation of the OLED 820 for static HDR content, we were partly right. However, there are extreme conditions where standard tone mapping is not enough. Fortunately, Philips is one of the brands that does not limit itself to a single solution – the OLED 820 supports both the most popular Dolby Vision and the less sought-after, but similarly functioning HDR10+. It is thanks to dynamic metadata that the television can handle even the most challenging scenes, displaying more details and maintaining a better balance of the image. Importantly, most streaming platforms today offer films and series in these dynamic formats, so we can be confident that the OLED 820 will almost always display the image in the best possible way.
Static HDR10
Dynamic: Dolby Vision
Factory color reproduction
6.7/10
The color reproduction in the factory settings really surprised us, and positively so. The Philips OLED820, switched to Filmmaker mode, immediately showed that it was quite well tuned in terms of color. The white balance was relatively accurate, though with a slight lack in the blue hue, which sometimes gave the image a slightly yellowish tint. However, this is not a flaw that particularly interferes with everyday viewing. A larger problem arose with the brightness characteristic. The gamma chart clearly deviated from the ideal, with the line being below the expected values, causing the image to be overly brightened, and the colors looked as if they were covered with a light milky filter. This effect was also noticeable in tests using the Colour Checker pattern, where more pronounced errors appeared.
Color reproduction after calibration
9.3/10
After calibration, both the Filmmaker mode and the game mode gained quite a lot. A slight adjustment of the white balance and an improvement in brightness characteristics resulted in excellent outcomes for SDR content – the image looked almost perfect, natural and very close to the reference. In the case of HDR materials, the situation was similar; the colors looked stunning and it was hard to find anything to criticize. However, we noticed a certain feature that we had already pointed out when comparing scenes from the movie Billy Lynn. An analysis of the EOTF curve revealed that the television has a slight tendency to dim details in the blacks, which means that the darkest sections are not always displayed exactly as the director intended. Nevertheless, the effect after calibration is remarkable, and the OLED820 stands out as one of the more interesting screens in its class. It just needs a little bit of fine-tuning, and there's really nothing to be afraid of.
PHILIPS OLED820 - Smoothness of tonal transitions
6.5/10
The fluidity of tonal transitions is unfortunately the Achilles' heel of the Philips OLED820. During tests, we noticed slight issues with color blending – both in bright and darker scenes, one can see characteristic banding, which detracts from the naturalness of the image. It must be admitted that compared to last year's OLED 819 model, there is a significant improvement, but nonetheless, the competition performs better in this category.
Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions
7/10
Smooth transition function
Image without overscan on the SD signal
Fortunately, the earlier effects of the aforementioned posterization can be quite effectively mitigated. The "distortion reduction" feature set to medium handles unwanted color banding, improving the smoothness of tonal transitions. It does happen, however, that it works a bit too aggressively and smooths out some details – such as minor skin imperfections of the actors – but despite this, it can be considered worth using without major compromises. The upscaling in the OLED820 also performs well. The test image with the model is exceptionally soft, sometimes even too much so, although this can be alleviated by slightly increasing the sharpness in the picture menu – it’s a matter of personal preference. The lack of overscan issues with very low-resolution content is also commendable, meaning we don't have to worry that the image will be unnecessarily cropped.
PHILIPS OLED820 - Blur and motion smoothness
8.5/10
Maximum refresh rate of the panel: 144Hz
Film motion smoothing option: Yes
Blur reduction option: Yes
BFI function 60Hz: No
BFI function 120Hz: No
Motion fluidity is an area where OLEDs always shine, and the Philips OLED820 confirms this rule. The panel itself offers a refresh rate of 144 Hz, which will mainly benefit PC gamers, but even with standard television sources or consoles, where 120 Hz is used, the motion is fast, sharp, and simultaneously smooth, without traces of ghosting. This is thanks to the outstanding response time between pixels, which ensures the image retains clarity in every dynamic scene. The manufacturer has also added its own smoothing feature called "Motion Style." In the menu, we find two sliders – the first, responsible for fluidity, allows us to adjust the amount of artificially added frames in movies. This way, we can choose a raw, cinematic character with a clearly visible film frame or a more theatrical image with smooth motion. The second slider is for reducing blurring, especially useful in sports broadcasts. Here, we definitely recommend setting it to the maximum value, as the effect is truly excellent.
Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate):
Smużenie (4K@144Hz):
When it comes to motion blur, we really wouldn't have to write anything because this phenomenon simply does not occur in OLED TVs. Motion is super sharp, and there is no “dragging” effect of the image behind a moving object. Theoretically, one could aim for an even sharper effect with the BFI feature, but we won't find it in the OLED820. However, that's not a loss, as this type of solution usually comes with image flickering, doubling of contours, and additionally reduces brightness significantly. Here, motion looks great anyway, so there’s no reason to regret the lack of this option.
PHILIPS OLED820 - Console compatibility and gaming features
9.8/10
- ALLM:
Yes
- VRR:
Yes
- VRR range:
48 - 144Hz
- Dolby Vision Game Mode:
Yes
- Correct implementation of HGIG:
Yes
- 1080p@120Hz:
Yes
- 1440p@120Hz:
Yes
- 4K@120Hz:
Yes
- Game bar:
Yes
Philips OLED820 is one of the most complete televisions for gamers. It practically has everything you could expect: two HDMI 2.1 ports with full bandwidth of 48 Gbps (too bad there aren't four), variable refresh rate VRR, automatic game mode ALLM, support for Dolby Vision in games, and a good implementation of the HGiG mode. The television also handles lower resolutions at 120 Hz without any issues, so you can count on great flexibility when choosing different picture modes on the console. Philips also adds Game Bar – a panel that allows you to change picture modes, add a crosshair, or view parameters. Although it looks quite clunky and is less polished than that of the competition, it serves its purpose. In practice, therefore, the OLED820, besides having a full set of four HDMI 2.1 ports, offers almost everything a gamer might need.
PHILIPS OLED820 - Input lag
10/10
The input lag in the Philips OLED820 is truly at a reference level. The measurement showed values below 5 ms, which places it at the very top of the TVs available on the market. Even the Dolby Vision mode does not cause problems in this regard, which is quite a rare phenomenon. In practice, this means lightning-fast responses to every movement, no noticeable delays, and full comfort in dynamic games. In short, outstanding results that will please even the most demanding gamers.
| SDR | HDR | Dolby Vision |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p60: 13 ms | 2160p60: 13 ms | 2160p60 DV: 13 ms |
| 1080p120: 5 ms | 2160p120: 5 ms | 2160p120 DV: 5 ms |
| 2160p60: 13 ms | ||
| 2160p120: 5 ms |
PHILIPS OLED820 - Compatibility with PC
6.5/10
Chroma 444 (maximum resolution and refresh rate): No
Font clarity: Average
Readability of dark text and shapes: Very Good
Input lag in PC mode (4K, maximum refresh rate): 5ms
Matrix subpixel arrangement: RWBG
Max refresh rate: 144Hz
G-Sync: Yes
Collaboration with a PC for the Philips OLED820 varies depending on the application. For gaming, it performs exceptionally well: a high refresh rate of 144 Hz combined with G-Sync support provides smoothness and responsiveness that other televisions would envy. The situation is less favorable when it comes to text work. The lack of proper implementation of chroma 4:4:4 causes fonts on colored backgrounds to be slightly blurred, which significantly lowers work comfort. Therefore, it's hard to recommend the OLED820 as a screen for office work with text or numbers. It's a pity that the manufacturer didn't learn from last year's models and this flaw continues to persist.
PHILIPS OLED820 - Viewing angles
7.6/10
Brightness drop at an angle of 45 degrees: 34%
The viewing angles on the Philips OLED820 are another advantage that should delight you. OLEDs have always been characterized by nearly perfect angles, so no matter where we look from, the image remains clear and readable. Indeed, the classic WOLED matrix does not match technologies like MLA OLED or QD-OLED, but it's still hard to criticize anything here. The angles are simply excellent.
PHILIPS OLED820 - TV efficiency during daytime
5.7/10
Matrix coating: Glare
Reflection suppression: Decent
Black levels during daytime: Very Good
Matrix brightness
Average luminance SDR
Philips OLED820: 345 cd/m2
PHILIPS OLED820 - TV features
6.8/10
System: Google TV
System performance: Good
- HDMI inputs: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 2 x HDMI 2.1 48Gbps
- Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI), Mini-Jack (Headphones)
- Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps
- TV reception: DVB-T, DVB-T2, DVB-S, DVB-S2, DVB-C
Classic features:
Recording to USB (terrestrial TV): No - Recording programming: No
- Picture in Picture (PiP): No
- RF remote control (no need to aim at the screen): Infrared
- Backlit remote control: Yes
- Teletext: Yes
- Audio only mode: Yes
- Bluetooth headphones support: Yes
- Simultaneous Bluetooth headphones & TV audio: No
Smart features:
- AirPlay: Yes
- Screen mirroring (Windows Miracast): No
- Wyszukiwanie głosowe: Yes
- Voice search in native language: Yes
- Ability to connect a keyboard and mouse: Yes
GoogleTV on OLED820
Philips OLED820 runs on the Google TV system, which immediately places it among the televisions that truly offer freedom of use. It's a fantastic platform that needs no introduction – you'll find almost an endless number of apps, from popular VOD services to niche programs or games. Google TV also allows you to customize the home screen, tailoring content to your preferences, so the television actually "learns" your viewing style. A huge plus is also Google's voice assistant – quick, natural, and effective. It can understand even less obvious questions, and in practice, it works significantly better than many competitors. Unfortunately, there was a hiccup – the screen mirroring function simply didn’t work during testing. This can be considered a minor issue, but in 2025, things like this just shouldn't happen.
Classic Features of OLED820
When it comes to classic additions, the OLED820 doesn't strive for conservative notes. On one hand, we get a backlit remote control with a numeric keypad that is quite well organized and comfortable to use. On the other hand, you have to aim it at the screen because it operates on infrared, which is more reminiscent of equipment from a decade ago than a modern television. It also lacks a few features that are often found in competitors – there's no USB recording from tuners or a PiP mode. A nice touch among classic solutions is the mini jack analog input for headphones. This is a rarity today, and it can prove useful – whether for a senior with an additional headphone station or for someone who would like to connect older speakers.
AmbilightTV OLED820
You also can't overlook Ambilight, a feature that is a hallmark of Philips. This solution impacts not only the television's appearance but also the reception of content. The lighting system can be set in various ways, from a multicolored mode that dynamically follows the image to calmer, static backlighting. We definitely recommend the latter option because the gentle light behind the screen makes the viewed content combined with the OLED matrix look even deeper and more engaging. It's a simple yet very effective addition that has given Philips televisions character for years.
Sound connection options
HDMI audio:
Other audio outputs:
- Toslink: Yes
- Stereo (Mini-Jack): Yes
Wireless audio:
- Bluetooth: Yes
- DTS Play-Fi: Yes
Obsługiwane formaty audio:
- Dolby Digital Plus 7.1: Yes
- Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC): Yes
- DTS:X in DTS-HD MA: Yes
- DTS-HD Master Audio: Yes
Ułatwienia dla seniorów
- Numeric keyboard on TV: Yes
- Font size adjustment: Yes
- Audio description: Yes
PHILIPS OLED820 - Apps
9.6/10
PHILIPS OLED820 - Playing files from USB
9.5/10
| Maximum photo resolution: | Supported photo formats: |
|---|---|
| 4 Mpix | JPEG |
| 6 Mpix | HEIC |
| 8 Mpix | PNG |
| 10 Mpix | GIF |
| 12 Mpix | WebP |
| 16 Mpix | TIFF |
| 20 Mpix | BMP |
| 24 Mpix | SVG |
| 28 Mpix | |
| 32 Mpix |
The Philips OLED820 has a built-in file player with USB, which at first glance looks quite clunky, but in practice, it works surprisingly well. One could even say that it is one of the best built-in players available in televisions. It handles virtually every type of file: photos, videos, or music, with minor exceptions, most of which are also not supported by the competition. And if someone still feels something is missing, there is always the option to install the VLC app from the Google Play library and the problem disappears.
PHILIPS OLED820 - Sound
7.7/10
81dB
Maximum volume
Supported codecs
(TV speakers)
Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
Dolby True HD 7.1
Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus (JOC)
Dolby Atmos in Dolby True HD
DTS:X in DTS-HD MA
DTS-HD Master Audio
The Philips OLED 820 features a built-in 4.1 speaker system with a total power of 70 W. At the back of the chassis, there is a subwoofer that provides quite solid and deep bass. The classic speakers responsible for the rest of the range are located at the bottom of the television, which means that the sound does not always propagate as we would like. However, the overall sound quality can be considered acceptable – series, television programs, or occasional music listening perform well, with slight bass support. This should be sufficient for daily use, although we still recommend purchasing even an inexpensive soundbar, which will significantly enhance the user experience.
Acoustic Measurements
81dBC (Max)
75dBC
PHILIPS OLED820 - Details about the matrix
Software version during testing: TPM231WW_R.201.100.146.207
Image processor: MT5896 3GB
Panel uniformity and thermal imaging:
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1/29/2025
