HD PICTURE QUALITY. HD picture quality is very good. Reproduction of fine HD image detail is excellent. We did note some added edge enhancement processing but it isn't distracting. Color accuracy is very good, with flesh tones in particular, looking natural. Color temperature is slightly on the warm side with images tending toward a golden tone. Contrast--the difference between the darkest blacks and brightest whites--is good, so images have some depth. Depth of black level is below average, with darker scenes in particular looking hazy, with little contrast. Image brightness is very good (with the backlight control turned up), so the picture is well suited for a brighter room. A lower setting is recommended for a dimmer viewing environment. In scenes with subtly shaded light-to-dark areas, such as a sky during sunset, the model does a very good job producing a smooth transition without distinct, coarse bands. There is slight display non-uniformity that creates brighter cloudy areas most noticeable on very dark scenes (or in the black bars of a letterboxed movie). We routinely see this issue with LCDs and severity can vary from model to model. Film mode operation for HD film-based content is excellent, with no visible jaggies along the edges of objects during motion scenes. Deinterlacing is very good, with minimal jaggies visible when converting 1080i video content, such as from cable, to the display's native resolution.
UHD PICTURE QUALITY. UHD picture quality is generally excellent but HD-to-UHD upconversion falls short. All native 4K content (non HDR) we played on this model, including movies and test videos, is presented in full 4K detail with excellent fidelity when played back via the TV's HDMI input. Photo playback via the TV's USB port is not supported. With regular HD content, the TV's HD-to-UHD up-conversion processing falls short, revealing some visible jaggies along the edges of diagonals when playing HD content.
HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE (HDR) PERFORMANCE. Though this TV supports the playback of HDR content, its HDR performance is ineffective and lacks the enhancements in image quality expected from this capability. When playing HDR content, the TV does not trigger new picture settings that are optimized for HDR. Therefore, we can't optimize the HDR image without adversely affecting our optimized HD settings so we left the settings as is. The display does not have the peak brightness capability necessary (by HDR standards) to reproduce the extended contrast on content mastered for HDR. There is no significant contrast revealed between moderately bright and very bright highlights within a scene, while the brightness levels in the mid-to-lower tones, like those in an indoor scene, are slightly low.
VIEWING ANGLE. This Philips has a wide viewing angle overall, better than that of most TVs. It will provide the same picture quality, with fewer problems than most TVs, for typical viewing conditions -- say, if your family is seated across a long sectional or in chairs off to the sides. The picture does show some dimming from the sides but not to any point we find distracting. With dark scenes this model doesn't fare quite as well. When viewed from the sides, the depth of black levels vary depending on the vertical position of the viewer's head. As we moved closer to the screen this limitation became even more apparent, especially if seated on the floor looking upward where black levels brighten significantly.
MOTION BLUR. This Philips TV has good motion performance, with some blurring on our motion tests. This model does not include a blur reduction feature.
SOUND QUALITY. This model's sound quality falls short with below average performance. It's acceptable for typical programming, but shortcomings become obvious with movie soundtracks and music. Bass is lacking as is treble detail, and the overall sound is thin and closed in. The speakers produce a good volume range so this model should play sufficiently loud in typical room environments, but quality does degrade at high volume settings. Also, at higher volume, dynamic compression keeps the sound from distorting but also limits the clarity of peaks in loudness, which can be a bit distracting on some audio content. If sound quality matters to you, you might want to add a soundbar or other external speaker system.
EASE OF USE. The dark labeling of the connections on the TV console makes them very difficult to read. On first power up there is an on-screen guide that helps you through setting up the TV. The remote has a traditional design with a full number key pad. It includes a built-in microphone to access the voice assistant feature. It also provides convenient direct button access to streaming services including Netflix and Vudu. Consider the TV's stand is 28 inches wide when choosing a table top to place it on.
INTERNET FEATURES. This Smart TV provides Internet functionality via its "Android TV" portal with access to a library of applications. Movie streaming services that can be downloaded to this TV, or are built-in, include Netflix, YouTube, Hulu and HBO Now. Includes built-in Google Assistant, a virtual assistant, which allows you to use natural speech to ask questions, launch applications, and search programming via the remote's built-in microphone.
CONNECTIONS. This model has three HDMI inputs-- one supports ARC (Audio Return Channel), one composite input, and no component input. It also has one USB port, an optical digital audio out, a headphone out, an Ethernet port, WiFi wireless networking; Casting, which allows you to send streaming content from your mobile device to the TV via your home network; Screen mirroring, where the image on your smartphone or other compatible device can also appear on the TV.
INCLUDED IN THE BOX. A quick start guide. An electronic user guide via the TV's menu. A remote control with batteries. No printed manual is included.
