The image really stands out when you look at the Philips 55OLED809 TV (2024). Read in our review of this W-OLED TV how the Philips 55OLED809 improves further.
Philips launched the new 55OLED809 in 2024, a so-called W-OLED TV. In this article you first read what W-OLED means and then you read the review of the Philips 55OLED809 (2024).
W-OLED
W-OLED stands for White-OLED and is a specific type of OLED technology that is widely used in televisions and monitors. How does W-OLED work?
1. White subpixel: Unlike RGB OLED, where each pixel consists of red, green and blue sub-pixels, a W-OLED pixel has an additional white sub-pixel. This white subpixel serves as basic lighting.
2. Color filters: over this white subpixel are color filters that filter the light to the desired color. By adjusting the intensity of the white subpixel and the color filters, all colors can be displayed.
Advantages of W-OLED:
• Technology: This leads to better brightness and energy efficiency, which is especially useful for larger screens such as televisions.
• Deep black: because each pixel can be turned off individually, W-OLED delivers perfect black. This results in high contrast and vibrant colors.
• Wide color range: W-OLED screens can display a wide range of colors, which ensures a true-to-life image display.
• Fast response time: W-OLED pixels respond quickly to changes in the image signal, reducing motion blur.
Philips 55OLED809 (2024)
This 4K W-OLED TV stands out because of its clear and lifelike image, specifically the SDR image broadcast by regular TV channels. In addition, the Philips 55OLED809 (2024) has many features, including Ambilight, which makes the image appear even larger and more immersive. In addition to 55 inches, this TV is also available in 42, 48, 65 and 77 inch sizes.
Design
The 809 TV is sleek in black with a minimal border and thin screen. On the back are the connections and the Ambilight LEDs that radiate to the sides and upwards. This lighting synchronizes well with the image as standard, but other settings are also possible. The connections consist of 4x HDMI including 2.1/ARC/120Hz, 2.1/120Hz and 2x 2.0, 2x USB3/500Ma, CI slot, antenna, network, optical audio and 3.5mm jack for headphones. The base is trapezoidal and the rotating stand on this 55-inch model makes it possible to rotate the screen. You can also easily connect a cable to the back of the TV.
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The TV is operated with a sleek, well-functioning remote control with lighting and USB-C port for charging.
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The sound comes from 2.1 speakers at the rear and sound good for standard playback, but for high quality and surround, an external set is recommended, as with (almost) all TVs. See further at Audio.
Technology
This TV has a nice refresh rate of 144 Hz, so that the image is displayed smoothly. In terms of HDR, it has Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG.
The TV is equipped with the P5 AI Perfect Picture Engine and offers many image improvement techniques for both SDR and HDR. The clear image is striking, which can be adjusted to your own wishes. The top level is crystal clear, but can be muted if that’s too much of a good thing. SDR image, used in standard TV broadcasts, is significantly improved and therefore comes very close to HDR image. For gaming, well-functioning facilities are available on HDMI-1 and -2 and there is a new game bar.
The viewing angle is fine and upscaling works well from HD resolution.
Ambilight
You have to love Ambilight and personally I (Rob Coenraads) think it really adds something. This TV has Ambilight on 3 sides, but not the bottom. It does not add much and Ambilight TV also indicated that it also makes a difference in terms of costs if only three sides are equipped with Ambilight. Once you have chosen Ambilight, many people do not want anything else. Especially if there are many colors in a film or series, it is definitely an added value. You can also use Ambilight if you use the TV to play music, so that your (living) room is beautifully lit.
Google TV and streaming
Google TV is available on this TV with many apps. This smart TV platform is very recognizable for Android users and you will find many streaming apps in the Play Store, for example. You can also easily adjust the image and sound. Furthermore, you can easily stream with ChromeCast and AirPlay2.
Audio
As mentioned above, we actually recommend external speakers for better audio reproduction, for example, films, series and gaming. The 2.1-channel speaker system with a total of 70 watts of power is sufficient for ‘normal’ TV viewing. This is divided over four drivers and a subwoofer; there is support for both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. There are multiple sound settings such as Standard, Entertainment and Game. The AI ​​Sound mode is pleasant and useful: it ‘looks’ at the content on the screen and automatically adjusts the EQ and dialogue, among other things.
Conclusion
The Philips 55OLED809 (2024) is a complete TV that shows its added value, especially with standard TV broadcasts, through its clear image and color. In addition, it has many useful functions. We can easily recommend this TV, although the recommended retail price is quite high; perhaps it is for sale somewhere with a nice offer.
Philips OLED TV 55OLED809 (2024)
Recommended retail price: € 1999,-
+ clear and lifelike image
+ lots of useful functionality
– price
– only 1 gaming port for soundbar