Philips PUS7009 (VA)

Available screen sizes: 50”

Diagonal with a different matrix: ,

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Panel technology: LCD VA | Brand: PHILIPS | Resolution: 3840x2160 | Operating system: Titan OS | Model year: 2024

Our verdict

5.4

Overall rating

Philips PUS7009 with a VA panel is a television that will best suit casual users who primarily use it for watching television, browsing photos, or using basic applications. Thanks to the VA panel, it offers significantly better contrast and deeper blacks compared to the IPS version, making it a better choice for watching movies in darker rooms. Features such as ALLM, VRR, and Game Bar provide satisfactory compatibility with consoles, making it a solid option for less demanding gamers. In terms of picture quality, Philips PUS7009 with a VA panel offers better black levels than the IPS variant, but it is still not without its flaws. Low brightness and lack of Dolby Vision support mean that the television does not handle more demanding HDR scenes well. Philips' proprietary operating system, TitanOS, still leaves much to be desired. Although it provides access to basic applications, its limitations and lack of intuitiveness can be frustrating for more advanced users. At this price point, it is worth considering other models (listed below) that will better meet the demands in terms of picture quality and multimedia features.

Advantages

Good native contrast - better than in the IPS matrix variant

Dynamic tone mapping improves image quality in demanding scenes
Okay for casual gamers - VRR, ALLM, low input lag
Supports all popular audio formats, including Dolby and DTS

Disadvantages

Very low brightness (250 nits)

Poorly developed operating system - TitanOS
No support for Dolby Vision
Worse viewing angles than the variants 43' and 55'

Movies and series in UHD quality

4.9
Classic TV, YouTube

5.4
Sports broadcasts (TV and apps)

5.0
Gaming on console

6.6
TV as a computer monitor

2.0
Watching in bright light

4.4
Utility functions

6.8
Apps

7.0
Sound quality

5.6

TV appearance

HDMI inputs: 3 x HDMI 2.0, 0 x HDMI 2.1 Outputs: Toslink (Optical audio), eARC (HDMI), ARC (HDMI) Network Interfaces: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Ethernet (LAN) 100Mbps

Review Philips PUS7009 (VA) Appearance of the TV

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Contrast and black detail

Viewing mode Game mode

5.4/10

Viewing mode Game mode

Local dimming function: No

Review Philips PUS7009 (VA) Contrast and black detail

Contrast between the black background and the bright spotlight illuminating Jack. Scene from the movie Oblivion (Universal Pictures).

Result

4,250:1

Contrast between the glare on the chameleon's skin and the black near the edge of the screen below. Scene from the Spears&Munsil test disc.

Result

4,600:1

Contrast between the reflection on the helmet and the black on the black film strip. Scene from the movie Arrival (Paramount Pictures).

Result

3,800:1

Contrast between the actress's face and the black film strip at the top edge of the TV. Scene from the movie Gravity (Warner Bros. Pictures).

Result

4,200:1

Contrast between the colorful balloon and the black slice between the falling objects. Scene from the Pioneer Kuro test disc (2008).

Result

4,250:1

Visibility of details in the lights:

Philips PUS7009 in the 50' variant uses a VA panel, which offers better contrast and deeper blacks compared to the IPS panel variant, albeit with some limitations. Due to its price, this model does not feature local dimming technology, which affects the quality of blacks in challenging scenes. For example, in the film The Revenant, one can notice that the blacks take on a shade of navy blue, which prevents complete immersion in the film's atmosphere. Nevertheless, compared to the IPS version, the difference is noticeable in favour of the VA panel, which handles darker scenes significantly better, providing a more satisfying picture in poorly lit rooms.

Halo effect and black detail visibility:

HDR effect quality

Viewing mode Game mode

3.3/10

Viewing mode Game mode

Supported formats: HDR10, HDR10+, HLG Color gamut coverage: DCI P3: 75.0%, Bt.2020: 55.0%

Luminance measurements in HDR:

Review Philips PUS7009 (VA) Brightness measurement

The measured point is the setting sun against a bright sky. Scene from the movie Life of Pi (20th Century Fox).

Result

229 nit

The measured point is the moon against a dark, starry sky. Scene from the movie Life of Pi (20th Century Fox).

Result

210 nit

The measured point is the flashlight on the rifle, which shines directly at the camera. Scene from the movie Gemini Man (Paramount Pictures).

Result

241 nit

The measured point is the tail light of a helicopter flying at night. This is a very small light point, the essence of the HDR effect. Scene from the movie Sicario 2: Soldado (Lionsgate).

Result

234 nit

The measured point is the sun visible directly between the clouds. The scene is very bright and should blind the viewer as in nature. Scene from the movie The Meg (Warner Bros. Pictures).

Result

240 nit

In terms of HDR effect quality, Philips PUS7009 performs very poorly. A brightness level of 250 nits does not allow for an enjoyable HDR experience, and the image resembles more of a standard SDR. There’s no mention of dynamic effects or vivid bursts of light. The coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut is only 75%, which is definitely insufficient. The lack of full colour coverage means that the colours are not as vibrant as they should be, resulting in a flat and unconvincing image. There are no aspects of this model that could be praised in the context of HDR.

Scene from the movie “Pan” (about 2800 nits)

Scene from the movie “Billy Lynn” (about 1100 nits)

Since the television doesn't impress in terms of its parameters, we decided to check how it would perform in more demanding film scenes, such as those from the movies "Pan" and "Billy Lynn". To our surprise, the television performed better than we expected. In the film "Pan", the sun on the horizon does not blend into one blob, and the details are reproduced decently, despite the lack of clear contrast. In the case of "Billy Lynn", the foreground with the actors looks quite good, although light effects, such as fireworks, perform much worse. The dynamic tone mapping feature in this model can improve the picture enough to compensate for the television's overall shortcomings.

Philips PUS7009 supports various HDR formats, including HDR10 and HDR10+. In the case of HDR10, the television struggles to achieve distinct contrast and detail, making the image resemble more of a standard SDR. With HDR10+, slight improvements are noticeable – dynamic metadata helps achieve better contrast and more detail, especially in more demanding scenes. Nevertheless, the differences between HDR10 and HDR10+ on this television are not significant enough to consider them a major advantage. The lack of Dolby Vision support limits this model's ability to fully utilize the potential of HDR content.

Static HDR10

Dynamic: HDR10+

Smoothness of tonal transitions

7.6/10

The gradation of tonal transitions in the Philips PUS7009 TV is at a decent level and does not exhibit serious flaws that could affect viewing comfort. Although upon closer inspection, one can notice minor imperfections in bright and colourful transitions, they are minimal enough that most viewers are unlikely to notice them. The version with the VA panel performs slightly worse in this regard, however, the differences are subtle enough that they shouldn't bother the average user.

Review Philips PUS7009 (VA) Smoothness of tonal transitions

Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions

6/10

Smooth transition function

Image without overscan on the SD signal

When it comes to tonal transitions in low-quality material, the function called "Distortion Reduction" (setting “minimum”) effectively improves the gradation, eliminating unsightly tonal transitions. However, this setting on Philips televisions is quite aggressive – while it does not blur grain or good quality material, it can introduce unwanted effects and blur elements that should remain clear with a poorer signal.

In terms of image scaling, Philips PUS7009 performs reasonably well. A major advantage is the lack of cropped edges of the image, meaning no overscan, which allows for displaying the full frame without losses. The image is noticeably enhanced, making characters and backgrounds, such as the model or branches in the background, appear quite detailed and natural, even with lower quality signals. Although scaling is not perfect, as it can remove desired details in the distance, the results are good enough to satisfy most users.

Blur and motion smoothness

4.9/10

Maximum refresh rate of the panel: 60Hz

Film motion smoothing option: No

Blur reduction option: No

BFI function 60Hz: No

BFI function 120Hz: No

Brightness drop with BFI: 0%

Philips PUS7009 does not have motion smoothing features, which means there's no option to adjust the picture for a choppier or smoother, theatrical effect. Such features could positively affect the viewing of dynamic scenes. In terms of motion blur, this model is equipped with a 60 Hz VA panel, which delivers slightly worse results than the IPS panel variant. The VA panel introduces minimally greater motion blur, although the differences are not significant and should not pose a problem for most viewers.

Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate):

Console compatibility and gaming features

4.7/10

ALLM: Yes
VRR: Yes
VRR range: 48 - 60Hz
Dolby Vision Game Mode: No
Correct implementation of HGIG: No
1080p@120Hz: No
1440p@120Hz: No
4K@120Hz: No
Game bar: Yes

In terms of compatibility with consoles, Philips PUS7009 is likely to satisfy casual gamers. Although equipped with HDMI 2.0, it offers features such as ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), and Game Bar. ALLM automatically switches the TV to low latency mode, which speeds up responses during gaming, and VRR adjusts the refresh rate to minimise screen tearing. The Game Bar provides quick access to game settings and monitors key parameters, although visually it falls short compared to competing solutions. However, more demanding gamers may feel underwhelmed. Philips PUS7009 does not support advanced HDR formats in games, and the 60 Hz panel limits its ability to display smooth and detailed images in dynamic scenes, which may not satisfy fans of fast-paced action games.

Input lag

10/10

Input lag in Philips PUS7009 is at a very good level – it's only 11 ms for supported resolutions. For most gamers, this low level of latency should be satisfactory, providing smooth and responsive experiences during gameplay.

SDR	HDR	Dolby Vision
1080p60: 11 ms	2160p60: 11 ms
2160p60: 11 ms

Compatibility with PC

2/10

Chroma 444 (maximum resolution and refresh rate): Yes

Font clarity: Average

Readability of dark text and shapes: Poor

Input lag in PC mode (4K, maximum refresh rate): 43ms

Matrix subpixel arrangement: BGR

Max refresh rate: 60Hz

G-Sync: No

When it comes to working with PCs, the VA panel variant in Philips PUS7009 is not suitable for text work, despite supporting chroma 4:4:4. The visibility of fonts is at an average satisfactory level. The biggest issue is their display on a dark background – text appears "pixelated," and the letters have a multicoloured texture, which significantly hinders comfortable work with documents and text editing.

Viewing angles

3.4/10

Brightness drop at an angle of 45 degrees: 60%

The viewing angles on the Philips PUS7009 with a VA panel are noticeably worse compared to the version with an IPS panel, which is due to the inherent limitations of VA technology. When viewed at an angle, colours quickly lose their vibrancy, and contrast dramatically falls, making the image appear washed out and less readable. For individuals who plan to watch the television from various spots in the room, this can be a significant issue, especially compared to IPS panels, which offer far better viewing angles and a more consistent picture even when viewed from the side.

TV efficiency during daytime

4.4/10

Matrix coating: Satin

Reflection suppression: Good

Black levels during daytime: Good

Although the panel in the Philips PUS7009 is equipped with a satin finish that effectively reduces reflections, the brightness level of 280 nits in SDR mode is simply too low for the TV to perform well in bright rooms. As a result, in heavily illuminated conditions, details on the screen may be difficult to see, which diminishes comfort during daytime use.

Matrix brightness

Average luminance SDR

Philips PUS7009 (VA): 280 cd/m2

Details about the matrix

Software version during testing: TPN246E_V246.004.012.161

Panel uniformity:

Backlight Type: White LED

TV features

6.8/10

System operacyjny: Titan OS
TV reception: DVB-T, DVB-T2, DVB-S, DVB-S2, DVB-C
Recording to USB (terrestrial TV): No
Recording programming: No
Picture in Picture (PiP): No
Screen mirroring (Windows Miracast): Yes
AirPlay: No
Voice search in native language: No
Ability to connect a keyboard and mouse: Yes
Possibility to connect Bluetooth headphones to the TV: Yes
Possibility to simultaneously use Bluetooth headphones and the TV speaker: Yes
Audio only mode: Yes
RF remote control (no need to aim at the screen): RF
Backlit remote control: Yes
Teletext: Yes

Philips has decided this year to change its approach to the operating system, replacing the previous open system GoogleTV with its proprietary TitanOS. As is often the case with new solutions, TitanOS is struggling with typical growing pains. It currently offers only basic applications, and the app store leaves much to be desired, which may disappoint users expecting a rich selection of programs. Additionally, the lack of support for AirPlay and the inability to record to USB are further limitations that could impact the overall user experience.

One interesting feature of the models with TitanOS is the new remote, which is very convenient to use thanks to its backlighting. Unfortunately, its wireless operation is not entirely consistent. The hybrid design means that sometimes you need to aim at the TV, and other times you don’t – it depends on the buttons being used. It’s just plain annoying.

On the plus side, there is support for Bluetooth, allowing you to connect a mouse or other peripheral devices. This is particularly useful when using the browser, which could serve as an alternative due to the limited availability of applications in the TitanOS app store.

Playing files from USB

Video Photos Audio

8.2/10

Video Photos Audio

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

In terms of playback from USB, Philips PUS7009 performs quite decently. The TV plays most popular photo, audio, and video formats, and an added advantage is the support for Polish subtitles and the ability to change fonts. Unfortunately, it has issues with playing certain photo resolutions.

Apps

7/10

Sound

5.6/10

Subjective sound quality

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 sound on the Philips PUS7009 is rather flat and doesn't stand out compared to other televisions. Nevertheless, it's worth noting that the TV supports all popular audio formats, including Dolby and DTS, which is a plus in terms of compatibility with various sound sources.

4K Ultra HD Resolution (3840 x 2160): Provides four times the resolution of Full HD, offering a sharp and clear picture with rich detail.
Pixel Precise Ultra HD Technology: Optimises image quality, ensuring smooth motion, rich colours, and excellent contrast, translating into more realistic visual experiences.
TITAN OS Operating System: An intuitive and fast Smart TV system that allows access to popular streaming apps and personalisation of the interface.
HDR10 and HLG Support: High Dynamic Range technologies provide better contrast and more accurate colour representation, leading to a more realistic image.
Dolby Atmos Sound: Offers deeper experiences by placing sounds in the space around the viewer and above, creating immersive audio experiences.
Game Features: Support for VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) and ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) ensures smoother gameplay and minimises lag, making it ideal for gaming enthusiasts.
Wi-Fi Connectivity: Provides a wireless internet connection, enabling the use of Smart TV features and access to online content.
HDMI and USB Ports: Three HDMI ports and two USB ports allow connection of various devices, such as gaming consoles, media players, or flash drives.
Design: The slim and elegant design with nearly bezel-less screen means the television complements modern interiors perfectly.

Excellent Picture Quality with VA Panel

Philips PUS7009 is a television that stands out for its exceptional picture quality, thanks to its VA panel. This solution provides deep contrast and excellent blacks, making it a great choice for watching movies in darker rooms. Results from the Philips PUS7009 test show that this model delivers a vivid image that impresses in various lighting conditions. If you care about high-quality images in everyday use, then Philips PUS7009 is an excellent option.

Gaming Features: ALLM, VRR and Game Bar

With features such as ALLM, VRR, and Game Bar, Philips PUS7009 is also suitable for less demanding gamers. These technologies ensure smooth picture quality, which will be particularly appreciated by those using gaming consoles. Tests conducted in the 65PUS7009 test clearly show that the television handles games well, providing a comfortable experience without delays or stuttering. This is an important feature for those who value smooth gaming experiences.

Excellent Black Levels, Though With Some Limitations

The VA panel in Philips PUS7009 means that the television offers exceptional depth of black, surpassing models with IPS panels. This is especially noticeable when watching movies in darker rooms, where contrast and image detail are crucial. While Philips PUS7009 achieves very good results in many tests, such as the Philips PUS7009 test, it's worth noting that it is not without certain limitations. Low brightness and the lack of Dolby Vision support may affect image quality in more demanding HDR scenes, which should be considered.

TitanOS Operating System – Simple, Yet Limited

Philips PUS7009 runs on the TitanOS operating system, which offers access to basic multimedia applications. While this solution is adequate for everyday use of the television, in some cases it may be a bit less intuitive to operate, especially compared to more advanced systems. Nevertheless, Philips PUS7009 received positive reviews in the 65PUS7009 test for its stability and simplicity, which is enough for comfortable browsing of applications and using the television's features.

Philips PUS7009 – A Solid Choice at a Good Price

In summary, Philips PUS7009 is a television that offers great picture quality, thanks to its VA panel, excellent contrast, and features like ALLM, VRR, and Game Bar, making it a good option for less demanding gamers. Although it does not support Dolby Vision and has certain limitations regarding brightness, the results from the Philips PUS7009 test show that it is a solid choice for those looking for a television for everyday viewing of movies, photos, and entertainment.

Philips PUS7009 (VA)

Our verdict

Advantages

Disadvantages

Competing TVs in this price range

TV appearance

Buy in the best price

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

Details about the matrix

TV features

Playing files from USB

Apps

Sound

Excellent Picture Quality with VA Panel

Gaming Features: ALLM, VRR and Game Bar

Excellent Black Levels, Though With Some Limitations

TitanOS Operating System – Simple, Yet Limited

Philips PUS7009 – A Solid Choice at a Good Price