- 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
- Playing files from USB
- Apps
- Sound
Philips PML9009
The Xtra / PML9019 / PML9059 / PML9009 / PML9049 / AMBILIGHT TV
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Panel technology: LCD VA Brand: PHILIPS Resolution: 3840x2160 Operating system: Titan OS Model year: 2024
Our verdict
6.6
Overall rating
The Philips PML 9009 is the brand's flagship LCD television with Mini LED backlighting. It boasts impressive build quality, a stylish remote, and Philips' unique multicoloured Ambilight feature. In terms of picture quality, black levels and contrast could be improved—they don’t quite match the depth and vibrancy offered by similarly priced competitors. However, thanks to effective image algorithms, tonal quality remains satisfying. The screen’s relatively low brightness is well managed, and the inclusion of Dolby Vision provides a gateway to HDR content. The TV’s smooth colour transitions are noteworthy, surpassing some higher-end models. The PML 9009 truly excels in gaming performance, offering an experience that will please any gamer. Its motion-smoothing system also deserves praise, with two adjustable sliders allowing users to select their preferred smoothing level, making it a solid choice for sports viewing. Although the TitanOS operating system is still evolving and lacks a wide range of apps, the manufacturer is expected to address this over time.
Advantages
Superb tonal quality of scenes exceeding the capabilities of the television
Well-functioning dynamic tone mapping feature
Colour reproduction after calibration
Performance when connected to a console/PC
Disadvantages
Significant halo/bloom effect
Poor viewing angles
TitanOs system is not as advanced as the competition
Average contrast and black levels
Movies and series in UHD quality6.4
Classic TV, YouTube6.3
Sports broadcasts (TV and apps)6.6
Gaming on console8.5
TV as a computer monitor8.6
Matrix brightness6.1
Utility functions6.0
Apps3.6
Sound quality6.7
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Competing TVs in this price range
TV appearance
HDMI inputs: 0 x HDMI 2.0, 4 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
Where to buy
No links
Contrast and black detail
6.6/10
Funkcja lokalnego wygaszania: Tak, ilość stref: 75 (15 x 5)
Contrast between the black background and the bright spotlight illuminating Jack. Scene from the movie Oblivion (Universal Pictures).
Result
132,000:1
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
16,550:1
Contrast between the reflection on the helmet and the black on the black film strip. Scene from the movie Arrival (Paramount Pictures).
Result
14,450:1
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
7,850:1
Contrast between the colorful balloon and the black slice between the falling objects. Scene from the Pioneer Kuro test disc (2008).
Result
6,650:1
The Philips PML9009 features a high-contrast VA panel. While it doesn’t produce the same depth and dimensionality as OLED displays, it remains a solid choice for home cinema, outperforming IPS/ADS panels in this regard. The measured static contrast ratio, at 6000:1 without local dimming, is commendable and showcases the Mini LED backlighting capabilities of this model. Though the contrast and black level measurements aren’t among the highest, the television performed well in certain scenes, such as Oblivion, where it effectively separated light – an achievement not always seen in much pricier units. Testing was conducted at medium power dimming; the lowest dimming level didn’t achieve satisfactory black levels, while the highest setting led to detail loss. Unfortunately, our test with The Revenant highlighted some issues. While background details were clear, the dimming zones disrupted the overall tonal balance, resulting in a noticeable halo effect around the subtitles.
Halo effect and black detail visibility:
HDR effect quality
6/10
Supported formats: HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, HLG Color gamut coverage: DCI P3: 93.0%, Bt.2020: 73.0%
Luminance measurements in HDR:
The measured point is the setting sun against a bright sky. Scene from the movie Life of Pi (20th Century Fox).
Result
548 nit
The measured point is the moon against a dark, starry sky. Scene from the movie Life of Pi (20th Century Fox).
Result
550 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
824 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
491 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
582 nit
The Philips PML9009 struggles to deliver the highest HDR performance. Scenes with effects around 550 nits don’t provide particularly impressive lighting, though the effects remain stable, an improvement over SDR materials. A notable exception is in Gemini Man, where a flashlight as the sole light source stands out. This is likely due to the absence of large dark areas and the relatively small size of the light source compared to scenes with larger, brighter elements like the sun. While the brightness results in HDR content aren’t quite strong enough to recommend this TV for productions utilising a wide colour gamut, it’s worth mentioning that the model does achieve decent coverage, reaching 93% of the DCI-P3 spectrum.
Scene from the movie “Pan” (about 2800 nits)
Scene from the movie “Billy Lynn” (about 1100 nits)
After assessing contrast, black levels, and brightness, the Philips PML9009 performed commendably well in film and series playback, faithfully reproducing the director's vision. Despite somewhat limited brightness capabilities, the TV handled "Mr.," mastered at around 2800 nits, with excellent tonal quality and strong contrast, albeit with slight dimming. The PML9009’s default tone mapping and meticulous calibration contributed positively to this result, which was surprisingly impressive.
Moving to a more complex scene with both high brightness and deep blacks from "Billy Lynn," the television continued to perform well. Although the contrast wasn’t as deep as one might see on higher-end HDR models, the black levels were uniform, even in scenes with challenging explosions. In summary, both scenes appeared as though true to the director’s intent, a testament to the PML9009’s ability to manage HDR content. Moreover, while the DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage is not record-breaking at 93%, the colour saturation remained vibrant, with no noticeable flaws in the display.
HDR luminance chart:
While the Philips PML9009 performed admirably in various film test sequences, it faces challenges with scenes dominated by white or high brightness. Such scenes typically require displays with strong luminance and effective static metadata handling, areas where the PML9009 shows some limitations due to its lack of static metadata. This shortcoming is especially noticeable when displaying HDR10 content, as finer details tend to be lost, although dynamic tone mapping helps mitigate some of this effect.
However, the situation improves significantly when using Dolby Vision, which employs dynamic metadata to tailor each scene to the TV’s capabilities. Dolby Vision enables the PML9009 to reclaim nearly all lost detail in high-brightness scenes, providing a much more faithful representation of bright and complex visuals. This makes Dolby Vision an advantageous feature for viewers seeking enhanced detail and balanced brightness levels.
Static HDR10
Dynamic: Dolby Vision
Factory color reproduction
5.3/10
During testing, the Philips PML9009 performed best in the factory "Filmmaker" mode, which we evaluated across both SDR and HDR content. A key characteristic observed in this mode is the EOTF curve’s behaviour in HDR content and gamma settings in SDR, designed to enhance image accuracy. However, the PML9009 presented noticeable issues, particularly with white balance, as a pronounced red dominance created a yellow tint across the entire image. This affected skin tones and white areas, with faces and whites appearing unnaturally warm. The colour shift was confirmed through the "ColourChecker" palette, where colours leaned towards warmer shades.
In the gamma analysis, responsible for image contrast, we noticed considerable inaccuracies early on. Our measured values spiked above the reference, causing dark scenes to lose detail and merge visually up to about 10% screen brightness. Following this, the values dropped below the target line, further degrading contrast—an area already challenging for this model.
In HDR content, the white balance remained similarly flawed, and the EOTF curve also restricted brightness levels, resulting in a dim, muted image. Colour inaccuracies were even more pronounced here, with lower luminance levels causing large deviations from accurate colours, which were clearly visible on the error graph, often exceeding acceptable limits. While aiming for cinematic quality, this mode ultimately fell short in delivering balanced colour and contrast fidelity.
Color reproduction after calibration
7.5/10
Philips has long provided sophisticated calibration tools, including 2-point and 20-point grayscale adjustments as well as an advanced CMS (Colour Management System). These allow users to make significant improvements, and even those less attentive to image quality will likely notice a positive difference post-calibration. Both SDR and HDR content benefit from this process, notably eliminating the prominent yellow tint caused by an overemphasis on red in the white balance.
For SDR content, although gamma adjustments don’t entirely resolve the loss of detail in dark areas, the overall improvements bring most content to an impressive standard, with minimal, hardly perceptible errors. Colour accuracy is notably enhanced, achieving nearly reference quality with low deltaE errors.
HDR content, however, remains somewhat limited due to the display’s lower brightness capability. While the white balance has largely been corrected, a slight blue tint can occasionally appear. The EOTF curve aligns very well, providing accurate geometry, though colour errors persist due to the limited luminance. This calibration offers a substantial improvement but may still fall short for viewers who expect high brightness levels in HDR.
Smoothness of tonal transitions
7/10
In many films or series, you may have noticed instances where colour bands appear in areas that should exhibit smooth transitions. This is why we evaluate tonal transitions as part of our testing. The Philips PML9009 performed admirably in this area across all test scenes. While a few elements could benefit from finer processing, the overall result was impressive. Notably, it handled the challenging scene from The Green Knight exceptionally well, with no significant stuttering or unwanted artefacts visible, proving the TV’s capability to maintain smooth gradients even in demanding scenes.
Image scaling and smoothness of tonal transitions
7.2/10
Smooth transition function
Image without overscan on the SD signal
Given the impressive handling of tonal transitions by the Philips PML9009, one might expect similar success in the image scaling test. However, the results were less than stellar. When upscaling lower-quality images, like those from certain TV programmes or older films, the Philips algorithm tended to blur fine details noticeably, especially in intricate elements like fine branches or a model's hair.
On the other hand, the tonal transition performance remains noteworthy, with the TV offering several levels of smoothing. Even at the lowest setting, it effectively addresses non-smooth transitions in most materials, and crucially, it preserves the film grain effect, maintaining fidelity to the director's vision. However, it’s worth noting that some fine details may still appear slightly softened.
Blur and motion smoothness
7.7/10
Maximum refresh rate of the panel: 120Hz
Film motion smoothing option: Yes
Blur reduction option: Yes
BFI function 60Hz: No
BFI function 120Hz: No
Brightness drop with BFI: 0%
The Philips PML9009 has a 120 Hz native refresh rate, a baseline standard for watching sports and an ideal setting for gaming on consoles or PCs. Philips includes an effective motion-enhancement system for users who want to reduce the stutter of 24 fps content or need fluid motion for fast-paced scenes, like in football matches. The dedicated "Smoothness" slider effectively mitigates stuttering, while "Motion Blur Reduction" enhances the sharpness of dynamic content. Each setting produces a noticeable difference, so users can tailor the motion effects to their preferences. Our recommended setup achieves a moderate smoothing effect, avoiding the exaggerated “soap opera” appearance.
Regarding pixel response time, VA panels like this generally fall short compared to OLED or even IPS panels, which can lead to a slight "black halo" trailing behind fast-moving objects. Although not a frequent issue with this TV, the effect can be seen in certain scenes.
Blur (native resolution, maximum refresh rate):
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
- G-Sync:
Yes
The Philips PML9009, with HDMI 2.1 ports supporting full bandwidth, is thoroughly equipped with gamer-focused features. Core functions like Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) are included, as well as the additional perks of G-Sync and FreeSync compatibility and low-lag HDR Dolby Vision support. All these gaming features activate seamlessly, proving this model’s suitability for gaming. The TV’s HGIG mode, particularly beneficial for gaming, adjusts HDR effects to the television’s capabilities to avoid image dimming and blooming, an advantage given the still limited number of games supporting Dolby Vision.
For added convenience, the PML9009 has a GameBar menu, allowing in-game setting adjustments without needing to exit. This menu includes features like a crosshair option and black level correction, which can enhance the visibility of shadowed areas—ideal for competitive play.
Overall, the Philips PML9009 offers a comprehensive setup for gamers, supporting VRR, ALLM, G-Sync, FreeSync, and HDR Dolby Vision to deliver immersive, high-quality gaming experiences across a wide range of titles.
Input lag
9.6/10
The Philips PML9009 excels in input lag measurements, showcasing impressive performance across various signals and resolutions. Gamers will appreciate the manufacturer’s optimisation, with an exceptionally low input lag of 8 ms when playing at 4K120Hz with HDR—virtually imperceptible even in fast-paced online games. Furthermore, the game mode with Dolby Vision also maintains a commendable response time of 16 ms, ensuring that players experience minimal delay during gameplay. This combination of low input lag and effective game mode implementation solidifies the PML9009 as an excellent choice for competitive gamers seeking a responsive, immersive experience.
| SDR | HDR | Dolby Vision |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p60: 16 ms | 2160p60: 16 ms | 2160p60 DV: 32 ms |
| 1080p120: 8 ms | 2160p120: 8 ms | |
| 2160p60: 16 ms | ||
| 2160p120: 8 ms |
Compatibility with PC
8.6/10
Chroma 444 (maximum resolution and refresh rate): Yes
Font clarity: Good
Readability of dark text and shapes: Good
Input lag in PC mode (4K, maximum refresh rate): 8ms
The Philips PML9009 also excels in everyday tasks, with measured delays of just 8 ms providing nearly instantaneous reactions in the mouse-screen-eye connection. Its proper implementation of chroma 4:4:4 ensures crisp, sharp fonts, making it ideal for text work. While the subpixel layout of the matrix is BGR, this doesn't create any issues when using the Windows operating system. However, users on other systems may encounter challenges with text rendering, as those platforms may struggle to convert text accurately. Overall, the PML9009 is a versatile display suitable for gaming and daily productivity tasks.
Viewing angles
2.6/10
Brightness drop at an angle of 45 degrees: 83%
A commonly known drawback of VA panels that do not have an angle coating is their poor viewing angles. This is no different this time. Even after a slight shift off-axis, the image becomes washed out, and the colours undergo significant degradation.
TV efficiency during daytime
6.1/10
Matrix coating: Satin
Reflection suppression: Average
Black levels during daytime: Good
While the Philips PML9009 offers good brightness levels for SDR materials—making it suitable for evening or dark-room viewing—the reflection suppression is only average. This can be attributed to the satin finish of the panel, which is prone to reflections from various light sources, as it neither absorbs nor diffuses them effectively. However, the relatively high brightness in SDR mode enables the television to perform adequately in brighter rooms, often outperforming many OLED models in this regard. This makes it a viable option for users who might watch content in well-lit environments.
Matrix brightness
Average luminance SDR
Philips PML9009: 564 cd/m2
TV features
6/10
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):
Infrared
- Backlit remote control:
Yes
- Teletext:
Yes
Before delving into the software that powers the Philips PML9009, it’s essential to highlight one of the standout features of the manufacturer’s TVs: the multicoloured Ambilight backlighting. This unique feature enhances the viewing experience by projecting colours from the back of the TV that correspond to the on-screen action, creating a more immersive atmosphere.
The operating system used in the PML9009 is Philips' proprietary TitanOs. While it offers some benefits, it is notably more closed and limited when compared to other models that use the Google TV system. One significant drawback is the absence of essential applications such as Apple TV, MAX, Canal+, and Player. Additionally, TitanOs restricts users from performing basic tasks like scheduling recordings or recording to USB. Apple device users may also be disappointed by the lack of AirPlay functionality, which allows for easy screen sharing.
On a positive note, the TV supports connecting a keyboard and mouse, which can simplify navigation through the menu. However, it's worth noting that while the remote pairs via Bluetooth for voice selection in English, all other functions rely on infrared (IR) connectivity.
In summary, TitanOs has its limitations, especially for users who frequently utilize a variety of streaming platforms. It seems better suited for those who primarily engage with a few key services—what one might refer to as the "holy trinity" of streaming: Netflix, YouTube, and CDA.
Playing files from USB
8.2/10
| 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 default media player integrated into the Philips PML9009 provides a fairly comprehensive set of features but does have certain limitations. It supports nearly all common video formats except for the relatively rare .asf format. However, users may encounter issues due to the absence of the H.265 HEVC codec for high-bitrate content and a lack of support for .sub subtitle files, which are popular among many users.
With photo playback, the media player performs adequately, though it does not support some widely used resolutions and formats, such as HEIC, commonly found on Apple devices. The player excels in audio playback and leaves little room for criticism.
Unfortunately, the system's limitations prevent users from extending the player’s functionalities, meaning users are confined to the capabilities the manufacturer has included. This can be a drawback for those who rely on specific formats or additional features not provided by the built-in player.
Apps
3.6/10
Sound
6.7/10
6.7/10
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
At the outset, it is worth noting that sound quality is a subjective matter. The built-in audio system in the Philips PML9009 is characterised by clear high tones, but the bass is quite flat and significantly worse than in competing models in the same price range.