Compare: Philips The One (PUS8959 / PUS8919 / PUS8909 / PUS8949 vs TCL C655 Pro

Philips PUS8959, also known by other designations under the abbreviation PUS89 (depending on the sales network), is a model from the popular series The One. Its biggest distinguishing feature is the Ambilight system, which continues to make a great impression. The three-sided lighting adapts to the picture on the screen, making films, series, or games literally spill over the edges of the television. The One is also a good option for gamers. The 120 Hz matrix and low input lag ensure that games run smoothly, and motion on the screen is clear. We tested several dynamic titles on the console, and the television handled them without any issues – no stutters or delays. Additionally, support for HGiG allows for better reproduction of HDR effects in games. This is an excellent solution if we care about consistency of the image with what the creators intended. The picture quality is at a good level, especially during the day. With a brightness of 550 nits, The One performs well even in well-lit rooms, and Dolby Vision in HDR films delivers vibrant colours and sharp details. However, the ADS matrix has its limitations – the black in dark scenes resembles a grey shade more, which can be noticeable when watching in a darkened room. When we watched films with the lights off, the lack of depth in the blacks was somewhat striking. The operating system Titan OS is something that still requires refinement. It is fast, but the limited number of applications can be frustrating for those accustomed to more robust platforms, such as GoogleTV. For daily use of Netflix or YouTube, it works flawlessly, but if we expect more advanced features, the system may not meet our expectations. Generally, Philips The One is a good choice in its price class. The Ambilight system impresses and significantly enhances the viewing experience, especially in the evening. It is also a solid option for gamers, thanks to the fluidity of the image and low input lag. While the black isn't perfect, and the operating system needs improvement, the television performs well in everyday use. For fans of unique solutions, such as Ambilight, it is a proposal that definitely deserves attention.

TCL C655 PRO is an upgrade of the basic model from this series, and although the name may suggest only minor differences, the addition of "PRO" truly signifies much more. The biggest change, compared to its less advanced sibling, is the picture quality. The manufacturer has opted for the implementation of local dimming technology, which significantly improves black levels and contrast. The television is able to offer us a more refined image. As a result, TCL C655 PRO clearly outshines the more basic version in this regard. The applied QLED panel further enhances the coverage of a wide colour range, offering vibrant and saturated colours, which excel in both films and dynamic content, such as games. In the context of gaming, just like the basic version, TCL C655 PRO offers a host of useful features for gamers – including ALLM, VRR, and Game Bar – which greatly enhance the gaming experience. The television can also adjust the screen refresh rate to a lower resolution, meaning that despite supporting 4K at 60 Hz, in Full HD or 2K, one can enjoy smoother images at 120 Hz. In daily use, the Google TV operating system works excellently. The intuitive interface, personalised recommendations, and broad access to streaming applications, such as Netflix, YouTube, or Disney+, make the television enjoyable to use. This makes it easy to overlook the lack of recording functionality and picture-in-picture (PiP), which is not a major issue given the rich offering of applications. If we are willing to make that slight price difference, we definitely recommend TCL C655 in the PRO version.

The Philips PUS8959 television is based on ADS technology, which offers slightly different parameters compared to popular VA matrices. In the tested images, the contrast measured around 2000:1, making the black levels far from ideal. ADS panels are known for their weaker contrast compared to VA matrices, which in practice means that instead of deep blacks, we see more navy or grey shades. However, the ADS panel is still better than a standard IPS panel, which cannot achieve such a level of contrast. Additionally, the Philips PUS8959 is not equipped with local dimming technology, which could improve these parameters. The absence of this function exacerbates the effect of shallow blacks, particularly noticeable in dark scenes, like those in the film "Sicario 2". Instead of intense blacks, the screen produces a silvery glow, which can be bothersome, especially when watching in darker conditions. All of this causes the visual experience to lose depth, and details in dark scenes are not as well visible as one might expect from higher-end screens. Despite the lack of local dimming, the television is equipped with something called Global Dimming. The television is capable of completely dimming the panel to achieve higher contrast, but at the cost of details that may blend together, for example, lights in the test image from the film Oblivion. It is worth mentioning that the model we received for testing has quite significant patches resulting from uneven backlighting, although this is not a rule, one must consider that we may receive a unit like this when purchasing.

The TCL 655 PRO television, equipped with a VA panel, delivers solid contrast; however, the key role in enhancing image quality is played by local dimming technology. The tested 55-inch variant features 84 backlight zones, which significantly improve contrast compared to the model without the "PRO" designation, and this effect is distinctly visible in the first three tested scenes. It is worth noting that larger versions of this television naturally have more zones, which translates to even better contrast. Of course, as with any LCD television, certain imperfections remain – particularly noticeable in the tested scenes 4 and 5, where smaller bright elements lose a lot of quality. Nevertheless, considering the price of the device, the TCL 655 PRO makes a strong impression and stands out well in the black and contrast category.

The luminance chart for Philips PUS8959 shows that the television is capable of achieving around 550 nits of brightness, which can be considered a satisfactory level. This brightness allows for the effects of HDR to be experienced, particularly standing out in more demanding scenes. In the tested test patterns, the television performed quite well, even in challenging sequences such as those from "Sicario 2". Due to the lack of local dimming, the television does not dim small bright elements, and they shine with the full "power" of the television but at the expense of the silvery blacks mentioned in the paragraph about black levels. It is also worth praising Philips PUS8959 for its good coverage of the DCI-P3 colour palette, which amounts to approximately 94.5%. As a result, colours are vivid and close to the creators' intentions, which further enhances the quality of HDR effects and the experience of watching high dynamic range content.

In the HDR effect quality category, the television TCL 655 PRO demonstrates decent capabilities, achieving a peak brightness of 550 nits. This allows for enjoyment of the HDR effects, which is particularly evident in scenes such as the first from the film Life of Pi or the last frame from The Meg. Nevertheless, the limited number of dimming zones causes some issues. While in bright scenes the television performs better than its lower model, in more demanding scenes, such as the second and fourth scenes from Sicario 2, it struggles. The dimming algorithm aims to achieve deep blacks, but at the cost of brightness – resulting in a drop in brightness of even half during those moments. In these more challenging scenes with small elements, it is hard to find any praise, and the HDR effect resembles more of an SDR. Regardless, the colour gamut coverage deserves commendation, which, like in the version without the PRO suffix, is at a very good level.

The television Philips PUS8959 has been tested in the best, theoretically most precise picture mode – Filmmaker. Although the name suggests cinematic quality, it unfortunately falls short of perfection. The biggest problem in this mode is the white balance, both in HD and 4K content. It is characterised by a significant dominance of red colour and drops in green levels, resulting in unnatural colour reproduction. For example, white elements in the image have a noticeable pink hue, and the green is less vibrant, causing the overall image to lose its naturalness and colour balance. The ColorChecker test confirms these errors – it is clearly visible how the colour samples "deviate" from the correct values, which can be best observed on the sample squares that should accurately reproduce the colours. The lack of accuracy in this regard affects the realism and fidelity of the image, which is particularly undesirable in Filmmaker mode.

As for the brightness characteristics, the gamma chart resembles a true roller coaster – with small elements displayed on the screen, the brightness is excessive, causing details to become overly exposed. Conversely, at higher gamma values, the image loses contrast and becomes too dark, making the overall appearance lack dynamism. Similar problems can be observed in the EOTF characteristics – the television is unable to accurately reproduce brightness levels, negatively impacting the overall picture quality.

Each of our television tests is conducted in film mode, which usually offers the best colour reproduction. Nonetheless, even this mode is not free from issues, as we noted in the model TCL 655 PRO.

In the case of HD content, the white balance distinctly shifts towards red, and this effect becomes particularly noticeable in a scene from Star Wars, where the white elements of the scenery take on a pink hue. For 4K HDR material, the situation is better, but there is a noticeable tendency to excessively emphasise the colour blue. As a result, the picture may appear artificially sharp, which proves to be uncomfortable for the eye over a longer period. The brightness characteristics also leave much to be desired. The Gamma graph indicates serious difficulties with excessive brightening, causing the overall presentation to appear washed out. Additionally, the EOTF curve reveals significant problems with reproducing very small elements – they are overly dimmed, as we detailed in the paragraph concerning HDR effects.

After calibration, the television Philips PUS8959 shows a significant improvement in colour reproduction, especially in HD content. The white balance is exceptionally even, and the Delta E error values are below 1, which can be considered a remarkable result. Additionally, the gamma, responsible for brightness in lower-quality materials, performs very well, maintaining a stable level at 2.4, leading to an appropriate balance between bright and dark areas of the image.

As for 4K HDR materials, a significant improvement is also visible. The white balance, although not as perfect as with HD content, no longer exhibits issues with excessive red exposure, resulting in a more natural and harmonious image. Unfortunately, regarding the EOTF characteristic, it is difficult to speak of any significant improvement, which stems from the structural limitations of the television that prevent any substantial enhancement in this aspect.

Nevertheless, the overall performance is significantly better after calibration, making the Philips PUS8959 one of those televisions where it is truly worth dedicating time to precise calibration to achieve satisfactory picture quality.

After calibrating the television TCL 655 PRO, a noticeable improvement in white balance is evident, where the tendency for the screen to have an excessive pink hue has been completely eliminated, which was previously visible in the factory mode. The image has taken on more natural tones, especially in white and light elements, positively affecting the overall perception of the picture. Regarding brightness characteristics, the Gamma chart has also improved – the screen is no longer overly bright, which previously made the image appear washed out. However, there are still some issues with the EOTF curve, which are difficult to eliminate due to the design of the television and its limited number of backlight zones. These limitations prevent achieving perfect results in this regard. Nevertheless, despite this minor flaw, the overall effect after calibration is truly outstanding, providing high picture quality and very good colour reproduction.

The gradation on the Philips PUS8959 television looks very good, offering smooth tonal transitions in most scenes. Sometimes minor issues can be observed, especially during transitions between certain colours, where slight unevenness is noticeable. However, these imperfections are subtle enough that they do not significantly impact the overall viewing experience and can be considered completely acceptable. In everyday use, the television provides sufficiently good gradation quality to satisfy even more demanding users, maintaining the naturalness of the image and a lack of glaring tonal distortions.

The tonal transitions are really quite good and would deserve a high rating (8), however, the score has been clearly lowered for another reason - the image is artificially sharpened despite the "sharpness" setting being at 0. As a result, the image is unpleasant to look at.

When it comes to smoothing tonal transitions, the "Distortion Reduction" function at its minimum setting performs quite well, effectively smoothing tonal transitions without excessive impact on other elements of the image. In tests, I did not notice that the reduction negatively affected the image structure, such as film grain or object details – everything remains in its place, which is a significant plus for users who appreciate the natural look of film materials.

As for digital processing, the image looks quite good, although it features very softened contours, giving it an almost "misty" character. This effect can evoke mixed feelings – some users will appreciate the fluidity and delicacy of this type of presentation, while others may find it too gentle, losing detail. It is a matter of individual preference, but it must be said that the Philips PUS8959 provides fairly subtle yet effective tools for improving tonal transitions without excessive interference in the natural character of the image.

The TCL 655 PRO television performs quite well with tonal transitions in lower quality materials. The "Gradual Smoothing" function at a low setting effectively smooths out tonal transitions, but this comes at the expense of losing some important details, such as the texture of objects. One positive aspect is that it does not negatively affect film grain, which helps maintain the natural appearance of the image.

In the context of digital processing, the television adds artificial sharpness. This may appeal to users who prefer a more vivid image. However, those who like a softer, subtler look may find this a drawback. Additionally, a downside is the cropping of the image due to overscan, which limits the field of view and trims the edges of the frame. This can be problematic in certain scenes - for example, news tickers.

Philips PUS8959 TV is equipped with a 120 Hz panel, which should satisfy more demanding users, especially those who love watching dynamic sports broadcasts or playing games. Such a high refresh rate allows for significantly smoother images, being a key aspect during dynamic scenes and fast actions.

For those who prefer watching movies, the television offers an additional motion smoother that allows adjusting the film's frame rate according to personal preferences. The Philips PUS8959 features a 10-step adjustment for functions called "Smoothness" and "Motion Blur Reduction." The "Smoothness" function is responsible for increasing the number of frames through interpolation, making the motion on the screen smoother, resembling the effect of so-called "soap opera." Meanwhile, "Motion Blur Reduction" focuses on minimising ghosting and improving motion clarity, which is particularly noticeable in dynamic sequences, such as action scenes or fast-paced sports shots.

The TCL C655 PRO television is equipped with a 4K panel with a refresh rate of 60 Hz, making it best suited for watching films. Additionally, the "Flicker Reduction" feature allows users to adjust the smoothness of the image, giving them the choice between a smoother motion and a cinematic, frame-by-frame effect. Moreover, the television performs well with lower resolution materials, such as Full HD and 2K, offering a refresh rate of 120 Hz, which will certainly appeal to gamers who can enjoy a smoother picture at the expense of lower resolution.

Philips PUS8959 is a television that will certainly satisfy gaming enthusiasts. It supports most modern technologies useful during gameplay, such as HGiG, allowing for better reproduction of HDR effects in games. As a result, the image is closer to what the game creators intended to achieve.

The television also supports displaying images at 120 Hz, ensuring smoothness and dynamism, which is especially important during action games and sports broadcasts. The Game Bar feature allows for quick access to game settings, making it easier to adjust the image according to user preferences without interrupting gameplay.

Unfortunately, the Dolby Vision mode does not offer low input lag, which may be noticeable during dynamic scenes. Nevertheless, thanks to the HGiG feature and high refresh rate, the Philips PUS8959 remains an attractive choice for gamers, providing good image quality and adequate smoothness during gameplay.

The TCL C655 PRO television offers an almost perfect set of features for gamers, supporting all the key technologies that significantly enhance the gaming experience. The ALLM feature automatically switches the television to low latency mode, resulting in improved responsiveness and minimal signal delay – particularly important in dynamic titles. VRR synchronises the screen refresh rate with the number of frames generated by the console, eliminating screen tearing and thus guaranteeing smoother gameplay.

Support for Dolby Vision in gaming mode allows for more detailed colour and contrast reproduction in games that support this format, while the Game Bar provides quick access to essential settings such as response time and latency level. Unfortunately, the model does not support 4K resolution at 120 Hz, which may disappoint the most demanding gamers. However, for those willing to forgo 4K, support for Full HD and 2K at 120 Hz delivers exceptionally smooth visuals, presenting an attractive alternative for enthusiasts of higher refresh rates.

Philips PUS8959 TV offers impressive results in terms of input lag, making it an excellent choice for gamers. For content at 120 Hz, the lag is less than 6 ms, which is an absolutely outstanding result and allows for instantaneous reactions in games, especially in dynamic titles. For content at 60 Hz, the input lag is 15 ms, which is also an excellent result and ensures comfortable gameplay in most cases.

Unfortunately, the Dolby Vision mode does not perform as well, as the input lag increases to 31 ms. While this result may be acceptable for less dynamic content, it may be insufficient for demanding gamers, affecting precision and responsiveness. Nevertheless, in standard modes, Philips PUS8959 still offers remarkable performance, making it a competitive choice in the market for gaming TVs.

The TCL C655 PRO television offers exceptional response times across all supported resolutions and refresh rates. Notably, it supports Dolby Vision with a response time of 13 ms, which is rarely seen in the competition. As a result, gamers can enjoy outstanding responsiveness even when using advanced HDR effects, significantly enhancing the gaming experience.

Philips PUS8959 is excellent as a monitor for use with a PC. With support for chroma 4:4:4, it provides full colour clarity, which is crucial for working with text – fonts are sharp and legible, regardless of the background they are on. This makes using office applications, browsing the internet, and graphic editing comfortable and precise.

Additionally, the low input lag offered by the television ensures smooth and responsive operation, which is important both for everyday tasks and for more dynamic uses, such as gaming or media editing. Philips PUS8959 is an excellent choice for users looking for a television that will also serve as a PC monitor, offering high image quality and user comfort.

Collaboration with a PC on the TCL C655 Pro television is quite good, especially thanks to support for 4:4:4 chroma, which ensures good readability of fonts. This is a significant advantage if the television is to serve as a monitor for office work, where precision in text display is crucial. Additionally, the low input lag provides smooth operation, which will be appreciated by both gamers and users who require quick responses to mouse or keyboard movements.

One minor flaw that can be noticed is the fact that in vertical lines, there is sometimes a drop of one pixel. This can make letters appear slightly interrupted, which in certain situations may somewhat reduce work comfort, although generally, this issue should not be very bothersome for less demanding users. The television does not support 120Hz at its maximum resolution, hence a lower rating compared to higher models. However, TCL has ensured that users can enjoy smooth gameplay at 120Hz at lower resolutions such as 2K and FullHD.

Philips PUS8959, equipped with an ADS panel, offers quite good viewing angles, definitely better than those found in VA panels. The image maintains its quality even when viewed from a greater angle – colours are clear, and the contrast does not deteriorate as much as with televisions featuring VA panels. As a result, watching the television from different spots in the room still allows you to enjoy well-saturated colours and overall image quality, making the Philips PUS8959 perfect for larger rooms and for watching together with family or friends.

The viewing angles on the TCL C655 PRO, as is typical for VA panels, are quite limited. Compared to IPS panels, which maintain image quality regardless of the viewing angle, the VA panel in this model quickly loses contrast and colour saturation, even with a slight deviation from the axis. Watching at an angle causes blacks to appear greyer, while colours lose their depth and intensity. For this reason, the television is better suited for rooms where viewing takes place mainly straight on. It is not a television that is an ideal choice for large spaces where viewers may be seated at various angles.

Philips PUS8959 features a satin finish on the screen that effectively reduces light reflections, which is beneficial when using the television in bright daytime conditions. However, such a finish causes blacks to take on shades of grey during the day, losing their depth and intensity, which affects the perception of image in darker scenes.

With a brightness level of 562 cd/m², it allows for comfortable viewing of the television during the day, even in well-lit rooms. The image is bright enough to cut through daylight, and the reduction of reflections provides decent visibility of content, making Philips PUS8959 a good choice for rooms where the lighting level cannot always be controlled.

TCL C655 PRO offers quite decent brightness, reaching around 520 nits, which makes using the television during the day comfortable. Such brightness allows for good visibility of the image even in rooms with more sunlight. Although the television performs well in such conditions, the satin finish of the screen has only average capabilities to suppress reflections. In very bright environments, reflections may appear, which somewhat degrade the visibility of the image, particularly in scenes with lower contrast.

Philips PUS8959 is equipped with a three-sided Ambilight system – the flagship patent of this brand, which has enjoyed a devoted fan base for years. Ambilight consists of dynamic backlighting of the wall behind the television, adapting to the content displayed on the screen, significantly enhancing the viewing experience, especially in a darkened room. This effect is unique and adds a certain kind of "magic" to watching, making many users choose Philips specifically for this feature.

As for the operating system, Philips PUS8959 uses Titan OS – a system that is still in its early stages of development. Here, we can see the issues of growing pains, especially since Philips has moved away from Android in most of its models. Titan OS has a limited number of available applications. This is frustrating for those accustomed to a broader ecosystem like GoogleTV. Additionally, the television lacks AirPlay functionality, which limits its compatibility with Apple devices and may be a drawback for users seeking a flexible way to stream content.

The usability features of Philips PUS8959 are a mix of advantages and disadvantages. The remote control that comes with the television is quite annoying – it requires aiming directly at the screen, which can be inconvenient. On the other hand, the voice function works without the need to aim, but it only supports the English language. On the plus side, the remote is backlit, making it easier to use in the dark. The television does not have Picture-in-Picture (PiP) functionality or the ability to record programmes, which is a significant drawback. However, the television is equipped with Bluetooth, allowing for the connection of headphones or a keyboard, which can be useful – especially due to the limited number of available applications, which may encourage use of the built-in web browser.

The TCL C655 PRO television operates on Google TV, which is an extension of the popular Android TV. Google TV offers personalised content recommendations based on viewed materials and user preferences, providing easy access to films, series, and applications. With its clear interface, navigation is straightforward, and access to the most popular streaming applications, such as Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, and Disney+, allows for enjoyment of a wide range of content. The system also supports integration with the Google ecosystem, enabling control of the television using voice commands with Google Assistant and synchronisation with other smart home devices.

TCL C655 PRO offers additional features that enhance user comfort, such as support for Apple AirPlay, allowing for quick content streaming from Apple devices directly to the television screen. Furthermore, the ability to connect peripherals via Bluetooth – e.g. keyboards, mice, or headphones – makes usage even more convenient. Unfortunately, this model does not have the function to record content on USB or the picture-in-picture (PiP) option, which may be a disappointment for those accustomed to these conveniences in traditional television. Nevertheless, the TCL C655 PRO offers many modern solutions that facilitate everyday entertainment.

The design of the TCL C655 PRO television looks modern, with elegant and slim metal frames that add solidity and aesthetic appeal to the device. Overall, it looks very good and will certainly fit into most interiors. Although the frames are minimalist, the television itself is not among the thinnest on the market, especially in comparison to Korean competitors who often offer even slimmer designs.

Despite the fact that the Titan OS system in the Philips PUS8959 television is still in its infancy, it deserves praise for supporting Polish subtitles embedded in films, which is a significant convenience for users relying on external files. If we want to play a film from a connected USB device, the television will do so without major issues, providing comfortable viewing without the need for additional subtitle configuration.

When it comes to photos, the television should have no major difficulties playing them. It supports most popular formats, although there is a lack of support for less common standards, such as HEIC used in Apple devices. This means that some photos, particularly from newer Apple devices, may require prior conversion to a more standard format for them to be played on the Philips screen.

Thanks to the built-in player, the television is capable of playing most file formats found on external storage, making it a versatile tool for consuming multimedia. However, there may be certain limitations in handling some formats, which can be cumbersome for more demanding users. Fortunately, the Google TV system allows for the installation of other media players from Google Play, which helps to eliminate compatibility issues. This way, users have the opportunity to choose applications that best meet their needs, significantly enhancing the functionality of the television.

The sound in Philips PUS8959 unfortunately leaves much to be desired. Although low tones can be heard in the playback, the bass is very weak, which translates to an overall unsatisfactory sound quality. The television plays at an average level, especially when compared to more advanced sound systems available on the market.

Despite the average quality of the speakers, the television supports all essential audio codecs, which may please users using external home theatre systems. Thanks to compatibility with various audio formats, the Philips PUS8959 is able to provide good audio experiences if connected to the right external speakers or receiver, delivering a fuller, more cinematic sound.

The sound on the TCL C655 PRO television is quite good, thanks to the 2x15W audio system supported by a 20W subwoofer branded by Onkyo. This results in a fuller sound and deeper bass, positively affecting the overall audio quality. However, one should not get overly enthusiastic – the television cannot replace a dedicated soundbar, especially for more demanding users looking for cinema-quality audio.

Philips The One (PUS8959 / PUS8919 / PUS8909 / PUS8949 vs TCL C655 Pro

Advantages

Disadvantages

Our verdict

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

Details about the matrix

TV features

Playing files from USB

Apps

Sound