Philips PUS7009 (VA) vs LG UT8100 (IPS)

In terms of HDR effect quality, Philips PUS7009 performs very poorly. A brightness level of 250 nits does not allow enjoyment of HDR effects, and the image resembles more of a standard SDR. There is no talk of dynamic effects or vivid light bursts. The coverage of the DCI-P3 color palette is only 75%, which is definitely insufficient. The lack of full color coverage means that the colors are not as vibrant as they should be, resulting in a flat and unconvincing image. There are no aspects to praise this model in the context of HDR.

The LG UT8100 television unfortunately does not meet expectations in the HDR effect category. The peak brightness of only 300 nits on the luminance graph is significantly below the required value to fully enjoy HDR effects. In practice, the image resembles SDR quality more than true HDR, which is particularly evident in demanding high-contrast scenes. The coverage of the DCI-P3 color palette is only 82%, which further limits the ability to present vibrant and rich colors. Instead of impressive visual experiences, we get a muted and washed-out image. For those looking for a television to fully utilize HDR content, the LG UT8100 model proves to be highly disappointing.

The TV was tested in movie mode, which – despite its name – does not provide correct image display. The white balance in both 4K HDR and HD/SDR content is characterized by drops in red color, causing the image to appear cooler and colors to lose their natural warmth. The gamma brightness characteristics and EOTF curve confirm that the TV has trouble maintaining appropriate brightness – it boosts it significantly, resulting in an unnaturally washed-out image. This effect can be seen in the comparisons below, where the overall appearance looks as if covered with a milky filter. Additionally, limited coverage of a wide color gamut also does not favor quality – color checker tests indicate significant color fluctuations, making it difficult to achieve faithful image reproduction.

The Filmmaker Mode on LG UT8100, although theoretically the best for watching movies, has significant flaws. The biggest issue is white balance – drops in blue color cause noticeable yellowing of the image, visible in both HD and 4K content. These errors are confirmed by the measurement results in the Colour Checker test, which indicate significant deviations in color reproduction.

As for brightness characteristics, both HD and 4K content feature a high tonal boost. The gamma curve in both cases remains well below the reference value of 2.4, leading to excessive brightening of darker elements in the image. A similar problem is evident in the EOTF curve – in the case of 4K content, the TV struggles with proper brightness management, resulting in issues with screen brightness. This means that the factory settings of this model require significant adjustment to achieve better image quality.

After calibration, the image has significantly improved, especially in terms of white balance, which is now more stable, and the shades have gained naturalness, eliminating the previous impression of an excessively cool image. The calibration has brought noticeable benefits in terms of tonality – shadows and midtones are now more realistic, and the overall picture appears more harmonious. Unfortunately, hardware limitations still affect the quality of the image. The brightness characteristics remain problematic despite our efforts, and due to the poor coverage of the DCI-P3 and BT.2020 color gamut, delta E errors are still at a high level. Although calibration has improved some aspects, the television still does not allow for complete satisfaction.

After calibrating the Filmmaker Mode, the gamma has been aligned to practically ideal, reference values, which significantly improved the overall tonal characteristics in HD content. 4K HDR content also looks better, although some issues are still visible at the end of the graph, where the curve deviates from the ideal. The EOTF curve performs worse, as the television struggles to maintain appropriate brightness values. As a result, the image in some scenes may be overly bright or slightly dimmed, which stems from the device's design. Nevertheless, the calibration has brought significant improvements, especially in the case of HD content, where tonal balance and color reproduction are now at a much higher level.

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

In terms of image scaling, Philips PUS7009 performs decently. A major advantage is the absence of cropped image edges, meaning no overscan, which allows for displaying the full frame without loss. The image is noticeably improved, making characters and backgrounds, such as models or branches in the background, look quite detailed and natural, even with lower quality signals. Although the scaling is not perfect, as it can remove desired details in the distance, the results are good enough for most users to be satisfied.

The fluidity of tonal transitions is also correct, although the effect depends on the settings. The update improved the functionality of smooth gradation, smoothing transitions better than before, but introduced minor issues with loss of detail, e.g., on textures.

Image scaling on LG UT8100 performs very well. The image presents itself decently, without major issues with edge aliasing. Details are preserved at a satisfactory level, which makes lower-resolution materials look really solid on this TV. As a result, users can enjoy watching older content without obvious quality flaws.

Philips PUS7009 does not have motion smoothing features, which means there is no option to adjust the image for a more choppy or smoother, cinematic effect. Such features could positively influence the reception of dynamic scenes. As for motion blur, this model is equipped with a 60 Hz VA panel, which produces slightly worse results than the IPS panel variant. The VA panel introduces a minimally greater motion blur, although the differences are not significant and should not pose a problem for most viewers.

LG UT8100, equipped with a 60 Hz display, will be especially suitable for people watching movies. The television offers the TruMotion system with de-judder effect adjustment, allowing users to customize the fluidity of the image – from more choppy to exceptionally smooth, reminiscent of a soap opera effect, depending on user preferences.

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 reactions during gameplay, while VRR adjusts the refresh rate to minimize screen tearing. The Game Bar allows quick access to game settings and monitoring of key parameters, although it visually falls short compared to competing solutions. However, more demanding gamers may feel a sense of dissatisfaction. Philips PUS7009 does not support advanced HDR formats in games, and the 60 Hz panel limits the ability to display smooth and detailed images in dynamic scenes, which may not satisfy fans of fast-paced action games.

LG UT8100 offers basic features for gamers, such as ALLM and Game Bar, which makes access to settings easier. The TV also supports HGiG, which improves image quality in HDR games. Unfortunately, the lack of support for Dolby Vision and VRR limits the capabilities of the device, as does the 60 Hz panel, which excludes support for 120 Hz resolution. This model will be more suitable for less demanding gaming applications.