Compare Philips The One (PUS8959 / PUS8919 / PUS8909 / PUS8949 vs Panasonic W70A

Philips PUS8959, also known by other designations under the PUS89 abbreviation (depending on the sales network), is a model from the popular series The One. Its biggest distinguishing feature is the Ambilight system, which still makes a great impression. The three-sided backlighting adapts to the picture on the screen, making movies, series, or games literally extend beyond the edges of the TV. The One is also a good option for gamers. The 120 Hz panel and low input lag ensure that games run smoothly, and the motion on the screen is clear. On the console, we tested several dynamic titles, and the TV handled them without any problems – no stutters or delays. Additionally, HGiG support allows for better reproduction of HDR effects in games. This is a great solution if we care about the image matching 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 vivid colors and sharp details. However, the ADS panel has its limitations – the blacks in dark scenes resemble a gray shade more, which can be noticeable when watching in a dimly lit room. When we watched movies with the lights off, the lack of depth in the blacks was somewhat evident. The Titan OS operating system is something that still needs refinement. It is fast, but the limited number of applications, such as the lack of Spotify or TVN Player, can be frustrating for those used to more advanced platforms like GoogleTV. When daily using Netflix or YouTube, it works flawlessly, but if we expect more advanced features, the system may not meet expectations. Overall, Philips The One is a good choice in its price category. The Ambilight system impresses and significantly enhances the viewing experience, especially in the evening. It is also a solid option for gamers, thanks to smooth image and low input lag. Although the blacks are not perfect and the operating system needs refinement, the TV performs well in everyday use. For fans of unique solutions like Ambilight, this is a proposition that definitely deserves attention.

The Panasonic W70A primarily draws attention with its extensive Google TV operating system, which gives us access to a myriad of popular applications (YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, etc.). When it comes to the picture, the IPS matrix offers wide viewing angles, so colors do not lose intensity even when you watch a movie slightly off to the side. Gamers won't be disappointed either; we have VRR and ALLM here, as well as low input lag (around 12 ms) – all of this translates to a pleasant experience for occasional gaming, despite the standard 60 Hz refresh rate.

However, it is worth remembering that this is rather a basic model and has its limitations. The contrast and black levels are simply poor, which is a typical phenomenon for IPS matrices, especially in dark rooms. Brightness at around 270 cd/m² is also insufficient in heavily sunlit rooms, so the picture may seem washed out then. Additionally, certain shortcomings in the software cannot be overlooked. Google TV is a great foundation, but some settings are scattered in surprising places, and the quality of translations leaves much to be desired.

One must consider that the competition is offering more and more in a similar (or only slightly higher) price range. Can the Panasonic W70A hold its ground in such an environment? On one hand, it tempts with a rich application base and decent support for gamers, but on the other hand, the market is flooded with more polished TVs equipped with better parameters. However, if wide viewing angles and straightforward access to Google TV services are priorities, we can give it a chance. Otherwise, it is worth exploring competitive models that often offer better black levels, higher brightness, and fewer annoying menu issues for a similar price.

The television Philips PUS8959 is based on an ADS panel, which offers slightly different parameters compared to the popular VA panels. In the tested scenes, the contrast was around 2000:1, making the black level far from ideal. ADS panels are known for their weaker contrast compared to VA panels, which in practice means that instead of deep black, we see more navy or gray shades. However, the ADS panel is still better than the standard IPS panel, which cannot achieve such a level of contrast. Additionally, the Philips PUS8959 is not equipped with local dimming technology that could improve these parameters. The lack of this feature amplifies the effect of shallow black, particularly noticeable in dark scenes, like those in the movie "Sicario 2." Instead of intense black, the screen generates a silvery glow, which can be bothersome, especially when watching in darker conditions. All of this makes the visual experience lose depth, and details in dark scenes are not as well visible as one might expect from higher-class 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 expense of details that may blend together, for example, lights in the test scene from the movie Oblivion. It is worth adding that the model we received for testing has quite large spots resulting from uneven backlighting, although this is not an exception, and one should take into account that we might also receive such a unit when purchasing.

The Panasonic W70A is equipped with an IPS panel, which unfortunately is not the best choice if we care about deep blacks and high contrast. Additionally, the lack of local dimming means that instead of pitch-black areas on the screen, we see rather silvery and navy patches. In our tests, this was particularly noticeable in demanding scenes with dark visuals. The contrast ratio, which hovers around 1000:1, is far from satisfactory – especially if we plan to watch in a dimly lit room in the evening. Scenes that should hypnotize with the depth of darkness instead look flat and lose their atmosphere.

The luminance chart for Philips PUS8959 shows that the television can achieve around 550 nits of brightness, which can be considered a satisfactory level. This brightness allows the effects of HDR to be felt, particularly standing out in more demanding scenes. In the tested patterns, the television performed quite well, even in challenging sequences like 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 cost of the silverish blacks we mentioned in the paragraph about blacks. It is also worth praising Philips PUS8959 for its good coverage of the DCI-P3 color palette, which amounts to around 94.5%. This makes the colors vivid and close to the creators' intentions, further enhancing the quality of HDR effects and the viewing experience of high dynamic range content.

HDR on the Panasonic W70A unfortunately does not impress. Brightness at the level of 250–300 nits is simply too low to feel the true magic of cinematic effects in dynamic, bright scenes. Images that should "explode" with light appear rather flat, and fine details in bright areas often get lost in the average luminance of the panel. On the positive side, the HDR effect is at least stable. The TV does not suffer from excessive brightening nor does it lose details during sudden scene changes. Everything is predictable and calm, though unfortunately not very spectacular. Another issue is the color gamut coverage. The W70A is not equipped with an additional layer of quantum dots (often known as QLED), resulting in colors appearing rather mediocre. There is a lack of depth in reds, saturation in greens, and precision in rendering subtle shades.

The Philips PUS8959 television was tested in the best, theoretically most precise picture mode – Filmmaker. Although the name suggests cinematic quality, it unfortunately falls far short of the ideal. The biggest issue in this mode is white balance, both in HD and 4K content. It is characterized by a significant dominance of the red color and dips in the green level, resulting in an unnatural color reproduction. For example, white elements of the image have a distinctly pinkish hue, and the green is less intense, causing the overall image to lose its naturalness and color balance. The ColorChecker test confirms these errors – it is clearly visible how the color samples "deviate" from the correct values, which can be best observed on the sample squares that should accurately reproduce colors. The lack of accuracy in this regard affects the realism and fidelity of the image, which is particularly undesirable in Filmmaker mode.

Regarding brightness characteristics, the gamma chart resembles a real roller coaster – with small elements displayed on the screen, the brightness is excessive, causing details to become overly highlighted. Meanwhile, at higher gamma values, the image loses contrast and becomes too dark, making the overall appearance look less dynamic. Similar issues can be noticed in the EOTF characteristics – the television is unable to correctly reproduce the brightness level, negatively affecting the overall image quality.

The Panasonic W70A was tested in movie mode, which theoretically should guarantee the most natural image reproduction. Unfortunately, as is often the case with budget televisions, the reality proved far from ideal.

In HD (SDR) content, the white balance was severely disrupted by an excess of red and a noticeable drop in blue tones. The result? The image had a distinctly warm, even yellowish tint, which is clearly visible in the comparison photo. In the case of 4K HDR materials, the situation reversed. Here, the image became excessively cold and bluish, causing scenes to lose their naturalness and depth. The differences are visible even to the naked eye, especially in the bright parts of the image. The Colour Checker palette test confirmed our observations. Most color samples did not hit their intended points, "running away" towards warmer shades in SDR and cooler ones in HDR. As for brightness characteristics, both gamma and the EOTF curve showed significant problems. The image tended to excessively brighten certain areas, disrupting the balance and leading to a loss of details in darker and brighter regions.

In summary – the factory color reproduction settings in the Panasonic W70A leave much to be desired. The image is far from neutral, and the errors in white balance and gamma mean that a solid calibration is needed to extract the full potential from this television.

After calibration, the Philips PUS8959 television shows a significant improvement in color reproduction, especially in HD content. The white balance is exceptionally even, and the Delta E error values are below 1, which can be considered an outstanding result. Additionally, the gamma, which is 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.

Regarding 4K HDR materials, a significant improvement is also noticeable. The white balance, although not as perfect as in HD content, no longer shows issues with excessive red exposure, making the image appear more natural and harmonious. Unfortunately, in the EOTF characteristics, it is difficult to speak of any significant improvement, due to the design limitations of the television that prevent significant enhancement in this aspect.

Nevertheless, the overall performance is much better after calibration, making the Philips PUS8959 one of those televisions where it is truly worth spending time on precise calibration to achieve satisfactory image quality.

The Panasonic W70A, despite its limitations, gave us a lot of room to maneuver during calibration. Thanks to well-developed tools, we were able to achieve significantly better white balance in both HD (SDR) and 4K HDR content. The issues with excess red in SDR and overly cool images in HDR have disappeared. The gamma brightness characteristic has also improved, maintaining stability and avoiding excessive brightness or loss of detail in darker areas.

So where is the problem? Unfortunately, there are barriers that even professional calibration cannot overcome. Poor coverage of a wide color gamut means that the TV cannot fully reproduce colors in HDR materials. There is a lack of saturation, and subtle color transitions still appear somewhat "flattened." Another limitation is brightness management, which results from the use of an IPS panel. In the comparative photo featuring the actress's face in colorful clothing, it is clearly visible how some shades are noticeably muted, and colors lose their depth and brightness.

The calibration extracted everything it could from the W70A. The image is now much more natural, and the errors in the factory settings have been effectively corrected. Unfortunately, hardware limitations in the form of poor color gamut coverage and an average panel prevent us from achieving spectacular results, especially in HDR content.

The gradation on the Philips PUS8959 television looks very good, offering smooth tonal transitions in most scenes. Occasionally, minor issues can be noticed, especially during transitions between certain colors, where subtle unevenness is apparent. 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 avoiding glaring tonal distortions.

In terms of the smoothness of tonal transitions, the Panasonic W70A performs really well. The transitions between colors are smooth, without distinct and annoying "bands" or sudden jumps in hue. Even more demanding scenes, where subtle gradients dominate, look surprisingly good. Of course, a trained eye will notice some imperfections, especially in the brighter areas of the screen, where slight color blends can be observed. However, this is not something that significantly affects the perception of the image, and for most users, it will be practically unnoticeable.

Unfortunately, what detracts from the overall effect is the unevenness of the backlighting of the panel, which is quite pronounced and can distract from the quality of the tonal transitions themselves. This is particularly noticeable on uniform backgrounds, where differences in brightness between individual areas of the screen become more apparent.

When it comes to smoothing tonal transitions, the "Distortion Reduction" function at the minimal setting performs quite well, effectively smoothing tonal transitions without excessive influence 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 place, which is a big plus for users who appreciate the natural look of film materials.

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

We checked how the Panasonic W70A performs in improving content of lower quality than 4K, and it must be admitted that the television does quite well in this regard. The "Zeroing Counter" function is responsible for smoothing tonal transitions. The optimal setting turned out to be the Average option, which effectively smooths out color gradation issues while not ruining the film grain. This is the setting we recommend for most users, as it provides a balance between improving the fluidity of transitions and maintaining the naturalness of the image.

As for image scaling, the Panasonic W70A performed really well. The test pattern with the model was positively evaluated – details on her clothing were well reproduced, and the contours of her face retained sharpness. In the background, we noticed slight "jaggies" on thin branches, but these are details that only a very observant eye will catch. However, it is worth noting a certain flaw of this model – the television has a tendency to overscan, which means slight cropping of the image edges. This is not a very intense phenomenon and for most users it will be practically unnoticeable, but if we care about perfect framing, it is worth keeping this in mind.

Philips TV PUS8959 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 a significantly smoother image, being a key aspect during dynamic scenes and fast actions.

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

The Panasonic W70A is equipped with a 60 Hz panel, which immediately suggests that the television will perform best when watching movies, series, or everyday TV content. In more dynamic scenes, such as sports broadcasts or games, the panel's limitations become more noticeable. On the positive side, it is worth noting the presence of a motion smoother called "Effect," which offers three levels of adjustment - low, medium, and high.

Each of the settings allows you to adjust motion fluidity to your own preferences, minimizing motion blur and improving clarity in dynamic shots. In practice, the Medium setting seems to be the most versatile - it offers better fluidity without excessive "soap opera effect," which can look artificial in feature films. The High setting may work well for sports broadcasts, but in films, it can disrupt the natural character of movement.

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 HDR effect reproduction in games. As a result, the image is closer to what the game developers intended to achieve.

The television also supports 120 Hz image display, ensuring smoothness and dynamism, which is particularly important during action games and sports broadcasts. The Game Bar feature provides 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, offering good image quality and appropriate smoothness during gameplay.

The Panasonic W70A is a television that will be more suitable for occasional gamers than for avid players. The 60 Hz panel does not allow for full utilization of the potential of new generation consoles, especially in dynamic titles. The lack of HDMI 2.1 somewhat limits its capabilities, but fortunately, we find features such as ALLM, which is automatic switching to game mode, and VRR, which helps minimize screen tearing. It's also worth noting the support for Dolby Vision in games and HGiG, which makes HDR more predictable and looks solid. It's just a pity that the Game Bar is missing. This feature is already standard in many televisions and provides quick access to the most important settings for gamers. The W70A holds up when it comes to gaming, but it has its limitations. It works well with calmer titles, while more demanding players may feel unsatisfied.

Philips PUS8959 TV offers impressive results in terms of input lag, making it an excellent choice for gamers. For 120 Hz content, the lag is less than 6 ms, which is an absolutely outstanding result and allows for immediate reactions in games, especially in fast-paced titles. For 60 Hz content, the input lag is 15 ms, which is also a remarkable result and provides 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 prove insufficient for demanding gamers, affecting precision and reaction speed. Nevertheless, in standard modes, Philips PUS8959 still offers outstanding performance, making it a competitive choice in the gaming TV market.

In terms of signal delay, the Panasonic W70A performs really well. A result of 12 ms is a value that is practically below the threshold where noticeable delay can be discussed. Gaming on this TV is responsive, and character movements or reactions in games are immediate. Interestingly, even in Dolby Vision mode, which often tends to be problematic in terms of input lag, the TV performed very well. This is a pleasant surprise, as many manufacturers have issues with this, and HDR often increases the delay to a level that is noticeable during fast-paced games.

Philips PUS8959 performs excellently as a monitor for use with a PC. With support for chroma 4:4:4, it provides full color 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 guarantees smooth and responsive operation, which is important for both everyday tasks and more dynamic applications, such as gaming or multimedia editing. Philips PUS8959 is an excellent choice for users seeking a television that will also serve as a PC monitor, providing high image quality and user convenience.

The Panasonic W70A performs quite well as a work monitor. Thanks to the IPS panel and 4:4:4 chroma support, text is clear, sharp, and legible. Even small fonts look good, without blurring or ragged edges. For office work, web browsing, or document writing, this TV is really suitable.

Playing on PC is a slightly different story. The 60 Hz panel makes more dynamic titles not look as smooth as they could on a higher refresh rate screen. The lack of G-Sync or FreeSync support doesn't help either, so there may be issues with image tearing.

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

For a television with an IPS panel, the viewing angles on the Panasonic W70A are really good. The image maintains decent quality even when we look at the screen from a greater angle. The colors do not significantly lose saturation, and the details remain well visible. Of course, everything comes at a price. In this case, it is the weaker blacks that become even more washed out when viewed at an angle. However, this is a standard compromise for IPS panels and it is hard to consider it a surprise.

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

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

The Panasonic W70A is equipped with a satin display, which average handles light reflection suppression. Glare is not excessively bothersome, but in bright rooms, especially under direct sunlight, it can be noticeable. The main issue, however, is the brightness level of 270 cd/m². It's simply too low to comfortably watch television in full sunlight. The image becomes washed out, and darker scenes lose detail and depth.

Philips PUS8959 is equipped with a three-sided Ambilight system – the flagship patent of this brand, which has delighted a dedicated group of fans for years. Ambilight relies on dynamic backlighting of the wall behind the TV, matching the content displayed on the screen, which significantly enhances the viewing experience, especially in dimly lit rooms. This effect is unique and adds a certain kind of "magic" to watching, causing many users to 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, you can see growing pains, especially since Philips has moved away from Android in most of its models. Titan OS has a limited number of available apps. This is frustrating for those accustomed to a broader ecosystem like GoogleTV. Additionally, the TV does not have AirPlay functionality, which limits its compatibility with Apple devices and may be a drawback for users looking for a flexible way to stream content.

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

The Panasonic W70A runs on the Google TV system, and it must be admitted that this is one of its strong points. There are really many applications – all popular streaming services, YouTube, and even less known platforms. The system operates smoothly, and navigating through the menu is intuitive and trouble-free. The remote control has a built-in microphone, so you can use voice search in Polish. This is a significant convenience, especially when you need to find a movie or an app quickly. Additionally, there is Bluetooth, which allows you to connect headphones or other wireless devices. However, there are some shortcomings. There is no AirPlay, which may be an issue for users of Apple devices. There is also a lack of USB recording options and picture-in-picture (PIP) functionality.

The Panasonic W70A makes up for these shortcomings with the functionality of Google TV and simple operation. It has everything you need to use Smart TV, but if someone is counting on more elaborate options related to traditional television, they might feel some dissatisfaction.

Although the Titan OS system on the Philips PUS8959 TV is still in its infancy, it deserves praise for supporting Polish subtitles embedded in movies, which is a significant convenience for users dealing with external files. If we want to play a movie from a connected USB device, the TV will do so without major issues, providing comfortable viewing without the need for additional subtitle configuration.

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

The built-in media player in Panasonic W70A unfortunately has its limitations. Primarily, it does not support Polish subtitles, which can be a significant problem for many people. Additionally, there are difficulties with playing certain file formats, which sometimes results in an error message or a lack of sound.

Fortunately, thanks to the Google TV system, alternative media players can be easily installed that address these shortcomings. In the Google Play Store, we can find several reliable applications that support both Polish subtitles and less popular video formats.

The sound of the Philips PUS8959 unfortunately leaves a lot to be desired. Although the low frequencies can be heard in the playback, the bass is very weak, which results in an overall unsatisfactory sound quality. The TV plays average, especially when compared to more advanced audio systems available on the market.

Despite the average quality of the speakers, the TV supports all the essential audio codecs, which may please users using external home theater systems. Thanks to compatibility with various audio formats, the Philips PUS8959 can offer good audio experiences when connected to appropriate external speakers or a receiver, providing a fuller, more cinematic sound.

The sound on the Panasonic W70A is surprisingly decent for a TV in this class. It is quite well balanced, and the low tones are subtly perceptible, adding some depth when watching movies or listening to music. Dialogues are clear, and the overall sound quality is clean and pleasant. Of course, you shouldn't expect cinematic experiences or powerful bass – it's still a standard audio system in a television, and the physical limitations of its slim design play a role.

Philips The One (PUS8959 / PUS8919 / PUS8909 / PUS8949 vs Panasonic W70A

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