OLED models have firmly and permanently settled in the top TV segment. Does something change in them from year to year? Certainly. For example, Philips has released the OLED 805, which features a P5 AI Perfect Picture processor that uses neural networks to process images. To see the result with our own eyes, we took the TV for a test.
Main technical characteristics of Philips 55OLED805
- Screen diagonal: 55 inches
- Matrix type OLED (WRGB)
- Resolution: 3840 x 2160 (UHD)
- Ambilight: 3-sided
- Processor: P5 AI Perfect Picture
- Number of HDMI connectors: 4
- Number of USB ports: 2
- Wireless interfaces: Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi 802.11ac
- Smart TV OS Type: Android TV 9 Pie
Design: black panel in chrome frame
Like most OLED TVs, the Philips OLED 805 looks like a thin, sleek panel, again edged with a thin metal frame. The feet of the TV are oriented 90 degrees relative to the panel itself. This arrangement allows them to be as invisible as possible for those sitting directly in front of the screen: you will see almost only the ends of the legs. Despite its large size, the TV is quite stable, it will be difficult to knock it over by accidental movement.
The bundle also includes a rather long remote control (a good third longer than most TV remotes). At the top of it there are buttons for controlling the Ambilight proprietary lighting, quickly navigating to Rakuten TV and Netflix services, selecting a signal source and calling the voice assistant (Google Assistant). Slightly below – the joystick and playback control, at the very bottom – the digital block. The console has leather trim on three sides.
Video processing: now even more detailed
The screen has a resolution of 3840 x 2160 and a refresh rate of 100 Hz. The viewing angles are very wide, the brightness is sufficient for any conditions. For example, the room where the TV was standing turns out to be flooded with sunlight in the morning, but the picture still looks juicy and expressive. We did not notice any color accents: everything looks quite natural, although unusually bright after IPS screens. Judging by the characteristics, the matrix can display up to 99% of the DCI-P3 color space.
One of the main features of the Philips 55OLED805 is the fourth generation P5 AI Perfect Picture processor. In this version, it allows for more subtle processing of the image, frame-by-frame recognizing the scenes in it and using the optimal algorithms for each. How noticeable is this when watching quality content? We put another one (not OLED, but with a high-quality IPS matrix) next to the test TV and compared the images. The difference in color and black depth of Philips 55OLED805 is obvious and understandable, but there was much more detail in the darkest and lightest areas. It should be noted that the Philips 55OLED805 is one of the few OLED TVs that support both Dolby Vision and HDR10 +. If it is possible to use content with HDR, this must be done – the image looks completely different, it looks not just more traced,
One more strong point of the processor should be noted: the upscale of lower resolutions. It is so high quality that it is not always clear: the source was in 4K or still in Full HD. Even 720p on Philips 55OLED805 is nice to watch.
Ambilight: a proprietary chip
Ambilight technology uniquely transforms the experience of any content for the better. Many are sure that the backlight is needed only when watching movies, but this is not the case. Even trivial news on terrestrial TV looks completely different. In the first few minutes, the constant switching of colors on the wall is a little annoying, but very soon you stop perceiving them, and the picture turns out to be quite coherent. In addition, you can watch TV without a background light source in the room: due to Ambilight, your eyes do not get tired even from a bright, contrasting matrix.
Branded lighting looks perfect on video with a large-scale and not very dynamic background. For example, in films about nature, when the top of the screen is occupied by a blue sky, and somewhere to the side is a green slope. In films, the system tries to focus on the colors at the edges of the screen – it turns out also spectacularly, although not so impressively.
23 diodes on the top of the rear panel and 7 on the side ones are responsible for the backlight. The lower part is without illumination, but when placed on a pedestal, it is not needed.
Ambilight can also adapt to colored walls: you just need to choose the appropriate shade from the offered palette. The play of colors looks best on light surfaces, and on dark walls the effect generally tends to zero, but this is pure physics, nothing can be done.
Audio system: two speakers and a subwoofer
Here it consists of three components: a pair of 10W speakers and a 30W subwoofer on the rear. With such a set, it is quite possible to allow watching blockbusters without a soundbar – the sound is perfectly balanced, although the bass does not make the dishes on the shelves clink, it is still quite saturated. In our case, the TV stood on legs, and there was no way to move it close to the wall. Actually, there is no need to do this: the same Ambilight gives an optimal effect at a distance of about 15 cm from the wall.
Another seemingly insignificant, but actually important detail: Philips 55OLED805 supports DTS Play-Fi audio transmission technology. What is it for?
For example, you can connect speakers supporting the same standard and organize a multi-room system.
Another useful option is to listen to the audio track through headphones connected to the smartphone. True, you will need to download the DTS Play-Fi application on your smartphone (available in the Play Market and AppStore), and then connect your TV to it.
Smart TV: here on Android
Philips 55OLED805 brings smart features to the Android TV platform, which we strongly support. The user gets access to an almost unlimited number of different applications. To search for content, you can use the Google Assistant voice assistants – the microphone is located in the remote control.
Interfaces: everything is basic
The TV supports all major wireless communication channels. It’s Wi-Fi dual band and Bluetooth 4.2. As for the wired interfaces, there are 4xHDMI and 2xUSB (one of them is USB 3.0). In addition, there are RJ-45, optics and headphone outputs. All main connectors are located on the left side of the rear panel.
With proper skill, you can connect devices blindly. But the power cable goes to the TV on the right. Of course, it would be more convenient if the wires were passed from one side, but you can run the cable to the left leg and “lower” it along with the HDMI.
Conclusion
Ambilight technology remains one of the key features of Philips TVs. But it’s nice to know that Philips is not slowing down in the TV category and is successfully resisting the dominance of Korean brands. Otherwise, Philips OLED 805 is a classic OLED TV with the deepest blacks, rich colors and progressive image processing algorithms.
