Philips 55OLED+908 Review
An impressive if flawed flagship OLED TV
Verdict
As a flagship OLED the Philips 55OLED+908 ticks most of the boxes with a bright, richly colourful performance and excellent sound system for a TV. Aesthetically it looks great too, but it’s tripped up by a few picture issues that stop it from earning top marks.
Pros
- Bright, colourfully rich image
- Very good sound system for a TV
- Wide HDR support
- Ambilight, of course
- Aggressive pricing
Cons
- Suffers from micro stutter
- Banding and discoloration issues
- Still missing UK catch-ups
Key Features
- Micro Lens Array OLED panel2nd Gen MLA panel
- Sound by Bowers & Wilkins80W sound system
- Smart interfaceApps delivered through Google TV
Introduction
Like Cinderella, Philips tends to be late to the (TV) ball, and much like the fairy tale character, the Philips 55OLED+908 comes dressed in the prettiest gown.
A slim OLED panel adorned with a Bowers & Wilkins sound system wrapped in Kvadrat fabric means the Philips wins the fashion stakes. And with LG Display’s 2nd-gen MLA panel, it’s a contender for one of the brightest OLED TVs.
Belle of the ball or a disaster frock? Let’s find out which one the Philips 55OLED908 turns up as.
Design
- Swivel central stand
- Great looks
- Available in three sizes
The OLED+908 is not a sea change from the OLED+907 but a refinement. It’s as elegant a TV available at the time of review, the design reflecting high standards of craftmanship from its minimal edge bezel design, sleek casing and integrated sound system from Bowers & Wilkins covered in an acoustically treated Kvadrat cloth. This TV is a looker.
The central stand is slightly different with a gap in the middle, but its footprint is minimal, which will help ease it onto smaller pieces of AV furniture. It’s also on a swivel, so you can adjust the angle of the screen as you like.
Pivot to the rear and there’s the three-sided Ambilight row of LEDs placed towards the outer edges, while in the middle is an integrated subwoofer that accompanies the Bowers & Wilkins sound system, plus down- and side-firing connections.
The OLED+908 comes in 55-, 65- and 77-inch sizes, so if you are interested in a Philips OLED but want a smaller size, the OLED808 is the model to cast your eyes towards.
Operating System
- No Freeview Play
- New remote
- Swift, responsive interface
The interface is split into For You, Movies, TV, Apps, Library, and Philips; the latter is a bespoke help and guidance hub that explains the TV’s various features.
For You puts recommendations at its heart with a range of paid and streaming options and a ‘Continue Watching’ row to resume content you’ve started. You can manage what type of recommendations you get, and create profiles for other people in the home.
Google TV is swift and fluid in terms of scrolling through titles with little to no lag to speak of. Hit the settings button on the remote and that’ll take you to the Philips’ settings menus. They’ve been redesigned to cover less footprint on the screen with its overlays, and makes it easier to see the changes you’ve made. It’s a much more sensible approach .
The remote has been redesigned too, heftier in the hand and its backlit buttons activate via motion. Unlike the OLED808’s remote, there’s only one settings button, which makes things simpler, though it does mean the access to quick settings seems to have gone by the wayside (or I’m dim and can’t find it). It’s rechargeable via USB-C, making it more environmentally friendly.
There’s still no Freeview Play integration, which is reaching the stage of “will it ever happen?”. The apps aren’t available as standalone versions either so if you want the UK catch-up apps you’ll need a streaming stick. That seems a bit much but Chromecast is supported by iPlayer and Channel 4.
Features
- Quick gaming input
- Three-sided Ambilight
- Wide HDR support
Ambilight is in its three-sided form and one of the primary reasons to get the 55OLED+908 is that this technology is exclusive to Philips TVs. It features the next-gen version of Ambilight, which Philips claims offers a more detailed, defined, and in-sync performance.
The OLED908 is set up to be a gaming powerhouse with 4K/120Hz, VRR (HDMI VRR, AMD FreeSync, Nvidia G-Sync), ALLM, and Dolby Vision Game mode under its belt. Input lag at 4K/60Hz is 12.7ms, and at 1080p/120Hz input lag is a fast 4.5ms. That’s the same as the LG OLED65G4.
The picture is powered by Philips’ P5 AI processor that uses deep learning AI algorithms that (apparently) process images in a similar way as the human brain to deliver rich contrast, smooth motion, and “lifelike” detail. And with LG Display’s 2nd-gen MLA META screen, the Philips boasts one the brightest HDR OLED screens.
AV support includes HDR10, HDR10+ Adaptive, HLG, and Dolby Vision HDR formats, with IMAX Enhanced and Filmmaker mode on the table too, along with compliance of the UHD Alliance’s standards. The 3.1-channel, 80W Bowers & Wilkins sound system supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X (but doesn’t feature upfiring speakers for height channels). With DTS Play-Fi the 55OLED908 can connect to other compatible wireless speakers to create a multi-room system, or function within a home cinema sound system.
In terms of connectivity, there are four HDMI inputs, two of which support 4K/120Hz and one is shared with the eARC input for sound systems. Though with the Bowers sound system and DTS Play-Fi, you don’t have to use that input for the purpose of audio as you have other options.
Other physical connections include three USB inputs, CI+, Ethernet, digital audio output, headphone output, plus service and satellite connectors. Wirelessly there’s the option of Wi-Fi with Chromecast streaming or Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity.
There’s Google Assistant for smart TV functionality such as voice search, and if you have Alexa products they can connect too.
Picture Quality
- High peak brightness panel
- Bright but balanced images
- Looks a little green
Images are rich in colour but balanced. In the past, I would have labelled some Philips OLEDs as overly processed but the Light, Dark, and Colour Optimization features help rein in some of its previously egregious oversteps.
And for those who care about peak brightness, the MLA META panel in the 55OLED+908 compares favourably to a (65-inch) LG G3. In the Personal picture preset I measured brightness at a 2, 5, 10, and 100% windows at 1803, 1638, 1362, and 257 nits respectively. The LG hit 1339, 1340, 1314, and 222 nits in comparison.
Does that necessarily make for a brighter overall image? In the highlights the Philips has more headroom, but with bigger, bright objects I wouldn’t say you’d notice a big difference.
Philips appears to have pared down its Vivid mode (now Crystal Clear). I expected my retinas to be seared watching Cinderella (4K Blu-ray) but like the Sony A95L, there’s just a slight boost in the overall brightness. Turn the Light Optimisation Detail feature off however and brightness is unleashed.
Nevertheless, I don’t think it’s with peak brightness where the P5 AI processor makes its biggest difference. It’s the sharpness and detail levels that most impress. It wrings out a much greater sense of fine detail, sharpness, and clarity from textures, faces and objects than any other current flagship OLED.
Watching The Marvels on Disney+ there’s so much fine detail and sharpness that you’ll notice details that make rival TVs such as the Sony A95L look soft. Is it accurate? Arguably not, but I enjoy the results.
Contrast is excellent. Black levels are rich with plenty of depth – as you’d expect from an OLED – while dark detail is an improvement over previous Philips models. The Dark Detail Optimisation gives a better peak into the shadows of dark scenes in Zero Dark Thirty or a TV series like The Last Airbender, and in a better fashion than the Sony A95L.
However, the Philips OLED+908 suffers from a similar issue the LG G3 suffered from in that images have a green tint. It’s not as widespread or as obvious as it was on the LG, but mid-tones, greys and blues look greener than they should in The Marvels and Avengers: Endgame (Dolby Vision) as well as Interstellar and Blade Runner 2049 (HDR10).
And like Samsung’s S95C OLED, the Philips goes ‘Hulk smash’ green in a scene from Marvel’s Secret Invasion. I’m certain Talos’ hair isn’t meant to be that colour unless he’s going through a punk rock stage.
Other issues crop with some dodgy banding and gradation in Blade Runner 2049 as K heads back to the police station at the beginning of chapter two, plus some discolouration in the background of shots in the police station, both in Home Cinema and Crystal Clear picture modes.
Philips claims it had fixed the micro stutter issue I last saw on the OLED808, but I’ve not found that to be the case with the OLED+908. It seemed to get worse over time with the scene where K’s spinner lands on the police station again a pain point. There was even stutter with motion processing turned off, which I’m struggling to comprehend.
With regards to motion, the Movie setting is best – much smoother with far fewer artifacts, but the Philips is still a rung below the likes of Sony, LG, and Panasonic in my opinion.
Upscaling is as good as its rivals. A DVD of Inglorious Basterds showed good, natural reproduction of colours, with no noise, ringing or over-sharpened edges (in Filmmaker mode). Switch to Home Cinema mode and the P5 AI processor kicks in, sending skintones towards orange (it’s worth disabling Colour Temperature Optimization in this instance).
Regardless of the picture mode, there were good levels of detail, and strong contrast. It won’t convince you it’s a HD image but it’s passable given its origins.
Blu-rays of Dune and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 looked (naturally) sharp and detailed; the P5 AI processor is intelligent enough to know the difference between film/digital grain versus noise. The green/black tone of the Atreides clothing is more faithfully reproduced than on the Samsung S95C and skin tones appeared both healthy and faithful.
The colour performance in Spider-Man 2 showcases some colourfully rich reds and blues, the intensity of Electro’s skin really ‘pops’ on this screen. I might say a few of Philips’ picture presets take a few liberties, but I’m not complaining when it (mostly) looks this good. It all adds up to a very solid upscaling performance if you want to upgrade HD and SD sources.
Sound Quality
- Dolby Atmos virtualiser
- 3.1 channels
- 80W of power
The Bowers & Wilkins 80W 3.1 sound system features a left, centre, right (LCR) configuration, supported by a woofer and a support act of four passive radiators to provide some thump. And it’s easily one of the better-sounding TVs.
Dialogue clarity is excellent. Tricky scenes like the Gom Jabbar sequence from Dune is easily overcome in terms of intelligibility. Moreover, dialogue feels like it’s locked to its origin on screen which helps in a TV series such as Netflix’s Drive to Survive where there are lots of talking head sequences.
The TV also has a good low-end presence, displaying some nice intensity and punch with bass-heavy sequences, while gunshots in The Matrix Resurrections crack with a nice snappiness. It’s not as explosive as a subwoofer, of course, and there’s a slight ripple of distortion with the opening of Blade Runner 2049 but this is much better than the lacklustre efforts of LG and Samsung’s 2023 range.
Where it suffers a little is at the top end of the frequency range. It’s clear but sharper edges are rather dulled.
There aren’t Dolby Atmos upfiring speakers but there is an Atmos virtualiser that can make the soundfield taller and bigger. It works fine but without a native, built-in system like the Panasonic MZ2000, the Philips struggles to produce a sense of height taller than the TV itself.
Regardless, this is a big, wide soundstage to enjoy, and it sounds clearer, louder, and in some ways richer than the Sony A95L, especially in the bass department.
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Should you buy it?
Bright HDR images married with very good sound
In terms of outright HDR performance, the OLED908 is a striking looking set, and its Bowers & Wilkins sound system is better than the majority of TVs on the market.
Its picture quality isn’t perfect, though
Issues include banding, discolouration, micro stutter, and a green tint to images. It’s enough of a problem to knock down the Philips’ overall picture marks.
Final Thoughts
The Philips 55OLED+908 is almost a majestic flagship OLED TV. Its feature set is competitive, its picture performance is in ways a step above rivals, and it boasts an excellent sound system for a flatscreen TV.
It still doesn’t support UK catch-up apps, necessitating other means of getting them. Arguably if you don’t watch them, you won’t be bothered but for convenience’s sake…
And though image quality is very good, it’s not as subtle or as wide-ranging as the Sony A95L QD-OLED. It’s another Philips OLED that suffers from micro stuttering, and like LG’s G3 and C3 OLEDs, there’s a green tint to some HDR images.
Philips has been aggressive in its pricing though, and this screen is less expensive than the Panasonic MZ2000 and Sony A95L. If you can overlook its issues, the Philips 55OLED+908 is a very fine OLED TV indeed.
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We test every television we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
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Tested over two months
Tested with real world use
Benchmarked with Spears and Munsil test disc
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FAQs
To hang the 55OLED+908 on a wall, you’ll need a VESA 300 x 300mm wall mount bracket.
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Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
