Ambi-Dextrous - Philips 803

Seriously vibrant imagery makes this fantastic Ambilight screen a superb option for non-purists

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When it comes to picture processing, there’s a fine line between art and science, even in the best TVs: over-cranked enhancement may be a turn-on for techies, but, for the rest of us, the end result is often difficult to watch. Philips has found the sweet spot with its latest P5 image processor, which makes standard dynamic range HD look almost as good as 4K HDR.

Style and substance

Available in 55- and 65-inch sets (we tested the latter), the 803 is a typically stylish Philips creation. It’s minimalist but upmarket, with a virtually edge-to-edge glass front. Connections include four 4K-capable HDMI inputs with HDCP 2.2 support, which should be enough for your average living-room setup.

The TV comes with two remotes. One is a crazy-thin Bluetooth wand featuring (probably) the world’s smallest touch pad. The other is a more conventional remote, albeit one with a keypad on the reverse.

Whatever you watch (be it sports, movies or The One Show), images are smoother than a hipster’s latte. There’s also been an upgrade to the TV’s digital noise reduction, in order to reduce smearing caused when detail is misinterpreted. Images look remarkably clean at all times.

Explore the All Settings menu and you will discover a host of image processing adjustments. Your first port of call should be the advanced menu, where you’ll find the set’s Perfect Natural Reality mode. This is exclusive to Philips’ newest TVs, and it’s a doozy to use.