Philips OLED909

Philips' latest MLA OLED shines, yet it is still overshadowed

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Philips’ OLED TVs have stood toe to toe with the likes of Sony, LG and Samsung for many years now, which is no small feat considering it is a smaller brand. The company has kept up with advancements in panel technology, and it continues to leverage its exclusive Ambilight tech and ongoing partnership with legendary British hi-fi brand Bowers & Wilkins to create TVs with unique appeal.

Philips launched this 65in MLA model at £3499, in line with competitors from LG and Samsung. However, the price has since dropped to around £2799; and while that is mostly good news, the LG G4 (which is also an MLA OLED TV) and Samsung S95D QD-OLED have dropped even lower to around £2700 and £2600 respectively.

Stepping away from the next-generation OLED technology and back into the realm of “WOLED” (traditional OLED TVs), the OLED909 becomes a harder sell. The five-star step-down model in Philips’ lineup, the OLED809, is currently down to £1899, while other five-star alternatives such as the LG C4 (£2099) and Sony Bravia 8 (£1945) prove that you can get top-notch performance from OLED without brightness boosting tech, for less outlay.

Four-sided Ambilight makes a return on this model, with embedded LEDs adorning the top, sides and bottom of the back panel. Recent models, for reference, lacked the bottom row of lights, which is nice to have if you are wall-mounting the TV. While it’s still divisive among the What Hi-Fi? team, it’s a unique feature that, when used right, is brilliantly clever.

Elsewhere, this TV is definitely one of the more stylish models on the market, with its super-slim side profile and soundbar covered in a tasteful black Kvadrat fabric material along the bottom edge. The borders around the screen are also razor thin, which gives the TV a sleek and modern look.