In a world of ever bigger TVs, the 48-inch OLED stays a beacon of hope for these with extra modest wants. The Philips 48OLED806 is among the second era of such televisions, which promise real flagship efficiency at a extra manageable display dimension – one thing that’s inconceivable to seek out on the LCD aspect of the market.
You may need a smaller dwelling house, or need an incredible gaming TV, a display for the bed room or maybe the 48-inch possibility is a compromise along with your much less AV-enthusiastic housemate. We’re not right here to guage. What we are going to say is that you just’ve already made a superb selection as a result of final yr’s 48-inch OLED TVs proved an absolute scorching hit each with our take a look at staff and with the purchasers who purchased them.
The one query that wants answering now could be over which of the OLED TV producers is the fitting one to go along with this time round.
Worth
The value of the Philips 48OLED806 is £1199 on the time of writing. Like all Philips TVs, it’s solely out there in Europe.
It’s additionally potential to select up an OLED806 in 55-inch, 65-inch and 77-inch sizes.
In order for you the identical image high quality however with a unique stand, strive the Philips OLED856. If you wish to enhance the audio capabilities as an alternative, the Philips OLED+936 is available in a 48-inch display dimension, too, and with a Bowers & Wilkins sound system.
Construct
The Philips 48OLED806 is such an incredible dimension. When you’re considering of changing a smaller, older TV, then don’t low cost this 48-incher. Its minimal bezel would possibly properly imply that it comes up rather a lot smaller than you assume.
The 62 x 107 x 28cm dimensions (together with the toes) won’t imply an enormous quantity on paper however what it actually quantities to is the type of dimension and form that may work in virtually any residence. The ice-skate toes are easy to suit and require simply 78cm of sideboard or shelf to face on.
Across the again you’ll discover kind of all the things you possibly can want in the best way of ports. There are two HDMI 2.1-rated sockets, two HDMI 2.0s, three USBs, optical out and a headphones socket in case you’d somewhat go hard-wired as an alternative of Bluetooth (which additionally options).
These much less conversant in Philips TVs could marvel what the 4 backwards-facing strips of LED lights across the fringe of the rear are all about. That is Philips’s well-known four-sided Ambilight system. The LEDs change color to match the image on-screen and assist make for a extra atmospheric and cinematic expertise. It may appear a bit gimmicky at first, however flip it off and also you’ll miss it.
Masterminding the expertise, each of Ambilight and all the things else that this TV can do, is the second era Philips P5 AI Good Image engine. It’s full of picture processing expertise for sharpening, noise filtering, distinction and light-weight boosting, movement, upscaling and even including an HDR impact to SDR supply materials.
Not all of those are a good suggestion for the absolute best image however they definitely present loads of choices. The P5 additionally brings the power to detect and boring any static pictures simply in case you’re involved about OLED burn-in points.
The final piece of infrastructure that you’ll want to find out about is the distant management. It’s typical Philips fare – fully-featured, neatly completed in metallic and Muirhead leather-based, and doubtless a contact extra difficult than it must be.
Options
It’s a selection between Philips, LG and Sony so far as 48-inch OLED TVs go, and this Philips makes a superb case for itself as the one one of many three that helps each the Dolby Imaginative and prescient and HDR10+ dynamic HDR requirements. Positive, Dolby Imaginative and prescient seems to be just like the one to face the take a look at of time on the minute, however there’s nonetheless loads of HDR10+ content material on the market – and why ought to consumers of a premium OLED TV should make the selection?
This yr, Philips has additionally thrown HDR10+ Adaptive into the combo. It makes use of the TV’s mild sensor to robotically select the most effective brightness settings whereas watching HDR10+ materials, in keeping with your ambient mild situations. Oddly, the equal tech on the Dolby Imaginative and prescient aspect, Dolby Imaginative and prescient IQ, is just not included, however the set will nonetheless adapt Dolby Imaginative and prescient content material to ambient lighting situations utilizing Philips’s personal tech.
At the moment, and particularly at this useful, second-screen dimension, gaming options really feel extra crucial and, in contrast to Sony’s equal, the Sony KD-48A9, you’ll discover that the Philips OLED806 is totally stocked right here. There are two 48Gbps HDMI 2.1 ports with help for VRR, ALLM and 4K@120Hz. Enter lag, in the meantime, measures round 14ms.
One factor to remember is that one of many two HDMI 2.1 sockets can also be the one which handles eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel), which signifies that you probably have two HDMI 2.1 sources (an Xbox Sequence X and PS5 or a high-end gaming PC), you’re not additionally going to have the ability to ship sound through eARC to a soundbar or AV amplifier. It is a limitation of all TVs that we’ve examined which have two HDMI 2.1 sockets and, in contrast to these others, Philips does considerably mitigate the difficulty by supporting normal ARC through its different three HDMI sockets. This received’t get you lossless, TrueHD Dolby Atmos, however it would get you Atmos within the Dolby Digital+ format, and we doubt that many will hear a lot of a distinction.
Effectively appointed for gaming although the Philips OLED806 is, the LG C1 is much more so, with a set of 4 HDMI 2.1 sockets and help for 4K@120Hz with Dolby Imaginative and prescient enabled (the Philips faucets out at 60Hz with Dolby Imaginative and prescient content material).
Philips 48OLED806 tech specs
Display screen sort OLED
Decision 4K
Working system Android TV 10
HDR codecs HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Imaginative and prescient, HLG
HDMI x4 (HDMI 2.1 x2)
4K@120Hz Sure
VRR Sure
ALLM Sure
ARC/eARC eARC
Optical out Sure
One other main differentiator for these sensibly small units is the working system and accompanying consumer expertise and app choice. With the most effective will, we’d should put Philips on the backside of the deck on this division. LG has its bespoke, simple to make use of and sensibly designed webOS and Sony has Google TV. Philips has a mix of Android TV 10 with Freeview Play and its personal set of menus lobbed on high. It’s not precisely homogeneous in appear and feel, nevertheless it works simply tremendous when you get used to it.
In equity to Philips, Sony’s method isn’t streets forward both, but when usability is excessive up your checklist you would possibly need to go along with the LG. The opposite factor that LG does properly is preserve its firmware comparatively bug-free and definitely updated. Philips’s monitor document isn’t nearly as good on this entrance and we’ve had hassle with issues corresponding to updates for the distant management software program with Philips units previously. That mentioned, it’s value noting that we’ve got completely no software program complaints for the Philips 48OLED806 in anyway throughout our overview time.
On the plus aspect, Philips’s blended OS method means virtually complete protection in the case of apps and providers. All of the UK catch-ups are there, Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+ are all out there in high quality for sound and imaginative and prescient, and the one vital next-tier app absences are Now and Sky Retailer.
Do you have to discover it’s lacking anything that you just want, you’ll be able to all the time use the platform’s Chromecast operate to ship streams out of your cellphone, pill or pc straight to your OLED TV.
It’s additionally value remembering that the Philips distant is voice-enabled and, because of Google Assistant, it’s simple and efficient to seek for content material and different capabilities by merely speaking. In any case, aren’t on-screen keyboards a bit dated by now?
Image
When you’re searching for the massive purpose to purchase the Philips 48-inch OLED TV over the opposite two main gamers, then that is it: its image efficiency is just the most effective. Sharper and extra refined in its use of sunshine, it simply feels a step above.
In earlier years, Philips has employed somewhat heavy-handed element enhancers to create a formidable however barely synthetic really feel of sharpness. This time we discover we don’t want them in any respect. Watching Deadpool in 4K HDR, there are some fabulous textures on present with out them switched on. As ever, close-up pictures of the actors are a very good take a look at. Wade Wilson’s brief shaved hair and matching stubble look as when you may attain out and strike a match on them.
What’s much more spectacular is how three-dimensionally the anti-hero is rendered in comparison with the identical scene on the opposite units. The tough spotlighting within the dingy Sister Margaret’s dive bar can look clumsy and blunt however Philips’ image processing is ready to recognise the scene for what it’s and shade Wilson’s face accordingly.
This difficult mixture of tremendous element and cautious shading creates a greater really feel for each scene than most TVs can handle. The picture seems to be crisp however nonetheless stable and pure with a plausible depth of area that brings you nearer to the motion.
It is value stating that getting an image this good takes a little bit of effort. Don’t be afraid to lean closely on the OLED Distinction, Gentle Enhance and HDR Good filters to up the image punch with HDR materials. In any other case, most processing will be minimised or switched off.
We’re notably happy to notice Philips’s granular method to movement processing, which now kind of matches what you’ll discover on LG and Samsung TVs. If you wish to select from the presets, Pure Cinema or Film are the most effective choices however higher is to go along with the Private possibility the place you’ll be able to ramp up the de-blur and discover the fitting place with the de-judder slider set someplace south of midway. The top result’s the most effective movement processing we’ve seen but on a Philips TV. Sony continues to be king on this entrance however the hole is closing.
Watching the JJ Abrams Star Trek in HD on Blu-ray, Dwelling Cinema mode appears like the most effective of the image presets, nevertheless it does nonetheless want tweaking. Regulate the movement processing as above, take down the sunshine and HDR boosters, and also you’re a lot of the approach there. We’d additionally suggest pulling again on sharpness to minimise any noise distraction within the image.
The opening pictures of house are awe-inspiring, with the depths of the darkness usually OLED-black, however there may be additionally some respectable shadow element as the enormous Romulan ship, Narada, sails previous.
Upscaling is carried out with consummate ease. Whereas the image is, after all, not as sharp as real 4K, this TV definitely does an excellent impression. You possibly can nonetheless virtually scent Captain Robau’s worry in close-up as he’s summoned onboard the enemy vessel and the sweat begins to pool round his pores.
Color clever, the efficiency is simply as spectacular. Whether or not at 4K or HD, this 806 captures what appears like a real model of every shade. The classic cherry purple Corvette that the younger Kirk joyrides, the inexperienced of the crops within the fields that he flies by and the dusty roads he speeds down appear typical of a small city Iowa countryside of the not too distant future.
Even down at SD, color accuracy manages to carry. Watching the Seventies-looking The Girl in The Van, Alan Bennett’s mustard jacket and the Camden road partitions are illustrated in distinct and plausible shades.
DVDs corresponding to this are a surprisingly easy watch, regardless of the shortage of native element. There are few tough edges and, though the image may be very mushy in comparison with larger decision, we’re completely joyful to absorb scene after scene till we discover that a lot of the movie is finished.
Sound
There’s nothing notably groundbreaking in regards to the sound expertise constructed into this TV, however the easy, rear-facing 2.1ch, 50W, three-speaker system does a really respectable job, notably at this small panel dimension. There’s not thus far for the sound to journey across the again of the display earlier than it heads out into your room and the outcomes are an audio presentation that does the job fairly respectably.
Of the sound presets, it’s greatest to stay to Authentic, or AI mode when you’re joyful in your set to make its personal decisions relying on what sort of content material you’re utilizing, whether or not that’s music, movies, TV, sports activities or anything.
Film mode is the one different one value contemplating for common viewing. The encompass virtualiser does a superb job of jetting the consequences approach out to the aspect of our house as we watch Star Trek. The futuristic visitors cop’s bike appears to zoom proper spherical the sting of our room as he chases the younger James Tiberious Kirk off the nation roads and into the corn fields.
The draw back is that voices and music sink into the background, so it will not go well with all tastes or content material. Every so often, although, the sacrifice is value making for a extra cinematic expertise.
All the identical, if that’s what you actually need, then a soundbar would actually do that set some sonic justice. This Philips can detect and move via Dolby Atmos content material down its eARC/ARC sockets, making one thing corresponding to one of many Sonos soundbars a very sensible choice.
By itself the Philips audio set-up treads a good line of tonal stability. It’s not blessed with the type of agility to provide a lot in the best way of affect when the alien craft unleashes its clustering photon torpedoes within the opening house battle. There’s little to the explosions as they collide with the Starfleet vessel’s hull nor any specific crackle because the fires escape on board the USS Kelvin in these sonically busy scenes, however when the motion drops again there’s sufficient below the hood for some element and dynamism.
The turbo elevate doorways sound correct as they slide open and closed, there’s loads of bleeps and cheeps from the ship’s pc properly positioned into the soundstage and there’s a really respectable sense of ambiance as Captain Robau is led via the echoey Romulan ship.
Even with out the encompass virtualiser, there’s some clear route to the phasers firing in any respect angles in the course of the battle scene too. Whereas the sound is extra centred across the panel it does undertaking a way out to the edges and in direction of our seating place.
For the subsequent degree up for sound, the Sony A9 could be the best way to go along with its sound-from-picture expertise. Whereas weight received’t be significantly improved, it edges the Philips for readability, notably in the case of voices.
Regardless of its imperfections, although, the OLED806 nonetheless covers the fundamentals fairly properly. It commits no main audio crimes and may nonetheless convey the emotion in Michael Giacchino’s glorious rating when it counts. It’s true lump-in-the-throat stuff as George Kirk steers his ship in direction of oblivion, listening over comms to the primary moments of lifetime of a son he’ll by no means get to satisfy.
Verdict
The Philips 48OLED806 might not be the best to make use of nor does it have the perfect sound. Nevertheless, the image efficiency on this small-sized set is sort of one thing else. Head and shoulders above the remainder, it’s the most effective available on the market for the time being for these after a premium TV with a extra manageable footprint.
Pair it with an exterior sound system and also you’ve acquired an AV power to be reckoned with, whether or not for watching movies or enjoying video games. That is the one to look at.
SCORES
- Image 5
- Sound 4
- Options 5
MORE:
Learn our Sony KD-48A9 overview
Learn our ideas on the LG OLED48CX
Additionally take into account the Sony KD-49XH9505
The most effective TVs below £1000: 4K, HDR and price range TVs