With the 55PUS8303, Philips promises a razor-sharp image with lifelike labels, complimented by Philips Ambilight. Can Philips deliver on this promise? You can read it in this Philips 55PUS8303/12 review.
Philips 55PUS8303/12
Price889 euros
Screen type
HD LED
Screen diagonal
55 inches, 139 cm
Resolution
3840x2160
HDR
HDR10, HLG standards
Frame rate
60Hz
Connectivity 4 x HDMI, 2 x USB, WiFi, IEC75 antenna, Ethernet LAN, optical out, CI+, headphone in, audio L/R in, HDMI-ARC, HDCP2.2
Smart TV
Android TV
Website
www.philips.nl
To buy
Kieskeurig.nl 8 Score 80
- Pros
- Excellent image processing
- Color rendering
- HDR
- Ambilight
- Negatives
- Sound quality
- Moderate contrast
The Philips design catches the eye due to the use of a light metal frame and a partially transparent plastic base. The gently rounded corners and beautiful materials exude a modest luxury.
Connections
The television is equipped with four HDMI connections, two of which are located on the side and two on the back. If you want to connect an Ultra HD HDR source, use the HDMI 3 and -4 input, and switch it to UHD 4:4:4 via the menus for the best image quality. On the side we also find two USB inputs and the headphone jack. It is equipped with a wired and wireless network connection. Bluetooth is also available, but you can only use it for gamepads and keyboards, not for audio.
Image quality
Whether you connect a DVD player, Blu-ray player, game console or digital TV set-top box, this Philips neatly converts all sources to Ultra HD resolution so that you can enjoy the best possible detail and excellent image sharpness. The screen has a lot of sharpness in motion - you hardly lose any detail and the motion interpolation provides beautiful, smooth images - that's why we prefer the 'standard' position for the 'motion style' setting.
The 55PUS8303 uses an IPS panel. This provides a moderate contrast that you can slightly improve with the Dynamic Contrast setting. The screen does have a good viewing angle, good brightness, and excellent colors, making it a great family TV. The calibration is decent, but leaves the color reproduction a bit too dark, and the grayscale has a slightly red tint.
HDR
This television is compatible with HDR10 and HLG standards. The NanoColor technology provides a wider color range than the competition, and Philips couples that with a high brightness that scores just below our limit of 500 nits. The Films HDR image mode is also well calibrated, so that you can enjoy an excellent HDR display. With the HDR Premium setting, you can choose between a slightly brighter image or better white detail.
Smart TV
This television is equipped with a complete tuner set for DVB-T2 (antenna), DVB-C (cable) and DVB-S2 (satellite). If you want, you can record video to an external USB hard drive. A solid media player that supports all modern music and video formats (including subtitles) is also present in this Philips TV.
Philips uses Google's Android TV. It provides a good user experience, but has to give way to the solutions from LG and Samsung that use a better and clearer structure. The built-in Chromecast makes it easy to play video or music from your smartphone on TV. Philips complements Android TV with its own TV menu, which gives you quick access to a whole range of TV functions.
remote
The remote control is a sturdy, fairly heavy version that fits comfortably in the hand. The layout is good, and the keys are easy to press. Only the ok key can be a bit tricky. It is centrally located in the completely flat d-pad and because it has no relief, your finger can easily miss the button, so you press one of the arrow keys. On the back of the remote control we find a keyboard. Typing searches is quite easy, but recording the search query is even more convenient. Google Assistant recognizes your voice very quickly, as we are used to from the Google Home.
Ambilight
Ambilight is a unique feature of Philips televisions. Tiny LEDs on the back of the screen shine a colored light on the wall behind the television. Ambilight can make those colors move with the image on the screen, making the screen appear larger. Or you can have the colors change based on music or set it as a lounge light. This television is equipped with a three-sided Ambilight, you can also connect your Philips Hue lamps to it.
Sound quality
You won't miss a word thanks to crystal-clear dialogues, but the quality of the low tones falls below expectations. Music and movie soundtracks often sound too sharp. Other sound modes do not improve the sound. So don't set your expectations too high in this area.
Conclusion
With its 55-inch screen, the 55PUS8303/12 is a good choice if you're looking for a larger family TV. The moderate contrast is a minor drawback for heavy film fans, but the rich colors, excellent brightness and good motion sharpness are excellent for sports and everyday use. viewing pleasure.
This Philips leaves some points on the audio level. The sound is quite tinny and not very good. Furthermore, this television is well equipped, with Android TV and all required TV tuners. The excellent image quality is very nice and the screen is good enough even for HDR playback. Thanks to Ambilight, you can also bring some extra atmosphere into the living room while watching.
