Its picture quality, meanwhile, takes a relatively aggressive approach that will win it many fans in both crowded electronics stores and living rooms – yet it also carries modes able to give you a more accurate picture if that’s your bag. Even its sound is way more powerful than that of most rivals. Philips has released something called the Philips Hue Play Gradient Light Strip, which comes in sizes for 55-inch, 65-inch, and 75-inch TVs. It effectively replicates three-sided Ambilight – though not four, which is apparently to prevent odd reflection off TV stands or soundbars by non-Philips manufacturers. The size of the soundstage the 65OLED937 can produce, for starters, is both bigger and, more importantly, more accurately defined than that of its predecessor. This is especially noticeable when it comes to height/vertical effects in a Dolby Atmos mix, but the whole soundstage has a more effective, accurate, three-dimensional and immersive presence. We also didn’t get on with the new Ambient AI modes, especially in the way they tend to make pictures look excessively dark, leading to a loss of shadow detail, if you’re watching the TV in a dark room. So you should turn these off.

The new generation of the P5 processor extends its AI-based content classification feature with a new Auto Film mode, and there’s also a new Ambient Intelligence features that applies sophisticated machine learning techniques to adjusting various aspects of the picture in response to ambient light conditions. Compatibility depends on Wi-Fi Miracast certification and Android 4.2 or later. For more details please refer to your device documentation. The 65OLED937 handles bass better than its predecessor too. Low-frequency sounds reach deeper, sound smoother, and enjoy more frequency variation and responsiveness, while also avoiding significant phutting and buzzing issues with even the most demanding of movie basslines. How B&W has managed to get so much bass from the 65OLED937’s external speaker enclosure without using an external subwoofer is beyond us. Especially as the bass is delivered without feeling dislocated from or impinging on the audio system’s impressively open and dynamic mid-range. The 65OLED937’s HDR support is excellent. As well as the now de rigueur HDR10 and HLG, it caters for both of the ‘premium’ HDR10+ and Dolby Vision formats, with their extra scene-by-scene picture data. This means, simply, that the TV will always take in the best version of any content you feed it. If only all TV brands would take such an apolitical, consumer-friendly stance on the HDR experience.

Philips can hardly be accused of failing to provide enough set up features, though, to help pretty much any buyer get the picture looking exactly as they want it to look. Driving this new grade of panel, meanwhile, is a new version of Philips’ P5 picture engine. Previous generations of this system, which applies dozens of separate processing elements to five core picture elements (contrast, colour, motion, sharpness and source detection) have already eked out levels of peak brightness that have eluded OLED rivals. In combination with the OLED EX panel, it's quite a spectacle. Smart TV app availability varies per TV model and country. For more details please visit: www.philips.com/smarttv.

Even LG’s gorgeous G2 series, which also uses the new EX panel and a heatsink element, doesn’t seem to push quite as far in brightness terms as the 65OLED937 – at least when it comes to classic bright HDR highlights such as glints of sunlight reflecting off metal or glass. We could spend a good few thousand words next on the myriad picture adjustments provided within Philips convoluted menu system. It really does feel like Philips has given you control over, well, everything. For the sake of everyone’s sanity, though, we’ll limit ourselves to saying that while enthusiasts may embrace and enjoy exploring the huge range of adjustments the 55OLED807 carries, it can all be a bit intimidating to more regular folk. Voices are clean, clear and well-contextualised at all times, avoiding the ‘hummy’ feeling with deep male voices or the shrillness with high-pitched female voices that so many TV sound systems suffer with. However, please note that the 48-inch OLED807 won't be able to match the same highs as this, because the panel can't get as bright at this size (it's the same for all 48-inch OLEDs) – this brightness applies to the 55-inch, 65-inch and 77-inch models. The P5 processor also wastes no time in making use of the EX panel’s higher brightness when it comes to colour. Philips can usually be depended upon to deliver some of the TV world’s most potent, vibrant colour scapes, at least when using out-of-the-box picture presets, and this is true of the 65OLED937 – but turned up to 11.

Measurements

It’s well-populated with content these days, too, with the likes of Apple TV Plus, Disney Plus, Prime Video, and Netflix all present and correct. It’s still missing the catch-up services for one or two of the UK’s main terrestrial broadcasters, but Philips has covered that by also equipping the OLED807 with the Freeview Play app, which brings all the UK’s catch-up apps together into one easy overall interface. Energy consumption in kWh per year based on the power consumption of the television operating 4 hours per day for 365 days. The actual energy consumption will depend on how the television is used. The OLED807’s smart features are provided by Android TV - the 11th generation of Android TV to be precise. This version of Android TV is far superior to any previous version in its presentation, stability and features, displaying a much greater understanding of how to deliver an interface that’s suited to TVs rather than personal smart devices. It’s still a little dictatorial and low on customisation options, but at least it no longer feels like it was designed to actively put you off using it.

You get Android TV as your smart software here, but note that it isn't Google TV – unlike Sony, Philips hasn't moved on yet. This is disappointing in terms of usability (Google TV is superior to Android TV for ease of use), but when it comes to how comprehensive the streaming support is there's little to criticise here. So, does the Philips 65-inch OLED807 offer up the image quality goods to compete as an ‘A’ brand in today’s TV market? Let’s find out… Immerse in legendary and exclusive titles from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic available on Philips Android TVs. Fans though we typically are of Bowers & Wilkins products, be they hi-fi speakers or Philips TV audio systems, we didn’t fully warm to the sound of the OLED937’s predecessor. Despite it also sporting an external multi-channel speaker enclosure, something about its sound left us feeling a little cold. Especially when you’re talking about a TV that commands quite a price premium over OLED TVs that don’t feature such high-falutin’ integrated audio. A new Aurora feature even lets you combine Ambilight with a selection of ‘screen saver’ videos and images, ensuring that your TV could remain an attractive centrepiece to your living room even when you’re not actually watching it… assuming you don't mind the extra energy use.Philips’ new Ambient AI feature is a bit of a letdown too, chiefly because it tends to leave HDR pictures too dull for comfort if you’re watching the 65OLED937 in a very dark room. You can turn the feature off, thankfully, but it feels in its current form like a missed opportunity. To put it simply, Ambilight is a proprietary TV technology exclusive to Philips TVs, and in a saturated market full of near-identical goggle boxes, it really does help Philips stand out from the crowd. Ambilight is essentially the inclusion of an LED array around the side of a television, which projects color onto the wall behind a TV. Thanks to its combination of a beautiful metallic finish, super-thin panel design, external speaker enclosure (complete with Bowers & Wilkins’ distinctive ‘tweeter on top’) and a new and improved, four-sided version of Philips’ Ambilight technology, the 65OLED937 is arguably the most dramatic-looking ‘mainstream’ TV around today. It feels, too, as if some of the provided picture tweaks can work against each other. For instance, running the Advanced HDR Tone Mapping feature in conjunction with the Maximum HDR Perfect setting can cause dark scenes to start to look a bit unstable.

Being able to deliver more native brightness means, too, that there’s a wider range of natural looking tones in the brightest parts of HDR images, as well as reducing the potential for clipping (lost shading) in peak light areas. We are reviewing the 65-inch OLED807 in this review, which is almost identical to the 48-inch previously reviewed, just with a slightly different panel, but performance was very similar indeed. As such most of the points made with regards to the 48-inch are the same for the 65-inch model. Happily, the 65OLED937 sees – or rather, hears – B&W delivering significant improvements that lift the new set’s sound into truly five-star territory. Not every Ambilight TV is made the same, though. Low-end models have two-sided Ambilight, meaning colour emanates from the left and right of the TV. Mid-spec models have three-sided Ambilight, with LEDs pointing upwards too. Some very premium models, like the 2020 flagship OLED+935, now come with four-sided Ambilight, meaning the LEDs glow from the bottom edge of the set too.

Scores

Disney+ subscription required. Subject to terms at https://www.disneyplus.com (c) 2020 Disney and its related entities. Disney+ is available in selected languages and countries. Keep in mind, though: a company called Funai owns the Philips license in the US, meaning you won't get anything like Ambilight. But for those in the UK and Europe, with an eye on an Ambilight TV, this is the guide you need. Should I buy a Philips Ambilight TV? Panel uniformity is very good on the Philips 65OLED807 with no signs of dirty screen effect or banding on brighter patterns. A 5% grey slide held up well with just some mild banding seen in very dark surroundings, however, this is not seen within actual viewing content, even in dark scenes in dim viewing surroundings. We also didn’t encounter any vignetting to the edges of the panel. This television contains lead only in certain parts or components where no technology alternatives exist in accordance with existing exemption clauses under the RoHS Directive. The set also carries a Dolby Vision Game mode (though this only supports DV up to 60Hz, not 120Hz like LG's OLEDs), and provided you select its Monitor setting the OLED807 can deliver 4K 120Hz without suffering the half vertical resolution issue that has affected some premium Philips TVs.