Philips 650LED809

A great mid-range TV designed for the masses

If you don't care about getting the next-generation Micro Lens Array or QD-OLED screen tech that is all the rage at the top end of the market, this Philips OLED is well worth considering as the entry-level option in the company's top line of TVs.

The 65in Philips OLED809 we test here retails for £2099; by comparison its direct rival, the 65in LG C4, costs £2250.

The 809 doesn't rock the boat with its design. The TV looks a lot like the previous generation Philips OLED808.

Ambilight, a bias lighting feature unique to Philips, is present in the three-sided, less refined variant compared with the Ambilight Plus of the Philips OLED959+ and four-sided set-up seen on the OLED909. That aside, every version has the same goal: to reduce eye strain when watching TV and make the screen feel larger and more immersive by matching the ambient conditions the set is playing in with what's being shown on screen. For example, if you are watching football, Ambilight will show hues of green, reflecting the colour of the pitch.

The new "Ambilight Intelligence V3" uses the new 8th Gen P5 AI processor's improved processing prowess to try to intelligently optimise Ambilight's settings and output based on ambient light levels to improve HDR performance, even when watching in very bright conditions.

HDR support is solid, with HDR10+ Adaptive and Dolby Vision. There is also CalMAN calibration, IMAX Enhanced and Filmmaker modes, making it one of the most flexible sets in its price bracket for HDR standard support and film settings.

The TV's gaming powers are also competitive, with a GameBar menu for adjusting the TV's options on the fly, plus Dolby Vision Game, VRR, ALLM, HGIG, FreeSync Premium and G-Sync support so all the bells and whistles you need to run a PS5 or Xbox Series X/S at full speed.