Philips 65OLED806 £2299
Philips has built on its previous Awards successes in deeply impressive fashion. The OLED806 is the replacement for 2020’s Award-winning OLED805 and, perhaps unsurprisingly, doesn’t differ much in terms of design. Viewed straight on, it’s the same combination of pitch black screen surrounded by very thin black bezels and an even thinner silver accent.
Viewed from the side, the Philips has the usual combination of super-slim panel section and thicker plastic enclosure that houses the connections, processing hardware and speakers, ringed by coloured LEDS for the four-sided Ambilight system.
While the OLED805 was lacking in HDMI 2.1 sockets; the OLED806 has two full-fat 48Gbps sockets that support 4K@120HZ, VRR and ALLM, making this a very well-specified gaming TV.
Philips’s new fifth Gen P5 chip brings enhanced AI features to this set, with the upgrade mostly focused around the intelligent identification of the content being played and the adaptation of this to ambient lighting conditions.
Meanwhile, Philips is sticking with the Android TV 10 platform for its 2021 TVS, so it is very well appointed for apps.
Our Planet on Netflix is a jaw-dropping treat on the OLED806. A raft of penguins diving beneath the icy ocean’s surface is rendered with exceptional clarity and detail, with a perfect combination of crisp definition, elegant shading that distinguishes the black-grey colouring on the birds’ backs from the deep blue-grey of the sea, and a pure, punchy way with whites. It’s a dazzling image by OLED standards, and the detail contained within its highlights combines with stunning contrast and that supreme sharpness to make the icy mountains pop from the screen. It is, in short, stunning, and made all the more so by the lovely Ambilight.
For sound, Movie mode spreads sound impressively to the sides and space above the TV. There is some slight boominess, but the general weight and heft are satisfying, and there’s surprising dynamic headroom. Movie mode does hamper the directness and projection of dialogue, but for an integrated sound solution at this level, it’s good.
The Philips OLED806 is a superb TV that performs even better than its predecessor while throwing in next-gen HDMI features. There’s not a better TV available at its price.