Philips PUS8007 is a simplified adaptation of The One 2022 TVs. The line was launched three years ago and is a strong all-rounder in terms of features and performance. The PUS8007 is not the most entry-level TV, as it has Ambilight in a three-sided version.
In this way, it provides additional immersion, unlike the similar TV Philips PUS7607 without Ambilight. The Philips Pixel Precise Ultra HD quad-core processor is a simplified version of the P5 Perfect Engine that supports fewer colors. In our review of the Philips 55PUS8007 / 12 4K HDR TV, we will look at the main advantages of the new model, without forgetting the disadvantages.
Philips PUS8007 review
Design
Externally, the Philips 55PUS8007/12 TV looks very high quality, as befits the simplest of Ambilight TVs. The matte black body is made without frills, but the bezels framing the panel are quite narrow. It has a matte black body. The edges of the screen are framed by a thin frame. The legs are black pointed sticks (Peak Sticks) and provide reliable stability even for large diagonal options.
The VESA 200 x 200 wall mount required to mount the Philips 55PUS8007 TV on the wall is not included. All TV connectors go sideways or down. It is convenient for wall mounting. But only with this option, it should be taken into account that the device is rather thick (8 cm), and the Ambilight backlight works only from three sides.
Image quality
In principle, the Philips 55PUS8007 / 12 TV provides an adequate image for its money. It does not claim to compete with OLED or premium LCD models. Its task is to form a nice-looking picture with minimal hardware costs. Yes, it doesn’t have 10-bit color, it doesn’t have a wide color gamut, and its 60Hz IPS panel doesn’t have the contrast margin that VA panels do.
But overall, the colors look nice, the panel is bright enough, and the clarity is just as good. With Full HD and 4K content, the affordable PUS8007 series is ideal for big screen viewing. And we note that the Philips PUS8007 TV supports all formats of extended dynamic range, including Dolby Vision.
For an optimal combination of color saturation and realism, the Dolby Vision Vivid picture style is best suited. However, the Dolby Vision Dark style does not provide a convincing HDR effect, since the TV panel has a modest brightness. With the settings adjusted to your preference, the Philips 8007 is a pleasure to look at.
However, you can notice a certain loss of detail in the shadows, and more specifically in the darkest parts of the scene, and even in the brightest. Plus, sometimes there is a loss of clarity in dark scenes. Here, of course, one cannot do without a kind word for OLED TVs, the same Philips OLED807 , for example.
Of course, one of the determining factors when choosing a Philips PUS8007 / 12 TV will be the presence of Ambilight backlight. LED indicators on the edges of the TV light up and change color in perfect sync with the colors of what is happening on the screen or music. Moreover, even rapidly changing visual effects on the screen do not interfere with Embilight, and it changes quite quickly. There is an option to turn it off.
Smart TV
In 2022, only two Philips TVs use the Pixel Precise Ultra HD processing engine, the PUS8007 and PUS7607. Of these, only the 8007 is based on the Android TV 11 user interface, which is designated R in alphabetical order. The interface is very clear and easy to navigate.
Android 11 OS has a wide range of streaming apps, as well as support for Google Assistant, making it much easier to communicate with the Philips 55PUS8007/12 TV. In the Google Play Movies & TV store, you can view or even purchase movies and TV shows for a fee. The model has 16 GB of internal memory, which is quite good, much better than ultra-cheap competitors, which usually have 8 GB.
Android TV comes standard with a Google Cast player. If the application installed on your smartphone or tablet supports the Google Cast function, you can cast content from the application to the Philips 55PUS8007 TV screen. But there is no way to record TV shows on a USB drive. The black remote control has not changed. It is the same as PUS7906.
Game Mode
The TV also has some gaming features. First, HDMI ports 1 and 2 support VRR 46…60Hz. The low latency display mode is automatically enabled when you switch to the set-top box port. HDMI 2.1 ports can handle 4K@120 content. But 4K60 image will be transmitted to the panel due to the limitations of the panel. The main innovation of the PUS8007 is the new Game Bar, which displays the frame rate and some other gaming parameters.
Sound quality
The audio section of the 55PUS8007/12 TV is typical for models of this class. These are 2 x 10W speakers which is a 2.0 channel sound scheme. It has Dolby Atmos, but unlike its Philips PUS8517 sibling, this model lacks AI EQ, AI Sound, and other more sophisticated smart features. In both cases, the sound quality doesn’t match the picture quality and immersion they offer. We recommend getting a soundbar with a separate subwoofer, if you like to watch movies or series, it’s worth it.
Connections
The list of switching capabilities of the Philips 8007 is both extensive and quite standard. There are 4 HDMI connectors on board: 2 version 2.0 (one of them supports ARC), 2 – version 2.1. USB connectors – 2, and both versions 2.0. There are two antenna jacks for terrestrial and satellite dishes, a digital optical audio output, a common interface slot, a LAN port, and a headphone minijack. There is dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0.
Conclusion
This is a fairly cheap model for what it offers. Its strengths are good 4K picture quality with Dolby Atmos/Vision and HDR10+. Ambilight is a technology you either love or hate. The manufacturer has also improved its OS by switching from Saphi to Android, which we think is excellent.