With the launch of the Philips 55PUS7008/12 TV, we see the company aiming to once again become one of the leaders in the low-cost 4K TV category. Targeting the market of such TVs, this 7008 series product offers several interesting features at a reasonable price. The TV has a tuner, an operating system from Philips, a set of HDR standards, Ultra HD resolution and various functions necessary for the universal use of the TV.
How does the entry-level Philips 55PUS7008 UHD TV in the UHD category live up to its price? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the 2023 PUS70 series? Is it worth buying Philips 55PUS7008? We will try to answer these and other questions in our review of the Philips 55PUS7008 UHD HDR using the example of a 55-inch model.
Philips PUS7008 review
Design
At first glance, the Philips PUS7008 TV has a very attractive and, at the same time, minimalistic appearance. The premium look of the front panel is a positive differentiator among TVs in this category. On the other hand, its thickness in the lower part is quite considerable.
It is almost 9 centimeters. It appears that the company has not been able to achieve the same level of thinner thickness as its competitors. The stand consists of two legs, which are located closer to the edges of the television panel. If you wish, it is possible to hang this TV on the wall.
To do this, you will need a VESA 200 X 100 wall mount (for a 55-inch diagonal). In addition to the TV and stand, the package includes a quick start guide, power cord, remote control with two AAA batteries, and a safety information brochure.
Equipment
The Philips 55PUS7008 remote control has several buttons that allow users to access the TV’s functions. This control is lightweight but very bulky. It’s made of plastic, which makes it feel more fragile than you’d expect from a TV in this category.
Philips PUS7008 remote
The advantage of this remote control is that it has direct access to Netflix and YouTube. On the other hand, it’s not much compared to what you see in the streaming device controls. The remote control uses two AAA batteries to power it.
As for the availability of voice commands, the TV is compatible with voice assistants such as Alexa and Google Home. The main difference between the Philips 55PUS7008/12 TV is its own New Philips Smart TV operating system, which is capable of interacting with SimplyShare technology.
Unfortunately, this operating system does not have a large number of service options and media libraries. In practice, this means that users more focused on this on-demand content format will have limited options.
Sound quality
The sound quality is somewhat inferior to competitors in the same price category. This is because the 55PUS7008 TV has two stereo speakers. The power of each of them is 8 W, and not 10 W, like most TVs in this price category. However, this is not such a big minus.
After all, surround sound mainly depends not on the power reserve, but on the number of channels. A system with a 2.0 sound design is usually sufficient for watching everyday TV shows. At the same time, dialogues can be heard clearly. However, such systems usually do not have woofers.
Unlike more expensive models, the PUS7008 TV does not support Dolby Atmos . The device has Dolby Digital MS12 technology. Among the functions responsible for sound, there is Dolby Bass Enhancement, AI sound, Dolby Volume Leveler. There is also an AI equalizer. Fans of music and movies with multi-channel sound are recommended to get a home theater system or soundbar.
Image quality
The Philips 55PUS7008 TV has a 55-inch screen (there are also larger options, such as 65 inches), with 4K resolution and DLED backlighting. This type of backlight, also known as Direct LED, allows the screen to light up in certain areas. This has a good effect on the uniformity of image illumination.
However, it is important to emphasize that this does not affect the final image quality, which depends on other factors. The TV is equipped with an IPS matrix , which is famous for reproducing realistic colors and has wide viewing angles. However, this matrix also has its disadvantages. The main disadvantage is the weak contrast ratio.
This drawback most often occurs when viewing content in a dark room. As for HDR, the Philips PUS7008 TV is equipped with standards such as HDR10, HLG and HDR10 + . But here, too, not everything is so simple. The peak brightness of such TVs usually does not exceed 300 nits. This value is not enough for full viewing of HDR content.
On the other hand, this brightness is quite enough for viewing SDR content. In other words, HDR content appears almost exactly the same as SDR on this TV. Despite the presence of direct backlight, the PUS 7008 TV does not have local dimming. As a result, a slight bloom can be observed in some scenes.
This is most often noticeable when white subtitles appear on a black background. The screen has a native refresh rate of 60 fps. This frequency is quite enough for watching movies. The lack of 120 fps becomes especially noticeable when playing modern computer games that can be played at 4K@120 fps. In general, the image of the 7008 TV looks very good, if you don’t expect anything supernatural from it.
Connections
The 7008 patch panel has 3 HDMI 2.0 inputs. Connector number 1 is equipped with an ARC option . This TV also offers other connectivity options such as two USB 2.0 inputs, antenna inputs and CI+ 1.4 for receiving pay-per-view channels. Wireless connections include Wi-Fi.
Conclusion
The Philips PUS7008 is suitable for everyone who needs an entry-level smart TV. The main attention is paid to such a parameter as the ratio of price to quality. This price is reasonable for the features it provides and for a 4K TV.
The New Philips Smart TV operating system is a slight drawback because it doesn’t have as many services. This 7008 series TV would have been much better if Philips had opted for a more popular system like Android TV, which other brands use in their entry-level 4K TVs.
The TV also lacks some features such as Chromecast or Airplay 2 . So if the TV suits your needs and is attractively priced, it’s a good buy for everyday use. Otherwise, you should pay attention to a more expensive model.