Like many other brands, Philips has decided to bring to the market mid-range products while maintaining premium quality and technical features. Last year, the one TV line was introduced to the market, meeting these parameters and available in the price category.
The hero of today’s review is a 58-inch Philips 58PUS8506 TV with Ambilight support (more on it below).
Appearance and connectors
Philips 58PUS8506 is designed in a simple and calm style. The thin metal frame surrounding the screen is finished in light gray.
At the bottom, its width is 25 mm, on the top and on the sides, the edging is 19 mm thick.
The white Philips logo is discreet and barely visible – it is located at the bottom left corner. On the opposite, on the right, there is a small IR remote control panel and a joystick that allows you to switch modes and channels without using the remote.
The back panel is made of matte black plastic, the Ambilight LEDs are located on the top and sides – a proprietary Philips backlighting system.
On the left of the rear panel there is a power outlet, and on the right are all other connectors, including two HDMI 2.1, two HDMI 2.0 with four ARC audio channels and one eARC (extended audio return channel), a USB port for connecting a mouse or keyboard. The RJ-45 connector allows you to connect a wired Internet to the TV, and there are also outputs for an external audio system. Type F connector allows you to connect satellite TV, and the RF port is terrestrial.
The CAM module is located on the side next to the 3.5 mm audio output and SERV-U for service.
Philips TV supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0 wireless connection.
The entire structure of Philips 58PUS8506 consists of a screen and a laconic leg, made in the same color as the TV frame.
The leg height is 70 mm, its design allows you to install the screen both horizontally and rotate it to the left and right by 30 degrees.
There is no bracket for placing the TV on the wall, so if you want to hang the Philips 58PUS8506 yourself, keep in mind that the screen without a leg weighs 17.9 kg at a depth of 82 mm, with a leg it increases to 253 mm, and it weighs up to 21 kg.
You will need a bracket with a VESA 300 by 200 standard.
Screen
We have a 58-inch TV version on review. Screen resolution – 4K (3840 × 2160 pixels). It uses a 10-bit matrix, refresh rate – 60 Hz, brightness – 400 nits, contrast ratios – 1600: 1.
High image quality is due to the use of Direct LED backlighting, which, in addition to high brightness, provides the picture with no glare and uniform glow. True, there are also disadvantages – this technology is power hungry.
Dynamic range content is available thanks to support for HDR10, HDR10 +, HLG and Dolby Vision (the latter is used in the premium segment).
Specifications and software
In keeping with the tradition of yesteryear, Philips uses the P5 Perfect Picture Engine in the 58PUS8506. It ensures the image is correctly scaled and handles compression noise. In dynamic scenes, the picture is smooth, and the color rendition boasts a wide range.
The software is Android TV 10 with Chromecast Built-in support and Google voice control. The latter will help you with searching and selecting content without typing letters on the remote control.
With 16GB of storage, you can enjoy your Philips TV collection and any available downloadable apps from the Play Market. Now you will not surprise anyone with the support of all popular streaming services, but nevertheless Philips 58PUS8506 supports Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Spotify, Okko, Kinopoisk, Yandex.Music, ivi.
In addition to the above, the model has the ability to record video from digital TV to a hard drive. Just like in childhood, but not on a videotape.
Remote controller
An interesting twist, throwing us back a decade, is the use of IrDA rather than Bluetooth in the remote control. What caused this decision by Philips is an open question. In general, the design of the remote control is a relic of the past. It is large and thick, although I liked the beveled design feature.
On the remote control there is a well-known, painfully in the heart, a set of keys. Power button, buttons for connecting to streaming services, button for connecting to Philips TV collection, D-pad with control keys and digital dial.
There is a microphone on top for controlling the voice assistant. To turn it on, you need to press the button located immediately below the microphone.
Sound
Philips 58PUS8506 has standard 10W full range speakers for audio output. They are located at the bottom of the screen.
Of the features, it is worth noting support for a 5-band equalizer and Clear Dialogue technology. The latter is aimed at improving the sound quality of speech in programs and films.
Also Philips 58PUS8506 has an auto volume control function.
Sound quality is standard, not comparable to a full-fledged external audio system, but it would also be strange to demand this from the built-in speakers of the TV.
Ambilight
If you’re not already familiar with the Philips TV brand, Ambilight technology consists of LEDs located around the perimeter of the screen at the back. Image quality and perception are enhanced by the LEDs projecting color from the edges of the screen onto the wall.
Several operating modes of the function are available in the settings.
You can choose to display the backlight to match the video sequence or to the beat of the sound, adjust the brightness and intensity. You can also use Ambilight as an additional light source in stand-alone TV mode. If you are using Philips Hue smart bulbs, you can also sync them with the Philips 58PUS8506.
Among other things, a glow in the form of a country flag is available in the settings.
Ambilight is definitely a cool technology that really expands the boundaries of picture perception. At first you admire and wonder, and then you get used to it and watch the movie as if there were no other interior items around.
Review
Philips 58PUS8506 is a good option in the segment of the balance of price and quality. It has its advantages, such as a large diagonal, a good OS, various nice features, as well as an interesting Ambilight backlight technology. But some solutions raise questions, such as the 60Hz refresh rate or the infrared remote control, which seem irrelevant in 2021.
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