High dynamic range (HDR) is quickly overtaking 4K resolution as the must-have feature for new TV buyers. Philips has definitely taken notice of this, as the company has announced that all of its 2017 Ultra HD TVs will feature some form of HDR support. In an even bigger move, the company will also offer buyers a number of options with support for not only the open HDR10 standard, but Dolby Vision, and this extends to Ultra HD Blu-ray players.
Philips’ North American licensee P&F USA and Dolby announced on Thursday that Philips 6000, 7000, and 8000 series televisions, as well as its BDP7502 Ultra HD Blu-ray player, would support Dolby Vision HDR content. This makes Philips’ player unique as one of the first to offer support for Dolby Vision. This, combined with Dolby Vision built into its TVs could lead to a big year for the Philips brand.
8000 series TVs
As Philips’ flagship TV line for 2017, the 8000 series offers both the best picture and the most features. In addition to both HDR10 and Dolby Vision, the TVs in this line offer a wide color gamut, which Philips says makes them capable of reproducing 75 percent of the BT.2020 color space. This is combined with the company’s BrightPro backlight technology, which it says boosts brighter areas of the picture by as much as twice that of standard LED backlights.
Other features include 240 Perfect Motion Rate for fast-moving action scenes and sports, 4K upscaling of HD and standard definition content, and dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi with MIMO antennas. The TV packs in many standard smart TV features like streaming apps, but also features a built-in Chromecast, a platform that allows you to cast content straight to the TV.
The 8000 series TVs will be available in fall 2017 and are available in three different sizes. The 65-inch class 65PFL8922 sells for $1,700, while the 55-inch class 55PFL8922 sells for $1,200, and the 49-inch 49PFL8922 will be priced at $1,000.
7000 & 6000 series TVs
Next up is the 6000 series — yes, we’re skipping over the 7000 series, but just for a moment. This line offers many of the same picture options and features as the 8000 series: Dolby Vision, HDR10, and the BrightPro backlighting, for example. The color gamut is a little more limited and this model features 120 Perfect Motion Rate instead of 240, but the 6000 series is also much more affordable.
Looking at features, the dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi and MIMO antennas are here, but there are no Chromecast features built in. That said, the TVs in this line feature wireless screencasting. Philips has not said what technology is used, but Miracast is a safe bet. The six models in the 6000 series are available in sizes from 43-inch class to 86-inch class, priced from $650 to $7,000 for the biggest screen. The four smaller sizes will be available in spring 2017, while the two largest models are coming in the summer.
What about the 7000 series? This is a single-model series consisting of the massive 98-inch class 98PFL7902, which includes all the features and options of the 6000 series, but with 240 Perfect Motion Rate. This model will retail for $20,000 and is coming in summer 2017.
5000 & 4000 series TVs
If you’re looking for a smart TV from Philips with 4K resolution and HDR, but don’t want to shell out more money for Dolby Vision, the 5000 series is your best bet. This series features 120 Perfect Motion Rate, 4K upscaling, dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11ac with MIMO antennas. It also features the same Chromecast built-in features found in the 8000 series, so you won’t need to worry about adding a 4K streaming media player. This series will be available in April and is available in four models ranging from 43-inch class to 65-inch class, and selling from $530 to $1,200.
Finally, the 4000 series is for those who are looking for a smart TV but don’t need either 4K resolution or HDR. This series features the same Philips NetTV platform found in the above models, with apps including Netflix, YouTube, Vudu, and Pandora. The 32-inch class 32PFL4902 and 43-inch class 43PFL4902 sell for $220 and $370, respectively, and will be available in April. The 40-inch class 40PFL4901 and 50-inch class 50PFL4901 sell for $330 and $450 and are coming this month.
BDP7502 & BDP5502 Ultra HD Blu-ray players
Philips already has one Ultra HD Blu-ray player under its belt with the BDP7501, but it looks to outdo itself with the BDP7502, while the BDP5502 is one of the most affordable options yet. Both models support 4K resolution, but as mentioned above, the BDP7502 supports both HDR10 and Dolby Vision, one of the first UHD Blu-ray Players we’ve seen to do so.
The BDP7502 features built-in HEVC and VP9 decoders for playing back streaming content from Netflix and YouTube, and like many of the TVs Philips has announced, it can upscale HD and SD content to 4K. The player supports both Dolby Audio and DTS-HD Master Audio, and an HDMI 1.4a audio output joins the main HDMI 2.0a output to keep compatibility with older A/V receivers.
The BDP7502 will sell for $300, while the BDP5502 is priced at $250. These players are joined by the new BDP3502 upscaling Blu-ray player, which is priced at $100. All three players will be released in spring 2017.
Philips’ upcoming TVs and Ultra HD Blu-ray players will be on display this week at CES in Las Vegas. For more information on the upcoming products, see the Philips website.
