The Philips OLED808 may have been late to the party when it launched in October last year, but as is often the case, good things come to those who wait. Our patience was rewarded with a five-star OLED TV that impressed us when it came to both picture and sound performance.
Well, it appears patience prevails once again, as the OLED808 has dropped drastically since its launch seven months ago. If you’ve been holding your nerve and waiting for the right price to snap up this set, we think now might be the time to strike.
Right now, the 55-inch model can be yours for just £999 at Hughes – that’s a whopping £400 off the £1399 price we initially reviewed this TV at.
Serving as the step down from the flagship OLED908 in Philips’ OLED TV lineup, the OLED808 is the mid-range model in Philips’ current offering of OLED TVs. It is set to be replaced by the OLED809 later this month, which is expected to be slightly brighter and come with an updated processor, but considering the price and performance of this TV, we’re willing to bet that the OLED808 will be the better buy.
Before we get ahead of ourselves, it’s important to mention that this TV doesn’t include Freeview Play apps, meaning you won’t be able to download BBC iPlayer, Channel 4 or ITV X catch-up apps. While this is frustrating, we wouldn’t consider it a deal breaker by any means, and it can be remedied by pairing this TV with a media streamer.
The OLED808 is outfitted with an OLED EX panel that can reportedly hit 1000 nits of brightness, as well as featuring a 4K resolution, 120Hz maximum refresh rate and support for both Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10+. We praised this TV’s ability to deliver a dynamic yet balanced picture with bucketloads of contrast, crisply defined edges, and punchy colours.
Sound performance is equally impressive, with a 70W 2.1 sound system built into the TV. It might not be quite as impressive as the Bowers & Wilkins speaker system of its more expensive counterpart, but the Philips-tuned sound system delivers more bass than expected. It’s clear and dynamic too, making it a perfectly good sound system to use for everyday viewing – that being said, you could put the cash you’ve saved with this deal towards a Dolby Atmos soundbar for an even better audio experience.
Finally, this TV delivers a comprehensive set of gaming features with 4K/120Hz gaming support with VRR and ALLM on two of its four HDMI sockets. While a full suite of HDM 2.1 sockets would’ve been nice, only the most hardcore of gamers with both the PS5 and Xbox Series X will find this to be an issue.
If this OLED TV sounds appealing to you, then we’d recommend taking advantage of this excellent deal at Hughes while you still can.
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