Sick of being the person all your mates go to for tech help? Tongue-tied after rattling off a load of TV model numbers and HDR standard differences?
Philips wants to take the pain out of buying a new television with its new all-killer, no-filler LCD screen, Philips The One. Taking direct aim at the mid-range of the market, we had a very brief look at the screen at a hands-on event in Amsterdam this week. Here are our very early first-look impressions.
A new range of 4K LCD screens set to be available in 43, 50, 55, 58 65 and 70-inch sizes, The One (7304 Performance Series) is what Martijn Smelt, CMO Philips TV & Audio Europe, reckons will be “the TV you will recommend to a friend” – and you can see why. From where it’s set to be positioned price-wise to its simplified naming convention, Philips is looking to cut through the noise of the TV market with a demystifying set that ticks many of the boxes your average consumer is after.
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So, for starters, you’ve got all the leading HDR standards catered for in the shape of HDR 10+, HLG and Dolby Vision, while the overhead audio standard Dolby Atmos is also supported. Note though that it'll be downmixed to Philips own built-in 20W soundsystem, unless you're outputting to a full Dolby Atmos speaker package.
Voice assistant support is ticked off in the shape of Google Assistant, with voice control enabled throughout the Philips The One Android TV interface. Alexa commands will also be supported.
Movie shortcuts
With video-on-demand content central to viewing habits, the remote control has a dedicated Netflix button and one for the Rakuten TV movie rental platform, which continues to grow in popularity in Philips’ native European market.
In terms of design, the screens are framed by an attractive (if notably present) silver frame, with a centrally-mounted stand for those opting not to wall-mount the television. Picture processing is handled by Philips' latest P5 Picture Perfect Engine, while its immersive Ambilight 3 lighting tech, which sees the screen beam colors matching the on-screen action onto the walls around the TV, is also included.
Philips has yet to reveal pricing or a release date for the the 7304 Performance Series, but it's aiming this at the mid-market consumer, and so it shouldn’t break the bank despite the sizeable spec sheet.
(Note that TP Vision doesn't distribute its Philips TVs, like The One, in the US – the sets you'd find Stateside are Funai TVs with Philips branding, and are quite different).
It's an interesting statement of intent for Philips, looking to take a chunk out of the lucrative middle end of the market with some simple branding and a spec sheet that speaks for itself. We look forward to seeing more of The One later on this year – expect more news on the set at some point around May.
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