Philips 75-inch 8265 Series 4K Android TV with Ambilight Review

Well that’s a bloody mouthful isn’t it – Philips 75-inch 8265 Series 4K Android TV with Ambilight – they sure do pack a lot into their product names. Now, this is a cracking TV for the value and when you look at the list of 75 inch TVs on the market, it stands out – literally.

Go to one of the big-name retailers like Harvey Norman and you’ll find over 20 different 75 inch TV models to choose from. The choice is epic, but so is the price range. $1295 up to $8995 so at $1995 (normally $2495) this one is in the lower end of the price scale.

Out of the box, the first thing I noticed was the sheer size – and I don’t mean the 75 inch screen. The thickness of the TV, the bezel around the screen, it’s not quite your top class modern design – but it is minimalistic and head to head with 90% of the competition, it’s spot on.

At it’s core, the 8265 from Philips is a big Android TV – and for that I love it. I’m all in on the Android/Google Operating system, and while Google TV (the newer version) is a touch better – There’s no faulting Android TV.

The implementation on this Philips is great, it’s reasonably responsive, though I will say the remote responsiveness caught me off guard a few times, pausing a show or navigating a menu not as instantaneous as I might have expected, but again – I’m coming off a $10,000 TV – so, hello, get with the program.

Picture quality is great, there’s certainly not a great level of blacks or high contrast but thanks to HDR10+ there is a little glimmer in the eye of the picture on compatible content like Netflix.

Because it’s Android TV, you’ve got a great universal search built in, and you can use Google Assistant for that – but also there’s Chromecast right out of the box.

I’m burying the lede here, you’re not choosing this TV because it’s big, or it has Android, there’s plenty of those. You’re choosing this because you like lights and colours.

Ambilight.

That’s the Philips technology which lights up the wall behind your TV with colours drawn from the picture on screen at that very second.

Of course, the TV knows what’s on screen, its lighting up the pixels, so using an array of coloured LEDs along the top, left and right of the back plate of the TV, the wall behind your TV can light up to match the picture, or the sound, or just an ambient colour of your choice.

It’s remarkable. Some people won’t like it – I get that, but once you’ve had it running for a week or so, it just becomes part of the display.

It works no matter what is on screen, a menu, an advertisment or whatever show you’re watching.

Hard to explain, and equally as hard to photograph. But here’s a crack.

If you want a more subtle colouring, you can choose a consistent colour, or for it to follow the sound not the picture. Personally, I think the technology is wasted on anything but following the picture.

For those shopping for a TV, if an Ambilight model from Philips is within cooee of your price range – do it, it’s fantastic.