Philips OLED 959 review: the pinnacle home cinema experience?

TechTvsPhilips OLED 959 review: the pinnacle home cinema experience?The peak of Philips' OLED TV range is a niche statement set with an incredible Bowers & Wilkins sound system and all-new AmbilightWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)T3 VerdictThe Philips OLED 959 is the company’s top TV – and it’s a stunner in many departments, from its freestanding design aesthetic, to its visual and audio quality it can muster. However, the practicalities of a freestanding set such as this simply won’t suit all – and the new Ambilight only features on three sides, which feels like a missed opportunity. Ultimately, the OLED 959 is a niche proposition – for those it suits it’ll be a dream, but for everyone else the OLED 909 is the more sensible option.Reasons to buy+Bright, bold and sharp picture quality is a home cinema dream+The Bowers & Wilkins integrated sound-system is impeccable+A visual statement that’ll look amazing – in particular setupsReasons to avoid-Ambilight Plus is busier than previous format – and only 3-sided here-Some motion-processing artefacts-Google TV integration isn’t greatWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.

The peak of Philips' OLED TV range is a niche statement set with an incredible Bowers & Wilkins sound system and all-new Ambilight

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(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)T3 VerdictThe Philips OLED 959 is the company’s top TV – and it’s a stunner in many departments, from its freestanding design aesthetic, to its visual and audio quality it can muster. However, the practicalities of a freestanding set such as this simply won’t suit all – and the new Ambilight only features on three sides, which feels like a missed opportunity. Ultimately, the OLED 959 is a niche proposition – for those it suits it’ll be a dream, but for everyone else the OLED 909 is the more sensible option.Reasons to buy+Bright, bold and sharp picture quality is a home cinema dream+The Bowers & Wilkins integrated sound-system is impeccable+A visual statement that’ll look amazing – in particular setupsReasons to avoid-Ambilight Plus is busier than previous format – and only 3-sided here-Some motion-processing artefacts-Google TV integration isn’t great

(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

Philips OLED 959 review

(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

T3 VerdictThe Philips OLED 959 is the company’s top TV – and it’s a stunner in many departments, from its freestanding design aesthetic, to its visual and audio quality it can muster. However, the practicalities of a freestanding set such as this simply won’t suit all – and the new Ambilight only features on three sides, which feels like a missed opportunity. Ultimately, the OLED 959 is a niche proposition – for those it suits it’ll be a dream, but for everyone else the OLED 909 is the more sensible option.Reasons to buy+Bright, bold and sharp picture quality is a home cinema dream+The Bowers & Wilkins integrated sound-system is impeccable+A visual statement that’ll look amazing – in particular setupsReasons to avoid-Ambilight Plus is busier than previous format – and only 3-sided here-Some motion-processing artefacts-Google TV integration isn’t great

T3 Verdict

The Philips OLED 959 is the company’s top TV – and it’s a stunner in many departments, from its freestanding design aesthetic, to its visual and audio quality it can muster. However, the practicalities of a freestanding set such as this simply won’t suit all – and the new Ambilight only features on three sides, which feels like a missed opportunity. Ultimately, the OLED 959 is a niche proposition – for those it suits it’ll be a dream, but for everyone else the OLED 909 is the more sensible option.

Reasons to buy+Bright, bold and sharp picture quality is a home cinema dream+The Bowers & Wilkins integrated sound-system is impeccable+A visual statement that’ll look amazing – in particular setupsReasons to avoid-Ambilight Plus is busier than previous format – and only 3-sided here-Some motion-processing artefacts-Google TV integration isn’t great

Bright, bold and sharp picture quality is a home cinema dream

The Bowers & Wilkins integrated sound-system is impeccable

A visual statement that’ll look amazing – in particular setups

Reasons to avoid-Ambilight Plus is busier than previous format – and only 3-sided here-Some motion-processing artefacts-Google TV integration isn’t great

Ambilight Plus is busier than previous format – and only 3-sided here

Some motion-processing artefacts

Google TV integration isn’t great

Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.

Philips has had a storming year, with theOLED 809andOLED 909models delivering competitively priced alternatives to the LG, Samsung and Panasonic sets also found amongthe best OLED TVsof the year. Both those Philips models are 5-star tellies.

But the brand isn’t done there: 2024 is also when the company’s top-tier, free-standing telly got a refresh – and in fine style. The Philips OLED 959, on review here, has been in my possession for a number of weeks to get the inside line on whether this niche-yet-impressive set is the best of all worlds.

The OLED 959 is the very first Philips set tointroduce Ambilight Plus– the next-generation in the company’s real-time lighting projection system, which makes images appear as if they’re bleeding beyond the screen – plus upgraded Bowers & Wilkins integrated sound system, and uprated picture processing engine.

However, with the company’s OLED 909 a largely similar viewing experience – albeit with four-sided Ambilight (the now ‘previous-gen’ version) – the free-standing nature of the OLED 959 will simply rule it out of the practicality books for most people. And, as I’ll get to, that new Ambilight system isn’t going to be to everyone’s tastes either…

Philips OLED 959 review: Price & Availability

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The Philips OLED 959 comes in one size and one size only: 65-inch. That makes sense, as its free-standing nature – the significant stand is included in the box, of course – demands it be the centrepiece of attention.

It’s priced at £3999 in the UK, not available in the USA, and the Australian website doesn’t have any mention of the set. As such this is a model aimed at the European market only – and, in the UK,available from Richer Soundsexclusively.

For context: that asking price means the OLED 959 is an additional £1,300 more than its OLED 909 cousin. And for that kind of money, you could add on one ofthe best soundbarsor surround systems and still leave with some change.

Philips OLED 959 review: Features & What’s New?

(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

Philips OLED 959 review

(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

In the upper echelons of Philips' TV line-up, the company has put out large-scale free-standing monolith sets before, most recentlythe OLED 986– which is effectively the predecessor to the 959 model on review.

There’s alsothe OLED 937, which doesn’t have the same mega-stand design element, but which does have an integrated sound system (except in soundbar-alike style) – and which could be loosely considered as the ‘lite’ precursor to the 959 TV on review here.

That’s all just for context, though, as the Philips OLED 959 is an upgrade to those older sets in many ways. Its Meta 2.0 OLED panel – that being ‘MLA’ (Micro Lens Array, complete with heat sink) – is the super-bright type that you’ll also see in thePanasonic Z95Aand some competitors. Philips has the uprated 8th Gen P5 Dual Engine AI Processor here, though, which has even more processing potential compared to the OLED 909.

(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

Philips OLED 959 review

(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

Therefore the OLED 959’s key benefits are the free-standing design, the new Ambilight format – noting the downgrade from four-sided to three-sided – and the differences with the integrated Bowers & Wilkins sound system.

Feature-wise, the general overview is otherwise an echo of the OLED 909: two of the four HDMI ports arethe 2.1 standard, with port number two being theHDMI eARC slot– not that with this kind of integrated sound system you’re likely to ever want an additional soundbarvia eARC– and support for 4K at 144Hz (a step up over the usual 120Hz maximum, which PC gamers may appreciate).

Philips OLED 959 review: Design & Setup

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(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

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Philips OLED 959 review

(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

Philips OLED 959 review

(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

Philips OLED 959 review

(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

Philips OLED 959 review

While the design section of our reviews tends to be further down the page, it’s just such an important factor with the OLED 959 that it had to be moved up. Because, as you can see from my pictures, this TV wants to be the focal point, the star of the stage, the standout feature in your room.

Actually setting up the TV itself is trickier than your average (and, believe me, setting upthe best TVsis a big part of my job). That’s because you build the stand first, then have to hoist the panel – all almost-30kgs of it – onto the upright stand before screwing it in. It’s a confident two-person job, no doubt, as any 65-inch TV ought to be, really.

As you can also see from my pictures, the OLED 959 is no slender panel either – I measure it at around 5.2cm. OLED panel types owe themselves to slimmer practicalities, of course, but this TV’s focus on delivering the best sound in addition to the best vision means a lot more width has been allocated to allow that sound system to really ring supreme.

(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

Philips OLED 959 review

(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

Once it’s hung on the stand and screwed in, the bottom edge sits 48cm-ish from the ground. To me that’s a good 22cm lower than my usual on an AV cabinet – so the set looks a little low-slung (especially in my setup, as per the photos, with the AV panel sat behind it for the majority of this test – not all the time, mind, moving things for some integral Ambilight experiments). It’ll suit some, but not all, therefore.

Whether you like the style of the OLED 959 is another factor. I think the Kvadrat fabric coatings covering the side positions (the material covers all four edges) are synonymous with audio kit – albeit, I know it best from Bang & Olufsen’s products rather more than Bowers & Wilkins. Again, it won’t be to everyone’s tastes – I like it, but each to their own.

Setting up the TV involves using the classy included remote – which on the Wi-Fi password entry screen was super laggy, no idea why, but fortunately cleared up thereafter – to dig into the Google TV settings (deciding if you will or won’t permit access for a more personalised experience).

Image1of5(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

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(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

Philips OLED 959 review

(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

Philips OLED 959 review

(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

Philips OLED 959 review

(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

Philips OLED 959 review

(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

Philips OLED 959 review

However, that Philips remote is a lovely bit of design. It features illuminating Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video buttons (in addition to a further ‘apps one). It offers access to many of the best streaming services, just not all the UK ones – although, fingers crossed, thatshouldbe coming in the future. I think the illuminating volume and channel up/down buttons as raised toggles is a great touch too.

Philips OLED 959 review: Picture Quality

(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

Philips OLED 959 review

(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

As I said further up, the Philips OLED 959’s panel is effectively the same as that of the OLED 909’s – just with some processor differences. In my experience, therefore, with Filmmaker Mode taking movie preference, the viewing experience is basically the same – and glorious indeed.

MLA brings a lot more brightness potential – not that the set will always use it (you’ll want to banish ‘Eco’ mode immediately). So while the 959 is technically brighter than many current step-down panels, you won’t necessarilyalwaysnotice it – and if the toggles for Light Level Optimisation and/or HDR Optimisation are checked then all the more so, depending on your ambient conditions.

(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

Philips OLED 959 review

(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

However, the Ambilight settings permit many adjustments, so you can more-or-less default it back to the previous-generation style. Maybe I’m too used to that and will be called out for living in the past – but that’s just my view, having lived with the set for some weeks.

But there’s no avoiding that putting this new Ambilight system onto only three sides – especially on a free-standing TV design such as this – feels like the wrong decision to me. There might be a cost-effectiveness reason there, sure, but there was also the opportunity to really show off this new system around all edges of the screen – something even the OLED 909 offers (with its non-Plus version, admittedly) – and which lacks on the bottom edge.

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Philips OLED 959 review

(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

Philips OLED 959 review

(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

Philips OLED 959 review

All of which probably reads like I’m whingeing about this TV. I see it more as fair observation – especially when its 909 cousin has continued to impress me so much. Fortunately the OLED 959 echoes all the good parts of its cousin’s image quality boons too – and it often looks absolutely amazing.

(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

Philips OLED 959 review

(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

I’ve tested the OLED 959 with all manner of media from multiple sources – including switching HDMI ports to test the same output results – whether digging intothe best streaming servicesor catching a 4K Blu-ray movie. Or even just a good ol’ Blu-ray – with the Bruce Willis-starringJackalfrom 1997 a recent one I’ve dug back out, showing off the set’s 1080p upscaling to great effect (it’s not remastered either, as the hairs-‘n’-all on the film show – and I’m not just talking about Brucey’s hairline).

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Philips OLED 959

(Image credit: Future)

Philips OLED 959

(Image credit: Future)

Philips OLED 959

(Image credit: Future)

Philips OLED 959

Going back to Ambilight for a minute: the Plus version is actually more delicate if the panel isn’t too close to a wall. The first two times I saw the set exhibited at various Philips events it was right against the wall to magnifty the effect – but a free-stander such as this might not always be positioned as such.

Oh, and purists will still appreciate the bias viewing availability from a single colour output (wall-matched if you wish) rather than real-time motion. There’s still a lot of versatility to Ambilight, which I’ve always loved, so tweak the settings to your preferences and it’s absolutely still a stand-apart feature.

Philips OLED 959 review: Sound Quality

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Philips OLED 959 review

(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

Philips OLED 959 review

(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

Philips OLED 959 review

(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

Philips OLED 959 review

(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

Philips OLED 959 review

Bowers & Wilkins has a long-time partnership with Philips and has delivered some exceptional results in various TVs over the years. That usually depends on the TVs being larger-scale models, however, but the OLED 959 is perfectly positioned as a 65-incher only – and its results are fantastic.

Compared to its OLED 909 cousin, which has a 3.1 built-in system, the OLED 959 has a 5.1.2 integration. That means left, centre and right to the front, plus left and right rears to make up that ‘5’; a centre woofer as the ‘.1’ part; and the ‘.2’ represents two proper upfiring speakers – no pseudo required for that height.

You’ll never need a soundbar with the OLED 959, therefore, but an additional subwoofer wouldn’t go amiss. The 7.5in unit at the back here, paired with two radiators, is decent enough – but the same as you’ll find in its OLED 909 cousin, so no upgrade. I’ve listened with a separate subwoofer attached at a Bowers & Wilkins demonstration and the results are slap-around-the-face good.

Philips OLED 959 review: Verdict

(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

Philips OLED 959 review

(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

The Philips OLED 959 represents the top offering in the company’s OLED TV line-up – and it’s a stunner in many departments, from the way it looks, to the quality of visuals and audio it can output in all its Ambilight glory.

However, the practicalities with a set such as this simply won’t suit all. I find its stand positions the screen marginally too low for my tastes. Not everyone is going to love the Kvadrat cloth-covered edges either. Furthermore, the new Ambilight Plus is only present on three rather than four sides – a missed opportunity in a free-standing design such as this.

Ultimately, the OLED 959 is a niche proposition – one that’s fully aware that’s the case – that embraces its own being. It stands apart from the crowd for many of the right reasons – with some minor motion, anti-burn-in and Ambilight caveats – and represents a sound and vision powerhouse that only a handful will ever likely possess.

Also consider

Given the Philips OLED 909 plus a soundbar system (a high-end one with surrounds included) could be had for less cash and delivers very similar image quality, that’s the obvious alternative to pick from within Philips' own camp.

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Philips OLED 959 review: Price & Availability#

Philips OLED 959 review: Features & What’s New?#

Philips OLED 959 review: Design & Setup#

Philips OLED 959 review: Picture Quality#

Philips OLED 959 review: Sound Quality#

Philips OLED 959 review: Verdict#

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Philips OLED 959 review: Price & Availability

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