News Beat
The 10 best 4K TVs of 2025, tried and tested with expert advice on how to choose
Score: 8/10
We like: The Ambilight experience is a colourful novelty
We don’t like: The remote is confusing and line of sight only
Philips named a previous TV “The One” as its best-selling model. The PML9009 is “The Xtra”, offering more for a good, mid-range model. The unique feature is Ambilight, a system of LEDs on the rear of the TV that projects coloured light into the room to match what’s on the screen.
It extends the picture into the room for a more immersive experience. Some love it, others find it distracting. If you don’t like it, don’t buy this TV. It’s as simple as that.
Picture quality is strong for the price, with vivid colours and that HDR effect coming from the Mini-LED illumination. Reflections can be a bit of a problem as the TV can’t quite muster the brightness to cut through them, but otherwise you’re getting nice picture quality with plenty to tweak to match your preference. Gamers are supported with fast 144Hz refresh rates and HDMI 2.1.
Elsewhere, it supports Dolby Vision, HLG and HDR10+, with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X also listed, though the built-in speakers are limited. Titan OS looks like Android and is easy enough to navigate, but the remote is confusingly designed and only seems to work with line of sight.
Key specifications
- Display size options: 55in, 65in, 75in, 85in
- Screen technology: QD Mini-LED
- High dynamic range types: Dolby Vision, HDR, HDR10+, HLG
- Gaming features: 144Hz, ALLM, FreeSync
- Operating system: Titan OS
- Ports and connections: Two HDMI 2.1, two HDMI 2.0, two USB, Wi-Fi 5, Ethernet
Also consider: Philips MLED950
Philips has updated the PML9009 with the MLED950, also branded as The Xtra. This is an updated version of the Mini-LED TV, now with four-sided Ambilight, a better sound system and increased brightness. It’s a little more Ambilight, but more expensive.
