Philips Expands Roku Ambilight TV Lineup With New QLED Models

Following the 2025 launch of its 7875 Series LED/LCD TVs with Roku and Ambilight, Philips is expanding the lineup for 2026 with the new 7985 Series. The latest models retain Roku’s smart TV platform and Philips’ signature Ambilight technology, but add Quantum Dot technology for the first time in the series, moving the range into the increasingly competitive QLED TV category.

Philips Ambilight Extends the Picture Beyond the Screen

Ambilight is a lighting technology available on select Philips TVs that projects colored light beyond the borders of the screen, creating a more immersive viewing experience. Small LEDs on the back of the TV cast light onto the wall behind it, matching the colors and action on-screen in real time.

Big game-winning goal? Your living room glows green. Concert blasting through your speakers? The lights pulse with the beat. Romantic movie sunset? The wall behind your TV adds more drama than the plot.

Ambilight effectively takes the TV from “just a screen” to the main attraction in the room by extending the visual experience beyond the display itself and making the wall behind it part of the presentation.

What Is QLED?

A QLED TV is an LCD-based TV that has an LED backlight, and images are still viewed on an LCD display panel. However, it adds another component, a sheet of Quantum Dots (that is where the “Q” comes from). The Quantum Dot sheet is placed between the LED backlight and LCD panel to improve color. Quantum Dots are nano (microscopic) particles that emit color when hit with a light source. For a complete rundown on how the technology works, refer to our companion article.

QLED and Ambilight Create a More Immersive Viewing Experience

The 2026 Philips 7985 Ambilight QLED TV Series uses Quantum Dot technology to expand the available color range, improve color accuracy, and deliver a brighter image compared with conventional LED/LCD displays.

“Ambilight TV has always been about creating a more immersive way to experience television,” said Fangfang Li, CEO, SKYWORTH USA. “With our new QLED Ambilight TV series, we’re expanding that experience with advanced QLED technology that delivers richer colors, enhanced picture quality, and a more immersive way to watch, stream, and play.”

Pro Tip: In 2025, SKYWORTH entered into a trademark licensing agreement (TMLA) that allows it to offer Philips-branded televisions to the North American market. 

Philips 7985 Ambilight QLED TV Series Key Features

• Ambilight: Ambilight extends on-screen colors onto the surrounding walls, creating a wider and more immersive viewing experience.
• Follow Audio Mode: This dedicated audio-reactive mode uses Ambilight effects that pulse and move with the beat of the music, adding another visual element to parties and music playback.
• Gaming Excitement: Ambilight reacts to gameplay in real time, providing dynamic lighting effects that complement fast-paced action on the screen.
• Roku Backdrops and Ambient Lighting: Roku Backdrops can display artwork or personal photos, while Ambilight can provide ambient lighting when the TV is not being used for conventional viewing, adding more versatility to the room.
• Eye Comfort: Ambilight can soften the perceived contrast between a bright TV image and a darker surrounding room, potentially making extended viewing more comfortable.
• Seamless Streaming: Built-in Roku OS provides access to thousands of movies and TV shows, Roku Originals, more than 500 live TV channels, and a wide selection of streaming apps.
• HDR Support: Philips 7985 Ambilight QLED models support HDR10, Dolby Vision, and HLG, providing compatibility with major HDR formats for enhanced contrast, color, and highlight detail.
• Dolby Atmos Support: Dolby Atmos compatibility provides support for immersive, multidimensional audio when used with compatible content and audio equipment.
• Roku Smart Picture: Roku Smart Picture automatically adjusts picture settings based on the type of content being displayed to optimize the viewing experience.
• Wireless Connectivity: The TVs support wireless connections with compatible Roku speakers, soundbars, and subwoofers, providing additional options for building an integrated home theater system.
• Apple AirPlay: Apple AirPlay support allows users to stream music, videos, photos, and other compatible content directly from Apple devices to the TV.
• Roku Ecosystem: Integration with the Roku mobile app provides access to voice controls, remote-control functions, and Roku Smart Home notifications for broader system connectivity.

Philips QLED Amblight TVs with Roku OS Specs

The Bottom Line 

The addition of Quantum Dot technology gives the 2026 Philips 7985 Series a meaningful step up from the earlier 7875 Ambilight Roku TVs, with the potential for a wider color gamut and better overall color performance. But the real differentiator remains Ambilight. The combination of QLED, Roku OS, and Philips’ rear-mounted dynamic lighting system gives the 7985 Series something that most similarly priced TVs simply do not offer.

There are compromises. Philips does not specify full-array local dimming or Mini-LED backlighting, and the company has not provided peak brightness figures, making it difficult to judge how effectively the 7985 Series will reproduce demanding HDR content. Dolby Vision support is welcome, but HDR format compatibility does not guarantee high-impact HDR performance; substantially brighter premium QLED and Mini-LED TVs can deliver considerably more highlight intensity and contrast.

Gaming support also appears fairly basic, with no indication of more advanced features such as 120Hz or 144Hz high-refresh-rate playback or VRR. Dolby Atmos is supported, but the TV’s built-in two-channel speaker system will inevitably limit the immersive effect, making a soundbar or home theater system the better option for movies and television.

For buyers on a tighter budget, however, the equation is more interesting. The 50-, 55-, and 65-inch Philips 7985 models combine QLED color, Dolby Vision, Roku streaming, over-the-air television support, four HDMI inputs, and Ambilight in an affordable package. If you want the strongest HDR performance or a serious gaming display, there are better-equipped options. If you want an inexpensive primary or second-room TV with an easy-to-use Roku interface and a visual feature that genuinely stands apart from the competition, Ambilight remains the reason to look at Philips.

Price & Availability

The Philips 7985 Series Ambilight QLED TVs are available in 50″, 55″, and 65″ screen sizes on Amazon and BJ’s Wholesale Club.

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