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IFA 2013: Philips 9000 Series 4K Ultra HDTV hands-on video

Philips has unveiled its first 4K Ultra HD TV at IFA 2013 and it could be one of the best value future TV offerings thanks to a £4,500 price tag.

The 65-inch 65PFL9708 in the company’s flagship 9000 Series proved mightily impressive in our hands-on demo. 

Packed to the gunnels with processing power, the 65PFL9708’s HEXCore CPU fuels an Ultra Pixel HD Engine with something called ‘ULTRA Resolution’. This feature upscales all sources by splitting one-colour pixels into four, then intensifying them to find extra detail, colour and nuance.

Read Recombu Digital’s guide to Super Hi-Vision, Ultra HD, 4K and 8K TVWhile there’s not much 4K content out there just yet, current gen content will benefit from this technology too. “There are no 4K movies for the home – in living rooms and households you will not find it,” TP Vision for Philips’ TV guru Danny Tack told us, though he was keen to point out that we all have stacks of Ultra HD resolution photographs that will take on a new level of detail on 4K displays. 

“The good thing is that 1080p Full HD is established in Europe and with this new product we can use that to give extra benefits to consumers.” In a side-by-side demo ULTRA Resolution visibly creates more detail, texture and depth even in native 4K material. 

However, almost as impactful on the 65PFL9708 was a light sensor that immediately darkens blacks are lightens whites when the lights are switched on, and Ambilight, Philips patented LED system that creates an ever-changing expanse of light depending on what colours are showing on the screen. 

Although it doesn’t include HDMI version 2.0 – the Ultra HD-compliant new standard agreed by the industry and also announced at IFA 2013 – the buyers of the 65PFL9708 will be supplied with a small converter box. That will only become relevant when and if a new high capacity Blu-ray format and player is decided upon. 

In October Philips will also put on sale the 84-inch 84PFL9708, at a shade under £13,000. 

IFA 2013 reporting, photos and video by Jamie Carter.

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