Roku has just announced the first ever Philips OLED TV to launch in the U.S., and it’s an interesting prospect, combining a foolproof operating system with excellent image quality at a very competitive price. But there are a couple of caveats.
The new TV is called the Philips OLED Roku TV 974 Series and it comes in a single, 65-inch size, so if you’re looking for something smaller or larger, you’ll have to cast your gaze elsewhere. That said, the specifications are decent, with the TV boasting a 4K resolution 120Hz native refresh rate panel, which should ensure smooth motion.
It also supports AMD FreeSync Premium for low-latency gaming, and it comes with a generous four HDMI 2.1 ports, including one that supports eARC, plus a LAN connection, two USB slots and a Digital Out Optical port.
Of course, because it’s an OLED TV it should deliver excellent contrast and picture quality with super-deep blacks. OLED TVs are generally regarded as some of the best that money can buy, thanks to the self-illuminating nature of their pixels, which ensures lifelike contrast and eye-popping colour vibrancy with wide viewing angles.
You’ll also be interested to note it supports Dolby Vision IQ HDR, which adjusts the image quality based on the content to make it stand out even more. HDR10 and Dolby Atmos surround sound are also onboard. The TV ships with the Roku Voice Remote, while the Roku OS platform is solid, providing access to all of the essential streaming apps and dozens of free broadcast channels via the Roku Channel.
The TV is only the second-ever Roku OLED television to go on sale in the U.S., following in the footsteps of the 2023 arrival of a Sharp-branded Roku OLED TV model.
As for the caveats, the main one is that, although this is a Philips-branded TV, it’s not actually made by TP Vision, the company that manufactures and sells the iconic Philips OLED TVs that are so popular in Europe. Instead, it’s made by a Chinese company called Skyworth, which recently acquired the rights to sell televisions under the Philps brand in North America.
What that means is that this Philips TV lacks the popular mood lighting Ambilight technology that’s found on the European models. It also means that it only has a basic OLED panel, rather than the more advanced Tandem RGB OLED display found on some of this year’s leading models from LG Electronics, Panasonic and… Philips in Europe.
The other major caveat is that the Philips OLED Roku TV 974 Series is only available from one retailer – a website called Sam’s Club, which requires that you sign up and pay to become a member ($25) before you can buy anything. Even so, the $1,299 price tag still makes this one of the more affordable OLED TVs money can buy.
That said, there are alternatives available. For instance, the impressive and most definitely higher-end Samsung S90D OLED TV, which utilizes a QD-OLED panel, can be snapped up for as little as $1,199 right now, though you’ll have to live with the Tizen operating system instead.
Moreover, if you want really cheap, LG Electronics’ entry-level B4 OLED TV can be had for around $599 at some online stores. There’s also Sansui’s low-cost S55VOUG OLED TV, which is a brand new model this year that retails for just $800, with similar specifications to the latest Philips OLED. But neither of these TVs will get you the Roku OS platform, either.
