Philips is planning to introduce a more affordable line of OLED TVs in 55-inch and 65-inch sizes, according to leaked documents obtained by the Dutch-language blog toengel.net that were later reported on by FlatPanels HD.
The TVs will also be the first Philips OLED models to be powered by its homegrown Saphi operating system, which is based on Linux and has recently been phased in on some of its models as a replacement to the Android TV platform.
Saphi, which will be used to power Philips’ upcoming OLED754, provides access to applications such as Amazon, Netflix and YouTube in High Dynamic Range, the report said.
Philips hasn’t officially announced the new OLED TVs so far, but documents detailing the new models were apparently found on the company’s German language website detailing their specifications and providing images. The documents have seemingly now been removed, as the links no longer work.
According to those documents, the OLED754 will be powered by Philips’ P5 video processor, come with 4K resolution and offer a 2.1 channel 40 watt sound system with a built-in subwoofer. The TV will also feature Philips Ambilight technology, which is a series of LED lights set into the back of the TVs that shine light onto the surrounding wall. The idea with Ambilight is to draw the viewer in to whatever content they’re watching. The light, which has the effect of surrounding the display with various trippy colours, can either follow the same hues as whatever is on screen, or be set to a static white, red, blue or green colour.
In addition, the Philips OLED754 will also provide support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. Previous Philips TVs only HDR10+, DR10 and HLG, but the adoption of Dolby Vision brings it in line with other brands that have also moved to support multiple HDR formats. Earlier this week, it was reported that Philips' 2019 LCD TV lineup would also gain support for the Dolby formats.
The model will be the first OLED TV in Philips’ 7 series, which is a mid-range lineup that’s more affordable than its higher-end 8 and 9 series, FlatPanels HD said. It’s not clear yet when Philips intends to announce the new TV, but the upcoming IFA 2019 event in September seems like the best bet.
