Not every day do we see Philips launching premium smart TVs in India. The company has had a tumultuous past with its TVs in the country, but all that aside, it's been here for a while, and this time, it is aiming big with its latest Philips 7900 series UHD TVs. On paper, the Philips 7900 series has all the right features to attract a customer looking for the best-yet-affordable smart TV. All the three variants of the 7900 series feature a big screen, Android TV 10 OS, Ultra-HD 4K resolution, and a host of ports. Moreover, it comes with distinct Ambilight technology, which is Philip's fancy term for in-build lights that essentially make the back panel glow.

But there’s a catch. All three variants in this series -- 55-inch, 65-inch, and 70-inch are expensive. The price in India starts at Rs 99,990 and then goes up to Rs 1,49,990 for the middle variant and Rs 1,89,990 for the top-end model. However, these are currently retailing at Rs 64,990, Rs 94,990, and Rs 109,990 respectively.

To be fair, these models are relatively more affordable than some of the TVs that Sony and Samsung produce. But do note that most of these TVs by the two aforementioned brands come with cutting-edge technology and upgraded QLED or OLED panels instead of an LED panel on Philips 7900.

In that case, we will cover whether the new Philips 7900 TV models are worth this price tag. And can LED screens really stand out against the fancier OLED or even Micro-LED displays? Let's find out in this review.

In terms of appearance, the Philips 7900 TVs look premium. Even though the build is plastic, the material does not feel sub-standard, and the sharp edges are perfect for modern homes. The entire body is black, except for the chin on the screen, which is silver. The chin also bears the white Philips logo, which isn't an eye-sore, at least to me.

I received the 65-inch variant, and without a doubt, it is heavy. If you are all about DIY, I suggest you reconsider this proposition. Before setting up the device, it is crucial to pick the right place where it can rest for a long time, probably undisturbed.

Moreover, it is equally crucial to decide whether to mount the Philips 7900 TV on the wall or rest it on a table. If you put it on a wall, which I did, accessing the ports on the back isn't easy since the TV comes with a thick base. That is because this part houses the 20W speakers and other internal components.

At least the port selection is good. There are four HDMI ports, two USB ports, one digital audio port, and one headphone port. This leaves an ample amount of room to connect multiple devices such as a gaming console and a soundbar simultaneously.

The Philips 7900 series comes bundled with a tall remote -- also made of plastic. Philips has been playing it safe with the design of the remotes for a while. It does get some nifty buttons for Netflix, YouTube, and Google Assistant. There's a quick button for Ambilight as well, but more on that later. However, I wish the company had used a different design or a metal finish on the remote, which very few brands like projector manufacturer XGMI offer.

Overall, the Philips 7900 TV offers a no-nonsense, no-frills minimalist design, which most customers prefer. But the built-in LED lights to improve the viewing experience make the placement of the TV a bit tricky. What I mean is that users will need an uninterrupted space on the wall without shelves within the radius of the LED lights. Otherwise, the TV will become an eye-sore on the cluttered wall within a week.

We’re living in an age where we keep hearing terms such as LED, AMOLED, and OLED when it comes to displays. In that chain of orders, the LED panel will not attract many customers, given that brands like Sony, LG, and TCL are going hard on the more advanced QLEDs and micro-LEDs. For perspective, if you think Apple offers the best displays for its product, it still uses a variant of the LED display on its MacBooks.

Of course, the latest display technology does offer some notable differences, but a lot depends on the processing unit. In that case, the Philips 7900 TV’s Pixel Precise Ultra HD Engine does a good job. The 4K display (3840x2160 resolution) offers sharp images, and support for multiple formats like Dolby Vision is an added bonus. The refresh rate is restricted to 60Hz, so it is not the smoothest display for gaming.

During my long review period, I watched a host of shows, live sports events, and movies across major OTT platforms. Dolby Vision-supported content gets a special prompt right at the beginning to make users aware. YouTube also supports videos at the highest resolution. You can also watch tech videos on India Today's Fiiber channel in 4K resolution. Some apps do crash once in a while, but all this is fixable with an OTT update.

However, the sound system is underwhelming despite its Dolby Atmos support. The 20W speakers offer a decent amount of high decibels, but the audio lacks bass. If you place the Philips 7900 TV away from your bed or couch, the loss in sound details becomes prominent. Even though my bed is barely 4 meters away from the TV, the sound gets masked if the fans are on full speed. I'd suggest customers not go cheap on an external sound system to get the best viewing experience.

Despite a good LED panel and average sound system, Philips 7900 UHD TV feels highly premium and wholesome with its three-way Ambilight experience. What it does is that the LED lights on the back glow brightly and merge with the content on screen. Not only do the images on the screen look vivid, but the lights create an impression of a much bigger display. The Philips 7900 UHD TV series particularly does a commendable job of blending the colour of the LED with the content on screen. It means if the scene has a green background, you will see hints of green on the wall.

In some ways, it even masks the limitations of an LED panel. Therefore, the Ambilight feature is not only there for flexing, it definitely enhances the overall viewing experience.

Users also have the option to customise the Ambilight colours. The remote gets a dedicated button to let users turn on the LED lights when the TV is off.

The Philips 7900 UHD TV is worth the price, but the price tag is definitely on the higher side. That's why it is important to understand who should buy this TV and who should avoid it.

If your priority is a 4K UHD TV that doesn't put a hole in your pocket, there are multiple options to look at. Brands like Xiaomi, OnePlus, and TCL have been doing a great job at offering budget 4K TVs, so you check out their products. For those looking for OLED TVs, Samsung, LG, and Sony have been providing some great options. But do note that the repair cost of OLED and micro-LED TVs is much higher than their LED counterparts.

Finally, if you're looking for a stylish TV for a modern house, the Philips 7900 UHD TV is a good recommendation. Apart from offering a sufficient display, its three-way Ambilight technology is not only for show. The TV also runs on Android TV 10 OS, and you get the best of a smart and good-looking TV. However, the Philips 7900 UHD TV may not be easy to find as it remains unavailable in online stores.

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