Philips announces 2021 OLED TVs with HDMI 2.1, more Ambilight and enhanced processing

Philips OLED806
(Image credit: TP Vision)

Philips has just taken the wraps off its first 2021 TVs and, above the company's new miniLED sets, there are new OLED models to get excited about.

One area where 2020's excellent OLED805 sets were lacking was next-gen HDMI features, so it's good news that Philips has addressed this with the new OLED806 and OLED856, which boast 48gbps HDMI 2.1 sockets. These HDMIs can handle eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel), 4K@120Hz (also known as High Frame Rate or HFR) and VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), all of which were absent from last year's sets. ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode), which was available last year, is included again.

On the tech front, Philips has also enhanced its P5 chip. The new 5th Gen P5 AI will make its debut with the OLED806 and OLED856 and, as well as handling the intelligent anti-burn-in technology first seen on 2020's OLED935, it will introduce a new Fast Motion Clarity mode for "ultra-realistic motion smoothing with exceptional sharpness".

On top of all that, the OLED806 and OLED856 also get a fourth side of Ambilight, so Philips's brilliant coloured light tech will now surround the entire TV. This will be especially cool for those people who wall-mount the TV.

If you're wondering what the differences are between the OLED806 and OLED856, it comes down to the stand and available sizes. The OLED806 has dainty little feet and is available in 48-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch and 77-inch versions, while the OLED856 has a T-shaped stand and is only available in 55-inch and 65-inch sizes.

Both the OLED806 and OLED856 will be available at the start of June. Pricing is to be confirmed.

There's also going to be a new OLED706 model that sits below the OLED806/OLED856. This model sticks with three-sided Ambilight but gets the same processor and HDMI features of its more premium siblings. It will be available in 55-inch and 65-inch sizes.

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Tom Parsons

Tom Parsons has been writing about TV, AV and hi-fi products (not to mention plenty of other 'gadgets' and even cars) for over 15 years. He began his career as What Hi-Fi?'s Staff Writer and is now the TV and AV Editor. In between, he worked as Reviews Editor and then Deputy Editor at Stuff, and over the years has had his work featured in publications such as T3, The Telegraph and Louder. He's also appeared on BBC News, BBC World Service, BBC Radio 4 and Sky Swipe. In his spare time Tom is a runner and gamer.