Philips 50PUS8204/12 picture settings and issues

NBH

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For any other owners, what are your opinions of the TV? Below are my picture settings and the issues I'm having:

Issues:
  • I can't adjust the picture settings on iPlayer, it puts me back to the main menu when I pick frequent settings. I want to adjust the HDR settings for the UHD HLG content which I can't do from the main menu as it's not HDR so the HDR picture options don't appear.
  • The motion settings seem broken over HDMI, I can pick any setting and it looks the same, it works fine on the built in apps.
  • I checked again and there is no Philips logo on my TV at all, I'm beginning to think the stand on my TV isn't right, the top doesn't seem finished (has a carbon fibre finish and looks different to the silver stand with shiny Philips logo image on the box) and it's angled too far backwards, I've currently got folded paper under the back of it or the TV leans back way too far (we are talking folded paper that is at least 1cm tall!)
  • The latest update (16/12) introduced a flicker to the screen on HDMI sources, mostly noticeable to me on bright images. Unfortunately I can't install the previous version of the software which seemed to be fine as the TV says you can't install an older software version.
  • After some time the menus become slower and the picture was jumping about on the home screen and in Netflix. I switched the TV of at the plug and rebooted it and it fixed the problem, guess it was just Android getting bogged down and needed a restart.
I contacted Philips support several days ago about the flickering but communication hasn't been great, I got emails saying I will have a reply in 24 to 48 hours but nothing for a few days now.

I also contacted the retailer. They are telling me I need to get an engineer to confirm a fault on the TV which I don't believe is right. I am still within 30 days so I should be entitled to a refund, exchange or they arrange for an engineer to come and look at the TV, I'm currently waiting for a response.

What do you guys think of the screen brightness and quality? The screen uniformity on mine is good, perfect blacks across the whole screen when its dark. I keep tweaking the settings daily and when I think I've got a good picture it looks not so great on another channel. Viewing angles are acceptable, where I sit on the sofa I get a little bit of black washout. But the flickering over HDMI ruins the experience for me which is why I'm trying to return the set along with the wonky stand although it's not looking good at the moment, I may have to keep it and hope Philips can fix the issue via a software update.

SDR

Colour 55
Contrast 70
Sharpness: 2
Brightness 50
Colour enhancement: Off
Colour gamut: Wide
Colour temperature: Normal edited to 127, 111, 108
HDR Upscaling: Off
Dynamic contrast: Off
Contrast mode: Off
Video contrast: 95
Gamma: +1
Light sensor: Off
Ultra resolution: Off
Noise reduction: Off
MPEG artefact reduction: Off
Motion: Off



HDR

Colour 55
Contrast 100
Sharpness: 2
Brightness 50
Colour enhancement: Off
Colour gamut: Wide
Colour temperature: Normal edited to 127, 111, 108
HDR Plus: Automatic
Dynamic contrast: Off
Contrast mode: Off
Video contrast: 100
Gamma: +1
Light sensor: Off
Ultra resolution: On
Noise reduction: Off
MPEG artifact reduction: Off
Motion: Off



Dolby Vision Bright (preset I use for Dolby Vision Content)

Colour 55
Contrast 70
Brightness 50
Video contrast: 95
Sharpness: 2
Ultra resolution: Off
Colour gamut: Wide
Colour temperature: Normal edited to 127, 111, 108
Gamma: +1
Motion: Off
Noise reduction: Off
MPEG artifact reduction: Off

Edited some values after playing with settings today, think I'm happy with the picture now plus added one more issue.
 
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Welcome to philips performance products :)
I would just return it purely for stand issues alone. Try looking at review videos for your model in youtube to check if stand is same. As for software same issue with 7000 series too.
 
I did say to customer services that do they seriously think an engineer needs to confirm a bent stand!? To be honest I can live with the stand, just wish it didn't flicker on sky Q as that is most of my viewing.
 
My friend received the same TV on the 31st - the stand is the same for him too - I think they are like that by design (for some strange reason)
 
That is so weird if it is by design. Also the stand isn't quite square with the TV and the black plastic piece that is meant to go on the back doesn't clip in place, it's almost like the stand and TV weren't designed to go together. Below are some pics showing my stand and the stand image on the box along with the paper wedge, the angle of the screen with paper wedge and what it looks like without it. When I took the paper wedge away and let the screen sit back there is a clear gap at the front between the stand and my TV unit so the stand clearly isn't level, unless my wooden TV unit is severely warped!

Paper wedge
Paper wedge.jpg


With paper wedge
Stand straight.jpg


Without paper wedge
Stand angle.jpg


Top view of my stand
Stand top.jpg


Stand picture on the box
Stand box.jpg
 
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Just to update, I received a file from Philips to install. I got excited thinking is was the older version of the software but it was the same version I already had installed. I have asked them again for the older version which didn't seem to have any flickering.
 
"The motion settings seem broken over HDMI, I can pick any setting and it looks the same, it works fine on the built in apps."

I just wanted to say that I have the same problem with my OLED804. I'm also waiting for a reply from Philips.
 
"The motion settings seem broken over HDMI, I can pick any setting and it looks the same, it works fine on the built in apps."

I just wanted to say that I have the same problem with my OLED804. I'm also waiting for a reply from Philips.

I believe it is a software issue as it was working when I bought the TV but then stopped working after the latest software update so I'm hoping it can be fixed.

I have requested an engineer to come and look at my TV because of the flickering. My wife doesn't notice it but I work with 2 screens, use a screen on my home PC and have another TV in the bedroom and I never notice any flickering on those.

I have also asked Philips for the older software version as I never had any flickering and the motion settings worked over HDMI, the update seemed to break these.

I believe it is a software issue but software or hardware it is a fault with the TV which wasn't there when I purchased it. I just need a report from Philips so I can deal with the retailer although they will probably say I can only have a replacement set. If I can't get a refund then at least the replacement set will have the older software (I hope) and I won't update it.
 
I had this issue on my TV since I got it so I tried updating the software but that didn't help. It could still be a software problem though.

I hope that you get a solution to this and the rest of your problems with the TV, or that a new TV will fix all or most of the problems.

Since I can't turn motion settings off while using HDMI sources I have to live with an halo effect around moving people and objects and really bad pixelation in moving images while using external sources.

Do you notice halos and pixelation on your TV? I know that you have an LCD and I have an OLED but I'm still curious. You can see how the pixelation looks on my Philips TV by looking at the pictures in my thread here: Philips OLED804 - need help with pixelated/artifacts in moving image
 
I had this issue on my TV since I got it so I tried updating the software but that didn't help. It could still be a software problem though.

I hope that you get a solution to this and the rest of your problems with the TV, or that a new TV will fix all or most of the problems.

Since I can't turn motion settings off while using HDMI sources I have to live with an halo effect around moving people and objects and really bad pixelation in moving images while using external sources.

Do you notice halos and pixelation on your TV? I know that you have an LCD and I have an OLED but I'm still curious. You can see how the pixelation looks on my Philips TV by looking at the pictures in my thread here: Philips OLED804 - need help with pixelated/artifacts in moving image

So your TV is stuck with smooth motion on? Luckily mine is stuck off but still, it's a feature of the TV which should work.

I don't notice any halos and pixelation, I'm reasonably happy with the picture quality apart from the flickering considering the price I paid, I have noticed some strange horizontal lines when there is light and dark next to each other like in end credits which I hadn't noticed before but I will await the engineer as if the panel is faulty then it could be doing strange things.
 
Yeah, my TV is stuck with smooth motion on. It would be nice if it at least was stuck with it off but as you said, the feature should work.

It will be interesting to hear what the engineer says about your TV.
 
Yeah, my TV is stuck with smooth motion on. It would be nice if it at least was stuck with it off but as you said, the feature should work.

It will be interesting to hear what the engineer says about your TV.

I'm also interested, it's a software fault I think and I'm assuming the engineer is going to be looking for hardware faults, it may not even get that far if Philips say it's software and not hardware related, they may decide not to send an engineer out.

I'm hoping for a magic update or for Philips to send me the older software version to install until they fix it.
 
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Update: Still waiting for Philips to act upon my engineer request, nothing changed on the status page.

I have noticed that the flicker on the screen pretty much goes when I turn the contrast up to 100, turning on HDR upscaling gets rid of it completely. It's not too bad when the contrast is low either but the levels you normally want the TV at, between 50 and 75 the flicker is there. So I'm not sure if this is a fault with the panel or with the way the software is controlling the backlight.

Since I now know how to control the flicker I've adjusted my settings. As the contrast is now increased (75 seems a good balance between brightness and flicker) I have reduced the video contrast down to about 75. This made the picture look much better and gives it a bit more pop and SD channels now look a bit better, before they were very contrasty with dark shadows.

It got me thinking why people recommend the video contrast up so high if on Philips TVs the video contrast is the contrast. Would you put contrast to 90 and brightness on 50 on another brand TV?
 
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Another update. Philips contacted me with a test software to try. Unfortunately it hasn't solved the problem so I need to provide some logs.

They seem quite responsive to my emails which is good.

What I found is if you turn on the TV with the home button then you can use apps and the flicker is not present. When you switch to a HDMI source the flickering starts and even going back to apps which were fine before are now flickering.
 
Hi, new user here, got one Saturday from Currys.
No issues so far, coming from a 43PUS7303/12 (last TV) I can say there's a 25/30% pic quality increase and also bright enough for a 400 nits.
However I'm "struggling" with finding perfect but also personal taste settings (calibration), main use is streaming (Netflix and Prime Video 4K) and some videos (series, films) 1080p from my pc via usb pendrive/ hdd.
Streaming wise I'm not very happy with the picture quality of whatever is under Ultra HD, maybe I should try the Shield (pro) 2019.
 
For any other owners, what are your opinions of the TV? Below are my picture settings and the issues I'm having:

Issues:
  • I can't adjust the picture settings on iPlayer, it puts me back to the main menu when I pick frequent settings. I want to adjust the HDR settings for the UHD HLG content which I can't do from the main menu as it's not HDR so the HDR picture options don't appear.
  • The motion settings seem broken over HDMI, I can pick any setting and it looks the same, it works fine on the built in apps.
  • I checked again and there is no Philips logo on my TV at all, I'm beginning to think the stand on my TV isn't right, the top doesn't seem finished (has a carbon fibre finish and looks different to the silver stand with shiny Philips logo image on the box) and it's angled too far backwards, I've currently got folded paper under the back of it or the TV leans back way too far (we are talking folded paper that is at least 1cm tall!)
  • The latest update (16/12) introduced a flicker to the screen on HDMI sources, mostly noticeable to me on bright images. Unfortunately I can't install the previous version of the software which seemed to be fine as the TV says you can't install an older software version.
  • After some time the menus become slower and the picture was jumping about on the home screen and in Netflix. I switched the TV of at the plug and rebooted it and it fixed the problem, guess it was just Android getting bogged down and needed a restart.
I contacted Philips support several days ago about the flickering but communication hasn't been great, I got emails saying I will have a reply in 24 to 48 hours but nothing for a few days now.

I also contacted the retailer. They are telling me I need to get an engineer to confirm a fault on the TV which I don't believe is right. I am still within 30 days so I should be entitled to a refund, exchange or they arrange for an engineer to come and look at the TV, I'm currently waiting for a response.

What do you guys think of the screen brightness and quality? The screen uniformity on mine is good, perfect blacks across the whole screen when its dark. I keep tweaking the settings daily and when I think I've got a good picture it looks not so great on another channel. Viewing angles are acceptable, where I sit on the sofa I get a little bit of black washout. But the flickering over HDMI ruins the experience for me which is why I'm trying to return the set along with the wonky stand although it's not looking good at the moment, I may have to keep it and hope Philips can fix the issue via a software update.

SDR

Colour 55
Contrast 65
Sharpness: 2
Brightness 55
Colour enhancement: Off
Colour gamut: Wide
Colour temperature: Warm
HDR Upscaling: Off
Dynamic contrast: Off
Contrast mode: Off
Video contrast: 88
Gamma: 0
Light sensor: Off
Ultra resolution: Off
Noise reduction: Off
MPEG artefact reduction: Off
Motion: Off

Note that I have also tried HDR upscaling on and advanced contrast setting to optimised for picture which seems to work fairly well, can't decide if I like this or the settings above more.



HDR

Colour 55
Contrast 100
Sharpness: 2
Brightness 55
Colour enhancement: Off
Colour gamut: Wide
Colour temperature: Warm
HDR Plus: Automatic
Dynamic contrast: Off
Contrast mode: Off
Video contrast: 100
Gamma: 0
Light sensor: Off
Ultra resolution: On
Noise reduction: Off
MPEG artifact reduction: Off
Motion: Off



Dolby Vision Bright (preset I use for Dolby Vision Content)

Colour 55
Contrast 70
Brightness 55
Video contrast: 88
Sharpness: 2
Ultra resolution: Off
Colour gamut: Wide
Colour temperature: Warm
Motion: Off
Noise reduction: Off
MPEG artifact reduction: Off

Edited some values after playing with settings today, think I'm happy with the picture now plus added one more issue.

Hi, already tried them, not bad!
Saved the "Dolby Vision Bright" (kind of) also for lower res contents (ISF Day) and the SDR under ISF Night.

Also found a youtube video with some sort of calibration for our 50PUS8204 but I didn't like it, too low backlight brightness (contrast).
 
I purchased the 50PUS8204 in November and have had no issues at all until installing the latest update at the weekend, I am having exactly the same flickering issue with bright white areas and also jittery motion, and for example the scrolling Sky news info bar motion no longer moves across smoothly.

I don't have the problem with Netflix or YouTube and I also found a solid bright white video on YouTube to test and no problems at all. So like someone already mentioned this must be an issue with the HDMI signal, or how the TV processes it.

Philips are totally useless and have asked me to send videos of the problem, even after I explained they will not be able to see what I am seeing!

There is an old software file on the Philips website which I tried to install just now but the TV will not install it as it is an older file.

(version:001.001.114.002, zip file , 1.0 GB, published 30 September 2019)

So not got a clue what to do but this is totally ridiculous of Philips, how on earth can they release a update without testing it fully? Grrrr!
 
I purchased the 50PUS8204 in November and have had no issues at all until installing the latest update at the weekend, I am having exactly the same flickering issue with bright white areas and also jittery motion, and for example the scrolling Sky news info bar motion no longer moves across smoothly.

I don't have the problem with Netflix or YouTube and I also found a solid bright white video on YouTube to test and no problems at all. So like someone already mentioned this must be an issue with the HDMI signal, or how the TV processes it.

Philips are totally useless and have asked me to send videos of the problem, even after I explained they will not be able to see what I am seeing!

There is an old software file on the Philips website which I tried to install just now but the TV will not install it as it is an older file.

(version:001.001.114.002, zip file , 1.0 GB, published 30 September 2019)

So not got a clue what to do but this is totally ridiculous of Philips, how on earth can they release a update without testing it fully? Grrrr!
Hmmmmmmm, I don't have Sky but I do have the Shield TV 2019 on HDMI1 (and the soundbar on hdmi 4) and also the last update, 001.002.173.007 since the day one.
No problems so far except for the missing audio once after installing some streaming apps on the Shield, solved after a shutdown of all devices however.
The only "issue" I keep trying to deal with is the general picture quality / mid (poor) black levels / proper calibration but maybe I'm asking too much for this price segment telly.
Btw, Currys just refunded me £100, I was slightly over 7 days from the purchase date till the new price (match), but I've still sent it back if they didn't refund me the difference.
 
I purchased the 50PUS8204 in November and have had no issues at all until installing the latest update at the weekend, I am having exactly the same flickering issue with bright white areas and also jittery motion, and for example the scrolling Sky news info bar motion no longer moves across smoothly.

I don't have the problem with Netflix or YouTube and I also found a solid bright white video on YouTube to test and no problems at all. So like someone already mentioned this must be an issue with the HDMI signal, or how the TV processes it.

Philips are totally useless and have asked me to send videos of the problem, even after I explained they will not be able to see what I am seeing!

There is an old software file on the Philips website which I tried to install just now but the TV will not install it as it is an older file.

(version:001.001.114.002, zip file , 1.0 GB, published 30 September 2019)

So not got a clue what to do but this is totally ridiculous of Philips, how on earth can they release a update without testing it fully? Grrrr!


I'm sorry your TV isn't working but also kind of glad as I was beginning to wonder if it was my eyes! I have exactly the same issue as you. The problem also exists on Youtube and Netflix, if you turn on the TV using the home button then the flicker is not present. As soon as you switch to a HDMI source the flicker starts. If you then go back to the built in apps the flicker remains and won't go away. The motion settings are also broken on HDMI sources, if you pick smooth etc it makes no difference. I have also noticed small parts of programs where the frame rate seems to dip, it's like watching something at 60fps and then it suddenly drops to 30fps and looks juddery.

The only way I have found to make the TV watchable is to turn the contrast up to 100 and turn on HDR upscaling. That makes the screen as bright as possible which seems to mask the flickering. Nothing I can do about the juddering but it only happens sometimes.

Philips sent me a test firmware but it made no difference. I have sent logs to Philips but heard nothing back. I basically want them to send me a number so that I can contact the retailer and say the TV is faulty.

It appears on older models like the 7304 that you can roll back the software but on the 8204 this isn't possible so we are stuck with this until Philips decide to issue an update.
 
I was thinking about buying 65PUS8204 but after I read this topic I am not sure right not... Any advice?
 
I was thinking about buying 65PUS8204 but after I read this topic I am not sure right not... Any advice?
I didn't yet experience any major issue with it.
What are you looking to get and how much do you wanna spend?
Also because it's not (Currys bargained) £399 anymore.
PS: was talking about the 50pus8204
 
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I didn't yet experience any major issue with it.
What are you looking to get and how much do you wanna spend?
Also because it's not (Currys bargained) £399 anymore.
I am stuck between 65RU7400 and 65PUS8204. I assume that Currys is a store in UK but I am not live in Europe. 8204 a bit over budget for me but if its good I can buy it. The main problem for me is I couldn't find any review about this TV. Especially RTINGS website has 0 Philips TV review which is kind a dead end because I really liked RTINGS reviews.
 
I am stuck between 65RU7400 and 65PUS8204. I assume that Currys is a store in UK but I am not live in Europe. 8204 a bit over budget for me but if its good I can buy it. The main problem for me is I couldn't find any review about this TV. Especially RTINGS website has 0 Philips TV review which is kind a dead end because I really liked RTINGS reviews.
They're kinda similar specs / picture quality (1900 Pxx).
I don't know for sure if the 65" Philips is a VA panel, also displayspecification don't mention it:


In case it's an Ips panel would be more appropriate for daytime / lights on (evening) watching.
A couple of things that favorise the Philips are the Ambilight (now with a dedicated bl key on the remote and TV off function as well) and the Dolby Vision certification.
It's also Dolby Atmos but low to medium audio performance.
I don't know how much money do you wanna send (and where) but if I may, would advise buying a 120hz 55" VA Qled (Samsung) or a 120hz 55" VA FALD (Sony) for better picture quality (2019 gen but also 2018 Imho).
 
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They're kinda similar specs / picture quality (1900 Pxx).
I don't know for sure if the 65" Philips is a VA panel, also displayspecification don't mention it:


In case it's an Ips panel would be more appropriate for daytime / lights on (evening) watching.
A couple of things that favorise the Philips are the Ambilight (now with a dedicated bl key on the remote and TV off function as well) and the Dolby Vision certification.
It's also Dolby Atmos but low to medium audio performance.
I don't know how much money do you wanna send (and where) but if I may, would advise buying a 120hz 55" VA Qled (Samsung) or a 120hz 55" VA FALD (Sony) for better picture quality (2019 gen but also 2018 Imho).
What about ambilight? Is it really a gamechanger? Also I really can't choose between IPS and VA both have downsides. All I want is now a robust TV with good picture quality.
 
What about ambilight? Is it really a gamechanger? Also I really can't choose between IPS and VA both have downsides. All I want is now a robust TV with good picture quality.
Ambilight is cool, really.
About the difference between the Ips and VA you have to decide, monitor wise the Ips panels are better but for evening (poor light) night-time movie watching the VA's are better, with better contrast and way darker blacks.
However, according to this slide I've found online the 65" Philips 8204 could also be a VA panel:

ModelScreen sizePanelSound
Philips 43 Pus7304 43 Zoll IPS 2.0 20 W
Philips 50 Pus7304 50 Zoll VA 2.0 20 W
Philips 55 Pus7304 55 Zoll IPS 2.0 20 W
Philips 65 Pus7304 65 Zoll VA 2.0 20 W
 

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