Philips 9636 (65PML9636)
Two-minute review Everyone’s going crazy for mini-LED TVs in 2022 – and we can see why. They offer both high brightness and killer contrast in a single package. But can the technology really challenge OLED for the title of best TV tech? On Philips’ 9636 models we’re ultimately not quite convinced of that, but make no mistake, the Philips 65PML9636 is surely one of the better non-OLED TVs you’re ever likely to clap eyes on. Image-wise that’s down to lusciously deep black levels. Created thanks to the sets’ 1,096 Mini LED zones that create a 32x32 grid of individually dimmable areas, the contrast between bright and dark – and the convincing look of the dark – is unlike any other LCD TV we’ve seen. Can this new backlight technology reach OLED levels? On black levels, almost; the 65PML9636’s 2000-nit peak brightness (1500-nits on the 75PML9636) makes it noticeably brighter, and therefore arguably with more accurate colours when watching in HDR, HDR10+ and Dol...