Flatscreen TVs are notorious for having shoddy sound – just where will those speakers go? But TV manufacturers are increasingly pushing the barriers with the designs of their sets, and Philips looks set to be doing the same with its newly revealed Philips 8804 screen.
It'll be the first LCD display from the brand to bear the fruits of Philips' recently formed relationship with Bowers & Wilkins audio, a titan in the field. Though we've only seen a slide-shot of the screen during a press conference so far, it looks set to include a soundbar-like speaker array along the lower edge of the screen.
Screen smarts
It's not just audio where Philips hopes the 8804 will excel either. The 55-inch screen will be packing in not just the Dolby Vision HDR standard, but the HDR10+ variety of high-dynamic range too, offering the widest possible support for the brightness-enhancing screen technology.
That Bowers & Wilkins speaker array will also be able to take advantage of Dolby Atmos support, offering overhead surround sound, while the immersion factor will be pushed up a notch with the inclusion of Ambilight 3 LED lighting on the rear. This beams colors from the back of the TV onto the walls around it, lighting your living room with blooms of color to match the on-screen action.
All this will be wrapped up with Philips' P5 Perfect Picture Engine, which it claims delivers its most dynamic and life-like images yet.
We don't have pricing or release date info on the Philips 8804 yet (note that Philips currently doesn't distribute its sets in North America, and that's not changed as of the time of writing), but we'll be getting more details and hands-on time with the TV later this week at Philips' European showcase in Amsterdam.
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