The One and only

Philips hopes to cover all bases with this LED-lit Dolby Vision UHD TV for every occasion. Steve May examines its wide appeal

- Steve May

JET LI WANTED to be The One, Keanu Reeves became The One, and Chesney Hawkes sang about The One. Now you can take The One home, in the shape of this Philips LED TV mid-ranger, so named because it ticks more boxes than a pedantic bureaucrat at a box-ticking convention.

Regardless of whether you're a daytime TV junkie, gamer, film fan or sports fanatic, this 8 Series flatscreen should fit the bill. It offers appreciably bright pictures, boasts Philips' much-loved Ambilight, and doesn't grey like Richard Gere when you switch the lights off.

As you might expect given its mainstream appeal, the PUS8506 (to give it its more traditional model number) is available in a wide range of screen sizes: 43in, 50in, 58in, 65in, 70in and 75in, with prices ranging from £450 to £1,700. If you can't find one to fit your gaff, you're clearly not trying hard enough.

We've got the 58-incher on the test bench. This launched at £899 in autumn 2021, but is now available for less, perhaps because there's another version of The One (see p24) being prepped for later this year.

Carrying a bit of bulk

With its silver grey hue, the TV's design is suitably stylish, although, truth be told, up close it's actually a bit plasticky. And as it's a direct-lit LED model, there's some depth (80mm) to the chassis. The outer rear is edged by tiny LED lights which make up the three-sided Ambilight system. The screen sits on a T-bar stand that swivels, good for spinning it into position when you're viewing from the wings.