Jordan O'BrienWhile function is important in the world of custom install, there’s no denying that form is also at the top of a client’s mind when it comes to getting an installer in. That focus on design is why TP Vision approached the Danish design firm, Georg Jensen. The brief? To create a 55in 4K TV that offers great picture quality coupled with a clean design utilising premium materials.
The collaboration between Georg Jensen and TP Vision led to the creation of the Philips 55in 9104, 4K UHD LED Android TV. The product will be sold exclusively through John Lewis, for an affordable price of £1,200, but it may pique the interest of installers with a small budget looking for a design-focused TV.
The 9014 features a slim black brushed aluminium bezel on three sides of the set with a polished-steel bottom side. The Lower bezel matches the two highly polished steel blade feet with their finish and classic Danish ‘blue’ silver hue, reflecting the Georg Jensen homeware range. One of the feet features subtle Philips branding while the other is branded Georg Jensen and their ultra slim silhouette gives the impression that the set is ‘floating’. The highly polished steel design extends to the slimline wand remote control which also features both Philips and Georg Jensen branding.
TP Vision didn’t just lean on Georg Jensen to produce a design-first TV, the company also leant on its own experience in developing TVs to stuff the 9104 with a range of technologies. This includes the popular three-sided Ambilight, which projects a changing halo of light behind the TV to boost the immersion of whatever is on screen. This is paired with a panel boasting a 4K resolution and support for Samsung’s HDR10+. TP Vision has also equipped the 9104 with the P5 Perfect Picture processing engine, which the firm says ensures vibrant on-screen colour purity, especially at wide angles.
This TV is unlikely to reach the heights of Philips’ OLED sets, but for those who don’t want to deal with the burn-in issues commonly associated with OLED, it could still be a good option. It certainly packs a sound system not commonly associated with an OLED screen, with TP Vision equipping it with a 25W 2.1 system, with a rear-facing triple ring bass driver to give it that extra oomph.
The 9104 powered by the Android Oreo Smart TV system and features a quad core processor with 16GB of expandable onboard memory. It also comes with Freeview HD, Google Assistant Built-in and ‘Works with’ Alexa app, with the potential for full spoken control of the TV.
The 55in PUS9104 LED 4K Ultra HD Smart Android TV, is exclusively available from John Lewis for £1200.