Is this 2026's best OLED? I tried Philips' OLED 911 – 5 key features stand out

A quarter of the year is almost up and we've already been spoiled by a bunch of exciting OLED TV previews. From the LG OLED G6 (and design maestro W6 'Wallpaper' set), to the QD-OLED Samsung S95H.

But while that latter model fixes one of my biggest bugbears about TVs – i.e. the lack of HDMI ports – it was my preview of Philips' latest set, the OLED 911, that got my eyes and ears extra excited. And not just because it offers Philips AmbiScape, which I got to see in action.

No, it's because the Philips OLED 911 represents more than an incremental motion forward in this series. It amps up its feature set, includes Dolby Vision 2 Max, ditches its Google operating system, all while doubling down on the brand's known stand-apart features – from Ambilight to audio.

Below I've detailed the 5 key features from my preview experience that already make this set stand out as one of the best OLED TVs of 2026. It's not available in the USA, mind, so it's we on the continent who have the rare option of its audio-visual pleasures.

1. Ambilight

This one is obvious, really, but if you've never seen or heard of Ambilight then you might be wondering what on earth it even is.

The idea is simple enough: LEDs around the back edges of the OLED 911 project onto surrounding walls and surfaces, like a real-time extension of what you're seeing on the screen.

At its simplest it's designed to reduce eye-strain and give a stronger presence of what you're seeing on the screen itself. But at its most fun, it's an adaptable system that you can tinker to generate more immersion and impact.

Now, Philips did introduce its next-gen Ambilight Plus on its OLED 959 set – which, frankly, I don't like the effect of as much. The OLED 911, however, is 'classic' Ambilight, across all four sides, and it looks great.

It's also compatible with Matter, using its new AmbiScape feature, if you want to expand even further into the room – with up to four smart bulbs supported in lamps and light fittings that can interact too!

2. Audio

Audio has long been a big part of the Philips OLED TV line-up, thanks to a Bowers & Wilkins partnership that elevates the out-the-box sonics by a significant margin.

The OLED 911 is the key set to embody this new feature, with a "lozenge"-shaped sound system integrated as part of Bowers & Wilkins' collaborative work.

No, it's not a soundbar, much as it may look like one. But it's equipped to a similar spec, here with a left/centre/right and integrated rear woofer to deliver a 3.1 channel output from its 10 drivers and four bass radiators total.

I've experienced this setup in a listening room (complete with additional subwoofer via optical out) and it's very impressive indeed. Able to decode Dolby Atmos for three-dimensional height and soundstage width, you just don't get audio like this from most TVs.

Not everyone is going to want this feature, granted. But Philips also makes an OLED 951, which drops the addition, ups the processing power, and is technically the brand's top-of-the-tree offering.

3. Full HDMI 2.1 suite

While I don't have any shots of the OLED 911's rear panel, I'm reliably informed that it now features four HDMI 2.1 ports. This is the first year I've seen that from Philips TVs – which have offered only two of the four at that standard in the past.

Why's this important? The 2.1 spec HDMI is able to transmit at 4K resolution to 120 frames per second, which is double that of HDMI 2.0 spec. For high frame-rates, such as from some high-end games, that's an essential. It's also a future-proof benefit.

How's this been possible? It's down to a hardware shift. This TV uses MediaTek's Pentonic 800 board and chip, which is one of the only off-the-shelf solutions to enable four HDMI 2.1 connections running in tandem.

4. Dolby Vision 2 Max

There's a segue here: that MediaTek solution is also the only current hardware that's signed off by Dolby for Dolby Vision 2 high dynamic range (HDR) certification.

I've no doubt that'll change in the future, with more to come, but that's the here and now situation. Which is why, presumably, Philips has opted to upgrade to deliver the latest HDR support.

While it'll follow via a software update later in the year, the OLED 911 will deliver Dolby Vision 2 Max visuals – being the first OLED set to do so. That's a big deal, although it's going to take a while for all content to also be encoded and on board in this latest format.

I've gone into detail about my Dolby Vision 2 Max experience, and how it'll fundamentally change the expectations of picture quality – without people really knowing it. From ambient adjustment, to fluctuation in judder control, and greater nuance to colour and brightness, it's the pinnacle of picture control.

Not to mention, of course, that the OLED 911 utilises the same second-gen version Tandem OLED created by LG. It's the best of its type that you can buy, with nothing brighter available. That, naturally, translates into the picture quality here – even when not watching Dolby Vision 2 content.

5. Google TV is no more, long live Titan OS

For quite some time the top-end models in Philips' range have used Google TV as their operating systems. Which has been fine – but more a case of promise than delivery.

That's now come to an end, with Philips instead opting for Titan OS – the same system as used in the lower-end models of its range. But that's not to say it's a lesser system.

While I've previously experienced Google TV 'clashes' with Philips' own on-board software, handing everything over to Titan gives greater control for that software engineering company to take the reins.

For the UK market in particular that means Freely integration for aerial/dish-free TV. It means catch-up apps for local markets, which may have otherwise lacked. It means constant updates and new feature drops, with a new app also due in the third quarter of this year.

So there's plenty to look forward to: new software, new Dolby Vision 2 Max enhanced visuals, new connectivity capabilities, new sound quality, and the steadfast delivery of Ambilight and key design aspects that, for me, make this Philips set a strong contender for OLED TV of the year already.