This week TP Vision presented the new Philips TVs for 2024. Tweakers were present at the announcement in Barcelona, ​​where we were able to get acquainted with the new lineup. The biggest news is the arrival of a brand new operating system and the addition of a new top model. But Philips’ Ambilight mood maker is also getting an update.

Titan OS

TP Vision, the electronics manufacturer that produces Philips TVs under license, has been searching for the ideal smart TV platform for several years. For many years, it has used Android TV in its luxury models, while its Saphi device can be found on cheaper TVs. Last year, Android TV gave way to Google TV on more expensive displays. At the same time, an updated version of Saphi was introduced. The intention was that the company’s operating system would first serve entry-level models, but would later find its way into the more luxurious segment.

This doesn’t seem to be happening anymore. TP Vision has come to the conclusion that building and maintaining its platform costs a lot of time and money, but it doesn’t want to switch completely to Google TV. Google sets fairly stringent requirements for TV manufacturers using the operating system, and in addition, all advertising revenue from the platform goes to Google itself. The solution is an entirely new operating system, Titan OS, from a newly established company of the same name.

Although TP Vision owns shares in the Barcelona-based company, it does not have a majority stake. So the smart TV platform is not exclusive to Philips TVs. So far, a deal has also been struck to offer the platform on JVC TVs in the UK. Although it would not be unreasonable to build the new platform on Saphi, that has not happened, according to Titan spokesmen. The operating system could have been built entirely from scratch. However, we have seen icons from the Saphi interface in the new Titan displays. We won’t really know how brand new Titan is once we’re able to extensively test the platform on completed TVs.

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What makes Titan interesting for TV manufacturers is that, unlike Google TV, they also get some advertising revenue themselves. This revenue comes from recommendations in the top bar of the menu and from commercials that play while watching free streaming. Recommendations are of course based on viewing behavior, but the makers of Titan promise that consumers can opt out of tracking that behavior. In this case, general recommendations will be presented to them.

the Mid rollAds during free streams work similarly to how YouTube videos are paused to play an ad. The on-screen timer shows how long the ad will last or when you can click on it. These intermediate menus are played only while viewing content from the so-called Fast channels. These include free online channels, such as Paramount’s Pluto TV and SBS Classics, and TV manufacturers’ free streaming channels, such as Samsung TV Plus and LG Channels. So you don’t have to worry about additional ads appearing when playing a video on YouTube.

Titan primarily focuses on the European and Latin American markets. The company promises to provide more local concerts through the smart TV platform than Google. It is not yet clear how exactly this will take shape in the Netherlands and Belgium. Titan was able to say that at least KPN in the Netherlands is already working on a live streaming app for the new platform. The same applies to Pathé Thuis and Videoland. In addition, soon everything The usual suspects It can be found across a range of applications, according to Titan CEO Jacinto Rocca, from Netflix to Amazon Prime and from Disney+ to HBO Max.

Smart home integration

Another important pillar of Titan is cooperation with smart home systems. The new platform comes with support for smart home integration via Matter, among other things. Initially, the degree of integration is still very limited; You can use your smartphone to control your Titan TV, and That’s it. However, if we can believe Titan, it’s a work in progress. In the future, Ambilight TVs with the new operating system should be able to work seamlessly with all smart devices in the home, Roca promises.

Although TP Vision is very positive about the new operating system, the manufacturer apparently does not dare to equip Titan with its most expensive TVs this year. In 2024, Titan OS will only be found in two low-profile models: the PML9009 mini LED TV (The Xtra) and the “regular” LED PUS8909 (The One). Philips OLEDs for 2024 will still work on Google TV, as you can read in our story about the new TV lineup. This leads to a rather strange dichotomy. According to TP Vision, cheaper models with the Titan are equipped with four HDMI 2.1 ports, while the more luxurious Google TV models are stuck with two of these ports. Because the MediaTek Socs used so far, including the new Pentonic models, have only two Full bandwidth– HDMI ports, we’re curious how exactly that’s achieved with the Titan models. This is still not clear.