Philips TV and Bower & Wilkins Join Forces to Make Better Sounding TVs

Philips TV and Bower & Wilkins Join Forces to Make Better Sounding TVs​

(June 22, 2018) We live in a world filled with astonishingly thin televisions. And while that thinness translates well to the eyes, it’s nearly undeniable that our ears pay the price with less than adequate audio. Save for the most expensive televisions on the market, most TVs ship with stock speakers that do little more than get the job done. Of course, this inadequacy has opened the doors to innovations and products such as soundbars, technologies like ARC (Audio Return Channel), and yet to be heard solutions. We can now add a new partnership between Philips TV and Bowers & Wilkins to that list, announced as a venture intended to set new standards in the AV market.

The two companies are joining forces in a “multi-year exclusive partnership” that will share technologies and engineering resources. This is of particular interest because both companies have long histories of tech development happening in-house and away from other industry entities. That includes such technologies as Philips TV’s award-winning P5 processing chip and Ambilight rear television lighting. Under the agreement, the companies will maintain separate development centers, with Philips TV running its “Innovation Centre” in Belgium and Bowers & Wilkins continuing R&D in newly expanded facilities the U.K.

Commenting on the new partnership Martijn Smelt, Chief Marketing Officer for Philips TV in Europe said: “For far too long, as an industry, we have allowed sound quality to be the poor relation when considering TV performance. A challenge that has been further exaggerated by the outstanding quality of our OLED sets. So, I'm delighted that we have been able to partner with the World's best audio company Bowers & Wilkins to ensure that in future our Philips High End TV sound will offer a uniquely premium experience.”

Richard Campbell, Chief Revenue Officer for Bowers and Wilkins added: “Our new partnership with Philips TV presents a fantastic opportunity to help redefine the parameters of sound quality & performance on a TV. The superb new Philips TVs will introduce our well-known audio performance to a new consumer audience who will be able to enjoy first-hand, the incredible experience only we can provide, 'Sound by Bowers and Wilkins.”

The companies say that consumers will have a “first glimpse” of what’s to come at the IFA Show (Berlin) which happens this coming September. Until then, stay tuned for some (hopefully) great sound!

 

[tripplej]

Good info. Thanks for sharing. Will be interested in a review once it is available.

 

[JimShaw]

Todd

I sure hope you swing out to Germany to take a listen and report back

 

[Todd Anderson]

I'm going to be in Switzerland just before the show....

You NEVER know!

 

[JimShaw]

I'm going to be in Switzerland just before the show....

You NEVER know!

Todd

I was just joking but wow, have a great time. Love Switzerland

 

[Todd Anderson]

Thanks Jim... first time I've been back in 25 years! Looking forward to it!

 

[JimShaw]

Thanks Jim... first time I've been back in 25 years! Looking forward to it!

Home?

 

[Todd Anderson]

No... I lived in London for 6 months during college and backpacked acrossed Europe. I spent about a week in Switzerland. Of course, in those days I was living on $15 a day and crashing in youth hostel bunks. ;-)

 

[JimShaw]

I did the same thing but started freshman college at a ripe old age of 39. I use to date some of my professors

During summer break, I would head out to the Middle East where I worked as an archaeologist for three months. When the season was over, I caught trains across Europe also sleeping at hostels.

Good times.