In 2004, Philips Ambilight, the immersive TV backlighting system, was invented and developed in Eindhoven and Bruges.
The Philips Ambilight technology is celebrating 20 years of development and success. According to the company, the popularity of this extra lighting dimension while watching TV has been growing among consumers: “No less than 35 million Ambilight TVs have already found satisfied owners. This makes Ambilight TV one of the most popular consumer electronics products ever under the Philips brand.”
From “Better for Your Eyes” to “The Most Immersive Experience”
The journey began in September 2004 at IFA in Berlin, where a wide range of Ambilight-equipped LCD and plasma TVs dominated the Philips Hall. In 2024, the technology reaches a new pinnacle with the launch of the most advanced version ever. The new Ambilight Plus is integrated into the new premium Philips OLED+959 TV, set to hit stores by the end of this month.
Originally launched to reduce eye strain and enhance contrast perception—especially when watching TV in dark rooms—Ambilight integrates intelligent lighting on the back of the TV. This system projects a halo of colored light onto the wall behind the TV, precisely matching the colors on the screen. Since its initial release, Ambilight has undergone 12 major upgrades, becoming increasingly sophisticated and powerful.
The Major Evolution from CCFL to Multicolored LEDs
Ambilight debuted in 2004 with CCFLs (cold cathode fluorescent lamps) that displayed the same color on all sides of the screen. This was quickly followed in 2006 by a ‘stereo’ version, which could show different colors on each side, followed by ‘surround’ and ‘full surround’ versions with lamps on three or four sides of the TV. That year, Philips announced the sale of 1,000,000 Ambilight TVs, celebrating this milestone at CES Las Vegas in 2007 with the most exclusive Ambilight TV ever—featuring 2,250 De Beers diamonds on the special mounting plate.
In 2007, Ambilight transitioned from CCFLs to LEDs, ushering in a new era of refinement. The use of LEDs enabled colors to be matched independently and accurately to different areas within the screen. This same year saw the launch of the flagship Aurea TV, where the Ambilight effect was extended to the TV frame itself. For many Philips TV fans, the Aurea series remains one of the most iconic TVs in history.
Technological Challenge
Lieve Lanoy, who was closely involved in the development and design of Ambilight TV, recalls: “The switch to LEDs was a huge technological challenge, requiring many people to work together. But when we succeeded, when we made Ambilight work and each LED zone responded to the video, it really felt like magic. Since no one was doing anything similar, we had to invent the rules and continually challenge ourselves to raise the bar higher.”
Ambilight TV – 20 Years of European Expertise Combined with Taiwanese Synergy
Since 2012, the television division of the Philips brand has been managed by TP Vision, headquartered in Amsterdam. It’s part of the Taiwanese TPV Technology, one of the world’s largest display manufacturers. This brings synergies and access to the global market for panels, chipsets, and other components. However, much of the expertise still comes from Europe. Designs come from the award-winning design studio in Amsterdam, and millions of Ambilight TVs roll off the production line each year at the factory in Gorzów, Poland.
Additionally, much of the image processing and technological development takes place at the innovation center in Ghent. Experts at the R&D Center ensure the recognizable Philips image quality and develop features tailored to the needs and preferences of European consumers.
‘Next Gen Version’
In 2022, Philips introduced the “Next Gen version” of Ambilight technology. This year, the experts from Flanders are launching “Ambilight Plus,” featured in the “Anniversary Edition” Philips OLED+959 Ambilight TV. This model was already awarded the EISA Best Home Theatre OLED TV 2024-2025.
What is Ambilight Plus?
With the launch of the new 65OLED+959 Ambilight TV, TP Vision unveils the most advanced version of the Ambilight system. New to this model are multiple lenses added to the individually mounted color LEDs, creating a more dynamic, larger halo with more depth and resolution. The system can project four different halos at varying depths, providing a new two-dimensional effect.
Celebration!
After 20 years, Philips Ambilight TV remains the most distinctive brand in the consumer TV market, thanks to the unique combination of image and sound quality with the extra dimension of light via Ambilight. Philips Ambilight TV will celebrate this anniversary with special offers throughout the next quarter.