40in LCD Picture Sound Features Usability Value Philips have created what is arguably the best LCD TV around, at a price ... Rating: 93%

Reviewed: 26 February 2009

  Outstanding picture performance

  Pricey, requires effort to set up correctly

Design

An indication of just how quickly fashion changes in the world of Audio Visual equipment, the Philips 40PFL9704 reintroduces the brushed silver metal finish that began to look so out of date when 'glossy black' became the de rigueur flat panel uniform just a few years ago.

Of course, the perception of any new design depends to some degree on the credentials of the manufacturer producing the TV's in the first place. With a reputation for supreme quality, we are much more likely to follow the trend that Philips decides to set.

Who ever is responsible for its creation, this is a stunning piece of kit. There is just the right two tone balance between the brushed metal finish and the finishing strips of black around the outer edge of the screen. With a distinctive look which places it firmly within the current stable of Philips' LCD TV's, and befitting its range topping status, the 40PFL9704 is just that little bit more stylish than other TV's in the Philips range.

Features

Having dangled various 'carrots' before consumers in the shape of such things as internet connectivity and 'widgets', manufacturers now seem to be concentrating on fundamentals; the elements which combine to create a great picture.

	Screen: 40in 16:9 Tuner: Digital Sound System: Nicam Resolution: 1920 x 1080 Contrast Ratio: 5,000,000:1 Other Features: 200Hz processing, Pro LED, Perfect Pixel HD, HD Natural Motion, Perfect Colour, DLNA, Wi-fi. Sockets: 5 HDMI (v1.3), 2 SCART (RGB), S-Video, Component Video, Composite Video, PC input, USB, Ethernet.

 

Philips believe that LED backlighting is an essential element of better LCD performance and unsurprisingly they have reserved the more sophisticated 'Locally Dimmed' implementation of the technology for their 9000 series.

The Dutch manufacturer has been not been as prolific as the likes of Samsung when it come to their range of LCD TV's with LED backlighting. We are hoping that there is the usual 'Philips' reason for acting more cautiously - that they wanted to get the technology spot on.

With over 75% more LED's than previous models, the 9704 incorporates over 1000 diodes within 225 independently operated LED sections which offer more precise on screen picture control.

Philips' Pro LED system has been designed to work alongside the companies core picture processing circuitry, 'Perfect Pixel HD engine' for enhanced contrast and picture performance.

The 40in and 46in 9704 screens arrive with what Philips are claiming is the fastest response time of any LCD TV, 1ms. Philips are also claiming an impressive 5,000,000:1 contrast ratio for their new LED equipped screens; a figure which we should of course take with a pinch of salt.

Philips' Ambilight technology has given us LCD TVs with a luminous bezel which changes colour depending on the current on screen action. Philips describes the effect as "bringing light and color to life in an unparalleled, highly visual and immersive fashion".

The latest incarnation of Philips' Ambilight technology introduces a seamless transition between the screen and the Ambilight Active Frame. Philips are claiming a 50% reduction in power consumption with three-way Ambilight control. The function is operated via a dedicated button on the remote and can be switched on or off.

Elsewhere there are 5 HDMI inputs and built-in Wi-fi which allows you to stream music and video or display photos from a PC on your home network. A combination of 100Hz processing and a scanning backlight produces a 'pseudo' 200Hz processing system.

The Philips 'Net TV' function gives you access to the web via your home network through either the integrated Wi-fi wireless or Ethernet connection. The function offers access to the likes of YouTube videos and eBay.

Performance

Previous high end models in the Philips LCD range demonstrating excellent High Definition ability, we couldn't resist beginning are look at the 40PFL9704 by feeding it some HD material. Revealing just about the best performance we have come across in this respect, the HD results more than matched our expectations.

The 40PFL9704 produced one the most sublime High Definition pictures we have witnessed to date from a TV, Plasma or LCD. Stunning in every respect, the level of detail and sharpness is simply breathtaking. While there is something about the picture which suggests that there is a lot of processing going on behind the scenes (sometimes the picture looks almost too sharp) the whole experience feels like a voyage to another reality.

Dedicated Plasma devotees may find the slightly over processed High Definition look is not to their tastes; but give the Philips a go and you just might be convinced ...

The platform for any good TV performance with standard or high definition material is the available Contrast (the difference between the blackest blacks and the whitest whites a TV can produce), sometimes referred to as the Black Level response. This is where we start to understand why the 40PFL9704 is such a good TV.

While a number of LED TV's have wowed us with the depth of black on offer, very few have demonstrated the subtlety of shadow detailing which the best Plasma's provide as a matter of course. The 40PFL9704 is different in that it combines those deep rich blacks we find on a growing number of high end TV's with a level of detail across darker scenes that is among the best we have come across from any TV.

Philips' 'locally dimmed' implementation of led backlighting goes a long way to explain the 40PFL9704's supreme black level ability. The precise control over individual areas of the screen gives it the ability to generate those high levels of contrast.

What's more, unlike the less sophisticated 'edge' based implementations of LED backlighting, the accomplished black level response does not come at the expense of screen brightness. The 40PFL9704 is unique among LCD TV's in that it produces graduated areas of shadow detail right alongside much brighter areas of on screen content.

While Philips' implementation of LED backlighting has a major influence on this TV's performance, other factors combine to make the 40PFL9704 a truly great TV.

Chief amongst these is the Philips Perfect Pixel HD engine. The 40PFL9704's core picture processing element works hard behind the scenes to create not only the sharpest HD pictures we have come across but also some of the most watchable Standard Definition pictures we have witnessed.

Again, Plasma fans may shy away from the slight traces of 'shimmering' on fast moving objects, but dedicated LCD fans will recognize that the effect is far less intrusive than on virtually any other screen they have come across with Standard Definition viewing.

The level of Standard Definition detail is outstanding and the lengths Philips have gone to remove traces of 'noise' from even the lowest quality feeds is commendable.

Adding the icing to the the top of the cake is a gloriously vibrant Colour performance. The 2250 trillion or so claimed available colours (who's counting?) generated by 'Perfect Colour' are far more than the human eye can distinguish. The important part of the equation however is the way Perfect Pixel HD manages to present these colours. Never less than wholly realistic, even tricky areas such as facial tones are produced with a subtlety very few TV's can match.

Is there anything we dislike about the Philips 40PFL9704? Well, apart from the price, not much. Even the acoustics deliver a reasonably powerful soundtrack in most situations. The only thing we would say is that the Philips requires a certain amount of tweaking to get the most out of it. If you are willing to nurture this TV with some care and attention however, you will be richly rewarded.

Conclusion

Philips have produced an LED TV that once again demonstrates how accomplished the Dutch manufacturer has become. This time however, they have gone a step further to create what is arguably the best LCD TV around.

Philips 40PFL9704