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Philips 42PFL9603D Review |
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Reviewed: 14 October 2008
Design
Even with the likes of LG and more recently Sony establishing dedicated 'design' functions to improve the look of their screens, Philips continues to produce uniquely stylish flat panel TV's. The 42PFL9603D comes as part of the Dutch manufacturers 'Design Collection' with the absence of any visible speakers on the front of the 42PFL9603D and a slim rounded frame creating a remarkably svelte like appearance.
Adding a finishing touch, 'signature clear shroud', a half inch or so clear plastic protruderence follows the contour of the frame. Actually serving a practical purpose, this plastic rim captures light as part of Philips' Ambilight system.
Features
Philip's acclaimed 'Ambilight' system appears on the 42PFL9603D as 'Spectra 2' which delivers light from the sides of the LCD screen (via strip lights) to enhance/complement the current scene. With a fully back-lit LED (replacing the previous fluorescent source) light glows through the 'signature clear shroud', actually shinning through left and right areas of the frame independently. This is Ambilight in stereo, the system adjusting to complement the current hues on each particular side of the screen.
Screen: 42in 16:9 Tuner: Digital Sound System: Nicam Resolution: 1920 x 1080 Contrast Ratio: 30,000:1 Other Features: Ambilight (Spectra 2), Perfect Pixel HD Engine. Sockets: 4 HDMI (v1.3), 2 SCART (RGB), S-Video, Component Video, Composite Video, PC input, USB.
As with many aspects of the 42PFL9603D's on board electronic wizardry, there is a great deal of scope for adjusting the effect of ambilight. It can be tweaked to operate at varying degrees of strength and can even be turned off completely.
The latest incarnation of Philips' picture processing technology, 'Perfect Pixel HD Engine' works to improve incoming source material on a pixel by pixel basis. Each pixel is not only optimized for contrast, colour and sharpness but also enhanced to match surrounding pixels.
The 42PFL9603D sports a Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution, which is able to map, pixel for pixel, the highest quality input onto the screen without the need for downscaling. Elsewhere there are 4 HDMI(v1.3) inputs, 2 scarts and a surprisingly useful USB port through which you can display your holiday snaps (JPG's) in their full glory, play MP3 soundtracks and present .alb slideshow files.
Philips' take on 100Hz technology 'Clear LCD' works to eliminate motion 'blur' by inserting extra frames into the picture. Complementing 100Hz technology, 'HD Natural Motion' addresses the juddering effects that are visible with film based picture content. The technology improves on 'Digital Natural Motion' by employing greater amounts of processing power to improve motion fluidity.
Under the moniker of 'Perfect Colour' the 42PFL9603D employs a 17-bit Colour Booster processor to produce a mind boggling 2,250 trillion colours.
The 42PFL9603D features a unique invisible speaker system that has been designed to deliver powerful acoustics through a slim frame. Philips' Invisible Sound System integrates a wOOx subwoofer with two dual-excursion passive radiator drivers to improve low frequency performance while concealing the speakers behind the TV frame.
Performance
Immediately striking with the Philips 42PFL9603D is how natural images appear for a large LCD panel. Resolution, detail and sharpness with Standard Definition (SD) sources for such a large panel are a revelation. We are getting used to an accomplished SD performance from 'Ambilight' TV's from Philips, but the 42PFL9603D is different in that some of the negative aspects associated with the picture processing wizardry, notably exaggerated contrast, are much less pronounced. The picture is not perfect, but when you consider that the on board processing has to translate a low quality (576 lines or so in the case of Freeview) to a Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution, the results are very impressive.
Perfect Colour delivers some of the richest, most vibrant colours we have seen on any flat panel TV. With a subtlety that gives that wholly natural look to tricky areas such as facial tones the 42PFL9603D seems to be making use of those 2,250 trillion or so shades at its disposal.
As you would expect, High Definition (HD) material is pristine, with a level of sharpness and detail that is a match for any LCD TV. What we did not expect was an HD picture that produced a remarkably involving experience. The depth of colour produced by the 17-bit processor combined with a level of sharpness and detail that roots you to the on screen action delivers a performance that sets this TV apart.
Just as impressive is the way that the 42PFL9603D handles fast motion scenes. The level of smoothness and fluidity can be quite disconcerting initially for those who are more used to the processed look of LCD TV's. Again, this LCD TV is not perfect, but quite remarkable in the degree to which it banishes those traditional problems of motion blur and lack of contrast with fast motion content.
Not quite as accomplished as we had hoped, black level ability of the 42PFL9603D is good, but does not match the refined detail in darker areas that you will see with the best plasma screens. Inevitably the backlight compromises the picture detail with darker shadowy detail but at no time do you witness any visibly grey areas to the picture.
So often an afterthought on flat panel TV's, the wrap around invisible speakers and built-in subwoofers produce a surprisingly accomplished acoustic performance. The 42PFL9603D has a deep rich Bass with volume that does not lose its composure at higher levels.
Conclusion
It is worth noting that it takes some tweaking to get the most out of the Philips 42PFL9603D. If you are prepared to devote some time to the setup of this TV it will reward you with one of the finest all round performances available from an LCD.
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