HDTV Reviews

Philips have been working on 3D HDTV that creates 3D images in HD quality using a technology called WOWvx which does not require the use of glasses to see the special 3D effects. The TV uses advanced signal-processing and a special lens technology to produce the 3D effects.

Philips hopes to launch a consumer 3D HDTV in a few years. After test users have stated that “Golf balls and butterflies jump off the screen,” the article states.

This technology has great advantages over the other / older 3D technologies, as the no glasses means no fuss, just normal TV viewing with the extra thrill of 3D. One problem in the future might be getting TV stations to broadcast this format, as it has taken many years for them to accept HDTV.

The Philips 100-inch Ambilight has full Ambilight surround on all four sides rather than the earlier three. Philips’ latest FlatTV innovation - a prototype 100-inch (245cm) LCD TV with Ambilight Full Surround – the new, four-sided version of Philips’ totally unique ambient lighting technology. Ambilight brings a completely new, transformational dimension to watching TV, creating an immersive viewing experience through a unique technique which matches the colour and brightness in the images being displayed on the television’s screen.

This year Philips is adding two new versions of Ambilight – Ambilight Full surround, which projects ambient light on all four sides of the set, and Ambilight Surround which features lighting units on three sides. Both variants of Ambilight will be demonstrated on the Philips stand at IFA, where visitors will be able to see up close the flagship Philips Cineos 42PF9831D FlatTV with Ambilight Full Surround and the Philips Cineos 37PF9731D FlatTV, recently named High-End LCD TV of the Year by the European Imaging & Sound Association (EISA). Read more

The Philips 37PF9731D is a “Full HD” 1080p 37-inch Cineos Flat HDTV from Philips which features Pixel Plus 3 HD and Ambilight surround technology.

The Philips 37PF9731D has a high resolution of 1920×1080p and features Pixel Plus 3 HD for improved clarity and colors on both HD content and standard content. The Ambilight Surround technology projects colored light around the HDTV on three sides to match the overall average color that the HDTV is currently displaying to produce an effect that enhances your viewing experience by bringing you closer to the movie and also reduces eye strain.

The 37PF9731D has two HDMI inputs, scart component and many other usual connections. There is also a memory card reader, and usb connection for displaying photos from digital cameras. There is also a ethernet network connection for connecting the set directly to a computer so it can stream media files over the network, there is also an optional Wi-Fi (wireless) connection available to remove all network wire mess.

The Philips 42PF7621D is an award winning 42″ LCD HDTV from Philips. The 42PF7621D features Pixel Plus 2HD image enhancement for improved image clarity and colors along with improvement for standard non HD signals to improve the image display.

The Philips 42PF7621D has a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, with a brightness of 550 cd/m² and a contrast ratio of 4000:1 with a fast response time of just 8ms, for sharp pictures in fast motion scenes. Supported resolution is 1366 x 768p. There are two HDMI inputs, two scart connections, component and VGA for PC connection.
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Philips has won prestigious recognition for its leadership in flat display technology by winning European Imaging & Sound Association (EISA) awards for two of its FlatTV(TM) sets - European High-End LCD TV, 2006-2007 for the Philips Cineos 37PF9731D, and European Green TV of the Year for the Philips 42PF7621D.

These latest EISA awards are, respectively, the eighth and ninth won by Philips for FlatTVs and FlatTV technologies in the ten years since Philips unveiled its first FlatTV in August 1996. The awards are also the 15th and 16th respective EISA TV titles won by Philips in the 14 years EISA has been holding its annual awards.

In naming the Philips 37PF9731D Cineos FlatTV with Ambilight(TM) Surround high-end LCD TV of the year, the EISA judges have highlighted Philips’ expertise in the emerging high definition TV market.

The 37PF9731D delivers the ultimate HDTV viewing experience by applying several key Philips technologies such as Pixel Plus(TM) 3HD and Clear LCD(TM) combined with a true 1920×1080-pixel LCD panel. EISA’s award citation notes how the set “impressive picture quality” with both HD and standard definition signals with the visual experience “enhanced further by Philips’ next-generation Ambilight Surround illumination”. Read more

The Philips 32PF7521D kick off nicely with twin HDMIs, but these receive handsome support from component video and PC jacks, a digital audio output, and the usual SCART/S-Video/composite video standards. What makes us particularly happy about all this is that unlike many previous Philips LCD TVs, you’re not expected to input digital video, component and PC signals through the same, single connector. Hallelujah.

The 32PF7521D has a digital audio output as the set has a built-in digital tuner, so the digital audio output is there to permit the export of Dolby Digital 5.1 audio tracks should the Freeview service start broadcasting them.

The 32PF7521D isn’t without its good points. For one thing, Pixel Plus’ talent for making standard definition pictures look massively sharper and more detailed than they would normally is clearly apparent. HD sources also look very sharp, suggesting that the HD ‘downscaling/upscaling’ process we described earlier isn’t causing quite as much nastiness as we might have feared.
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Plasma screens have proven to be, arguably, the most popular consumer choice. A new model from Philips, the 50PF9631D/37, features the very latest technology and, with a 50-inch (diagonal) screen, is sure to make a big impression in any home-theater environment.

Three innovations combine to create the stunningly bright display. Pixel Plus+ 3HD technology enhances pixel creation to eliminate jagged lines. Two-channel Ambilight circuitry continuously analyzes and optimizes picture settings according to lighting conditions and creates a glow on the wall around the TV for enhanced viewing pleasure. Digital circuitry controls dynamic contrast and color enhancement.

We were very pleased with the overall display quality from the 1,366 x 768 pixel resolution. Plasma is known for high-contrast images with stunning color reproduction, and this model keeps that reputation intact.
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Philips 42PF9831D LCD widescreen flat HDTV with Pixel Plus 3 HD and Ambilight Full Surround.
Enjoy the ultimate viewing experience of this Philips Cineos Flat TV with Pixel Plus 3 HD, Ambilight Full Surround and Clear LCD technology. The Digital Media Reader with PC link gives you full access to multimedia content.

* High definition LCD WXGA display, resolution 1366 x 768p
* Integrated Digital Tuner for DVB-T reception
* HD ready for the highest quality display of HDTV signals
* Pixel Plus 3 HD for the most vivid and sharp HDTV images
* Clear LCD for sharp, fast and vibrant images
* Ambilight Full Surround for immersive viewing experience
* Matching stand with elegant design included
* Access your photos, music and movies via PC-link
* Wireless prepared for connection to your PC
* USB and Memory-Card slot for instantly playing multimedia
* HDMI for full digital High Definition connection
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Philips’ 42PF9631D new 42” plasma HD-Ready TV. As usual it has been christened with a catchy code name – the 42PF9631D – but it makes its distinction from other Philips TVs by being its first 1080i resolution plasma.

As we’re rapidly learning though, it isn’t so much the screen size and resolution that counts when it comes to top quality High Definition but the image processing. Philips is trusting its Pixel Plus 2 HD engine to do it proud – here’s what it says: “Through interpolation, the Pixel Plus 2 HD matches the input source to the display’s resolution and then adjusts the values of the interpolated pixels to ‘fuse’ more accurately with surrounding ones, drastically boosting sharpness and detail clarity.”

Other features of the Pixel Plus 2 HD engine includes noise reduction mechanism for MPEG video and Philips boasts to be the TV manufacturer to successfully combine resolution enhancement with motion compensation, ensuring the video retains a smooth 24 frames per second.

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HDMI-equipped DVD players have suddenly become commonplace this year, to the point where they don’t cost much more than a generic DVD player you’d pick up at Wal-Mart. The Philips DVP5960/37 is one good example, going for less than $80 online. For that price, you get HDMI and upscaling to higher resolutions, DivX playback, and one of the slimmest, most stylish exteriors we’ve seen.

The Philips DVP5960/37 has a design that’s as eye-catching as its name is annoying. The player stands just 1.5 inches tall, and even its disc drawer is shallower to take up less height. We liked the reflective silver faceplate and the conveniently large LED display. There are several front-panel buttons, including standby, HD upscale (which toggles through resolutions), play/pause, and stop. One notable omission is fast-forward or rewind controls, which can be useful in a pinch when the remote goes missing. There’s also a USB port on the front, which can be used to display JPEGs and DivX files as well as to play back MP3 files, from a USB thumbdrive.

Philips’s remote is small and not backlit, and it has some nonintuitive controls. For example, the directional pad’s right and left buttons also control fast-forward and rewind, which is unusual and not labeled. However, after a couple seconds of confusion, we found it easy enough to use.

Connectivity-wise, the Philips’s big selling point is its HDMI output. As with all HDMI decks, it has the ability to upconvert DVDs: in this case to 576p, 720p, or 1080i resolution. Upconversion may result in slightly sharper DVD images on some HDTVs, but it won’t work miracles–they’re still DVDs, after all. The rest of the connectivity options are made up of a component-video output, a standard composite-video output, and an optical audio output. While a case could be made about the deck missing an S-Video and coaxial audio output, we’re betting that most people buying this player are planning to use the HDMI or component-video connection.

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