1. Hgh-definition LCD WXGA display- 1366 x 768p
2. Integrated HDTV and CableCARD for unrivalled picture quality
3. Pixel Plus 3 HD for most vivid and sharp HDTV images
4. Clear LCD for sharp- fast and vibrant images
5. Ambilight Full Surround for immersive viewing

Editorial Review :

This state-of-the-art LCD screen gives you widescreen HD resolution producing 42 inches of brilliant flicker-free progressive scan pictures. HD ready offers picture quality beyond that of progressive scan. It conforms to strict standards to offer an HD screen that displays the picture quality of a High Definition TV signal. It can display 720p and 1080i signals at 50 and 60Hz while Pixel Plus 3 HD offers each pixel of the incoming picture enhanced to match the surrounding pixels better. Ambilight 4 complements the overall viewing experience and produces a fully surrounding glow of light that complements the colors and light intensity on all four sides of the image creating a floating display. The PC-link provides access to your personal digital media files and multimedia content through Ethernet (LAN) and WiFi with an optional wireless connection. Instantly view and share your movies, photos and music with the Memory Card slot that accept cards of various types. 176 Degrees Horizontal and Vertical Viewing Angle 5 Built-in Loudspeakers - Integrated subwoofer, Dome tweeter Multimedia connections - Ethernet-UTP5, UPnP, WiFi with optional Ethernet-bridge, 7-in-1 Memory Card Reader, USB streaming video capable Compatible Memory Card Types - Compact Flash type I, Compact flash type II, Memory stick, Micro drive, Multi-Media Card (MMC), Secure Digital Card (SD), Smart Media Card Playback formats - MP3, Slideshow files (.alb), JPEG still pictures, DivX 3.11, DivX 5, MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, XviD Video playback - NTSC, PAL, SECAM Picture in Picture ( PIP ) - Full dual screen ( 2 tuners ), Text dual screen Screen format adjustments - 4 - 3, 6 widescreen modes, Auto format, Movie expand 14 - 9, Movie expand 16 - 9, Subtitle and heading shift, Super Zoom, Widescreen Unit Dimensions - Approximately Width 50.35 x Height 34.33 x Depth 4.48 inch (without stand) Unit Dimensions - Approximately Width 50.35 x H

Customer Review :

WOW

Let me start by saying this TV completely spoiled regular tv that we are all used to. As my buddies and I watched our first HD movie with the ambilight full surround, within 10 minutes we all agreed watching tv without ambilight will never be the same again! The ambilight brought the tv to life, it's a whole new world. Picture quality is great, and I love the picture auto-format option. One cool feature is the demos you can view on live television. The philips tv sort of splits the screen and shows you what your picture looks like with and without Clear LCD and Pixel Plus 3. The difference is extremely noticable.

Sound is good, its loud, clear, and nice base.

Although the screen is 42 inches diagonal, the tv is approximately 50 inches wide. This is due to the black border of the tv and the white background that was added to reflect the ambilight. It's a brilliant looking tv, very luxurious.

One thing I was dissappointed about was the memorycard/media option. I like to edit and create videos and convert them to DivX, Avi, MPEG files. I thought I would be able to play those types of media files right off my of SD card. Turns out you cant. Just pictures, music, and .alb files.

The remote is very nice looking, and the back of the tv has multiple inputs.

Overall, your tv/viewing experience will never be the same once you get used to ambilight. It really makes a world of difference and you will love it... especially with the different modes of ambilight. You will fall in love with the tv, bottom line.

Rating :

Great BIG TV

I purchased this through Amazon/TigerDirect. Great price, less than half of what Best Buy calls for.

The TV is enormous. Much larger than the 42" description would imply. At first, I didn't think it would fit.

The picture with Ambilight is amazing. Much better than the two other HD sets I own. The tuner on this TV caught much more than the Sony tuners on the other HD sets, probably a hundred more channels. It found over 400 channels including analog on my Comcast cable.

The remote needs to be aimed directly at the TV to work. The interface connectors on the bottom of the set would have been better with a diagram of them on the back. The side buttons aren't labeled too well either.

It did accept all of the media I used, including USB thumb drives and such. The manual is a trip and a thick one too. I'm still not sure what everything does.

I like it.

Rating :

Good but not Great

First, this is indeed a "cool" tv. Looks great turned off, and very cool with the full ambilight. Also, decent speaker, easy hookup and good stand.

That being said, the remote is kind of low-grade - does the job, but not great; and the picture is only good. whatever you do, DO NOT go look at the new Elite plasmas or you won't buy this - cost aside.

Overall, a happy purchase for the price - but not the best HDTV quality - not even by a longshot...

Rating :

Phillips Ambilight

The TV is amazing!!! Have the Ambilight on in a dark room while watching a movie and then turn it off. It feels like your TV just drastically shrank.

Rating :

Awesome TV, great price!

I had been in the market for a new t.v. for quite sometime. I had wanted to by a HD LCD, but my budget could only handle so much. When I saw the price on this t.v. I immediately purchased it. For this price your not going to do better. The ambilight feature is incredible when you watch in the dark. It really helps your eyes adjust to the changing picture environment very well. I was very particular in getting a set that had a high contrast ratio, and this set has a decent dynamic contrast ratio, not the best, but again...your not going to do better for the money. The other, image processing, features are incredible and offer a ridiculous range of picture adjustment. Oh, btw, this is no small tv...it measures 50" wide, but it is worth it. It is very sleek and modern looking. One last thing, the options to hook up compenents seem endless. The SD drive is awesome, no more looking at pictures on a 3.5" camera lcd. For gamers this is an awesome set: 1)unlike plasma the lcd doesnt burn, 2)wide options for hooking up game systems, 3)the PIP allows you to watch tv and game on two equal sized screens, so you arent missing anything (ie...football!!). Do your self a favor and buy this tv!

Rating :

More reviews...

1. Full HD 42-inch LCD with 1920 x 1080 resolution
2. ATSC and QAM tuner receives over the air and unscrambled cable
3. Up to 5ms Typical Response Time for clear, fast moving action
4. 20 Watts with BBE for powerful sound and great voice clarity
5. 3 HDMI inputs for full digital HD connection in one cable

Editorial Review :

Designed for ease of use, Philips 42PFL3603D 42-inch 1080p LCD HDTV features modern design, 3 HDMI connections, Incredible Surround sound, a powerful 1080p display and brilliant Pixel Plus HD engine. Making the smart choice in total picture quality has never been easier.

Customer Review :

OK TV

It had decent pq but I didnt think it quite lived up to its 30000:1 5ms stated facts. It didnt handle motion too well and I eventually returned it to Walmart.

Rating :

Owner for a month...not a proud one though

I owned this philips 3603 for about a month. After watching dvds/playin xbox360 it becomes very evident that I didn't get what I paid for. Here are +/-.

PROS
-Sound quality is very good.
-Size of TV for the price
-Good PQ with good sources(i.e. blu-ray)

CONS
-People's faces had a tint of yellow and very bright scenes looked washed out which ruined the HD experience for me(I may have got a lemon).
-No VGA to hook-up laptop
-SD is decent but not very good
-any fast motion and the picture is blurry.

Overall, I highly recommend not getting this tv just because it fits the budget. Save a bit more and get something of higher quality(i.e. samsung ln40a550)

Rating :

YES YES and NO

After 12 months with out any problems, its been worth every penny! Fantastic picture. Sound is OK for a TV. BIG BIG Issue.... there are no standard audio outputs!!! My $399 Sony surround system is useless. Phillips has a single RCA output port that is incompatable with ANYBODYS audio devices it seems. Living with the disapointment. Sad.

Rating :

excellent picture

Picture quality is excellent. I had the tv for a little over a month now. Thus far I am totally satisfied.

Rating :

Ever wonder why Philips has its own Refurb Outlet?...

Intro
... Because tons of their items are showing poor manufacturing faults. Either the screen, HDMI outlets or even the remote: eventually it seems to fail.

I do not write this lightly as I come from Eindhoven (Holland), the birthplace of Philips and I worked there many summers earning some nice vacation money. I even love their Soccer Team: PSV Eindhoven...

But the days that they were creating high end amplifiers (I still have a Maratz MossFet Class A that is about 27 years old and produces sound quality close to that of moch more expensive manufacturers.

I really used to like Philips and what they stood for... but I found out the hard way that this company is substituting quality for profit margin nowadays.

========
I purchased this item as a gift for someone who is not very well off. We thought she'd enjoy a flatpanel in her home and picked one of these up at Target for , what seemed to be, a good price.

Trouble started after about 4 days. I had hung the unit with a wall mount and received a call asking me if a faint humming sound was 'normal'. I dropped by and it was certainly louder than a fain t hum. The smell of oZone was undeniable and the TV was giving so much heat off that the room temperature was unbearable.

So I took it back and got a new one to take back. We hung it and this time the lcd had a black bar on the right hand side, as if the screen was being projected too much to the left. Frustrating... but what are the odds to receive 2 bad ones?

So went back a third time. The store was out and the rep told me that they had tons of people exchange them because of bad screens. He suggested I take another brand. Stubborn as I was, being Pro-Philips and all, I decided to take my money back and go online of Philips Outlet.

I ordered one there that was refurbished, thinking that I'd save some money that way and get one that was physically tested: might not be a bad thing.

It arrived and whaddaya know: bad screen and excessive heat production.


To end the oddyssey we just bought a Toshiba for slightly more here on Amazon. It is a brand that used to have an excellent rep in production quality and the TV did not have any of the problems experienced. Philips has caved in and become nothing more than a cheap electronics manufacturer. Its no longer the Toyota of electronics.

Look online and see how many people are frustrated with Philips equipment and have a look in thier outlet store where they try to recycle the vast amounts of bad products.
Spend 100$ more and buy something with a quality reputation... nothing is worse than having to haul around broken tv's.

Rating :

More reviews...

1. 42" LCD HDTV, 1080 p with matching swivel stand
2. Ambilight, provides enhanced viewing experience and reduces eye strain
3. 1920x1080p Full HD display
4. 3 HDMI inputs, plus CVI and S-Video inputs
5. USB connect to play music files or digital pictures

Editorial Review :

Philips 42" LCD, Widscreen HDTV, Ambilight to enhance your picture viewing experience, 1080p for the highest HD picture performance, Pixel Plus HD Engine for the sharpest pictures possible, Built in ATSC/Qam tuner, 1920 x 1080p resolution, Virtual Dobly Surround Sound for theater like sound experience, Matching swivel stand, USB connect for easy multi-media playing, 2xHDMI, CVI and S-Video inputs.

Customer Review :

When it works, it's a nice TV

Less than a week after buying this TV in July 2007, it stopped working. The power light would come on briefly and then it would shut off. We returned it to the store and got a replacement.

Fast forward to today, Nov. 23, 2008. The "new" TV did the same thing, after having worked with no problems earlier in the day. Called Philips and they're covering the repair even though it's out of warranty, but it's still a major annoyance for such a big ticket item.

Rating :

very happy with this TV

I purchased this Phillips 42PFL7432D 42 " and I am very pleased. I don't know enough about what it can even do to rate it higher. I found it easy to use and I like the picture and and the ambilight. It has been a pleasure. I have to say I haven't hooked it up to HD yet and am just using a regular DVD player but I think it looks great. I'm sure when I finally get that together it will be so much more, but currently it is much better than what I had before

Rating :

Great TV

Bought this tv a feww years back and it is still going strong. Great Value

Rating :

Very Good TV. Ambilight is Enjoyable, but Black Levels lack

If you are in the market for a new LCD screen TV then the Philips Ambilight might be something worth considering. The TV is a excellent one that compares very favorably to comparably sized LCD screens. Overall setup of the TV is very straight forward and and the image setup process when you turn it on is very helpful.

The Ambilight system is a little bit gimmicky but when used to watch films in the dark is is effective. It does wonders to reduce the eye strain one would receive if you want to watch movies in pitch dark. Color levels of the screen are very good as well, but black levels are not the best. The black levels are improved when watching in a dark setting however as the scree will automatically adjust the brightness appropriately to how dark the room is.

The TV has excellent HDMI support with three inputs but unfortunately does not offer cable card support. Be aware of that. The only other drawback to the set is that the the naming options for your video inputs are stuck to only a set of predefined labels. You cannot label them yourself and if you have multiple devices that are the same, such as two video game systems or something unique such as an Apple TV hooked up you cannot label the inputs as such.

Rating :

No Regrets

I did quite a bit of research prior to making this purchase and am very pleased with the decision. The picture quality is excellent! I've had friends over that also have flat panel TVs and they all say our picture looks better than theirs. I also really like the ambilight feature, it's not just a gimmick it really helps reduce eye strain when no other lights are on. Ambilight is also dynamic and each side adjusts separately in intensity and color. Plenty of inputs and outputs. I can't comment on the sound quality because I never use the built in speakers. Only complaint I have which is pretty minor is that after initial power on six or seven seconds before it will accept input selection i.e. changing from HDMI 3 to HDMI 4.

Rating :

More reviews...

1. 1920 x 1080p Resolution
2. Pixel Plus 3HD with 120Hz Clear LCD Technology
3. 29,000:1 Contrast Ratio
4. 3 HDMI Iputs, 2 Component Inputs, S-Video, USB Music and Photo Viewer
5. Tabletop swivel stand, Power cord, Quick start guide, User Manual, Registration card, Remote Control

Editorial Review :

1920 x 1080p full HD pixel resolution29000:1 dynamic contrast ratio16:9 widescreen aspect ratio120Hz ClearLCD anti-blur technology with 2ms motion response500cd/m brightness Perfect Pixel HD Engine for extreme motion sharpness in HDTVBuilt-in analog/digital tuner (NTSC/ATSC/QAM)USB connector for easy instant multimedia playingVirtual Dolby Digital Surround sound with 30 watt speakers and digital audio output4 HDMI inputs for easy full HD connectivityIncludes remote and swivel stand

Customer Review :

My experience with this product

I like the picture produced by this product - very clear and bright. The sound created by the two 15-watts back-facing speakers were adequate, I never had to turn up the volume more than half over the maximum value, but of course a home theater with sub-woofer is required for serious movie fanatics.
I would give a higher rating for this tv except for the following -

It had to be sent out for repair a month and a half after I received it. The problem was the infrared receiver had to be replaced - otherwise the tv would not respond to the remote control.

While the menu system is active, you cannot see the video image because the menus are not transparent.

Otherwise I'm happy with the set.

Rating :

Great 120HZ TV so much underrated...

Philips will not produce HDTV any longer for the US and has sold the division to an obscure company that will takeover the production.

This set has created a lot of buzz when it went out because there were a lot of issues. What good about that will you tell? the good thing is that they have fixed the issues (banding, problem with format, auto power off).

One point that has never suffered from any problem was the image quality largely on par with the top brand (even better but i dont want to get flammed by samsung owners).

So this is now a flawless 120hz hdtv with a superb image quality (black are superb). I especially like the image you got using the power saver mode. This version does not have the ambilight ( that i dislike, i have seen many of them in Europe where Philips is a well know brand)

it fits perfectly with a ps3 (yes it does 24p) and the set is beautiful. so buy it when you still can.


Rating :

Amazing Image, Good Sound, Great Value

This is one of the most impressive images on a flat screen I have seen We are fortunate enough to own a Panasonic 50 inch Vierra 1080p plasma, a very new Sony 40 LCD 1080p 60 hz, a vizio (50 and 32 1080i) and now this. Connected to a Direct TV HD signal via HDMI it is the most impressive, clear, life like picture of any of the above tvs with similar sources/inputs. It has very good speakers, not great, but better than any other in our house.

Wonderful value. It has a remote of lesser feeling quality, but it works fine.
Great Value. It may need a firmware to update bring it to its best. These are easy to do, simply download the update onto a memory sitck via usb and connect it to the tv via the usb input. Enjoy, I will look at philips first next purchase.

Rating :

Great TV

I'm very happy with it. Great picture, great sound. Watching blu-ray discs on it blows me away.

Rating :

Philips 120Hz 47inch TV

The picture quality is definetly 5 stars. I do not have cable or satellite and am in awe of the picture quality I get from the digital stations from my antenna. Watching DVD movies with an HDMI compatible player was phenomenal. If you just need to have the best picture for watching TV, sports, movies this is great.

The reason I gave it four stars.
1. Remote : Very cheapish for the price of the TV. It can not be programmed to run anything but your TV. There are programmable remotes out there for around $35 so this is not the main reason.
2. Switching channels : Using the remote, when you type in the channel you want to go to the numbers on the screen are very small for such a large screen size. Also, when just using the channel up button or down button it takes a little time (<1s) to "get the picture" but the channel does not show up on the screen until the picture does.
3. Menu : Is easy to navigate
4. Output: There is no output of video, so I can not record shows onto a VCR. Also the output for sound is one digital RCA type (outputs great dolby 5.1 from digital broadcast TV), so you better make sure your reciever has this on it for your surround sound system. Mine had it for my DVD player and other components, but not for TV. One plus here is that I can watch the TV, sound comes into my reciever on the DVD setting, and when I put a DVD in to play I do not have to switch the reciever to DVD. That actually is pretty great.
5. Options : This is why I gave it 4 stars. It finds station great and labels them accordingly with the call letters of the station. Bad thing is I want to lable them so I know I am watching NBC, CBS, ABC. You get the picture. I would have loved to name them NBC-1, so I know where my antenna is supposed to point to get these stations. Not a bad minus but my old analog television even had this.

Rating :

More reviews...

1. 17-inch HD-ready flat-panel LCD television with 1,280 x 768 resolution; measures 20.4 x 11.9 x 3.1 inches (W x H x D)
2. 3D digital comb filter helps eliminate dot crawl and color bleed; 25 ms response time handles fast-moving action
3. Progressive-scan screen for more filmlike images; Dynamic Contrast for deep blacks and pure whites; 400:1 contrast ratio
4. 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio; component, composite, and S-video inputs; VGA connector for use as PC monitor
5. Remanufactured to like-new condition; 1-year warranty on parts (90 days on labor)

Editorial Review :

Elegant design with enhanced picture and sound. An LCD TV that not only enhances the décor of your home with its european styling and slim design, but also provides a great audio visual experience with features like Crystal Clear III, Active Control,Virtual Dolby Surround and unique flat speakers.

Customer Review :

A Pretty Good LCD TV, Though Tricky Setting it for Progressive Scan DVD Playing

I purchased this model through the Philips Outlet online site as a "factory renewed" item. I generally like the TV, even though using it to view progressive scan DVDs was not as easy as I had hoped.

One of the main reasons I got this Philips HDTV-ready LCD TV was for watching progressive scan DVDs from my Philips DVD player. Turns out you cannot just hook up the component/RGB connections and put your DVD player into progressive scan mode.

I had to call Philips (and was able to get through without hassle) and was told the only way to view DVDs in progressive scan mode on this TV is by hooking up to the TV through the VGA connection. After searching on the Internet I found a great outfit (AVD Gear) that had the component/RGB-to-VGA cable I needed. (Radio Shack did not have the cable and said the only way it would work was with a $100 conversion device.)

When making the video connection using this method, you also need a special hookup for audio. I had to get a RCA audio (red/white) to mini jack cable too. (Again, thanks to AVD Gear.)

Now, with all the correct special cables, the progressive scan DVD playback is amazing on this TV.

I just wish Philips has been more clear in their product specifications and user manual out the need for this special hookup. I don't know why they make it so difficult. One would think that one of the main reasons someone would want a HDTV ready TV would be for progressive scan DVD playback.

I have not bothered to order HDTV through my cable company yet because I don't watch that much TV, and would want a larger primary TV first, but this unit that I use in a bedroom works very nice with DVDs now that everything it set correctly. Regular TV viewing is just okay.

The user guide is also lacking on details about all the different picture modes (widescreen, fullscreen, 4.3, 16.9, zoom, super zoom) but if you play around with it, you can find a picture that suites you for whatever particular viewing you are watching. The remote is sort of lacking also. It only works with the TV. The remote that came with my other Philips TV allows me limited control of the DVD player and VCR also.

I would recommend the unit (and the Outlet purchase option I used), but just be ready to order your special cables! Once you do get it working with progressive scan DVDs, the picture is pretty amazing.

Rating :