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"Great Display, solid performance & good looks" on by wjanoch
Pros: 1080p, 3 x HDMI, adaquate sound, updatable via USB
Cons: USB is 1.1, No VGA nor DVI for PC, too big... just kidding.
Summary: The image quality is extrememly good. Out of the box it's set to auto detect what ever you hook to it and everything just works. You can fine tune color, high contrast, and several other setting, and it remembers the settings for each input source (including each TV channel).
My Sony DVD player has Component video & coax digital audio (all 4 are RCA jacks) and this TV has inputs for them. Setting the DVD player to Progressive Scan does imporove the picture and the TV automatically detects the difference (480i vs 480p) and takes about 1 second (with the screen blank) to switch between them (that might be the DVD player taking 1 second).
The USB port accepts USB Card Readers, and you can view pictures on screen. It's only a USB 1.1 port, so images do take a while to load, but if you're just letting it play on the slide show mode, it's fast enough. Zooming in to the pictures (from my 5 MegaPixel Canon Camera) really shows off the full detail of this display.
The audio quality is loud enough, but deep base turned up loud begins to vibrate and sound awful, and it's only 2 speakers, so there's a limit to how "spatial" you can feel. We might add a 5.1 surround system this Christmas (since very few movies include good 5.1, and almost non include 6.1 or 7.1 {5 speakers give you 4 corners and a center, the ".1" is the subwoofer} and 7.1 isn't much more compelling then 5.1, even in a good setup, just fills a larger space better ).
I plan to connect my MacBook (white) to it in the next couple weeks. This will require the "MiniDVI" to "DVI" adapter from Apple, and a "DVI" to "HDMI" cable, which can also be purchased from the Apple.com Store site. Each about $20.
I bought this HDTV from Costco for $1699 in early Aug 2007. Sitting about 20 feet away at the dinner table is still close enough to enjoy this 47" HDTV. It's about the size of a 38" Full Screen TV (4:3) only wider (16:9).
Wm -
"Amazing Picture Quality, Great Features for a reasonable price" on by smilingsatan
Pros: Stunning Picture, Intuitive Menu, Great sound
Cons: None until now.
Summary: I have had this TV for almost a month now and it is absolutely amazing to watch HD programming on this television.
Please note the model number when looking at a Philips TV. Walmart and SAM's club both sell Philips 1080p 47" TVs but the models are different. I bought mine from SAMS and this one had HD Pixel Engine, while the one at Walmart doesn't.
Anyway, back to this TV. I am one of those people who like to do a lot of research before a purchase. I had the following requirements for a TV:
- Great Image quality. I still remember looking at some Plasmas and hated the fact that the you couldn't see anything on the screen if you not directly in front of them. I know Plasmas have gotten a lot better, and in my humble opinion LCD's are better. I can actually watch this TV from my kitchen which is atleast at a 45 degrees angle.
- Good for at least 5 years. This where the 1080p part comes in. Most programming today is either done in 720p, or 1080i. Only your blu-ray, or HD DVD player will actually be able to utilize the full capacity of 1080p. But I am sure that in future, 1080p programming will be available and I wanted to be prepared.
- Great brand, reasonable price. I love Philips, but I love SONY more. The problem with SONY however is that there products always cost a lot more for comparable set of features. This TV has some amazing features like SONY, just not the dazzling price.
In the end I am pretty satisfied with everything, or may be I am just trying to justify spending $1700 on an idiot box
, who knows.
Here are some issues that you should be aware of before you buy an HDTV:
1. Regular programming looks worse. This tv does an excellent job of resizing the image automatically, but it is still a low resolution picture on a huge screen. Remember you don't want horizontal or vertical black bars while watching 4:3 programming because it can cause burn-ins. I know some of you will jump up and say that LCDs don't have that problem. To them I say, READ THE MANUAL. It's available on Philips' website.
2. Burn-ins. I know I covered that in my last point, but again, the manual says that burn-ins can occur, so be careful. I'd rather watch a little stretched out picture than mess up my TV.
3. You have to get HD programming to actually utilize the potential of this mammoth. I am a comcast customer in Florida, and they have a decent selection of HD channels. Remember directv might have more HD channels, but Comcast offers NBC, ABC and all the local channels in HD. It's not how many channels you have in HD, it's how many good channels you have in HD that counts. So before you buy this TV, make sure you have GOOD HD programming in your area.
I hope I could help some poor chap out there looking for a little guidance. -
"Great buy for the money; outstanding set" on by robmgm
Pros: Good quality for the money
Cons: Sound is OK, simple black frame
Summary: I had a Vizio GL47 for over two months; thank goodness for Costco’s 90 day return policy. There were several issues that just did not seem right--that I continued to debate whether or not justified returning the set. A couple of the HDTV channels had a white flickering line across the top of the screen (just wasn’t processing the video correctly); the audio and video was often out of sync (some shows were worst than others); and the volume was significantly higher during commercials (did not experience this issue on the older TV). I emailed the Vizio Tech Support for assistance; however, they failed to respond. I finally decided to buy a Philips 47PFL7422D, 1080P ($200 more than the Vizio) and try it for a week with the plans to return either the Vizio or Philips. It did not take long to know which set to return, the Philips was clearly the better set. It has a great picture and none of the problems I experience with the Vizio. I’ve had the Philips for over a month and completely pleased with the set. While the speakers could be better, the sound is adequate and like most, I use a surround sound system for DVDs and sports events.
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"Excellent "bang for buck" factor" on by iiaandre
Pros: Probably the best LCD for filtering standard analog video, great sound from built-in speakers, wide color gamut, smart noise reduction algorithm
Cons: Chincy remote control, 2s delay between flipping channels, 5-7s delay when powering on, "Automatic" screen format can be annoying during commercials, slight ghosting during gaming
Summary: I picked this wonder up at the local BestBuy for $1699 and am quite pleased at the deal. Overall, this TV suits my needs to near perfection.
I don't yet have digital cable, so I'm watching my programs in analog. As most people are aware, analog + LCD usually results in a really, really terrible looking picture. I have to say that this Philips does an *excellent* job at removing artifacts and noise so that the picture looks comparable to that of a CRT set.
HD looks fantastic, although I have noticed slight ghosting during some Xbox 360 (component) gaming sessions. It's not enough to detract from game play — I only noticed it because I was looking for it.
The sound is plenty clear, though I wish this set had an auto-leveling volume feature for friggen' commercials as my brother-in-law's Toshiba has. That's merely a personal preference.
I'm very pleased with this LCD and would recommend it to anyone who wants a beautiful HD experience without forking out premium dollars for ridiculous features (120Mhz...) -
"Better than I thought it would be" on by easytimes455
Pros: I like the auto picture sizing function and 3 HDMI connections for connection of future HD purchases. The HDMI connection for my HD satellite service is a real winner.
Cons: Reflective black frame is classy looking, but can be slightly distracting with young children and electronic toys with flashing lights are in the room. Minor gripe, but you asked. Just wish I had waited for the 120 hz model, if it's any better.
Summary: Most of all, it replaces a 32" CRT HDTV, and I had an existing 360 degree rotating wall mounting that would allow us to watch TV from my living room and/or my kitchen/dining room. This TV fit perfectly, and turns nearly 90 degrees, until it hits the wall attachment bracket. I didn't need a direct connection to the wall from the back of the TV... I just used the factory foot stand. LOVE THAT!
Besides that, it's a TV that does exactly what I want my TV to do. It's bright, clear, great color, and functionally user friendly. The remote isn't large or heavy... and doesn't feel like it cost a bunch of money, but other than switching input functions for the Wii, HT-DVD player, and satellite service, I don't use the Philips remote. My satellite remote, however, is almost worn out, but that's another story.
I don't get the heavy duty high quality sound from the TV speakers, but it's good enough for TV listening, and I have enough options for adding spacially oriented sound systems to my setup. My HT-DVD player has its own speaker system with sub-woofer and surround... so my movies have great sound without the TV speakers.
I had never been a Philips fan, except during the time they made some of the first CD burner drives for computers. I had one of those back in 1998, and it worked fine... this TV has been a spectacular success, as far as I'm concerned, and if I need another TV for another room in the house, it will be a Philips. One shot won me over, and some of my other favorite TV brands didn't make the move to LCD with as much of this customer's satisfaction as Philips did.
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