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Reviewed by UK Guest, 2nd Sep 2006. |
| Review Summary: A great step up from our old telly... |
Overall Score: 4/5
 
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Review: Our old TV finally gave up this summer - it was 18 years old, 21", 4:3 mono, also a Philips.
We wanted a 26" widescreen as it would fit in to the space on our built-in shelving cabinet - this Philips is one of the few with speakers at the sides instead of underneath, so the overall height is less and it fits perfectly.
Cosmetically this set is very smart and the picture is great. The built-in digital tuner was another must-have feature for me - why would anyone want a separate set-top box and remote control? - as was the wide array of inputs possibilities. A friend told me I would want 2x HDMI, it also 2x SCARTs and various phono possibilities. There's also what looks like a PCMCIA card slot which apparently takes a card for subscriber (top-up) DTV.
There are a few minor issues:
1) This model doesn't have Philips "Pixel Plus" feature - I don't know how much of a difference this would make on a smaller screen though.
2) Sit too close and MPEG artefacts are clearly visible on the picture. These are not noticable at a normal viewing distance though.
3) The "Contrast plus" feature is supposed to continuously adjust the picture for optimum contrast. What this means is that in certain situations, such as an interview where the camera alternates between two subjects - and possibly one subject has a lighter background than the other - you can see the contrast ramping up and down on dark background areas at half-second intervals each time the view changes. Once I'd noticed this it annoyed me so I turned the feature off.
4) Though the set is HD-ready, the integrated digital tuner won't receive the BBC HDTV trial channels. A bit disappointing.
5) No standard audio-out Phono plugs to route the audio to my old-fashioned HiFi - there is a headphone-out though which may do the trick, and also an SPDIF out for those with more modern systems incorporating a digital input.
These are really minor niggles however - it's a great ordinary family set, an enormous improvement on our last one, with more than enough input possibilities to satisfy most people. I hope it lasts as long! These flat panels have come down to a reasonable price at last and I'm very satisfied with mine. |
Ratings
| Value For Money: |
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4 |
| Review Score: |
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4 |
| Recommended? | |
Yes |
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DVD, TV & Video