sound

Everything else

This by far is the crappiest picture I've ever seen. The entire picture is constantly fuzzy and seems out of alignment even after convergence. The menu system is also crap and seems like a child designed it. The only good thing about it was the sound which was decent. Whatever you do don't buy a philips, buy a Mitsubishi.!!

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Mitsubishi 55"

Picture,sound,options

none worth mentioning

Could not be happier with this tv!

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36" RCA DTV

* PICTURE * SOUND * OPTIONS * PRICE

NONE!

I BOUGHT THIS TV BEFORE I READ ANY REVIEWS. I Shopped about 2 Years until timing and Finances were perfect. Saw this baby at Best Buy as an Open Box and wife conviced me to get it. It was missing the manual (downloaded from online site) and remote which was sent to me FREE! by calling Phillips Customer service - that was the icing on the cake! I looked online at different retailers and saw this model selling for upwards of $3000! I paid $1609 and it was perfect! I was the first on my block and circle of friends to get a "Widescreen" and EVERYBODY'S impressed! I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS ABOUT THIS PHILIP'S TV! OOOHHH MAAAAANN it's beautiful! I connected it to my JVC 7 disc progressive scan player with Monster Component Video3 cables and GOOD LORD - crystal clear picture! I can't satnd watching regular TV's now. UNBELIEVABLE DVD PICTURE! GREAT CONNECTIVITY OPTIONS! EASY SET-UP AND ADJUSTMENTS! GOOD TV SOUND! I connected my DSS Sat. rcvr w/ S-video and digital picture is magnificent. LISTEN- DO NOT CHEAT YOURSELF: GET THE MONSTER VIDEO 3 COMPONENT VIDEO CABLES TO CONNECT YOUR DVD!!!!!!!!! Anything less is a SIN! Very enjoyable home entertainment when watching DVD's (sit back, toke a little, drink some brew and watch my fave movies...) I had NO idea the difference Digital, HI-DEF made over standard television. Life is Good...

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Sony 35", Sony 27", Toshiba 43"

Outstanding picture, lots of video inputs, and the base of the T.V. allows it to sit at eye level and just makes it look good aesthetically speaking.

Has a panaflo cooling fan built into the back of it that can be heard at low volumes, otherwise NONE.

I spent months auditioning HDTVs' and this one was by far one of the best. It has outstanding picture quality, all of the video inputs you could want, 5 picture formats, and a very large sweet spot. One of the key reseasons I bought this T.V. was the base it had, it sits up nice and high at eye level, unlike many of the other brands of HDTV's that sit lower to the ground. I would recommend this T.V. to just about anyone, the only other HDTV that could compare to it's quality is the Pioneer Elite Series but those cost alot more.

Similar Products Used:

Auditioned lots of HDTV's like Pioneer, Sony, Toshiba, Mitsubishi, Samsung, RCA, and so on............

Colors, internal doule-liner (I think it is Geneses or so, like in the polular Panasonic RP91 dvd-player) for for non-progressive dvd-players via component in is very sufficient

It is one amazing set, which totally changed my perception of home video. For years I was watching my direct-view SONY sets and was happy. Now I feel that I wasted so many years, alas. The picture is stunning with dvds - and I use a non-progressive Pioneer dv-414 player with component in (never ever use S- or composite ins) and don''t feel like I need any improvement. But you need to adjust the parameters - I found the THX-test on ``Planet of the apes'''' more than sufficient. Also, you might find the video-enhancement/sharpness features with dvds. Also, the movies are nearly perfect, but non-well recorded (non-anamorphic) movies and extras don''t look as good, but I think it is not this TV-problem. The colors - wow- I really feel videophile-like - I will never ever buy any SONY or similar making-too-nice-and-bright-commercially-looking-but-not-natural-images sets again. I bought this set on-line, based on the SGTH Fremer''s review and am so happy. I never saw any somehow even close picture quality in a store - and this include front rojectors, rear projectors, plasma, and direct view sets. Actually, visisting a store was a turn-off. Only mentally, based on the above review, I convinced myself to try Philips. And am very happy. I even did not try the HD programming yet. Regular cable reception is better than on my 27" Sony. All kinds of connections - I am not using any video switching and can accomodate everything, including future HD receiver.

Great Picture. Wide viewing angle

Sometime the remote quits working. The remote appears to be working because the light on the TV blinks when it's receiving. This is fixed by removing the batteries on the remote and putting back in. (must reset???)

We were getting ready to by a sony XBR TV when a friend at best buy told me to look at this set. I hadn't even looked very much at RPTV's because i don't like trying to be in a "sweet spot" and they were usually dim. I was very impressed with this sets wide viewing area and brightness. Also has a great picture.

Picture quality, aesthetics

Guide+, fan, remote, documentation

This set was the "Stereophile Guide to Home Theater" RPTV of the year for 2001.

First, the bad stuff.

The Guide+ feature feels clunky and slow so I never use it. The RPTV doesn't know that, however, so it continues to scan for schedule info. While scanning, it kicks on a cooling fan. This occurs even when your set is not in use. It's kind of like hearing your radiator fan run after shutting off the car. When the set is on, I don't hear the fan at all. I just wish there was a menu selection to turn this feature off to make my home a little more quiet.

The remote has a decent layout, but the some keys are finicky and don't always seem to work. It seems rather directional, too. I gave up on it and now use a Sony RM-VL900 -- check it out at www.remotecentral.com. It's a much better remote, and it was only $46 shipped to my door.

The documentation that comes with this set is, at best, adequate. Hey, Philips! For this kind of money, you can do better! There isn't even a decent spec sheet! Give me a break!


Next, the average stuff...

The audio on this set is pretty good but not the best on the planet. In general, I use the built in speakers for TV watching and an outboard A/V receiver for DVD playback.

Calibrating this set for color and tint could be better could have been accomodated better. On Video Essentials, you have to play menu games to be able to see the color bars -- a bit of a hassle, but it's not something you do every day, either.

Like all RPTVs, control of ambient light is an issue, but it has a surprisingly good picture even with extra light in the room.


Now, the good stuff...

I'd been looking at sets when Best Buy (!) ran an ad for it in the local newspaper. It certainly was the best looking RPTV at Best Buy. It may have a better picture than the Sony XBR RPTV, though a side by side comparison wasn't possible. It also gives the Pioneer Elite RPTVs a run for the money. The list price on this set is $4799. Best Buy's ad said the price was $3500. We negociated down to $2865. I'd been looking at Sony Wega's in that price range, so this was an easy choice.

On analog cable (Time Warner), the picture ranges from OK to surprisingly good. It has never been unwatchable. I think that says a lot about the quality of the line doubler. It has occasionally produced artifacts, but it's been rare. As expected, composite video inputs are OK, but S-Video and component video inputs from DVD are excellent, and IMHO, very close in picture quality, though component still has an edge. I saw this set produce an HDTV picture in Best Buy that was amazing. I don't have an HD tuner, so I can't say for certain what it will look like in my home.

The SGHT review of this set indicated that it has trouble with progressive scan DVD players. I'm using a Pioneer Elite DV-05 DVD player, and have had no problems. The picture on the best DVDs is stunning and looks 3D. The colors are gorgeous. This set has not (yet) been ISF calibrated.

There are likely to be more RPTVs that give this competition at this price point over the next year or two, but for now, I'm not aware of any set that can touch this level of quality for the price.

The SGHT article reviewing this set noted that it's also sold under the Marantz label. They're right. I saw one at a high end A/V store in Nashville.

Lastly, this is a good looking RPTV. It doesn't look as big as it really is. Perhaps the T-shape has something to do with that. In any case, even my wife likes how it looks.

I'm very please with this purchase. Of course, I've parted with my money, so I better be. Still, given the opportunity to do so again, I'm pretty sure I would. If you get the chance, definitely take a look at this set. You won't be disappointed.

Similar Products Used:

None - first RPTV, first HD-ready TV