January 1, 2005
The Philips Ambilight line of plasma and LCD backlit televisions has
created a lot of buzz — largely over some unusual colored lights that
are projected behind them to enhance detail, color and contrast.
Whenever I told a relative or friend that I was reviewing an Ambilight
set, someone asked about the backlight. The viewer can set the color or
the TV can change it automatically to match what's on the screen.
It seems gimmicky. But after a few weeks of viewing an Ambilight set,
with the lights turned both on and off, the debate was over. The lights
stayed on. Ambilight is a quite worthy feature.
The set I reviewed was the 42-inch Pixel Plus 2 LCD (42PF9996).
In my first experience with an LCD panel larger than 30 inches, the TV
far surpassed my expectations. The set features Pixel Plus 2 and a 3-D
comb filter to enhance sharpness, contrast, color and picture quality.
Color, contrast and sharpness of the TV were outstanding. This was most
evident during our family's annual viewing of A Charlie Brown
Christmas. Charlie Brown has never looked so good.
A weakness of LCD televisions is the so-called screen-door effect of
pixilation during fast-moving action. The pixels momentarily become
visible with a fast-moving object on the screen.
Philips introduced a feature called Digital NaturalMotion to correct
this problem. Although I could still see a bit of pixilation, it was
evident only when I was sitting closer than six feet from the set.
The set also features ActiveControl Plus to constantly optimize the
picture for the changing lighting conditions in a room.
Connections are abundant, with two inputs for S-video or component
signals and one HDMI to connect a high-definition receiver.
There are also easy-to-reach S-video and component inputs on the side of
the set, as well as a center channel input and subwoofer output.
Sound is handled quite well through NXT SurfaceSound speakers built into
the bezel surrounding the screen. Dolby processing circuitry creates a
virtual surround-sound system without rear speakers.
The onscreen menus are concise and easy to figure out without reading
the manual, which is one of my litmus tests.
My old lust was for a plasma television, but personal research and
first-hand experience have swayed me to the LCD camp of flat-screen TVs.
LCDs have a lifespan twice as long as plasma TVs and don't suffer from
image burn-in. The color quality, brightness and 170-degree viewing
angle can't be beat.
Philips Ambilight 42-inch Pixel Plus 2 LCD has all the features I could
want in a television, but it doesn't come cheap. The street price is
around $6,000.
Screen size: Plasma
screens range from 32 to 60 inches. LCDs range from 13 to 45 inches.
Thickness: Plasma TVs are as thin as 3 inches; LCDs are as thin as 2
inches.
Weight: Plasma TVs are heavier than LCDs of the
same size.
Installation: Plasma TVs are fragile and
heavy enough that they may need additional supports when mounted on a
wall. For those reasons, they are best installed by professionals.
LCDs generally can be installed on a wall by the consumer or used as a
traditional TV on a stand.
Viewing angle: Up to 160
degrees on a plasma; 170 degrees on an LCD.
Burn-in:
Plasma TVs may suffer burn-in produced by a stationary image over a
long period. LCDs do not have burn-in but may have ghosting or "stuck"
pixels.
SOURCE:
www.flattvpeople.com
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