Philips 42PF9631D 42-inch plasma HDTV

The Philips 42PF9631D 42-inch plasma HDTV is an intriguing and beautiful work of art with its wide black bezel, silvery speakers and semi-transparent stand. Looking closely, you’ll find more to admire with its easy to reach and well-chosen inputs and outputs, sleek and artistic design and most specially, its unusual twists that makes it an attractive piece of equipment. But in choosing a television, specially when your dealing with the high-end types, it is very important to look at the picture quality and the images it presents on the screen. The 42PF9631D though, can definitely hold its own against other brands on the market today. It is quite expensive, but its got good image quality and luxurious trimmings which is a very good deal when you get a television with performance and quality such as this.

As mentioned, the 42PF9631D’s performance is definitely up to par with other competitive products out in the market today. It handles DVD and standard-definition content brilliantly. It’s high-definition television performance leaves nothing to be desired for its nice balance. The 42PF9631D retains colors and contrasts exceptionally well when the set is bombarded with bright lights. Some images, however, had a slight greenish tint, but overall, it doesn’t detract from the great image quality that this television is giving us.

Another feature that everyone should take note of, is the Ambilight technology that it supports. Ambilight mimics an ambient-backlighting feature usually seen only on high-end custom installations of televisions. Lighting panels on the back of the right and left sides change color and intensity along with the action on the screen, projecting the colored light onto the wall behind the TV. Ambilight has five settings for various moods, such as Action (for action-packed movies or games) and Relaxed (pleasant for nature shows and so forth). When you use this feature, the difference is really amazing. Philips touts research results that suggest Ambilight prevents eyestrain in darkened rooms.

The wide array of inputs supported by the Philips 42PF9631D is one of the best in a 42-inch plasma TV. Most of them are easily reached and well identified. It is located conveniently on the left side where you can see the USB, headphone jack, composite, and S-Video, and audio inputs useful for connecting a camcorder or digital camera. On the back you’ll find the expected assortment of inputs, plus digital audio in and out–a boon for anyone who prefers their own audio setup to the TV’s speakers. Though the 42PF9631D includes several sound settings and virtual Dolby digital sound, the sound from the attached speakers is merely adequate.

Along with the TV set is the long remote which fits perfectly in the hand. The device is easy to use and the buttons are lighted conveniently making it easy to use even in a darkened room. It was also a pleasure to see that the remote matches the aesthetic of the TV, instead of looking like a generic remote with the company’s name slapped on.

Overall, the Philips 42PF9631D 42-inch plasma HDTV is indeed expensive piece of equipment. Some LCD TV’s probably could give you the same quality and image crispness that this plasma TV have. If you’re interested in the 42PF9631 but are working within a budget, then this television is probably not for you.

Sources:
http://www.trustedreviews.com
http://tech.yahoo.com
http://reviews.cnet.com