Introduction

Smart network and Internet functions, an integrated "Ambilight" lighting system, and an up-to-date digital TV tuner - Philips is aiming for satisfied customers with the 8404 H series. The series slots into the Dutch manufacturer's hierarchy at about the upper mid-range, which promises the best price/performance ratio. Read here what else this 32-inch (81-centimeter) TV can do and what the competition offers in the same size and price class.

Picture Technology

32-inch (81.3-centimeter) TVs are typical candidates for putting in a cupboard or tucking into the corner of the living room - in many European countries, this therefore represents the biggest sector of the market, with the fiercest price wars. These TVs in today's common widescreen format are in effect the successors to the 27-inch (70-centimeter), 4:3-format TVs that dominated the market for a long time.

From the beginning of the flat-panel-TV era, the 32-inch class was the domain of LCD technology - logically, therefore, the 32 PFL 8404 H also houses a liquid-crystal display. Conventional, cold-cathode fluorescent lamps provide backlighting for the screen, which works at 100 hertz - combined with the "HD Natural Motion" motion-prediction technology, this should mean objects in the picture remain clear during motion.

But Philips has other tricks up its sleeve for getting one up on the competition. The Dutch company promises to do the impossible: With "Pixel Precise HD", the manufacturer attempts to derive more detail from TV and DVD pictures than is present in the original signal. Experts know fine well that this isn't possible - no matter how clever the technology it is, it cannot conjure up information that simply doesn't exist in the first place. But: It can pretend to as cleverly as possible.

Image-Enhancement Technologies:
Televisions.com recommends you take a level-headed, results-based approach to these so-called "image-enhancement technologies": If TV or DVD pictures - that is, pictures in the traditional PAL format - look correct and natural from the couch, leave Pixel Precise HD switched on. If, on the other hand, edges appear with exaggerated plasticity, or if faces look mask-like, you should switch off the setting in the menu.

In the ideal case, these technologies (Toshiba offers a similar system by the name of "Resolution +") can narrow the gap between conventional PAL and HDTV. But, if the TV is already displaying HDTV pictures from its tuner (see also the Tuner section), a Blu-ray disc, an HD camcorder, or a digital camera, purists should switch Pixel Precise HD off.

Regardless of whether it's displaying HDTV signals or up-scaled PAL video, the Philips' Full-HD screen holds nothing back from the viewer. Whether the 1,920 x 1,080 pixel resolution is sensible in a screen of this size remains to be seen: If we assume that the typical 32-inch-TV buyer will sit as far from the screen as they used to from an old tube-based TV, they'll no longer see much of the extra details.

But the higher detail won't do any harm, and anyone using the 32 PFL 8404 H as a large PC monitor, for example, will definitely benefit from the increased sharpness of Full HD. You can find details on the ideal viewing distance and optimal screen size in our "TV Buying Guide".

"Ambilight" TV Lamp:
Philips wants to impress with more than just the picture on the screen - the Dutch manufacturer also brings the living room itself into the TV experience. This is made possible by the high-tech "Ambilight" TV-lamp, known as "Spectra 2" in the 32 PFL 8404 H. Ambilight makes the wall behind the TV glow with the colors of the current picture - if the screen is showing a green field, the walls glow green; an ocean shot in a movie bathes the TV's surroundings in blue.

This is more than just a gimmick: Based on Televisions.com's experiences with the system, it genuinely makes TV-viewing more fun and relaxing. Of course, Ambilight is powerless to improve the TV's objective picture quality. If the TV isn't standing against a wall, or the room is bright, or if the user simply wants to save power, the Ambilight can be turned off.

As we've already mentioned: This TV doesn't just want to produce a great picture - it also hopes to score with attractive extra features. One outstanding characteristic of this series is network and multimedia functionality.

First off, the World Wide Web: If you connect the TV to the Internet via a router and broadband connection, it can access an online Philips portal. Offers there include YouTube videos and clips from local news-broadcasters. The content is tailored to the nationality of the user, but the customer can choose which country's portal the TV should display. Want to access the Italian start page while in Sweden? No problem.

And whatever you decide, you can freely edit and add to the preset favorites list. If you're not a fan of tabloid headlines, for example, simply remove the relevant sources from your favorites. The only prerequisite for web sites to display on the Philips: The pages must be designed in CE-HTML.

The abbreviation refers to a variant of the HTML language that is used for the Web, optimized for consumer-electronics (CE) devices. CE-HTML wasn't Philips' idea - other manufacturers also use the system in some of their new TVs. For companies supplying content for the portal, the additional effort to produce pages in CE-HTML is fairly limited - sooner or later, many popular web sites may be available in TV-optimized versions.

There's even more: The TV also has a built-in web browser, which allows you to view conventional Internet sites - that is, sites written in traditional HTML. Televisions.com has already had a chance to experiment with this function: It works well, but the user frequently has to scroll up and down the pages or zoom into a section - despite the full HD resolution, text on conventional web sites is often too small to read at usual viewing distances.

Many current web sites use Flash videos, which the TV cannot display - but, still, the Philips offers more than other Internet-ready TVs. Models from other manufacturers simply cannot display conventional web sites - the 32 PFL 8404 H, on the other hand, has no problem accessing your favorite site during an ad break, for example.

Other Practical Functions:
The 32 PFL 8404 H also shows its flexible side in the home PC-network: It can play back MP3, PCM, and WMA music files from a PC, as well as JPEG photos, and videos in the formats MPEG-1, MPEG-2, and MPEG-4. This includes both AVI clips with DivX content and H.264/AVC.

The Philips can also play back Windows Media Videos (WMV 9 / VC 1) and MPEG program streams. The prerequisite is a PC connected to the home network and running a DLNA server. This sounds more complicated than it actually is: With the Windows operating system, you simply need to install the latest version of "Windows Media Player" on a PC containing pictures, videos, or music.

You can also use commercial programs such as "TwonkyMedia Server" (about 18 GBP), for example, which offers more convenience and more flexibility in terms of operating system. The TV must also be connected to the network by a cable. If this is too awkward for you, multimedia also works without a network: If any of the above files types are stored on a USB stick, the TV can also play them back directly.

Those receiving TV via cable or antenna can live without set-top boxes with this Philips. The 32 PFL 8404 H has tuners for DVB-T and DVB-C on board - and, where broadcasts exist, the TV can also receive HDTV for both signal types.

The cable tuner already supports the CI Plus encryption system - network operators and TV manufacturers across Europe have agreed on this method of controlling access. The Philips' tuners also receive analog TV signals. Satellite viewers, on the other hand, will need an external receiver for the 32 PFL 8404 H. The analog video connections accept PAL, Secam, and NTSC signals.

The TV has two connections panels - one on the rear and a smaller one on the left-hand side. The connections reflect the current standing of TV and video technology: This is the period of transition from traditional PAL to HDTV - and from analog to digital connections.

The 32 PFL 8404 H offers plenty of connections, old and new. Both Scart sockets on the rear of the 32 PFL 8404 H are RGB-capable. RGB Scart allows you to input pictures from DVD players or conventional digital satellite-TV receivers in the best possible quality. Neither of the Scart sockets supports S-Video - if you're still using an S-VHS recorder (Philips itself also used to make these), Scart will not give you the best picture.

Three HDMI inputs on the back of the unit should cater for users that want to hook the TV up to a Blu-ray player, HD satellite receiver, and games console all at the same time. The 32 PFL 8404 H also has a VGA socket for connecting to older PCs and laptops, along with a stereo mini-jack for inputting PC audio, while a set of cinch sockets independently caters for YUV component-video signals. Finally, the TV has an analog, stereo audio output (cinch), as well as a further cinch connection for outputting digital sound.

The side connections-panel provides cinch and Mini-DIN sockets for composite and S-Video signals - for example, for older digital cameras and camcorders. Here you'll also find a mini-jack headphone socket, the aforementioned USB socket, and a further HDMI input - for HD camcorders, for example.

The remote control is clear and handy. For this model generation, the manufacturer has once again fitted a cursor cross for menu navigation - as do most competitors. Last year, Philips was using a sort of wheel on the remote control instead. It was a nice idea, but badly implemented: The wheel's reaction to the user was uncertain and jittery - the user would often skip past their desired menu entry.

The menu itself is well structured, but covers a large section of the screen when first accessed. If the user changes a picture setting, however, the TV displays only the bars with their respective settings - the user can therefore see the effect of their changes on the picture directly.

Recommended pricing for the United Kingdom:

32 PFL 8404 H (black), 800 GBP.

as of: 16.06.2009

LG 32 LH 5000, from around 550 GBP.

On paper, this TV's picture technology matches up well with that of the Philips: The 100-hertz TruMotion technology promises to display moving pictures precisely and with clearly defined edges.

In terms of multimedia files on USB sticks, this Korean model is as broad-minded as the 32 PFL 8404 H. It can play back a variety of video formats: DivX from versions 3.11 to 6 (also in HD), XviD 1.00 to 1.10 (Beta 1/2), MPEG-1/2 and 4, and H.264/AVC. JPEG photos and MP3 music files will also play back via USB on this LG, but the TV cannot connect to computer networks.

The tuner is also weaker than that of the Philips: The built-in tuners receive digital signals, but only DVB-T - this, too, in high-definition where such broadcasts exist. Apart from that, this Korean TV will only accept analog cable signals; if you want to watch digital signals via cable or satellite, you'll need an additional set-top box.

Still, the connectivity is anything but sparse: The four HDMI connections and two Scart sockets should cater even for extensive AV setups. The 32 LH 5000 will not, however, accept S-Video signals - neither by Scart nor via the side-mounted AV input - so this TV can't relay the best playback-quality from older camcorders. And, irritatingly, this series is missing a headphone socket.

LG 32 LH 7000, from 515 GBP.

The LH 7000 from LG Electronics is closely related to its similarly priced sibling (above). The casings are different, but the technology is almost entirely the same. The 7000-series can transmit TV sound to corresponding headsets via Bluetooth, but lacks a conventional headphone output.

Panasonic TX-L 32 S 10 B, 684 GBP.

Panasonic's ‘S' series costs over 100 GBP less than the Philips. But, for that, the customer will have to live with a significantly poorer feature list. The tuners in this Panasonic accept only analog cable and DVB-T, and the screens run at 50 hertz. JPEG photos and AVCHD videos play back from SD or SDHC cards, but that's it for multimedia. The TV also lacks a network connection. The analog video connections on the Panasonic and Philips are similarly comprehensive, but the TX-L 32 S 10 B only has three HDMI inputs.

Sony KDL-32 V 5500, 785 GBP.

This Sony costs almost the same as the Philips, but cannot compete on features. It has a digital tuner for cable TV and DVB-T, and also supports CI Plus. But the V 5500's screen only runs at 50 Hz, and there's no Ambilight lighting system.

In the home network (and with multimedia files from a USB stick), the Sony shares the Philips' flexibility. For Internet access, however, Sony's "Applicast" offers different technology. The TV can access news-tickers (RSS feeds) of the user's choice and display these in small windows at the side of the screen. Web sites and video portals, however, will not display on this TV.

The Sony's connections are the same as those of the Philips: four HDMI sockets, two Scarts, one camcorder input with S-Video, a headphone socket, a VGA input for PCs - you'll find all of these on the Sony too.

Televisions.com has already tested larger models in this series, and we disliked the awkward, PlayStation-3-style menu. Day-to-day operation is problem-free, but the menu can be tedious for adjusting settings.

Sharp LC-32 D 65 E, 600 GBP.

With the LC-32 D 65 E, Sharp offers less TV for less money. Those buying this Sharp will, for example, have to make do without 100-Hz technology. The tuners in this Japanese model only support analog cable and DVB-T. Photos will play back via USB, but the TV has no network capabilities.

The connectivity is also just a touch more spartan than that of the Philips: There is one YUV component-video input. While, however, the Philips 32 PFL 8404 H treats this input to its own set of cinch sockets, on the Sharp you can only connect to it through the VGA input (using an adapter). In practice, this means you get less flexibility. Adapters are also more prone to loose connections - and to simply getting lost.

Sharp LC-32 DH 77 E, 750 GBP.

The second Sharp challenger comes with a list price just about 50 GBP lower than that of the Philips 32 PFL 8404 H. As such, the DH 77 E offers the 100-Hz technology present in the Philips but lacking in the cheaper Sharp.

The rest of the feature set, however, largely corresponds to that of the D 65 E model: The tuner only accepts analog cable and DVB-T, and this Sharp offers no more than its cheaper sibling in terms of multimedia and networking.

Toshiba 32 RV 635 D B, 400 GBP.

The Japanese company Toshiba has seemingly opted for artificial intelligence: The 635 series includes a video processor developed by Toshiba with the name "Meta Brain", which aims to optimize the picture. The electronics doesn't manage 100-hertz technology, but does offer a "Resolution +" detail-enhancer to help the picture along.

The tuner accepts analog TV, DVB-T, and digital cable TV. The 32 RV 635 D B does not support CI Plus, so it'll need a separate receiver in order to display cable channels using this encryption. The Philips is superior in this respect.

Considering the (much) lower price, it's no surprise that the Toshiba lacks network functionality. The TV's multimedia capabilities are also rather understated: It can only display JPEG photos via USB.

But at least the connections panel on the 32 RV 635 D B needn't shy away from comparison with the Philips: It has two Scart sockets (one RGB capable, the other S-Video), four HDMI inputs, and a side-mounted connections panel. The side panel hosts cinch and Mini-DIN sockets for composite or S-Video signals from a camcorder, as well as a headphone output. More than respectable!

The "Quick HDMI" feature is currently exclusive to Toshiba: If the user switches on a device connected to the TV by HDMI, the RV 635 D B recognizes it even before the user selects the corresponding input - this is supposed to reduce significantly the time taken to display the picture.

Experienced experts produce these product preview pages using manufacturers' specifications, along with test data we've produced for other models and subjective assessments of the product's market chances.

We comprehensively research the information we use, but data of this kind quickly becomes out of date as a result of day-to-day variations in the market and the appearance of new products. The information in our own tests is more reliable, especially statements relating to quality or comparisons with other TVs.

Since we cannot test every single device, however, and because we're interested in your opinion, we're grateful to receive any user ratings or user opinions for this TV - especially if you own the model yourself, but also if this preview provided enough information for you to form your own judgment.

Many thanks in advance!

The team behind this product preview:

The following people were involved in producing this article on the Philips 32 PFL 8404 H:

Author(s): Karl-Gerhard Haas
Editor in Chief: Florian Friedrich

Photos: Manufacturers

Last updated: June 25, 2009