The Philips 47 PFL 9703 D TV is a 47-inch (120-centimeter), full HD LCD TV. Offering a built-in Ambilight wall-lighting system, the flat-panel TV has been available since July 2008 and currently (as of spring 2009) sells for around 2,200 GBP.

Florian Friedrich, tested on May 5, 2009

• High motion clarity in movies.
• Built-in tuner for analog and digital terrestrial TV.
• Eye-friendly Ambilight system.
• Ambient-light sensor for brightness adjustment.
• Handy multimedia extras.
• Decent sound.
• Excellent tuner picture.

• Low contrast ratio.
• Outmoded menu with oversized pages.
• Navigation wheel on the remote control moves too freely.
• No authentic 24p playback.

Thanks to an excellent, bright tuner-picture, sensible features, and relatively rich sound, the Philips is a great everyday TV. On the other hand, the low contrast ratio and lack of 24p-playback make the TV less suitable for the home-theater.

Most important connections:

2x  4x  1x

Test results in brief

Design, design, design: Without attractive packaging, it's impossible to sell a product, no matter how good it might be. If you'd sooner choose an all-rounder with classy design than a prize-winning ugly duckling, the Philips 47 PFL 9703 D is the answer to your prayers.

Low contrast and weak blacks limit the TV's home-theater suitability, but this is an excellent, everyday TV for bright living rooms. And above all, at 47 inches, the huge LCD screen will be an impressive head turner in your home.

Perfect for design-conscious buyers:
The big attraction is the built-in "Ambilight" lighting system. This will delight any true design fan, since it fuses form and function in the best possible way. Thanks to colored LEDs, the Philips immerses its environment in a non-dazzling, eye-friendly glow.

You can either set the color manually or leave the TV to adjust the color to match the current picture content: Underground passages in "The Lord of the Rings" creep, gloomy and gray-brown, onto the dark wall behind; the bright scenes in the idyllic Shire burst outwards from the TV in a vivid green. The Ambilight even works if the TV is switched off, so you can cast an atmospheric color in the living room while entertaining friends, for example.

Excellent everyday qualities:
From a technological point of view, the Philips 47 PFL 9703 D also has plenty to offer. When necessary, the picture is extremely bright - ideal for cheering along the Grand Prix on a bright Saturday afternoon. Once set correctly, the Philips produces natural colors and richly detailed, absorbing imagery.

The full HD screen can do HDTV standing on its head, but can't display movies in 24p - perfectionists will therefore struggle to love this Philips. Everyday TV-viewing benefits from the LCD screen's excellent analog picture; many modern flat-panels cannot say the same.

On top of that, the USB port and network connection provide comprehensive multimedia features. On the other hand, competing models from Sony, for example, display multimedia better - especially photos. In compensation, the Philips scores highly for excellent day-to-day operation, decent sound, and a practical swivel-pedestal. If you can live without the perfect movie look from Blu-rays, this Philips will reward you with excellent technology and features at an affordable price - and don't forget the unique design.

Design

Good design shouldn't just be about sleek looks. Practical operation and connectivity, simple mounting, and high-quality manufacturing are all essential to a TV's success. This chapter looks at how the Philips 47 PFL 9703 D performs in these respects.

Unpacking:

Given the impressive size - a good 70 centimeters tall and almost 1.20 meters wide - and the 41-kilogram weight, you should definitely enlist a helper for unpacking this Philips. We wouldn't advise testing your luck with a 3-grand TV. The pedestal comes already assembled, so you can stand the TV onto it as soon as it comes out of the box.

It's nice that Philips keeps the customer in mind: The solid, transparent pedestal can rotate, which is particularly important for LCDs, whose picture quality depends strongly on viewing angle. The swivel fitting means you can turn this 47-inch TV to face the viewers directly, in order to get the best picture.

Assembly:

Assembly is easy: Simply sit the TV onto the pedestal, screw it onto the fastening plate with the four well-sized screws, and you're all set.

The pedestal's relatively large base, imposing weight, and excellent manufacturing give the TV a solid grounding. The swivel mechanism moves freely despite its rock-solid construction and the relatively heavy TV it supports.

Shape:

With its black, glossy frame and slender, Plexiglas bezel, this Dutch TV looks high-quality and elegant in the living room. If you switch on the built-in Ambilight lighting system (see Features), the Philips really starts to turn heads.

The bar beneath the manufacturer's logo, on the other hand, glows white - this seems like nothing more than a publicity stunt. As soon as you turn the TV on, you should turn the bar off, since it ultimately becomes irritating - while watching a movie, most people prefer to enjoy the action, rather than marveling at the TV's design.

Whether wall-mounted or standing on a table, the Philips always looks the part. If you do hang the TV on the wall, however, the unit protrudes by 10 centimeters - relatively far. The Philips can't compete in this respect with ultra-flat models like the Sony KDL 40 EX 1, which is just half as deep.

The glossy finish looks great without a doubt, but leaves fingerprints highly visible. To keep this TV looking at its best, therefore, you'll need to keep a polishing cloth permanently on standby. If you're the type to let greasy marks get to you, you'd better be prepared to take on a new household chore.

Remote Control:

A low center of gravity: The Philips remote control sits comfortably in the hand and matches the TV's design well.

Handling:

You can tell the Philips is no budget model - this is clear from the highly attractive design and sophisticated feature set, as well as from the easy handling and tidy workmanship. The developers have positioned the connections to allow easy access even when the TV is wall-mounted. This isn't to be taken for granted in today's flat-panels, and deserves particular praise.

The build quality looks excellent, right down to the screws - no criticisms here whatsoever.

And again, Philips has kept the user in mind: The rounded edges of this 47-incher not only look great, but also protect against possible injuries, especially if there are small children in the house.