Features

We expect TVs like the Philips 47 PFL 9703 D to justify their price with varied connectivity and multimedia extras, as well as by doubling up as a PC monitor. In this section of our review, you'll discover what this TV does well and where its shortcomings lie.

Connections:

External devices such as Blu-ray or DVD players, AV receivers, or satellite tuners connect easily to the Philips. All of the sockets are clearly labeled and accessible - even if you wall-mount the TV, you'll be able to reach the rear sockets without dislocating your fingers.

The side connections panel is especially handy for input devices that you only want to connect temporarily. Besides a CI slot for the integrated DVB-T tuner, this panel also hosts the following connections: HDMI, USB, S-Video, composite video, audio-in (stereo), and a headphone output. You can find a complete list of the Philips 47 PFL 9703 D's connections in the full specifications.

Photo, Video, and MP3 Playback:
Philips has been offering excellent multimedia features for some time now. USB interfaces are now a basic feature of the manufacturer's flat-panels.

Network Functions:

The Dutch manufacturer can also count itself among the pioneers of network-capable TVs. Already some years ago, Philips TVs offered network interfaces for playing back music, photos, and videos stored on a home PC. The developers seemed a little ahead of their time, however, since few customers were able to make use of the technology.

Now that an increasing number of manufacturers have joined the networking-trend, Philips can feel vindicated: It is now becoming standard for TVs to be able to access photos, videos, and music from a PC (as can the Philips, thanks to DLNA), or call up YouTube videos and Yahoo news articles from the Internet (which the Philips cannot). The newer Philips models with "Net TV" are the first of the manufacturer's TVs to offer full-blown Internet access.

Despite all their experience in this field, the Philips engineers still haven't got the edge in multimedia playback. The 47 PFL 9703 D plays back photos in decent quality, but at nowhere near the level of current Sony TVs, such as the KDL-40 W 5500. Video playback via network also lacks luxury: The Philips accepts no high-definition videos, and the user cannot change the aspect ratio.

Usage as a PC monitor:

The Philips makes a great PC monitor. OK, it's perhaps a touch too bulky for a day-to-day screen, and the sheer size of the unit means it will only suit the excessively dimensioned environment of, say, megalomaniac investment bankers. For those of us with normal sized desks, the Philips is still excellent for occasional PC gaming or presentations: It's very bright, meaning you won't need to darken the room completely. In addition, LCD technology is largely immune to the much-feared burn-in of static imagery.

For HDMI signals with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels and a 60-Hertz frame rate, the Philips produces an accurate PC picture with correct pixel-for-pixel mapping. The VGA input, on the other hand, is only suitable as a last resort, since it only accepts resolutions of up to 1,366 x 768 pixels - the display must therefore up-scale the picture, with the obligatory loss of quality.

Integrated Ambilight TV Lamp

The integrated wall-lighting system is one really fancy feature in higher-class Philips flat-panels. Ambilight is a more sophisticated, modern alternative to the "TV lamps" of the 1970s. The old version was simply a lamp clamped to the back of the TV, wrapping the screen and living room in a bluish glow.

The goal then, as now, was to protect the viewer's eyes when watching TV in the dark. Illuminating the background softly gives a smoother transition between the bright screen and the dark room.

In contrast to the simple TV-lamp concept from the 70s, the modern Ambilight employs an elaborate lighting system capable of producing even secondary colors - perfect for complementing the TV or movie atmosphere: Choose soft pink for a love story, dynamic red for Formula 1 racing, or a rich green for a nature movie.

Or - even better - instead of setting just one color, set the Ambilight to vary dynamically to suit the movie you're currently viewing. The TV then analyzes the signal content constantly and adjusts the wall-illumination's color and intensity (brightness) to suit the picture. This works at lightning speed and transforms TV viewing into a regular feast for the senses.

Whereas the first versions of Ambilight used fluorescent tubes, Philips has now switched over to energy-efficient LED technology. In the 47 PFL 9703, the manufacturer uses 120 RGB LEDs. Even with the Ambilight turned up to full, the additional 30 watts of power consumption remain within sensible limits.

A cool extra:
You can also switch the Ambilight on when the TV isn't running - while having dinner with friends or family, for example. The system lends the living room a personal, atmospheric touch. The remote control offers on and off buttons for this function.