 | Philips 42PFL3704D/F7 42-Inch 1080p LCD HDTVShips from and sold by Amazon.com 12 new or used available from $522.99  Average customer review:  |
Product Description
The Philips 42PFL3704D 42 inch 1080p LCD HDTV is designed for ease of use. This flat TV features modern design, 3 HDM connections with EasyLink, a powerful 1080p, and brilliant Pixel Plus HD engine. Pixel Plus HD is a picture processing technology and the result is superbly razor sharp pictures with incredible details and depth from any HD source. You can connect multiple HD sources such as an HD settop box, a Blu-ray player, and game console or digital camcorder. The new settings assistant personalization wizard guides you to personalized settings with unparalleled ease. Clearly the smart in total picture quality has never been easier.Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #6388 in Consumer Electronics
- Size: 42 inch
- Color: Black
- Brand: Philips
- Model: 42PFL3704D/F7
- Released on: 2009-04-01
- Dimensions: 28.50" h x 40.40" w x 9.90" l, 49.60 pounds
- Display size: 42
Features
- 1080p resolution; ATSC / QAM / NTSC
- 29000:1 dynamic contrast ratio
- 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio
- 6.5ms response time
- Pixel Plus HD engine
Customer Reviews
I bought cheap but was very impressed!
I did not buy this TV because I read reviews or studied the
features. I bought it because Target had it on sale mid-June 2009 for
around $750, when the only thing you can touch for that price is a
Visio. I really wanted the VGA port feature (which this does not have),
but couldn't find a TV equipped with one for under $1000. Since my PC
DVI->HDMI adapter doesn't provide audio, I can *see* the computer,
but must use different speakers. However, this is a "computer geek"
problem that most people won't care about. I just want to watch Netflix
on-demand, ok? :)
-- NOTE -- I have since discovered (by reading the manual LOL) that
audio inputs on the back coordinate with HDMI and allow me to plug in
the computer while using HDMI1 only. I got a 1/8" to RCA male adapter
and I'm happy now! Computer on TV!! WITH AUDIO!!
Enough fluff... here's my review:
Picture: VERY nice. This TV is replacing the Toshiba Regza 42".
My Regza had 15000:1 contrast... this one floors me with the 30000:1.
It really is impressive how black is black and the colors POP. I only
have an upsampling DVD, so I can't comment on anything beyond digital
cable and DVD, which both look GREAT from 8-10 feet away
Sound: Very nice. This TV is louder than my last. Will I ever go
beyond 50% volume? No. But my Toshiba would require the volume at
about level 55 for some movies. This Philips typically doesn't go above
35. AND... this has an auto-volume feature that allows a very basic
compressor/limiter to level your volume. When commercials come on... I
kid you not, they are not NEARLY as annoyingly loud. I really like this
feature. To clarify for the non-audio geeks, you conceivably can leave
your volume in the same spot when the loud commercials come on, or when
a movie suddenly has a dramatic moment. This feature levels out the
audio. As a former recording-studio engineer, I find this a bit
impure... but the benefits outweigh the audio purity gained by turning
this feature off. Auto-volume is a GO!
Other features: Not many. This is a very basic TV... but is that a
bad thing? I really never used the 15 different preset picture quality
controls on my Toshiba. This TV has some presets and some color
customs. I can play with the aspect ratio and some other stuff... but I
really just plugged it in and left it as-is. I tried to find any
practical features that really *did* anything and the audio is all I
found. I say this as a positive, though. I really like the simplicity
of this TV.
Ports: My Toshiba had 4 HDMI, this has 3. I think I'll cope,
especially since my computer doesn't have audio via HDMI and is bound to
become unplugged and placed elsewhere in the house. It has a USB port
that claims to display pictures. I plugged in a few USB drives I have
sitting around and it didn't do anything. This is a feature that most
people won't really care about, me included. The manual describes
certain compatability... either with number of characters or FAT / NTFS
or some little fussy restriction. I personally believe that TVs
shouldn't try to do computer functions and should just display a great
picture. I believe this one does.
OVERALL:
I really can't get over how well the black tones look on this TV. I
feel this was WAY more than a bargain-basement TV. I would not
hesitate to buy this TV, provided the features match your needs. I have
mine hanging on a TV stand so I can't speak for the included stand
(it's still in the box), but I like the way it looks. The screen is
dull-coat and not overly glossy. The bezel is obnoxiously glossy, but
your eyes seem to forget it when the TV comes on. And just to
reiterate... I LOVE the auto-volume leveling feature.
Service Issues Override Anything Else
The same weekend I received my TV, it broke for the first time. It
would only display the Philips logo and never an actual picture. After
talking to their service center, it was going to take weeks to fix the
problem. Then, a couple of days later as I was deciding whether to
return the TV or have it repaired, it worked again. The same problem
came up every few weeks and would take an hour or so of reset before
working properly.
Then, a couple of months after I bought it, the picture tube went
out.
When it worked, the picture and sound was fine, but what good is a
TV that breaks a few days or months after you buy it?
Nothing could convince me to buy another Philips product based on my
experience. I bought this TV based in part on the good reviews here,
but I was very disappointed with my purchase.
NO Warranty possible
We bought the tv in January and have had problems ever since.
Without warning the sound instantly goes to a blaring static sound. No
voice or other sounds, just horrible static. Picture remains fine. We
called Philips and they said we could trade our new tv for a
"refurbished" unit. OR we could get it serviced if we sent it to
Bartlesville, OK (no service in OKC or Tulsa) or Denver, CO. What good
is a 1 yr warranty if there is no place to do warranty work or they will
only send you someone else's headache. Will do all I can to prevent
others from getting ripped off by Philips.
No comments:
Post a Comment