Philips 30PF9946 30" Widescreen Flat Panel LCD HDTV-Ready TV

Rating:
Summary: Acceptable
Review: Pros: Attractive unit, decent sound, great size screen, comes with stand and wall mount (most tvs don't come with wall mount).

Cons: Non-HD signals look pixellated. My Direct TV digital satellite feed looks very good, but there are image artifacts that result in occasional blurriness or distortion. It is a minor annoyance. My progressive scan DVD looks excellent, but still not perfect. (I do not have an HD signal as of yet, so I can't speak to how this looks). The manual is pathetic. The INPUTS/OUTPUTS are very weird. My 20" Sony Wega LCD has all that it should, but for some reason, Phillips was really on drugs when it made this unit. In order to get the progressive scan quality, I CANNOT simply connect using a Component cable; instead, I have to use Phillips supplied hybrid cable. In fact, when I first tried the component, I got no image whatsoever... just sound. And although it looks like they have a multitude of imputs, several "share" a slot. It is very weird. And I simply don't understand a TV being built without AUDIO OUT. Speaking of Audio, the unit sounds just fine, exhibiting good volume and separation. But as I try out the different equilizer modes (Theatre, Music, Personal, etc.), I can detect no difference whatsoever.

While I am happy with this TV, I feel that it is overpriced for what it offers; moroever, I feel it is advertised as having more than it really does. This unit would be a reasonable purchase for three to five hundred less (which I'm sure it will be next year). The Sony Wegas and Sharp Aquos are superior, but much more expensive.