Philips 42PFL7432D Review

 

Philips 42PFL7432D

Philips used to be the leader in audio and video technology but recent product releases from the company are largely unremarkable. Even in the HDTV niche, only a few of Philips recent TVs created some buzz. One such exception is the 42PFL7432D, a 42-inch LCD which got some positive consumer response and encouraging reviews.

Design

The 42PFL7432D has a rather conservative, if not bland, design. The glossy black bezel is not flushed with the screen but instead sits slightly forward, clearly demarcating the frame from the screen area. The speaker grille located at the bottom of the panel is slightly bent backwards, while the smoke-glass base and swiveling post in silver complete the understated look.

The remote shipped with the 42PFL7432D is partially backlit in a cool silver finish. Unlike previous Philips clickers which are difficult to use, this remote contains most buttons one needs, adequately spaced apart for user’s convenience. The clicker lacks an Exit button to escape menus, though. This is worsened by the fact that the menu system is rather confusing, with an overlay that frequently covers a large area, if not the entire screen. Adjustments are quite daunting tasks in this menu setup.

Screen/picture clarity

This Philips LCD isn’t impressive off-the-box, but after calibration, it does perform impressively, except for its black levels. Color accuracy on bright and dark scenes is excellent, with the hues remaining consistent on both conditions. The main issue against the 42PFL7432D is its rather shallow black levels - perhaps caused by the lack of backlight control - that ultimately affects the saturation of colors and shadow details, making images indistinct and less stunning than they should be.

The full 1080p HD resolution TV has no hassles resolving 1080p and 1080i sources, and despite having a low refresh rate, blurring in fast action scenes is barely discernible. This HDTVs also has exceptional uniformity across the screen, besting other LCDs. Off-angle viewing is poor, though, as washed out images are seen just one seat removed from the center point, and above or below it.

Features

The patented Ambilight system is one of the come-ons included by Philips in its HDTVs, and the 2PFL7432D sports a two-channel lighting that simulates the screen hues and show these in the background, for a richer viewing experience.

Moreover, this LCD offers three picture presets, which are nonadjustable and existing settings are erased when one tries to do adjustments. The Settings Assistant tutorial is a nice touch, as well as the adjustable colour temperatures control, but having no backlight control and picture-in-picture mode really annoy us. For connectivity, this TV has three HDMI ports, USB port, RGB-style PC input and a slew of AV input and outputs.

The Philips 42PFL7432D may not be top-notch in performance and style, but it has its own attractions found nowhere else. With performance that is above average and features enough to give bang for the buck, this LCD is definitely worth considering, particularly for new HDTV converts.

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