So our office got together and got this Philips 32PT830H for a coworker for a house warming / help out (husband lost job and their TV blew up) gift.
It came to just under $700 Canadian, after taxes through our supplier :E A price I can still hardly believe!
Anyhoo, I went over a couple nights ago and though I'd give my impressions. First the good:
It's HD so it looks pretty dang good and after I calibrated it with DVE it even had pretty darn good blacks and the colour wasn't even too far off. I was pretty darn impressed actually for such an inexpensive set! Even theit "cheapo" RCA DVD player looked good on it. It has a 16:9 compress mode for watching anamorphic widescreen movies too! Finally you just can't beat that price!! :yesnod:
Now the "bad" :
The second set of component inputs only accept 480i :evil: The tint and contrast settings are for some reason not available on the 480p input, so I had to keep cycling through the inputs to alter the setting and back in to the 480p (and 720p/1080I) to check the changes :evil: There are no direct acess buttons on the remote which made that process even more fun :roll: The screen geometry and overscan aren't the best (the picture was noticebly biased towards the right side of the set it did however have a rotate option in the menu to correct that problem) but I'll say more on this in a moment. The biggest glitch was that the HD (480p/720p/1080i) input would not hold any of the settings I changed. The cable and inputs 1, 2 and 3 all held the settings that I adjusted for brightness, colour etc but every time I cycled out of the HD input after correcting the settings and then back in to it, the HD input would revert back to it's "standard" settings. :evil: So this prompted a call to Philips tech service which have given me the name and number for a local authorized repair place. Apparently (according to Philips) they'll send a tech out to the house to try to correct the problem. While they're there I'm going to see if I can get them to correct the geometry, overscan, right side bias etc as well. Maybe they can turn off the SVM too!! :twisted: :B We'll call them on Monday :T
All in all though you can't expect a HD 32" set for less than $700CA including taxes to not have a couple "glitches" or a few missing features. What counts is that the picture looks fantastic and my coworker, husband and two sons are really enjoying it :T :T
PICTURE QUALITY FEATURES-
* High Definition Picture
True high definition 1080i picture with widescreen (16:9) and full-
screen (4:3) display modes. (HD decoder required for HD reception).
* 32" Real Flat Invar Picture Tube
The flatter tube provides a wider viewing angle while minimizing
reflections for the best picture possible. The special alloy invar
shadow mask helps maintain tighter focus and eliminate "color blooming"
as compared to standard tubes.
* Active Control
Noise and sharpness improvement settings are optimized with every
channel and source selection.
* Eye Fidelity
Provides the viewer the choice between progressive scan (480p) or a line
doubled (1050i) picture when viewing non-HD programming.
* 3D Y/C Digital Comb Filter
Separates chrominance (color) from luminance (brightness) information
for independent processing to improve picture resolution and minimize
distortion.
* Scan Velocity Modulation
Varies the electron beam speed for a more finely rendered picture with
improved sharpness.
EASE OF USE FEATURES-
* Universal Remote Control
Controls all TV features plus virtually all brands of VCR, DVD, Cable
TV converters and Digital Broadcast Satellite receivers.
* AutoPicture
Instantly optimizes brightness, contrast, color, tint and sharpness
settings with picture presets for Movies, Sports, Video games and weak
signal reception.
* AutoSound
Audio volume levels are automatically adjusted and optimized with the
choice of three presets: Movies, Voice, Music plus an adjustable
Personal setting.
* AutoMute
Automatically activates closed-captioning when the MUTE button is
pressed.
* AutoLock
Protect young children from objectionable programming with V-chip
technology.
* Any-Button-On Top Controls
* Channel Auto-Programming
* English/Spanish Menu
* 240-Minute Sleep Timer
Automatically turns the television off at a preset time of up to 240
minutes from the time the feature is activated.
* Closed Caption viewing
* Energy Star
When a product is Energy Star compliant, it means that the power
consumption in standby mode does not exceed 3W, resulting in increased
energy efficiency.
* Optional PH321RFS Television Stand
Provides the ideal solution to TV and accessory placement with an
emphasis on high design and safety.
SOUND QUALITY FEATURES-
* 20 Watt Stereo Sound System
Receives stereo broadcasts for performance through dual speakers for an
exciting and lifelike sound.
* Incredible Surround Sound
Creates a soundstage in front and around the viewer for more immersing
home entertainment experience, utilizing the built-in speakers only.
CONNECTIVITY-
* HD Component Video + RGBHV Inputs (1080i/480p)
Easy connections for HD set-top decoders and Progressive Scan DVD
players.
* Component Video Inputs
The best possible input for high resolution sources such as DVD for
superb color purity, detail and reduced color noise, surpassing even
S-Video.
* S-Video Input (Side & Rear)
The ideal way to connect high resolution picture sources like DVD,
Digital Satellite & Cable TV and video games for the best picture
possible.
* Rear Stereo AV Inputs & Outputs
Connect a VCR, DVD, Satellite and video game through S-Video or stereo
AV connections. Audio/video output jacks make adding a home theatre
surround sound even easier.
* Side Stereo AV In + Headphone Jacks
Connecting digital cameras and video games is quick easy. You can enjoy
your favorite program or game in great stereo sound without disturbing
others by connecting your headphones (optional) to the handy side jack.
SIZE- 34.9"w x 26.6"h x 21.7"d
* High Definition Picture
True high definition 1080i picture with widescreen (16:9) and full-
screen (4:3) display modes. (HD decoder required for HD reception).
* 32" Real Flat Invar Picture Tube
The flatter tube provides a wider viewing angle while minimizing
reflections for the best picture possible. The special alloy invar
shadow mask helps maintain tighter focus and eliminate "color blooming"
as compared to standard tubes.
* Active Control
Noise and sharpness improvement settings are optimized with every
channel and source selection.
* Eye Fidelity
Provides the viewer the choice between progressive scan (480p) or a line
doubled (1050i) picture when viewing non-HD programming.
* 3D Y/C Digital Comb Filter
Separates chrominance (color) from luminance (brightness) information
for independent processing to improve picture resolution and minimize
distortion.
* Scan Velocity Modulation
Varies the electron beam speed for a more finely rendered picture with
improved sharpness.
EASE OF USE FEATURES-
* Universal Remote Control
Controls all TV features plus virtually all brands of VCR, DVD, Cable
TV converters and Digital Broadcast Satellite receivers.
* AutoPicture
Instantly optimizes brightness, contrast, color, tint and sharpness
settings with picture presets for Movies, Sports, Video games and weak
signal reception.
* AutoSound
Audio volume levels are automatically adjusted and optimized with the
choice of three presets: Movies, Voice, Music plus an adjustable
Personal setting.
* AutoMute
Automatically activates closed-captioning when the MUTE button is
pressed.
* AutoLock
Protect young children from objectionable programming with V-chip
technology.
* Any-Button-On Top Controls
* Channel Auto-Programming
* English/Spanish Menu
* 240-Minute Sleep Timer
Automatically turns the television off at a preset time of up to 240
minutes from the time the feature is activated.
* Closed Caption viewing
* Energy Star
When a product is Energy Star compliant, it means that the power
consumption in standby mode does not exceed 3W, resulting in increased
energy efficiency.
* Optional PH321RFS Television Stand
Provides the ideal solution to TV and accessory placement with an
emphasis on high design and safety.
SOUND QUALITY FEATURES-
* 20 Watt Stereo Sound System
Receives stereo broadcasts for performance through dual speakers for an
exciting and lifelike sound.
* Incredible Surround Sound
Creates a soundstage in front and around the viewer for more immersing
home entertainment experience, utilizing the built-in speakers only.
CONNECTIVITY-
* HD Component Video + RGBHV Inputs (1080i/480p)
Easy connections for HD set-top decoders and Progressive Scan DVD
players.
* Component Video Inputs
The best possible input for high resolution sources such as DVD for
superb color purity, detail and reduced color noise, surpassing even
S-Video.
* S-Video Input (Side & Rear)
The ideal way to connect high resolution picture sources like DVD,
Digital Satellite & Cable TV and video games for the best picture
possible.
* Rear Stereo AV Inputs & Outputs
Connect a VCR, DVD, Satellite and video game through S-Video or stereo
AV connections. Audio/video output jacks make adding a home theatre
surround sound even easier.
* Side Stereo AV In + Headphone Jacks
Connecting digital cameras and video games is quick easy. You can enjoy
your favorite program or game in great stereo sound without disturbing
others by connecting your headphones (optional) to the handy side jack.
SIZE- 34.9"w x 26.6"h x 21.7"d
Anyhoo, I went over a couple nights ago and though I'd give my impressions. First the good:
It's HD so it looks pretty dang good and after I calibrated it with DVE it even had pretty darn good blacks and the colour wasn't even too far off. I was pretty darn impressed actually for such an inexpensive set! Even theit "cheapo" RCA DVD player looked good on it. It has a 16:9 compress mode for watching anamorphic widescreen movies too! Finally you just can't beat that price!! :yesnod:
Now the "bad" :
The second set of component inputs only accept 480i :evil: The tint and contrast settings are for some reason not available on the 480p input, so I had to keep cycling through the inputs to alter the setting and back in to the 480p (and 720p/1080I) to check the changes :evil: There are no direct acess buttons on the remote which made that process even more fun :roll: The screen geometry and overscan aren't the best (the picture was noticebly biased towards the right side of the set it did however have a rotate option in the menu to correct that problem) but I'll say more on this in a moment. The biggest glitch was that the HD (480p/720p/1080i) input would not hold any of the settings I changed. The cable and inputs 1, 2 and 3 all held the settings that I adjusted for brightness, colour etc but every time I cycled out of the HD input after correcting the settings and then back in to it, the HD input would revert back to it's "standard" settings. :evil: So this prompted a call to Philips tech service which have given me the name and number for a local authorized repair place. Apparently (according to Philips) they'll send a tech out to the house to try to correct the problem. While they're there I'm going to see if I can get them to correct the geometry, overscan, right side bias etc as well. Maybe they can turn off the SVM too!! :twisted: :B We'll call them on Monday :T
All in all though you can't expect a HD 32" set for less than $700CA including taxes to not have a couple "glitches" or a few missing features. What counts is that the picture looks fantastic and my coworker, husband and two sons are really enjoying it :T :T
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