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Philips 42PF9831


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First off, Hey all. It's good to finally get posting on this forum! It's been an invaluable source of info for a tech noob like myself. For that you have my sincere thanks. :P

Secondly, Help! I'm confused and a little depressed. :D

After many, many, many months of searching/researching, jumping from plasma to projector, back to plasma then to LCD, I finally decided to single out this particular LCD panel as the one for me. After eventually finding it on display at my local Harvey Norman (Dandenong), I have to say I was not at all impressed with what I saw. The image quality wasn't anywhere near as fantastic as many of you guys have already stated. It was quite depressing. ;_;

After reading some of the responses on this thread, I really wanted it to blow me away, but seeing it output such downright ugly images (images that even my crappy 20-something'' CRT can outdo, I mean that), well it was just incredibly disheartening. Granted, the display was on the footy, which was also, according the sales guy, being broadcast in SD). Regardless, the thing that I find the hardest to stomach is trying to justify spending $5500 on a LCD panel when my aforementioned POS-CRT looks better when viewing SD. The Cnet review stated: "It also excelled at improving standard definition viewing without any of the short-comings of its competitors". Unfortunately from what I saw today, that's a load of bull. I would however like to know what these 'short-comings' actually refer to. Could somebody please fill me in?

I should probably note that the STB they were using at HN was the LG LST5100P, via component. Not sure how that stacks up quality-wise to other STB's (I'm looking at getting the DTR7200). I asked the sales guys if he could hook up the 7200 to the panel using HDMI, but they didn't have any on display so he instead hooked up a Pioneer SHDT510 (via HDMI) and yet again the image was butt ugly. Again, very depressing as he stated this STB was one of the best on the market. I don’t know if there was any truth to that, I was hoping one of you guys could confirm or deny that.

He fed me something about the HDMI cable he was using being a 'cheap' brand and mentioned something about it looking much better through the $200 Monster cable (cough). Is there any truth to that? Or should I have kneed him in the groin for even suggesting it?

What really caused it to look so unimpressive? Seriously, after some of the comments posted on this thread I really was expecting a sharp and vivid image. Instead I get a blotchy and downright ugly image. I’m not ready to give up on this panel just yet; every positive post in the thread must amount to something. Some advice would be more than appreciated. I don’t want to spend another 14 months doing research!

Oh and remember, I’m new, so be nice! :blink:

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He fed me something about the HDMI cable he was using being a 'cheap' brand and mentioned something about it looking much better through the $200 Monster cable (cough). Is there any truth to that? Or should I have kneed him in the groin for even suggesting it?

Load of bollocks, its a digital signal, next time ask him to then put the $200 moster cable on and behold, exactly the same picture!!

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I have to say I was not at all impressed with what I saw. The image quality wasn't anywhere near as fantastic as many of you guys have already stated. It was quite depressing. ;_;

Perhaps the standards you set is a bit too high :blink:. Some people can't even tell the difference between SD and HD.

Is there any other set you saw which beat this Philips set?

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Perhaps the standards you set is a bit too high :D. Some people can't even tell the difference between SD and HD.

Is there any other set you saw which beat this Philips set?

Well, I am relatively new to this whole HD thing. I've actually read more about HD than having witnessed it with my own eyes, so this could be it. Head in the clouds and all that :blink:

But as for other sets with better image quality? Absolutely, it almost seemed to me like the majority of sets on display had superior image quality, and every set in the area was being fed the same signal from the LST5100P through an amp hidden somewhere in the ceiling, it was very confusing given what I've read here about it having exceptional picture quality to most other panels.

For some stupid reason I didn't take note of any of the other model numbers. I did however notice the Phillips 50PF9966 50'' Plasma which actually looked very impressive, with the signal being supplied by a DTR700 STB with a HDMI connection, and it was a good $700 cheaper too! But I have something of an aversion towards plasma's with burn in and all that, and the one of the main reason I'm after a HD set is for my Xbox 360. From what I've read; games + plasmas = bad.

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~

What really caused it to look so unimpressive? Seriously, after some of the comments posted on this thread I really was expecting a sharp and vivid image. Instead I get a blotchy and downright ugly image. I’m not ready to give up on this panel just yet; every positive post in the thread must amount to something. Some advice would be more than appreciated. I don’t want to spend another 14 months doing research!

Oh and remember, I’m new, so be nice! :blink:

it is disheartening I knwo what your talkign about here. Soem things to keep in mind. Digital TV still leaves a lot to be desired.

there is a little HD TV broadcast try get yourself instore to check some of it out.

http://www.dtvforum.info/index.php?showtopic=28574

during daytimes morning TV has a smattering of HD with studio shot shows that is worth checking out. The bit rates most are broadcast is still very limiting on overall picture quality. Somethign you need ot take inot accout while viewing all panels.

Store setups can be bery compromising too. Get them to hook up panels direct to boxes via hdmi/dvi not through store distribution systems. Often too they have the sets still on factory default settings which are very garish.

Do some comparisons via DVD as well this atleast will give you one standard bit of material you can run through many panels.

All that said I've seen this panel both at HN dandenong and knox and think better can be had for a lot less in the around $3k HD plasmas (hitachi/panasonic) or a bit pricier pio's

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There is a little HD TV broadcast try get yourself instore to check some of it out.

http://www.dtvforum.info/index.php?showtopic=28574

Thanks for the link, I'll definately make sure my next visit coincides with one of those broadcasts.

Store setups can be bery compromising too. Get them to hook up panels direct to boxes via hdmi/dvi not through store distribution systems. Often too they have the sets still on factory default settings which are very garish.

This is the thing that has me most worried. I actually did have the guy hook up that Pioneer STB and it still looked fugly compared to some of the other sets. I don't know about those factory default settings though. If adjusting the settings allows for a sharper image, then I'll check into that too.

Do some comparisons via DVD as well this atleast will give you one standard bit of material you can run through many panels.

I actually had my imported copy of Advent Children ready to go browsing but I forgot to take it with me. Next time!

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No, Im not going to be gentle to you guys. :blink:

This is rubbish! I'm sorry, if you havent seen this Philips getting a decent signal, you dont know what your missing! And demo with the Saturday PM football coverage? LOL thats a good one, like test driving a Porsche on black ice and saying it has no grip! Come on, are you guys serious?

Thursday night is the best night for FTA demos, with Getaway on 9. The ads that you know on your CRT are a great way to see how the panels handle poorer feeds.

By the way I have just demoed this Philips back to back with the Pio 43" & the Hit'ch 8900 (1024x1080) and they are both simply blown away. This Philips is clearly the world best 40-42 panel at the moment. Eats the 50 Pana & Pioneeer also. Plasmas are all looking downright dull now this panel has arrived. Heck, I think every salesman at Domain Penrith agrees, and this was viewing Getaway and Lost and hi rez still images on an SD card.

Can you find a professional review that agrees with what you saw? No? Then may I suggest you go find a better set up somewhere. The right Cables and boxes make a huge difference. Component will do.

Negatives? PC connectivity not at native rez is the only thing I can find.

In fact, Im curious you two guys knocking this seem to live quite close together, both seen this at HN Dand. hmmm. Quite a long post for the new guy too (but welcome). I'm a suspicious bugger. :ph34r: Must be a really bad set up to cause you to comment! Ok i'll settle down now... :D

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~ Ok i'll settle down now... :P

good ! and go take a chill pill :D

No, Im not going to be gentle to you guys. :blink:

This is rubbish! I'm sorry, if you havent seen this Philips getting a decent signal, you dont know what your missing! And demo with the Saturday PM football coverage? LOL thats a good one, like test driving a Porsche on black ice and saying it has no grip! Come on, are you guys serious?

~

nothign wrong with comparing on crap signal as well to see what theyre like. if all the other cars are on the black ice as well you will have some indication of which one handles it the best.

but of course no doubt you missed all my sugestions to the guy re store setup, making sure a stb is hooked up via hdmi/dvi not via store distribution, make sure he catches some hd - even game him a link to look up when hd is on, also suggested him to test some dvds and thats level playing field to all panels.

~

By the way I have just demoed this Philips back to back with the Pio 43" & the Hit'ch 8900 (1024x1080) and they are both simply blown away. This Philips is clearly the world best 40-42 panel at the moment. Eats the 50 Pana & Pioneeer also. Plasmas are all looking downright dull now this panel has arrived. Heck, I think every salesman at Domain Penrith agrees, and this was viewing Getaway and Lost and hi rez still images on an SD card. ~

yes we all read about that and you had the contrast setup to the beejus at levels that not I bet you one plasma owner in their sane mind would run at.

~

Can you find a professional review that agrees with what you saw? No? Then may I suggest you go find a better set up somewhere. The right Cables and boxes make a huge difference. Component will do.

~

find me one professional review that agrees with what you say :P

I did make suggestions re importance of setup. And do check out HDMI/DVI out of the teac hd stb for instance (and I've owned the last two gens of the box) component is a very poor cousin of its dvi output.

~

Negatives? PC connectivity not at native rez is the only thing I can find.

~

I noticed the strange stuff philips pixel plus often does !

the price is hard to ignore

as is the short chanign in res with the philips that at the moeny should be a 1080 line panel

Given the picture settings you posted anythign off the plasma's you've seen would be far from natural I'm not suprised. Would be well worth checking out some of the properly setup more natural looking panels

~

In fact, Im curious you two guys knocking this seem to live quite close together, both seen this at HN Dand. hmmm. Quite a long post for the new guy too (but welcome). I'm a suspicious bugger. :ph34r: Must be a really bad set up to cause you to comment! Ok i'll settle down now... :P

and what exactly are you suggesting here ? suspicious bugger ? suspicious about what ? I think I told you i've seen it at knox as well. If you want to be suspicious I could ask too why your so defensive about this panel and pushing it down the guys throat as best thing since sliced bread. Why not let him decide for him self. Not everyone is going to agree with you. there are a multitude of products on the market and people buying and picking and choosing between them based on their needs and opinions. if not you'd jsut have one display on the market nothign else.

finding a display can be quite daunting and is a real minefield, help the guy out why dont you, , instead of jumping down his throat ! :P

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He he... I though that would get a response! No pills required. I like to feel life!

You justify your views quite well. No I didnt miss your points re set up. I know you love your Hitachi and I have read your comments and seen the nice pic of your living room you kindly put up. And no im not really suspicious! But...

-Porsches on ICE with no traction would not show up their high performance margin or capabilities, the same for crappy Saturday football feeds on a top panel. Havent you noticed how the Hitachi looks not much better than a Teac when thats on??? he he but put Getaway on and its the Hitachi by a mile...

I cant even be bothered watching Sat footy on my Pana 80 tau its so bad. However the overall SD performance and punch of the Philips I have seen is outstanding. This is such an important point as there is so little HD programming.

-Yes I am passionate about this panel as its seems so far ahead of the others, and I'm about to buy one. But im just a tiny bit unsure...the PC thing I need to understand better. No one in the stores seem to know about HTPC and they never have one set up. The price is now not much more than the Sony 40 and if I wait another month it might be a more reasonable $4500.

-Re the brightness of the hitachi, I reported what I was told and saw at the time, and I accept it was in a bright store and might be hopeless at home. No, I dont want to wear sunglasses to watch a movie! I actually went in armed with your posted settings, and the salesman changed them and the pic went dark and lifeless, and we both said no way!!! So I just assumed these might be your cautious break in settings?

-Re natural colours, then why do plasmas display CD photos so poorly? Why do LCDs look so clean and sharp by comparison? Thats why I concluded the Hitachi looks dull back to back, along with the others. I was hoping $3200 would give me what I want. But the blacks were greyer than the Philips LCD too! And that really surprised me!

-Re price, is even $4900 too steep in 2006? My Pana 80cm was $4500 new 13 years ago! My salary is just a bit better than it was then i can tell you!

-Re settings, yes they could be off. I have posted what I have seen as the way to set the philips up. I didnt see Capoeira mention if he had the remote in his hand at all?

Its an interesting debate! I think you ultimately need to get your panel home and view it for a final decision. To that end Im wondering if Powerhouse will have it soon, as their 14 day return policy no questions asked seems ideal!

Oh, I almost forgot,

-"find me one professional review that agrees with what you say"

OK!!! From post 143:

http://www.unbeatable.co.uk/p_repr/Philips...s/32236682.html

Philips Ambilight Review -

Money; it’s only paper isn’t it. So spending it on something that you really, really like is fine… even if it’s close to (UK pounds) three grand. Ok, you might need to take a deep breath before parting with that amount of cash but look at what you’re getting. This is the bee’s knees in televisions. We’ve seen many HD TVs at Unbeatable.co.uk but nothing has got us as excited as the Philips 42PF9831 Ambilight TV. It’s absolutely beautiful and full of Philip’s top-of-the-range technology. This is 42 inches of pure TV gold that gives you ambient light from the back of the set and changes colour and intensity to match the tones of the image of the screen. Put this, the jaw-dropping picture quality and all the other features together and you know that even if it means re-mortgaging the house this is one TV you’ve just got to have.

Design

Where do we begin, before you’ve even switched the Philips 42PF9831 on you know it’s gorgeous. There’s a 42 inch screen which is surrounded by a thick black panel and then finished off with glowing edges. The Ambilight Surround is four fluorescent bulbs framing the television which light up when you’re watching TV. As the tones on the screen change so do the lights around all four edges of the set and best of all, these lights reflect off the walls giving your living room a fabulous glow.

Innovative design. Adds a real WOW factor to any room.

Setup/Installation

If you get one of these we're sure you'll won't be able to wait to get it out of its box. Thanks to the easy set up you won't have to waste any time before you can start enjoying it. Switch it on and let the Philip's technology work its magic, scanning channels and storing them for you. To hook up your Sky Plus box or games consoles, just plug them into the back and the set will recognise them straightaway.

Features

The 42PF9831 has more tricks up its sleeves than Georgie Best and we could spend all day eulogising over them. But to save time we’re going to limit ourselves to the best features. Our favourite by far as we’ve mentioned above is the Ambilight Surround system - the lights being simulated by what’s on the screen really does make viewing more relaxing and looks uber cool. The set comes with Philip’s Pixel Plus 3 HD providing extra colour to both normal television viewing as well as high definition. Another feature includes the Clear LCD technology for shaper, faster and more vibrant images. There is a pair of HDMI ports as well as a PC link, USB and memory card slot and the TV is prepared for wireless connection to your PC.

Performance

It’s not a case of looks over substance here. The 42PF9831 looks fab and works like a dream. Thanks to its Pixel Plus 3 HD the picture quality is out of this world – you can feel your hands being drawn towards the screen it all looks so real. Its 1366 x 768p resolution makes you wonder whether they dropped some noughts at the end. High definition images have never looked so good. The blacks are really black and the rest of the colours bring everything to life showing all the subtle nuances on screen. The new ClearLCD technology obviously plays a big part in this awesome picture quality. The idea is it has an overdrive control and a dimmable scanning backlight which speeds up the liquid crystals’ reaction time giving a response time of 6ms. If you’ve not got HD products yet like a HD DVD player or the Sky HD box it doesn’t matter a jot. Even on standard programme viewing this TV outstrips others on the market. Again because of the Pixel Plus 3 HD there’s no ghosting or noise on the screen leaving you completely satisfied and wondering whether you’ll ever bother with HD film, the image is that good. You’d think with such fantastic picture quality Philips might fall short somewhere else like the sound, but even this works a treat and their five builit-in stereo speakers really pump out the volume - although it never hurts to add some subwoofers to give that full-on cinema experience. The double HDMI sockets mean you can plug in plenty of peripheral products like your DVD player or Xbox 360 (which looks fantastic on this TV) and the fct you can plug your PC in means you can access home videos and photos stored on your computer. The only one criticism we’d make, and it’s a really teeny weenie one the Digital Natural Motion processing system. The idea is that fast moving objects look smoother but what it results in is a slimy shimmer. But if you don’t like it, just turn that feature off –simple. Oh and did we mention how the Ambilight gives a real fire-warming glow to the room and reduces the strain on your eyes from the televisions glare?

What's In The Box?

Philips 42PF9831 42 widescreen HD Ready LCD Television with FREEVIEW, quick start guide, remote control with batteries, table top stand, RF cable and wall mounting bracket.

Overall Opinion

You've probably gathered by now we love this TV. We know it’s expensive but this is truly the TV to have if you can afford it. It’s just brilliant in every way. The 42PF9831 looks fantastic, produces amazing images and quality sound and the Ambilight isn’t just a pretty gimmick it does help enhance your viewing experience. Statement televsion has arrived with Philips' 42PF9831.

Picture Quality 10/10

Sound Quality 10/10

Connectivity 10/10

Future Compatibility 10/10

Ease Of Use 10/10

By Babita Waklin

Overall Rating 5 STAR! :blink::D:P:P:P

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~

-Porsches on ICE with no traction would not show up their high performance margin or capabilities, the same for crappy Saturday football feeds on a top panel. Havent you noticed how the Hitachi looks not much better than a Teac when thats on??? he he but put Getaway on and its the Hitachi by a mile...

I cant even be bothered watching Sat footy on my Pana 80 tau its so bad. However the overall SD performance and punch of the Philips I have seen is outstanding. This is such an important point as there is so little HD programming.

~

nothign wrong with the guy checkign out the panels with everyday TV after all thats the majority of what you will be watching everyday, thats the reality fo DTV as we have it now. And ofcourse as I suggested along with this well worth checkign out HD TV on a good feed, plus DVD material and ensurign the best can be doen setup wise. hitachi not looking much better than a teac you must be kidding me surely !

~

-Yes I am passionate about this panel as its seems so far ahead of the others, and I'm about to buy one. But im just a tiny bit unsure...the PC thing I need to understand better. No one in the stores seem to know about HTPC and they never have one set up. The price is now not much more than the Sony 40 and if I wait another month it might be a more reasonable $4500.

~

that is the unfortunate thing with the philips the price is just off the planet. When you consider the plasmas its goign up against at are around the $3k mark. Even if the philps was a $4500 prospect, Is the philips at $1500 or 50% more than the equivalent plasmas really worth that much more ?

~

-Re the brightness of the hitachi, I reported what I was told and saw at the time, and I accept it was in a bright store and might be hopeless at home. No, I dont want to wear sunglasses to watch a movie! I actually went in armed with your posted settings, and the salesman changed them and the pic went dark and lifeless, and we both said no way!!!

-Re natural colours, then why do plasmas display CD photos so poorly? Why do LCDs look so clean and sharp by comparison? Thats why I concluded the Hitachi looks dull back to back, along with the others. I was hoping $3200 would give me what I want. But the blacks were greyer than the Philips LCD too! And that really surprised me!

~

it actually wasnt brightness it was contrast if I remember that was way over the top. have a look at all the settings we are using, between us theyre not far off, maybe a few settings this way or that. the ones you posted were bizare beyond belief, never seen settings like it for any hitachi in the 2.5 years I've been on this forum.

I think the phosphors on my display have settled down as not had to make any adjustments pict setting wise over the last coupel of weeks or so. I watched gardenign australia, this afternoon on my hitachi. The colours were as natural as I could ever imagine. skin tones, blue skys the greens the reds all the colours of the gardens. Looked absolutely gorgeous, far far far from dull, could not imagine it being described that way and yet natural and lifelike.

re digital phots I think I told you that I've hooked up my lapto upto it and put some professionally taken digital photos onscreen with the professionally printed version in hand. I honestly have to say the photos are jaw droppign on screen and again with colour settings as per the printed version. very natural nothign overemphasised.

colour settings are a personal pref thing. I prefer it natural you might prefer a much punchier image. thats yoru choice and somethign you'll probably get to better feel for once you get a display at home. A over empahsised image might soon get on your nerves if watchign for any sort of length of time.

~

-Re price, is even $4900 too steep in 2006? My Pana 80cm was $4500 new 13 years ago! My salary is just a bit better than it was then i can tell you!

~

unfortunately yes. $4,900 is $1,900 more than an equivalnet quality plasma from the likes of panasonic or hitachi.

displays are dropping significantly in price. For my current display I paid half of what I paid for my smaller display 2 years ago ! thats how quickly prices are dropping.

This is a first gen for the philips in this size, no doubt price will drop yet again and quality improve further yet again in subseqent models. Ofcourse it will ! jsut like with the plasmas. Btu at this point in time I think it is overpriced for what you get. you might not agree, but thats yoru call and quite entitled to it.

~

-Re settings, yes they could be off. I have posted what I have seen as the way to set the philips up. I didnt see Capoeira mention if he had the remote in his hand at all?

Its an interesting debate! I think you ultimately need to get your panel home and view it for a final decision. To that end Im wondering if Powerhouse will have it soon, as their 14 day return policy no questions asked seems ideal!

Oh, I almost forgot,

-"find me one professional review that agrees with what you say"

OK!!! From post 143:

http://www.unbeatable.co.uk/p_repr/Philips...s/32236682.html

~

not sure what settings the sets had capoeria was viewing. maybe theyre far off. somethign he needs to consider

maybe the 14 day thign is worth a shot. nto heard of anyone using it on a panel though !

sorry checked the link for the review just got a page not found. sorry to dissapoint but its not a professional review, just one from an online selling site. And does not collaborate in regards the comparisons. :D:blink:

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i saw this philip model at harveys in ACT, and boy it was miles ahead of all the plasma and LCd's in there. I couldnt believe it was a Philip's brand TV.

Revenge of the sith was showing, and at a distance young anikan looked like he was really there in the store. The real motion thing takes a bit of getting used to, but im told that you can turn this feature off.

AFter watching this tv for a few minutes, looking back at the plasmas in the stores, there was a huge difference in PQ.

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maybe the 14 day thign is worth a shot. nto heard of anyone using it on a panel though !

sorry checked the link for the review just got a page not found. sorry to dissapoint but its not a professional review, just one from an online selling site. And does not collaborate in regards the comparisons. :D:blink:

The review seems to have moved (or something dropped out) to http://www.unbeatable.co.uk/p_repr/Philips...s/32236682.html

The review is more detailed than a lot I have read, so it hardly can be discounted! Read some of their other reviews - they are quite critical. And I'm hungry for detailed information on what might be the good and the bad in sets as they emerge on the market. In fact it is probably the safest way to do your research, because there are so many in-store variables that make it difficult to determine the right display for each of our needs.

Check them out, there is a lot there... http://www.unbeatable.co.uk/pages/Electron...el-Televisions/

For example,

NEC 61" NPD-61XR4G PLASMA Performance:

"This is where you are going to be disappointed I’m afraid - we were gutted. For such a monster of a TV we expected a lot more than what we got. Leaving the best till last, we watched terrestrial, followed by a DVD. The terrestrial performance was very average, black levels were below average, motion pictures pushed it to its limit, with a really blurred outcome. So, we plugged in the DVD player in anticipation for a better performance - no such luck. It was still average, black levels slightly better, colours were average and motion was handled better but not by much. We spent forever trying to enhance both pictures using the menu options with no avail. However, the volume is superb, really great bass and excellent dialogue performance. " >So NEC scored 4/10.

Compare that to the Philips 10/10!

Re Powerhouse - I asked if the 14 day Powerhouse return policy applies to panels, and I was told yes! But i'd buy one with that clarified with the sales guy like OK I'll go ahead, "provided I'm happy at home" or thats why Im buying from you guys!" Its in writing on signs about the store, and hanging above the cash registers from what I have seen.

Re SD - If the majority of SD TV looked like the poor Saturday pm footy, I would not need a TV! Good SD should be almost up to DVD quality IMO. Poor signal detail has lots wrong with it and shows up on CRTs and flat panels alike, of course the bigger they are the worse it appears. That is what stops me from considering say a 72" Toshi. for an everyday set. And why I'd like a projector in the HT room for the right stuff!

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i saw this philip model at harveys in ACT, and boy it was miles ahead of all the plasma and LCd's in there. I couldnt believe it was a Philip's brand TV.

AFter watching this tv for a few minutes, looking back at the plasmas in the stores, there was a huge difference in PQ.

This is so obvious I am gob smacked others have said they look so crap elsewhere. Only once did i see one where I thought the skin tones looked unatural and a halo of pixels around movement, and then I grabbed the remote and fixed it. Actually at first, I did it with the buttons on the side of the panel, as you can get in to all the menus if your remote is lost or broken, unlike the Samsung 40".

One great feature when tweeking with the remote, you enter picture, and the various functions, and when you select, the menu moves to the RHS of the screen, and you can watch the picture change eg DNR on/off, Real Motion on/off or Ambilight low/med/maximum and see the results instantly. Very easy to see what works and what doesnt on a particular signal or program. Great on the 7 'HD' loop with so much variation in pics.

Actually I found the set very forgiving of brightness and contast and colour settings, it was not hard to find the sweet range. And it was quite broad not at all narrow. Unlike some LCDs like the 40" Sony and Samsung where the threads are full of people trying to find the right settings. This is another major PLUS for this panel IMHO.

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Ah, I love those positive posts! They're just what I need to get my spirits up about this set again. Believe me, I'm not hating on this panel because of some sneaky ulterior motive. I promise I do not have a personal vendetta against all things phillips, or LCDs for that matter, so relax :blink:

As for the settings, I didn't mess with them at all (I'm new to this, remember? I'd wouldn't have known where to start). I really don't know how the panel was set up, but I'll take your specific settings with me the next time I head out. If I can find them somewhere in the 10 pages of this thread...

Let me just clarify something; the main drag on the whole experience was how poorly it handled the SD signal. We all know by now that it's superb when it comes to HD; I'm willing to take your and just about everyone else's word for it. I guess what I really want to know is whether this set can give a good SD image (at least with the right set up)? It may seem a little bizarre asking that about an HD panel, but given the state of digital TV programming in Australia, I think it's reasonable.

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It appeared to be an easy process from reading the manual. What if any improvements did you notice? Does it provide you with information as to what improvements have been implemented via the upgrade either during or post upgrade?

cheers

Here are some of the "improvements" from the release notes of the upgrade. Most are behind the scenes things that have no real impact on what is being looked at. A lot of the other upgrades refer to European models (languages etc). It appears that the TV can be permanently connected to the net and upgrade signals are sent to the TV automatically, but the ethernet socket is disabled in the local release.

But like I said it was just a case of plug the memory stick in and the TV did the rest. Very easy.

Following problems are resolved :

• Improved digitial installation algorithm. Sometimes some channels were skipped.

• Picture flicker in case of blue mute (no signal) due PWM-flicker reduced.

• In some circumstances brightness jumps in the picture are seen when lightsensor is "ON":

resolved by improving the accurracy of calculations for contrast and saturation.

• In extremely rare circumstances the LED indication remains red although the set is playing

• General PQ updates

• General update for Ambilight and Settings assistant wizard

• In some cases Now and Next EPG info not displayed

• Wrong colours possible on HD inputs (Red-blue-"Smurfen"-effect)

• No wake up out of standby resolved

• Improvement of stability in MHEG browsing

• Wrong colours of subtitles when removing OSD

• Solution of problem : set not going out completely to standby and not able to come out of this

state

• Improved transient behaviour when switching to YPbPr sources

• Improvement of stability in MHEG browsing

• Correction in Ambilight: Rise and fall times reversed

• Improvement of the picture quality after horizontal picture shift to the left on YPbPr 576i

• Updated Ambilight algorithm to enable always proper startup out of virgin menu

• Under rare circumstances sometimes top half of menu was zoomed to full screen when

switching from 1080i30 to 576p50.The menu was stretched vertically

• Sometimes no Teletext page when entering dual-window TXT

• Changed menuitem "Reshuffle / rename channels" to "Rearrange"

• Under certain circumstances no HDMI Audio anymore when changing from ContentBrowser to

HDMI

• Overall Picture Quality improvements

• Ambilight algorithm adapted: more intense colours

• Possible picture flicker every 6 seconds on 1080i 60Hz input for 42PF9631D/10

• Improvement separation Ambilight

• No Ambilight from standby

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All I want to say is that as an owner of this TV it is bloody brilliant. I've been very impressed with the pic quality of the higher definition TV shows, the rest are just a standard picture for standard definition. DVD is excellent, I use HDMI monster cables (not the super expensive ones).

I finally got my copy of Digital Video Essentials calibration DVD over the weekend and the HD picture is so amazing you feel you can reach into the screen and grab the space shuttle (intro movie they have on it). Been doing some of the video set ups and it is actually making a great image better. I was very happy with it before but now it's getting near to blowing me away.

Like I said before, NEVER go by what they have on a show room floor. I wasn't sure when I first saw this on display and wasn't even that impressed the night I bought it, but now there's no going back.

One interesting thing is that I turned off the ambilight the other day for a short while and I was very surprised with how different it all looked. I really does add so much to the viewing experience. And when I got Digital Video Essentials they even recommend an "ambient light, set behind your flat panel TV".

Unless you are able to see this TV set up correctly and calibrated, which you probably won't on a shop floor your only seeing half the picture. And if a sales person tells you it is set up right and it looks crap, you know they're lying.

There's my ten cents worth. :blink:

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All the reviews on this TV sound great. One thing that I still haven't clarified yet is how it goes with DSub (VGA) input from a PC. I will be running an HTPC almost exclusively, so this feature is pretty important to me.

Can anybody who already owns this tv provide some feedback on how the PC-input support is?

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Thanks for that Luis; I'll feel a much more confident the next time I head in for a look. Unfortunately they still don't have any DTR7200's in stock. I was hoping I could see what it would have looked like running through that STB. I'm not sure if there's any point heading out for another look until they get it in stock, not to mention a Panny S97. That's my holy trinity right there, and the gaping $6k hole in my wallet of course.

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Here are some of the "improvements" from the release notes of the upgrade. Most are behind the scenes things that have no real impact on what is being looked at. A lot of the other upgrades refer to European models (languages etc). It appears that the TV can be permanently connected to the net and upgrade signals are sent to the TV automatically, but the ethernet socket is disabled in the local release.

[snip]

Thanks for the info - very informative. I have now seen this panel at three different stores and each time, the image was fantastic. Not sure what the difficulties are the others are experiencing with the PQ? It was really hard to put my finger on how describe what made the PQ brilliant, then it occured to me - it addition to clarity, vibrancy of colours etc, it is the 'depth' to the image that the panel offers that makes it a stand out in my opinion.

The panel is definately on my Christmas present list (to myself :blink: )

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I finally managed to come across this set in a darkened showroom the other day, as opposed to one stuck out in the middle of the sales floor. And the picture indeed did seem quite nice but I wasn't really looking at that. I was trying to get used to the ambilight feature and I just couldn't. I can see the reasoning behind it, but it just looked really strange and I couldn't adjust to it. The white surround also made the TV appear quite small, and this was in a small demo area too, I reckon it would almost disappear in a regular 4x6m-ish sized room.

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I finally managed to come across this set in a darkened showroom the other day, as opposed to one stuck out in the middle of the sales floor. And the picture indeed did seem quite nice but I wasn't really looking at that. I was trying to get used to the ambilight feature and I just couldn't. I can see the reasoning behind it, but it just looked really strange and I couldn't adjust to it. The white surround also made the TV appear quite small, and this was in a small demo area too, I reckon it would almost disappear in a regular 4x6m-ish sized room.

The ambilight does take a bit of getting used to initially (I spent the first few days watching the lights changing), but like I said previously I gave it a go with it turned off the other day and the picture seemed small in comparison. After a few weeks of watching with the light on and doing the compairison you realise that the projected ambilight becomes part of the watching experience and it actually looks boring without it.

It is hard to explain unless you're able to continuously see the TV in action but it is a great feature and actually does help with things like eye strain.

The lights colours and brightness can be customised if you don't want the bright whites etc.

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All the reviews on this TV sound great. One thing that I still haven't clarified yet is how it goes with DSub (VGA) input from a PC. I will be running an HTPC almost exclusively, so this feature is pretty important to me.

Can anybody who already owns this tv provide some feedback on how the PC-input support is?

I bought a 5m cable the other day, but it doesn't reach the TV running it between rooms, so I have to drill a hole in the wall. If I get onto it I'll let you know how it goes.

My wife's going out this Saturday, cool, time to make noise and mess. I am the demolition man :ph34r: (when she's not around).

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I promise I do not have a personal vendetta against all things phillips, or LCDs for that matter, so relax :blink:

Most other LCDs are so poor in some areas of their performance I could not even consider them. Until I saw this panel was a clear break away from the pack, Sony and Samsung included. Eg the new 42" LG has really poor SD pic quality and blacks in comparison to this Philips!

As for the settings, I didn't mess with them at all (I'm new to this, remember? I'd wouldn't have known where to start). I really don't know how the panel was set up, but I'll take your specific settings with me the next time I head out. If I can find them somewhere in the 10 pages of this thread...

This is essential. You need to know how they are set or you cant compare any 2 sets and arrive at any sort of conclusion. You almost have to assume they are poorly set up, especially if the salesman says 'these are straight out of the box!'

Let me just clarify something; the main drag on the whole experience was how poorly it handled the SD signal. We all know by now that it's superb when it comes to HD; I'm willing to take your and just about everyone else's word for it. I guess what I really want to know is whether this set can give a good SD image (at least with the right set up)? It may seem a little bizarre asking that about an HD panel, but given the state of digital TV programming in Australia, I think it's reasonable.

I have spent probably an hour with this set over the past few weeks. I totally aggree with you, SD performance is very good iMHO and that has really surprised me. So many LCDs seem harsh like their scalers are missing, then you add motion blur and poor blacks and you have BIG SCREEN RUBBISH.

The 9831 Philips seems to be everything the other LCDs are missing. It has to be the closest panel to CRT PQ out there at the moment.

This review from UK describes the HD & SD performance up very well - they give SD a big wrap.

http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/televisions/0,39...278138-2,00.htm

"With high definition in particular there really is no over-stating just how sublime the 42PF9831D's pictures are. For starters, we can't remember ever seeing any other HD picture look so phenomenally sharp and detailed. Thanks to Pixel Plus 3 HD, our HD sources look like they've actually been made in some new, even higher resolution format than 720p or 1080i.

What's more, this jaw-dropping achievement is delivered seemingly effortlessly, in that the Pixel Plus 3 HD processing used to produce it generates practically zero nasty side effects, leaving the HD pictures to look as clean as they are detailed. ClearLCD, meanwhile, presumably plays a part in motion on the 42PF9831D that's arguably the clearest we've seen on an LCD TV to date, plus black levels that are both exceptionally deep for LCD and absolutely stuffed with the sort of lovely subtle colour shifts that bring dark picture areas to life. This in turn makes the picture as a whole seem more cinematic and solid.

Tearing ourselves away from high definition for a moment, we were slightly surprised to find that the 42PF9831D is also a mighty fine standard-definition performer. Why surprised? Because Pixel Plus 3 HD's extra noise reduction routines seem to do away with almost all of the video noise that's apparent on standard definition pictures "

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Having last year first sought out the Sony Bravia - V, when looking for an LCD, then steered in the direction of the Philips 42PF0830, I finally landed at the Philips 42PF9831.

One of ths biggest questions is: 'what is round the corner', but with this attitude you'll never buy anything.

I initially liked the look of the 30, but needed additional time and research, which led to the 31.

I bought this over two months ago, and might have been the first at HV in Chadstone to buy one. In addition I bought the Sony 250GB SVR-HD900 with HDMI connectivity.

It's easy to forget what you used to have, including the poor reception.

My impressions continue to improve. The standout so far was Planet Earth, on the ABC. Breathtaking! I'm no techo, and yes, ten weeks later, I'd still love to get the DVD player hooked up, but I might consider a HDMI DVD player, as the one I have is now close to four years old.

Channel 7 reception is excellent; the news, Sunrise, Today Tonight. Channel 9 football is better than channel 10. There is the occasional poor reception, particularly when the news crosses to outside broadcasts, but as mentioned before, you quickly forget what TV used to be like.

Biggest gripe is the footy, particularly shots of the grass. Don't know what this is, as the rest of the picture is okay considering the general poor quality of the braodcast.

The colour is very good and, likewise, the picture quality.

Even the sound is better, through my ONKYO and Klipsch sound system!

This box can only get better, and I'll keep you informed. As a Star Wars fan, I should get off my backside and successfully hook up the Toshiba DVD player this weekend and blast it out the system! :blink:

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