Customer Reviews

Philips 30PF9946 30-Inch WideScreen HDTV-Ready LCD Flat-Panel TV

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

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.

A true widescreen TV has an aspect ratio of 16:9. For most widescreen LCD TVs, this means a WXGA resolution that is 1366 pixels wide by 768 pixels high. But this Philips TV is NOT a true widescreen, despite the false claim in Philips specifications; its aspect ratio is 15:9 and its resolution is 1280 pixels wide by 768 pixels high. So what does this mean in practical terms? HDTV broadcasts (such as Law and Order on NBC and this year's Superbowl) are in 16:9 ratio; they fill the entire screen in a true widescreen 16:9 TV. But since the Philips is 15:9, the HDTV broadcast will appear with black bars at the top and bottom of the screen (unless you choose to artificially stretch the picture to fill the screen, making it look distorted, with people in the picture too tall and too skinny)! Can you endure black bars at the top and bottom of your screen every time you watch an HDTV broadcast? Can you accept the fact that the true usable area of the screen when HDTV is employed is less than the claimed 30" diagonal--that there will always be wasted area at the top and bottom of your TV? Do not make the same mistake that I did. Do not be fooled by the false claim of 16:9 screen ratio. Buy another TV--even a more recent Philips model--even if it costs you a few hundred dollars more.

The picture is very good with cable hd and dvd (both progressive scan and analog component hooked up to AV1). Only one digital input allowed. This is a problem if you have two devices, such as cable box and dvd. However, the digital input only accepts vga or hdmi, so all component feeds must be converted to vga with cable supplied by manufacturer. I think that one could get an analog switcher with video component input and outputs for not too much money. The picture quality degrades with analog signals, even over digital cable. On middle brightness settings, shading and details in dark areas are lost. Correction by increasing the brightness helps to a limited degree, however, you start to lose the deepness of the black and get graying/hazing. There are better LCD TV's out there with better pitcures and two digital inputs, however, they cost a lot more.

I would never buy another Philips LCD again. The HD blacks out occaisionally. You can't upgrade the mounting hardware, you can't use a normal component cable, when you use the HDMI, the audio has to be sent with the cable(the turn off all other audio connections). So if you use a provider like comcast that doesn't send audio over DVI, you can't hear anything. This LCD has been a nightmare. for $1500

I bought this TV in philips outlet for 750$. Used it for less than month now.

Pros
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1. Cheap, inexpensive, TV for bedrooms or kitchen.
2. Picture quality seemed ok with HD , so far.
3. Look and Feel of the TV is good.

Cons
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1. Only one HD-Analog connection (Component to VGA)
* Beware of this, though the TV has component input, its not HD Capable unlike all other TVs. Philips gave a special Component to VGA cord, which can be used for regular dvd player progressive scan(480p).
2. Only one HD-Digital connection (HDMI)
3. Though the TV says 16:9, I can only see 15:9 in wide screen format.
4. Black levels are not as dark, it may be scenario with all LCD TVs. Plasmas has dark black levels.
5. Poor and long waiting on customer service. I think philips should consider outsourcing customer service, instead of torturing customers with long waits.
6. Very badly packaged, so open the package cautiously.
7. Wall mountable is included, but it is not tiltable.
8. Very very annoyingly poorly written manual, dont expect anything from it.

I ordered and received the model off the Philips outlet store $999 - $200 discount which I consider a very good deal. The set arrived quickly and in good condition.

None of the accessories other than a stand were included (ac cord, remote control, cables and wall mount) with the original shipment. A call to Phillips customer support got a quick response that they will send the items as the become available. The ac cord arrived in two days with a packing slip stating stand and remote are back-ordered. The wall mount is not available, but I would want a tilting one if I were to wall mount.

The stand they shipped originally was for a much bigger tv.

If Philips comes thru with their promise I will remain happy.

I will echo the statements by other customers. This is not the ideal hdtv (picture, connections, etc.) but an excellent set for $800.

I did get a TV from this seller and the TV was Scratched in many areas. Please Pay Attention

I rated this at 1 star because there was no zero option. The manual is ridiculous, the supplied cables were defective and their customer service line is absolute torture to get through.You have to sit directly in front of the set to view a decent picture. I had numerous problems with the set not starting properly and finally...when the set was just out of warranty, a circuit board attached to the LCD screen blew. Guess what, the board is not available as a separate item. Philip's wants to charge $4500.00 for the part alone! I paid $1800.00 for this piece of junk. I look at this as tuition for the education I received dealing with this substandard company. Do yourself a favor, buy a SONY. I did and now I'm happy.