Customer Reviews

Philips 42FD9954 42-Inch Plasma Flat-Panel HD-Ready TV

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

 

 

This TV is great overall. I am extremely happy with the picture quality when using it under HD. Its absolutely unbeliveable!! The drawback is Time Warner only has about 13 HD channels, everything else is in SD. Under a SD signal the TV is an average performer (which is why I gave it 4 stars & not 5). The picture does get grainy and my $300 TV looks much better than this set! But it is still "bearable".

I did go down to a local electronics store and do a comparision of this set against the leading brands (under HD signal), and i must say it was just as good or even better than some of those 5K+ TV's out there.

Its works great when hooked up to my pc, I did have to go out and get a decent video card with a DVI out. The picture quality is simply great.

Bottom Line: Buy it! But just be prepared to be patient until more 'n more programs get broadcast in HD.

Blog: [...]

This is the nicest and thinest TV I have ever seen, and now owned. The colors are awsome, and everything is very familiar if you have owned a TV in the past, except for how thin this unit is. We bought this to give ourselves more room, and didn't actually realize how much room until the old 32" Tube TV was gone. We got to get rid of the TV stand, and the huge TV and now have a nice small unit that we can hang on the wall. Philips makes awsome product, and we have had a grat experience from Amzon throughout the entire process.

The box says dual component HD inputs. The set has only one set of component inputs. The DVI-D port does not support HDCP so it will not work with any new DVD player and set top boxes with DVI output since most have HDCP protection on them.

I bought this from a local store (Fry's), returned it. Philips' tech support is clueless about their own technology. The wonders of outsourcing!

I would not buy this TV since it is not "future proof". No DVI-HDCP and no HDMI. DVI input works for PC only. WTF would someone buy an expensice plasma for a computer.

Sound goes out, customer service and tech support from Philips Magnavox is horrible, they told me my TV didn't have speakers, then they said it was the Sound Processing board, then the went back to the TV didn't have speakers, Now they admit the TV does have speakers but the board will take a couple months to order, ship and install. I WILL NEVER BUY FROM THIS COMPANY AGAIN

I would completely agree with the other review that states the DVI port is the only HD port on this TV and it doesn't support HDCP (New Security for HD content). I bought this TV when it first came out thinking it would be useable when more HD content was available.... WRONG! I just updated my receiver and DVD player and connected them with an HDMI to DVI-D cable thinking I was set for HD. The entire time I was setting up my new receiver and DVD player I was patting myself on the back for having the foresite to buy an HD ready TV. After getting everything setup I get NO picture on this TV and an HDCP error on the receiver because the TV doesn't have the $%#$*&$ HDCP security. This was just another $5K wasted on technology that isn't supported by the industry or Philips. I just can't believe they are still able to market this TV as HD-Ready when it is quite obvious that HDCP security is going to be required for any device receiving HD content. Also, they are making sure that it's illegal to provide any kind of adapter in the U.S. that allows the security to be bypassed and older devices (3 years or less included) to be used with the new equipment. Do your homework before you waste this kind of money on a TV.

I now have the most expensive computer monitor known to man, which will work until Microsoft finishes their version of HDCP for computers (Longbow) and makes it completly obsolete.

I am just amazed at the complete lack of knowledge displayed by the so called "expert" reviewers on the Internet and in the stores who seem completely uneducated about this very real easily reproducable issue.

Awsome Plasma. Razor sharp and crystal clear picture. SUperb set. I'd recommend it to everyone.