Customer Reviews

Philips 42PF9631D 42-Inch Plasma HDTV with Ambilight

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Philips has been making plasma screens longer than just about anyone, and this latest version produces the best, clearest, and most vibrant image that I have seen on any high-definition television. After a lot of research, this is the model that I found outperformed everything else I investigated.

Several features to note:

Picture-in-Picture -- The 9631 PIP works well but must be married to a separate tuner, such as a DVD player, to pull in the second channel. Philips allows you to customize the view as side-by-side, which works really well on a wide screen format.

Ambilight and Black Border -- Philips has long pioneered the use of backlighting to improve picture quality and ease eyestrain. This model allows the viewer to choose several different settings depending on what is being watched -- from sports to Shakespeare. Everyone who sees it marvels at the difference it makes in enjoying what is on the screen. Also, the wide black border around the screen is not only stylish but makes the picture pop out.

Firmware Upgrade Capability -- These modern high definition models are extraordinarily complicated in their technology and internal programming. Philips anticipates the need for upgrading new types of signals and video inputs by allowing the owner to download new firmware versions into a memory stick from the Philips website, and then feeds it into the TV through an easily accessible USB port. Very cool.

Customized Performance -- Philips has a huge array of menus that allow the viewer to tailor picture, sound, ambience, and add-ons. This requires some experimentation and trial-and-error, but the results can be dramatic.

All in all, a great product that outperforms the competition at a good price. Don't overlook it.

The Philips 42PF9631 is the latest evolution of the 42" plasma TV that Philips has had for 8 years. Over that time, the price has declined from $10,000 to under $2,000. But the best thing has been that Philips has continually refined the product, worked out the bugs, and produced a solid HDTV that also shows standard definition (SD) very well.

Picture quality on the Philips 9631 is outstanding. Blacks are very good and colors are razor-sharp. I compared the picture to several other HDTV's receiving the same cable TV signal in my area (a Samsung DLP and and a Sony RPTV) and the Philips plasma had sharper and more vibrant colors (the Sony was admittedly an older LCD RPTV model from 2001-02). Still, hi-def viewing on the Philips Plasma is outstanding. SD viewing is also outstanding: I would say that most if not all of the channels are as good or better than they looked on my 27" Sony that the Philips replaced. I had thought that alot of the SD channels would be unwatcheable from what I had heard about plasmas and other HDTV's -- not so with the Philips !! You can easily tell the difference between HD and SD but SD is very watcheable. If your SD reception mode is prone to more artifacts or ghosting, Pixel Plus will probably help improve the picture.

The Philips 9631 plasma has lots of useful features. The Automatic Format setting stretches most channels to eliminate black bars which are annoying to look at and which can (eventually) lead to burn-in. The Menu and User interfaces are pretty easy to understand. Best of all, firmware upgrades are available over the internet; all you do is download the file into a USB memory stick and insert it into the USB hub on the TV. It's really easy to use, and alot of technical glitches that ALL top-end HDTV's get from time to time are easily solved by quick dowloads instead of having to bring in a service technician or worse, having to transport the TV for service.

Pixel Plus 3D is supposed to create a more smooth and fluid picture motion, but truth be told the HD and SD pictures are so good I hardly noticed the improvement. Amblight is another matter: it's a nice feature when you watch TV in a dark room to be able to have the backlighting adjust to the picture you are watching. After a while, it grows on you. I think this is a really nice feature to have and I wouldn't be surprised to see more manufacturers try and offer something similar. There are different settings for Ambilight depending on if you're watching sports or movies; the Color setting set to a cool Blue is noted in the manual as a popular default choice.

The remote is a bit 'glass-like' and dense but pretty useful. Channel set-up is not that difficult. The stand has been improved from earlier versions and has a nice glass base. 2 HDMI inputs and multiple component inputs make the Philips 9631 a hi-def TV that will allow you to grow your accessories without a problem. The TV tuner is excellent, though most people will probably input channels through a cable or satellite box.

All in all, this is an outstanding plasma TV that will do credit as your main HDTV or an excellent choice as a smaller TV to your larger unit. It will fit nicely in a small bedroom should you decide down the line you want a bigger size than the 42" model. If you want a model that's been continually refined, is not super-complicated, and can be up and running in about 45 minutes out of the box, this is the hi-def set for you.

Bottom Line: A great TV at a great price, reliable, and not difficult to learn to utilize all the great features. Get it and enjoy it !

FEATURES:

Picture/Display:

Aspect ratio : 16:9
Brightness : 1,500
Contrast ratio (typical) : 10,000:1
Diagonal screen size (inch) : 42
Diagonal screen size (metric) : 107 cm
Display screen type : HD Plasma panel
Picture enhancement : Pixel Plus 3 HD, 3/2-2/2 Motion Pulldown, 3D Combfilter, Active Control + Light sensor, Jagged Line Suppression, Progressive Scan, Widescreen Plus, Pixel Plus 3 HD Screen enhancements : Anti ageing circuit, Anti-Reflection coated screen
Viewing angle (horizontal) : 160
Viewing angle (vertical) : 160
Panel resolution : 1024 x 768p

Ambilight:

Ambilight Features : Auto adaptive to video content, 2 Channel Left/Right control
Color Settings : Full Multi Colour
Dimming Function : Manual and via Light Sensor
Preset modes : 4 Active Adaptive modes

Supported Display Resolution:

Computer formats : 640 x 480, 60Hz, 800 x 600, 60Hz, 1024 x 768, 60Hz, 1366 x 768, 60Hz
Video Formats : 640 x 480i - 1Fh, 640 x 480p - 2Fh, 720 x 576i - 1Fh, 720 x 576p - 2Fh, 1280 x 720p - 3Fh, 1920 x 1080i - 2Fh

Sound:

Sound Enhancement : Digital Signal Processing, Dynamic Bass Enhancement, Graphic Equalizer
Sound System : Virtual Dolby Digital
Output power (RMS) : 2x12W

Convenience:

Ease of Installation: Autostore, PLL Digital Tuning, Plug & Play, Automatic Tuning System (ATS), Auto Program Naming
Ease of Use: On Screen Display, Side Control, Smart Picture Control, Channel list, Smart Sound Control, Delta Volume per preset, Auto Volume Leveller (AVL), Graphical User Interface
Screen Format Adjustments: Subtitle and Heading Shift, 6 Widescreen Modes, 4:3, Auto Format, Movie expand 14:9, Movie expand 16:9, Subtitle Zoom, Super Zoom, Widescreen
Child Protection: Child Lock+Parental Control
Picture in Picture: HDMI-Component PIP
Clock: Smart Clock
Teletext: Closed Captioning Full Text
VESA Mount: Vesa compliant

Multimedia Applications:

Digital Content Management: Digital Media Reader
Multimedia connections: USB
Playback Formats: JPEG Still pictures, MP3, Slideshow files (.alb)

Tuner/Reception/Transmission
TV system: ATSC, NTSC
Video Playback: NTSC
Aerial Input: 75 ohm F-type
Cable: Unscrambled Digital Cable -QAM Connectivity
Other connections: Monitor out, CVBS, L/R (cinch), S/PDIF in (coaxial), S/PDIF out (coaxial)
AV 1: Audio L/R in, CVBS in, RGB+H/V, YPbPr, Component Video in, (1, 2, 3Fh autoranging), Y/C
AV 2: Audio L/R in, CVBS, Y/C
AV 3: S/PDIF digital coaxial, YPbPr, (1, 2, 3Fh autoranging)
AV 4: HDMI
AV 5: HDMI
Front / Side connections: Audio L/R in, CVBS in, Headphone out, S-video in, USB

You have read the reviews, but probably have not seen, the ambilight feature on the Phillips 42pf9631d/37 42" plasma. That's a shame, because once you see it, you are hooked on how the effect enhances your viewing experience. Ambilight projects colored light against the wall behind your set that will match the colors on the screen. The intensity and style of the light are adjustable. It lets you watch the set in a dark room. To give you an idea how it works, an episode on CSI tonight began in a dark office. When a desk lamp was switched on, the ambilight projected white light of a similar intensity on my wall on the same side of the screen as the desk lamp, just as if I was in that office! During a sunset scene, my wall was a bright orange that matched the sky on the screen. You have to see it to believe it. It is more than just a gimmick.

Pixel Plus 3 gives this Phillips set an astounding display. Look at it side by side with other sets and you will notice the rich colors. The anti-glare screen works well in bright rooms. The glass table top stand is included and looks sharp. It is a bit heavy, weighing in at nearly 100 pounds. Sound is ok, but not great. That doesn't matter. I'll be adding a surround sound system soon.

Unlike older Phillips plasma units, this one lacks CableCard support. You will need to match it to a set top box or DVR. Use one of the two HDMI inputs for a complete digital system. Even with an analog five cable connection, the picture is sharp. I bought my set at Sears for $1,299. Delivery was $60 additional, but it was worth it to have some help getting the unit in my house and up on the stand. I could not be happier.

We bought this TV here on Amazon on 1/4/07. On Feb. 13th we began to get intermittent marbling in the picture. We called for service immediately and were referred to a local repair company. They came to our home on March 3rd. After looking at it for about a minute the repairman said it would have to go into the shop. Between that day March 3rd and today May 25th we've been without a TV. Very early on in this long process the repair people said the TV was defective and needed to be replaced. The "Level 2" service people insisted that EVERY PIECE of the TV had to be replaced before they could say that it was defective. So after 3 months, dozens of calls to the repair shop, PHILIPS, IBM and half the free world and their mother-in-law, it was finally concluded that yes indeed the TV is unrepairable and needed to be replaced. The replacement arrived this morning and it looks very good. I just hope it lasts longer than the last one. BTW, the repairman said he has similiar probelms with ALL brands of plamas. That when they work, they work and when they don't nobody can figure out why. He suggested that if we were to do it again, to stick to the LCD. So I'm passing that advice on here.

I purchased the TV in early November, by mid December two of the circuit boards had fried causing blue lines to blend into the picture. Philips sent an authorized repair center to pick up the damaged unit and assess the situation. One of the circuit boards was sent that week but the second repair product is on back order. Neither the customer service or parts department could give me an ETA on when the board would be sent to the ARC. I am still making monthly payments on a television I have been without for several weeks now. And the authorization for a replacement television won't be processed until the standard turnaround time of 20 days has passed. As a long time Philips customer I am disappointed and upset with a total lack of support.

I purchased a 42" Philips Ambi Light Plasma TV Model #42PF9631D/37, during the last week of September 2006. The TV stopped working the 1st week in November 2006, 6 days after the 30 day return policy expired. The 12 month warranty means they get to keep trying to fix it. We're going into our 3rd month now, and the TV still is not working. 36 days it was working, 66 days it has not. You do the math. It is now January 15th, 2007, and I still do not have a TV that works. I would not recommend purchasing this TV . When it worked, it had a great picture but now it has no picture. If you like to gamble, I say go for it! But if you don't like to pour money down the drain, then don't do it...I won't do it again.

wonderful, just wonderful. sports, movies, cartoons you name it. Never felt bored with TV, the clear picture will not allow you to be.

The TV has worked perfectly from Day 1. The free delivery was great, too. I live out in the country, and it was delivered into my living room for free.

T.V. has been running great since sept. The picture is crystal clear... One if not the best picture of all the 42" Plasmas I looked at....got a great deal too.

I've had this TV for nearly a year now, so I thought I would write a review. I actually purchased it from Amazon. There are a host of great features- 1080p, 10,000:1 contrast- but the Pixel Plus technology and Ambilite feature are simply outstanding. Color is vibrant and I haven't had any problems with this unit whatsoever.

Compared to what was on the market at the time and the features and functionality of the set, it was a superb value and still is. My friends all love it and once you use the Ambilite feature you simply dont want to watch a " normal " flatscreen anymore.

If there was a downside, I would say that it is possibly the sound, but the sound is still decent, and I have a JVC surround sound system anyway. The other thing is that once the set starts to warm up, you can hear the plastic expand ( light crack sound ) once in while. At first I didn't realize what it was and was paranoid that the unit was coming off the wall. But once I figured it out I was no longer alarmed. Obviously my experience comes from having the set mounted on the wall, so it may not make any expansion noises whatsoever when using the stand.

All in all excellent value! I would recommend that you purchase the unit and then watch the series " Planet Earth " in Hi-Def. It'll blow you way-