June 3, 2008

Philips 42PFL5603D 42-Inch LCD TV: Energy Efficiency At The Expense Of Picture Quality

If you think back to CES 2008, you may remember the Philips ECO FlatTV, awarded the top TV of the show ahead of Panasonic's giant 150-inch plasma and an impressive display of OLED TV's from Sony and Samsung. Technically known as the Philips 42PFL5603D, the 42-inch flatscreen LCD underwent some testing over at CNET and is actually the most energy-efficient flat-panel display they've ever tested. And while that's impressive, and possibly the most important feature for the growing treehugger crowd out there, the Philips ECO TV has its share of picture quality issues. Black levels are best described as "light", the set's energy saving mode causing all kinds of black level fluctuations, dark areas tend toward blue, dejudder processing brings artifacts to the screen, and the off-angle viewing isn't so great. Verdict: buy the Philips 42PFL5603D 42-inch LCD TV if your home theater interests lie with saving the earth or perhaps money on your energy bill, but if you're looking for a high-quality home theater experience this probably isn't the set for you.

Via CNET