Philips 42pf9631d37 42 inch HDTV Plasma TV with Ambilight 2, Built in Speakers and Table Stand. Enjoy the ultimate viewing experience with this Philips integrated HDTV with Pixel Plus 3 HD, Ambilight 2 and latest HD Plasma technology. Enjoy your multimedia content with the built in USB connector. Philips's designs are often snazzier and more sophisticated (read: European) than those of many HDTV makers, and the 42PF9631D is no exception. Philips's flat TVs have always brought unique designs to the table, and for the last couple of years, they've usually included a feature that's completely unique to the Dutch company: Ambilight. These back-mounted fluorescent lights can be set to display a constant color, which can help ease eyestrain in a darkened room, or to follow the onscreen action, which we simply found distracting, although some viewers might like it. The Philips 42PF9631D is among the company's least expensive Ambilight-equipped televisions yet, and since it costs about the same as other name-brand 42-inch plasmas, you're not paying any more for the 'lights-and you can turn them off. This HDTV has a solid feature set otherwise, and its distinctive style certainly increases its appeal. Testing revealed solid black-level performance and color that was a mixed bag, although we did notice a couple picture-quality issues that don't plague other most plasmas or LCDs we've reviewed this year.
The screen of this 42-inch plasma is ringed by a thick swath of black frame--it's one of the first black TV we've reviewed this year that has a matte finish, as opposed to glossy. Personally, we prefer matte, but we know lots of people are attracted to shiny things. Below and set back from the frame extends a silver section that houses the speakers, and the whole panel is designed to sit upon the included pedestal stand--although, as with all flat TVs, you can also wall-mount it using an optional bracket.
