Home > Consumer Reviews > Philips 42PFL7422D/37 42-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

I bought this tv and was really happy with it, until 12 months later the picture suddenly went black. My warranty had just ended a couple of days ago, I called Philips and they will not do anything at all to help me fix it. I searched online trying to look for a solution and stumbled to a bunch of people with the same problem with the Philips LCD tvs. Read the complaints yourself at http://www.consumeraffairs.com/home_electronics/philips.html

I've had a 61" 1080i DLP tv for some time and have always enjoyed the HD picture. I got my PS3 and as a technojunkie, I wasn't happy that my PS3 had capabilities I could not use. So I immediately went out and got myself an Onkyo 7.1 receiver and all the speakers to give me 7.1 surround. Then, shortly thereafter I wanted 1080P because the PS3 still did things that I couldn't see. I got this TV. Now I realize how dated my DLP set is and how AWESOME LCD HDTV technology is. This set is not a cheap alternative to other sets. The picture is gorgeous. There is an annoying setup process when you first turn it on, but once that is done, it's smooth sailing. I can't speak to the audio quality as I don't use it. Well worth the money.

I just bought this TV and it arrived 2 days ago. I'm floored. The picture is perfect. I watched a college football game last night to see if it displyed any of the "shadowing" claims that I've heard about. This television passed with flying colors. I would recommend this TV to anyone. I also recommend buying a DVD upconverter. The picture is great, and they are a lot cheaper than the HD DVD and Blu-Ray players.

I researched quite a few 42" 1080p HDTV's before purchasing this one. My decision was between this Phillips and the LG 42LG50. I went with this one because it was cheaper, had all the same features and the many good reviews. I have not been disappointed. The TV is attractive and made of quality materials. Viewing is great from any angle. Both the SD and the HD picture on this TV is amazing.

I tweaked factory Picture settings a bit:

Contrast 100
Brightness 53
Color 65
Tint 0
Sharpness 4
Color Temperature Custom
R-WP 96
G-WP 117
B-WP 94
R-BL 3
G-BL 1
Perfect Pixel HD on
Dynamic contrast medium
Noise reduction maximum
Color enhancement maximum
Active control on
Light sensor on
Picture format automatic

This TV also has a fantastic Image Stretchng feature that adjusts the aspect ratio automatically depending on what you are watching, the picture never looks out of proportion, very nice.

In response to other reviews, I've found no problems with the picture, the audio is nothing great but I have sound running through my stereo receiver so I don't use the TV speakers. The TV remote does turn the TV completely off, standby is not a problem. The light sensor adjusts the picture for the light in the room, very nice feature. I updated the firmware using the USB port, no problem.

Two of my friends paid twice as much for their Sony's and mine looks just as good. Highly recommended.

Replaced a 15 year old tube TV with the Phillips. I made my decision subsequent to a road trip or two to nearby stores because I don't believe you can make a subjective decision on picture quality based only on written reviews. I looked at the major brands side by side and liked the Phillips picture. Excellent quality per my tastes.

Easy to set up wiring. Also like the Philips method that guides you through color, tint, brightness and contrast adjustments by going through a series of side by side on screen pictures and asking you to pick the one that most appeals to you. Much nicer than making tint or color adjustments via separate controls.

Overall, I am very satisfied with this TV. One minor con would be the lack of swivel capability on the base.