I thought I would start a thread on this new plasma since it seems to have established a new low price for an HD brand name plasma from a major B&M. It is currently listed on CCs website for well under $3k. Below are the specs.

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 2, Digital Crystal Clear, Progressive Scan, Active Control + Light sensor, Jagged Line Suppression, Widescreen Plus, Pixel Plus 2 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 : 2 Preset & 1 Personal color, 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 : Auto Volume Leveller, Digital Signal Processing, Dynamic Bass Enhancement, Graphic Equaliser, Smart Sound
Sound System : Virtual Dolby Digital
Output power (RMS) : 2x15W

Loudspeakers
Built-in speakers : 2
Loudspeaker types : Front Speakers

Convenience
Ease of Installation : Automatic Tuning System (ATS), PLL Digital Tuning, Plug & Play
Ease of Use : Backlighted side controls, Channel list, Delta Volume per preset, Smart Picture Control, Smart Sound Control
Electronic Programming Guide : Gemstar, TV Guide On Screen
Remote control type : RC4308
Teletext : Closed Captioning Full Text
Remote Control : Universal and Learnable
Remote control : TV, VCR, DVD/R, SAT, CBL, AMP
Screen Format Adjustments : 7 Widescreen Modes, Auto Format, Subtitle and Heading Shift
Clock : Smart Clock
Child Protection : Child Lock+Parental Control
Picture in Picture : HDMI-Component PIP

Multimedia Applications
Digital Content Management : Digital Media Reader
Memory Card Types : Compact Flash, Compact Flash type II, Memory Stick, Microdrive, MMC, Secure Digital, Smart Media
Multimedia connections : USB 1.1 memory class device
Playback Formats : JPEG Still pictures, MP3, MP3-pro, Slideshow files (.alb)

Tuner/Reception/Transmission
TV system : ATSC, NTSC
Video Playback : NTSC
Aerial Input : 75 Ohm F-type
Cable : Digital Cable Ready CableCARD, Unscrambled Digital Cable -QAM

Connectivity
Ext 4 : VGA PC-in
Other connections : Cable Card Interface, G-link (TV Guide link), Monitor out, CVBS, L/R (cinch), SP-DIF in (coaxial), SP-DIF out (coaxial)
AV 1 : (1, 2, 3Fh autoranging), Audio L/R in, Component Video in, CVBS in, RGB+H/V, Y/C, YPbPr
AV 2 : Audio L/R in, CVBS, Y/C
AV 3 : YPbPr, S/PDIF digital coaxial
AV 4 : HDMI
AV 5 : HDMI
Front / Side connections : Audio left/right in, CVBS in, Headphone out, S-video in, USB 1.1

Power
Power consumption : 426 W
Standby power consumption : <2
Mains power : AC 110-120V (+/-10%)
Ambient temperature : +5 -/+ 40 C

Dimensions
Product dimension (WxDxH) inch : 48.8 x 26.8 x 4.1"
Product weight in lbs : 92.6
Carton dimensions (WxDxH) inch : tbc
Weight incl. packaging in lbs : tbc
Color cabinet : Pearl White Sliver 11092

Accessories
Included Accessories : CD-ROM with software + manual, Table top stand, Wall mounting bracket

I am dying to read any review on this set.

I saw this set as well, trying to decide, this or the 37" HD Panny? I looked at them both at BBY and they both looked good, seemed like the contrast was better on the Panny but the color saturation was better on the Philips, the Philips also has two USB ports, PC input, PIP, 2 HMDI, Ambilight. I am really starting to like the Philips especially for the price, but I also want to see and in depth review for it first before I choose this one over the Panny 37".

The specs are missing a few important points I would be interested in knowing.
Is the panel rated at 60000 hours to half life? What about the number of colors it can display and the shades of graduation? Anyone know???

The specs are missing a few important points I would be interested in knowing.
Is the panel rated at 60000 hours to half life? What about the number of colors it can display and the shades of graduation? Anyone know???

This model is brand new, originally announced to be released in July, so maybe more will come out later.

I doubt you'll see a half life spec, as most manufacturers seem loath to publish them, probably for legal reasons. (Philips has rated their Ambilight lamp at 60,000 hours, though. :rolleyes: ) However, 60,000 hours is pretty standard for plasma glass now, so I wouldn't expect less from Philips. I believe they use LG glass, and LG claimed a 60,000 half life in a press release about a year ago.

They didn't list shades of gradation on the 2004 models' spec sheets, so it's no surprise not to see them listed on the 2005's either.

The specs they do publish are pretty impressive for an <$3000 HD plasma, though. (e.g. 2 HDMI inputs, CableCard, PIP, electronic programming guide, auto brightness, etc.) I'd sure give them a long, hard look if I were still in the market.

Too bad the 1366 x 768 resolution advertised by BB was (I assume) a typo. Now that would really have been spectacular. :cool:

I'm also dying to read a review from anybody anywhere about this set. I'm ready to buy it over the Panny 42-PX50U.
The Philips has more inputs, speakers on the side (where they should be) and PIP. The Philips also has a very nice and comprehensive menu system.
The Panny has sweet black levels, which are important, but that's about it.
I was at CC today playing with the Philips to try and get it to match the Panny black levels, but it was impossible.
Still, I just got home from BB, where I was staring at both sets like a lunatic. I'm leaning towards the Philips.
Mark

Don't LG and Phillips share the same panels?

Don't mean to debate lcd vs plasma, but what are people's thoughts this one vs the upcoming costco 42PF9996?

does it depend on your zip code? I plugged in a NYC zip and came up with just a bit under $3k, not well under.

I know this is mainly a Panny board, but has anyone seen the Philips 42PF9630A at Circuit City or Best Buy?
If you have seen it, what are your thoughts?

I know this is mainly a Panny board...

Not by design, it just has turned out that way. ;)

You will find lots of discussion of other brands if you look for it. :)

I saw this set today at BB. Nice looking set. It certainly looked good next to the panny HD, although I didn't have time to thoroughly evaluate it.

Saw this set today at CC. It is far and away the best plasma made in Belgium. Kidding aside, it has several of the features the Pannys are missing (dual HDMI, meant for pc compatibility, PIP). You can read the owners manual on the Philips site. http://www.p4c.philips.com/cgi-bin/dcbint/cpindex.pl?ctn=42PF9630A/37&scy=&slg=ENG&grp=TV_GR&cat=FLAT_TV_CA&sct=PLASMA_LARGE_32_42_SU
One other interesting thing - it comes with a CD for its firmware and Philips will upgrade (and has already), providing fixes in this manner (that is one purpose of the USB port) I think that is a big positive.
If you check out things, you can buy it at a "double discount" making it more than competitive with Panasonic consumer lines.
I haven't hooked it up to an hd box yet. The picture is OK for SD through an SA4250 of Cablevision.

Anybody have any more updates on the new Philips 42PF9630A Plasma HDTV?

I'd still like to know the number of colors it can display as well as the shades of graduation. What about ambilight 2?

It doesn't use ambilight 2 (where left and right lighting can act independently).

I'd still like to know the number of colors it can display as well as the shades of graduation.
Philips hasn't shown much inclination to publish these specs in the past, so I wouldn't hold my breath. While I'd recommend basing a decision on what your eyes tell you, not specs, that's up to you. You might be able to make some educated guesses by checking LG's specs, as the Philips seems to share a number of characteristics with LG. No certainty though, as Philips has its own processing chip which could alter those specs.

Philips site has a much better specification 42PF9630A/37 (http://www.consumer.philips.com/consumer/catalog/catalog.jsp?fhquery=fh_secondid%3D42pf9630a_37_us_consumer%2 6fh_view%3Ddetail%26fh_location%3D%2F%2Fconsumer%2Fen_US%2Fc ategories%3Ccatalog_us_consumer%2Fcategories%3C%7BTV_GR_US_C ONSUMER%7D&productId=42PF9630A_37_US_CONSUMER&activeCategory=TV_GR_US_CONSUMER&fredhopperpage=detail.jsp&activeTab=specifications&language=en&country=US&catalogType=CONSUMER&proxybuster=AAN3MZJMVCWHHJ0RMRESHQNHKFSEKI5P) than the specification published in the first post (same as BB and CC). Which one is the correct specification? Does the /37 make it a different model (BB & CC models are simply 42PF9630A w/o /37) ?

When you go to the product spec sheet from the Philips site, the specs are different than the specifications on their site (your link). brightness is 1500 vs 1100 and contrast ratio is 15,000 vs. 3000. The manual that came with the plasma doesn't give the info.

I purchased this item from CC two weeks ago. The sticker on the box is 42pf9630a/37.

The published specs in the first post came straight off the phillips website. Someone with more knowledge might be able to clarifiy differences between the webiste and the spec sheet.

I purchased this item from CC two weeks ago. The sticker on the box is 42pf9630a/37.

So, what is your take on this plasma? How does it compare with PX50 and similar ones? One thing you should be able to find out if the USB is 1.1 or 2.0. The 1.1 would not be able to play a HD video with reasonable bit rate. Looking forward to your review!

The published specs in the first post came straight off the phillips website. Someone with more knowledge might be able to clarifiy differences between the webiste and the spec sheet.
No specific knowledge, but it's a safe bet that the spec sheet was much more carefully reviewed and proofed than the web age, so the former is more likely to be correct.

I purchased this set from Best Buy on Saturday (they only had one unopened box). I'm not quite as technical savvy as some of the rest of you but as soon as I get it set up (I'm mounting it on the wall) I'll give you some feedback. I just painted the wall yesterday.

To me, the set is very good and the picture is generally equal to the Panny - but I have done no sise by side comparisons nor have I Avia my set. I'm currently using DVI from an SA4250 to the HDMI and it does wonders for the SD channels. I'm waiting for Cablevision to come back and to try to install the cablecard (they messed up the first time). Besides having more features than the ps50u (e.g. 2 hdmi), Philips did a very smart thing,. you can use the USB port for firmware fixes. I am uncertain if the USB port is 1.1 or 2.0 because it differs depending where you read it.
As I said before, this is the best plasma made in Belgium.

According to the manual, the USB port is a 2.0 and it appears to be.......

For months I have been planning to get the Sony KDF-E42A10 LCD projection when it comes out next month. However, this Philips has caught my attention. I looked at the 50 inch model at CC last night and it really seems to have a good picture. I also like the USB port and the ability to read Sony Memory Stick. I saw no motion blur (like some other plasma models). Seems like Philips put a lot of thought into the quality and design. I noticed that it even includes wall mount kit. However, I am not familiar with Philips track record for quality and warranty service. Still debating what to get. I hope others post to this forum with their opinions and knowledge about Philips and this model.

I don't think it includes a wall mount kit. There was some confusing mention in some spots that it does. On my 42" it only had the bolts, not the mount.

Same here; no mount, just bolts. Here are some of my first impressions of the new Philips 42" plasma. Right now, the only feed I have coming thru it is Adelphia SD cable into the NTSC antenna jack (not component, & no HD yet, will be installed this afternoon). The line has also been split 3 times before it even gets to the plasma so the image I'm getting has been compromised somewhat. I'll comment later on the picture quality of SD & HD after I have a dedicated line installed today. The functionality of the plasma is great. It has seven screen modes including 'automatic' where it will automatically re-size the screen depending on the input coming to it (widescreen, 4x3, etc). I was watching NBC when "Medium" came on Monday night (it's in widescreen) & within 3 seconds the plasma adjusted for it & the black bars were gone). I used two types of camera flash cards and it read them perfectly (though the skinny stick card was a little difficult to get back out). You can do a slideshow with them or view them individually (and rotate them if you took a picture sideways with the camera). The picture quality on these were great. The Ambilight 1 feature of the plasma really does enhance the viewing experience. Puts out a pleasant glow against the wall. I believe there were five different modes ranging from relaxed to action. If you do stand to the side of the plasma with this feature on it will seem very bright (especially when white is the predominant color). You can turn this feature on & off with the remote. Ambilight 2 is available on higher priced models but this is more than sufficient. Will be getting the Samsung HD-941 upconverting DVD player. I believe the plasma's native resolution is 768 and the Samsung has 768 as one of its upconverted output modes, so I think this is a perfect fit (if I'm missing something here, please LMK!!!). The remote is solid & programmable. The audio on the unit (15x2) is definitely better than the 32" Toshiba it replaced. There is no audible humming coming from the unit. It takes about 3-5 seconds to come on. So far, I have found nothing wrong with it. I've learned Adelphia Cable (in the Southern California area) uses HD boxes with Component & DVI output only. Will have to see which looks better during installation. I'll post another message after the install.

By the way, I set both the contrast & brightness to just under 50. Should I think about going lower???

Not by design, it just has turned out that way :) Playing "follow the leader" usually has predictable outcomes. (ie. designed)

... I believe the plasma's native resolution is 768 and the Samsung has 768 as one of its upconverted output modes, so I think this is a perfect fit (if I'm missing something here, please LMK!!!)...
You might want to check the owner's manual. Many plasmas will not accept input at their native resolutions. Of course, most will accept 720p and virtually all take 1080i, so the Samsung will still work, but possibly not as you had hoped.

Could one of you totally kick ass guys take some pics of this thing? I can only seem to get the 20' view of the front, and I'm interested in what it looks like from different angles (especially the interconnects).

How cool is ambilight? Is it really cool or just pretty cool?

for me ambilight does little because the plasma is not on or near a wall. My wife likes the ambilight.
One bad thing about the remote, eventhough one of the choices is "auxiliary," it does not do a receiver (Philips confirmed such), though it can learn some functions.
Cablevision is back tomorrow for a cablecard install.

I just got back from Magnolia and Bestbuy. Magnolia does a so much better job displaying their TVs, but they didn't have the Phillips. :mad:

Still, at Besbuty I compared to the Panny 42PX50U, and I decided that for the almost imperceptible difference in PQ the Phillips is the clear winner based on price and features. The award cerimony was wonderful, the Phillips cried tears of joy, the Panny cried tears of bitterness and regret; they still hugged and congratulated each other.

Now I just need to decide between this thing and a much cheaper, smaller, higher resolution, crappier blacks, LCD.

I always let my eye be the judge of a plasma picture display!. I just find it somewhat unusual that a manuafacturer doesnt list if its 10bit or 12bit and the life expectancy of the panel until half brightness. It doesnt make a difference who makes the panel for who the info should still be available. I even contacted Philips and they told me the info wasnt available. Having said that I saw this panel finally at BB this afternoon. The infamous BB feed was looping thru all the panels. I must say it did look very nice.

To answer the screen/half life question...

http://www.plasma.com/classroom/whomakesplasma.htm

Hitachi and Fujitsu (so, read Panasonic) makes the panels for the Philips screens.

Probably has comparable half lifes. According to the spec sheets for the 9630, it has a contrast ratio of 10000:1 which I believe is the same "claims" made by Panny over their new screens.

Thanks for the clarification Dallasite.

To answer the screen/half life question...

http://www.plasma.com/classroom/whomakesplasma.htm

Hitachi and Fujitsu (so, read Panasonic) makes the panels for the Philips screens.

Probably has comparable half lifes. According to the spec sheets for the 9630, it has a contrast ratio of 10000:1 which I believe is the same "claims" made by Panny over their new screens.

That chart was for 2004 models, but now is a bit out of date. Since it was published, a number of things have changed: Pioneer bought NEC's plant; Hitachi bought almost all of Fujitsu's interest in their former joint venture, and more companies have started to use LG and Samsung as OEM.

Philips has used Hitachi ALiS glass (1024x1024), but I read that their new 1024x768 panels are of Korean origin. I thought I remembered it was LG, but the 10000:1 contrast ratio is Samsung's spec, so it's probably theirs. (LG claims 5000:1 while Panasonic still lists 3000:1 for HD and 4000:1 for ED.)

Manufacturers are not at all consistent in the specs they choose to publish. Panasonic, for example, does not show half life as a spec (although they have mentioned it in press releases). Many, such as Sony, do not list processor bit depth either directly or indirectly (at least not in their primary product descriptions or owner's manual).

Based on published specs, it would be hard to beat Samsung: 10,000:1 Contrast Ratio; 1,300 cd/m² Brightness; 60,000 Hour Panel Life; 12-Bit Processing (68.7 Billion Colors); etc. But even they do not mention steps of gradation.

I don't think it includes a wall mount kit. There was some confusing mention in some spots that it does. On my 42" it only had the bolts, not the mount.

Thanks for the info regarding the wall mount. I thought I would be saving the expense of this. Oh well. I wonder why they would include the bolts and not the mount itself?

I went across town last night to demo this plasma (42PF9630A) at a local Best Buy since they're the only store in town with one on display. So I get there and the bank of plasmas that it's in has lost their video signal...not sure how someone scewed that up. Anyhow, I was upset I couldn't see it, so I asked the salesman if he would run a component video cable from the next bank of sets (maybe 8ft away at most) and he told me he couldn't do that (not sure why, it's not rocket science). Needless to say, I was quite a bit irked that I had driven to that store specifically and the mindless employees couldn't even patch in a component video feed for me to see.

We did end up going to another local store and seeing the 50PF9630A though. However, after seeing it next to a Panasonic TH42PX50U, my wife preferred the better contrast of the Panasonic.

I have had the new Philips plasma 42PF9630A hooked to HD for the last two days and here are my observations. I had Adelphia cable bring in a new dedicated line from the outside into my family room. They installed the new box using the component out cables into the AV1 input into the Philips. Adelphia outputs all their HD channels in 1080i format. The HD programs recorded in HD (e.g. Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O'Brien) look incredible on the Philips. They are in widescreen format. I watched a Wallflowers concert last night on PBS HD and it looked great. Turned on the Ambilight feature for it and it enhanced the look of the concert. You could see the individual hairs on Jakob Dylan's head. Very little artifacting. Watched part of a baseball game on ESPN HD & it's like watching baseball in a totally different way. It was sharp. Ambilight, by the way, looks better on programs where there is a lot of action. For newscasts & slow paced programs it might be better to leave it off. For HD content, when you go into 'Screen mode', it appears there is only one option, Widescreen, so it defaults to that. HD CBS, NBC, & ABC have gray or black bars on some of its programming (e.g. Newcasts). CBS's Without a Trace was on last night & it broadcasted in widescreen mode and it looked incredible. NBC's Will & Grace was on at 10:00 last night & it was broadcasted with the black bars on the sides. It looked good but the CBS show appeared sharper. Another thing, while watching Leno last night, I used the remote cursor arrows to try centering the picture a bit & it appeared to go into another mode. The picture was still good but not quite as sharp & it appeared to go into 'stretched' mode (Jay looked like he put on 60 lbs). After a commercial, when it came back, all appeared to be OK. Not quite sure what I did, but I'll check into it. Adelphia claimed that not all their SD channels were digital yet. I compared an analog channel to a digital channel & couldn't really see any difference. The SD channels from about 10 feet away look good. If you get closer, you can see that the edges of the images are not as well defined. Watchable but definitely not real sharp. I am going to put a Belkin PF30 line conditioner on it in a few days to see if it makes any difference anywhere (I need a good power strip anyway). I haven't really tried to put this plasma thru all the possible tests. I could still have a setting that's not quite right. Any input from anyone with some technical knowledge on some of these things I've found would be appreciated. I don't have the upconverting DVD player yet. I'll post a new message when I have some new data.

Just bought a philips 42pf960a friday and received it today, free shipping too because they couldn't sell the floor model because they deemed it too new to sell. I can seriously say this is one of the best tvs I've ever invested my money in. Once I set it up it worked great. Then I setup my dvd recorder and used monster cables to hook both my comcast box and dvd recorder to the tv and noticed that there is a little problem with the quality of the picture. I don't know if its just the recorder or the tv. I've been playing around with the settings all weekend to make the picture just perfect but it never seems just right. Right now I have monster cables leading from the dvd recorder to the tv and AV cables leading to the dvd recorder but for some reason the picture seeems grainy. I'm kind of new to this whole plasma flat screen tvs, this one being my first flat panel tv. The resolution is at 480p and was wondering how I could raise the resolution to 720p or higher oh and rkelly what are your settings for the tv because I have my brightness set at 54, contrast at 75, and color at 66. At these settings the picture seems kind of grainy and but its kind of clear.

This TV is a serious contender. We are buying our first new TV in 15 years. Does anybody have a recommendation on a good wall mount to use with this TV? Any advice on wall mounting would be appreciated.

This panel has a real nice feature using the very common USB microdrives available everywhere. If you go to Philips support site you will notice you can download software upgrades. You can insert the USB drive into the philips and as if by magic your panel is upgraded to the most recent version of its software. Sure beats a service call to obtain a recent upgrade. Just like upgrading the driver on your computers video card. This is the way it should be.

I have an older Pioneer DVD player (not with 3:2 pulldown progressive scan capability). I hooked it up to AV3 input on the Philips (the manual showed using AV3 as the best input port to use for the 3 cables). We watched our first 3 movies on the plasma this weekend & I noticed that though it was very watchable, the edges seemed a bit soft. I have ordered the Samsung HD-941 upconverting DVD player which has an HDMI output to match to the HDMI input on the Philips. It outputs 720p (progressive) which the plasma can recognize as input (hopefully the plasma does NO converting). I'll post an evaluation after I test it out. It also outputs 480p & 1080i. The settings I use are 47 for contrast and 42 for brightness (color is at 50). It would look brighter with higher settings but I've heard thru this forum it's best to leave contrast & brightness below 50 for the first 100 hours or so to negate possible phosphur burn-in. The settings Jaded25 mentioned sound like some default setting I encountered also. I mentioned in an earlier post that the some SD channels don't have crisp edges. It becomes more apparent the closer you get to the plasma. About 10 feet away you don't notice it that much. Our cable company (Adelphia) said they are converting SD channels 2-99 from analog to digital over the next two weeks. I'll report later on that. Jaded25, I assume the HD signals you receive are first rate. The picture on the Philips looks incredible if the source is also HD. You can tell a difference in something that was originally recorded in SD & upconverted to HD (eg. some ABC, NBC, CBS programs, some highlights on ESPN) as compared to something that was recorded in true HD (eg. Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, Without a Trace, Medium). The true HD programs look like moving color postcards, incredible (especially Leno & Conan O'Brien). It appears that these larger flat screen TVs accentuate any noise coming thru a cable line along with the audio & video. I don't have a DVD recorder so I can't really comment on that. The difference in video quality between SD & HD is huge. Watching something in HD, then watching something in SD can make the SD picture seem so inferior. I'll post more after I hook up the line conditioner & DVD player......

rkelly89, it would be informative to see your observations on the results from your new DVD player. Many plasmas convert all incoming signals to 1080 prior to internal processing, so it would be interesting to hear what, if any, difference you note between 720p vs 1080i input. Also, a comparison between the 480i and 480p inputs would reveal how good Philips internal deinterlacer is compared to Samsung's, while an evaluation of SD (480) vs HD (720/1080) input would show which has better scaling.

Is the 42PF9630A just the 42PF7320A with Ambilight? Or is this a newer generation? Assuming and given what I've read it's newer generation, but I just want to be sure.

Thanks,
J-

I'm pretty sure it's the newer generation. The Pixel Plus 2 feature to name one. Also the price has come down.....Ambilight 1 is on this unit which is the same as the previous generation. There exists a new Ambilight 2 on higher priced models.

I'm pretty sure it's the newer generation. The Pixel Plus 2 feature to name one. Also the price has come down.....Ambilight 1 is on this unit which is the same as the previous generation. There exists a new Ambilight 2 on higher priced models.

Too bad they don't have one for a few hundred bucks less without Ambilight. :D

This TV is a serious contender. We are buying our first new TV in 15 years. Does anybody have a recommendation on a good wall mount to use with this TV? Any advice on wall mounting would be appreciated.

I used the Sanus "universal" wall mount that Best Buy sells (the one with flat or fixed 5 degree tilt options). While the mount was very easy to install, I would NOT recommend this wallmount for the 42PF9630A as the wall plate is about 1 inch too narrow. Only one side of the brackets attached to the TV are actually hanging on the wall plate. While this allows the TV to hang very solidly once the safety bar is installed it is obviously not the ideal situation for hanging a $3000 TV!

I used the Sanus "universal" wall mount that Best Buy sells (the one with flat or fixed 5 degree tilt options). While the mount was very easy to install, I would NOT recommend this wallmount for the 42PF9630A as the wall plate is about 1 inch too narrow. Only one side of the brackets attached to the TV are actually hanging on the wall plate. While this allows the TV to hang very solidly once the safety bar is installed it is obviously not the ideal situation for hanging a $3000 TV!

Thanks for the information. I hope somebody posts their experience using a wall mount that does work well with this TV.

Just purchased this display this week at BB. PQ looked the best on the floor model and I haven't seen many others that rival this unit in features (built in tuner, 2 HDMI inputs and a Cablecard slot). SO many options for hookups. Easy to use guides, split screen, PIPI used to be a huge Panny fan but I might be changing my tune. The color saturation is just unbelievable. Haven't messed with the unit that much yet so I will update later with a review, need to calibrate it first. But on first gance, I am very pleased.

The price I paid was $2550.00 NIB and the retail price in the store was $2999.99. Looked at the unit again at BB today and the price had increased to $3199.99. Don't know if this is happening outside of Manhattan but I would keep a close eye on the price for anyone wanting to purchase this model.

Digs

Sams currently has a Philips 42 in HDTB plasma that they list as model 42PF99563. I have looked on the Philips website, and it does not recognize the model number. I found one other site that lists the model number (Amerisponse), but I can't find any specs or reviews.

What do you guys know about this set? Sams has it for 2499.

Thanks for any clarification you guys can provide!

Are you sure it's not "42pf9956/37"? In any case, I'd guess it is a version of 42pf9956, last year's model. I've got the 42pf9630a/37. I think it is excellent and has things like cablecard, ATSC tuner and 2 HDMI inputs. It also has upgradeable by you firmware which I don't think the 9956 has (but I'm not positive). If you want to believe in Philips engineering skills, Pixel Plus2 might be worth something. It is unclear what the stats on the glass it uses - there are two different description on the net (10,000 CR vs 3000 and 1500 brightness vs 1100).I will warn, that some stores and some web sites are saying that is has Gemstar's electronic programming guide, but that is not the case. If you can get a deal close to what Digsnola, there is no doubt the 42pf9630a/37 is the better value.
Also, as I've said before, you can't beat Belgium for plasma tv's.

Thanks for the information and the pm. I am beginning to wonder if Sam's got the model number wrong. Anyhow, it doesn't sound like any remarkable savings compared to the new model available online.

Ola, everyone. I am seriously considering purchasing the Philips 42PF9630A HD Plasma. This thread has been very helpful. Thanks, everyone! My question relates to DirecTV. Has anyone connected either this plasma or any other HD to DirecTV? Any issues?

This TV has also got me insterested. I'm comparing this to the Sony KDF-E42A10.

How do you guys feel this TV deals with the issue of burn-in? How many years would you expect this TV to last? Also, how do you think it would do with an xbox?

Thanks,

Casey

For those of you who have bought this model (particularly the 42"), a question...

I played with the 50" today in CC, it has an Auto mode and also a Cinema wide 16x9 picture setting.

I read the Auto feature was supposed to automatically detect and fill content to the screen, but the DVD they had in still had the black bars.

When I chose the movie wide 16x9, the bars went away. Is that still accurate for the 42" model?

Thanks!

Yes, the 42PF9630A has the automatic mode... but does this mode work with any resolution other than 480i?
+

the automatic mode works on all resolutions.

mlandau, is that for the updated models?

On a [last year's - i think] Philips 42PF9996, it doesn't seem to be an option for any other resolution that 480i.
+

the auto works on all resolutions on my 42pf9630a/37.

Just wanted to put my two cents in here. I purchased the 42PF9630A a couple weeks ago. I just received my Samsung HD941 upconverting DVD player and am doing some tests with it which I will report on a subsequent post. This player has 3:2 pulldown capability. Before I received this player I had an older Pioneer DVD player without 3:2 pulldown capabilities. I played three movies with it on the new Philips and the black bars would not go away even when the Philips was set to widescreen mode.
I played "The Sixth Sense" last weekend with the new player set to upconverted 720P (progressive) output since the Philips can recognize this input. (I didn't try 480i or 480p as it requires the use of separate component output cables). The player has an HDMI output port with direct HDMI input into the Philips. The image filled the screen perfectly (no black bars). The picture looked much better with the Samsung (in 720P mode) then with the Pioneer. The image from the Pioneer seemed soft around the edges. The TV sensed the input from the Samsung as HD. When you're watching SD TV channels, all seven screen format modes are available on the Philips (I keep mine set to automatic). However, when the input is HD, the only available screen format options are widescreen & automatic (if on automatic and any black bars are detected, it will try & remove them). I'll give a full report on everything I've done on a subsequent post.......

I saw this set again at a local CC. The sales staff demonstrated the aspect settings and yes the automatic was just wonderful!. I am going back with my digital camera to try the built in jpeg browser. This is one impressive panel.

Well I checked out the TV at CC and it is nice! It was mounted right next to a Panasonic HDTV and honestly I couldn't tell the difference between the two. I like how this TV has dual HDMI and media card slots. I'm not sure if the ambilight really interests me, I would have to try it out first.

One thing that confused me is that I thought the 7320 looked just like the 9630 except it didn't have ambilight. In reality, at the store it's completely silver with no black border like the 9630. I don't know if this is an optional color or if it's just that the 7320 is this way. It's not pictured like that on the philips web site. If the 7320 had the black border I woudl probably be inclined to save some bucks and go without ambilight.

Over all though I'm really excited about this TV. I also saw that it came down about $200 on CC's web site. Hopefully I can find an even better deal.

I picked up a Panny Th-42pd25u at Costco about 3 weeks ago, but I've made up my mind that I'll be taking it back.

After seeing this tv in action, the PQ is superior to the Panny by far, and blows it out of the water as far as connections go.

The ambilight makes the blacks blacker. Call it a gimmick if you want, but it looks d*mn good.

This thing also has a built in HD tuner and split screen. I think Philips has a winner with this one.

I will have my new Philips PDP tomorrow along with my SA 8300HD box. I will post a review when I get it. I am quite excited about this panel. Get on the bandwagon, this TV is special.

This tv really shines on the SD channels in digital.

I'm using Cablecard *note-optivity will split his royalties on them if you say something good), but it did well with my sa4200 box, before.
Reminder, there is no TV Guide.
It is the best from Belgium.

Hey guys I emailed Philips and they sent me links to the spec sheet and manual. The manual is 56 pages long and does a good job of detailing all the features. Here are the links:

Spec Sheet: http://www.p4c.philips.com/files/4/42pf9630a_37/42pf9630a_37_pss_aen.pdf
Owner's Manual: http://www.p4c.philips.com/files/4/42pf9630a_37/42pf9630a_37_dfu_aen.pdf

Excellent. That product spec sheet is new (7/28/05). They've pulled out any mention of TV Guide (which is correct) and they now list CR as 10,000 and Brightness as 1500.
Nothing has changed for the instruction booklet (which came in CD form with the tv).

Another question:

I've seen the stand on the 9630 pictured two different ways. Owners, which is it?

A
http://www.store.philips.com/IMS_DOCS/42/42B1AE62BFA30A5E00000000828BD472.jpg

B
http://www.consumer.philips.com/catalog/42/42PF9630A_37_webImage198.jpg

I'm hoping the second one.

the second one. It seems that Philips, in its latest release of leaflets, has corrected pictures, etc. for this model and the 7320a, for both sizes. Many sellers' websites still have wrong pictures and info. See caser85's link.

the second one. It seems that Philips, in its latest release of leaflets, has corrected pictures, etc. for this model and the 7320a, for both sizes. Many sellers' websites still have wrong pictures and info. See caser85's link.

Good to hear! I really didn't like the stand in the first picture. Do you know if the 7320 is all silver or not? That's another thing I haven't figured out about these models.

I will have my new Philips PDP tomorrow along with my SA 8300HD box. I will post a review when I get it. I am quite excited about this panel. Get on the bandwagon, this TV is special.

Looking forward to the review!

I was wondering what others were experiencing (PQ and MBlocking) with this model and their choice of DVD players I currently have a Sony DVP-CX985V (400 disc changer) hooked up component directly to the display. I seem to have a great deal of Mblocking and wanted others opinion of a player they currently use with this display.

I have been looking to upgrade DVD players for a while now, but if the panny s77 has Mbocking issues of its own I may not be so eager to jump for an upconverter. A great 480p player would be fine if it will cut the MB issue I am having.

Thanks for any feeback and yes I have brought the levels down and done a rough calibration.

Digs

I too am interested in this set. Do you guys see ghosting when the screen goes black? I am currently returning my current plasma because the ghosting is so bad that it is hard to see the picture if bright things switch to black. Id post a picture but I have to do 5 posts first.
The guy recs panny but this set has all the whistle and bells that I like.

The specs are missing a few important points I would be interested in knowing.
Is the panel rated at 60000 hours to half life? What about the number of colors it can display and the shades of graduation? Anyone know???

Do you really expect to keep any current TV for 30 years?

I know this is going to be long but I want to input everything I can into it. I have had the Philips 42PF9630A for about 3 weeks. I have had the Samsung HD-941 upconverting DVD player for about a week. Here are my findings........GREAT!!!!. First of all, this plasma has great connectivity (2 HDMI ports, 3 AV ports to name a few) along with a USB 2.0 port to upgrade firmware if needed as well as anything else you can hook a 2.0 port to (a computer?). It has two different memory stick slots for displaying pictures made from a digital camera. I had a little difficulty getting the skinny memory stick out of the slot (no biggie). You can do a slideshow with them, as well as rotating individual pictures if they were taken from a camera sideways. Resolution is great. I have Adelphia cable hooked up thru Component AV1 input. I had Adelphia bring in a dedicated line from the outside to hook directly up to their High Definition (HD) cable box (no splitting). They do not have an HDMI output port on their box. The HD looks incredible on the Philips especially if the program was recorded in HD (Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, Numbers to mention a few). Right now, I have my settings at Contrast 47, Brightness 47, Color 44. It would look better with the Brightness and Contrast turned up but I'm going to leave it there for the first couple of months to play it safe. Color saturation looks great. Blacks look good on this unit. If I use the higher Contrast & Brightness settings the blacks show better contrast in darker scenes. You can tell when a program was recorded in Standard Definition (SD) & upconverted. It looks great but not as good as if it was HD to HD. Our cable system is currently upgrading their analog SD channels (2 thru 99) to digital. Almost all SD channels look good on the Philips from about 10 feet away and are very watchable. If you get closer to the screen you can tell the edges are soft. If there is any garbage being transmitted thru the cable line, the plasma seems to pick it up very easily. Click from SD NBC to HD NBC and the difference can be very obvious (depending on the program). I have had very 'little' blocking on the HD channels (never Jay or Conan, usually PBS HD & once again, very little). Ambilight adds a new dimension to viewing and it has options to set it to your own personal taste (nice touch). A nice glow is projected onto the wall (by the way, our plasma is on its stand about a foot from the wall). My wife doesn't care for it but for me it makes it easier to watch the screen. It's best used at night or in at least a slightly darkened room. There are seven different output screen formats. I have mine set to 'automatic' where if the plasma detects black bars (left, right or top, bottom) it will remove them (usually within 3 seconds). In most cases the black bars are left & right which in this case will stretch the edges to fill the screen leaving the middle of it pretty much unchanged. This feature gets it right most of the time. Depending on screen content, it may not behave the way you might want it to but BELIEVE ME its no problem. Usually, its a commercial where it may vertically stretch too far if black bars are on the top & bottom. All seven screen format modes work in SD. Only Widescreen and automatic are available when HD input is detected. You can use the cursor keys on the remote to move the image on the screen to the left or right a little bit. This is helpful as not all input centers everything right in the middle. The previous DVD player I had was an older Pioneer without 3:2 pulldown capability and without progressive output. I watched three moves with it input into the AV3 component input on the Philips. The edges seemed soft which surprised me because I never noticed it on the 32" Toshiba it replaced. I installed the Samsung using the HDMI output port and directing it into the HDMI 1 input port on the Philips. I upconverted the output on the Samsung to 720P since that was one of the resolutions the Philips can accept. VIOLA, the soft edges sharpened up. I tried 768P and it looked the same but there was little black bars around the whole image. I tried 1080i also but didn't notice any appreciable gain in picture quality. 480i & 480p are available but thru separate component output only. I did try the 480p setting using component output and input into AV2 port on the Philips but I seemed to notice the soft edges again. I had an issue (on the HDMI connection) with the audio (not video) cutting out momentarily every 3 to 5 minutes but that was solved with a call to the Samsung Company in that all I had to do was turn an option off on the audio setup screen (I had to turn the Samsung off and on for it to take effect though).
With the Samsung, while upconverting output to HD, you do have up to four output screen modes available to suit you tastes. Widescreen appears to be the best. If the program content was recorded in 4:3 mode (TV program) then it gives you some nice options. The picture output (using 720P upconversion) looks great on the Philips. DVD movies in 16:9 format (most are) fill the screen perfectly. I have not tried a 2.35:1 movie yet. I really haven't noticed any 'blocking' going on with the Samsung. If there is, it must be in areas I'm not paying close attention to. I was doing a lot of my testing with some X-Files episodes. I believe this unit is top-notch. I haven't noticed any problems with it. The updated Specs on this unit seem to put it in a higher class. At this price point (I paid around $2700 for it) it seems to be a great bargain. LMK is there is any areas I missed that you might want some input on.......

I know this is going to be long but I want to input everything I can into it. I have had the Philips 42PF9630A for about 3 weeks. I have had the Samsung HD-941 upconverting DVD player for about a week. Here are my findings........GREAT!!!!. First of all, this plasma has great connectivity (2 HDMI ports, 3 AV ports to name a few) along with a USB 2.0 port to upgrade firmware if needed as well as anything else you can hook a 2.0 port to (a computer?). It has two different memory stick slots for displaying pictures made from a digital camera. I had a little difficulty getting the skinny memory stick out of the slot (no biggie). You can do a slideshow with them, as well as rotating individual pictures if they were taken from a camera sideways. Resolution is great. I have Adelphia cable hooked up thru Component AV1 input. I had Adelphia bring in a dedicated line from the outside to hook directly up to their High Definition (HD) cable box (no splitting). They do not have an HDMI output port on their box. The HD looks incredible on the Philips especially if the program was recorded in HD (Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, Numbers to mention a few). Right now, I have my settings at Contrast 47, Brightness 47, Color 44. It would look better with the Brightness and Contrast turned up but I'm going to leave it there for the first couple of months to play it safe. Color saturation looks great. Blacks look good on this unit. If I use the higher Contrast & Brightness settings the blacks show better contrast in darker scenes. You can tell when a program was recorded in Standard Definition (SD) & upconverted. It looks great but not as good as if it was HD to HD. Our cable system is currently upgrading their analog SD channels (2 thru 99) to digital. Almost all SD channels look good on the Philips from about 10 feet away and are very watchable. If you get closer to the screen you can tell the edges are soft. If there is any garbage being transmitted thru the cable line, the plasma seems to pick it up very easily. Click from SD NBC to HD NBC and the difference can be very obvious (depending on the program). I have had very 'little' blocking on the HD channels (never Jay or Conan, usually PBS HD & once again, very little). Ambilight adds a new dimension to viewing and it has options to set it to your own personal taste (nice touch). A nice glow is projected onto the wall (by the way, our plasma is on its stand about a foot from the wall). My wife doesn't care for it but for me it makes it easier to watch the screen. It's best used at night or in at least a slightly darkened room. There are seven different output screen formats. I have mine set to 'automatic' where if the plasma detects black bars (left, right or top, bottom) it will remove them (usually within 3 seconds). In most cases the black bars are left & right which in this case will stretch the edges to fill the screen leaving the middle of it pretty much unchanged. This feature gets it right most of the time. Depending on screen content, it may not behave the way you might want it to but BELIEVE ME its no problem. Usually, its a commercial where it may vertically stretch too far if black bars are on the top & bottom. All seven screen format modes work in SD. Only Widescreen and automatic are available when HD input is detected. You can use the cursor keys on the remote to move the image on the screen to the left or right a little bit. This is helpful as not all input centers everything right in the middle. The previous DVD player I had was an older Pioneer without 3:2 pulldown capability and without progressive output. I watched three moves with it input into the AV3 component input on the Philips. The edges seemed soft which surprised me because I never noticed it on the 32" Toshiba it replaced. I installed the Samsung using the HDMI output port and directing it into the HDMI 1 input port on the Philips. I upconverted the output on the Samsung to 720P since that was one of the resolutions the Philips can accept. VIOLA, the soft edges sharpened up. I tried 768P and it looked the same but there was little black bars around the whole image. I tried 1080i also but didn't notice any appreciable gain in picture quality. 480i & 480p are available but thru separate component output only. I did try the 480p setting using component output and input into AV2 port on the Philips but I seemed to notice the soft edges again. I had an issue (on the HDMI connection) with the audio (not video) cutting out momentarily every 3 to 5 minutes but that was solved with a call to the Samsung Company in that all I had to do was turn an option off on the audio setup screen (I had to turn the Samsung off and on for it to take effect though).
With the Samsung, while upconverting output to HD, you do have up to four output screen modes available to suit you tastes. Widescreen appears to be the best. If the program content was recorded in 4:3 mode (TV program) then it gives you some nice options. The picture output (using 720P upconversion) looks great on the Philips. DVD movies in 16:9 format (most are) fill the screen perfectly. I have not tried a 2.35:1 movie yet. I really haven't noticed any 'blocking' going on with the Samsung. If there is, it must be in areas I'm not paying close attention to. I was doing a lot of my testing with some X-Files episodes. I believe this unit is top-notch. I haven't noticed any problems with it. The updated Specs on this unit seem to put it in a higher class. At this price point (I paid around $2700 for it) it seems to be a great bargain. LMK is there is any areas I missed that you might want some input on.......
Do you see any image retention? Like when something bright shows then the screen goes black but the bright image previously shown is still clearly legible on the dark display untill another bright image whipes it away? Also is their a way to adjust the bars out of the HD channels that are HD but still display as 4:3 like the news when in 720 or above?
My wife is almost home and I have to go and drive an hour to pick one up since they are no where to be found right now around here:(

I know this is going to be long but I want to input everything I can into it. I have had the Philips 42PF9630A for about 3 weeks. I have had the Samsung HD-941 upconverting DVD player for about a week. Here are my findings........GREAT!!!!. First of all, this plasma has great connectivity (2 HDMI ports, 3 AV ports to name a few) along with a USB 2.0 port to upgrade firmware if needed as well as anything else you can hook a 2.0 port to (a computer?). It has two different memory stick slots for displaying pictures made from a digital camera. I had a little difficulty getting the skinny memory stick out of the slot (no biggie). You can do a slideshow with them, as well as rotating individual pictures if they were taken from a camera sideways. Resolution is great. I have Adelphia cable hooked up thru Component AV1 input. I had Adelphia bring in a dedicated line from the outside to hook directly up to their High Definition (HD) cable box (no splitting). They do not have an HDMI output port on their box. The HD looks incredible on the Philips especially if the program was recorded in HD (Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, Numbers to mention a few). Right now, I have my settings at Contrast 47, Brightness 47, Color 44. It would look better with the Brightness and Contrast turned up but I'm going to leave it there for the first couple of months to play it safe. Color saturation looks great. Blacks look good on this unit. If I use the higher Contrast & Brightness settings the blacks show better contrast in darker scenes. You can tell when a program was recorded in Standard Definition (SD) & upconverted. It looks great but not as good as if it was HD to HD. Our cable system is currently upgrading their analog SD channels (2 thru 99) to digital. Almost all SD channels look good on the Philips from about 10 feet away and are very watchable. If you get closer to the screen you can tell the edges are soft. If there is any garbage being transmitted thru the cable line, the plasma seems to pick it up very easily. Click from SD NBC to HD NBC and the difference can be very obvious (depending on the program). I have had very 'little' blocking on the HD channels (never Jay or Conan, usually PBS HD & once again, very little). Ambilight adds a new dimension to viewing and it has options to set it to your own personal taste (nice touch). A nice glow is projected onto the wall (by the way, our plasma is on its stand about a foot from the wall). My wife doesn't care for it but for me it makes it easier to watch the screen. It's best used at night or in at least a slightly darkened room. There are seven different output screen formats. I have mine set to 'automatic' where if the plasma detects black bars (left, right or top, bottom) it will remove them (usually within 3 seconds). In most cases the black bars are left & right which in this case will stretch the edges to fill the screen leaving the middle of it pretty much unchanged. This feature gets it right most of the time. Depending on screen content, it may not behave the way you might want it to but BELIEVE ME its no problem. Usually, its a commercial where it may vertically stretch too far if black bars are on the top & bottom. All seven screen format modes work in SD. Only Widescreen and automatic are available when HD input is detected. You can use the cursor keys on the remote to move the image on the screen to the left or right a little bit. This is helpful as not all input centers everything right in the middle. The previous DVD player I had was an older Pioneer without 3:2 pulldown capability and without progressive output. I watched three moves with it input into the AV3 component input on the Philips. The edges seemed soft which surprised me because I never noticed it on the 32" Toshiba it replaced. I installed the Samsung using the HDMI output port and directing it into the HDMI 1 input port on the Philips. I upconverted the output on the Samsung to 720P since that was one of the resolutions the Philips can accept. VIOLA, the soft edges sharpened up. I tried 768P and it looked the same but there was little black bars around the whole image. I tried 1080i also but didn't notice any appreciable gain in picture quality. 480i & 480p are available but thru separate component output only. I did try the 480p setting using component output and input into AV2 port on the Philips but I seemed to notice the soft edges again. I had an issue (on the HDMI connection) with the audio (not video) cutting out momentarily every 3 to 5 minutes but that was solved with a call to the Samsung Company in that all I had to do was turn an option off on the audio setup screen (I had to turn the Samsung off and on for it to take effect though).
With the Samsung, while upconverting output to HD, you do have up to four output screen modes available to suit you tastes. Widescreen appears to be the best. If the program content was recorded in 4:3 mode (TV program) then it gives you some nice options. The picture output (using 720P upconversion) looks great on the Philips. DVD movies in 16:9 format (most are) fill the screen perfectly. I have not tried a 2.35:1 movie yet. I really haven't noticed any 'blocking' going on with the Samsung. If there is, it must be in areas I'm not paying close attention to. I was doing a lot of my testing with some X-Files episodes. I believe this unit is top-notch. I haven't noticed any problems with it. The updated Specs on this unit seem to put it in a higher class. At this price point (I paid around $2700 for it) it seems to be a great bargain. LMK is there is any areas I missed that you might want some input on.......

some pics would be great!
Also, did you get the extended warranty and which retailer?

Purchased at BB with a four year extended warranty for about $400...

Frankenchrist. When the Philips is set in 'Automatic' screen format mode, the picture will be stretched out, removing the black bars. However, CBS HD broadcasts a signal with grey bars on the side. I believe it's part of the picture being transmitted. The Philips will 'not' remove these. It may be that it's looking for black and not grey. I'm not sure. NBC, ABC & FOX use black bars. The Philips will remove these.

Haven't experienced the image retention phenomenon you mentioned. I'll look for it.......

for caser85-the 7320 is all silver (I don't own it, but that is what the new leaflet pdf files show and that is what they had in one of the large chains.

the only thing missing in the 9630 is the TV guide (for those who use cablecard). It had been planned but not implemented. Philips support indicated that it may show up at a later date through a firmware update (anyone know if that is technically possible?).

In any case, I will remind you guys of the importance of being able to download new firmware to these tvs. Also, remember that Philips makes an effort at doing things like that (if we use their DIVX DVD player as an example). The 7-15-05 update already has three fixes.

Thanks mlandau. I'll have to cross the 7320 off my list then because I really like the black inside border. You're right, being able to update the firmware will be nice. Too bad they can't implement the TV guide with a firmware update!

I haven't been able to see any residual screen effects with my unit. I have been looking since it was mentioned, too.

Me neither. I haven't noticed any image retention anywhere yet. I'm pretty sure when I power it off at night that the screen goes black with no image left on it. Pretty sure I would have seen it. I'll take a closer look tonight. Same thing with switching inputs. I'll keep an eye out for any bright image, then going to a dark one & see if I notice anything.....

I was in Best Buy tonight staring at this tv for a good 30 minutes, paid particular attention to when there was bright lettering on the screen and then went black, never saw any image retention.

Just got back. What wall mount did you guys use? I used my existing Sanus VMPLs tilt model and one side of the bracket fits on right on the edge of the bracket with 1mm left and the other has one of the two arms on the support while the other is not attached to the bracket on the wall. It seems stable but I am kind of worried. I used the existing holes on the back of the plasma and did not take off the ones with the star fitting with the rubber pads needed to install the stand.

No I dont think Ill keep a set for 30 years. However having said that its important to know the half life of a panel if for no other reason than to ascertain what generation the panel comes from.

I picked up a Panny Th-42pd25u at Costco about 3 weeks ago, but I've made up my mind that I'll be taking it back.

After seeing this tv in action, the PQ is superior to the Panny by far, and blows it out of the water as far as connections go.

The ambilight makes the blacks blacker. Call it a gimmick if you want, but it looks d*mn good.

This thing also has a built in HD tuner and split screen. I think Philips has a winner with this one.

hey dallasite,
i recall seeing your post a few weeks ago about wanting that panny tv... looks like you found one? or is this costco tv a 42PA25U (instead 42PD25U)?? anyway, did you already return & get the philips unit?

i ask because i recently came across a philips HD model, but can not compare it to the panny like you have been able to - because no one here has anymore PD25s!! :mad: but i think i may have found an equally good or better model in the philips.

the philips unit i saw was a 42PF7320A. has anyone checked this one out or bought one? if so what did u like or dislike about it?

hey dallasite,
the philips unit i saw was a 42PF7320A. has anyone checked this one out or bought one? if so what did u like or dislike about it?

The 7320 is pretty the same as the 9630 except it is without ambilight and is all silver. The price difference between the two is only about $200.

Yes, I got the Costco model (Th-42PA25u/p).

The Best Buy I went to last night had the PD50U sitting right below the Philips 9630A, so I got to do some good comparison between the two.

The blacks are a little bit darker on the Panny, but not what I would call significant. And the dorky BB kid couldn't track down a remote for me to play with the settings on the Philips (they even had the sound turned off!).

Here's my comparison:

Blacks: Panny has marginally better blacks, I'd say 3-5%. But with the Ambilight the blacks still look very good on the Philips.

Colors: better saturation on the Philips, by a decent margin.

Image quality: the text on screen had jagged edges on the Panny, but looked clean on the Philips. I watch a lot of sports, so not having jagged lines on the fb field and bb court are important to me.

Edited: Also, the SDE is much more noticeable on the Panny. I can see it at 6 ft. but have to get to about a foot away from the Philips to see the same.

Aesthetics: I really like the black bezel around the Philips.

Connections: it's not even a contest. Philips.

Additional features: the Philips also has PIP/Split screen, which is nice but not super-important (yeah I like having PIP, but on a 42" screen it's not as big a deal as you think for split screen). You've got the media reader plus two USB ports on the side to access, nothing like that on the Panny.

The way I look at it, the price difference right now between the two models is about $600.

For that $600 I'm getting:

Higher resolution
Extra HDMI port
Jagged line suppression
PIP/Split Screen
Better aesthetics (the black/silver is much better looking than all silver IMO)
Media card reader
2 USB ports for camera photo links/firmware updates

When the HD vs. ED delta was over $1000, I couldn't justify the expense.

But at the $600 delta, it makes sense and Philips has built an all-around performer with this thing.

Plus I like that it's more future proof with dual HDMI - I plan on getting the Xbox 360 when it comes out, and will be adding a HD DVD player down the road. Already have an Xbox, PS2, and HTPC (that I will be adding an ATI HD All-In-Wonder capture card to) to integrate.

This thing does a much better job of meeting all my needs and connection worries and being future proof than the stripped down Panny. Also, the added ability to do firmware updates on this thing is an amazing thing to see on a plasma, I'd bet there is some way to get into all the service menus to do some tweaking via computer as well.

Just my two cents...

Oh, and no I haven't taken the Costco tv back, plan on doing that this weekend.

Last night I put the Philips thru its paces trying to recreate the image retention phenomenon. I watched for anything bright followed by something dark on the screen. I switched inputs after something bright appeared on the screen. When I turned it off last night, I looked for any image retention. My findings: N O N E . . . . . I still have my settings below 50. I do not plan on using any video game system (probably showing my age) or use the Philips as a computer monitor (at least for now) which I know can subject the panel to possible burn-in and hopefully lessen the likelihood of this image retention phenomenon. Just TV, movies, & media is what I will be using it for.....

BTW, on the image retention thing, I believe that if you do the whole exercise caution the first 100 hours thing, you'll be a lot better off for it.

I researched for several months before arriving at this plasma, the Philips 42PF9630A. I am very glad I did. This TV has exceeded my expectations. The HD channels via Comcast are fantastic. I got the Motorola DVR box which has a DVI port which you can connect to one of the two HDMI inputs on the Phil with the right cable. Currently changing between HD and SD channels yields a scrambled screen (turning the TV off and back on resolves it). Comcast is doing a box upgrade via signal today to hopefully correct the problem. My first DVD (Final Fantasy) was a disappointment. The installer recommended getting an HDMI progressive DVD player. Last night, I watched a different DVD (A Very Long Engagement) last night and the picture was incredible. I thought I might be annoyed by Ambilight -- not so. It enhances the viewing experience on HD and DVDs that I can't explain yet. For SD, I turn it off.

Yeah that Ambilight feature is pretty sweet. Some people say they think it would be distracting, but to me it added to the experience.

BTW, there is a massive backlighting thread on this forum, with lots of people going the DIY way and loving it. So I don't think anyone can call it a "gimmick" anymore.

I'll also agree that the ambilight feature is welcomed. I don't have the newer v2 revision, but I still think it is pretty awesome, and really adds to experience.
+

This model has a type of pixel orbiter that is only activated when using the hdmi inputs. In addition, it contains what Philips calls an anti-aging circuit. The circuit was primarily designed when using PC input on the unit, but works identically when using composite, Svideo, and component video inputs as well as memory card and camera input on the unit.

This unit uses 426 watts. What is the cost breakdown compared to an LCD projection that uses about 290 watts? Is there a rough figure?

I just returned the Toshiba model to BB and bought this model for hundreds cheaper. I was able to see the Panasonic and this model side by side with remote controls at CC. The Panasonic had more color and noticeable better blacks. I really wanted the Panasonic but it was more then $500 dollars more for WAY LESS features including extra HDMI, PIP, ambient lighting, memory stick, USB inputs. But when you get this TV home you have nothing to compare it to, and the blacks and color is awesome on this set. I also experienced no image retention like my post here about that unwatchable Toshiba model I had to return.
In automatic mode it will always fill the entire screen including HDTV that is recorded with normal cameras, and you can easily move the picture with the remote in case it did not fit right by simply pressing the left right up down thingy. When it fills the screen it slides the image to full instead of just resizing to full for added coolness when set to auto mode.
I just watched National Treasure for the first time in complete darkness with the ambient light set to action (1 of the 5 ambient light settings that all respond differently) through my Samsung up conversion DVD player set at 1080i using the HDMI connection. I used zoom fit mode on the Samsung so the image was not stretched but still filled the entire screen.
I turned off the ambient lighting in the middle and my wife and I both wanted it back on. The movie experience was just not the same without this lighting on. At first it almost felt like I was frying on acid because the wall was changing colors from red to blues to whites and every color between as the plasma changed colors with the action of the movie. But I reminded myself that I was just drinking Stone Arrogant Bastard on tap out of the kegerator. :) I have never watched a movie at my house before where I felt so there. Even if someone puts a light behind there set to ease the eye strain, you will never be able to have the light change colors with the colors on the plasma screen like this model does. I really think that this ambient light feature is awesome, with many people under rating it. The guy at the store even told me that it really was just a marketing scheme but I feel that this simply is not the case. I also preferred this model over the one without the ambient lighting because it has a black frame around the tv instead of the all silver look.
I had the picture set to Auto Picture Natural. Auto Picture Rich was even better but I want to keep it low for the first 200 hours as some have recommended.
Like the other poster has said, this set is real uniquely special and top notch. I would not even consider returning this to spend $500 more for the Panasonic.

The only thing I did not like is that you have to use these 2 inch spacers on the back to hang it on the wall. I first tried to hang it on the wall without the spacers with the tilting wall mount and the tv would not even display a picture. I thought I had a lemon, but when I took off the brackets and installed the spacers and then the brackets, it turned right on and the TV worked. Also the screws are far apart so that it barely fits on the bracket, with even one side edge hanging off the bracket on the wall.

Well after nine months on this forum reading everything I could about Plasma TV and visiting every B&M in my local area until they knew my name, not to mention the wicked case of paralysis by analysis that I had, I finally made my purchase. It wasnt easy there are alot of outstanding panels out there, something for everyone. I finally settled on the Philips 42PF9630a/37. As you know the panel has a great picture and the connectivity is outstanding. Not to mention the automatic mode that expands the picture to full screen without any tell tales signs of expansion visable. Its gets delivered on monday and I will report my findings when I receive it. I now need to decide whether to have my cable company install a cable card or the SA8300HD DVR STB. OH decisions decisions, lol! And I couldnt believe I purchased it from CC. They came down below there advertised web price and let me use a gift card I recently received in the mail as well as giving me another 40 gift card as I left the store. OH, if anyone who owns this unit is imterested in the Serivce Manual for this unit its available for free download on the web. Just do an internet explorer search using the model number, youll see it. I think someone may have commented earlier if the TV guide could be added later via a software download, well the answer is yes.

Can anyone who purchased this panel tell me the exact wall mount they are using? Thanks.

Is anyone using this model not wall mounted? Does the Ambilight still "work"? (I know it works, but is there still an effect if the screen isn't wall-mounted?)

Thanks,
J-

When I looked at it the other day Best Buy had a plastic false wall up behind it, looked fine there.

I live in a log home (dark, uneven, & non-reflective walls). I was considering this unit for viewing in a dark room (mini-blinds + curtains with blackout material sewn into them). It will be on a table on the stand against a wall. Will the ambilight feature still be effective? Thanks...

to both questions about ambilight being effective, IMO, yes.
I am set up on the stand and not against a wall, and it still has a positive effect, though I would prefer it to be on a stand with a wall behind the set.

My 4 year old Philips Plasma died and Philips say they no longer support repair of older (4 years?) units. They said sorry but they can not help me see a local repair shop. Local shops say they can do nothing without repair manuals with orderable parts which do not exist.

Has anyone tried playing an XBOX on this thing? This TV has caught my eye as well. If I can save up some money in the next month, it might be a purchase for me!

Well the plasma arrived today! Delivered in pristine condition and as far as I can tell no bad pixels of any kind. (Woohoo)So far I have analog cable until next Thursday when my SA8300Hd is delivered. Amazingly the SD channels 2-99 really arent so bad, some alot better than others but all viewable without objection. Watching A DVD in progressive scan is simply outrageous on this unit. It makes you feel like you really never saw the movie before.The ambilight is a definite WOW, makes things just so much nicer to view a real plus I think. I have the contrast and brightness set low during the first 100 hours or so to give the panel a chance to break in. The pixel plus really does what it says it really improves the picture and doesnt make a difference if its SD or DVD. Cant wait to see it with HD. And to make this all so much sweeter I just saw BB's latest Sunday newspaper advertising the same panel for almost $900.00 more than I paid at CC!! The unit makes no external noise at all no hum, no whirring nothing just perfectly silent . So far I am more than pleased. I have two questions for other Philips plasma owners that would assist me further. First off I measured the holes on the back of the unit for when I purchase a wall mount. They measure center to center 32 inches across, and vertically set apart 16 inches.
O-------------32------------0
/ /
/ /
/ /
16
/ /
/ /
/ /
0-----------32--------------0

What mount will work properly with this panel? I see most are max 32 inches wide but have noticed a few for larger screens from 32 -60 inches . I am looking for one that provides a slight tilt kinda like the omnimount util3. Dont want it right up against the wall to close. I think the omnimount is 3 inches off the wall. CC sadi they have wall mounts with extension bars anyone ever hear of that.

Also a double black cable set came with the unit with what appears to be two clear led's one at the end of each cable with a pin plug at the end. Whats that for?

Well once again thanks for any help advise or assistance I do appreciate it.

Dnman

Do an internet explorer search using your model number. There are alot of service manuals with parts numbers etc. available for free download.

my guess is the cable is a replacement for the ambilight bulbs, but that is truly a guess.
I have a question for something you mentioned earlier - how do you find the service manual on the net? Also, how did you determine that the electronic tv guide will be possible via an upgrade?

thanks.

Purchasing this display a few weeks ago, I had it hooked up to a 2 year old Sony DVP CX985V (400 disc changer) over component wires. This past weekend I purchased the Samsung 850 hoping for an upgrade in PQ. I wasn't impressed with the PQ over HDMI or component produced by the Phillips/Samsung combo.

Much of the discussions I have seen has to do with the combinations of certain displays with certain dvd players. It was obvious after this weekend that the chipset in the Phillips greatly outperforms the chipset in the Samsung 850 at producing solid PQ.

For those of you that have purchased the Phillips and are looking for a good dvd player to compliment it, I would stick to a solid progressive scan player or at least stay away from the Samsung 850 for this unit. It may be a great player with other displays, just not this one. I will try out a few more up-converting dvd players in the coming weeks, but I may just have to wait for HD-DVD players to make their way to the market to improve the PQ.

Mlandau.

Hi. I had had numerous discussions with Philips before I purchased the panel. One feature I liked was the ability to upgrade software via the USB input. According to Philips level 2 tech(ken) the TV guide and the removal of the yellow line viewable when using PIP are two things on there list for future upgrades. As far as the Service manual I downloaded it a few day ago. I simply used Internet explorer to search after inputting the complete model number. The first entry the search produced gave me the choice of Service Manuals for various Philips models including the 9630a.

Digsnola,

Im using a JVD progressive scan DVD player currently it works flawlessly and the picture is superb.

Casey,

Is there any way you can provide the link to the service manual? I searched and searched to no avail earleir today. Thanks. If nothing else, could you PM me and maybe email it to me?

Thanks!


------------

To all thinking about this tv: do yourself a favor and run, don't walk, to the nearest place you can get this thing and pick one up!!

I was in a unique position already having the Panny Th-42PA25u in my living room. Today after work I picked this model up, set it up, and had 10 friends over to watch Monday Night Football in HD.

The concensus: Panasonic sucks. Okay, maybe that's a bit harsh, but it was a unanimous vote... this Philips blew away the Panny. We tried many different picture settings, from the factory torch on both to all values eyeballed to 50% and under.

Did I mention it wasn't close? This tv is amazing. There is a wealth of hookups for the present and future, and the Ambilight really does enhance the viewing experience (we had 4 girls in attendance and it easily won their approval, the guys liked the flow of colors as the game went on and the scenes changed).

The PQ definitely goes to the Philips. There was a marginally better black on the Panny, but not worth the trade off in lack of inputs, or a better resolution for that matter.

The Panny is going back tomorrow, and I will have absolutely no buyer's remorse on this one. It's simply an amazing tv. For its price point, nothing is really close right now IMO.

.

.

I dont want to be a pest but am curious if anyone has played video games like XBox on this TV. I dont have this model in my area unfortunately so need good honest input from others that might have it. Thanks again!

Here's my guess on the LED looking cables...

------------
I will look at them again this evening when I get home from work, I just took a glance at them when I opened the box last night as had a lot of company coming over and had to get both tvs set up right.

They looked a lot like infrared blasters for the remote, I had some come with my Tivo that look similar.

The ones with the Tivo you could hang over the top of the tv and control the tv with the Tivo remote.

If that's what these are in the Philips box, I'd guess they can be used to control say a set top cable/satellite box or something similar. Just a guess.
-----------

poster - it's okay to asak, it'sa big investment. I didn't get a chance to fire up the Xbox last night, but will do so tonight.

I finally found out what those cables are used for. The are IR cables for future expansion of the system. Guess Philips has a surprise up there sleeves.

Poster,

I dont have any info on video gaming with the panel sorry.

Bump

I appreciate the help guys!!! :)

Can anyone who purchased this panel tell me the exact wall mount they are using? Thanks.


I have asked this very same question on this forum and others and have not yet got an answer. I am planning to purchase either this TV or the new LCD (42PF9730A) coming out hopefully very soon. Based on different postings I have read, it seems that it is hard to get wall mounts that fit Philips flatpanels. On this forum, one person wrote that the Sanus "Universal" mount does NOT work with this TV. On the forum for the Philips 37" LCD, one person said that the Omnimount plasma mount worked for them. Apparently there is a standard called "VESA". You need to purchase a wall mount that meets the VESA standard. I'm not sure what that exactly means. I hope we get an answer to this because when I purchase this TV, I want to wall mount it as well.

I dont want to be a pest but am curious if anyone has played video games like XBox on this TV. I dont have this model in my area unfortunately so need good honest input from others that might have it. Thanks again!


I've had this TV for a little over a month now and my grandson plays xbox
on it with no problems,I've never noticed any screen images after turning
the Xbox off.Have to say the tv looks better now than when I first got it.
Hope this helps you.

Sorry I can't help you on the wall mount. Have it on a stand. More viewing tonight....

NCIS looked awesome. So did Red October.

poster - I've played a game of NCAA on it, looks awesome.

I've had this TV for a little over a month now and my grandson plays xbox
on it with no problems,I've never noticed any screen images after turning
the Xbox off.Have to say the tv looks better now than when I first got it.
Hope this helps you.


Thanks very much for your reply! :)

Sorry I can't help you on the wall mount. Have it on a stand. More viewing tonight....

NCIS looked awesome. So did Red October.

poster - I've played a game of NCAA on it, looks awesome.

Cool, that is one of the games I look forward to playing on it. Thanks!

Does this display have any problem outputting 720p? I have a 42PF9996 LCD that cannot fill the screen when set to 720p... it is highly annoying.

Thanks+

no problems for me with 720p high def channels.

I believe Monday Night Football was broadcast in 720p, and it looked gorgeous.

Guys as a newbie I have another question. I always see people post about how some DVD players dont provide a good picture. Do you need an expensive one to get a good picture when watching DVD's or am I reading into this wrong. I have a fairly new Sony, but it cost around 100 dollars. Is that good enough? Thanks!

I've got a JVC that my girlfriend picked up at BB over Christmas, think it cost around $120, and it plays DVDs just fine on this tv.

does anyone know how the pixel plus technology of this tv compares with philip's previous version? for example, i believe the 9630 uses "pixel plus 2HD" and the 7320 has "pixel plus".

I purchased my Philips 42PF9630A HD Plasma on August 1 from CC. I have also purchased the CC Protection Plan, and the OmniMount U3 Tilt Wall Mount (have not hung the unit yet). Here is a short summary of my experience since then.

Pre-SA8300HD-DVR:
Before I received my HD cable hookup, I spent a good amount of time becoming familiar with the TV's general features and setting; in particular, Philips Slideshow option. I filled up my Memory Stick Pro media and USB Sandisk Flash drive with high resolution images and mp3s, and created my own custom slideshow, which turned out to display the images beautifully. NOTES: 1) background music while displaying the images is not limited to 1 song; you can create a playlist of mp3s to loop, make sure to save the playlist as a .pls file and not the Winamp default .m3u which will not be recognized. 2) I was using Photoshop CS to scale down some of my higher resolution images, and although the specs say that the native resolution of the TV is 1024x768, I found that the resolution that maximizes the most screen real-estate is 1366x768. When I scaled images to 1024x768, the notorious black bars presented themselves; but when scaled to 1366x768 the images filled the screen completely and perfectly. I also used my USB flash drive to update the TV’s firmware, which I will discuss a bit later. 3) Because I spent the first week without any live TV feed, I spent a considerable amount of time on the menu screens and displaying my collection of static images with the slideshow feature. I was taken aback on the 4th night when I had the TV on, but with no TV feed, menu up on the screen, or image on the screen – essentially the screen was “glowing” black – I saw the outline of the Philips menu, in particular the TV icon on the top left hand corner of the screen. I was concerned this may have been early signs of burn-in, and the effect lasted for the better part of 2 days. It has since disappeared, most likely due to watching a TV feed once I received my cable box, and was probably just an example of image retention or ghosting?! I’m not sure, but I know it no longer is visible on the plasma screen.

SA8300HD-DVR Cable Box
The SA8300HD-DVR is the newest HD recorder available from Scientific Atlantic on Time Warner Cable, and its most attractive feature is the HDMI output, which is not available on any other boxes carried by Time Warner Cable. I first connected the SA8300HD via the HDMI output – I purchased a Radio Shack Gold Series HDMI cable for around $50 – and received a beautiful picture on the plasma, especially on the HD channels, but alas, NO SOUND. I could not get sound of the plasma. NOTE: 1) I have not tried a different HDMI cable. 2) I have a bi-directional cable splitter for my cable modem, and have not tried connecting the direct cable line, sans the splitter, into the SA8300HD. 3) I called customer service and tried setting the Digital Audio In input to HDMI-1, and I still received no sound. 4) Once I tried using the SA8300HD with HD component video cables, with standard L and R audio cables, the sound worked instantly, and I have been watching TV using the component and audio cables ever since. 5) I have not tried my HDMI connection with an up-conversion DVD player to test the sound, as I have no yet purchased the Panasonic S77S that I want. 5) When I called customer service concering the HDMI issue, they informed me that 1 other customer was having similar issues with the digital audio via the HDMI cable being MUTED, and that the firmware update available online would resolve the problem. I went to the website and downloaded the firmware again, and place it on my USB flash drive as I had done before. The manual says that if you try and re-install firmware that is the same version, or an older version, than is currently installed a warning screen should pop up and ask you if you are sure that you want to continue. I receive no such warning screen, and the TV says that it cannot find any updating software on my USB flash drive. Customer service had no answers and recommended returning the TV for an exchange since I had 30 days for a full refund or exchange, no questions asked, at CC. So I took their advice, and am having the TV picked up on Sat morning. They will be dropping off a brand new exchange, and hopefully, once I complete the firmware upgrade, the HDMI ports will function properly, with full digital sound. If not, I will be returning the Philips permanently, and will continue looking for a set with these many connectivity options and features at the low price of 2,300.

I was only able to do the firmware update when I placed an SD card in the slot of the TV. When I plugged in my Dazzle reader/writer with a card in it, I got the same message as you.

I also got an error message just before the process was finished, but my tv showed the new firmware.

I also got the same error messsage when I first upgraded the firmware - I used the Autoupdate feature by pluggin in my USB and then turning the TV on. Although i received the quick error/failure in red font, the update completed and TV said it was "successful." Now, under current info, the TV shows the most recent firmware version that I installed.

However, I'm not able to re-install the software b/c the TV cannot find the software on either my USB or Memory Stick Pro. Also, the autoupdate feature no longer works - if I plug in the USB or place in the Memory Stick and turn the TV on, it just goes into TV viewing mode, not the update screen liek before. Nevertheless, even though I am upgraded to the newest firware, and unlike what the technician promised, the HDMI connection is still not producing any sound. Hopefully, the new TV will.

I just got this set and it is great. I just got HD today via the cable card and it is better than anythiong I saw in CC or BB (of course, diferent cabling) - at least this justifies the expense. I watched even a 4:3 non-anamorphic dvd on Cambridge Audio dvd79 and with 720p it was only slightly stretched and looked like HD. With 480p I was able to adjust the format, and it was still outstandung (like anamorphic) . Anamorphic discs are outstanding via 480p and 720p. Well ... for my short experience so far. But I have one problem: I cannot get 1080i out of CA: just a black screen. Maybe, it is because Philips is hdcp compliant and the ca is not?

Do any of these models have Automatic Volume Limiting like the new 42PF99* models? If so, how does it work?

My wife has very few requests when it comes to technological devices, however, she insists our next tv WILL have volume limiting as she is beyond tired of blaring commercials and having to turn the volume up and down all the time. While out Directivo takes care of this to a degree, we still browse a fair amount of shows on an opportunistic basis.

It is my first plasma and I am worried about this burn in effect. Can anyone comment on it? I am OK with the superzoom option and Automatic, but my wife wants 4:3 and the dvds produce the bars. And there tare hose NBC and so on labels. How bad is that for practical purposes?

to: kjarrard

Yes, this set has the auto volume option, so you don't have to worry about commercials.

I'm very interested in this plasma and have a couple questions I haven't found the answers to.
Does it remember picture settings for each input? Has anyone accessed the service menu for this set?

Thanks,
Duke

Quote: It is my first plasma and I am worried about this burn in effect. Can anyone comment on it?

This was my first plasma as well, but I can tell you that if you follow some of the basics that have been stated a number of times on this site you should have few if any problems.

1. Have a decent service or return policy to where you bought the display. 2. The suggested time for a break-in of the screen is at least 100 hours. That time should be spent with the levels below 50, but the lowest levels that you allows you to view in pleasure, the better. Included in that break-in is to view in full screen mode as much as possible.

Most people on the site will tell you that this will reduce the risk of burn in, which it does but that risk is minimal at best, anyway. Some older or lesser quality displays show more signs of burn in than this unit. With a plasma you will have some periods of "ghosting" on the screen which is NOT burn in and dissipates during constant viewing, it shouldn't diminish your viewing. I have this unit and throughout my break in period I watched SD and HD TV and I have had no after effects.

If for some reason your screen has problems, take it back because it is faulty.

I forgot, at the beginning you want to stay away from watching logoed and stagnant pictured stations like CNBC for long periods of time. A few hours on one of these stations without a change could highten the risk of burn in.

Plasma screens need to be "seasoned" a little bit, like a good grill or iron skillet.

I called omnimount the other day about the wall mount for the unit. They explained that the U3 would work because it comes with extensions . The holes for the unit are set 32 inches apart and the bar need the extensions to allow the unit to be securely hung. The lady also said that with these extensions you DONT need an adaptor plate.

How about we share some info. What version software did your panel come with?

I'm in week two for having this set. I'm still in the "wow" phase. The contrast on this plasma is simply stunning. The Ambilight adds some oomph to it that I don't understand. In the BB showroom, it looked cheesy but after two weeks I've gone 180 degrees. It makes good content feel 3D. I leave it on auto but did back it down to a 75 setting. I get worried that the plasma contract is so good that it will wear out. I'd never heard anything before this forum on running at a lower contract/brightness for the first 200 hours. The installers didn't say squat on the subject. It could be one of those tips that was appropriate for earlier generations of plasmas, like driving a new car no faster than 55mph. If anybody could enlighten me, I'd appreciate it (even after the fact). On another subject, my home theatre/DVD is a Sony Dream System I bought with reward points a couple of years ago. I was underwhelmed on my first DVD and I thought I'd have to shell out more bucks for a player with an HDMI connection. Not true! It's about the DVD quality and if you have component video like this Sony system, you can get a great picture. We watched "The Incredibles" and it was like I'd taken LSD. Also "Bride and Prejudice" was phenomenal.

edwin, casey, disgnola, alek, et al.!!
what other sets did you compare this to? i was interested in the panny pd25 model because of all its features/pq vs. price, but it's been replaced by a model that offers less features for the money (pd50).

now this new generation of philips seem to have overtaken the panny in terms of features & pq vs price.. and they are HD not ED!! :) so i became interested in the 7320a & now more recently this model 9630a.

but i am curious to know what other models owners compared this to or considered before deciding & why you chose the philips? please help!

btw, does anyone know or have seen the difference between the pixel plus feature (on the 7320a) vs the pixel plus 2HD (9630a)?

thanks,
kahlil

Quote: It is my first plasma and I am worried about this burn in effect. Can anyone comment on it?

This was my first plasma as well, but I can tell you that if you follow some of the basics that have been stated a number of times on this site you should have few if any problems.

1. Have a decent service or return policy to where you bought the display. 2. The suggested time for a break-in of the screen is at least 100 hours. That time should be spent with the levels below 50, but the lowest levels that you allows you to view in pleasure, the better. Included in that break-in is to view in full screen mode as much as possible.

Most people on the site will tell you that this will reduce the risk of burn in, which it does but that risk is minimal at best, anyway. Some older or lesser quality displays show more signs of burn in than this unit. With a plasma you will have some periods of "ghosting" on the screen which is NOT burn in and dissipates during constant viewing, it shouldn't diminish your viewing. I have this unit and throughout my break in period I watched SD and HD TV and I have had no after effects.

If for some reason your screen has problems, take it back because it is faulty.


Thank you for this info. I missed these tips. I read quite a few professional reviews and I did not notice any mentioning of something like that.
In fairly recent reviews, e.g., at

http://www.*******************.com/plasmatv/panasonic-th42pwd7uy-review.html

it is stated that Panasonic claims to have improved the phosphors in the plasma display element (glass) ... and that they now claim near CRT levels with regard to burn in.

I would think that the most recent plasma from Philips should be of the same level.

I used it probably about 10hrs so far and I have had settings above 50 for Contrast (75) and Brightness (62). I will change them to be on the safe side.
It is not a problem with HD and dvds.

But how about WS dvds? They have those bars all the time? Is it recommended not to watch them for the first 100 hrs or always stretch them?

Also, there are static logos all the time. really nothing you can do about them, except for using low levels.

edwin, casey, disgnola, alek, et al.!!
what other sets did you compare this to? i was interested in the panny pd25 model because of all its features/pq vs. price, but it's been replaced by a model that offers less features for the money (pd50).

now this new generation of philips seem to have overtaken the panny in terms of features & pq vs price.. and they are HD not ED!! :) so i became interested in the 7320a & now more recently this model 9630a.

but i am curious to know what other models owners compared this to or considered before deciding & why you chose the philips? please help!

btw, does anyone know or have seen the difference between the pixel plus feature (on the 7320a) vs the pixel plus 2HD (9630a)?

thanks,
kahlil

I am probably not a good example here. I looked at plasmas from Sony, Panasonic, JVC, Toshiba and others, and actually did not like any of them on display in BestBUy, CC and some other local stores (cabling is one of the problems, I suppose, and I prefer CRT or DLP for movies). First I excluded ED plasmas - my sitting position is about 9-10ft from the screen and I simply see the pixels (of the effect of their lack) from this distance. I did not like Sony and Panasonic (in spite of numerous postives reviews) - they look good at the first glance but then they look sort of producing artificial pictures to me. It is very subjective, of course, but I really hate my old 27" Sony exactly for this reason, and I believe I can identify the same issues irritating me with other sets. JVC were producing sort of hazy, ghost images.

On the other hand, I own for many years a Philips 55" HDTV RPTV (55pp9701) and I really enjoyed the colors of it (and the general impression). I noticed that in all professional reviews they always mention colors form Philips products (see PC World, for example, http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,121139,00.asp).

So, I am not really seeing things. So, I went with a Philips again and am not disappointed at all in my strategy.

Plus, this model has 2 hdmi and the cablecard. There is a beter resoulution model 42pf9730a, but it is more expensive, and I can see the pixels on 42pf9630a only at 4 feet or so from the screen anyway.

Plus, this plasma is not a real home theater for me, just a living room main TV for all purposes and its high light output is important. (I would like to replace RPTV with a projector).

I forgot: Pixel Plus was critisized in some reviews when used with HD programming. They preferred to switch it off. I thought PP 2hd was some sort of reaction to this, I hope.
I like it better with PP 2 HD on.

but i am curious to know what other models owners compared this to or considered before deciding & why you chose the philips?

I looked at the Pannys and Samsungs. Read up above, I even had already bought the PA25U (same as PD25 but without built in HD tuner). Bought the Philips, invited friends over and watched Monday Night Football, it was a unanimous sweep for the Philips.

It's true HD, and you can't beat the feature set/connectivity/software updates.

Thank you for this info. I missed these tips. I read quite a few professional reviews and I did not notice any mentioning of something like that.
In fairly recent reviews, e.g., at

http://www.*******************.com/plasmatv/panasonic-th42pwd7uy-review.html

it is stated that Panasonic claims to have improved the phosphors in the plasma display element (glass) ... and that they now claim near CRT levels with regard to burn in.

I would think that the most recent plasma from Philips should be of the same level.

I used it probably about 10hrs so far and I have had settings above 50 for Contrast (75) and Brightness (62). I will change them to be on the safe side.
It is not a problem with HD and dvds.

But how about WS dvds? They have those bars all the time? Is it recommended not to watch them for the first 100 hrs or always stretch them?

Also, there are static logos all the time. really nothing you can do about them, except for using low levels.

Although the recent generation of plasma makers have claimed added resistence to burn-in, I doubt you would be able to find many consumers that could give you a durability review after 10 thousand hours of usage time. I tend to stay with common practices that don't seem to be too much of a burden (break in period). IMO all plasmas should go through a period in which you are at least thinking of getting the most life from your display.

I did, from time to time, watch WS films on the Phillips but most often watch movies on a DLP projector. There is a difference between being scared to watch the wrong channel (logos) and film formats and being concerned for the life of your display. Many people that have complained of burn-in on high quality plasmas may have been culprits of abuse.

If you have a professional calibrate the unit or use one of the calibration DVDs (Avia or DVE) you'll find that contrast and brightness should be pretty low.

Factory settings for a display come in "torch mode." The levels are way too high. High settings are great at BB or CC for the best picture under the florescent lights, but its best for the consumer to leave the settings under 50 on this unit. I know of at least one BB that keeps the lights off in the "TV section" just to lower the levels and protect the displays from wear.

Try to move the levels below 50 and try it for a week, you may find that your eyes become acclimated more quickly than you think. It may only take a few hours.

edwin, casey, disgnola, alek, et al.!!
what other sets did you compare this to? i was interested in the panny pd25 model because of all its features/pq vs. price, but it's been replaced by a model that offers less features for the money (pd50).

now this new generation of philips seem to have overtaken the panny in terms of features & pq vs price.. and they are HD not ED!! :) so i became interested in the 7320a & now more recently this model 9630a.

but i am curious to know what other models owners compared this to or considered before deciding & why you chose the philips? please help!

I compared this display to the other common tvs in its price range. I compared more closely to the panny like you seemed to have done. I'll just confirm your reasons and add that the color saturation for the Phillips was just that much better IMO. Although I couldn't tell much a difference, the black levels on the panny might be a little better but once you get the phillips home you would have nothing to compare it to and all you will notice is the great PQ.

I think you are right to discard ED plasmas as an option. I don't see much of a future and after a couple of weeks of HD, ED would be a leap backwards. I was all over the map in my 18 months leading up to the Philips purchase. I first looked at LCD projection because of the price difference with plasma. Then DLP's (particularly the Samsungs) started looking good. I was in love with the Sharp Aquous but affordability and screen size were limiting factors. Of course, Panasonic plasma was always on the radar but the horror stories of plasma burn-in, rogue pixels, and limited life span coupled with the price kept me away. The Philips was a BB sales guy recommendation in July. Once I began studying, I found out this was new generation plasma: better contrast, longer life spans, fewer/no burn-in issues. I also like the fact that I can upgrade the TV's firmware myself with a USB drive. I've already done it once.

I compared mine to everything that was available. I looked for over nine months and couldnt find the right one until I spotted the Philips 9630a. The picture quality, feature set and connectivity is simply not available on any unit for this price. I have had it for a week now and am still in awe. Oh and something both my wife and I noticed tonite. We are breaking the plasma in gently brightness and contrast below 50 for the first 100 hours, my HD box doesnt arrive until thursday so we are viewing the dreaded SDTV channels, well as this panel is being broken in the SD channels are really starting to look good. Better the more we use it .

All the 9630a plasma owners ,,,,,,,,,,,,,, has anyone used a USB microdrive to update the panels software?

I looked at the Pannys and Samsungs. Read up above, I even had already bought the PA25U (same as PD25 but without built in HD tuner). Bought the Philips, invited friends over and watched Monday Night Football, it was a unanimous sweep for the Philips.

It's true HD, and you can't beat the feature set/connectivity/software updates.

I appreciate your enthusiasm and looking at this set myself but it's not "true" hi-def.

I appreciate your enthusiasm and looking at this set myself but it's not "true" hi-def.


Why isn't it true HD?

Whats true HD 1080P? Seems that would leave all the plasma panels out. As I recall the industry hasnt come up with a standard yet? Isnt that true?

Yesterday I purchased Monster Power HT800 Stage 1, v.2.0 surge protector in a local RadioShack ($79.99), supposedly cleaning the power, and tried it in place of Belkin Power Master II ($39.99). HT800 is designed to allow the HDTV cable go through it, which was my reason to try it - my old Belikin may block some frequencies, and I did not put the cable through it, and ... well ... on Friday we had a thunderstorm .... I don't know what happened, but the improvement was dramatic - no grainy picture on analogue channels any more and better color saturation, and it is just better, more natural ... (a professional review would probably come up with a lot more words to describe it). If I have not seen it, I would not belive it. It is really weird. I use Monster 2000 (or something like that) in my other system with rptv and 6-ch audio, amps and things, but I never really tried it without it, so I did not have a chance to see the difference before this.

Whats true HD 1080P? Seems that would leave all the plasma panels out. As I recall the industry hasnt come up with a standard yet? Isnt that true?

Although some AVS posters choose not to accept them, there are industry standards. The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) defines HDTV as a complete product/system with the following minimum performance attributes:

Receiver - Receives ATSC terrestrial digital transmissions and decodes all ATSC Table 3 video formats.

Display Scanning Format - Has active vertical scanning lines of 720p, 1080i, or higher.

Aspect Ratio - Capable of displaying a 16:9 image.

Audio - Receives and reproduces, and/or outputs Dolby Digital audio.

Whats true HD 1080P? Seems that would leave all the plasma panels out. As I recall the industry hasnt come up with a standard yet? Isnt that true?

True hi-def is defined by 1280x720 and above. 42" Plasmas are 1024 which means some stretching is done, however, still a great picture. They can call it HD because of the vertical lines. You would have to upgrade to a 50" plasma for the higher resolution 1366x768. Many people will tell you a "true" hi-def picture consists of 1980x1260 pixels and everything else is garbage.

Wouldn't "true" 1080P HD resolution be a progressive display of 1920x1080?

Wouldn't "true" 1080P HD resolution be a progressive display of 1920x1080?

My bad, i meant 1920x1080. I guess 1980x1260 would be pretty awesome though.....LOL.

Lipcrker,
Where do your True HD standards come from? Macfan has a different set of criteria. Reference link?? Seems like that would include alot of panny products also no?? Not just Philips as in your thread?

Lipcrker,
Where do your True HD standards come from? Macfan has a different set of criteria. Reference link?? Seems like that would include alot of panny products also no?? Not just Philips as in your thread?

They aren't my criteria, they're the industry's.

Here are the CEA definitions (http://www.ce.org/shared_files/resources/95DTV%20Definitions.pdf) detailed in a pdf.

Thanks Macfan! Great read.

well this set has effectively challenged my panasonic 8UK or 500U purchase.... Surely though the 10000:1 contrast ratio is a misprint. I mean if the contrast ration were double or triple panasonics 3000:1 and 4000:1 it would be very evident in viewing but those that have viewed both have not expressed such... And I hope that firmware flashes would be smooth and hassle free. Only one person here so far has commented (I think) and it was a hassle for him. How many others have successfully and problem free flashed?

I appologize if this has been answered but I didn't find the answer in this thread. What are the actual dimensions of this tv using the stand? I saw on the BB site they said the height was 26-7/8" but i'm assuming that is without the stand.

Thanks in advance.

-Jody

Hey all,
I'm in my 2nd week love affair with this TV. I agree with all the kudos posted. I have only had one very infrequent, but troubling problem. Every once in a while, the sound buzzes in one of the speakers. If I replay the scene (on HD Tivo), the buzz reproduces exactly. It seems to be a certain pitch that causes the buzz. It happens very rarely, but when it does, it's like nails scratching on a blackboard. Has anyone else experienced this?

the stand is 11' deep and 32 1/2" wide. The TV is 28 1/2" high including the stand. The tv is 48 3/4" wide. The front of the TV to the back of the stand is 7 1/2" in depth.

The TV is 28 1/2" high including the stand. The tv is 48 3/4" wide

Ugh. The piece of furniture I was looking at is 49" wide. Granted it's less but do you guys think it would fit in there with only .25" clearance?

-Jody

I was wondering if I should buy an extended warranty for this set and would appreciate any help here. The store where I purchased the TV does not sell them. Philips offers them for about $900 for 2 years. Other stores offer it for $175-220 for two years and up from some companies. Is it really necessary? I still have 1 year warranty plus another year from my CC. I thought, maybe, in 2 years or especially in 4 years the same set can easily be only $1500 or less and the warranty company can disappear. Are there any trusted records on reliability?

Jodeus-I'd be careful. I double checked and the tv is 48 3/4" wide. Where are you getting the furniture measurement from, yourself? If you haven't measured the opening in the furniture itself, 49" is probably a rounded up number and is probably the outside dimension, so the opening would not be wide enough.

Hey guys. Is it possible that some of you owners can post the software version your running? Thanks .

i have the 7/14 update running.

Mlandau,

When you updated the software to the July version if I recall correctly you got an error message but it did accept the update? What meduim did you use to update? Im thinking of doing my tomorrow, so this could help.

Thanks
Casey

casey jones, that is correct. I used an sd card.

The error msg came up in the final phase, just as shown in the instructions. When I checked the software version, it showed the new one.
I just hope they get the TV Guide stuff. I'm using a cablecard and I miss the info.

After reading many people share the same thoughts - namely after too many hours of researching i think i have made a decision. I am ready to buy the 42PF9630a. I am aware that when i play my SD Direct TV Tivo through it it will look worse than my 36" CRT but i am planning for the future. I am looking to either get comcast HD or upgrade to Direct TV HD Tivo - more research required. It seems like this model has the future in mind and the only dilemma I faced this morning (after making my mind up last night) was that perhaps a good ED would be the best option for 2 years and then upgrade to a HD and stick the ED in the bedroom. If i decide to go with this is the current CC deal a decent one. Would anyone recommend waiting based on the price that this has been at previously?

My wife thinks i am a big geek loser for spending time on this site, but is has been a great help as i have moved through the DLP, CRT, Plasma decision making process.

After reading many people share the same thoughts - namely after too many hours of researching i think i have made a decision. I am ready to buy the 42PF9630a. I am aware that when i play my SD Direct TV Tivo through it it will look worse than my 36" CRT but i am planning for the future. I am looking to either get comcast HD or upgrade to Direct TV HD Tivo - more research required. It seems like this model has the future in mind and the only dilemma I faced this morning (after making my mind up last night) was that perhaps a good ED would be the best option for 2 years and then upgrade to a HD and stick the ED in the bedroom. If i decide to go with this is the current CC deal a decent one. Would anyone recommend waiting based on the price that this has been at previously?

My wife thinks i am a big geek loser for spending time on this site, but is has been a great help as i have moved through the DLP, CRT, Plasma decision making process.



i've had HD since 2001 i cant imagine not getting hd for another 2 years...its worth it!...esp if you like football!

...I am looking to either get comcast HD or upgrade to Direct TV HD Tivo - more research required. It seems like this model has the future in mind and the only dilemma I faced this morning (after making my mind up last night) was that perhaps a good ED would be the best option for 2 years and then upgrade to a HD and stick the ED in the bedroom. If i decide to go with this is the current CC deal a decent one. Would anyone recommend waiting based on the price that this has been at previously?...

Regarding the DirecTV HD TIVO, check out this thread. (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=569538&page=1&pp=30)

As for the possible ED purchase, I have one and am absolutely delighted with it. If you view from more than 8 feet away, you won't feel deprived. The Philips is a great buy, though, and I'm not trying to dissuade you from buying it.

You seem to be aware of the hot rumors around this forum have it that Panasonic will reduce their MSRP at the end of this month, so their ED should be available soon for a couple of hundred less than the current CC price.

Yourefree,

I am among the many who have gone the 42" ED route and will wait for larger and better HD for a few years. If you buy a good ED now like the Panny 42PD50U, the Zenith Z42PX2D that I bought, the Sammy 4232, etc. you will essentially be getting two sets for similar money...one a 42" for use now and later on in a second room or for computer use---and a 50" or larger HD panel later on.

Of course with prices dropping and a strongly rumored Panny reduction come end of August
you can get a quality 42" HD now for near $2500. This is also tempting for me as I bought end of July and would still just be in my 30 day return window. But part of the reason for going ED now for me was a combination of the overall lack of HD content compared to SD now and for the forseeable future and a desire to get a larger panel (meaning 50"+) and have it render 1080P HD.

I understand why people go for what they can get. Enjoy what you can enjoy. But it is a simple fact that prices for this technology will fall to much greater affordability to meet the growing demand for government mandated HD. While this is no guarantee that 55" screens with 1080P resolution will be $2500 or less in a few years it is likely closer to the mark than the kind of prices we see today for less technology.

One mans opinion...and you know what they say about opinions....

Hi everyone-well, after 10 months of researching plasmas, I just bought the 42PF7320A. Yes, I would of liked the ambilights that the 42PF9630 offers, but there is no way that I could pass up the deal I got for this model through Philips Partners (program through work). I called Philips today to inquire about the wallmount, since I've seen so many of you mention that there seems to be a problem with the spacing of the bolts, and of course, they don't have one in stock specifically made for this new line of models. They can't even give a recommendation. All they could tell me is that it meets the VESA standard 800x400. I am thinking of buying the OmniMount U3TILTMOUNT. I've read some really good reviews for that one. I will post back if I do. I should get the TV in the next couple of days. I have one other question that I have not seen anyone mention out here. Speaking of burn-in, do you think pausing TIVO for a long period of time is a danger when it comes to burn in? I am so accustomed to pausing and walking away, that I'm afraid I will have to get out of that habit. I have the DIRECTV HDTivo just waiting to be used!!

Any help on the wall mount or TIVO usage would be greatly appreciated!!!

I believe the 7320A has no screen protection control at all in the menu so pausing any screen shot for any length of time would not be wise. I guess developing new habits couldn't hurt. These newer screens though are much more resistant to burn-in than previous generations so there is less worry with a static image now. But I have to report I noticed quite a distinct image retention after viewing some JPGs on my Zenith ED. The pics were only onscreen for a short 30 sec. duration or so but man did that leave an after-image. Nothing permanent and as my set has whitewash nothing to worry about. But it is unsettling until it goes away.

My advice...become a more careful person in this regard.

SO off I went to pick up the Philips. But with the panasonic TH-42PX50U as a side by side comparison I felt that the panny had more pop & a lot better black. I asked the CC guy if they had the same feed as I wasnt expecting such a big difference. I also thought the panny was crisper in the text (espn hd feed). SO i went to BB to check their feed, they had the 9630a next to the 37 panny and I liked the 37 better again more detail and stronger black. Then i decided to just stand in front of the Philips and ignore the rest and it did look good, but after a quick glance i preferred the panasonic. From reading this thread i was expecting to be wowed by the philips and I wasn't. Is it a calibration thing, a feed thing that affects the way it converts the picture? My main priority is to get great DVD picture, i dont watch much TV and what I do watch is generally not going to be HD anytime soon - Fox Soccer Channel - so that is less of a factor. I am leaning now to the panasonic or the industrial model TH-42PHD7UY. I am interestested in the ambilight feature as I think in a dark home for movies it would add depth and ambience which I guess is the point. Has anybody else noticed this in comparing side by side like this - I had read the earlier post with the 2 sets side by side with monday night football and that is what tipped me to the Philips. I want to buy soon so I can sit back and enjoy.

Valen 428,

Im not sure about the model you bought but check to see if it has what philips calls " anti aging circuit" is in your panel. It guards against uneven wear ala screen protection. Also when you use an HDMI connected device it activates a type of pixel orbiter automatically. My 9630A has this so I would think yours should also.

Casey

I was in Circuit City with the wife at the weekend and we were comparing the Phillips versus the Panasonic and I must admit the Panasonic did appear crisper, but..

Upon closer inspection, and after setting the levels on the Phillips to 50 all round, and taking off sharpness et, and then doing the same to the Panasonic the difference was a LOT less evident.

My guess is the factory or out the box settings are better tuned on the panasonic, but on both the contrast and brightness was WAY to high and sharpness was at nearly maximum on both sets. Yes the Panasonic had marginally better blacks, but the Phillips trounced it for colour saturation.

Overall, my wife and I preferred the Phlilps and the mulitude of connectors, plus the ambilight and the price settled it.

The Philips is being delivered Saturday. Can't wait to try it with my upconverting Oppo DVD player over DVI/HDMI.

Only question now is What DVD to Watch first...

Craiglester

thanks for the help. i want to like the philips due to the future firmware upgrades, connections and think the principle behind ambilight would add a lot to my soccer viewing - presumably a green hue background!

I didnt touch the panasonic settings, but i did play with the philips - in an attempt to get closer to the picture quality of the panasonic. i will go back and tone down the panasonic like you did.

Interested to know if you bought at CC, did you find a better deal. I am not sure if the current price is good for this set, seems ok for the features.

Havent told the wife yet that buying this will involve new DVD, cables, wall mounts, calibration discs... oh the joy to follow.

Regards burn in - i watch up to 8 hours of FSC at the weekends which has a yellow and black static logo in the corner, should I watch this in extremely low contrast/brightness or turn the channel over every now and then for the first 100 hours? - that is going to drive me potty. There are no breaks in play for 45 minutes at a time and I would hate to see the logo appear as a permanent fixture. I have read the threads on burn in and it appears things are better than they used to be but still the first 100 hours seems to be important - is it a good idea to let a dvd loop for a few days, turning off at night to give it a break or am i being too cautious now.

yourfree,

No your not being to cautious, but you should very your viewing not just for the first hundred hours but some suggest much longer. As your set is used slowly increase the viewing of non movie material . I have my contrast down below 50 right now as well as my brightness. We are avoiding any long term viewing right now of stations with logos especially those that arent transparent. And we dont view the same channels for hours on end. Remember commercials are your friend right now and can help exercise the pixels near the logos. I intend on slowly increasing my viewing of stations with logs for the first 300 hours or so. I believe theres some discussion on here that it should contnue up to 1000 hours. Do a search youll find the thread. :)

I bought this tv and set it up with samsung hd dvd,x box with hd connection,cable card and comcast hd dvr all with monster cable.
If you buy this tv, you almost HAVE TO upgrade your firmware to make everything work smooth.I had my comcast hd box(before hd dvr) digital audio connected to my tv and it would loose sound when I change channel.I had to turn tv off and on to get sound back on any source.
I called philps and they told me to upgrade my firmware.They had 5 new version of firmware already out and one upgrade said it will fix digital audio out sound drop from some cable box.Upgrade is so easy even CAVE MAN can do it!!you just have to download file to ur computer to usb flash drive(only about$20)plug it in ur tv and turn it on.It fixed all my problems and got better pic quality+all the extra good stuff for tv.Now I know they will just fix almost anything for us with firmware upgrade if we have any problem.
Picture quality is outstanding on this tv on almost any source I tried so far.I had freind over for monday night football and he decide to buy this tv instead of sony plasma he wanted.(all of his tv was sony too) :)
I also had to run all my cable inside drywall and pice estimates I got from CIRCUIT CITY,BB,MAGNOLIA HI-FI was about $600 for labor only.they said $95 an hour for one person and I need 2 guys working for at least 3hours!!
I found this guy name Doug on website www.hometheaterhandyman.com and he did beatiful job for me for only $55 an hour.(took 3hours for $165).If you live in WA area you should contact him for plasma wall install and all your other hometheater installation.I am very happy with his service and he is also really nice person :)
I got some picture of my set up for you guys who's looking to buy this tv.I SAID BUY IT :)
If you have any question about tv let me know!!
Later

First time poster here-
Could anyone tell me the dimensions of the box the TV came in? I haven't been able to find it anywhere.
I only ask because CC couldn't deliver the set in time to get the current sale (it's sold out anywhere near me) and I have to drive up and get it myself. We're taking my girlfriend's CRV, and it will definitely fit if I take it out of the box, but I would rather leave it in.
On a side note, since CC couldn't deliver it and I have to get it myself, they're sending me a gift card for 10% of the purchase price- a cool $269, which should buy some cables or a wall mount.

Thanks for the help!

SO i went to BB to check their feed, they had the 9630a next to the 37 panny and I liked the 37 better again more detail and stronger black. Then i decided to just stand in front of the Philips and ignore the rest and it did look good, but after a quick glance i preferred the panasonic.

If you plan on watching your tv in torch setting and burning it out/getting burn-in, go with the Panny.

You can't judge any tv by what they've got set in the show room. Go back, ask for the remote, and navigate your way to the picture settings. When I was looking at the 9630a in BB, when I pulled up the picture settings they had the contrast set to 85, picture and brightness over 80 as well.

When I looked at the PX50 in store, they had the brightness, color, and contrast all maxed out on the little bar that you adjust upwards or downwards on.

Bring it down to normal home use levels (just under 50% for the settings as a ballpark), and the difference you saw between the two will go away.

Thanks for your reply Clarke and Casey. I was happy to see that the 42PF7320A does have Anti Ageing circuit. In fact, I did a side by side comparison of the specs and here is what I found:

The 42PF7320 has Pixel Plus instead of Pixel Plus 2HD

The 42PF7320 DOES NOT have Memory Card slot (but does have USB Connector)

The 42PF7320 DOES have 3/2-2/2 motion pull down which is not listed anywhere on the 42PF9630 (Can anyone who owns confirm)

The 42PF7320 DOES have Smart Sound which is not listed on 42PF9630 (not that important)

and the biggest difference: No Ambilight

Other than that, they seem identical except for the cabinet color which is all silver instead of the black around the screen that the 42PF9630 has(personally I like all silver-very elegant)

I seriously have been looking at these philips plasmas for 10 months waiting for the 2005 models to arrive. I was going to buy the 9630 without a doubt, but they will not be offered through the program at work for at least a few months and with the deal they are giving me on the 7320 (with addtl 10% discount this week-its $2k and some change) i couldnt justify spending over $500 more and my family is sick of hearing me talk about it so i took the plunge.

I'm surprised that not more of you are hanging this one on the wall. Still haven't had any feedback on what mount to buy. I may have to be the tester for all of us.

Sorry this message got really long-its nice to have a conversation with people who know what they're talking about-especially being a girl and all :)

Where are you working that you get the purchase program that you're talking about?

As for wall mount, my answer is simple...

I live in an apartment, and am going to eventually be looking for a house in about 3 years time. I'd rather not go through the trouble of wall mounting this thing when I'm not in a permanent residence, so to speak...

Purdue Mac,

How did you order it to get the gift card. It seems like it is out of stock in my local Chicago stores. I'd be willing to drive to pick it up elsewhere and would like the 10% card.

To everyone on this thread, thanks for your help. I trust the expert judgements comparing this to the panasonic rather than the dopes at CC and BB. the CC guy told me that the only difference between the 9630 and the 7320 was the ambilight and bezel, he siad it had the same internals, which is clearly not the case. I have decided to get the Philips 9630 (If I can find it in stock at CC) and a new DVD player - either the Oppo or Samsung.

Purdue Mac,
How did you order it to get the gift card. It seems like it is out of stock in my local Chicago stores. I'd be willing to drive to pick it up elsewhere and would like the 10% card.

I called the 800 number once the website told me that delivery was unavailable. The guy said that the 10% gift card was standard if they can't deliver it to you. Just to clarify, this is in addition to the 10% off deal they're currently running.

Anyone find those box dimensions yet?

I'm out of town on business (lunch break right now) but if no one's posted a reply I'll pull out the tape measurer for you when I get home tomorrow

I just ordered mine at BB and it should get here in 5 days (I guess I was a fool to think that they would actually carry in-stock). I thought I was smart by having BB price match CC's sale price of 2700 and then sign up for their Rewards Program and getting a gift card for $90. I know that CC was out of stock as well and I would easily have driven to get a $270 gift card.

While ordering the sales guy tried to get me to purchase a voltage/amp regulator. The base model for HD signals was $500! I don't really need this, do I? What benefits would this do? I do plan on upgrading my surge protector to the $100 Monster model. Also, would anyone recommend getting the Protection Plan? I always thought those were a big waste of money. I think its around $400.

I appreciate any help!

DallasSite: I work for a wireless company. It's part of our corporate perks program, where we can get discounts on 100s of items-Philips being one of the biggest brands. I almost bought one of last year's models, which by the way, consumer reports had two of them listed in the top 5, but when I started researching, I heard their 2005 line would have a lot more functionality, a tuner, etc. and cost less!! The retail prices for the 42' philips plasmas were in the 4000s last year.

Purdue-Regarding the box size-i tried to get that for you from technical support when I called again about the mount, and after asking to speak to a manager, the rep called someone else and all she could find out was that the box would add 3 more inches to the specs. The managers are in a meeting right now-hopefully talking about the information they need to get for their customers :)

purduemarc-it fit in my 2003 crv. If you want the mesurements, let me know.

Philips BP2.2U AA Service Manual which covers the 42PF9630A is available.
Probably not for long as this site is not normally open to the public.
1/3 way down the web page.

http://www.forceonline.com/downloads.asp?Category=Service%20Manuals

Philips BP2.2U AA Service Manual which covers the 42PF9630A is available.
Probably not for long as this site is not normally open to the public.
1/3 way down the web page.

http://www.forceonline.com/downloads.asp?Category=Service%20Manuals


Thanks, going to grab it since I think I'm going to purchase one of these sets today or tomorrow. It might come in handy in the future.

Neednewtv,

Five software updates out? I only saw 2 on philips customer support site, have they just added more or where did you see the rest?

Thanks
Casey

The site with the service manual , if you look around statres that during the later part of this August the site will no longer be used as it is now. Philips will be using another site undisclosed.

A new question==================

What settings in auto color or other ambilight options are you people using on the 9630A to display the maxumum colors with ambilight?

Appreciate responses

No response but I had to inform you of a big coincidence. I have an older brother named Casey Jones.

Seems like this is out of Stock in Illinois - at least 100 miles of downtown Chicago. Anyone else having the same issue. I decided to buy and now cannot get hold of a set. Out of the B&M stores that I usually avoid I prefer CC, I dont fancy dropping big $$ online and a return would be difficult. I think I will wait for them to restock at CC and purchase then - seems like BB and CC are the only 2 to carry this model.

Okay, this is my first post, but I have been reading all your posts, so I thank you all very much. So so far, here is the best deal i can find at Circuit City: It is on sale for $2699 currently through Saturday. If you call the 800 number on the website instead of doing it online, and you ASK for the gift card, it is a current promotion to entice you, you will get 10% of purchase gift card to CC 6-8 weeks later. The phone operator said this promotion comes and goes at any time, does not correspond to Sunday sale change. Today they did have it, so I got it ($259.99) gift card because of the next thing I will tell you. You can get an additional $100 off by telling the person you have a coupon with the code L8AHGZNAVG . So my total before tax was $2599, with tax and recycle fee in California $2824.49 in California. Add $39.99 if you want it delivered (you will still get the gift card as long as you ask), and despite it saying not available for delivery on the website today, when I called they looked again and said it was available. I am picking mine up though. I hope that helps! Let me know if anyone found a better deal, because this is all refundable!

Got home early...

The box is 52x36x13.

Hope that helps.

Tom Jones,

You made my day ,lol!!!

Laangels,

Congrats on your purchase youre gonna love this panel.

Casey

Okay, this is my first post, but I have been reading all your posts, so I thank you all very much. So so far, here is the best deal i can find at Circuit City: It is on sale for $2699 currently through Saturday. If you call the 800 number on the website instead of doing it online, and you ASK for the gift card, it is a current promotion to entice you, you will get 10% of purchase gift card to CC 6-8 weeks later. The phone operator said this promotion comes and goes at any time, does not correspond to Sunday sale change. Today they did have it, so I got it ($259.99) gift card because of the next thing I will tell you. You can get an additional $100 off by telling the person you have a coupon with the code L8AHGZNAVG . So my total before tax was $2599, with tax and recycle fee in California $2824.49 in California. Add $39.99 if you want it delivered (you will still get the gift card as long as you ask), and despite it saying not available for delivery on the website today, when I called they looked again and said it was available. I am picking mine up though. I hope that helps! Let me know if anyone found a better deal, because this is all refundable!


Will this work on the 42PF7320A? If not, let me make sure I have this right.

My local store has it available for pickup, but I call the 800 number on CC's site. Ask for the 10% gift card, as well as the coupon code (L8AHGZNAVG) for another $100 off, bringing it down a total of $359.99, even after the 10% that they are already doing?

Currently $2699 - 10% gift card ($259.99) - $100 coupon code = $2339.01

And the 42PF7320A (if it works) is: $2519.00 - $251.90 Future Gift Card - $100 = $2167.10

Is that right? And I can pick it up at the local store? Where did someone see this gift card thing on the site and where did the coupon code come from? Does it have to say that delivery isn't available or something? All I see is shipping for $39.99 with a $39.99 rebate available on the shipping. I'm going to purchase one tomorrow, any more money off would be awesome.

Will this work on the 42PF7320A? If not, let me make sure I have this right.

My local store has it available for pickup, but I call the 800 number on CC's site. Ask for the 10% gift card, as well as the coupon code (L8AHGZNAVG) for another $100 off, bringing it down a total of $359.99, even after the 10% that they are already doing?

Currently $2699 - 10% gift card ($259.99) - $100 coupon code = $2339.01

And the 42PF7320A (if it works) is: $2519.00 - $251.90 Future Gift Card - $100 = $2167.10

Is that right? And I can pick it up at the local store? Where did someone see this gift card thing on the site and where did the coupon code come from? Does it have to say that delivery isn't available or something? All I see is shipping for $39.99 with a $39.99 rebate available on the shipping. I'm going to purchase one tomorrow, any more money off would be awesome.

Serus,

Yes, that should work, but remember, the additional 10% is a gift card, not cash. So although you can subtract the amount, it's not exactly cash in your pocket, but maybe a DVD player or something. The gift card can be used in the store or online. Yes, that coupon code was mailed to people on the CC e-mail list, it is good through the 20th on any plasma 32 inches or larger. The future gift card i found out about through this thread, however the item does not need to be out of stock or anything. You just have to ask for it, and as long as the promotion is still there (only available through calling), it is good (regardless if you pick it up or have it delivered). You will still get the rebate for $39.99 if you have it delivered is what the phone sales person told me on the phone (who, by the way, was located in a call center in India). Hope that helps.

LAAngels

Laangels,

Congrats on your purchase youre gonna love this panel.

Casey

Casey,

Thanks. I appreciate everybody's comments as it really helped me make my decision. I probably won't use half the features right now, but maybe i will in the next few years. I am really keen on seing this ambilight effect. If I don't like that, I guess i can just turn it off. Did anybody get an extended warranty? Online at CC it is $550, but in the store it is $299 right now. You are allowed to get it as you pick up the item in store, but I still don't feel like it is worth it, but I could be wrong. If you buy it on most major credit cards, your warranty automatically gets extended by 1 yr through the credit card company. Of course, that is not in home service like CC extended warranty. Any thoughts?

Got home early...

The box is 52x36x13.

Hope that helps.

Thanks Dallas! Between you and Mlandau I think I'm going to be allright. Tonight, I'll be watching Murder She Wrote in style. ;)

Not to rain on anyone's parade, but you should know that the one year Philips tv warranty is not "in home," according to the warranty stuff that comes with the tv. I think you can seet it in the manual on the support site: http://www.usasupport.philips.com/productDocuments.html?ProductCode=42PF9630A/37&SearchByModelNo=true . See page 53 of the PDF file - "Directions for use."
I guess this was meant to save Philips money. It doesn't bother me because they were oh so smart to have the firmware updates that you do yourself, and a very decent technical support center.

laangels-thanks for the info! I just called and it worked, with the exception that the $100 coupon # you listed is no longer active (i tried). I was looking at my last email from CC and found this number that did work: DXAA5LUAHW it is only through today though if you want the $100 off. So after talking myself into thinking i was going to be happy with the 42pf7320, you came along with a great deal. Now its only a $200 difference between this and my partners discount, so i took the plunge (again) and am picking the 9630 in a few minutes. I'll have to wait and cancel the other one on Monday. By the way, the OMNIMOUNT U3 TILT is the recommended mount, so i will check back in after i put up on the wall.

Thanks again for all the great info!!! Im so excited that i am going to have the ambilights after all!! :)

my guy (samual) is telling me I cannot use both coupon and 10% - did anyone else have this issue. as this is not available for pickup locally I also have to pay 39.99 to ship it. I know that the 10% gift card is a pretty good deal, but i told him if he could either give me free shipping or the $100 as well I would make the purchase. No go. Is it worth trying with someone else? I went through the buying process online and put that code into the system, it looks like they are unique to each email. it says this code has already been used. I dont think i receive CC emails so I will stick with the 10% back I guess

I called 2 hours ago and was told I could get both, the $100 coupon and the 10% off. However, I just called again and was told that I can only get the 10% gift card and not the $100 off. The $100 off code was for in-store only. I'm going to give it another try in a couple of minutes.

Yes, these are 1 time use coupons, so you can't use them more than once. I just tried the coupon posted by valen and it came up already used as well. Anyone have a coupon code they aren't going to use today before it expires?

Just was in Sam's club. I didn't look at the model number but the philips 42" hd plasma with hd tuner and DCR was 2499. Wow . I can't wait for black friday.

Something I found about viewing standard definition (SD) channels on this set came today from a Comcast tech. She said to split the cable coming out of the wall. Route one to the digital cable box and the other going directly to the TV. Set up the direct connect as a separate source option to the plasma and watch the SD channels on those. The tech says I'll get crystal clear SD channels bypassing the digital box. Haven't tried it yet. The professional installation company I used didn't mention it so this is just a for-what-it's-worth post.

Serus. Let me know how you get on. I am being pressured by my wife to make a purchase. might just pay the extra and buy the panasonic 50U today, with the rebates etc, the 9630 AND 50U are pretty close. Then if the price drops at the end of August I will request a price match. I even found myself contemplating the 37" Sceptre from Costco, but I must stop entertaining new models at this stage. Anyone looked at the 7320 and 9630 side by side - is the only difference the ambilight - i thought there were other differences, but looking around i think the 7320 uses the pixel plus 2 as well? 7320 is stocked today so I could purchase via the phone and pick up today and get the 10% GC.

if you can get the prices anywhere close, why are you even thinking about the PD50U?

You're talking HD vs. ED, not to mention the wealth of connections and features you get out of Philips that Panasonic wants you to drop another $2000 on to get the PX500...

perfectstorm,

That was the 7320A. If you've got your heart set on that model, Costco has it for significantly less.

the 7320a doen't use pixel plus2 according to the philips specs. On the other hand, both models use identical service manuals, so, it is possible, that philips isn't telling us.
Additionally, the USB port is only 1.1 on the 7320a, but I don't think that's a big deal to anyone.
Check J and R, though not in stock.

if you can get the prices anywhere close, why are you even thinking about the PD50U?

You're talking HD vs. ED, not to mention the wealth of connections and features you get out of Philips that Panasonic wants you to drop another $2000 on to get the PX500...
I think he was talking about the PX50U, which has the same resolution as the Philips, if not the features.

If the Philips were available for the same cost as the PD50U (under $2K), it would be no wonder why people are finding it hard to locate! ;)

Valen,

No problem, i registered just to tell people about the deal. i did not know that there were unique codes, but they come with the regular CC e-mails if you put yourself on the list. I hope you got the gift card also, if you can wait 6-8 weeks, you can get a mount with it.


Yourfree and Serus,

You can definately use the sale price, the coupon, and the gift card at the same time, as I and Valen have done it. Try another person. The coupon has a code for online use and a barcode for in store use. You just apparently have had to have it sent to you, which you did if you ever get CC e-mails. i guess it is nothing compared to the price of this overall, but $100 is $100. Good Luck.

LAAngels

I found a coupon code in my email (who would have thought?) I guess I just passed by it when I got the email earlier in the week.

I went to a local CC store because I was doing the 12 months no interest financing through CC (figured, why not?). I applied today, so the call center couldn't look up my information. The credit company would only give my account number to someone in the store. So I went in, coupon in hand.

Explained the deal that I was offered over the phone (The $269 gift card) and showed them the coupon that I printed from my email. They called the credit company and was able to look up my account. So I walked out with the Philips 42PF9630A and a Monster Cable 4 jack surge protector ($59.99) with "clean power" and a $269 gift card (no waiting!) for $2659.98 all financed for 12 months, no interest. Not sure if I'm going to mount it or put it on a stand. Right now it's on our coffee table, testing out HD through Comcast (already had the receiver for my other TV.)

Picture looks great so far, I adjusted the default settings down a little, and I'm digging the ambilight. I don't know what to set anything at though..

We got our set today, anf have been enjoying it immensely... however there is a slight buzzing when the picture goes bright, which is defiantely audible when a white screen is up, or if I'm in the menu. I'm in Denver, so at 5280 above sea level, is this going to be a problem?

the Set i saw in the store didn't make this noise..

And is it normal for the top of the rear case to get so hot.. It's almost too hot to hold my hand on..

Apart from that... wow.. what a picture

Serus. Good job, I would have done the same thing but my local stores were out of stock, and I haven't been signed up for the CC email. I will wait for this to come back in stock and see what deals I can get. Good to know that the gift card is still given in store if offered in India.

I bought this TV from CC and the picture is not centered when I hook up my HD DirecTV DVR through the HDMI connection. The widescreen content fills the screen but the normal 4:3 stuff puts bars on the sides. On my TV the bar on the right is twice the size as the one on the left. Is this normal. Also, there seems to be some vertical ghosting during panning or action sequences. Basically there seems to be an ever so faint "jail cell bar" thing layered over the screen. You guys think something is wrong?

uvajonw-use the cursors to center it. The instruction manual "warns" of this for HD signals coming through component and HDMI. I had the same situation.

Thanks for the centering help. Also, what do you think about the "jail bar ghosting". Did any of you guys get the extended warranty from CC or Best Buy? Thanks.

Has anyone read the recent Cnet review of the PX50U? Well if you havent its adds that the 9630A has , If I recall correctly inferior picture quality and image processing. Now I am a reasonable man but let me tell you either the reviewer was basically blind or was to busy cashing the check since it would be impossible for someone to make that claim. Prior to my purchase of the 9630A I was leaning towards the PX50. I thought then and still believe now it is a nice panel. Now mind you I spent over nine months looking for my plasma. I spent so many hours in stores viewing for hours at a time, SD, my own DVDS and hd feeds that I pretty much know what each panel is capable of. And let me assure you there is not a big difference at all. My blacks are dark and inky, I see plenty of detail to. View the night time fog scene from Master and Commander or maybe the opening scenes of terminator 3 where the robots are going thru the night to name a few. I see plenty of detail no black blobs and no false contouring or artifacts. As far as picture quality it cant be denied that it is in the same class as the Panny, and with the numerous connectivity options is second to none. Tweakabilty, well just look at its menus. And guess what no service tech needed to update software. My My. Whenever I am on here I hear about bad SD hell I dont have that problem perhaps pixel plus 2 does work , listening Cnet? From 480i,480i widescreen, 480P,720P, 1080i all look terrific. My colors are right on, my detail is great ,the images just look like I am looking out a window, another words it all looks real, just like in life. Isnt that what picture quality is supposed to be? Philips is selling so many of these at such a pace that as many people have already noted that as soon as a new shipment arrives they are sold. Hmmmm interesting incentive to poo poo a unit dont you think. All I know is that I have been around much to long to be mislead without smelling a Rat! As I have said in many of my posts the final decision is always left up to the eyes, not the oscillascope .When you leave your bias at the door you know exactly what I am saying, and what I am seeing. ;)

If I recall correctly inferior picture quality and image processing. Now I am a reasonable man but let me tell you either the reviewer was basically blind or was to busy cashing the check since it would be impossible for someone to make that claim.

Cnet is kinda like this site, in love with the Panny. All I know is I've logged ~120 hours on my Philips and if there's any PQ that beats that thing, I find that hard to believe.

I compared this model with the Panny 42PD25u/p and the Philips waxed the floor with the Panny.

The reviewers and some on this site w/ blinders can keep up the Panny lovefest. I had some definite buyer's remorse with my Panny, can't say the same about my Philips 42".

I got this set last week, and so far I think it's fantastic. This forum has been a great help, and was ultimately the reason I began looking into Philips, which I hadn't really considered until reading the forum. To the other owners of this panel, how are you setting such things as "active control", "DNR", and "dynamic contrast"? Depending on how these are set, there could be a material difference in the picture I see. I hadn't seen these mentioned before, so I thought I'd tee it up. Thanks.

Update:

So far, I'm loving it! I updated the firmware just because I could. Took a total of 2 minutes to update it myself, it couldn't have been easier..

Uvajonw, I don't know about the jail cell ghosting. I don't see anything like that. I had to adjust my screen slightly like you were talking about, but I don't see these bars across the screen.

I watched a couple episodes of Band of Brothers last night. I think I'm a believer that the Ambilight does add to the movie. In Episode 6, Bastogne, due to all the snow the white glow of the screen added that feeling of extension to the scenes. It also helps with eye strain while I'm watching and overall makes it more enjoyable. My wife is still on the fence, but I think she likes it more now than when she saw it in the stores.

I was a little hesitant and I too was going to go with the Panny 50u. I was originally going to go with this Philips, then I went to the store and the panny looked better. Decided on the panny. But it was out of stock for a few weeks, and I took another look at the philips and after reading these posts, determined that the screen in the store had to be configured wrong. I messed with the set in the store yesterday and couldn't make it look good. I think that the atmosphere of CC just isn't a good place to be comparing.

After getting it home, I really don't have any complaints but for one. I sometimes hear a buzzing sound from the speakers when there's a large action scene on TV or on a DVD. Almost like a rattling from really deep base, but it happens more often than it should. It's not that big of a deal to me because I'm going to be switching to a surround sound system when I move in a couple weeks and won't be using the speakers on the set at all.

One thing I think is awesome is the fact that you can change the picture settings based on the picture input. So for movies I have one picture setting and for TV I've got another.

How do I go about connecting a computer monitor to it though? I thought it had a standard RGB input when it doesn’t. It’s got some other kind of connection that needs an adapter. In the manual it shows using a DVI-HDMI cable to connect a PC, but I thought there were problems with the picture aligning correctly when you use an adapter.

Ray1 raises a good question about the different settings. I really have messed with them a lot, but I have a little. I don’t know what they should be set at so I too would like to know what a good basic setting to have them at is.

For people considering buying 9630A - you may check www.computerbrain.com.
I got my for $2,444 plus shipping.

I want to try to upgrade my firmware and was wondering what version should I try or all of them? Can anyone tell me what to do???

I don't have any particluar problem at this point - I am using a dvi-to-hdmi cable - no sound issued.

use the latest one. They are cumulative. The instructions are there as well. Very simple.

Alek, I just went to the philipsusa.com site, and browsed to my model set, went to the support site and downloaded the latest firmware. I copied the 12MB file over to my 16MB USB flash drive. Plugged it in, turned the set on and it updated on its own. I think there is a way to do it if you don't have a flash drive, but you'll have to read the manual. You'll want to update to the latest, because it has all the fixes from prior updates.

Thanks mlandau and Serus!

To mlandau and Serus:

Can you tell me what kind of USB cards did you use? I checked what we have at home, and they are not those from the manual (on cd-rom). I should probaly buy a new one anyway.

This is an example of what you need. You don't need one thats 512MB in size of course, but this is pretty cheap:

http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?product_code=310409&pfp=cat3


Question, I've got this cable that came with the set. It's got what looks like a headphone jack on one end, and two sensors on the other end, they kind of look like LED lights. What is this used for? I think it's an IR blaster/extention, but not sure how it would be used..

As my CC is out of stock i did think last night that I would wait until the Panasonic price reduction at the end of the month. Then I read the last few posts and particularly Serus - that was my experience - i couldnt get the set in CC to give me a decent picture - it was soft and gray. But as you have all mentioned once you get it home it is looking great and so far no issues - except for possible altitude problems. I might buy online or give CC a chance next week if they get more stock. price at CC is the same this week - 18 months interest free - i will let you know if i manage to get the gift card this week.

I am curious about this Panasonic issue.

On the one hand, so many people like it, but on the other hand, it is not very often that professional reviews would put Panasonic products (I recently was researching for a plasma and before - a dvd-player, though most reviewers say that Panasonic's LCD projector 700U is one of the best) on the first place in a comparison test. By professional I mean published well-recognized in masses journals like Sound&Vision, Home Theater, HTGuide, Home theater Choice, PCWorld, or similar ... which are available (to me) as ``hard copies.'' I can be mistaken, though. I did not search for the reviews specifically.

At the same time many web reviewers really like it and regularly place Panasonic products as #1.

What is going on?

I recently read in the Home Theater magazine about an interesting observation comparing HD plasma (LG?) and the most recent Panasonic ED plasma. Except for two professionals (one may think they knew where to look) all other walk-in people preferred ED Panasonic as the sharpest one from a distance of 17'. However, at 10' everyone chose an HD set as a better one.

The reviewer belives that a human eye perceives contrast as sharpness. So, if you dial more contrast (or have some edge enhancement) on a lower resolution set, some people may think it is a better set.

But I am not professional myself, so I am rather trying to relay what I read and don't have a professional opinion here.

Casey, I feel the same way about cnet. They have definitely been partial to the pannys. They don't even talk about the philips.

I am happy to report that i am up and running. After researching and waiting for 10 months, i couldn't be happier with my decision to buy the 9630. I haven't hung on the wall yet. Its going to be quite a project and my brother wasnt up for it yesterday. You see, I'm going to go straight through the wall with all of the cables and place my receiver, dvd, etc on the other side which is in my guest room closet. Then I have to get an RF extender so my remotes work through the wall. Anyone have any experience with this? I really just wanted the cleanest look possible with no cables, equipment, or anything...Just like a picture on the wall. I went ahead and lowered all my settings below 50 and i still think the picture is incredible. Return of the King looks AMAZING!! Well, I hope everyone is enjoying as much as I am, and thanks again for all your help.

preferred ED Panasonic as the sharpest one from a distance of 17'. However, at 10' everyone chose an HD set as a better one.

If you have to get 20' away to come to the conclusion that one model is better than the other, that says a lot to me about which tv is better.

Really, how many people are viewing a 42" tv from 17' away?

If you have to get 20' away to come to the conclusion that one model is better than the other, that says a lot to me about which tv is better.

Really, how many people are viewing a 42" tv from 17' away?


That brings up a good questino. How far away SHOULD we be viewing a 42 inch plasma from? I'm currently at about 6' from mine and loving it!

Casey, I feel the same way about cnet. They have definitely been partial to the pannys. They don't even talk about the philips.

I am happy to report that i am up and running. After researching and waiting for 10 months, i couldn't be happier with my decision to buy the 9630. I haven't hung on the wall yet. Its going to be quite a project and my brother wasnt up for it yesterday. You see, I'm going to go straight through the wall with all of the cables and place my receiver, dvd, etc on the other side which is in my guest room closet. Then I have to get an RF extender so my remotes work through the wall. Anyone have any experience with this? I really just wanted the cleanest look possible with no cables, equipment, or anything...Just like a picture on the wall. I went ahead and lowered all my settings below 50 and i still think the picture is incredible. Return of the King looks AMAZING!! Well, I hope everyone is enjoying as much as I am, and thanks again for all your help.

i have the rf ...it can lag

you could drill 2 holes and snake them dwn the wall..instead of putting your stuff in the closet