Hi...

does anyone have thoughts, good or bad, on the Philips 42PF9431D/37 plasma?

thanks, dick s

Hi...

does anyone have thoughts, good or bad, on the Philips 42PF9431D/37 plasma?

thanks, dick s

i am replying to this because i have a philips plasma, but not the model you are referring to. i have the 50pf7220a/37. i thought i would just give you a heads up on philips. their customer support if you have problems is practically non-existant, and if you can actually get someone to help you, you will be running around in circles trying to get your plasma fixed correctly if it has problems. philips has been one of the more problematic plasma brands on the market over the past several years....not just my opinion, but stated by consumer reports as having higher number of problems with their plasmas than other manufacturers. i have several problems with mine and have attempted to contact customer service about them, and they always seem to qoute the instruction manual in their e-mails or conversations after i explain a problem, which doens't offer any kind of help. i would recommend just about any brand over philips. i had been an avid philips fan when i was younger, but there have been problems with 3 major electronics i had purchased with the philips brand that has permanently steered me away from them in the future. i would say go with panasonic for one of the best quality plasmas. i am getting the 50px600u, so i would recommend the 42px600u of you are looking for a 42", or the 42px60u (last years model). panasonic and pioneer have been the top two plasma makers in reliability and picture quality for the past several years, so if you go with them you won't be disappointed. every brand will have their problems or issues, but i find it hard to trust a brand when 3 major electronic products i purchased from them were all faulty. maybe i have just had bad luck and gotten the lemons each time, but like i said, philips has more documented problems than most other manufacturers. hope my two cents helps a bit

hi...thanks for the heads up...unfortunately, my wife bought a philips for my birthday...it wouldn't have been my first choice...maybe samsung

but thanks for weighing in...

Hi...does anyone have thoughts, good or bad, on the Philips 42PF9431D/37 plasma? thanks, dick s

It's a good plasma TV and has the PixelPlus feature which is nice but not Ambilight.

There might be a thread on it or you can pick up tips on how to utilize it by scanning the 9630 and 9631 threads. They all share similar technologies.

i am replying to this because i have a philips plasma, but not the model you are referring to. i have the 50pf7220a/37. i thought i would just give you a heads up on philips. their customer support if you have problems is practically non-existant,

No argument, it is lousy, but everyone else's is pretty bad, too.

and if you can actually get someone to help you, you will be running around in circles trying to get your plasma fixed correctly if it has problems.

Fortunately, AVS is here to help. :D Plus, buy from a good retailer/online place and/or get a good warranty to cover yourself.

philips has been one of the more problematic plasma brands on the market over the past several years....not just my opinion, but stated by consumer reports as having higher number of problems with their plasmas than other manufacturers.

They also have more plasmas out there (#3 by market share) than many others. They do have some quality control issues, but look at the threads here on AVS: plenty of problems, no screen, stuck pixel issues on other sets.

i am getting the 50px600u, so i would recommend the 42px600u of you are looking for a 42", or the 42px60u (last years model). panasonic and pioneer have been the top two plasma makers in reliability and picture quality for the past several years, so if you go with them you won't be disappointed. every brand will have their problems or issues, but i find it hard to trust a brand when 3 major electronic products i purchased from them were all faulty. maybe i have just had bad luck and gotten the lemons each time, but like i said, philips has more documented problems than most other manufacturers. hope my two cents helps a bit

The Panasonics are good brands, and the model you cite was my #2. I think the newer Philips plasmas are much more reliable than the other ones. I would go with the 9631 line as it has Ambilight and PixelPlus.

Again, there are problems with ALL makes and models....the only way to cover yourself is to buy from someone who will support you (no manufacturers do) and get a good warranty.

Hi...

does anyone have thoughts, good or bad, on the Philips 42PF9431D/37 plasma?

thanks, dick s

I have had the Philips 50PF9631D (a similar model) since mid July and it has performed flawlessly for me. I did buy the Circuit City extended warranty when I bought the set because I didn't want the hassle in case something went wrong; so far I have not needed to use that warranty. I originally bought the Philips because it looked like the best picture along side of the others in the particular store I was in. I have enjoyed it very much, and hope you have an equally pleasant experience. I also learn a lot by keeping up with the relevant posts here in AVS.

I have had the Philips 50PF9631D (a similar model) since mid July and it has performed flawlessly for me. I did buy the Circuit City extended warranty when I bought the set because I didn't want the hassle in case something went wrong; so far I have not needed to use that warranty. I originally bought the Philips because it looked like the best picture along side of the others in the particular store I was in. I have enjoyed it very much, and hope you have an equally pleasant experience. I also learn a lot by keeping up with the relevant posts here in AVS.

Thanks, judging by some posts, you'd think the only negative posts/threads were on Philips models....I can find a dozen threads bashing Panasonics, Samsung, even Pioneer.

Buy a model that has the 'kinks' worked out, buy from a dealer who will support you, and buy a model that has AVS popularity behind it so there are others who can help you out/support you.

That's all you can do.

You can spend 3X as much on a Fujitsu or a Runco and still get a lemon. This is sensitive technology compared to a simple CRT where the error rate was probably 1 in a thousand.

thanks to everybody who responded. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

dick s

hi...update on philips...

unable to upgrade firmware (downloaded from their site) with my memorex usb 2.0 memory stick which froze the set...contacted philips support and was on the phone just five minutes...they are sending out a free memory stick with the upgrade firmware...installed a DVR today (starpower) and the quality is excellent...no complaints (knock on wood) about service or image quality...

regards, dick s

hi...thanks for the heads up...unfortunately, my wife bought a philips for my birthday...it wouldn't have been my first choice...maybe samsung

but thanks for weighing in...my 3+ year old Philips Plasma, 1024x1024 Alis 42" Panel has worked flawlesly since I bought it, and the picture still looks fantastic.

hi...update on philips...unable to upgrade firmware (downloaded from their site) with my memorex usb 2.0 memory stick which froze the set...contacted philips support and was on the phone just five minutes...they are sending out a free memory stick with the upgrade firmware...installed a DVR today (starpower) and the quality is excellent...no complaints (knock on wood) about service or image quality...regards, dick s

What model plasma do you have and what was the software upgrade code that you attempted to upload?

And what is the latest software on the TV (get if from the on-screen menu)?

model #42PF9431D/37

customer support tells me i am one firmware upgrade behind...the set was manufactured in october...the latest upgrade is BJ24U-1.9.0.0_03261 posted 10/20/2006

model #42PF9431D/37 customer support tells me i am one firmware upgrade behind...the set was manufactured in october...the latest upgrade is BJ24U-1.9.0.0_03261 posted 10/20/2006

Is that date -- October -- listed on the website?

We have one for the 9631 for November but it's still listed as "August" even though the software has advanced to the "1.9" version from the "1.8" in August.

go to:

http://www.usasupport.philips.com/productDocuments.html?ProductCode=42PF9431D/37&subCat=PLASMA_LARGE_32_42_SU_US_CONSUMER

I work for a nationwide Electronics repair company and we service Plasma TV brands that run the gamut from Akai to Zenith. Philips Plasma's are in our shop more than any other brand by at least a 2-1 margin. It's not just their Plasma's either, their high failure rate extends from direct views to rear screen projectors. As far as Philips, behind them is LG/Zenith. The only reason I don't have as big a problem with them is their picture is better and their upfront cost if fairly reasonable.

I work for a nationwide Electronics repair company and we service Plasma TV brands that run the gamut from Akai to Zenith. Philips Plasma's are in our shop more than any other brand by at least a 2-1 margin. It's not just their Plasma's either, their high failure rate extends from direct views to rear screen projectors. As far as Philips, behind them is LG/Zenith. The only reason I don't have as big a problem with them is their picture is better and their upfront cost if fairly reasonable.


I don't know many people would would say "lets buy a Phillips, I like having twice the likelyhood of it breaking than other sets". :rolleyes:

Has anyone seen the Philips 50" from costco? its not too expensive and I love costco's return policy (return anything anytime to any store) so I wouldnt have to deal with the customer support from philips. its model number 50PF9431D/37 its not ambilight but has Pixel Plus. I wonder if its a newer model or an older one? Anyone know anything about it?

Nemmim,

I started a thread about the 50pf9431 last night, I have one and have had no problems.

I work for a nationwide Electronics repair company and we service Plasma TV brands that run the gamut from Akai to Zenith. Philips Plasma's are in our shop more than any other brand by at least a 2-1 margin. It's not just their Plasma's either, their high failure rate extends from direct views to rear screen projectors. As far as Philips, behind them is LG/Zenith. The only reason I don't have as big a problem with them is their picture is better and their upfront cost if fairly reasonable.

I agree that Philips quality control needs to be improved but your post says nothing. What if I said I ran an auto repair shop and I saw twice as many Chevrolets and Toyotas as Nissan's ?

Philips is #3 in flat panels in the U.S. and their plasmas have been around since 1998. Alot of other companies just starting ramping up in the last 2-3 years.

I agreuae that Philips quality control needs to be improved but your post says nothing. What if I said I ran an auto repair shop and I saw twice as many Chevrolets and Toyotas as Nissan's ?

Philips is #3 in flat panels in the U.S. and their plasmas have been around since 1998. Alot of other companies just starting ramping up in the last 2-3 years.

His post said a lot.

If you repair twice as many Phillips plasmas than anyone else's including those that sell a lot more units like Panasonic, doesn't that tell you that the failure rate as a percentage of the total is much higher?

If you repair twice as many Phillips plasmas than anyone else's including those that sell a lot more units like Panasonic, doesn't that tell you that the failure rate as a percentage of the total is much higher?

No, because the greater time that Philips products have been out there accounts for greater TV share. Also, the fact that more Panasonics and other brands are sold at retail outlets with 100% exchange policies (i.e., Costco) means you won't find these sets in the repair dept. Philips sets are more likely to be purchased by working and middle-class folks who don't have the $$$ for new sets (and/or don't have 100% exchange policies) and thus spend the $$$ to get the sets repaired.

I agree that Philips products need to be made more reliably, and I will even grant you that Panasonic (and Pioneer and probably Samsung/Sharp) are better made. But most of these companies share similar fabs in the Far East and the parts are interchangeable. There are design specs that differentiate the products, yes -- but alot of the internal and display parts are 99% similar.

And lastly, look at AVS -- admittedly, a biased sample more picky and high-end than the market as a whole -- and look at the threads. I see very few posts/threads about Philips sets going totally dead, stuck/dead pixels, etc.

No, because the greater time that Philips products have been out there accounts for greater TV share. Also, the fact that more Panasonics and other brands are sold at retail outlets with 100% exchange policies (i.e., Costco) means you won't find these sets in the repair dept. Philips sets are more likely to be purchased by working and middle-class folks who don't have the $$$ for new sets (and/or don't have 100% exchange policies) and thus spend the $$$ to get the sets repaired.

I agree that Philips products need to be made more reliably, and I will even grant you that Panasonic (and Pioneer and probably Samsung/Sharp) are better made. But most of these companies share similar fabs in the Far East and the parts are interchangeable. There are design specs that differentiate the products, yes -- but alot of the internal and display parts are 99% similar.

And lastly, look at AVS -- admittedly, a biased sample more picky and high-end than the market as a whole -- and look at the threads. I see very few posts/threads about Philips sets going totally dead, stuck/dead pixels, etc.

I'll be more specific.

I'm speaking of Plasma TV's that have been out for the past year and a half.

In fact, I'd break it down like this on new stuff within the past year and a half.

Plasma's
Easily a 2-1 margin. Only LG comes close.

LCD's
This is worse, probably 3-1. The only brands that reach this kind of failure level are the off brands like Vizio, Akai's, BBY's Insignia line, Proview, etc.

Rear Projection
3-1 here too.

Direct view
Less than 2-1. Only Toshiba comes close to Philips here. Toshiba really went downhill in the DV category when they started sticking Orion chassis's in their sets.

DLP
Too hard too tell. We've seen a few of them but Philips really isn't pushing this technology like they are the Plasma and LCD models.

I'll be more specific. I'm speaking of Plasma TV's that have been out for the past year and a half. In fact, I'd break it down like this on new stuff within the past year and a half. Plasma's Easily a 2-1 margin. Only LG comes close. LCD's This is worse, probably 3-1. The only brands that reach this kind of failure level are the off brands like Vizio, Akai's, BBY's Insignia line, Proview, etc. Rear Projection 3-1 here too. Direct view Less than 2-1. Only Toshiba comes close to Philips here. Toshiba really went downhill in the DV category when they started sticking Orion chassis's in their sets. DLP Too hard too tell. We've seen a few of them but Philips really isn't pushing this technology like they are the Plasma and LCD models.

The only technologies I am concerned with are the flat-panels, and specifically plasma (since that's what I own). I have never seen a Philips DLP set. :confused:

Where there's smoke there's usually fire, so I don't want to discount what you are saying -- others have said it, too. At the same time, I see tons of happy owners here on AVS. Perhaps it's the newer models with the advanced technology features -- like the 9630 and 9631 lines -- that Philips has closed the gap. I would point out this is what is featured in their TV commercials and also got them a nice plug earlier this year in the financial publication BARRONS. :)

When the Philips plasmas are right, they give you awesome HD performance and outstanding SD pictures. I've had mine going on 4 months and it's been a dream. All I can do is be honest and if something goes wrong I have the 3-year warranty to protect me. If the set gives me lots of problems, then I guess next time I look at Pioneer or Panasonic. :(

Question: what if my Philips gives me trouble in a few years, I decide to go for the 'better quality' sets, and then I get a Pioneer or Panasonic and it goes kablooey on me in the first 2 months ??? Do I start a thread on AVS saying "PIONEER BITES !!" or "PANASONIC SUCKS" ?? :mad: :confused: ;)

See my point ? ;)

It's tough to extrapolate with different types of owners owning different sets. Alot of Philips buyers might not know how to properly care for their sets relative to Pioneer or Panasonic owners. Same with other middle-of-the-road brands.

Look, there are a bunch of Philips User Threads here. If folks start having problems 1 or 2 or 3 years out, they'll report back. If even the fans start reporting major malfunctions we'll know something is wrong. :cool:

If not? Well, this technology is still funky and the error and problem rate is still higher than for CRT's except for maybe when they were sold in the 1950's. Maybe in a few years problems with ALL makes and models of flat-panels -- and the other HD technologies -- are as rare as a problem with a regular CRT TV that we've all bought since the 1970's onward. :D

As I've said before. The current methods of delivery LCD, Plasma and the bulb based rear projectors are not the end game here. There are too many inherit problems with all three mediums, some that can never truely be fixed. The next generation of video reproduction devices will produce a more vivid picture using less energy and come much closer to what many wish LCD and Plasma panels can produce.

As I've said before. The current methods of delivery LCD, Plasma and the bulb based rear projectors are not the end game here. There are too many inherit problems with all three mediums, some that can never truely be fixed. The next generation of video reproduction devices will produce a more vivid picture using less energy and come much closer to what many wish LCD and Plasma panels can produce.

If you're talking SED, I'll believe it when I see it.

In the meantime, when you can buy a 50" plasma for under $2K, reasonably certain it will last a minimum of 5-7 years (w/warranty) and at worst replace it with a better model for less money in the future, it's not that bad.

I'd say that flat-panel technologies are where PC's where in the mid-1980's between their hardware and software glitches.

We're getting there..... :)

I bought a 50" Philips plasma about a year ago which handled dark scenes absolutely horribly (macroblocking and crushed blacks). Not sure if it was defective, or if all of their plasma are like that.

Luckily, I was able to return it. The plasma that I bought to replace it was a Pioneer PRO-1130HD which has probably given me more enjoyment than just about any electronic device I've ever owned (well, except maybe my Commodore 64 :p ).

I must admit, though, that Ambilight is pretty cool. Because of my experience with the Philips, I set up a backlight behind my Pioneer and I really have noticed a reduction in eye strain as opposed to watching in a perfectly dark room. If Philips was smart, they'd get out of the plasma business and just license Ambilight to other manufacturers.

I bought a 50" Philips plasma about a year ago which handled dark scenes absolutely horribly (macroblocking and crushed blacks). Not sure if it was defective, or if all of their plasma are like that.

What do you mean/what is 'macroblocking' and 'crushed blacks' ?

Luckily, I was able to return it. The plasma that I bought to replace it was a Pioneer PRO-1130HD which has probably given me more enjoyment than just about any electronic device I've ever owned (well, except maybe my Commodore 64 :p ).

For some reason, I have good experiences with equipment I monitor a long time and then buy after doing years of watching and researching: my Schwinn bycycle, my Onkyo & Panasonic stereo, my Corvette, my GoTo telescope, and now my Philips plasma. :D Waited a while on all of them and waiting made me enjoy them all the more and maybe know how to use and treat them too! :D

I must admit, though, that Ambilight is pretty cool. Because of my experience with the Philips, I set up a backlight behind my Pioneer and I really have noticed a reduction in eye strain as opposed to watching in a perfectly dark room. If Philips was smart, they'd get out of the plasma business and just license Ambilight to other manufacturers.

If Philips gives a 3 year warranty with the price of their sets, up the quality control a bit, they've got a killer product. There's enough room for 3 or 4 mass sellers of flat panels and Philips is #3 right now. They don't need to worry about Panasonic and whoever is #2 -- they just need to prevent any other non-top end seller from passing them.

If you're talking SED, I'll believe it when I see it.

In the meantime, when you can buy a 50" plasma for under $2K, reasonably certain it will last a minimum of 5-7 years (w/warranty) and at worst replace it with a better model for less money in the future, it's not that bad.

I'd say that flat-panel technologies are where PC's where in the mid-1980's between their hardware and software glitches.

We're getting there..... :)

People were saying the same about Plasma technology just a few years ago. It wasn't but 5 years or so ago that they could get about one in 10 panels to work off the manufacturers assembly line.

Plasma's use way to much energy and develop too much heat too be considered for the long run. I can tell you that most of the manufacturers are already working on the next gen displays. SED and OLED are 2 that are getting the much of the attention. Both have great advantages over what's out there currently and fix some of the inherit problems of Plasma and LED's like burn in, pure blacks, heat, pixel lag, the need for backlighting, etc.

I bought a 50" Philips plasma about a year ago which handled dark scenes absolutely horribly (macroblocking and crushed blacks). Not sure if it was defective, or if all of their plasma are like that.


I haven't had any problems with my 50" Philips to this point.

Previously I had a 42" Panny, which had a problem with "clay face" right out of the box and before that a 45" sharp aquos LCD which totally sucked. It completely crushed blacks and suffered from macroblocking while doing so. It was the worst picture I've ever seen on a TV and as much as a I tried, I could not adjust the problems away on the Sharp.

Can someone describe what they see on their TV's when they see "clayface" "macroblocking" and "crushed blacks" ? :confused:

Can someone describe what they see on their TV's when they see "clayface" "macroblocking" and "crushed blacks" ? :confused:

These are my definitions and I'm sure others define them differently.

crushed blacks = lack of detail/contrast in dark scenese- everything looks uniformly gray.

clayface = a face that looks artificial, as if it's made of clay or plastic

A good explanation and some pictures of macroblocking can be found at the following link. the sharp I had wasn't this bad, but it was unacceptable. Apparently it wasn't the source since I'm using the same source with my Philips and it does not have the problem.
http://www.hometheaterfocus.com/blog/archive/2005/05/29/207.aspx

I received my 42" Philips plasma 2 hours ago and it was a dud. Customer Service quickly referred me to a local repair site to have them take a look at the unit. This is model 42PF7220A/37B and it would shutdown after ten minutes.

To add to what jread said about crushed blacks, the gradation of shades leading to black can be crushed into a single black level by things other than the display. You are at the mercy of the content providers and to some extent your cable box. Take for example TNT-HD's broadcast of Law and Order. It appears to have crushed blacks. Consider the Motorola 6412p3 cablebox. I believe it has increased contrast to give it a littler punchier of an image. Between the two, there is no detail in the blacks on my Pioneer plasma. But switch to another show that is mastered and broadcast correctly, tuned with my Tivo S3 on the same plasma and I can see all kinds of detail in the blacks. It really makes you realize how much of crushed blacks has nothing to do with your display.

I received my 42" Philips plasma 2 hours ago and it was a dud. Customer Service quickly referred me to a local repair site to have them take a look at the unit. This is model 42PF7220A/37B and it would shutdown after ten minutes.

I don't know why but the 7000's series seem to have lots of problems. The newer models seem much higher quality-made.

Still, no excuse for what happened to you..... :mad:

Good stuff, JimP !! ;)

I received my 42" Philips plasma 2 hours ago and it was a dud. Customer Service quickly referred me to a local repair site to have them take a look at the unit. This is model 42PF7220A/37B and it would shutdown after ten minutes.

Take it back...get your money back..;. and RUN. You have the rare opportunity to get out before it costs you time and money. Take it back!!

This is model 42PF7220A/37B and it would shutdown after ten minutes.

It could be the BSOD -- have you upgraded firmware ?

It really makes you realize how much of crushed blacks has nothing to do with your display.

I agree that crushed blacks aren't always the fault of the display, but it was certainly the fault of the Philips plasma in my case. I used the same DVD player and source material on my Pioneer plasma and experience no crushed blacks.

I agree that crushed blacks aren't always the fault of the display, but it was certainly the fault of the Philips plasma in my case. I used the same DVD player and source material on my Pioneer plasma and experience no crushed blacks.

Is there a scene or few minutes on a popular DVD -- preferably, one I already own :D (maybe "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith") -- that will let me see if my TV/DVD are crushing or not crushing blacks ?

PhillipsPhanatic,

Assuming that the DVD player isn't responsible, I'd say try the DVE disk showing the stepped grayscale. Its the one with many gradations of gray.(I'll look up the chapter number if you need). It'll also show you what's happening at the other end of the range with your whites.

PhillipsPhanatic, Assuming that the DVD player isn't responsible, I'd say try the DVE disk showing the stepped grayscale. Its the one with many gradations of gray.(I'll look up the chapter number if you need). It'll also show you what's happening at the other end of the range with your whites.

I have DVE, Jim, so that would work....let me know where it is.

I tried to calibrate using DVE and found it very difficult; I pretty much calibrated based on AVS Philips 9630/31 users plus a few chapters of the DVE. And the grayscale and contrast tests were where I got lost.

Here's something weird to contemplate: my DVD apparently is randomly applying a tint to DVD's or CD-ROMS (photos) that we play on it. I first noticed it because my Sony DVD players's screen saver, which is normally a nice acqua blue, changed to a more purplish-tinted screen saver -- I didn't think anything of it at the time because I didn't think it was significant. But then we looked at a CD-ROM of pictures and all the faces had a greenish tint compared to an earlier showing. No, no settings on the TV or DVD had been changed -- and in fact, I have noticed this 'shift' in color once before and then it went back to normal. Can't think of anything that could be causing this -- any ideas? I have a Sony DVP-NS575P with comonponent connections.

hey guys I actually own a 50PF9431D/37 that I bought from Costco on Black Friday and im having a few questions about the quality. When I play my xbox 360 on it the picture looks perfect but when I watch regual SD channels, the picture looks fine when there isn't that much activity but when objects are moving fast, there is some distortion that is getting annoying. Is this from the SD channel or my tv? The distortion is like little vertical scetions being blocky. Also I am sitting approx 8 feet away so is this to close and normal or should I take this back to costco and buy a different tv? If spending a couple 100 more on a better tv means this wont happen i dont mind but I would want to buy it from costco for the return policy and would like a suggestion