[skfields01]

As anyone can tell by now, I am in the market for a new 16x9 HDTV for my bedroom. I was originally looking two models... Philips 34PW850H and the Sony KV-34HS510.


I went to Good Guys over the weekend and discovered the Philips 34PW9818 with its Pixel Plus technology. It was incredible. With the PP on the images looked almost three dimensional. I was wondering of anyone had this model and could give me a mini-review and their reasons for choosing it over another model.


While I was there, I also looked at the Sony KV-34XBR910.. I noticed that it had a sharper image and slightly better coloring than the Philips.


Any thoughts?

 

[gkanders]

I have a 9818. This year's model is the 9819 and it includes DVI. I don't know of any other differences, but it is possible they "fixed" a constraint with the component inputs (see below).


I LOVE the 9818 on NTSC. I read a number of reviews indicating that Philips does good with NTSC and 480p signals. And I thought PP was damn impressive. I ended up getting mine as a refurb at electronicsnation.com. It's the only way I could get into that model. As such, the XBR800 was also out of my range unless I could've gotten a similar deal from Sony for a refurb, but I didn't find such a deal. So it was easy to choose.

I've heard the Sony is better at HDTV, but with a 34" screen, HD is amazing, and I can't imagine it can be too much better than what I see, unless the Sony had much better color reproduction. I certainly think HD is jaw-dropping, so there is no way I could justify the $$ difference that I was looking at.

I'd seriously look at electronicsnation.com -- they had 2 in stock last week.


So a little more in-depth:


1) PixelPlus (PP): This is great. And simple (no setting it up like the DRC palette on the Sony). This does such a good job, I seldom watch DVDs on progressive anymore. There are a few DVDs that I think look better on progressive, but only marginally so, and when using PP, the Digital Natural Motion kicks in and really makes pans and slow movement less jumpy. I know some people like the progressive more, and some like PP more, it's a matter of taste.


2) Zoom modes. I think these are good, I leave it in Automatic most of the time, which seems to work good. When Enterprise comes on, it automatically fills the whole screen with the letterboxed picture (I couldn't find any other zoom mode that did this, only automatic). DVDs (anamorphic) of course go on Widescreen. One problem, inputs AV3 and AV4 don't allow any zoom modes. You'll get full widescreen off of those.


3) Inputs. My model has a pretty good array of inputs (AV1 is composite or component 480i, AV2 is composite or S-vid, AV3 is component 480p or 1080i, AV4 is component 480p or 1080i, side input is composite or S-vid). This works OK (DVI ould be nice), except that AV3 and AV4 are 480p or 1080i, and AV1 is 480i only. This means there is no input that is both 480i and 480p. For my DVD, I hook up composite to AV3 for progressive and s-vid to AV2 for interlaced with PP. This is kind of a pain to switch modes, and I only get to use s-vid with PP, AND I end up waisting an input, which will become a problem someday. This constraint, and the lack of zoom on the HD inputs are the two things I hope they fixed on the 19, but I don't know about that.


4) Some other minor things that I don't like: The OSD does not allow you to show the volume graph when in minimal mode. In max mode you get it, but then the channel number or input is ALWAYS on and I can't deal with that, so I can never see the volume graph. I was never able to get the sound set up so that it worked the way I wanted it. I wanted a mode on the TV that turns off the internal speakers and let me use my receiver. I wanted this as a mode so that I could use the TV speakers for casual viewing when I was too lazy to use the receiver (or when the wife and kids just watched the news or cartoons, etc. But to do this, the setting was not quite right and the volume on the TV or receiver had to be WAY up when using the receiver. I finally got it another way where this is better, but the TV speakers always stay on, so I have to mute (which puts a mute bug on the screen) or (what I do) turn the volume all of the way down when I'm using the receiver. This is a little bit of a pain.


5) One other thing, I have not found anyone who has or can easily get a service manual, so there is not an easy way to figure out how to make service menu adjustments if you need them. I kind of need to fix my TVs overscan, but can't find out how to do that.


Overall, would I buy the same TV again? Absolutely (unless I decided to get a front projector instead). The picture really is stunning. And at least on the refurb, the price was great. Oh, and by the way, my refurb had a strange problem that was intermittent that nobody could figure out, so Philips replaced the TV and now I have a new model (but one with too much overscan).


Good Luck, Greg

 

[m Robinson]

10 months of use now, and basically no problems. I shopped for two years plus, and was very worried when I finally purchased this unit. It has exceeded my expectations, and I'm very particular. My only complaint, was dealt with in the previous post, the inability to change aspect ratios in the component inputs. So once in a while, viewing OTA digital, you can get a letter box in a letter box, elongated. Pretty rediculous, but rare. I too prefer the doubling ability of Pixel Plus, versus the progressive output of my high quality, but two year old Toshiba DVD player. The HD performance is a shade less sharp than a well dialed Sony or Toshiba, but the Phillips, to my eyes just kills the competion when handling NTSC content. That's why I bought it and DVI doesn't matter to me at this screen size. Plus I'm not a Sattelite user or much for time shifting broadcast material. I would like a simpler volume indicator. The sound system within the T.V. is amazingly bass heavy, and I really fiddled with it to get it to sound natural to my ears. I also turn the volume down all the way, using the remote, when viewing DVD and particularly music content. I watch a lot of basketball, and that was my acid test for the direct view purchase. Even a stretched 4:3 using zoom or 16:9 caption mode, is viewable and has few motion artifacts, I could not say that about the competition, at my time of purchase, but new stuff is now available. To be really fair, this Philips and the Toshiba were the only 34" inchers which would fit it our cabinet. I would buy it again, hands down.

 

[skfields01]

So if I hookup my HDTV Receiver (Component) and my Progressive Scan DVD Recorder (Component) I cannot change the aspect ratios of the screen for either? So watching a normal 4:3 TV program... I cannot stretch it to fill the screen? My Widescreen DVD's will still have black bars because I cannot stretch to fill the screen?

 

[gkanders]

Your widescreen DVDs should fill the screeen horizontally. If they are greater than 1.78:1, they will not fill vertically (well, 1.85:1 usually does because of overscan). 2.35:1 (like LOTR) will have small black bars on the top and bottom.

If you are watching 4:3 from your HDTV receiver, you cannot stretch with the TV (but the receiver may be able to). Actually, what I do is hook up the HDTV receiver to AV4 and the side input (side via s-vid). If I'm watching a 4:3 program (which means upconverted SD program), I either just "keep" the bars, or I watch the down-rezzed 480i image on the side input. Of course, what I find is that it is USUALLY better to just watch the NTSC broadcast in this case, unless there is quite a bit more "snow" or noise in the NTSC signal.

 

[skfields01]

That is really strange that you cannot stretch the picture. I know witht he Sony's (KV-34HS510) you can. Don't you find that a bit weird. I would think that Philips would have known that people were going to watch 4:3 programs and would want to see it fill the entire screen.

 

[m Robinson]

My HD tuner will do a stretch if needed, but since my NTSC signals are strong, they represent a viable option, basically because of the excellence of Pixel Plus. I don't view the set from any closer than 10 feet distant. If there's a digital broadcast in my area with a 4:3 aspect ratio, it's probably news or a really old content, which has been panned and scanned. To me, YMMV, it's not a big deal, I hardly think of it. Using the side input as the other gent suggested, can be your work around. We use the side for my daughter's X Box, which is a real kick on this set. Trust your eyes. Force the Dealer to hook up a VCR, a good HD signal and a decent OTA feed to each set you are evaluating, that's how I finally decided. The HD performance is plenty close. NTSC better'n most.

 

[DNINE]

gkanders


Regarding electronicsnation.com I see they have some interesting deals,

however they don't seem to have a direct phone contact only e-mail. The

Web site gives the impression that they are somehow affiliated with Philips

directly, I called Philips they said they would get back to me regarding any

affiliation with them. I am kooking for another set but I am reluctant to buy

from a company that has no phone support, on top being a Refurbished TV. This set will go in a room where I don't really need HD but at the price they are offering it is very

appealing to me. Did you have a phone number for them or you just ordered

the unit through their site? Has anyone else dealt with this Company?

 

[newtodvd]

I bought the 34pw9819 refurbished from electronicsnation.com in August. When the TV arrived, the shipping company only sent one guy to unload a 200 lb box (he told my wife, "you're going to have to help me get this off the truck!"). Luckily (or unluckily, as it turned out), my neighbor helped unload it and put it in the garage. When I got home, we wrestled the behemoth into the entertainment center and turned it on. Nothing. The thing never worked, and you can't send it back because it's too heavy. You can't take it back, because you bought it online.


I called Philips and they gave me names of repair places. I called three of them, and only one said he could possibly work on it. He came out, looked at it for over an hour, and then took some of it back to his shop. Philips ultimately (after a month) decided it could not be fixed, and sent me a new one, which arrived yesterday. That one works. If you can believe it, Philips told me to just put the other one out for the trash!


I stayed in contact with electronicsnation through the whole thing, by email only because, you're right, they don't have a phone number. I tried repeatedly and without success to get either electronicsnation or Philips to take the thing back and send me a replacement, pronto, because if something arrives non-working, you're entitled to a replacement. (It says this on the electronicsnation website, if you look hard enough, but they don't honor it).


I called my credit card, finally, and disputed the charge, giving me some leverage, and ultimately got it resolved.


My advice: Do not buy something this big and heavy online. If you have a Tweeter near you, I think they sell them. You will pay more to get a new one, but you won't go through lost sleep and stress and a nagging wife for SIX weeks waiting to get one that works.

 

[gkanders]

I didn't have a phone contact either, but found they were quite responsive to my emails. I had my refurb for 4 months when an intermittent problem caused me to have to get service. The authorized service center in my area came and picked it up. It took a long time before Philips would agree to replace the set. I don't think it would've been any different if I had a new set. It's just that nobody in my area carries Philips HD sets, and so I wouldv'e had to have gone through the service center even if I bought new.

I do have to say that Philips (or electronicsnation) must have used the same delivery service for me as for newtodvd. The story about 1 guy, getting my wife and neighbor to mvoe the thing into the garage could've been a quote from my experience (If you search, I'm sure you'll find a post where I say the exact same thing). But at that same time, I know someone who got the set via electronicsnation where the delivery people moved to the correct room and helped set it up, so it's just hit and miss I think.

Bottom line for me was, the thing was about $1000 less than new. I could not have gotten it new, I would've had to buy a lesser TV. It all worked out, but you have to decide if the price difference is worth the possible hassle of delivery and service if it has a problem.

Greg

 

[oryan_dunn]

With the Philips Matchline TV's, are you able to change the aspect ratio for input signals of 480p?

peace

 

[gkanders]

not via the TV zoom functions. The HD inputs are for 480p and 1080i, and they are locked. You can probably change the AR in the DVD or HD receiver, but those typically do not have the same number of options as the TVs have. A disadvantage of the Philips for sure.

 

[oryan_dunn]

Ok, in a way that makes me feel better. I just didn't know if the locked AR was only on the lower end Philips HDTV's (which are still pretty high end) or all Philips HDTV's. Whats weird is my friend has a Philips 43 inch 4:3 Philips Projection that allows you to use 16:9 compress or 4:3 on 480p material. Weird that they would lock AR changes on their widescreen models. Oh well. As time goes on, there will be more and more widescreen material and it wont matter as much. Mabye that is why they do that. I did see on Philips site that they are heavy supporters of widescreen so mabye thats why they allow 4:3 users to have a widescreen option. Who knows?

 

[le_paulo]

I recently returned my Philips HDTV Widescreen for this reason - it would always stretch 4X3 material to 16X9 when using 576p (I'm in Australia so that is the PAL equivalent of your 480p).


As I watch mostly European classic cinema which is 1.33:1, I could never get the films to display properly. The DVD player cannot override the Philips TV if the TV is in HD mode (ie 480p, 576p or 1080i).


Now I'm trying to find a set that does allow me to control the aspect ratio in HD mode so I can use my progressive DVD player.


Searching around this forum it seems that the Sony 34XBR910 (or Kvhr36m31 as it is known down here) might let me do it but only from the Service mode - doesn't sound like my idea of fun...


I'm still looking!

 

[galomyr]

le_paulo,


I know that Toshiba HF73 and HFX73 4:3 AR models, and Panasonic HL43 4:3 AR models will allow you to stretch HD content to fill full 4:3 area (making "tall and skinny" people).


The WS versions of these sets (Toshiba HF(X)83's, Panasonic WX53's) just might be able to do what you are looking for, but I'm not entirely sure.


It's worth checking in to, at least, I think. Also, the picture on the new Toshiba HF(X)73 and 83's is VERY nice. Panasonic is still pretty nice, too, but I preferred the pic of the Toshiba's almost as much (if not more in some areas) as Sony.

 

[DNINE]

As far as Electronicsnation.com Philips finally got back to me after a week of phone calls, just to tell me that EN.com was a Authorized dealer. By this time I Had lost faith, there pricing is very good for new model sets it is a

tough choice but I go by a rule. If I have to go through a certain amount of problems before buying something, calling, no return calls, no phone number, stuff like this what kind of problems will I have if something go's wrong after the Sale? On the other hand now knowing they are direct

with Philips and another set was priced right I can see how it is worth it

if it is not a main set. There is another Philips Internet refurb called Cal-York that has a phone line and is pricing similar.