A deep insight into the best LCD TV - Philips 46PFL9706H

What is it?

For all those who have waited for a good LCD television set for quite long, Philips LCD 46PFL9706H will end their waits. This 46 inch LCD is the only one from that range. At the same time it is the only television set in the world that uses ‘Moth Eye Filter’ technology. But at the same time, this is not just the only technology that Philips 46PFL9706H is proud of. Rather than having edge LED lighting, this TV has direct lighting system which makes its 2D performance dazzling. The brushed aluminum body work is just mind blowing.

The product comes with Ambilight technology wherein the TV casts colored lights on the sides and top along with a wide multimedia base and improved online services. It also carries 3D technology called 3D Max and has a huge array of features to make TV viewing an experience of a lifetime. The 40W speakers haven’t been installed in the main body; rather they have been connected in the metal base. It can be easily wall mounted. Overall, the anti-glare finish is great as it doesn't allow any reflections. The design is appealing and innovative.

Key Features

Philips 46PFL9706H is certainly full of features. It comes with Moth Eye Filter, which carries tiny modules to eliminate any reflections on the screen. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about room lighting and other related fixtures, as the TV produces enhanced perceived contrast ranges. The Moth Eye Filter Technology apparently delivers 10 times better contrast ratios than a non-moth Eye TV.

This product’s design is again an added feature. The brushed aluminum bezel along with creatively installed speakers makes this TV look beautiful. The overall design is eye catchy and can suit any kind of wall, mingle with any type of interiors and still manage to look beautiful on its own.

This Philips TV has garnered huge attention because it has Direct LED lighting than edge LED lighting. This makes it a better performer and offers more localized control over illumination of images.

If you are interested in multimedia specs, then this TV won’t let you down. The product can be used as a PVR to record your favorite programs or pause Live-TV. It also has Wi-Fi connectivity and a dedicated web browser for sharing and searching of media content. It can play various formats like AVI, MKV, MPEG-4, AVC, AAC, MP3, WMA and JPEG for images.

It enables you to get online using Philips’ NetTV platform. It comes with several highlighted applications such as YouTube, BBC iPlayer, FaceBook, Personal Radio, Picasa etc, making it your virtual computer.

The 2D image quality is dazzling and perhaps better than most of its counterparts. It delivers smooth pictures at 1,200Hz Perfect Motion Rate. This is certainly Philips’ Smart TV.

What’s innovative?

Energy Consumption: The overall energy consumption of this product is a little less than average. This is because this TV comes with direct LED lighting rather than backlit LED.

Audio Quality: The speakers of this TV have been deliberately installed into metal frames rather than the inner body. This is a novel idea. But that doesn’t guarantee brilliant sounds. The sound is just decent, not as clear as the previous 9000 series. But it is still pretty powerful and bass-heavy. In comparison to other competitors that is pretty good.

Image Quality: The 2D technology is pretty good. Pictures are great. The screen’s full HD resolution is awesome and comes with exceptional levels of sharpness. The overall noise reduction is good. It uses the Perfect Natural Motion technology which reduces grainy appearance. At times, this is good, but when it is applied on lowest setting to films, then the grains just appear to be floating like a river!

Even then it manages to produce some incredible natural pictures on the screen. But one may forget its heroic 2D performance because of disappointing 3D. Sometimes, its 3D pictures looks slightly out of focus because of cropping up. it you try crosstalk fix at lower setting, then the depth of 3D image is reduced considerably.

But at the same time, the detailing of 3D images is good. The 3D glasses are light and comfortable. Motions pictures may look good due to Picture Natural Motion. It ensures brightest, most color rich images.

Price and availability

The product was launched in 2011. It is priced at $4,799. This makes it a pretty costly LCD TV set to be purchased.

The up-side

Direct LED lighting is good. The design of this Television set is lovely. 2D images are outstanding and dazzling. Even though sound quality is not as good as 9000 series, still you manage to get pretty decent and good sounds. It comes with a huge array of features. Multimedia support is worth appreciating. Ambilight is innovative and increases overall sharpness of images.

The down-side

The major downside is that the product is pretty expensive. The set is tricky as the speakers are installed in metal frame. 3D images may not be very good to crosstalk. There is only one size available-46 inch.

Our experience

Our experience of this TV set was good. The Moth Eye Filter reduces reflection, because of which we didn’t have to worry about lighting. The direct LED is innovative and adds to sharpness of images. The perceived contrast is excellent. 2D images are bright and good. 3D images are also bright but may have crosstalk. Watching 3D with those light and comfortable glasses is a great experience.

The bottomline

Overall, the product is definitely full of features. These features are certainly alluring. 2D is good, 3D is ok. Sound quality is also decent. But the price is heavy. Philips 46PFL9706H is even costlier than Sony HX925, which is priced at $3,999. Everything comes down to the image quality and Ambilight function. The product is jam-packed with a variety of stuff. It only depends on whether one is ready to shed some more dollars for better TV viewing.