Philips is the number three consumer electronics manufacturer in the world, and has reigned as number one in Europe for quite some time. The company’s reputation is forged in equal measure on quality and style. Today, Philips is known for products that don’t ignore the fine details. They also have a reputation for innovation, as evidenced by their involvement in the development not only of many current television technology standards, but also of media formats such as the compact disc, DVD, and Blu-ray.
Philips’ presence at the cutting edge of television technology is confirmed by their commitment to the LCD format. They were one of the first to really embrace LCDs, and they now offer LCDs exclusively. Philips has also worked on ways to implement back and edge lighting within the LCD experience in order to do more than just enhance the quality of the picture.
Currently, Philips markets a few different lines of LCD HDTVs, with some very impressive proprietary features.
Cinema 21:9
The Cinema 21:9 56-inch LCD TV is the new flagship offering from Philips. This model occupies a unique place in the LCD television landscape. The name refers to the screen’s 21:9 aspect ratio, in 1080p, which are the same screen dimensions and resolution used in film. With the Cinema 21:9, when watching movies, you won’t see any black bars along the top or bottom of the screen – the image fits the screen, and you’re seeing the image exactly as it was intended. The Cinema 21:9 will also display other formats without any distortion.
Another of the Cinema 21:9’s special features is Ambilight Spectra 3, the latest version of a unique Philips technology which produces subtle ambient light around the frame of the television in response to the on-screen image. This can generally enhance the viewing experience, and even reduce eye strain. Quite simply, it has to be seen to be believed.
The Cinema 21:9 also features a 200Hz refresh rate with a 1 millisecond response time for blur-free action, and Perfect Natural Motion, which smoothes jerky-looking action for a more natural and immersive appearance. Like other Philips LCDs, the Cinema 21:9 is Wi-Fi ready, with a suite of networking features. The Cinema 21:9 is one of the truly outstanding LCD TVs available today.
9000 Series
The 9000 is available in 47”, 46”, 42”, 40”, 37”, and 32” versions, in 1080p. The 9000 is the slimmest LCD TV from Philips, with a depth of just 49 millimeters. The 9000 includes Ambilight Spectra 2, as well as Perfect Natural Motion with a 200Hz refresh rate, Philips’ Wi-Fi features, an anti-reflection screen, and 80,000:1 dynamic contrast. This is another solid product from Philips.
8000 Series
Available in 47”, 42”, 40”, and 30” iterations, the 8000 is a great value option at 1080p. With a 100Hz refresh rate, 3 millisecond response time, and 80,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, the 8000’s specifications are nothing to scoff at, and, of course, it comes with Philips’ standard quality and style.