This was meant as a ‘bedroom’ TV – replacing a 15 yr. old 27-incher; the 32″ size was constrained by the size of our TV cabinet – and, so far, it fully met our expectations.

We made the initial decision to order this specific TV because it was on sale at the time (low price) and because I had a very positive experience with PHILIPS as a customer in the past. Since we set it up in our bedroom we liked it even more for its ease of setup and operation, high quality picture and sound (the context is the bedroom) and for its versatility/flexibility (many ports and options). The all-shiny-black, minimalist design, with all buttons invisible, hidden behind the frame is not too bad either.

So, let’s get into some details.

SETUP AND OPERATIONS

As I noted already, it’s as easy as plugging it in and hooking it up to either an antenna (coax) or cable box. The first time you turn on the TV it’s going to ask about your language – English, French and Spanish are supported – look for ‘channels’ and then do a very clever color setup test where all you do is answer which side (right or left) you prefer for the 5 or 6 pictures displayed. You’re done.

Later on, you can personalize your color and sound preferences by setting up various parameters individually or by picking any of the pre-configured sets: standard, sports, movie, gaming for colors. You can set the sound parameters such as virtual surround, volume leveling, stereo/mono/SAP and you can pick form ‘auto’ sound or pre-set configurations such as movie, music or news.

Like any modern TV, this one is upgradeable too. If you really feel the need to do so, you can pick the latest software at the Philips site, loaded on a USB drive and your TV should update itself once the USB drive is plugged into TV’s USB port. NOTE: the USB port is ONLY for upgrading, it CAN’T be used to display pictures or play home videos.

The small remote control is well laid out, uncluttered, with the most important functions – on/off, input source, sleep, picture format and, of course, channel and volume – accessible through dedicated buttons and the less frequently needed functions available through the ‘menu’ option.

SPECS

This is clearly not a top of the line device and it’s not meant to be so. At this size (32″ to be used in the bedroom) we didn’t care about 1080p so we saved by getting this good quality model at a great price. So, here’s what you get:

- Picture: WXGA (1366×768 at 60Hz) – typically you’ll be getting 720p if watching a Blu-ray video.

- Aspect ration: 16:9, also known as ‘wide screen’.

- Viewing angle: 170 degrees. Really, no issues viewing the picture from whatever angle.

- Sound: 20W and supports virtual surround

- PC input: supported via HDMI

- Power: 120V, 60Hz (don’t take it to Europe)

CONNECTIONS

Quite impressive for a TV this inexpensive. Everything that might be possibly needed from coax to HDMI (3) ports is there. No TOSLINK (optical) port, it’s true but I can’t see why you would need one given the TV’s tiny speakers.

Inputs:

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- Antenna jack (coax)

- Component video and audio (on the side)

- S-Video (on the side)

- Composite video

- HDMI ports (three ports, 2 on the back and one on the side)

- USB (for software upgrades only)

Outputs:

————

- Analog audio

- Digital audio output

WARRANTY

The limited 1 year warranty covers everything other than accident (you drop it) or abuse and either the original purchaser or someone who received the item as a gift – proof of purchase still needed. It’s worth noting that you will be responsible for shipping and shipping costs if there is a need to have your TV fixed so make sure that you save your receipt and the original box.

Since I mentioned on the first paragraph that I picked a PHILIPS because of a prior good customer experience, maybe it’s worth sharing it because not all companies treat their customers with respect AFTER the sale. A couple of years ago my old PHILIPS monitor decided to stop working. It was covered by a 2-year warranty and ‘I thought’ it was still under warranty but I could not find the proof of purchase. To make it short, the Philips person established the date the monitor was manufactured from the serial number and, even if it was a little over ’2 years ago’ agreed to have my monitor repaired under warranty even though I could not produce a receipt. They added ’3 months’ to the manufacture date because they estimated it would take that long for a unit to be sold. I don’t believe that many companies would do this much for their FORMER customers.

Excellent value. Beautiful picture, sound is very good., January 2, 2011

I read many reviews and visited the stores to look at several TVs before reaching a decision. It came down to this one and a couple other brands, but the deciding factor came from past experience. I purchased a refurbished Philips TV in the past that was still in perfect condition and 5 years later, I’ve never had any issues with it. When I called tech support for an issue I didn’t think would be easily fixed, they gave me a suggestion that worked in 10 minutes AND they called back the next day to make sure I was satisfied.

I ordered this TV from Amazon on a Wednesday. I paid no tax and selected free super saver shipping… it arrived on Friday. It’s super lightweight, I was able to pick it up without a problem at all. Assembly was very easy, you will just need a cross head screwdriver to attach the stand. It took 5 minutes to put together. The remote is very lightweight and came with batteries as well.

I found the 3 HDMI ports to be very convenient, as I have several things to attach. In fact, I plugged an HDMI cable into my laptop and watched streaming videos on the TV screen.

The setup screen will appear when it’s first plugged in, so colors and volume settings can be selected. The picture was crystal clear even before I had the HDTV cable box installed. The screen is bright and vibrant and in a 15×15 room, the sound is PLENTY loud. I have it at 20 right now and that’s very good. I’m not sure how far it goes, but I got it up to 30 and felt I was probably blasting out my neighbors in the apartment upstairs so I didn’t go further.

There are no dark shadows, no matter what angle you’re viewing. Even when standing next to it and viewing it from the side, the picture is perfect. The way my living room is set up, I have the TV across from a large patio door that takes up nearly the whole wall and a lot of light shines in. The glare is very minimal and I haven’t seen a need to close the blinds to see the picture yet.

The frame around it is glossy and prone to fingerprinting, but that’s really my only complaint! I am in love with this TV and I’m thrilled with my purchase, especially for the price. I would definitely recommend this TV and the Philips brand to anyone.

If you are looking for a decent, low priced LCD TV than this is the TV for you. The quality surpasses the suggested retail price, and fulfilled all the requirements I was looking for in a brand new LCD TV. I was very pleased with my purchase, but that doesn’t mean this particular TV was without faults.

I bought this TV from a retailer, not from Amazon, so I can’t speak to the shipping or quality from any Amazon seller. However, I can speak on how this TV measures up. The selling point of this TV was the price and the lack of negative reviews on this site. The main thing I was looking for in a new LCD TV was the picture, and once connected to a HD source complete with an HDMI cord, I was very pleased with the results. The visual experience of this TV exceeded my expectations of a low cost 720p resolution TV. With this TV you will experience as much HD quality that a 720p TV can give. Being a 32 inch screen this TV will give ample viewing for a small to medium size room. I have seen no problems watching this TV at any reasonable angle. The only problem I have experienced from the visual aspect of this TV is that it takes a second or two to switch from one HD channel to the next (the screen will go black for said duration). Other than the short duration it takes to switch from one HD channel to the next, I have absolutely no complaints with the visual experience from this TV.

While the sound from a TV speakers is not the main concern I have when buying a new TV some may hold this in high regard. The quality of the speakers of this TV are not the main selling point of this TV. The speakers are not terrible, but they are also not all that amazing. When played at higher level of sound the built in speakers will rattle a bit. It seems to only happen at certain pitches, but while watching ESPN some of the voices made a certain annoying buzz on the built in speakers. I did not feel this was a deal breaker, but some more picky individuals may be more concerned. The only thing I can compare this sound with is when sub-woofers in a car make the car rattle (hard for me to explain this, I hope this makes sense). This rattling doesn’t happen often, but when it does it is noticeable. If this bothers you, I would suggest getting external speakers. The speakers of this TV is indicative of the price, as in it’s not top of the line.

All in all, I am pleased with the TV. It has lived up to and exceeded the pricing of other TV like it, but it is not without its faults. If you are looking for a cheaper TV that provides a superior visual experience then this TV is one to consider. The only downsides are the delays when changing from one HD channel to the next, and the sub par built in speakers. I have had this TV for one month and I am very pleased with its performance given its price.