Philips unveils 2009 home entertainment lineup

By Reuben Lee
Jun 25, 2009

SINGAPORE--Dutch electronics giant Philips today launched an avalanche of new home entertainment products, ranging from LCD TVs and SoundBar home theater systems to DVD micro systems and iPod/iPhone docking stations.

	The Philips Cinema 21:9 (Click for larger image)

While more than 20 new products were showcased today, a few of them stood out from the rest. The 56-inch Philips Cinema 21:9 TV, for one, took the spotlight for being the world's first cinema-proportion LCD TV with its 21:9 aspect ratio panel. According to Philips, the wider screen is designed to better accommodate films in the 2.39:1 format (which is the typical aspect ratio for movies shown in cinemas) so as to deliver the same cinematic experience at home.

Another product that caught our attention was Philips' new 52-inch 9000-series HDTV (52PFL9704) which uses the company's LED-backlight technology (LED Lux). Like the Cinema 21:9 TV, it is equipped with the latest cutting-edge features including the Perfect Pixel HD engine (for improved image quality), new Ambilight Spectra 3 technology (for a more immersive viewing experience) and Perfect Natural Motion (to minimize motion judder).

	The Philips HTS8160B SoundBar with integrated Blu-ray player (Click for more info)

Recognizing a strong market demand for all-in-one home theater systems that won't clutter the living room, Philips has expanded its SoundBar* range with five new offerings catering to different consumer segments. The top-of-the-line system, the HTS8160B, is the company's first SoundBar to come with a built-in Blu-ray player. It also supports 7.1-channel surround sound and features Philips' proprietary Ambisound technology which promises immersive surround sound without a multi-speaker setup.

(* The SoundBar is a compact one-piece home theater system that consists of a tuner, disc player and speakers.)

Also at the launch today were new 7000-series and 5000-series HDTVs, two DVD micro theater systems and three iPod/iPhone docking stations. Philips revealed that it will be unveiling its new range of 2.1- and 5.1-channel Blu-ray home theaters in September.

The majority of the new products are already available in the Singapore market, with the exception of the Philips 5000-series, 7000-series TVs and the Cinema 21:9 which will be launched in July, and the 9000-series HDTVs in September. According to Philips, its new home entertainment lineup will roll out in Thailand and Malaysia in the following months. (Update 2: Philips has confirmed that the 5000-series, 7000-series will be in stores in July and 9000-series HDTVs in September, not July as mentioned for all three TV lineups earlier. The change has been reflected in the story.)

Philips' new HDTVs

Model name	In a nutshell
Philips Cinema 21:9 (56PFL8854) Click for larger image	Notable features: 56-inch 21:9 LCD TV Full-HD (2,560 x 1,080p) resolution Ambilight Spectra 3 200Hz Clear LCD 1ms response time; 500cd/m2 brightness 80,000:1 contrast ratio Perfect Pixel HD Engine; Perfect Natural Motion Five v1.3 HDMI ports; DLNA; Wi-Fi Two integrated subwoofers; two Dome tweeter Price: S$10,999 (US$8,098.04) Availability: July 2009
Philips 9000 Series LCD TV Click for larger image	Notable features: Ambilight LCD LED Lux TV (52PFL9704) Full-HD (1,920 x 1,080p) display 5,000,000:1 dynamic aspect ratio Perfect Pixel HD Engine; Perfect Natural Motion Ambilight Spectra 3 40- and 46-inch versions will be available later Ambilight LCD TVs (47PFL9664 and 42PFL9664) Perfect Pixel HD Engine Ambilight Spectra 2 Price: 52PFL9704: S$5,999 (US$4,416.78); 47PFL9664: S$4,699 (US$3,459.65); 42PFL9664: S$3,999 (US$2,944.27) Availability: September 2009
Philips 7000 Series LCD TV Click for larger image	Notable features: Full-HD (1,920 x 1,080p) display Pixel Precise HD; HD Natural Motion 100Hz panel; 3ms response time 500cd/m2; 80,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio Invisible speakers Four HDMI ports; USB Price: 47PFL7409: S$3,799 (US$2,797.02); 42PFL7409: S$2,299 (US$1,692.64) Availability: July 2009
Philips 5000 Series LCD TV Click for larger image	Notable features: 47PFL5609 and 42PFL5609 Full-HD (1,920 x 1,080p) display Pixel Plus HD Active Control with Light Sensor Invisible speakers; 2.1-channel surround Three HDMI ports; USB 52-inch version will be available later 32PFL5409 HD (1,366 x 768p) display Pixel Plus HD Active Control with Light Sensor Invisible speakers Three HDMI ports; USB Price: 47PFL5609: S$3,199 (US$2,355.27); 42PFL5609: S$1,999 (US$1,471.77); 32PFL5409: S$899 (US$661.89) Availability: July 2009

Tags: TV, Philips Electronics N.V., Home Entertainment, aspect ratio, HDTV

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