 |
-------------------------------------------------------------- This story was printed from CNET Asia. --------------------------------------------------------------
|
Philips goes full frontal with full-HD
By Philip Wong, CNET Asia
23/05/2008 URL: http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/home_av/tvs/0,39037594,62041597,00.htm SINGAPORE--May could well be an auspicious month for most TV vendors, judging by the mad rush lately. Philips is no exception. The Dutch company has just announced a barrage of nine new flat panels and three companion Ambisound home theaters. As part of its latest design facelift, all 2008 entries will be shipped with matching aesthetics. They stand out through a soothing blend of transparent accents and smooth rounded corners, dressed top down in alluring black piano finish.
To rejuvenate the lackluster TV sound quality, Philips is injecting an instant boost across its entire lineup using a souped-up 30W digital amplifier. Efficient eco property aside, this represents a substantial 50 percent headroom over other comparable panels, further augmented by hi-fi-oriented acoustic chambers and high-efficiency loudspeakers. Pushing the sonic envelope one step further are the midrange 7603 and 7803 models, outfitted with a proprietary bass-enhancing wOOx audio subsystem. But what's truly remarkable are the 5000-, 7000- and 9000-series' generous spread of three to four HDMI 1.3 inputs, future-proofed full-HD resolution and a brilliant billion to trillion color output. The former jacks are 1080p24 signal-ready, too, and feature EasyLink, Philips' version of HDMI-CEC for convenient one-remote, multi-device operation. Lastly, despite a theoretically huge leap in dynamic contrast, the sets' average 30,000:1 rating still trails behind the higher-end Samsungs. Its spokesperson also mentioned that the company has no plans to bring the entry-level 3000-series into Asia, citing increased affordability for full-HD models and narrowing price variations of HD-ready panels. Check back for updates on pricing and availability for the rest of the region. LCD TV lineup
Ambisound Home Theater SystemCompared with the HTS8100, the latest HTS8140 Sound Bar definitely has a more updated and polished look. But beyond the cosmetic makeover and reduced bulk is a near-identical 2.1-channel virtual surround sound system, which explains the kit's close model numbering. Nonetheless, it comes with a bag of new tricks such as touch controls, value-added MP3-enhancing FullSound processing, added WMV playback support, and the previously mentioned HDMI/EasyLink-compatibility.The above may be insignificant to warrant an upgrade from its predecessor, though both are still equally relevant with a highly integrated design currently matched only by Samsung's HT-X810. This level of uniqueness is courtesy of an onboard 1080p-upscaling DVD player and iPod dock. For jaggie-free pictures, video deinterlacing and scaling are offloaded to a high-performance Faroudja DCDi processor, while surround sound is handled by its in-house Ambisound technology. If you care less about the integrated iPod dock, you could also check out the HTS6100 which looks like a near-clone of the first-gen HTS8100. It's designed for pairing with smaller 37- to 42-inch panels and delivers most of the flagship's inbuilt functionalities. Then there is the HTS6515 with a streamlined console and an amazingly cool pop-out rotating disc drive door. Wow factor aside, its unique form factor is perfect for hassle-free wall and table-top installation, too. These Ambisound systems could have been even better if only there were some HDMI inputs to go with the settop boxes, gaming consoles and Blu-ray players out there--a tall order that has proven agonizingly elusive, yet again. On a separate note, the company was showcasing its BTM630 Bluetooth micro hi-fi. What's really cool is its ability to stream music from portable devices wirelessly. This ranges from Bluetooth-enabled mobiles to its latest wireless media players, etc. Ambisound home theater lineup
|
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
Copyright © 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.
