6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Pulling Double Duty
Date of Review: Oct 19, 2003
The Bottom Line: I recommend this set because of the price, great picture and ease of use. Its' styling really sets it apart from other lcd's in its class.
For years, consumers have been pondering whether they should ditch their traditional tube tv and go with a flat panel. Well, the time is now. Philips Electronics is making a statement in all aspects of flat tv technology, both plasma and lcd.
The 15PF9936 is something special. Most people buy a flat panel tv to use it primarily as a tv set and a computer monitor second. I am just the opposite, I use it as a computer monitor first. Philips has loaded this set with tons of features that some of the bigger tv's cannot boast. First of all, it has a progressive scan component video input so that it will display true 1080i HDTV signals. Playback of dvd sources are truly breathtaking in the progressive scan mode. It also carries the traditional composite video connection for those who have not abandoned their vcr yet. It supports camcorders, playstation, and any other source that you can possibly think to throw at it. The picture-in-picture function allows you to surf the web and not have to miss your favorite tv show or sports program. The sound is pretty good because it has the auto sound feature so that the sound level of commercials stay the same as the program that you are watching. There is an equalizer in he menu that allows you to set the sound to your particular taste. There is also a cute little matching remote that fits perfectly in your hand. The tv picture is an awesome sight. The picture is very crisp from corner-to-corner and is pretty well set straight out of the box. The display is extremely bright and is visble from far across the room.
The computer monitor boasts almost as many features as the tv. The display is super sharp and the set has an auto configure feature that allows you to reset the screen to the factory specs. Included with the set is a vga cable that lets you hook to your computer tower. DVD playback is optimized when it is played back in the 800x600 resolution mode. The color saturation seems to make the picture jump right off the screen at you. It seems that the set performs better after it has been broken in and it has some hours on it.
The styling of the set is truly in a class of it's own. It has a silver finish and it is very thin. It carries the classic Philip's logo on the front of it. The set seems to scream "future". The elegant arch stand (included) seems to really put the exclamation point on the styling that really distances this set from all other lcd's. Also included in the box is a flush wall mount bracket. I suggest a versatile swing-out bracket that will allow tilting and side to side motion. I never really trusted Philips in the past because they were so closely marketed along with Magnavox. I have now been converted. Philips has definitely won my confidence with this set.
At the time of purchase, Philips was offering a free matching space saver dvd player by mail-in rebate.
If you are looking for a set to pull double duty, and you want to get in at a reasonable price, I strongly recommend this model. The only con I have is that Philips only offers a 1 year warranty on this set. Most LCD manufacturers offer a three year.
