Philips 47PFL7704D

Display Size & Technology
The Phillips 47PFL7704D has a 47-inch LCD screen. The 7000 series is also available in 32-inch, 42-inch, and 52-inch models.

The PS80 series comes in 60-inch and 50-inch sizes.

Format & Resolution
The 47PFL7704D supports full HD 1080p format and has a wide screen aspect ratio of 16:9. The TV has a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080.

Brightness, Blacks & Contrast Ratio
Phillips didn't release any specs about brightness, blacks, or contrast ratios on the 47PFL7704D. One feature they showed us was a proprietary dimming technology that automatically reduces the LCD panel backlight depending on the lighting conditions available (i.e. in complete darkness, the screen will dim slightly). This feature is designed to reduce power consumption and help consumers save energy. According to Phillips the 42PFL7704 features a 59% reduction in power consumption compared to its predecessor, the 42PFL5352D. The new TV also reduces standby power by 80% compared to last year's model.

The 47PFL7704D didn't appear to have the brightness of other LCD televisions, specifically models from other manufacturers that feature LED backlighting. When we get a TV into our labs for complete testing, we'll run extensive power consumption tests as well as analysis on brightness, black level, and contrast ratio.

Refresh Rate & Motion
The 47PFL7704D features a 120Hz refresh rate. Many manufacturers, however, are releasing LCD HDTVs with 240Hz refresh rates in 2009. That said, the 47PFL7704D in Phillips' booth at CES had excellent motion reproduction. No artifacting or blurring was noticeable and the images looked smooth, clear, and sharp. Phillips lists their Halo-Free technology as helping to enhance the motion performance and reduce blur on the 47PFL7704D. According to Phillips, the Halo-Free technology is part of the TVs video processing system.

Viewing Angle
Phillips didn't release specs about viewing angles for the 47PFL7704D, but we noticed some slight distortion and loss of brightness when the TV was viewed at a 35-degree to 40-degree angle. We specifically noticed a dimming of the image on the far side of the panel.

Color
As we said earlier, a bit of color distortion could be noticed on the set when the screen was viewed at hard angles. Colors appeared darker and a bit washed out at these angles, but this is relatively normal for LCD televisions.