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By Philip Wong, CNET Asia
Jul 11, 2008

The entry-level 47PFL5403 full-HD LCD TV is Philips' solution to Samsung's Series 5, Sharp's A63 Aquos, etc. Like all its new 2008 siblings, the entire lineup has received a timely fashion makeover and now sport common soothing aesthetics. Underneath the new skin are updated electronics and connectivity which add bites such as 28.9-billion colors, three HDMI ports and a powerful motion-enhancement engine. These features may be brilliant on paper, except that some of their implementations could have been slightly better.

Design

It's near impossible to single out the differences between the 47PFL5403 and its siblings with their universal styling centered on a thin and rounded LCD frame. To further supplement its glossy finish that partially extends into the rear, there's a layer of transparent trimming which runs all along the bezel edges. This also cleverly caters as a light diffuser for its Ambilight ambient lighting system, omitted in this particular model to maintain its value proposition. Topping it off is its matching tabletop swivel stand cast mainly in glass. Alternatively, the wall-mounting option is available with brackets starting from S$200 (US$133.84).

Touching on the bezel's overall layout, we've no issue on the conveniently accessible right TV controls , but felt its designers could have brought forward the moderately recessed left A/V sockets. This will probably mean you'll have to reach out a little harder to tap to its auxiliary HDMI input, ideal for impromptu hookups with the latest HD handycams and laptops. Taking a quick peek at its rear, it's easy to single out the twin naked speaker drivers which project sound backward against the norm.

Two words sum up our sentiments on the packaged controller. The "no-frills" matt-black wane covers only the very basics imaginable. There's literally little sign of any aesthetic aspiration here as evident from its nonchalant appearances. Same for the value-added bits such as the programmable multifunctional control and direct external input selection keys. Putting aside all these minor shortfalls and the video-switching hassle, it does work extremely well in terms of comfort, ergonomics and feel. Almost all onboard buttons offer a nice tactile touch and reasonably responsive feedback onscreen.

The 47PFL5403 must have set a new record for sporting the leanest software menu in recent months. There are slightly over 20 video, audio and miscellaneous settings encompassing primarily basic and a small selection of advanced variants. Some of the key controls noticeably missing range from standard hue/tint to backlight adjustment. What's even more puzzling is its cranky native 1080 mode which enables pixel-to-pixel aspect ratio but resets periodically. That said, you do get a generous mix of six picture presets, including a power-saving mode, factory-tuned for different content.

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