Philips 32PFL7605/40PFL7605 Launched (No Freeview HD Tuner)

Philips, the Dutch consumer electronics giant responsible for some of the most avant-garde innovations in TV design (think Ambilight and the 9954 LCD TV with cinema 21:9 aspect ratio), has launched the 7605 series of LED-based LCD televisions, a first among the company’s mid-range HDTV sets. But if Philips was trying to differentiate itself from other manufacturers, not including a built-in Freeview HD tuner on its UK 2010 range of HDTVs is surely not the right way.

The type of LED backlight deployed on the Philips 7605 series is the edge-lit variant, which allows for super-slim chassis design (measuring less than 4.5 cm deep) and lower energy consumption (purportedly 40% less than traditional CCFL LCD TV). It remains to be seen whether the Philips 7605 range of edge-lit LED TVs will suffer from uneven screen/ backlight uniformity which has plagued similar offerings from other TV makers.

Four screen sizes are available: 32, 37, 40 and 46 inches. The table below lists their alternate model names (different retailers or e-tailers may use different model names to describe the same flat-screen HDTV) and respective recommended retail prices:

Size (inch)	Model Name	Alternative Name	RRP
32	Philips 32PFL7605	Philips 32PFL7605H, 32PFL7605H/12	£849
37	Philips 37PFL7605	Philips 37PFL7605H, 37PFL7605H/12	£999
40	Philips 40PFL7605	Philips 40PFL7605H, 40PFL7605H/12	£1199
46	Philips 46PFL7605	Philips 46PFL7605H, 46PFL7605H/12	£1499

The Philips 32PFL7605, 37PFL7605, 40PFL7605 and 46PFL7605 LED-sidelit HDTVs all boast a full HD native screen resolution of 1920 x 1080, Pixel Precise HD video processing engine, and 100Hz motion. They are also equipped with Ambilight technology (which can be reasonably effective in providing bias lighting to reduce eye strain and create the illusion of deeper blacks), though on the Philips 7605 series it’s found only on 2 sides (left and right) rather than the 3 or 4 sides reserved for higher-end models.

Net TV (Philips’ version of internet TV platform, which is probably one of the most useful in comparison to competing brands due to its integrated internet browser that allows unrestricted web access), Wifi (with an optional USB wireless dongle sold separately at £50) and DLNA connectivity complete the Philips 7605 package.

However, conspicuously missing from the specifications list of the Philips 32PFL7605, 37PFL7605, 40PFL7605 and 46PFL7605 is an inbuilt Freeview HD tuner, which is rather surprising considering that it is an important feature potential UK buyers look for in a 2010 HDTV, especially when spending in excess of £800. For this reason (and the relatively expensive prices), the 7605 LED TV range will probably only appeal to the most ardent of Philips aficionados.