Philips 17PF8946 17-Inch LCD Flat Panel HDTV-Ready TV
Philips 17PF8946 17" LCD Flat Panel HDTV-Ready TV
I'm the type of person who is usually comfortable with electronic equipment that is on the verge of obsolescence.  That being said, I'm pleased with the Philips Flat Panel HDTV I purchased with the intent of using it as a computer monitor/TV to sit on a fragile desk in my bedroom.  I have watched a total of three movies on it.  The sound and picture quality were impressive especially considering I haven't made any adjustments to the factory settings.  In fact, I've only had to make a few decisions after being prompted by menus that automatically appear on the screen.  The Philips is definitely user friendly. <br /> <br />There are only a few drawbacks to the set which I hate to mention because I'm using it primarily as a monitor when it was really intended to be used as a TV.  The screen is prone to etching when images, such as the Menu bar on a desktop, remain static for long periods of time.  The speakers also don't work with the computer.  Maybe they do with a PC but I had to have a VGA to DVI adapter cable to connect the Mac Mini to the Philips Flat Panel TV. <br /> <br />I still give the Philips 17PF8964 17\\" model five stars because I was able to connect a progressive scan DVD player to it without reading the instructions.  The VGA to DVI adapter cable was also inexpensive and easy to find.  And the instruction sheet allowed me to focus on only those few diagrams that pertained to my particular compatibility issue.  The set is also very light compared to CRT monitors and TVs with 17\\" screens.  Plus, the sound and picture quality easily surpass that of the \\"nice\\" TV bought for the living room years ago.  As for the quality of the HDTV component, it'll be at least 5 years before I decide to use the feature...