Philips 17PF8946 17-Inch LCD Flat Panel HDTV-Ready TV
If you're looking for HD gaming...
...you almost certainly would do better with the Viewsonic 20.1\\" widescreen LCD, model VX2025WM.    I purchased the Philips 17\\" LCD Flat Panel HDTV-Ready TV for two reasons: to connect it to my XBOX 360 for High Definition gaming, and because the price was right. I had to return it to Amazon (which is prefectly courteous and professional with such matters) twice: the first set had a nonfunctioning headphone jack (no sound through headphones or any speaker I attached to it), and the replacement set would not display the HD output from my console. I have read of faulty HDAV cables being shipped with XBOX 360 consoles, so I wanted to make sure: I tested three separate consoles, and 3 separate HDAV cables. I tested all the available settings through the console's dashboard. The picture was the same: a screenful of distortion (the sound was fine).    The sound on this TV impressed me. It is not as good as you can get with even a $50 set of desktop speakers, but it is deep enough and loud enough that you wouldn't necessarily need any addition to enjoy what you're watching - something that surprised me, considering what we're told to expect from flat panel TVs.    For regular television, the picture quality is only moderately good. I appreciated the range of adjustable settings, and although the picture is generally very sharp, the colors generally didn't seem very well defined or realistic. The same held true for gaming through the AV components. Watching DVDs was definitely the best aspect of my experience with this product (both iterations thereof). Had I not purchased it primarily as a monitor for my XBOX 360, I may even have been tempted to keep it and be spared the nuisance of returns.    I intended not to star this review, because my encounter with the above two defects in this product was probably singular (although they occured on two different units). I have always had a mixed impression of American-market Philips products, and this unit will just be logged awaywith the others. The stars are there because the website forces it.    Enter the Viewsonic 20\\" widescreen LCD, model VX2025WM. You can attain HD-pedigree resolutions on an LCD monitor. The XBOX 360 dashboard automatically adjusts its display options to accomodate your screen. You would have to acquire the HDVGA cable - go with Monster; the Microsoft cable results in the oft-cited \\"washed out effect\\". Connect a pleasing $50 set of speakers (Creative Labs makes those), and enjoy your HD games in widescreen - your 4:3 games and DVD programs are accomodated as well. The picture is excellent, and it is Big! If you are primarily interested in HD gaming, and DVD viewing through your console or computer, and perhaps replacing your existing monitor while you're at it - and your immediate plans do not include installing HD Television in your home - the Viewsonic 20\\" Widescreen LCD, model VX2025WM is what you should get, and Amazon has it.