Philips 27PT643R 27" Real Flat Stereo TV
Good, no frills TV
I bought this TV early May 2003. I have shopped around a bit and decided to get this one because it was a good deal. In my opinion this is a \\"good but no frills\\" television. It has no features that stand out or make it unique. It has a clear picture and good sound for layman eyes and ears like mine. If you are looking for a low cost flat-screen TV you may want to consider this one. I owned a Philips and was satisfied with the quality. I owned the other one in Switzerland but hope their quality is the same worldwide.<BR>Plus: The menue does not obstruct the view, so you can change colour or brightness and still see the results. The black tones are very black. No real \\"exceptional\\" plusses.<BR>Minus: Heavy (of course! It is a 27 inch conventional TV - it's heavy by definition). When pressing mute, the word \\"Mute\\" stays constantly visible (I hate that). There is no real power off button on the TV - it only goes into standby - if you are energy conscious you must unplug it to really save energy. When changing channels it takes about 5 seconds until the sound changes from mono to stereo. No real \\"exceptional\\" minuses.<BR>Odd: There is almost no info about this TV on...- user manuals are available for download. The volume +/- and channel +/- buttons on the TV are on the top, so if you have a \\"snug fit\\" into a TV console you will not be able to reach the buttons at the top.<BR>Remote: It is a basic, no frills remote. Takes AA batteries (were included). It is not a \\"universal\\" remote, but it can handle the TV, VCR and a third box (e.g. satellite or cable box). I have been unable to make the remote work with the Motorolla cable box that I have from Adelphia. The remote of the cable box has no problem working with the TV though... The remote is VERY delicate in the set-up menus, so working the menus takes a bit of quick button pressing sometimes. The remote's buttons don't light up in the dark.<BR>User manual: Focuses only on the remote and how to work the TV with it. 40 pages. 8 pages are on blocking channels (parental control). Another 8 on how to set it for usage with other devices. The other 24 pages show rather self explanatory features of the remote (\\"how to change channels\\"). That too tells you how \\"no frills\\" the TV is.