42" DVB-T/C MPEG4* LCD TV Ambilight Spectra 2

Immerse yourself in a captivating Viewing Experience. Featuring LED Lux Display, MPEG4 HDTV* and the Perfect Pixel HD Engine, the TV combines Perfect Motion, Perfect Colours and Perfect Contrast with Ambilight Spectra 2.

The LED approach thus allows you to turn off the lights completely in some areas of the picture, to deliver a near-perfect reproduction of black, while leaving LEDs in other areas at maximum illumination. In fact, you could in theory have one blacked out section of the picture right next to one fully bright section of the picture, giving rise to a huge possible brightness range within a single image frame. Thanks to this, Philips claims a frankly eye-popping contrast ratio of 2,000,000:1 for the 42PFL9803H - the joint highest such figure we've ever seen, alongside (you guessed it) the aforementioned Samsung LED TV.

Compare all this LED grooviness with the normal LCD situation, where the single light source feeding the whole picture means some contrast-reducing light will always be present even in parts of the picture that should look black, and you can see why LED is causing such a buzz.

As if to mark the shift to a new technology, Philips has furnished the 42PFL9803H with a silvery, metallic bezel finish in place of the usual glossy black - and very nice this new look is, too. Especially when you add into the design equation the unusual slenderness of the bezel and the distinctive transparent shroud around the TV's outer edge that's fast becoming a Philips trademark.

The seriously eye-catching nature of the design merely expands once you turn the TV on, too, as familiar pools of coloured light spilling from the TV's left and right sides reveal the presence of a ‘stereo' version of Philips Ambilight Spectra technology.