REVIEWS / HDTVS / PHILIPS INDIA (MMD)

Best PerformerPhilips Cinema 21:9 3D TV - Wide Load

14 Feb, 2011, 9:31 am IST | by Siddharth Basrur | HDTVs

HDTVs

Super-wide, super cool

Super-wide, super cool
A mega-sized TV deserves a mega-sized stand
One of the awesome speakers that makes this TV sound so good
The Joker says buy this TV, but only if you have that kind of money

PRICE IN INDIA

450,000

TECH2 RATING

8.0

AVERAGE USER RATING

9.0

How we test

CONTACT

Philips India (MMD)

 Kuldeep.Ramaiya@mmd-p.com

 +91 9310 092 727

 www.Philips.com


Performance
Using this TV was a bit of a pain. It’s not really intuitive, and I had to set up everything from scratch. It took a while for the TV to realise that I’d plugged in a Blu-ray player, as I had to go to the menu and actually tell it which HDMI port I’d plugged the device into. While this was a breeze for me, it might not be for others. However, there also is a wizard that tells you exactly what to do if you get too confused. I also found the menu to be a little slow.

The colours on this TV are beyond incredible. I have never seen better colours on any other TV – ever. Everything from the shadow detail and black levels to the skin tone were absolutely stellar. Philips had graciously provided us with a 3D test disc, and it had some pretty nice clips on it. I must have watched some of those clips at least 10 times. It really was that good.

A mega-sized TV deserves a mega-sized stand

A mega-sized TV deserves a mega-sized stand

 


As for 3D performance, this is definitely the best I’ve seen so far, triumphing even over my now dethroned favourite, the LG Infinia 55LX9500. The depth is really good, and the images are a lot less blurry than the other 3D TVs I’ve seen so far. Of course, the 3D viewing is not perfect, and there is some amount of crosstalk. However, I did notice that the entire viewing experience is a lot better when you’re sitting further away. I tried watching 3D content at various distances, and found that 10-12 feet yielded the best experience.

When it came to gaming, the Alienware rig came to our rescue once again. Playing Left for Dead and Crysis was a real treat on this TV for the visuals and details, but there was a lot of lag in movements for some reason. This was a total downer, as I expected a lot more.

One of the awesome speakers that makes this TV sound so good

One of the awesome speakers that makes this TV sound so good

 


As for audio performance, this TV has really got it covered. The Cinema 21:9 definitely has the best audio I’ve heard from internal speakers. This is probably because of the double woofers and twin dome couple with a 30W amplifier. The dialogues are crisp and clear, and the bass is tight and thumpy.

Verdict
I really like the Cinema 21:9 and it is definitely one of the better TVs I’ve ever had the pleasure of testing. It has great picture reproduction capabilities, awesome sound and some nice features. However, there are these tiny things that Philips should’ve paid attention to like the 3D glasses, the slow and unintuitive menu and the crosstalk when it comes to 3D. Oh, and did I mention that it costs Rs. 4,50,000?

The Joker says buy this TV, but only if you have that kind of money

The Joker says buy this TV, but only if you have that kind of money

 


I give this TV 3 ½ stars, as it is way too expensive, and has some issues that definitely need to be sorted out. But it is a great TV, and is definitely one of the better ones available. If only they’d shave off the price a little. Well, I’d still not be able to afford it, but it would definitely tempt a lot of other buyers to go in for it.

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Performance and Verdict


Tags:

Philips , Cinema 21:9 , 3D TV , Full HD , 1080p , DLNA

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How We Test

The Tech2 Labs receives many products every single week and each of them is tested with the utmost care and highest level of objectivity. There’s a constant effort to reduce and totally eliminate subjectivity. Each product is tested according to set test processes so the same test scenario is used.

Verdict
The ratings awarded to a product are derived from a number of tests and calculations, keeping certain important factors in mind. These factors consist of features, performance, quality and value for money. In case of software and some other categories, build quality might be replaced with ease of use or ease of installation. Products are compared with other products in a similar price range or product category.


Features
The features component of the score is rated based on the kind of features present on a particular product. Features are a big part of what people look for when they’re buying a new product such as a phone or a camera.

Performance
The performance score is derived from the benchmarks and tests run on the product. In case of the subjective scores, an average of the scores given by the group of reviewers is considered.

Build Quality
The build quality of a product is important so that it doesn’t fall apart after some use. The build quality scores from the way the product is designed and the kind of materials used in the product.

Value
Value for money comes from the fact that a cheap product is able to provide most of the performance of a higher priced product. Once again, value for money is judged by comparing pricing and performance of products in a particular price range or category. 

There are many other aspects of the product that are looked at such as the bundled software and accessories. All of these scores are aggregated together to form the final score.

What do the ratings mean?

Ratings are simple - higher the score, the better the product. A brief listing of the features and what they mean are given below.

1 - 3

The product is bad in almost every aspect. We strongly advise against purchasing this product.

4 - 6

An average product that isn't the best you can buy, but isn't the worst either.

7 - 8

Product with this rating is highly recommended because it's priced sensibly, has a good set of features and performs well.

9 - 10

Exceptionally excellent product with features and performance unlike any we've seen in the past. A must-have for everyone!

What is the Average User Rating?

We at Tech2 take product reviewing very seriously and every product is tested with the utmost care and level of objectivity. The end user who buys a particular product and uses it over an extended period of time has his own take on a product and there might be nuances that he or she can shed light on. The Average User Rating is present to help readers get the complete picture of how good or bad a product is. The Average User Rating is calculated by averaging the ratings by the thousands of readers visiting Tech2.com every single day. To record your own rating of a product, simply click on the user rating bar. If you disagree with our ratings or our community's product rating, please don't hesitate from voicing your opinion in the comments section below the review.

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