Philips 42PF9831D

This is an older screen which emerged in 2006 which caught our attention for being an LCD that performs as well as, if not better than many plasma screens. And that’s no easy feat – many manufacturers have tried and failed. LCDs, too often, lack the contrast and image capabilities of other flatscreens. But Philips has attempted to sort that problem out. Pictures are smooth, with no colour-bleed or motion-blur to upset your viewing pleasure.

This minor-miracle is mainly due to the bags of technology. In line with previous Philips LCD sets, the new technology is called Pixel Plus 3 HD, which sorts out your standard-def signal to give you HD-esque quality. This new technology is given a helping hand by the latest and greatest Ambilight lighting system, which uses soft, rear facing light to ‘relax’ your eyes and make viewing more of a dynamic experience.

Our only concern is the size of the unit. All of these technological advances mean that the 42PF9831D is unusually large – we’ve seen 50in plasmas of more diminutive dimensions.