Phillips CRT Widescreens ??

[T4R]

Hi,

Firstly I've just registered today, and I hope that with my first post I'm not contravening forum etiquette.

I'm looking to replace an aging Toshiba 4:3 which has given many years of almost faultless service with a widescreen, as with DVDs the picture is cut down somewhat.

I'd almost decided on a Phillips 28PW9618 as from what I've seen of PixelPlus the quality, fast moving ball games aside, is astonishingly good.

I'm more than a little concerned however about reviews and posts I've read of problems with the image, black bars or smudging, with little or no help from the manufacturer or dealer. Am I right to be concerned or are these a few isolated "one-offs" ?

If the consensus is that Phillips should only be purchased with a degree of caution, are there any recommendations for another 100hz TV with reasonable connectivity.

Please excuse my ignorance here - I have another question. The Phillips 9618 has 4 Scarts, two of which are RGB, which I presume I should poke into my Sky+ box and cheap Sony DVD player. What would the other two be used for, and what signaling do they utilise ? I also have a Sony VCR and a PS2.

Many thanks in advance and again, I hope this isn't gong to upset anyone.

Regards

Concerned of Cobham

 

[rct]

Hi T4R and welcome to the forums!

As you will have seen, the Pixel+ range has its admirers and those who wouldn't touch it with a barge pole. I fall into the first category, which I'm sure you already know if you've come across any of my previous posts on the subject.

The most important thing is that any TV you buy looks good to you. It doesn't matter in the least what anyone else thinks. It would however be wise to buy from a retailer with a good reputation for dealing with returns such as John Lewis, who will also price match and throw in a free 5 year warranty! In the event you do have any problems a good retailer will come in handy.

The other two SCARTs are composite video only if I remember correctly, so you could use one for your VCR. Your PS2 should also ideally be connected to an RGB enabled socket; if you can't be bothered to cable swap switching boxes are available.

Hope this helps

p.s. I doubt you've upset anyone

 

[Garion]

I have a 9607 the earlier model, and I am very pleased. The halo effect is noticable on some scenes, but I think that the picture is so good, that it is worth the occasional occurance. The 9618 addressess this this problem with the new movie plus mode, anyway. The reviews are always excellent, and having had the set for three months, I agree with them.