This stunningly designed TV offers respectable picture quality, though its smart TV function can be quite lacking.
| The good | Crisp and fluid visuals; accurate hues; stunning design; versatile remote control; unique Ambilight function. |
|---|---|
| The bad | Light 3D crosstalk; poor shadow detail; mediocre sound quality; very limited apps; pricey. |
CNET Editors' rating
Rating breakdown
The latest Philips DesignLine TVs are unlike any other panels on the market, sporting a full glass bezel that extends all the way to the floor. Aside from their good looks, these panels also boast the best features in the 2013 Philips TV lineup, including its proprietary Ambilight function, active 3D technology and smart TV support.
Meanwhile, wireless screen mirroring and second screen function are two notable additions for the enhanced Philips smart TV system. Picture quality-wise, I like the overall natural colors and crisp visuals, but found motion reproduction was either jittery or a tad too smooth depending on the setting.
Let's find out how TP Vision, the new company behind the latest Philips TVs, has fared with its new flagship series.
Design
The highlight of the DesignLine TV's floating glass design is an integrated bezel and floor stand, which is crafted from a huge sheet of reinforced tempered glass. The surface is also tinted, from dark to translucent toward the bottom, to recreate an attractive floating image effect.
(Credit: TP Vision)
A bundled DesignLine wall mount serves as an anchor and lets you lean or hang the panel on the wall. Another nice touch is the translucent rubber feet for protecting the flooring and to prevent the glass from chipping.
But with limited clearance between the panel and wall, the controls on the back and moderately recessed side A/V sockets can be harder to use. Facing the rear, placement of the speakers is far from ideal, too, in my opinion.
With a faux brushed-metal finish and a trendy design, the latest Philips 3D glasses are easily one of the more stylish active shutter 3D models out there. Moreover, they fit well over prescription glasses and are surprisingly comfortable thanks to a pair of soft nose pads. This is despite a hefty weight of 34g each, making them the heaviest among its peers.
(Credit: Philip Wong/CNET)
Instead of built-in rechargeable batteries, power is supplied from a standard coin-shaped cell. To replace the battery, you will have to unscrew a cover, which can be a hassle for some users.
| Design and layout | |
|---|---|
| Panel depth | 41.4mm |
| Bezel width | 15mm |
| Finishing | Glossy screen; glass bezel in black hue |
| TV controls | Rear-right: Push buttons |
| Auxiliary A/V inputs | Left side: CI card slot; earphone; 3 x USB and HDMI |
| Mounting option | Wall bracket |
TP Vision has further enhanced its dual-sided remote control debuted last year. The new version now sports a stain-resistant metallic top and an air mouse function in addition to a keyboard on the opposite side. An accelerometer prevents accident key presses by automatically sensing the clicker's orientation.
(Credit: Philip Wong/CNET)
Shortcut keys are provided for most of the commonly used functions, such as 3D and smart TV. It is hard to find fault with the build quality of this ergonomic remote, not to mention its generally responsive and tactile buttons.
| Form factor | Longish; rounded bottom; 213mm-long |
|---|---|
| Finishing | Brushed metal and plastic; matte-gray |
| Backlight | N.A. |
| Number of keys | 91 |
| Input-selection keys | Source; TV |
Non-tech savvy consumers should find the intuitive activity-based user menu appealing. A wide selection of picture mode is also available and can be separately configured for each input. The more adventurous crowd can check out a simplified video calibration function known as "Quick Picture Setting" to customize the visuals.
For videophiles, there are many advanced configurations such as a RGBCMY color management system. What's more, Imaging Science Foundation (ISF) professional calibration is supported via the ISF Day and Night picture modes.
| Software menu | |
|---|---|
| User interface | Icon-based; colored |
| Video modes | Personal; Vivid; Natural; Standard; Movie; Photo; Energy Saving; ISF Day; ISF Night |
| Audio modes | Personal; Original; Movie; Music; Game; News |
| Key advanced settings | Gamma; 2-point white balance; RGBCMY color management |
| Notable extras | Quick picture setting; user guide |
Features
In terms of picture-enhancement features, the DesignLine TV is neck-and-neck with all high-end LED-edgelit panel. Onboard local dimming function outputs deeper blacks and is complemented by a proprietary 1,400Hz Perfect Motion Rate technology. The latter is achieved by combining a blazingly fast 200Hz native refresh rate with auxiliary backlight processing.
(Credit: Philip Wong/CNET)
Another highlight is the three-sided Ambilight XL lighting system, which is designed to mirror the onscreen hues and emits a halo of light enveloping the screen. Some of the benefits cited by the company are less eyestrain and a more immersive viewing experience. A two-player game mode converts any split-screen games into full screen for each gamer by using the bundled 3D glasses.
As the inbuilt video-recording function is only compatible with broadcasters that transmit Web-based program schedule, it will not work in Asian countries where the data is sent over the air. It turned out that our set also failed to receive the guide over the air after changing the relevant TV setting. Time-shifting live digital TV programs using a USB hard drive is not affected, though.
| A/V and multimedia | |
|---|---|
| Video | Active 3D; LED-edgelit; local dimming; 200Hz refresh rate |
| Audio | 15W x 2; Incredible Surround; Dolby Digital |
| Multimedia | MP3, WMA, AAC, JPEG, MPEG-1/2/4, H.264, VC-1, WMV-HD, MKV via triple USB, Ethernet and Wi-Fi |
| TV tuner | Analog; digital (DVB-T/C/S) |
| Miscellaneous | Dual-core processor; DLNA; time-shift |
Evaluating the Philips smart TV system left me with mixed impressions. On the up side, wireless screen mirroring is based on the Miracast open standard and the second screen function performed reasonably well. Rather than juggling between multiple controllers, the air mouse and keyboard capabilities of the new Philips remote made it possible to operate all TV functions conveniently.
(Credit: Philip Wong/CNET)
Dragging down the overall user experience are the sluggish interface and limited downloadable apps. There is no video-on-demand app that offers Hollywood content, while some apps haven't been reprogramed to support the remote's pointer.
| Smart TV and Skype | |
|---|---|
| Apps | Apps downloadable from App Gallery |
| Web browser | HTML5 compatible |
| Control option(s) | Remote control with QWERTY keyboard and pointer; remote apps (Android and iOS) |
| Skype | Via optional camera |
On the connectivity front, this Philips is pretty well equipped with three USB ports to connect a Skype camera and USB storage devices plus four HDMI inputs. Additionally, integrated Wi-Fi and an Ethernet socket provide Internet access and DLNA media sharing.
That said, it could have been better if Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL) was supported. I am not a fan of the cumbersome component-video cable adapter and Europe-oriented SCART socket, but converters are available to turn the SCART into a more useful composite-A/V input.
| Connectivity | |
|---|---|
| HDMI input(s) | Four sockets; version 1.4 |
| Component-video input(s) | One socket; 1080p-ready |
| PC input | N.A. |
| Audio output(s) | Digital optical |
| Miscellaneous | Ethernet; Wi-Fi |
Performance
TV broadcasts
Tuning into the local analog broadcasts, visuals appeared reasonably sharp and very smooth. However, I also felt that the background was somewhat grainy with mild ghosting. Overscan was moderately high for this display, leading to increased cropping around the corners of a program.
With digital channels, noise was noticeably lower with a slight improvement in sharpness. Using the Auto Volume Leveling function effectively minimized any big fluctuation in speaker loudness with toggling between the analog and digital channels.
DVDs
The DVD-upscaling performance of the DesignLine TV was commendable, matching the superb LG 55LA8600 in terms of sharpness and details, but lose out in smoothening out jaggies. These jagged edges were most obvious along the outlines of text and diagonal lines in movies and test patterns. I wasn't exactly impressed with the mediocre noise reduction function, too.
Blu-ray Discs
Selecting the Unscaled aspect ratio resolved the earlier mentioned overscan problem. This was coupled with noticeably higher details with these native 1080p discs. But unlike broadcasts and DVDs, I found Blu-rays displayed on this panel generally too sharp. To preserve the original look of the movie, the TV sharpness setting was eventually reduced to zero.
Minimizing 24fps film judder without causing unnatural motion was near impossible. The panel exhibited the infamous soap opera effect even if its Perfect Natural Motion (PNR) processing is at its lowest level. You could turn off PNR completely, but this is at the expense of visible judder and motion blurring.
3D
The DesignLine TV performed quite well in 3D, rendering crisp 3D visuals with immersive depth. Since the panel is effectively refreshing at 100Hz for each eye, onscreen motion was much more realistic. The Philips active shutter 3D glasses also exhibited surprisingly low flickering and boast very wide viewing angle.
Compared with the Samsung UA55F8000, ghosting (crosstalk) was slightly higher, but still well within tolerance. Be prepared to manually adjust the DesignLine TV's backlight level whenever you toggle between 2D and 3D content since its uses a common setting, while other TVs can be separately adjusted.
Color accuracy
Calibrating the panel yielded balanced primary and second hues, complete with an overall warm color tonality similar to commercial theaters. Add to the strong showings were lifelike skin tones and relatively inky black. That said, we also noticed strong "black crush", masking subtle shadow detail during many dark scenes.
Audio
The 30W audio subsystem played movie soundtracks loud with plenty of reserve power left. But as expected, the rear-facing speakers produced no imaging. The virtual surround sound engine failed to expand the overall soundstage, while dialogs tend to sound a little muffled too.
Miscellaneous
Though it is still unclear what type of panel the DesignLine TV is using, it has a very wide viewing angle and excellent brightness uniformity. I did find the highly reflective front glass distracting under bright room lighting. This Philips is also the least efficient 55-inch LED TV I have tested this year with its higher than usual 85W average power consumption.
| Rating | |
|---|---|
| TV broadcasts | Average |
| DVDs | Average |
| Blu-ray Discs | Good |
| 3D | Good |
| Color accuracy | Good |
| Audio | Average |
Conclusion
The Philip DesignLine TV is an eye-catching panel with unique features such as the floating glass design and Ambilight XL function. It performs admirably, too, but both shadow detail and sound quality should have been better. The sluggish smart TV system and a limited app selection make it even harder to recommend this model wholeheartedly.
Retailing at S$5,599 , the 55-inch version also costs more than other flagship LED TVs of the same size screen. This includes the LG 55LA8600, Samsung UA55F8000 and Sony KDL-55W954, all going for less than S$5,000 .
| Equipment | Model(s) |
|---|---|
| Reference 3D Blu-ray player | Panasonic DMP-BDT300 |
| Reference DVD player | Pioneer DV-S969AVi |
| Reference game consoles | Sony PS3/Xbox 360 |
| Reference 4K signal generator | Alienware Aurora R4 |
| A/V interconnects | Monster cables/Philips/Gefe |
| HDMI distribution | Gefen |
| Reference LED-lit TV | LG 55LM9600 |
| Reference plasma/3D TV | Panasonic Viera TH-P50VT20S |
| Calibration tool | SpectraCal Calman 4 with Chroma 5 colorimeter |
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