(Credit:
Akihabara News)
If you like the idea of an "Ambilight" TV but aren't ready to replace your wall-mounted LCD just yet, there may be an alternative--especially if you're in the market for some new home theater speakers.
Yamaha and Koizumi have partnered for a new pair that feature three 25-watt halogen lamps behind each speaker. When positioned on either side of the TV, the speakers can shine their lights against the wall and effectively create a type of backlighting without having to buy one of those pricey Philips sets with built-in LEDs. Better still, the brightness can be controlled by the accompanying remote. If all that's too subdued for your taste, however, you can always mod your system with an Illuminaire kit with neon colors and, of course, a strobe.
(Credit:
Tech Digest)
Sometimes--just sometimes--we have a thought that isn't so crazy after all. When we first heard of Philips' "Ambilight" TVs, for example, we wondered whether it was worth paying a premium for the feature--and whether it would be possible to develop something similar as a separate product.
Lo and behold, someone else had the same thought. A company called Illuminaire offers an LED system that claims to provide similar backlighting (which supposedly reduces eye strain) in a variety of colors that can change continually or even strobe, according to Tech Digest. Perfect for the first time you watch Saturday Night Fever on Blu-ray.
There's one area, however, where we suspect Philips will always have an advantage. Actually, make that 2,200 of them.
(Credit:
Philips)
The Philips Dynamic Daylight Window opens a window (pun intended) to an innovative idea. It's almost like the Transitions eyewear folks had a Vulcan mind meld with Philips' Ambilight engineers: The result is a window that lets you control how much lighting you want to let through, with part of the adjustment creating an artificial window-blind effect, according to Coolest-Gadgets, and the other adjusting the light itself so the sky can look a different color. Besides everyday use for homes in sunny climes, it could help with such setbacks as jet lag and Seasonal Affective Disorder. The only catch we can think of: an equally dynamic power bill.
(Source: Crave Asia)
(Credit:
Crave UK)
Ambilight is one of those ideas that sounds like it was cooked up by a mad scientist who had a quiet week and a couple of colored LEDs lying around. The reality of it is quite different, because once you've seen Ambilight working, the scientist doesn't seem quite so mad anymore. The Philips Cineos 42PFL9632D makes him seem worthy of a Nobel prize.
If you've been living in a cave for the last couple of years, you might not know what Ambilight is--allow us to help. Simply, an Ambilight TV has a series of LEDs at the rear of the television. When you put the screen against a wall, light projected onto the wall reflects what's on screen. In addition to extending what's happening on screen into your peripheral vision, this has the added benefit of increasing the contrast ratio. The other good news is that if you do live in a cave, Ambilight will really cheer it up. Hurrah.
The 42PFL9632D has other tricks up its sleeve. Firstly, it's a "Full HD" 1080p screen. So it's well set for all the next-generation high-definition formats. It also has Perfect Pixel HD processing, which Philips claims improves the picture quality and increases sharpness. You'll also find 100Hz technology, which should help reduce film judder.
The Philips also has three HDMI sockets, a welcome sight in these days of HD. We're also pleased to see a USB connector for viewing pictures from a memory stick on your TV. Always nice for parties.
The 42PFL9632D has a recommended price of 1,799 pounds (about $3,721), but you should be able to find it for less than that if you shop around. We'll have a review of it ready very soon.
(Source: Crave UK)
In a smart move, Philips is shifting away from plasma and focusing almost exclusively on LCD TVs in 2007. The notable exception is its moderately priced ($3,500) 63-inch plasma TV, which has more potential than the company's earlier 42- and 50-inch plasma TVs that had to go head-to-head against Panasonic's highly regarded models.
LED is now the light behind Ambilight.
(Credit: Philips)According to Philips, its new Ambilight LCD FlatTVs "range in size from 32- to 52-inches (32PFL7332, 42PFL7432D, 42PFL9832D, 47PFL9732D, 47PFL7432D and 52PFL7432D). The 42-, 47-, and 52-inch models now boast 1080p resolution, Perfect Pixel HD Engine to maximize 1080p content for the best picture, Pixel Plus 3 HD, Digital Natural Motion and ClearLCD, the peak of high-definition (HD) for today's demanding consumer."
Probably the biggest news is that Philips is now using LED to power its Ambilight technology. The company says that, "The LED generates more saturated colors, allows for a more compact set design, and consumes less power than prior models."
Here's a look at the full lineup:
Philips' upcoming Ambilight LCD TVs.
(Credit: Philips)
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