When it comes to picture quality, a 1080p signal courtesy of a Mediagate MG350-HD video player looked fantastic but that's to be expected. We find the test of a good television is how well it handles a less than perfect picture, important considering not everything you'll want to watch will be available in HD. The analogue tuner in the 37PF9731/69 produces grainy images and, despite the 3ms response time, we noticed significant motion blur issues with dark objects during rapid pans, both when watching the built-in analogue tuner and a Topfield SD digital set top box. Moving objects, such as people walking across the screen, were often surrounded by a thin halo of pixelation. Sport lovers will also be disappointed with the picture. To double check our observations, we ran the same signal through the Sony Bravia - which produced a noticeably sharper picture. Motion blur, such as from rapidly moving credits, was also less prevalent on the Bravia.

When you combine the annoyance of Ambilight with the pedestrian SD picture quality and a lack of digital tuner, it's pretty hard to recommend the Philips Cineos 37PF9731/69 for your lounge room considering the quality of the competition.

AT A GLANCE: Philips Cineos 37PF9731/69 high definition LCD television

PRICE $AU5750

Pros - 1080p, HDMI

Cons - bulky, no digital tuner, poor analogue image

CONTACT Philips www.philips.com.au
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