Philips 50PF9731D Review

What the reviewers like:
According to reviews, the 50-inch Philips 50PF9731D plasma performs well and offers a number of good features. Most notable of these is Ambilight, which displays colored lights around and behind the TV to reduce eye fatigue and enhance the viewing experience. While the effect is controversial, some reviewers say it works. Black levels on this model are good, and the level of visible detail is excellent.

What the reviewers don't like:
While some reviewers like Philips 50PF9731D's Ambilight feature, others say it has no effect, and some say it’s actually distracting. Several reviewers say that while color overall is good, flesh tones are off. Input memories are not independent, so changing the settings for one input affects all of them. Some issues with false contouring and excessive edge enhancement have been reported, and some say the menu system can be harder to use than others.

Philips 50PF9731D review highlights

The Philips 50PF9731D plasma TV generates some mixed reactions in reviews. Testers give it generally high marks for picture quality, especially high-def picture quality, with good black levels (though not as deep as the best plasma TVs) and details. Some image defects are noted, including false contouring and excessive edge enhancement. Color is generally good, but several reviewers mention skin tones that are slightly off. Reactions to Philips' Ambilight feature run the gamut. Overall, we found more consistent reviews for the Pioneer PDP-5070HD (*est. $2,600).

We found several useful reviews for the 50-inch Philips 50PF9731D plasma TV. Consumer Reports rates the TV in its typical dispassionate style, testing the set thoroughly and providing ratings, but little in the way of commentary. The Perfect Vision's report is far more detailed, diving deep into technical and practical points, and providing information on how to get the most from the plasma TV. Ratings are provided, but The Perfect Vision reviews fewer plasma TVs. The review at I4UNews.com is much more superficial, but doesn’t do a bad job of looking at things from a user's point of view. Some user comments for the Philips 50PF9731D can be found at AVForum.com.

Also see full report: Plasma TV

*In order of credibility (see our Ratings Criteria).

1. Consumer Reports
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Plasma TV Reviews
Editors of Consumer Reports
Feb. 2007

Consumer Reports tests lots of plasma TVs, including the Philips 50PF9731D, and it maintains a ratings list to make it easy to see how each model fares against the competition. While the testing is fair and competent, discussion is very limited, making it hard to learn much about performance nuances.

2. The Perfect Vision
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Philips 50PF9731D Review
Scott Wilkinson
Feb. 2006

The Perfect Vision's plasma TV reports are detailed and offer lots of practical and technical information. The Philips 50PF9731 gets a somewhat mixed reaction. A nice touch in this review is a list of picture settings Wilkinson used to get the best results.

3. I4U News.com
Philips Ambilight 50-inch HDTV 50PF9731D Review
Shane McGlaun
Mar. 14 2007

I4U News calls itself a technology lifestyle magazine and shopping guide. Reports are more superficial than those from better review sources, and its review of the Philips 50PF9731D plasma TV is not overly critical. Still, the report does not do a bad job of tackling things from a user's point of view.

4. AVSForum.com
Plasma Flat Panel Displays
Contributors to AVSForum.com

This active discussion site offers a lot of information about home-entertainment equipment and programming, including a sub-forum dedicated to plasma TVs. The Philips 50PF9731D is popular enough to get its own dedicated thread, although it’s not as busy as many. However, this is still a good place to get first hand reports from users about how the TV performs in real life, as well as somewhere to get tips and have questions answered.

Also see full report: Plasma TV