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By: Richard Del Cazzo
Web site: http://www.hdtv-hdtv.com
Philips is to add an exciting and innovative dimension to
home entertainment with the introduction of two unique picture
technology improvements – Pixel Plus 2™ and Ambilight™
ambient lighting – in three new LCD-based FlatTV™
sets being introduced in Europe this year, the 32-inch (81cm)
32PF9986, 37-inch (94cm) 37PF9986, and the 42-inch (107cm)
42PF9986 as well as two exclusively designed plasma sets,
the 42-inch 42PF9966 and the 50-inch 50PF9966 (127cm).
Pixel Plus 2 is the latest version of Philips’ award-winning
image enhancement technology, and builds upon its acclaimed
predecessor to create even sharper, more detailed pictures
with a greater impression of depth than any other image enhancing
technique. Pixel Plus 2 improves color reproduction and increases
resolution, picture depth and contrast ratio by up to 30%,
resulting in extremely fine color details with a superior
brilliance.
Pixel Plus 2 technology works with any input signal including
terrestrial, cable and satellite, non-progressive and progressive
DVD, Digital TV signals (DVB/MHP) and even HD transmissions.
The technology is compatible with any display technology including
Philips’ plasma and LCD panels as well as CRT sets.
The entire Pixel Plus 2 video chain has a 10-bit range and
is fully digital, resulting in better picture quality primarily
due to fewer A/D and D/A conversion steps.
Improved picture quality with Pixel Plus 2 enhanced features
Pixel Plus 2 is built around one of the most advanced digital
processors available in the consumer market today, comprising
a unique suite of 17 digital image processing improvements.
Philips unique 3D Digital Combfilter separates for PAL and
NTSC CVBS-signals, the brightness and the color component
in the 3D domain better resulting in cross color, cross luminance,
and dot crawl elimination, while also enhancing the diagonal
sharpness providing razor-sharp pictures with breathtaking
clarity. 3D Combfilter for PAL is considered to be unique
in the market.
Philips also uses a 3D Digital Noise Reduction (DNR) process
to clean up moving images resulting in noise- and smear-free
pictures, in addition to standard 2D or ‘spatial’
DNR. Pixel Plus 2 technology uses Dynamic Contrast, a digital
enhancement system, to control the light and dark parts of
the image resulting in a more brilliant picture with up to
30 percent more contrast.
Pixel Plus 2 also incorporates another award-winning Philips
technology, Digital Natural Motion, which creates perfectly
smooth, judder-free and razor-sharp moving images. The most
intricate aspect of Pixel Plus 2 technology is the sub-pixel-based
Luminance Transient Improvement that processes interpolated
pixels. As a result, this alters luminance amplitude to create
more sophisticated pixels and sharper transients in the picture,
creating more detailed pictures with a greater impression
of depth than any other image enhancing technique.
Philips Pixel Plus 2 also includes a set of processes to
adjust the tone and temperature of colors onscreen. Color
Dependent Sharpness, Green Enhancement, Blue Stretch and Skin
Tone Correction all dramatically enhance color detail and
saturation, resulting in superior, sharp pictures with vivid
and brilliant colors and natural skin tones.
Ambilight™ ambient lighting technology for more relaxed
TV viewing
The new 32PF9986, 37PF9986 and 42PF9986, 42PF9966 and 50PF9966
Philips FlatTVs are also the first models to add an exciting
and innovative dimension to home entertainment - Ambilight™
ambient lighting.
This totally unique Philips technology enhances the TV and
the viewing environment itself by projecting background lighting
built into the rear of the TV onto the wall behind the set.
This creates a more relaxing experience and blends the TV
perfectly into the living room décor. Also the picture
quality is better perceived in terms of contrast, colors and
detail.
Such is the level of intelligence built into Ambilight that
it can generate any color and level of light intensity to
perfectly match consumers’ viewing preference. Via the
remote control, lighting levels can be personalized for custom
color choice and brightness, or selected from four fixed presets
and two special active preset modes which automatically change
the color intensity based on the content on the screen. Furthermore,
when the set is switched off, Ambilight can be used to provide
a unique ambience for the room.
Ambilight technology is also coupled with an external light
sensor, determining how much light there is in the room, and
controls the TV light output accordingly. A dark room will
trigger less light whereas a bright room will drive more light
output. Ambilight technology dramatically reduces glare and
reflections on the television screen by screening light sources
that strike the front of the set. The light also reduces eyestrain
thus providing a more relaxing viewing experience for consumers.
Developed jointly by Philips’ Research, TV and Lighting
divisions, Ambilight is the result of detailed consumer insight
into how people watch television at home. Consumer testing
of Ambilight revealed that a large number of consumers found
lighting around the TV set contributed to a more relaxing
viewing experience and a better perceived picture quality
in terms of contrast, depth and color vividness. Colored Ambilight
made an even bigger difference.
To further enhance the ergonomics of the FlatTVs with Ambilight,
all three sets of the 9986 series, also feature discrete NXT®
speakers built into their innovative flat design. Invisible
Flat NXT speakers with ‘surface-sound’ technology
have a flat membrane to create a better propagation of sound
in the room. The unique design of these speakers also diffuses
the sound field, improving the directionality and quality
of the sound.
Philips is also combining its lighting innovation in all
three models of the ‘9986’ series, with the addition
of the unique ease of use feature, the Magic Tech top control.
A motion sensor automatically triggers blue backlighting to
the controls when a user is approaching the set.
The Philips 32PF9986, 37PF9986 and 42PF9986 FlatTV sets will
be introduced in Europe from the second quarter of 2004 onwards,
as well as the 42PF9966 and the 50PF9966 plasma TVs.
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