One of the key criticisms we have with some Philips TVs is their relatively high price. As much as we loved the 9703 range, it is more expensive by far than most of the competition. The good news is that the 7603 range is much better value for money, but has some very similar features.
We tuned in the Freeview, fired up the Blu-ray player and dimmed the lights to find out if it performs as well as its big brother. Sadly we didn't have any popcorn to hand, but there was a copy of the 80s classic Risky Business to help us evaluate this TV.
Design
Philips has recently emerged as one of the shining stars of TV design, its newer models both original and aesthetically pleasing. There are also some distinct technical advantages to the way it has chosen to configure its televisions, especially when it comes to sound performance.
We liked the Philips 9703 range so we had high hopes for the 7603. The main differences between them is that the 7603 is substantially cheaper, and it doesn't offer the more advanced three-sided Ambilight system.
We're pleased to see that the 7603 features a significantly less annoying remote control. If you aren't familiar with the 9703, you won't know that it has a rotating dial which you can use to scroll around menus. Although we liked that idea, it was inaccurate and frustrating in practice. On the 7603 the dial has been replaced with a simple multi-directional button which is much simpler and much less frustrating. On the negative side, however, this new remote feels much cheaper.
Features
The 7603, like quite a few modern televisions, has a USB interface which allows you to connect memory sticks containing music and photos for playback on the screen. Sadly, there is no video support on this particular model, which is a crying shame as it would add that little bit of extra zing to the TV.
The Ambilight is the two-sided version, which we like, but it's not quite as involving as the three-sided version. You do have the same choices with this system, including choosing a single colour to throw on the wall and the ability to adjust the response speed and brightness of the illumination.
It's probably worth pointing out that to make the most out of Ambilight, you really need to have the TV positioned close to a white or light coloured wall. If you get it just right, it can be a lovely experience, though not something that you would use all the time.
Performance
The 7603 does a passable job with Freeview. Sometimes the macro blocking that comes as part-and-parcel with low-bitrate digital TV was pretty noticeable. This is something that picture processing should minimise, but the Philips didn't seem to cope especially well. Generally though, with a good incoming signal, the 7603 managed to produce a decent picture.
Sound is really the strong suit of this TV. Philips uses a system that fires high-frequency sound out the front of the TV, using a sort of horn-shaped bezel. This means that speech is crisp and clear. At the back are a pair of woofers that pad out the low-end sound, providing a deep bass when needed. This makes watching movies a pleasure. At times we did think the bass could be a little overwhelming, but that's quite easy to overcome by reducing the bass level through the menus.
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John Ryder 3 March 2009
Good: Would be ok without the design fault and dishonest Philips people
Bad: Design faults, then you have to pay for their mistake
Comment: I was unlucky enough to have purchased a Philips tv and my advice is buy another make. By the time I noticed the green line at the top of the screen design fault, the guarantee had expired. Naturally I contacted Philips to ask what they were going to do to fix this faulty product I had been sold and to my astonishment they weren't prepared to do anything. I'm afraid Philips are liars, they said that the fault wasn't there from the start (although hundreds of online reviews complaining about the "green line fault" beg to differ). They said I would have to pay £240+ to have an engineer repair it. OK, so I'm paying nearly half the cost of the tv to fix a fault that you didn't fix during production, and what's more you offer firmware to fix it if you are lucky enough to have USB feature, which of course I wasn't. When a company offers firmware to fix a fault, it's because they have made a mistake, so in effect I am being made to pay for their mistake. Looking around on internet review web sites I was quite saddened to find other people like me who had been ripped off by Philips in a similar way. Just out of interest, my friend once bought a Philips dvd recorder that had a design fault which meant it wouldn't let the user leave the menu, rendering it useless. Luckily enough he was able to return it to his local Asda, unlucky for me I had to deal with Philips who show only contempt towards their customers. The reason I mentioned that incident about my friend was because Philips' argument was that all their products are tested and never leave production with any faults, quite a ridiculous claim, and proven to be untrue. Once again I urge you not to buy Philips products to save you any grief which might and probably will occur. Thank you.
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