Our readings

Black levels:	0,25 cd/m²
ANSI contrast:	887:1
Average gamma:	2,1
DeltaE on PC:	2.4
Relative energy consumption :	385 W/m²
Homogeneity of whites:	1,8/5
Clouding:	5/5
Light leak onto dark greys at 45° :	0.09 cd/m²
DeltaE at 45° :	3.1

The spec

There’s nothing to make the Philips 42PFL5603D stand out from competition. Everything is kept to a strict minimum, both in terms of connectivity – just three HDMI sockets – and features and functionality. There is a brightness sensor but this is no substitute for adjusting the backlighting settings manually, something you can’t do on this model.
Like most Philips products, the coaxial format is used for digital audio whereas most other manufacturers use the Toslink optical socket. The 5603D does include a USB port, allowing you to read MP3 files and photos.

The access menu with different functions has finally been redesigned and looks more modern than on previous sets. It isn’t however as developed as some of the competition, with Sony still the boss with its PS3-inspired XrossMediaBar system. The main criticism of the menus is the lack of cyclic navigation. This means that once you get to the last option, you can’t get back to the first in one click but have to return to it step by step.

On the left, the TV in one of the predefined modes and on the right, the PC mode completely alters the colors. Note how the orange is now tinged magenta.

Display quality

As with other Philips TVs, the 42PFL5603D suffers from a greying of the blacks. Once again, the backlighting cannot be set manually and you cannot deepen the blacks. It is constantly on full unless you activate the brightness sensor and allow the TV to adapt itself to the ambient brightness of the room, fine as a solution for the general user, but a disappointment if you like to tweak the settings yourself. It does seem as if the film mode allows you to limit the strength of the backlighting as we measured a clear reduction in luminosity (429 to 224 cd/m²).

Default contrast is around 900:1, and black levels come in at a reasonable 0.25 cd/m², while whites stay high at 224 cd/m². These are promising readings, especially because the colors and gamma curve are excellent. Angles of vision also measure up and are at a level rarely reached by other LCD models on the market. Only plasma screens do better. Unfortunately, after these sensor readings, the practical tests don’t yield very good results. Films, both in HD (Blu-ray) and SD (DVD) lack precision. The image is much too soft and lacks definitve sharpness.

Things are not any better with rapidly moving on-screen objects; ghosting is very marked and makes it difficult to see objects that flit across the screen, giving the impression that they are fluffed up. Using the 5603D with a PC is fine. The 42PFL5603D also has an input lag of 3 fps.

Sound quality

While lack of depth in blacks is common with Philips, so is above average sound quality. Here the sound is really impressive, especially for an entry level model.

Energy consumption

The 42PFL5603D consumes hardly any energy in standby. We got readings of between 0 and 0.1 W. Consumption when on is however well off the pace.