TVs

Planar PD370

No tuner. No speakers. Just the very best pictures a screen can offer

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Last reviewed: June 23rd

The PD370's pictures don't look as garishly bright as those of most LCD TVs

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Looking for an ordinary TV? Then the Planar PD370 is not for you.

Well, we say TV: as the PD370 doesn't have a built-in tuner, it's better called a screen. Plus it doesn't ship with any speakers either. All you get is 37in of full HD screen, wrapped up in a jet-black, featureless bezel.

Remarkable TV

Well, we're pleased to report that the PD370 is remarkable, starting with that bezel, made from diamond-brushed aluminium, and finished in five coats of black lacquer with a final automotive-quality clear coating for good measure. Meow. The screen is unusual too: it employs a hardened glass, anti-glare front rather than the 'squidgy' efforts of most LCD rivals.

Why the PD370 is so hell-bent on doing things differently is because it's designed for the specialist custom installation (CI) market. Here built-in speakers and tuners are surplus to requirements, and high-end build quality is a must.

Other handy CI touches include an RS-232 port for hardwired system control, and that the included digital audio output can ship sound from any one of the TV's inputs, turning the TV into an easy-to-use AV switching box. It's a pity, though, that you only get two HDMI v1.2 sockets.

Enhanced images

Picture quality comes courtesy of the same Genesis Cortez LCD TV control chipset used to drive the bigger Planar PD470 we tested recently.

As a result, you also get the same suite of Faroudja enhancements, including a 10-bit DCDi Cinema Video converter; a TrueLife system for enhancing colours, depth perception and detailing; and Faroudja's Intellicomb 3D for reducing artifacts when upgrading standard-def.

Let loose on the Blu-ray of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the PD370 displays all the strengths enjoyed on the bigger screen. For instance, fine detailing is immaculate, bringing out subtleties in the set design of the Ministry of Magic that you just don't normally see.

Impressive colour tones

More exceptional subtlety is evident during the opening scenes in the children's playground, as the PD370 serves up astonishing finesse when it comes to colour blends and tones.

At first you don't really appreciate this, since the PD370's pictures don't look as garishly bright as those of most LCD TVs. But the longer you live with the screen, the more you realise that the PD370's colours are actually spot on.