Sound
Clear Sound does a reasonable job at increasing the clarity of dialogue, and Incredible Surround is worth considering while watching movies, though both of these modes' success is down to the sheer power behind the Philips 42PFL7666's speakers.
Rated at 14W each, they are among the best in the business despite the removal of woofers from the rear of the TV (as was the case with Phillips' 2010 crop of TVs). Still, it's worth playing around with the individual treble and bass controls in the home screen's Settings menu. Though it's hard to resist pushing the base up to its maximum level, we'd advise leaving it a tad below.
Value
The Philips 42PFL7666 is great value; nicely styled and boasting tremendous build quality, the likes of which are so, so rare in the flatscreen TV market, the provision of a solid, stable desktop stand and those impressive speakers make this a standout product if judged purely on hardware.
Inside it's a different story, however, with a rather dated-looking user interface and a smart TV dimension that is really only justified by the presence of the BBC iPlayer.
There are better such platforms available, but the Philips 42PFL7666 is relatively media savvy in other areas and the sheer versatility and quality of the HD TV make this a great choice for movie buffs after something a little different. And don't underestimate Ambilight - it adds something special that's not easy to live without once experienced.
