One of the ironies about the green movement is that while many people are cutting energy consumption, reducing waste and trying to be more environmentally friendly, they're still buying very large TVs. Traditionally, the larger the set means the more power it is going to consume. While advances have been made to reduce juice needed to power today's consumer electronics, the fact remains that these sets are energy hogs during the hours they're on, and vampires when they're not. Philips is taking a step toward a more green friendly set with the "Eco TV" line, which includes the 42PFL5603D 42-inch LCD HDTV.

This model uses an average of 90 to 240 watts during operation, in contrast to the 175-300 watts used by other flat panel sets of similar or smaller sizes. In the standby mode, this set uses just 0.15 watts. The Philips 42PFL5603D is also part of the new generation of flat panel LCD sets powered by an LED light source rather than the traditional lamp. This is why the set uses less power, but it has the added benefit of local dimming--you can actually dim the areas where the screen is especially dark. The results are very impressive when seen in action, and we found this model to have very deep blacks with rich colors. The set even features a mode to that caps the peak light output, which can further help improve performance. All of these features can be disabled should they not be to your liking, and we appreciated being given the option.

We weren't surprised to see that this model lacks the Philips Amblight technology, which provides the back cast of light. It's hard to include that feature, especially since it draws extra power, and call this a power friendly model. It's worth noting that this 42-inch model is part of the Philips' initiative to reduce waste and make the end product more eco friendly too. As a result, these sets are shipped in recycled packaging and include lead-free components. While the savings might seem small, most environmentalists would agree that every little bit has to help.

If it was just about the environment, we'd say this is a good set at a good value; frankly that's not close to enough on what we have to say. We were quite pleased to find that this full 1080p model, which features a native resolution of 1,920x1,080, offers a total of four HDMI inputs--including three rear and one side input--as well as two component inputs. Rounding out the A/V inputs are S-Video, composite and even a USB input for viewing of photos and playback of MP3 files.

While this is certainly a set for the masses (and should gather interest because of the energy saving options), we were generally pleased with the picture quality. The 42PFL5603D features a contrast ratio of 29000:1, so again, you can expect to see very deep blacks. This model offers multiple widescreen modes, including an auto-format mode to get the most out of your picture viewing depending on the content source, while the 3D comb filter does a very good job of making the colors jump and seem crisp and clear.

As with other Philips models, we're still not blown away by the Pixel Plus processor. The latest version of this technology does an adequate job of making standard definition content look quite a bit better, but we're still unsure of the end results.

In terms of design and appearance, the 42PFL5603D doesn't have the sleekest bezel, and there are sets that are even slimmer than the 3.5-inches of this model. But for the price, and the environmental savings, this is a very good set for anyone looking for a good set that might just be a bit better for Mother Nature.

Pros: Eco friendly, four HDMI inputs, swivel stand
Cons: Not the best off angle viewing, no Ambilight feature

Warranty
1 year, limited