Manufacturer: Philips Find all Philips reviews Model#: 30PW85 Average Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars	Retail Price: $999.99 Online Sale Price:
Features: 30-inch widescreen Real Flat CRT with 2 component-video inputs; TV is 35 x 23.5 x 21.5 inches (W x H x D) 1080i, 480p capable with Eye Fidelity line doubling for non-HD sources Active Control analyzes incoming signals and optimizes color, sharpness, contrast, and digital noise reduction 10 watts per channel, Incredible Surround simulated surround sound Velocity-scan modulation improves the definition at picture edges

But, if something goes wrong with your Philips unit, good luck.

My TV stopped taking any signal but the digital cable 39 days after I bought it. I could watch cable, but no DVD's or videos. I called Philips with my problem, and after speaking to somebody in another country for an hour, they had no idea what was wrong and I had to have it serviced.

The servicer came to my house under warranty and couldn't find the problem, so two weeks later they picked it up. Three weeks have gone by, and its still not fixed. I tried to call Philips to complain, but was again serviced by their customer service in Jamaica. They cannot do anything except say that the warranty is in effect, and that I can get it serviced. Good luck talking to them through their accents and the delay.

I asked to speak to somebody in the US, and they just gave me an address to write a letter to. It took them over two weeks to respond to my letter.

So after almost two months of being without a properly working television, two afternoons off work to meet service people and a third for when the tv is derlivered back, hours on the phone with their offshore customer "service" people, and a letter to PhilipsUSA headquarters, their total solution was to expedite the repair.

When I finally got someone in the USA to talk to me in response to the letter, they really didn't seem to care much about all of the steps that I had to take to get a problem resolved. I did everything they asked of me, yet Philips was unable to get me a working TV.

What did I do to deserve an malfuctioning TV and all the inconveniences? I bought a Philips TV.

So, while the TV is a good product, their poor service would make me really go out of my way to avoid purchasing another Philips product.

I realize that any product may not be perfect when purchased and may require service, but the lack of concern for the hoops I had to jump through just to obtain a working TV was pathetic.

A company should be judged on how they solve problems when things go wrong, Philips failed me, and they may fail you too.

As an update (June 5th), Philips did end up refunding my money, however, the two month process to do what I asked for originally has really soured me on Philips products and customer service.

Date: 2004-05-25
Philips 30" or 34"? I went with the 30" and am glad...
Sams Club in Nashville (one of several) had both the 30" (30PW850H) and 34" (34PW850H) side by side! I was going to get the 34" at Sears (close out price: $1,099!). Was the extra 4" diagnal going to be worth the extra $300?

After seeing both, the answer is no: I got the 30" and am happy!

(At the moment, it looks like both are being closed out. Wal-Mart has the 30" for about $779, and may be cheaper elsewhere.)

I will not add any other comments *yet* as I just got the set. I'm not yet happy with the picture, but...
* I'm relying on aerial antenna reception for local stations (bad),
* S-Video for DVD and VCR (acceptable, but grainy)
* Coaxial for Dish Network (quite clear, but with some pixelation).

Before I reign in with my final evaluation, I wanted to at least let shoppers know that if you're torn between the two, the 30" is well, well worth the savings! Because it's a wide-screen, the overall difference in size is less vs. say the difference of a 4:3 (standard) TV going from 30" to 34".

Only complaints: The manual I rec'd was in Spanish, and the wrong remote was included. This MAY have been a return or refurb, but I can't be sure.

Date: 2004-05-15
a good buy while I'm waiting for the LCD's to come down in $
I got mine at Costco for the rock bottom price of $699 and with no sales pitch for extended warrantys. The picture looks good, especially with a progressive scan DVD, but I disagree with the other reviewers about this being the best picture quality. I beat my market research to death, and I think the Toshiba is better quality, and Sony at the top. However, you'll pay more for those too. This TV for me is a holdover until the flat screens loose another $2K in price, at which point I'll still come out ahead and have a nice hammedown for my parents. The only real complaint I have is the delay in flipping between channels is too long, but I gather from other reviewers this is standard on this TV. But like I said, if you want five stars, then you'll have to pay extra for it.

Date: 2004-04-30
A gorgeous TV
I purchased this TV set from Costco for about $800 three months ago. So far, it works great. Its picture and sound are superior when connected with my $130 Sony DVD player. The only issue I noticed is that it takes 1 or 2 second to respond I change channels, which is annoying.

Date: 2004-04-26
WOW!!! BEST PURCHASE I HAVE EVER MADE!!!!
I just bought this thing from Amazon and all I can say is WOW!!!!

This is probably the best purchase I have ever made. This thing is everything I ever expected and more!! It's easy to use as well - even my wife can operate it!

I have to say, everyone out there who is thinking of buying this, stop thinking. I bought it and I am extremely happy with it the moment I powered this thing on. YOU ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY CANNOT GO WRONG WITH THIS PURCHASE! I GUARANTEE IT!!!