Are you looking to buy a new TV but can't quite work out what Philips TV might be the best for you? Just what are the differences between the various Philips TVs on sale online and at your local store? Well, we're here to help. After many years of reviewing TV sets, we can now decipher the model numbers in the same way we can Samsung's. Here we'll explain how, in order to get you off the starting line when choosing a new TV.
Philips'television range can be just as confusing as its smartphones, with models spanning different technologies, screen sizes and designs that might not make any sense unless you can decipher the model names. So here's how it all works.
Breaking down a typical Philips television model number: 2015 and earlier
Let's start with the Philips TV we reviewed in November last year, the 40PUT6400, as an example. We'll move on to 2016 models later.
Take a look at the diagram below, courtesy of Tab-TV.
The first number in the model name is perhaps the most important: it tells you the size of the screen in inches, in this case, 40. But this could be anything from the more portable 22-inch to the quite substantial 75-inch.
Following the screen size is an arrangement of three letters which in turn refer to the type of Philips device the product is, the resolution of the screen, and the type of TV tuner it has.
The first letter is always going to be P with TVs. This just refers to the type of Philips device the product is. In this case P = TV. The second letter is the resolution of the display that the TV has. Н refers to standard High Definition (HD) at 1,280 x 720 pixels, F refers to Full HD (1,920 x 1,080), and U refers to Ultra High Definition (UHD), which is 3,840 x 2,160 pixels. As you can see, our example has a UHD display.
The next letter tells us the type of tuner the TV has. H refers to a DVB-T/C tuner, К means it has a DVB-T/C/S/S2 tuner, T refers to a DVB-T/T2/C, S to a T/T2/C/S/S2 tuner and finally, L means it has an ATSC tuner.
To avoid confusion, DVB stands for Digital Video Broadcast, with the following letters: T standing for Terrestrial, S for Satellite, and C for Cable. The T2 and S2 versions are the latest types of tuner, made for HD channels – however most HD channels are still tuned to the S system. Note, when buying a TV, it is sensible to buy one that supports the T2 or S2 systems as they could be moved at any time, making the older versions obsolete.
So, to review, in our review model used as an example above, which features the three letters PUT: P tells us that it's a TV, U refers to its display as Ultra High Definition display, and T tells us it has a T-DVB-T/T2/C tuner.
The number next in line refers to the series of the Philips TV. It's important to note that identification of Philips TV sets are divided into series. There are four different series: the budget offering 4000 series, the mid-range 5000 series, the high-spec but not top-spec 6000 series, or the latest and best in class 7000 series. Each of these series is represented in the model number by the first number of the series. For instance, our example model 6, meaning it's a 6000 series TV. Generally, the higher the number, the greater series of features and functions implemented in the TV. This will totally depend on what features you are looking for and the type of TV you're looking at.
Th next character in the model number is, in the case of our example, 40, which refers to the model of the series in question. This is just a way for Philips to number the different types of models in the series, and doesn't tell the customer much about the TV in question.
The last character in the model number is the date it was developed. Confusingly, 7 refers to 2012, 8 to 2013, 9 to 2014, and 0 means it's from 2015.
2016 model numbers explained
2016 models follow a very similar naming method, except the year number changes, and starts back at 1. Some can also be followed by a forward slash, with a double-digit number. This number refers to the region the TV is made to operate in. 60 is for Russia, F10 is for the US and Canada, 79 is for Australia, and the only one you'll need to look for in the UK is either 12 or 88, which tells us its made for European regions.
Take our most recent Philips TV review as an example: the 43PUS6401/12. we'll start from the beginning, to help summarise everything we've learned so far when looking for a Philips TV.
It's a 43in TV with an Ultra HD display, and a T/T2/C/S/S2 tuner. It's a member of the firm's 6000 series of TVs, having a model number of 40, then the 1 tells us it was made in 2016, and the "/12" tells us it's made for view in Europe.
And here you go – you now know how to deconstruct the code of a Philips television model number!