What Hi Fi Sound and Vision 25 JUN 2007

Philips PET830

£ 190 4

* * * *

Impressive large-screen picture and good sound.

For
All round good performance, realistic, superior colours and better off centre performance than any rival.
Against
Battery pack only offers three hours playback, and no resume function

This sultry unit from Philips includes an 8.5in screen in a chic tablet-PC style chassis, making it look and feel more expensive than it actually is. The design includes a fold-out stand for desktop use, and a headrest bracket for in-car mounting.

Usefully, the design features a slot-loading disc mechanism, making changing discs on the move less of a chore, while the player’s modest dimensions are aided by an integrated (rather than external) battery pack. However, that only offers three hours of playback time.

Still, the Philips offers good performance: it has blacker blacks, more realistic colours and superior ‘off-centre’ performance to any rival.
Short battery life aside, our only other gripe is the absence of a resume function; that’s enough to annoy in-car users.