Philips’ 42PFL5609 initially comes across as the 42PFL7409’s poorest pal. Part of the 5 series, the build quality is okayish, with the plastics being lower grade than its higher-end sibling. The panel also appears to be suitably scaled down, and this is not to nitpick, because the display isn’t bad – it’s just we had the 42PFL7409 at hand, and the difference, is very noticeable. The native resolution for PC is set at 1360 x 768 pixels, while the display itself goes up to 1080p.
Using DisplayMate, the contrast ratio is immediately noticed to be deficient. This shows up in movies, especially darker scenes. Input lag is not noticeable. There is also a tendency to over saturate reds. Picture quality is good, but there was some minor banding noticeable and the display does not work with non-native resolutions as well. On the whole, movies are fun, especially higher resolution stuff.
Gaming is a little less involving, owing to the deficient contrast. Use on a PC should be avoided as text crispness and overall display clarity is a problem, unless you’re willing to run it at 1360 x 768 pixels. At Rs. 64,990, it’s pretty overpriced, but better than the Samsung 40-inch LED display in terms of value.
 

Philips’ 42PFL5609 initially comes across as the 42PFL7409’s poorest pal. Part of the 5 series, the build quality is okayish, with the plastics being...