Philips Aurea 42PFL9900D

Philips' latest expenso-TV puts LED in your pencil

Not so much a TV with Ambilight as one huge Ambilight with a TV, the Aurea is Philips' flagship gogglebox, and a fashion statement as much as something to watch the footie on.

The Ambilight here is called Spectra, and it's a far cry from the simple two, three or four-lamp backlighting set-ups seen on earlier Philips models. Here, there are 42 independent sets of LEDs, each changing instantly to extend the colours on the screen out into the frame.

If that all sounds a bit over the top, well, that's because it. The lighting can be toned down, but if you want understatement, you've come to the wrong place. Opinions in the T3 office are split, Marmite-style -- some find the constantly shifting light show distracting, others love it.

Perfect Pixel HD

Despite the heavy emphasis on design, there's more to the Aurea than brash looks. With a list of picture enhancement modes that's as long as your arm, and a full 1080p screen, this delivers a truly jaw-loosening picture with both Hi-Def and standard sources. HD material is particularly impressive, with pixel-sharp detail, slick, judder-free motion and rich colours. Sound quality is a notch above too, despite the speakers being invisible.

Wallet basher

The main issue we have with the Aurea stands out like a huge quantity of lit LEDs in a darkened room: £3k is a hell of a lot to pay for a 42-inch telly, even when it performs this well. There's no way we can describe it as an "essential" purchase, in the way that an iPod is, or lard, but if you've got the cash.