Skip to main content

That old thing leaning against the wall? It’s just my amazing TV

that old thing leaning against the wall its just my amazing tv philips designline dt
presented-by-fiat-table-280x70

Behold the first-ever content series between Digital Trends and The Manual. The Bromance has begun. Since there are a plethora of brands out there melding style and technology, we thought we would take this opportunity to profile one item per week for the month of October, breaking them down and offering each of our unique takes on their tech and style components.

For the whole series, click here; for the coolest TV we’ve seen in a long time, read on…

dt-logoDigital Trends:

Let’s get this out of the way right up front: We KNOW that leaning a TV against the wall is probably not the best viewing angle from which to binge-watch House Of Cards. If we wanted to call attention to the single greatest TV we’ve seen lately, the Designline probably wouldn’t be it. But this isn’t just about performance – although it has your premium LED-standard 1080p resolution, four HDMI and 3 USB inputs, as well as a suite of Smart TV apps and sharing functions. It also has some not-so-standard features, like Philips Ambilight technology, which refracts ambient light onto the surface behind the TV and makes the damn thing look like it’s about to lift off and leave the atmosphere.

No, our obsession with the Designline has less to do with performance and more to do with the cajones Philips displays in reworking the expected TV form factor in such an unexpected way. Like a lot of design-forward products we often lust after, we’d actually be a little nervous to bring this TV home – not because we don’t know where we’d put it (we do, after all, have plenty of walls), but because we’re afraid we couldn’t pull it off. Honestly, James Bond might not be able to pull this TV off. Well, Daniel Craig James Bond could, but Pierce Brosnan? Not a chance.

The ManualThe Manual:

Yeah, about James Bond. Mister Bond also had good taste and didn’t live in a man cave. So while we would usually flip the shame switch on you for having a television that just leans against the wall (like all of those NBA framed posters from college), this Philips Designline is taking us to the next level of entertainment. Loosing the bezel is awesome in our book and the fact that it has SimplyShare so that we can send photos and videos from our iPads and iPhones directly to the TV is sweet. And rest assured, this slick Rick does come with a bracket mount to fix it to the wall. We can only image our kids or dog tearing under it only to have this freestanding stunner come crashing forward onto our martini bar. You know, if we were Mr. Bond.

Editors' Recommendations

Digital Trends Staff
Digital Trends has a simple mission: to help readers easily understand how tech affects the way they live. We are your…
Philips makes some big promises with its new Cloud TV service

Today at IFA 2013 in Berlin, Phillips announced two new cloud service apps, Cloud Explorer and Cloud TV, both of which will be available on all Philips Smart TVs from 2012 or later. Partnering with Dropbox, Cloud Explorer will allow users to access files, media, and pictures on their TV from dedicated folders in their Dropbox accounts. Cloud TV, however, is a bit more ambitious, promising ‘hundreds of local, national, and special interest channels’ all from the convenience of your Philips Smart TV.
So is Philips’ new Cloud TV service the slayer of the cable dragon? Probably not. The service appears to depend on several caveats, most specifically where you live. While the official press release claims Cloud TV will offer a large selection of premium and non-premium channels ‘most of which' are free, there’s also a short disclaimer at the bottom that reads ‘availability and specifications of services are country dependent’.
That could mean a lot of things, but it’s probably not an encouraging sign, especially for U.S. residents. Let’s be honest, aside from some BBC gems, the vast majority of TV content that most of us watch is created and broadcast here in the United states -- and it would be very surprising to see much of it legally accessible for free online, especially on U.S. soil. Further driving skepticism is the fact that none of the channels offered are listed in the press release, or anywhere else we could find.
While we’re always hopeful for some magic beans in our search for free online content of the legal variety, the TV overlords have always kept a firm grasp on their content (see Aereo and FilmOn), and we can’t see that changing anytime soon. We’ll keep you posted as more details emerge, but don’t expect a Philips Smart TV to serve up ‘Game of Thrones’ for free anytime soon.

Read more
Samsung Memorial Day Sale: Appliances, TVs, phones, and more
Samsung Frame in a kitchen.

There aren't many Memorial Day sales that can boast huge phone deals alongside refrigerator deals, but that's the beauty of Samsung. The Korean company is an expert at developing so many much-needed appliances as well as fun but practical tech too. Its Memorial Day sale reflects that with so much to check out that it's almost overwhelming. You're likely to know what you need most, so we recommend hitting the link below to see what's out there within the sale. However, if you still need a little more guidance, we're here to point out a few highlights too.

What to shop in the Samsung Memorial Day sale
We all know that Samsung makes some of the best TVs and one of its highlights is the Samsung The Frame TV. Incredibly stylish, the TV works like a picture frame so you simply hang it on your wall and it displays art any time you're not watching TV. It's also a fantastic QLED TV in its own right so you get exceptional picture quality the whole time. At Samsung, you can save $100 off the 55-inch model or a massive $800 off the equally massive 85-inch model.

Read more
Our 5 favorite Memorial Day TV deals — from $198
The LG B2 OLED 4K TV in a living room.

Memorial Day has finally arrived. It brings a lot of things with it; a day to remember those lost, a holiday to spend time with the family, and one of the largest shopping holidays of the year. As your family is together, the talk just might go to your favorite TV shows and movies. If that's the case for your family, why not celebrate by buying a TV that is being offered at a much lower price than usual? While there are tons of TV deals going on, many featuring the best TVs of our era, there are also a ton of special deals that just hit right around Memorial Day. There are so many, however, that it can be difficult to sort through them all — especially on a holiday you want to spend with your family — so our team has sorted them for you.
Onn. 50-inch Roku 4K TV — $198, was $238

At one of the cheapest prices you can expect to find on a fully-featured modern TV at the moment, the Onn. 50-inch Roku 4K TV is worth a look. At 60Hz in refresh rate and 2160p, the Onn. will faithfully deliver what's on screen with the best of them. If you've been sweating it out with an older TV — one that doesn't come with the features that seem so standard on the ones all of your friends have — you'll also be delighted that the Onn. hosts many of the same features that make the best Roku TVs so popular. That includes access to the half-million plus TV episodes and movies that come with Roku's channels, with many free and others paid, as well as all of the cool tricks that work on Roku TVs in general. If you just need an upgrade to the modern era and don't want to spend much to do so, this is the deal that was made for you.

Read more