Philips unveils Aurea II LCD TV

Philips original range of Aurea TVs were nothing short of impressive when they were unveiled at the tail end of last year. Instead of just tweaking the picture inside the TV's frame, the company somehow made the frame become part of the picture, pushing its very own Ambilight technology to the maximum.

Now Philips has unveiled the second generation of its Aurea tellies, cunningly titled Aurea II.

Transparency
Instead of giving its colourful flatscreens a complete overhaul, Philips has decided to add a few tweaks here and there.

These include: a slightly new design, with a thinner frame and curved corners. By all accounts, the frame (Active Frame to give it its official title) has been made even more impressive.

Its been reduced in size, giving the TVs a "slim-line silhouette" and has been made near transparent for, what Philips calls, "a better, seamless transition from the on-screen colours to the frame and on to the surrounding wall."

Refreshing
The latest version of the Perfect Pixel HD engine has been installed, which is capable of processing up to 500 million pixels per second, and there's a dynamic contrast ratio of 30,000:1.

The Aurea II also has been given the accolade of being the "world's fastest LCD". To make the TV Usain Bolt-like, Philips has got its response rate down to just two milliseconds.

The 42-inch Philips Aurea II (its less impressive moniker is 42PFL9903D) is available from November for around 3000 EUR.