Philips Essence HDTV Eyes-On: Designed for Hanging, Has Removable Sound System

I saw the 42-inch Philips Essence 1080p at their booth today, and there are three things I like about it beyond its minimalist design with 21mm bezel. Very much in fact:

The Good: First, the fact that its back is completely flat, so it can be hung flush on a wall, like a painting. Second, that it includes a single cable to connect to your base unit, which is a nice 13.1-foot long, good enough to make a “no-cables-hanging” installation. And third, that the included 2 x 15W sound bar can be easily detached from the unit, just in case you want to use your own home theatre system (like you should).

The Bad: It still requires you to prepare your wall for installation.

Bottom Line: great image quality, three HDMI 1.3a+ connections, DLNA-enabled, all wrapped into a good design. We don’t know if it’s going to reach the US yet, but if it does, it’s seems like a good one for those who want an almost invisible TV hanging on their wall. [More IFA 2008 Coverage]