The Philips Somba 13" TV (Model #13PT30L) : A Product Review

The Somba is a neat little 13" TV that seems to have become a favorite of California boutique hotels for some reason. It has little clear plastic feet that light up with white light to serve as a nightlight, an analog clock in the front that can be used as an alarm, and speakers that wrap from the side to the front to project sound forward to the listener. While all of these features are nice, it also has its little quirks that are off-putting.

The biggest one is that if you buy it without a manual, you can have a heck of a time actually getting everything to work right. When I first acquired mine, around 5 p.m. every evening the analog clock would rewind itself, the foot lights would go on, and if the TV was on the sound would cut out. It took quite a while to actually pick through the menus and figure out how to shut all this off! Another issue with it is that you absolutely need the remote - there's channel select and volume buttons on the top of the unit, but that's it for buttons on the actual TV other than a power button on the face. To get into the menus or do anything else, you must have the remote.

But that's really all the complaints that I have with it, and I wanted to get those out of the way first - the rest is gravy. When the TV first came out a few years ago, it was one of the more expensive for a 13" TV - in the range of $200 new when that size usually sold for less than $100. Fortunately the price isn't due simply to gimmicks, but to good quality. Provided you have a good input, the picture quality is surprisingly sharp, and the audio is very good as well. The design of the pictures makes sound seem a little more full than the usual 13" with one or two tiny speakers on the sides, and the forward projection means it doesn't have to be cranked up as much to hear it properly from a distance.

As far as features go, you have the standard A/V inputs (red, white and yellow jacks) on the back for game systems and home theater, and there's also a headphone jack on the right-hand side. The analog alarm clock can be set to three digital sounds (rooster, harp or xylophone tones) or to turn on to the channel of your choosing. Also optional is the Blade Runner-esque white glow of the foot lights.

For a 13" TV, this is really one of the best that you can get at a reasonable price.