Philips USA AJL308 Clock Radio with 7-Inch TFT LCD Color Display and USB/SD Card Slot Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)There is a lot to love about this product. It's sleek. It's stylish. It's bright, bold and clear. (It can be dimmed!) It's a clock-radio with two independent alarms that also plays audio files (.mp3 and .wma), video (mpeg4 and divx codices) and photo slide shows (.jpg only). It has built-in "relaxation" sounds to help you fall asleep. It has so much going for it! And just when you think it can't get any better...
It doesn't get better. It slips a little. You start thinking to yourself, "If only..." and "Why didn't they just take the next step?" Why isn't there a tiny bit of built-in memory so that I don't need a SD card or USB stick to be attached to change the cute-but-becoming-annoying default photo? Why can't I select an audio file on the SD or USB as my alarm music? Why only three built-in sounds for the "relaxation" music? Why isn't there an AM tuner? Why isn't there a headphone jack? Why can I only display JPEG-format images? For a widescreen 7" LCD picture frame, why is the resolution only 480 x 234? Why isn't there a back-up battery?
This is such a near-perfect little gadget that it's painful to see how close Philips came to making the best device on the market. Yet despite these flaws, it is still so wonderful that it demands four stars. Lucky for Philips, there don't seem to be any viable alternatives with all of the features it does have at this price point... yet.
And regarding the day-of-the-week issue: Philips posted a firmware update on their Web site on September 14, 2007, that fixes this issue. Visit the Philips Web site, type in "AJL308" to find the product page, select the Support link tab (just above and to the right of the product image), and scroll down to the Software section. There is a PDF read-me file and a ZIP file with the actual firmware update. Read the PDF and carefully follow its directions to update the firmware. You'll need a USB drive to transfer the firmware update to your AJL308, and it takes several minutes to complete the update, but once it's done the day of the week should be correct.

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Start the day right with the Philips AJL308 Clock Radio, where you can wake up to the 7-inch color showing off your favorite photo, song, or video. In addition to clock, radio and calendar functions, you can even use pre-loaded relaxation music that will help you fall asleep. Built-in USB and SD card slots let you store all of your photos, music and video clips. You can enjoy music or radio channels with FM digital auto tuning and presets. Set dual alarm times and wake up gently with the increasing alarm volume.

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Philips AJ3231 Mirror Finish Clock Radio Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Pros:
*Gorgeous contemporary design with mirror and stainless steel look. The LED display magically floats in the mirror.
*Very low level brightness yet perfectly legible and without glare. Many alarm clocks are way too bright even on dim settings. If the brightness of alarm clocks bothers you, this clock should work well for you.
*Easy to figure out without instructions which makes it a viable option for guest bedrooms.
Cons:
*When adjusting the alarms, there is no indication on the LED display which alarm you are adjusting. Compounding this problem is when you turn on an alarm, there is no way to see what time the alarm is set for. It's far too easy to adjust one alarm and turn on the other by mistake. This is a MAJOR negative. The display also doesn't tell you if the alarm is set for buzzer or radio. The lack of information on the display makes it impossible to adjust in the dark.
*No fast reverse. To adjust times, there is a fast forward button and a slow reverse button. I like clocks that also have fast reverse which makes changing alarm times easier and quicker.
*Slide controls are small and difficult to use. The distance between settings is very small so it can be frustrating.
*Buzzer volumes are not adjustable. Alarm 1 is set at a low volume which is very quiet and might not work for sound sleepers. Alarm 2 is slightly louder but it's still quieter than any other alarm clock I've used. With both alarms, you do have the option of waking up with radio which is volume adjustable and gets very loud.
*No gradually increasing alarm volume.
*Radio is not digital. Not a major issue but the dial is small so it's hard to know what station you're on.
*No nap function.
*The audio cable in the back doesn't stay in the holder and flops around annoyingly. I have since cut it off.
*Snooze not adjustable (set at 7 minutes).
Overall, this alarm clock would work well in a guest bedroom where style is of paramount importance. For your main alarm clock, you should consider something with better functionality.

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Philips elegant mirror display clock radio with dim-light mode makes this an ideal bedside companion.Built in AM/FM radio for wake up calls, and a line-in connection for your portable music player.

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