Review: Philips' First Ultra-High-Definition Monitor Is Low-Cost, High-Value

Ultra-high-definition is clearly the next big thing in display technology, and prices continue to plunge as an increasing number of 4K monitors enter the market. Among the latest is Philips, which this year premiered the Brilliance 4K Ultra HD 288P, a low-cost ultra-high-definition monitor that's feature-rich at a bargain-basement price.

For $599, Philips delivers a 28-inch 3,840 x 2,160 display that puts out gorgeous images and is extremely versatile and easy to use. A data cable is included for each of its DisplayPort, DVI-D, HDMI and VGA inputs. The price also includes a 3.5mm audio input with cable, 3-watt stereo down-firing speakers, a headphone jack and direct AC input (no power brick). The HDMI port is MHL-compliant (for mobile-device video output) and a USB hub contains 2.0 and 3.0 ports (two each) with fast charging. Except for the USB connections, which are accessible from the right side, all ports face downward. This makes wall-mounted installations more simple but might make desktop setup and maintenance a bit less so.

A pedestal base attaches easily without tools to the pre-attached upright and permits a wide range of motion on four axes. The screen has a tilt range of plus 20 to minus 5 degrees, and a swivel range of plus or minus 65 degrees.

The rubberized base tries to stay put as the panel turns on its vertical axis. In landscape mode, the screen is 26 inches wide and can be lowered to a minimum height of 17.25 inches and raised to 23.25 inches high. After pivoting into portrait mode, it stands between 26.25 and 28.25 inches high and is 15.5 inches wide. The monitor clicks into landscape and portrait positions. Its elliptical base is about 12 inches across and flat on the front side.

The 228P is built around a TN panel, which helps keep prices low and performed remarkably with CRN's standard LCD test images. Out of the box, the 228P displayed all 32 shades in the contrast test and all but five of the 255 shades of black. All 255 shades were visible after boosting the black level, but that threw off the white-level test. A factory reset got white and black levels back to acceptable levels. Gradient tests also were perfect, with no visible banding or dithering. When viewed at an angle, the TN 10-bit color panel did a reasonably good job of keeping colors accurate, but colors darkened when viewed at 45 degrees or greater. All tests were performed at its maximum (native) resolution of 3,840 x 2,160.

By default, the 228P is set to switch to any port on which it detects a signal. If more than one input is connected, the monitor will switch to the signal it detects first, and to another if the first system is powered down, goes to sleep or its signal is otherwise terminated. Touch-sensitive OSD controls respond quickly to input and are logical and seem natural to navigate. The picture-in-picture mode supports input from any port and displays a small, medium or large window in the upper- or lower-right corner only. The position cannot be fine-tuned. A single picture-by-picture mode scales the two inputs and displays them side-by-side. There's a "swap" function for either control that will flip-flop the inputs.

The 288P was introduced at a list price of $799 and has been shipping since August. But according to Philips, it's currently being offered for $599. Even at its original list price, the Brilliance 4K Ultra HD 288P would be an excellent choice for CAD/CAM, medical imaging, 3-D rendering, spreadsheets, stock trading, video surveillance and other applications that require ultra high resolution. The 288P also features a response time of 1ms, making it more than suitable for gamers. The CRN Test Center recommends this product.

PUBLISHED OCT. 15, 2014