MONITOR CONFUSION
In last month’s issue (MF310), when reviewing 4K monitor displays, on page 97 a Philips 40” set priced £589 is featured. Over the page, the Group Test features a 27” Philips, costing £637. Turning to the ‘Best Buys’ page, a Philips 32” ultra monitor is recommended, costing £573. Other than size, if there is a significant difference in performance between these three monitors, should that not be mentioned? Otherwise why would anyone buy a 27” Philips monitor when they can buy a 5” larger set for around £60 less?
ALEX says… There are a few reasons why one would choose the 27” Philips display over the 40” Philips option, despite it costing more. We mistakenly noted that the larger monitor was an IPS panel in the magazine – in fact, the 40” monitor has a VA panel, while the 27” display is an IPS panel. As you will have seen from the picture quality test, a VA panel is at a disadvantage compared to an IPS panel due to its inferior colour reproduction and viewing angles. The issue of size is also important – a 40” monitor is pushing the upper limit of useable size for most people, whereas a 27” display is much more manageable.
We deliberately chose to include monitors sized between 27- and 32-inches in the group test because we felt that was a good size for home use. Finally, the Philips display in the Store Guide has stuck it out mainly because of its fantastic colour rendering. It’s also worth noting that prices fluctuate, often wildly, between the point when we order in units to review and the date we send the pages to the printer.