Philips 275P4VYKEB
A 5K 27in screen that delivers stunning visuals at a price that undercuts its high-res rivals
SCORE ✪✪✪✪✪ PRICE amazon.co.uk
£574 (£689 inc VAT)
Wfrom
hile 4K monitors are an increasingly common sight on people’s desks, 5K screens have been slow to catch on. The most well-known is the panel gracing Apple’s flagship 27in iMac, but other manufacturers seem less committed: Dell’s UP2175K has disappeared from the company’s website, leaving this nascent market to displays from companies such as HP and LG.
With typical prices in four figures, this lack of appetite from both buyers and sellers isn’t such a surprise, but at less than £700 inc VAT the Philips 275P4VYKEB is the cheapest 5K monitor we’ve seen. That compares to around £900 for LG’s UltraFine 5K Display and more than £1,200 for the HP Z27q. Prices are volatile, though, so it’s worth hunting around before you buy – and don’t be too shocked if the Philips’ price has increased too.
As you’d expect of a premium monitor, the Philips’ build quality is exceptional and the stand is both sturdy and flexible. You can pivot, rotate and adjust the height of the monitor, making it ideal for designers and photo editors who want to flip between portrait and landscape mode.
The bezels have low-profile edges, but both the top and bottom bezels are thick. I like the brushed blackaluminium finish, though, and the glossy panel adds to the chic look. Glossy panels have some benefits, too – they provide a deeper black level response – although they are prone to reflections in bright conditions.
Video inputs are limited, with only two DisplayPort ports, and you’ll need both to display full 5K. If you wish to use the second DisplayPort port for another source, you’ll be limited to 4K (3,840 x 2,160) at 60Hz. There’s also a 3.5mm output headphone jack and a threeport USB 3 hub on the left edge, while the top bezel houses an integrated webcam and mic, useful for basic video conferencing. There’s a pair of integrated 2W speakers too. Philips has always had a feature-rich OSD, and it comes as no surprise that its rangetopping 5K monitor offers a broad range of options. You can tweak the gamma, colour temperature (including pre-calibrated Adobe RGB and sRGB), and change between preset colour modes through the “SmartImage” menu. My only quibble here is that the OSD buttons are touch-sensitive rather than physical, which makes them frustrating to use. Philips employs a 10-bit PLS panel with a maximum resolution of 5,120 x 2,880 at 60Hz, and viewing angles are fantastic. It’s bright too: I tested it with our in-house X-Rite i1 Display Pro calibrator, and found it could output 310cd/m2 brightness in sRGB mode. Where it
“If you’re searching for a 5K monitor, and see the glossy panel as a positive rather than a minus, put this atop your shortlist”
suffers is brightness uniformity. In particular, I noticed minor backlight bleed in the bottom left corner.
For photo and video editors who intend to edit in 5K this could prove to be a problem. All LED monitors have a degree of backlight bleed, but you’d expect a more consistent performance on a high-end monitor.
Luckily, colour gamut reproduction is much better, with 99.3% of sRGB, 97.9% of Adobe RGB and 86.8% DCI P3 covered. Colour accuracy is strong too, with an average Delta E of 1.03, while its contrast ratio is an acceptable 954:1. Last, and quite possibly least if you’re choosing a 5K monitor, is its performance in games. Here, a relatively slow 8ms response time is noticeable, with input lag on the sluggish side, but ghosting is minimal.
The Philips 275P4VYKEB has its flaws – there are problems with brightness uniformity and those touch-sensitive buttons are irritating – but these are comparatively minor. The colour accuracy, size and resolution make a great combination at this price. If you’re searching for a 5K monitor, and see the glossy panel as a positive not a minus, put this one at the top of your shortlist. SPECIFICATIONS 27in PLS panel 5,120 x 2,880 resolution at 60Hz; 8ms grey-to-grey response time 2 x DisplayPort 2MP webcam 3 x USB 3 2 x 2W speakers 3.5mm headphone out pivot
150mm height adjustment -5⁰/20⁰ tilt -65⁰/65⁰ swivel VESA mount 1yr warranty
639 x 580 x 273mm (WDH with stand) 5.32kg