Philips 276E6ADSS
More colors for less cash, the quantum physics way
REGULAR MAXIMUMPC readers will be familiar with the nanoscale effect known as quantum confinement. It’s the one that involves electron holes, two-dimensional potential wells, and the exciton Bohr radius. Right?
If we’ve lost you, don’t worry. We’re not going to pretend we fully understand the high-brow physics that powers quantum dot technology, either. But that’s OK, because the implications of quantum dot tech are actually pretty simple. Imagine tiny specs of material that absorb light, convert it to a different frequency, then re-emit it, and you’ll have a decent idea of how it works.
The upside in the context of screens is also pretty straightforward. It means you can use a cheap, monotone LED backlight, instead of the pricey RGB alternative, and still achieve a really broad spectrum of colors. In theory, with the right number, size, and composition of quantum dots modifying the output of the backlight, the net result will be a wide-gamut monitor for relatively low cost.
Enter the Philips 276E6. While quantum dot tech has rolled out across the HDTV market fairly quickly, this is one of the first such screens in the PC monitor space. For a mere $300, you get a 27-inch monitor with an IPS panel, which isn’t a bad start. Thanks to that quantum dot stuff, the Philips also packs full support for the Adobe RGB color space, a feature normally reserved for pricey pro monitors.
Other highlights from the spec list include support for the MHL display interface, along with HDMI, DVI, and VGA inputs. The OSD reveals a few worthwhile frills, too, including a triple-level pixel overdrive option for speeding up panel response. For the record, pixel response is rated at 5ms. Beyond all that, however, it’s not hard to see where corners were cut, and how that price was achieved. There’s no fancy 100Hz-plus refresh, and no support for any kind of adaptive synching technology, for instance, and the stand lacks any adjustments other than tilt. PALTRY PIXELS Of course, adaptive sync is a gaming-centric technology that’s arguably irrelevant with a screen designed to shake up the wide-gamut segment. But high refresh is always nice to have. In any case, the biggest catch is actually the modest 1920x1080 pixel grid. That really is pretty stingy for a 27-inch panel, where 2560x1440 makes for a tighter pixel pitch, sharper images, and more desktop real estate.
Anyway, that’s the speeds and feeds dealt with. Does the Philips and its funky quantum dot tech deliver? In a word, sometimes. Initial impressions are disappointing. The inherent quality of the 276E6’s IPS panel isn’t all that spectacular, in part due to the lack of outright pixel density. In this age of near ubiquitous “retina”-style displays in mobile devices, the 27-inch Philips, with its 1080p resolution, looks distinctly grainy.
The outright brightness of the backlight is nothing special, either, and the white tones aren’t as clean and vibrant as you might expect, given the exotic backlight enhancements—something that isn’t helped by a fairly coarse anti-glare coating. Then there are the colors. Here, the 276E6 finally begins to comes good. There’s an undeniable uptick in saturation and vibrancy compared to a conventional panel.
Unfortunately, the factory calibration is distinctly overbearing in the red channel, which most notably distorts flesh tones in video and images. Some of this can be dialed out with calibration, but we couldn’t achieve entirely satisfactory results. Combine that with the limited pixel pitch, and the harsh truth is that it’s hard to see who this monitor would suit.
It’s not a bad gaming panel, but nor is it optimized for games. It does technically offer a broader color space for graphics, video, and image work, but it’s poorly calibrated out of the box, and we have our doubts regarding its outright accuracy. And then there’s that 1080p pixel grid— hardly a boon for productivity. It’s an interesting early look at quantum dot technology, for sure, but it’s simply not a compelling purchase.