Philips 243B9
Affordable, featured-packed full HD monitor
What you see is nearly all screen
£199 FROM Philips, philips.co.uk FEATURES 1x VGA port, 1x DisplayPort 1.2, 1x HDMI 1.4 port, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1; USB hub – 4x USB 3.2, 1x audio input, 1x headphone output, 2x 2W speakers, Kensington lock
Philips is on to a winner with this monitor, thanks to the inclusion of a USB-C connector with Power Delivery – so you can charge up your MacBook and display its contents on the 243B9’s screen using a single cable.
The 243B9 can deliver up to 65W of charge via its upstream cable – enough to fully charge a MacBook Air, 13in MacBook Pro and 15in MacBook Pro in short order; the 96W battery of a 16in MacBook Pro will take longer. You also get a four-port USB 3.2 hub, plus an HDMI port, DisplayPort and VGA port.
The W-LED-backlit IPS panel offers 1920x1080 Full HD resolution with a contrast ratio of 1,000:1 and 250 cd/m2 brightness. Although you won’t find any wide colour gamuts, the Philips 243B9 does have seven different presets (EasyRead, Office, Photo, Movie, Game, Economy and LowBlue Mode), though, which subtly alter the colour brightness and contrast.
The preset buttons are on the bottom right of the display. One of these also adjusts the PowerSensor, which automatically dims the display if no-one is sitting at the screen. Philips says the PowerSensor can cut the amount of energy the 243B9 uses by up to 70%, while the Power button on the front kills energy usage completely when the display is switched off (that includes to your MacBook too, by the way). The monitor is made made from 85% recycled consumer-grade plastic and is lead-, arsenic- and PVC/BVR-free.
It’s all rather plain-looking, but what you see is nearly all screen. The bezels around three-quarters of the display are a very narrow 3mm. The stand offers height (150mm), tilt (-5 to 30°) and swivel (175°) adjustment. You can even pivot the display through 90°, perfect for working on Portrait mode documents.
The built-in stereo speakers deliver a puny 4W of sound, so you’ll need a desktop speaker system or use AirPlay for better audio.
Our suite of monitor tests revealed no real aberrations, not even any light leakage, while the 4ms response time should be fine for all but the most demanding games. On-screen text is pin sharp, videos look cinematic in Movie mode and colours pop in Photo mode. The Philips 243B9 proves to a be solid, dependable and versatile all-rounder.