Philips 288P6LJEB 28-Inch Ultra HD Monitor Review

[ceberle]

We're hard at work reviewing every 4K screen we can get our hands on so that you know which one is best. With our evaluation of Philips' 288P6LJEB, only one available monitor remains. How does this 28" Ultra HD display size up to its competition?

Philips 288P6LJEB 28-Inch Ultra HD Monitor Review : Read more

 

[blackmagnum]

Oh, how I miss Sony and its Trinitron!

 

[envy14tpe]

It seems as though this is a 4k gaming monitor but I don't think that really lives up to the demand for fast fps gaming. 2160p sounds great but if its lag isn't that good it loses out to the 1440p 144Hz Asus PG278Q monitor. That seems more appropriate for gaming.

I know this review is about 4k gaming but I'd like to see how the speed of a 1440p compares. There is a tradeoff when you take resolution over speed.

 

[ubercake]

Great review.

If I'm looking in the $799 price range, I'm looking for higher-than-1080p resolutions and I'm either looking for the color accuracy of an IPS or PLS monitor for work purposes or I'm looking for TN gaming performance.

Since this is a TN monitor, we need to consider gaming performance. No G-sync at $799 retail? I can get the Acer 4K 60Hz with G-sync for this price or less. That's just too much for this Philips, but the Amazon price of around $580 seems closer to the target. Further, if a monitor is not using G-sync or a high refresh rate (120Hz+), I definitely wouldn't consider it for gaming. $580 might be worth simply upgrading to 4K though if you're on a 60Hz, but the contrast on this monitor kind of stinks.

Also, I'm not looking for color accuracy in a TN monitor. If I want color accuracy for matching print to screen colors, I'm looking at IPS or PLS options. On the other hand, when looking for a good TN monitor for gaming, you want good contrast for picking out bad guys in shadows and this monitor has not-so-good contrast.

I might consider this monitor for productivity, but nothing else.

 

[envy14tpe]

double post. sry. delete me.

 

[general lee]

"When viewed head-on, they are indistinguishable from an IPS monitor." Yeah, no. Put any solid Win 8 color to the desktop and see how the gamma shift makes upper and lower parts of the monitor look completely different, even when viewing head on. The new 4K TN panels might be color accurate to a calibrator, but it doesn't take into account the viewing angle, which is only 90 degrees in dead center of the monitor when viewed head on. These are simply not good for color accurate work, period. The same goes for VA's due to its gamma shift viewing cone. That said, these are better than the cheaper TN panels you find in budget models and 144 Hz monitors, and are good enough for non-color critical work. I'd still go for IPS for color work, and VA for media consumption due to it's superior contrast. TN is only good for fast-paced CS:GO type gaming where motion performance and visibility trumps any picture quality concerns.

 

[ahnilated]

Why would you buy a monitor that is not true 4K resolution? 4096 X 2160 is true 4K resolution and not down sampled or just cut off.

 

[Eggz]

Accuracy check on the following paragraph, concerning color reproduction of 4K displays:

We covered the subject of pricing in Planar IX2850 28-Inch Ultra HD Monitor Review: Affordable 4K, but it bears repeating. If you want 4K today, you have three choices. At the high end are 32-inch IGZO panels from Dell, Asus and Sharp. They sell for between $2000 and $3000. The Dell UP3214Q offers a wide gamut option, while the other two are sRGB-only.

Is that correct about the Sharp display? It boasts a "1.07 Billion Color Palette." That's a 10-bit panel, I believe, unless there is some sort of trickery I'm not seeing. The touch version of the Sharp also has the same panel, boasting "1.07 billion colours."

 

[Eggz]

Accuracy check on the following paragraph, concerning color reproduction of 4K displays:

We covered the subject of pricing in Planar IX2850 28-Inch Ultra HD Monitor Review: Affordable 4K, but it bears repeating. If you want 4K today, you have three choices. At the high end are 32-inch IGZO panels from Dell, Asus and Sharp. They sell for between $2000 and $3000. The Dell UP3214Q offers a wide gamut option, while the other two are sRGB-only.

Is that correct about the Sharp display? It boasts a "1.07 Billion Color Palette." That's a 10-bit panel, I believe, unless there is some sort of trickery I'm not seeing. The touch version of the Sharp also has the same panel, boasting "1.07 billion colours."

 

[Bondfc11]

4K and gaming just don't mix right now. I am not a 120 or 144 hz snob by any means, but I just cannot go back to lower FPS and slightly increased lag. It is noticeable once you have been in a higher bracket for a period of time.

I played a few games on a 28" ASUS and returned it - just couldn't take the pixel density (size issue on the desktop - I know scale scale scale, but I didn't like it), I didn't like the higher lag, lower FPS, and hated to have to drop the native resolution for some tasks.

Personally, I will not buy 4K until these issues are no longer issues. I find it funny when people say "well just scale up or change the native res to 1440/1080". Ok fine, but why buy 4K if you have to do those things? 4K and me are just not ready for prime time.

 

[wiyosaya]

Oh, how I miss Sony and its Trinitron!

Agreed! Sony tossed innovation out the door when they hired its first western CEO. They have not quite yet figured out that innovation was what made Sony legendary even though they got rid of the western wonk.

 

[envy14tpe]

Oh, how I miss Sony and its Trinitron!

Agreed! Sony tossed innovation out the door when they hired its first western CEO. They have not quite yet figured out that innovation was what made Sony legendary even though they got rid of the western wonk.

^this guy cracks me up. Sony and Olympus. Great companies. haha

 

[ceberle]

Accuracy check on the following paragraph, concerning color reproduction of 4K displays:

We covered the subject of pricing in Planar IX2850 28-Inch Ultra HD Monitor Review: Affordable 4K, but it bears repeating. If you want 4K today, you have three choices. At the high end are 32-inch IGZO panels from Dell, Asus and Sharp. They sell for between $2000 and $3000. The Dell UP3214Q offers a wide gamut option, while the other two are sRGB-only.

Is that correct about the Sharp display? It boasts a "1.07 Billion Color Palette." That's a 10-bit panel, I believe, unless there is some sort of trickery I'm not seeing. The touch version of the Sharp also has the same panel, boasting "1.07 billion colours."

According to my information all the Sharp IGZO panels are 10-bits native except for a new part that is coming out early in 2015 which uses 8-bit/FRC. All current 32-inch 4K monitors based on Sharp parts are 10-bit capable.

-Christian-

 

[Eggz]

^^ Yeah, that did seem wrong to me. In that case, just an FYI that the info was off when it comes to bit output of the Sharp IGZOs mentioned in the quoted paragraph.

Might want to update it.

 

[ceberle]

^^ Yeah, that did seem wrong to me. In that case, just an FYI that the info was off when it comes to bit output of the Sharp IGZOs mentioned in the quoted paragraph.

Might want to update it.

It sounds like you are equating bit depth with color gamut size. A 10-bit panel does not necessarily have a wide gamut. In the case of the IGZO panels, only Dell uses the wide-gamut part. The others are indeed 10-bit but only render the sRGB gamut. The paragraph is correct as published.

-Christian-

 

[Eggz]

^^^ Doesn't the ability to display 2^10 colors, as opposed to 2^8 colors, entail a wider gamut than sRGB?

I've been digging around online and can't find anything making a clear distinction between gamut and bit depth.

 

[ceberle]

^^^ Doesn't the ability to display 2^10 colors, as opposed to 2^8 colors, entail a wider gamut than sRGB?

I've been digging around online and can't find anything making a clear distinction between gamut and bit depth.

Think of it this way - How many colors are in the sRGB gamut? Answer - Infinite. Color depth refers to the number of colors a display can render within a particular gamut. While most 10-bit monitors are indeed wide-gamut, the two specs do not have to go hand-in-hand. Greater bit-depth does not necessarily mean a larger gamut.

-Christian-

 

[Eggz]

^^^ I get that much, but I didn't realize that monitors limited disbursement of the discrete colors to a certain color space. That opens up a whole new rats nest if it's true. How are you supposed to know whether the 1B+ colors in a 10-bit display are confined to a limited color space like sRGB or if they span the outer edges of a wider one like Adobe ProPhoto? How are the monitors limiting the signal? We now have to ask not just how many colors a monitor can display, but also which colors it can display???

I couldn't find direct sources on this, so if you could help with links, that would be really useful. Thanks!

 

[psiboy]

Hey Christian Eberle! When you said consumers have "4 choices" for 4K monitors you left out Samsung! I have owned a 4K Samsung for a number of months now! model : LU28D590 P.S. It's fantasic

 

[ceberle]

Hey Christian Eberle! When you said consumers have "4 choices" for 4K monitors you left out Samsung! I have owned a 4K Samsung for a number of months now! model : LU28D590 P.S. It's fantasic

I have the US version of this monitor in the lab now. The review will be published in a few weeks.

-Christian-

 

[spotless]

Oh, how I miss Sony and its Trinitron!

if Sony release low input 4K / QHD LED Triluminos display @ 32-42" @ good pricee