The Philips 276E8FJAB aims at competing in the entry-level prosumer segment long dominated by bigger brands like Samsung and LG, and provide the consumer base with a color-accurate display for a friendly price. Philips is relatively new to the monitor game, but we think they have a gem which has a chance to sway consumers into buying from their product line.
Philips 276E8FJAB Specifications
- Screen Size: 27 Inches
- Resolution: 2560 x 1440 QHD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Panel Technology: In Plane Switching (IPS)
- Refresh Rate: 60Hz
- Response Time: 4ms
- Contrast Ratio: 1000:1 (Static)
- Brightness: 350 cd/m²
- Built-in Speakers: Yes 2 x 3 Watts
- Stand: Height – No
- Stand: Tilt – Yes
- Stand: Swivel – No
- VESA Compatibility: No
- Connectivity DisplayPort 1.2 x 1, HDMI 1.4 x 1, VGA x 1, 3.5mm Jacks
Display and Features
Philips is continuously pumping out good looking screens, and the Philips 276E8FJAB is not an exception. This product’s face looks like some of Dell’s high-end offerings with a three-sided infinity design, which apart from the panel’s minimal borders, will provide an unobstructed view. The matte black cabinet adds a touch of class despite being overused, so if you are not a fan of the differently colored products out there, this product might be for you.
From the sides, the Philips 276E8FJAB is reasonably thin making this ideal for narrow-depth desks or tight spots. The rear panel looks just like any other monitor, with a slight bulge for the control module, an engraved brand logo, and the rear-firing ports. The speakers are just below all of this in a down firing position, but these only have three watts of power, so they are insufficient for thunderous sound effects.
The Philips 276E8FJAB provides a DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI slot, and a VGA connector for legacy devices. That setup is plenty for most uses, but at least they could have added USB ports for convenience. There are 3.5mm jacks for a speaker or headset and a microphone, plus a Kensington lock slot for security.
The Philips 276E8FJAB features a gunmetal stand with a bow-shaped base, which looks attractive since it departs from the usual plasticky square designs we see. The mechanism can only tilt, and there are no VESA holes, so having something to hold your monitor that looks good and sturdy is a must. Most of Philips new monitors have this design, and in our opinion, what makes them attractive is their uncanny resemblances to what TVs have to make them look good in the living room.
Display and Performance
The Philips 276E8FJAB aims for a cutthroat segment regarding pricing, but this model still has a sizable price tag as far as enterprise monitors go. The bulk of the money buyers have to shell out will probably go to the beautiful IPS panel which has a 2560 x 1440 resolution, a 4ms response time and a 60Hz refresh rate.
These numbers are typical, but the Philips 276E8FJAB promises a 132% coverage of the sRGB gamut, hence the Wide Color Technology description. The spec exceeds the standard 72% NTSC and 99% sRGB you see on competing models, so this model should be capable of lush and vibrant colors. If the implementation of the display is at least near what Philips is promising, thrifty professionals can consider this product as an affordable alternative to professional-grade monitors.
The Philips 276E8FJAB also promises excellent contrast levels to match the vibrancy it flaunts, and apart from the 350cd/m2 which can offer a broad range of adjustment to reach 1000:1, Philips included a Smart Contrast feature. What this does is it analyzes your content and automatically adjusts colors and backlight intensity The built-in economy mode will tweak it to lower settings, thus lowering energy consumption.
We find it strange that Philips does not include at least Freesync in its specifications since the VRR tech is pretty much standard for every class of monitor because it doesn’t ask for a licensing premium. As long as your chosen product comes equipped with a DisplayPort, it can be made compatible via its programming. Also, a boost to 75Hz would have been quite nice, since considering the estimated price on release which should be around $400.00 or less, this isn’t a budget monitor.
But we can speculate that when the Philips 276E8FJAB comes out, it will offer commendable color performance which may help buyers overlook these minor misgivings. You can’t ask for gamer-centric features in a monitor which tries to beat the game with an enterprise design from the ground up with a touch of professional-grade color vibrancy.
Thoughts
For some, the Philips 276E8FJAB may be just another typical office monitor who tries to entice consumers to its fold with exaggerated features. But if somehow, Philips pulls this product off, and it does provide significant capabilities in color vibrancy and saturation, then this could be an affordable display solution for budding photo editing professionals with a limited budget.
Even if there is a lack of gamer-centric features like FreeSync or extended speeds, we think having an oversaturated IPS display with a 4ms response time will still be fantastic for casual gaming sessions, especially for cartoony titles like Overwatch. The Philips 276E8FJAB isn’t a cutting edge monitor for beastly gaming rigs, but it is quite exciting to see how this performs in practice particularly as it’s price tag is somehow easy to swallow. A late May release is expected.
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