- Overall
The Philips 328E8QJAB5 offers a TV-sized curved screen that’s perfect for entertainment use at a desirable price range. The monitor provides deep and lush colors with fantastic grayscale performance courtesy of VA technology which has recently become popular in many categories. The Philips 328E8QJAB5 is indeed cheap and only offers a 1080p resolution, but does it shine in other important aspects such as color and responsiveness?
Philips 328E8QJAB5 Specifications
- Screen Size: 32Inches
- Resolution: 1080p FHD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Panel Technology: Vertical Alignment (VA)
- Refresh Rate:60Hz
- Response Time: 4ms
- Contrast Ratio:3000:1
- Brightness: 250cd/m²
- Connectivity: DisplayPort 1.2 x 1, HDMI 1.4 x 1, D-Subx 1
- Speakers: Yes (2 x 3 Watts)
- VESA: No
- Stand: Height – No
- Stand: Tilt – Yes (-5°/+15°)
- Stand: Swivel – No
- Dimensions: 239” x 20.67” x 8.78”
- Weight: 15.87lbs
Design and Features
The Philips 328E8QJAB5 is a budget monitor with decent looks, but it is stripped of the typical functional features we usually expect. The screen has glossy bezels which are reasonably thin and mostly unnoticeable due to the size. The 1800r curvature is more prominent as well due to the latter, even if you sit a bit farther than a foot and a half.
The rear panel of the chassis sports a clean design with the same glossy finish and a discrete Philips logo at the middle. The monitor looks great, but plastic materials like this attract stains and are difficult to maintain. You should keep a microfiber cloth handy for cleaning the Philips 328E8QJAB5 since it can easily get scratched by rough fabrics.
The large display is supported by a sexy arc-shaped stand with a gorgeous gunmetal finish. The Philips 328E8QJAB5 doesn’t wiggle when placed on the table thanks to the excellent craftsmanship, plus the minimal footprint of the base makes desk placement very easy. However, the downside is that you are stuck with this tilt-only stand since it is permanent and there are no VESA holes for mounting.
The Philips 328E8QJAB5’s I/O layout is laid out in a rear-firing orientation that will make it easy to plug/unplug your cables from the front. The problem is that this will make cable management messier, and we don’t think tying the wires to the neck of the stand will look good. The included connectors aren’t as plentiful as we’d like, but you do get DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI 1.4, and a D-Sub for older machines.
Despite having a slim housing, the Philips 328E8QJAB5 still managed to include a pair of 3-Watt speakers. We don’t recommend relying on this pair for gaming and movie audio, but for the price, it’s difficult to argue.
Display and Performance
The Philips 328E8QJAB5 sports a 32-inch VA panel with a 1920 x 1080 resolution, 60Hz refresh rate, and 4ms response time. The 1800r-curved screen includes a 250cd/m2 WLED backlight and an expected 3000:1 contrast ratio courtesy of VA tech. The immediate flaw most would notice is the screen does look less crisp if you view it up close due to the loose pixel density.
What makes the Philips 328E8QJAB5 great is its affordability, but the cost-cutting incurred a lot of deal breakers. The color output of the screen reached 97% which is decent for a budget display, but accuracy is dismal at Delta E 3.5. The misrepresentation of shades due to the cool hue of the screen makes it unsuitable for editing, but it is still usable for movies and some game titles.
However, what surprised us is the Philips 328E8QJAB5’s contrast ratio which barely reaches 500:1 at maximum brightness. Dropping the backlight to daily-use levels reduced contrast further to 300:1 which is unacceptable for most users. The screen’s black levels are too high, making darker shades and shadows appear washed out.
We also noticed that the Philips 328E8QJAB5 is a bit too dim for well-lit environments due to its backlight which can only reach 220cd/m2. This limitation also had a detrimental effect to the screen since the brightness drops by around 10% towards the corners. It isn’t noticeable up close, but viewing from a couch or bed could spell the difference.
Budget gaming is one of the Philips 328E8QJAB5’s selling points that’s why it includes FreeSync with a peak of 75Hz. The monitor isn’t as fast as premium variants, but it is delay free due to low input lag of only 10ms. This model would have been perfect as a flexible display for both PC and console gaming, but the poor imaging qualities make it a tough sell.
Thoughts on the Philips 328E8QJAB5
The Philips 328E8QJAB5 is one of the cheapest 32-inch curved monitors we have reviewed, but its flaws and limitations contradict that selling point. The poor image quality and the low pixel density will surely make gamers and professionals look elsewhere. For a little over $300, we expected something better from the brand.
The only time the Philips 328E8QJAB5 is worth considering if you are looking for a cheap mixed-use display for watching movies and typical tasks such as browsing. This model is also a suitable option if you are going to use it from a couch due to its size. But if you have specific needs for color critical work or maximized gaming eye candy, you should consider getting a flat variant that performs better.’
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