The Philips Brilliance 27B1U7903 is the latest flagship, promising precise colors and HDR 1400 performance. It has a mini-LED backlight with a high-count 2304 local dimming zones for better lighting control and Thunderbolt 4 connectivity. However, these features don’t come cheap, so it is best to scope it out first to know if it’s a good investment.
Philips Brilliance 27B1U7903 Specifications
- Screen Size: 27 Inches
- Resolution:3840 x 2160 4K UHD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Panel Technology: In-Plane Switching (IPS)
- Refresh Rate: 60Hz
- Response Time: 4ms
- Contrast Ratio: 1300:1 (Static)
- Brightness: 1000 cd/m² (1400 cd/m² Peak)
- Built-in Speakers: Yes (2 x 3 Watts)
- Stand: Height – Yes
- Stand: Tilt – Yes
- Stand: Swivel – Yes
- Stand: Pivot – Yes
- VESA Compatibility: Yes (100 x 100)
- Connectivity: DisplayPort 1.4 x 1, DP 1.4 Out x 1, HDMI 2.0 x 2, USB-C Thunderbolt 4 PD90W x 1, USB-C Thunderbolt 4 PD 15W x1, USB 3.2 x 4, RJ45 x 1, 3.5mm Audio Jack
- Dimensions with Stand(WxHxD): 24.13” x 20.28” x 8.03″
- Weight: 20.79 lbs
Design and Features
The Philips Brilliance 27B1U7903 doesn’t look like a flagship display since it’s so simple, which also makes it attractive. The monitor has a discrete matte black finish, so your vision can focus on its gorgeous screen. The display is almost entirely bezel-free, so the user has fewer distractions.
Its sized just right, so standard desks should be able to accommodate a unit or two easily. The monitor only needs 8.03 inches of depth, plus the base is hollow, so you can store small peripherals or gadgets on it. The device is quite heavy for its size at 20.79 pounds, but it is still manageable since it’s not oversized.
Its build quality is great, as expected from a high-priced flagship monitor. The plastics used are thick and sturdy, plus there were no cosmetic defects on any of its parts. There is no wobbling from the stand, and it’s surprisingly stable even if its overall footprint is small.
But what’s annoying about the Philips Brilliance 27B1U7903’s design is its use of OSD buttons instead of a joystick or a remote. High-end monitors must have basic creature comforts like this for better user and ownership experiences. The keys are located away from your line of sight, so it can be challenging for some if they want to calibrate the monitor as needed.
The stand offers tilt, swivel, pivot, and height adjustments for comfort and convenience. This enables users to position the monitor as needed by their work or posture. You can also use VESA mounts, but it’s only necessary if you have limited desk space.
The Philips Brilliance 27B1U7903 has an upgraded connectivity layout, making it flexible and future-proof. You will find the standard DisplayPort 1.4 slot and two HDMI 2.0 ports, but what stands out among them is the two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports. The primary serves up to 90 watts of charging power, while the second was meant for daisy chaining.
You also get four USB 3.2 slots, an RJ45 LAN port, and a 3.5mm jack for audio equipment. There is also a pair of 3-watt speakers, but they sound basic and are incapable of deep bass for entertainment and gaming. Philips could have upgraded this aspect with respect to the monitor’s class and price to add value for the customers.
Display and Performance
The Philips Brilliance 27B1U7903 boasts a 27-inch Quantum Dot IPS panel with a 3840 x 2160 resolution, a 60Hz refresh rate, and a 4ms response time. The backlight has a 1000 cd/m2 output and a 1400 cd/m2 peak, while the contrast is listed at 1300:1. This model has a mini-LED FALD backlight with 2063 zones, enabling it to qualify for VESA’s HDR 1400 standard.
27-inch 4K monitors are crisp and sharp, so some might struggle with reading or browsing. However, any use that involves images, such as editing or movies, will look gorgeous on it. It’s great for productivity and content creation, although we still prefer the larger and less common 32-inch variants.
The Philips Brilliance 27B1U7903 covered 100% sRGB, 98% DCI-P3, and 96% Adobe RGB for excellent vibrancy. The monitor’s filters for each color standard had 1.13, 1.54, and 1.61 dE averages, respectively. The scores miss the brand’s sub-1.0 marketing, but these scores are great for starters.
Calibrating the monitor is where it shines since every one of those deltaE scores dropped below 1.0. However, you will need a colorimeter that can properly tweak the monitor, and those aren’t cheap. We recommend buying them if your work demands absolute accuracy, but everything else should be fine with the default filters.
The monitor’s backlight reached 91 cd/m2 in SDR but peaked at 1754 cd/m2 when HDR mode was active. Its contrast without local dimming only reached 1055:1 at 25% brightness but shot up exponentially when active. The good news is that local dimming is also available in SDR, so you can always enjoy enhanced black luminance and gradients.
Panel uniformity for the test sample did not have any major issues like backlight bleeding. There were some variances in each of the panel’s quadrants, but that’s natural for a mini-LED-equipped monitor. Some haloing can also happen in select instances, but it is not common and is difficult to notice during scenes.
It’s also not the fastest monitor out there, so you can’t expect a blur-free performance out of it. Some trails and smudges can happen in fast-paced scenes, but they are not immediately noticeable unless you have very sensitive eyes. Maxing out the overdrive isn’t an option to solve it since it will add overshoot which is much worse.
The Philips Brilliance 27B1U7903 doesn’t have FreeSync, but that’s understandable since it’s meant for the prosumer market. It HDR capabilities make it attractive for immersive gaming, but you’ll have to make do without VRR. Input lag sits at 10ms at 60Hz, so it’s still responsive even by today’s standards.
Thoughts on the Philips Brilliance 27B1U7903
The Philips Brilliance 27B1U7903 is a fantastic high-end monitor with nice bits, such as its Thunderbolt 4 connectivity. Its HDR capabilities are fantastic, and only OLEDs can be better at this point. It is not flashy since it prioritizes functionality, but that’s okay since that’s what professionals prefer anyway.
Our issues with the Philips Brilliance 27B1U7903 are minor, but the very price amplifies them. Creature comforts like better OSD control and an improved audio package should be standard for monitors in this price range. Buy beyond that, and it’s an excellent buy if you need jaw-dropping color and HDR performance.
Pros:
- Functional Design
- Impressive Color and HDR Performance
- Thunderbolt 4 Connecivity
Cons:
- Expensive
- Philips Skimped on Some Creature Comforts
About the Author: 
Paolo has been a gaming veteran since the golden days of Doom and Warcraft and has been building gaming systems for family, friends, and colleagues since junior high. High-performance monitors are one of his fixations; he believes that every citizen’s right to enjoy one. He has gone through several pieces of hardware in pursuit of every bit of performance gain, much to the dismay of his wallet. He now works with Monitornerds to scrutinize the latest gear to create reviews that accentuate the seldom explained aspects of a PC monitor.
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