The Philips Brilliance 492P8 which was previously unveiled at IFA 2017 gets a boost in resolution from 3840 x 1080 to a staggering 5120 x 1440 for the US market. The nearly identical Samsung C49HG90 targets gamers who want a higher refresh rate and FreeSync while this contender from Philips aims to satisfy multitasking are and professionals. Let’s take a peek at the Philips Brilliance 492P8’s spec sheet which earned it 2018 IF Design Award against 6400 other competing products.
Philips Brilliance 492P8 Specifications
- Screen Size: 49 Inches
- Resolution: 5120 x 1440 QHD
- Aspect Ratio: 32:9
- Panel Technology: Vertical Alignment (VA)
- Refresh Rate:?
- Response Time:?
- Contrast Ratio: 5000:1 (Static)
- Brightness: 600 cd/m²
- Stand: Height–?
- Stand: Tilt – Yes
- Stand: Swivel–?
- Connectivity: DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI, USB-C, USB 3.0, VGA, 3.5mm Jack
Design and Features
The Philips Brilliance 492P8 features a pretty straightforward design composed of a matte black chassis with clean lines. The massive, 49-inch face features a three-sided infinity edge aesthetic which gives users an uncompromised view of the various content they can put on display. Once it releases, we can expect thin panel borders on the side to be visible, although we can’t imagine that they will pose as distractions when the monitor is in use.
The massive monitor is supported by a minimalist stand with a square base that is hollow in the middle. The architecturally appealing design should allow users to keep doodads and small items in the middle to help declutter the desk that will probably be dominated by this imposing display product. There is no final details yet regarding functionality, but from the looks of things, the monitor may be able to tilt and adjust the height at the most.
The Philips Brilliance 492P8 should also be VESA compatible, although a 49-inch super-wide display with an aggressive 1800r curve might look awkward on a wall. Placement for monitors like this since not everyone has the luxury of extra space. Your desk will require more or less four feet of horizontal space plus it needs to be able to support fifty pounds or more to handle a 49er plus maybe a desktop PC.
One of the highlights of the Philips Brilliance 492P8 is its connectivity features which give it a distinct advantage over the Samsung C49HG90. The usual DisplayPort and HDMI slots along with USB 3.0 receptacles will be present along with a USB-C connection. Again details are limited, but this connector should be able to handle charging and receiving video signals at max resolution and refresh rate from a laptop like the MacBook Pro.
Display and Performance
The Philips Brilliance 492P8 features a 49-inch VA panel with a whopping 5120 x 1440 resolution plus an assumed 60Hz refresh rate and 4ms response time. Contrast ratio can reach 5000:1 and the maximum brightness is set at 600cd/m2 just like the Samsung C49HG90 for excellent visibility and satisfyingly deep shades. In retrospect, the 2017 announcement suggested that the monitor will have a 3840 x 1080 resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate since this model was to use a module identical to the Samsung’s.
The tech community speculates that the 5120 x 1440 screen might be specific to the US market, while the rest of the globe receives a variant with a lower resolution. This is unconfirmed at this time, but if it is accurate, we would like Philips and EPI, Philips’ marketing agency in the US, to bring both variants in. If that doesn’t happen, we still think that the Philips Brilliance 492P8’s bump resolution is a worthy trade-off since monitors like these aren’t ideal for competitive gaming where a 144Hz 16:9 is better suited.
The specs suggest that the 492P8 is targeting productivity and multitasking usage instead of gaming or entertainment purposes. The large virtual real estate will allow professionals such as editors to layout several windows at once, efficiently making multi-application processing faster and much more convenient. The USB-C connectivity is also a dead giveaway that the monitor aims for the tech-savvy moneymakers out there who use USB-C Thunderbolt 3 laptops like the MacBook Pro or the Dell XPS 13.
However, there is no mention of a wider gamut that covers DCI-P3 or Adobe RGB for the Philips Brilliance 492P8. The model will also miss the Quantum Dot treatment found on the C49HG90, so we might not get to enjoy the extra vibrancy and color pop from the latter. But what matters for a monitor of this size and purpose is the accuracy and panel uniformity which dictates if it is a must buy for professionals.
Even if the fact that the Philips Brilliance 492P8 is limited to 60Hz holds true, it still is an excellent choice for casual or immersive gaming. The 1800r curve at this width is spectacular for games like the Witcher 3 or Vermintide 2, both of which rely on the gritty environment and noire-laden atmosphere to portray its content. We just hope that at least, this impressive monitor will include FreeSync to give AMD-based gamers a chance at buttery-smooth and responsive visuals.
Thoughts on the Philips Brilliance 492P8
The Philips Brilliance 492P8 gives professionals such as programmers and market traders a new hope in monitor technology with its impressive size and resolution. 5120 x 1440 will provide users with a lot of space to organize a flow of content in an orderly fashion to increase hourly or daily productivity. Gamers can also get excellent mileage from this mega-cinematic display which can provide an engrossing visual experience.
The Philips Brilliance 492P8 is scheduled to reach American shores by the fourth quarter of this year, at a price speculated to exceed the $1500 initial SRP of the Samsung C49HG90. We are still waiting for more details from our contacts at Philips and EPI, and we won’t hesitate to share them once released. If you are interested in this device, keep checking this page and the links provided for the latest information.
Source: Philips USA/EPI
Daniel A. says
I just found this article from September 2017 talking about it lol: https://www.anandtech.com/show/11813/philips-readies-curved-ultrawide-492p8-display that talks about it having a res. of 3840 x 1080 so it’s nice to know that it’s now getting a crazy bump there!
If this is getting a bump in resolution though… What happens to the 499P9H?! That one was supposed to have the beefier 5120 x 1440 Resolution… Maybe…. It will get bumped to 5120 x 2160P!?!?!? Ohhh that would be awesome. The price won’t be though.
Either the 499P9H will get some kind of sick hardware improvement too or it will just disappear from existence and PHILLIPS will only release the 492P8 right?
Paolo Reva says
Hi, Daniel! We’re not entirely sure how Philips’ patterns their releases, but they are one of the most region-specific brands out there. They offer monitors with same specs and different looks or vice-versa in varying continents, so it can get confusing at times. We’ll let you know if we get more info from their reps.