Philips 241B7QUBHEB / Philips 241B7QPJKEB review: Top notch IPS monitors
Looking for the best-quality IPS monitor you can buy for £200? Then relax: you’re in the right place
Pros
- Sumptuous design
- Two-megapixel webcam
- Fully adjustable stand
Cons
- Not incredibly bright
- Brightness uniformity
When we first reviewed the Philips 241B7QPJKEB we were stunned by its reasonable price, excellent image quality and sheer breadth of features. For the money, it was the best office monitor we’d come across my miles. It still is, but it’s since been joined in the range by the very similar, but even more capable, Philips 241B7QUBHEB.
Both have colour-accurate 23.8in IPS panels, and share many other features, too, including an identical physical design, a fully adjustable stand, and an integrated two-megapixel webcam. The updated 241B7QUBHEB model bumps the webcam up to a Windows Hello-compatible model that you can use to log into your desktop or laptop with your face, and it adds USB-C input along with a number of other useful features.
It’s the monitors’ sumptuous design that first strikes you, though. The top and side bezels are slim making it seem as if the image is floating in space – and cutting down on the space the monitor occupies on your desk.
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Better yet, Philips includes its SmartErgoBase, which provides height, swivel and tilt adjustments. You can also pivot it 180°, while the sturdy base prevents the panel from wobbling. If a tidy desk is important to you, you’ll also be pleased to see there’s a hole in the stand and a cable clip at the rear, which you can use to prevent your desk from becoming clogged with cables.
The features don’t end there. Philips also squeezes in its ingenious PowerSensor at the bottom of the display. This sensor sits just beneath the Philips logo and detects when you’re away from the desk, automatically dimming the display to reduce energy costs and prolong the life of the panel.
When you want to make a Skype, Zoom or Google Hangouts call, simply pop-up the integrated two-megapixel webcam. It’s no match for a dedicated webcam, whether for video or audio quality, but it’s great for occasional calls and handy that it can be popped back into the monitor’s frame. That way, you won’t have to worry about anyone spying on you, although you should be able to spot when it’s on as there’s a small LED to indicate when it’s in use.
The 241B doesn’t look quite so slick when viewed from the side – it bulges rather – but that can be forgiven considering all the ports and connectivity on show. Even the cheaper and more basic 241B7QPJKEB is well equipped and comes with DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI 1.4 and VGA video inputs, along with a 3.5mm headphone jack, a 3.5mm analogue input, and a single USB 3 port, complete with fast-charging capabilities, sits on the left.
The 241B7QUBHEB takes this several steps up. The biggest addition is the inclusion of USB-C, which can deliver video and data and power (support for USB-PD means it can deliver up to 65W). The 241B7QUBHEB also comes with a 4-port USB hub, a Gigabit Ethernet port, DisplayPort input, and outputs, alongside an HDMI 1.4 input and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Philips also includes stereo 2W speakers in both monitors but think Windows notifications rather than listening to Vivaldi here.
I’ve always been impressed by the level of customization within Philips monitors, and again both monitors excel. The monitor’s OSD is accessed through the physical buttons found on the bottom edge on the right-hand side. Within it, you’ll find a selection of different options; most notably you can adjust LowBlue mode, which alters the level of blue light that’s displayed – useful if you’re working late into the night. Within the Picture settings you can adjust brightness, contrast, sharpness, response time and enable Pixel Orbiting (to prolong the life of the panel).
This leads me to the monitors’ Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) IPS panels, which are both very good. I achieved slightly different results across the 241B7QPJKEB and the 241B7QUBHEB, although mostly the differences were subtle.
In sRGB mode, the 241B7QPJKEB had an average Delta E of 1.6, which means it’s colour accurate. The 241B7QUBHEB recorded an average Delta E of 1.87 which is also very good but slightly worse since we’re after the lowest number possible here. Both monitors also recorded sRGB figures very close to one another, with the cheaper monitor gaining 90.6% and the newer, more expensive one 88.2%; not a difference you’d be able to notice.
Brightness and contrast are considerably different, however. The newer 241B7QUBHEB model recorded the best peak brightness of 287cd/m2 compared with 213cd/m2 for the older model. As for contrast ratio, those positions are reversed with the 241B7QUBHEB achieving 830:1 (not bad) and the cheaper 241B7QPJKEB a far higher 1,327:1 (exceptional).
On both monitors, the black level appears suitably inky and colours zing without verging into oversaturation.
If I was being picky I’d also criticise the uniformity of its backlight, with a 15% variance at the 241B7QPJKEB’s weakest point and 12% at the 241B7QUBHEB’s worst. This isn’t as bad as it might seem, as most consumer-grade monitors that cost under £200 are far worse.
The monitors aren’t aimed at gamers, but the panels do respond well when set to the Fastest mode within the SmartResponse settings. Inverse ghosting is kept to a minimum and input lag is surprisingly low. If gaming is a priority, though, it may be worth noting that the updated 241B7QUBHEB model supports refresh rates up to 75Hz where the older, cheaper model only goes to 60Hz.
Philips 241B7QPJKEB review: Verdict
For the money, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more complete IPS monitor than either of these Philips models. The image quality is great on both and that stunning design immediately marks them out from the crowd. Both come highly recommended.