Philips 279P1 Review: 4K IPS Monitor With USB-C

The Philips Brilliance 279P1 is one of the most affordable 27″ 4K IPS monitors with a USB type C port that has enough power delivery to charge a laptop (90W) and transfer 4K video signal, audio, and data simultaneously – via just one USB-C cable!

Image Quality

Even though the main selling point of the Philips 279P1 monitor is the full-featured USB-C connectivity, it’s actually quite a decent 4K monitor for the price.

With a 4K UHD resolution, you get a high pixel density of 163 PPI (pixels per inch) on the 27″ viewable screen of the monitor. As a result, you get plenty of screen real estate, as well as sharp details and text.

Such high pixel density will make some small items appear tiny, so you will need to apply some scaling. This will reduce the amount of screen space, but further improve detail clarity.

Moving on, the monitor has a peak brightness of 350-nits, which is plenty under normal lighting conditions and good enough for particularly bright rooms.

The static contrast ratio amounts to 1,000:1; this is standard for IPS panel monitors and while you won’t get as deep blacks as that of VA panel displays (with a ~3,000:1 contrast ratio), you do get wider viewing angles and more consistent colors.

Thanks to its IPS panel, the image quality of the Philips 279P1 won’t degrade at an angle and you get accurate and consistent colors across the entire screen, at all times, which in addition to the Delta E < 2 factory calibration makes the monitor fit for color-critical work.

The monitor has a wide ~122% sRGB color gamut, resulting in more saturated and vivid colors, but you can clamp the gamut to ~100% sRGB by using the sRGB mode under color temperature settings in the OSD (On-Screen Display) menu.

10-bit color depth is supported via dithering for 1.07 billion colors and less banding.

As an IPS panel monitor, the Philips 279P1 has some IPS glow visible, but it’s not noticeable under normal usage, though this varies across different units of monitors.

Performance

Due to its low 60Hz refresh rate and lack of variable refresh rate technology, the monitor won’t particularly interest gamers.

Still, thanks to the monitor’s 4K resolution and vibrant colors provided by the IPS panel, video games will look great, provided that you can push a decent frame rate.

With a 4ms (GtG) pixel response time speed, there won’t be any prominent trailing visible behind fast-moving objects, while the input lag of ~10ms results in imperceptible delay at 60Hz.

There are four response time overdrive modes available under the SmartResponse setting: Off, Fast, Faster, and Fastest. Since the ‘Fastest’ mode adds overshoot, you should use the ‘Faster’ preset.

FreeSync is not supported, meaning that you will get screen tearing unless you enable V-Sync – in this case, we recommend using the V-Sync trick to minimize the added input latency.

The backlight of the monitor is flicker-free and there’s an integrated low-blue light filter. These two features can prevent eye strain/fatigue and headaches caused by prolonged use of the screen.

Features

Further, there’s a built-in sensor that can automatically adjust the screen’s brightness according to ambient lighting via the LightSensor feature.

You’ll also find the PowerSensor feature, which will reduce the monitor’s brightness when it detects that nobody is in front of the screen.

For navigation through the OSD menu, there are four hotkeys next to the power button at the bottom bezel of the screen, on the right side.

Apart from the standard image settings, there are advanced picture adjustment tools, such as five gamma presets (from 1.8 to 2.6) and six color temperature modes (5000K, 6500K, 7500K, 8200K, 9300K, and 11500K).

There’s also the SmartImage feature, which consists of various picture presets, including Office, EasyRead, Photo, Movie, Game, Eco, LowBlue, and SmartUniformity.

SmartUniformity can improve brightness and color uniformity at a cost of contrast ratio.

Design & Connectivity

The Philips 279P1 features a design with ultra-thin bezels and a good range of ergonomics, including up to 150mm height adjustment, +/- 90° pivot, +/- 180° swivel, -5°/35° tilt, and 100x100mm VESA mount compatibility.

Moreover, the screen has a 25% low-haze anti-glare coating that prevents reflections but doesn’t make the picture appear grainy.

Display inputs are abundant and include DisplayPort 1.4, two HDMI 2.0 ports and a USB type C port (DisplayPort 1.4 Alt Mode, 90W Power Delivery) – all three with HDCP 2.2.

You also get two downstream USB 3.0 ports at the back, two more at the side (one with fast charging), an upstream USB-B port, a headphone jack, an Ethernet port and dual 3W integrated speakers.

Price & Similar Monitors

The Philips 279P1 can be found for as low as $250, which makes it one of the cheapest 4K monitors with a USB-C port that supports substantial power delivery.

Looking for a USB-C monitor with a different screen resolution or a higher refresh rate? Visit our comprehensive and always up-to-date best USB-C monitor buyer’s guide for more information!

Conclusion

All in all, if you have a laptop that supports USB-C PD and DP Alt Mode, and want a clutter-free setup, the Philips 279P1 allows you to enjoy gorgeous image quality, smooth performance, and a plethora of additional useful features at an affordable price!

Specifications

Screen Size	27-inch
Resolution	3840×2160 (Ultra HD)
Panel Type	IPS
Aspect Ratio	16:9 (Widescreen)
Refresh Rate	60Hz
Response Time	4ms (GtG)
Speakers	2x3W
Ports	DisplayPort 1.4, 2x HDMI 2.0, USB-C (DP 1.4 Alt Mode, 90W PD)
Other Ports	Headphone Jack, 4x USB 3.0, RJ45
Brightness	350 cd/m²
Contrast Ratio	1000:1 (static)
Colors	1.07 billion (8-bit + FRC) 122% sRGB
VESA	Yes (100x100mm)