🛠 Product Snapshot
- Model: 278E1A
- Resolution: 3840 × 2160 (4K UHD)
- Panel: 27″ IPS, 60 Hz, 5 ms GtG
- Brightness: 350 cd/m²
- Contrast Ratio: 1000 : 1 (SmartContrast)
- Color: 1.07 billion colors, 109% sRGB coverage
- Inputs: HDMI 2.0 × 2, DisplayPort 1.4, Audio-out
- Ergonomics: Tilt only (–5°/20°)
- VESA: 100 × 100 mm
- Design: Slim bezels, matte black finish
- Price: ~£250 – £280
🔍 Real-World Experience
I’ve been running the 278E1A as my sole monitor for over a year — whether I’m crunching spreadsheets, editing photos, or unwinding with a 4K movie, it consistently delivers.
- Sharpness & Clarity: Text and UI elements on Windows and Linux are crisp—no more squinting at tiny icons or blurred tabletops in your favourite RPG.
- Color & Viewing Angles: The IPS panel gives you reliable colour reproduction out of the box (minimal calibration needed) and wide viewing angles, so sharing your screen with a study group is hassle-free.
- Refresh & Responsiveness: At 60 Hz and 5 ms, it’s not a gaming beast—but for casual titles, indie games, and game-dev work in the editor, it’s perfectly usable. Fast-paced FPS? You’ll notice some motion blur.
- Build & Ergonomics: The stand is sturdy but basic—you get tilt only, so you might need a VESA arm if you’re picky about height and swivel. The ultra-slim bezels look slick in a multi-monitor setup, though here it’s flying solo.
💡 Verdict
If you’re after sharp 4K real estate without breaking the bank, the Philips 278E1A ticks all the right boxes: impressive colour fidelity, solid connectivity, and a sleek “desktop-dev” aesthetic. It won’t replace your high-refresh gaming rig or pro-level HDR display, but as an everyday workhorse, it’s a brilliant value.
Score: 7 / 10 – “Reliable 4K performer for productivity and casual media, with just a few ergonomic caveats.”
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Where you can get one yourself
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