First, a word of warning. There are several different models of 241P4 on the market—this reference number is just used to identify a basic monitor chassis. This year, we've already reviewed the 241P4QPY, for example, a 24" monitor with an MVA screen that we gave five stars. The 241P4LRY is also a 24" display, but this time uses a TN screen panel and comes with functions aimed at improving user comfort. Will it be on par with the five-star 241P4QPY? Time to find out.
Design and Build
Hardware and design are first-rate in the 241P4LRY. It has a swivel stand that's height-adjustable, there's a tilt function, and the screen can be spun round into portrait mode. However, this mode is always a bit more limited with a TN screen panel than with an MVA screen—the tight vertical viewing angles associated with TN technology are more problematic with the screen in portrait mode, as you'll need to sit directly in front of the screen to avoid the "TN effect" i.e. the screen looking dark when you view it from an angle. With the screen in portrait mode, the onscreen image will look dark and contrast will drop when viewed from the right. When viewed from the left, contrast will drop but the onscreen image will start to look light and washed out instead.
Video connections comprise VGA, DVI and DisplayPort sockets. Audio is covered by two 1.5-watt speakers, an audio line in (mini-jack) and a headphones out just under the screen.
Some users may be disappointed to see that there's no HDMI entry, but that's often the case with monitors aimed at pro users—they don't usually need to hook their displays up to a Blu-ray player, console, set-top box, etc.
However, one really handy feature of this monitor is the four-port USB hub on its left-hand side.
Colours and Contrast
Out of the box, colour fidelity isn't amazing. We measured the colour temperature at 5400 kelvins when it should ideally be 6500 kelvins—that translates as a red overtone. Our gamma readings also showed some problems with the distribution of brightness levels over various shades of grey. Finally, the Delta E (which measures the difference between perfect colours and those displayed onscreen—the lower the better) reaches 4.7, which could be better (ideally, it should be under three).
However, you can adjust the colours in the onscreen menu. First, change the colour setting to "User" then set red to 84, green to 82 and blue to 100. Once you've done that, adjust the "Gamma" from 2.2 to 2.0. This neutralises the white, tweaks the gamma and gets rid of the red overtone. With these settings, the Delta E drops to a more healthy 3.7. That may still not be good enough for photo editors or graphic designers, but it'll be perfectly fine for most users. At least you'll be able to make online purchases with peace of mind (those green trousers won't turn out to be khaki-brown, for example).
Changing these settings does have an impact on contrast, however. While this is already a pretty low 580:1 out of the box, it drops to 438:1 once you've corrected the colours. Note that you can push the Delta E down even lower (for even more accurate colours) by downloading and installing a calibration profile. However, this too can have a negative effect on contrast.
Responsiveness
Like the 241P4QPY, the 241P4LRY isn't a top choice for gamers—probably even less so, in fact. With an average ghosting time measured at 20 ms, it isn't likely to find its way into many hardcore gaming set-ups, even if the input lag is low enough to be negligible. Sweeping camera shots in movies aren't as smooth as they could be either. This 24" monitor is therefore best kept for office computing and web browsing.
Design and Build
Hardware and design are first-rate in the 241P4LRY. It has a swivel stand that's height-adjustable, there's a tilt function, and the screen can be spun round into portrait mode. However, this mode is always a bit more limited with a TN screen panel than with an MVA screen—the tight vertical viewing angles associated with TN technology are more problematic with the screen in portrait mode, as you'll need to sit directly in front of the screen to avoid the "TN effect" i.e. the screen looking dark when you view it from an angle. With the screen in portrait mode, the onscreen image will look dark and contrast will drop when viewed from the right. When viewed from the left, contrast will drop but the onscreen image will start to look light and washed out instead.
Video connections comprise VGA, DVI and DisplayPort sockets. Audio is covered by two 1.5-watt speakers, an audio line in (mini-jack) and a headphones out just under the screen.
Some users may be disappointed to see that there's no HDMI entry, but that's often the case with monitors aimed at pro users—they don't usually need to hook their displays up to a Blu-ray player, console, set-top box, etc.
Colours and Contrast
Out of the box, colour fidelity isn't amazing. We measured the colour temperature at 5400 kelvins when it should ideally be 6500 kelvins—that translates as a red overtone. Our gamma readings also showed some problems with the distribution of brightness levels over various shades of grey. Finally, the Delta E (which measures the difference between perfect colours and those displayed onscreen—the lower the better) reaches 4.7, which could be better (ideally, it should be under three).
Delta E before and after adjusting the settings
However, you can adjust the colours in the onscreen menu. First, change the colour setting to "User" then set red to 84, green to 82 and blue to 100. Once you've done that, adjust the "Gamma" from 2.2 to 2.0. This neutralises the white, tweaks the gamma and gets rid of the red overtone. With these settings, the Delta E drops to a more healthy 3.7. That may still not be good enough for photo editors or graphic designers, but it'll be perfectly fine for most users. At least you'll be able to make online purchases with peace of mind (those green trousers won't turn out to be khaki-brown, for example).
Changing these settings does have an impact on contrast, however. While this is already a pretty low 580:1 out of the box, it drops to 438:1 once you've corrected the colours. Note that you can push the Delta E down even lower (for even more accurate colours) by downloading and installing a calibration profile. However, this too can have a negative effect on contrast.
Responsiveness
Like the 241P4QPY, the 241P4LRY isn't a top choice for gamers—probably even less so, in fact. With an average ghosting time measured at 20 ms, it isn't likely to find its way into many hardcore gaming set-ups, even if the input lag is low enough to be negligible. Sweeping camera shots in movies aren't as smooth as they could be either. This 24" monitor is therefore best kept for office computing and web browsing.
Responsiveness
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This graph shows the ghosting time, measured in ms, which measures the time it takes this monitor takes to entirely remove the previous frame. The shorter the time, the more fluid moving images will appear.
White Background Black Background Average
This graph shows the ghosting time, measured in ms, which measures the time it takes this monitor takes to entirely remove the previous frame. The shorter the time, the more fluid moving images will appear.
Pros
- Design and hardware
- Presence and posture sensor
Cons
- TN screen looks dark when viewed from below
- Not responsive enough for gaming
- No HDMI input
- Contrast (580:1 by default or 438:1 after adjusting the settings)
Conclusion
In spite of its excellent build and hardware features, the Philips Brilliance 241P4LRY disappoints with its could-be-better colours, low contrast and poor response time. With its MVA screen, the 241P4QPY is an all-round better choice, and it's cheaper!
OUR SCORE
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