Review: Philips 258B6QJEB

Introduction and design

While it may not quite reach the heady heights of the latest 4K displays in terms of pixel count, the Philips 258B6QJEB is an interesting option if you're seeking a QHD monitor. At 25 inches, it's a compact piece of kit compared to the many 27-inch (and larger) monitors out there.

There aren't many alternatives at that size, with Dell's UltraSharp 25 and the HP Z25n proving two more expensive alternatives. Arguably, neither look as good as Philips' sleek new entry. The appeal of having a smaller monitor on your desk is twofold - there is more space around it for other things, and it can also help with uncomfortable eyestrain that may occur if you are sat too close to a large display.

Priced at around £260 (about $400, or AU$550), the 258B6QJEB packs a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution IPS LCD panel that offers excellent viewing angles and image quality, along with an abundance of connections, speakers and a USB hub that makes this particular display a versatile choice.

It may be more expensive than a lot of monitors of similar sizes, but – on first impressions at least – it has everything needed to justify the price tag.

Design

With incredibly thin bezels and a simple yet elegant stand, the Philips 258B6QJEB certainly isn't the most boring monitor around when compared to other underwhelming black monitors you could choose. If you're after something a little more stylish, then the larger Acer S277hk should definitely be considered.

At only 8.5mm the bezels on three of the four sides are much smaller than many other monitors, and with the front panel stretching to within 3mm of the very edge, it gives the appearance of an almost edgeless display.

On the bottom edge, a brushed metal-effect strip runs all the way along and boasts the Philips branding. Below this you'll find capacitive buttons for powering on the display, navigating the menu or turning the volume of the inbuilt speakers up or down with just a light touch of the finger.

As with most other monitors there's very little to report on the rear, and the 258B6QJEB doesn't break this utilitarian tradition. A protruding rectangle houses all the connectivity; on the right you'll find four USB ports – two USB 2.0 and a pair of USB 3.0 (one of which has a high-current output for charging your devices).

Along the bottom edge of the raised rear section you'll find all manner of video connectivity options, including VGA, DVI-D, DisplayPort and HDMI – no matter what outputs your PC has, you are catered for here. There's also 3.5mm PC audio-in and headphone output sockets, allowing you to easily divert your PC's audio through the monitor, too.

Features and image quality

Of course, while other features are appreciated the most important aspect of any monitor is the quality of the panel – in this regard the quad HD AH-IPS display doesn't disappoint.

The decision to use an IPS panel from LG rather than the standard TN panels found in many other monitors means that colour on the Philips 258B6QJEB remains consistent even at wide viewing angles, while giving considerably better colour accuracy and consistent brightness.

Philips has employed special Flicker-Free technology that you won't find on cheaper LED-backlit screens, which regulates the brightness of the screen and reduces flicker which can often cause eye fatigue when using lower-quality monitors.

A range of SmartImage presets can be chosen, including Office, Photo, Movie, Game, Economy and user-defined settings. Philips' special technology claims that it can analyse the content displayed on-screen and optimise the display for best performance, meaning better colour saturation, sharper images and even considerable power savings when in Economy mode.

The monitor can be easily adjusted in many directions thanks to the so-called SmartErgoBase. As well as looking fairly elegant, the base allows for easy height, tilt, swivel and rotation, which means you can position the monitor exactly as you wish. There's also a cable-tidy hole that keeps clutter to a minimum – essential for a monitor such as this with so many connectivity options. Of course, if you would prefer the mount can be detached to reveal a VESA compliant set of screw holes that allows for easy mounting on a wall or desk arm.

While it's unlikely that many users will rely on built-in sound, the 258B6QJEB includes a pair of 2W down-firing stereo speakers. As is to be expected from most monitor speakers, sound quality is tinny and lacking in bass. Ultimately, the integrated speakers' only real purpose is for background notification sounds or the occasional video clip. Fortunately, an audio pass-through allows users to easily connect a set of headphones or better quality stereo speakers.

Image quality

Packing a 2,560 x 1,440 pixel-resolution Quad HD panel into a relatively small screen makes for very sharp image clarity on the 258B6QJEB, though it does mean that text, fonts and icons looks a little small if you stick with Windows' standard settings.

Philips claims a respectable 1,000:1 contrast ratio and 350 nits maximum brightness which all adds up to a beautiful image quality, thanks in no small part to the AH-IPS screen.

The typical response time is measured at 14ms, which is by no means the fastest around, though Philips claims a 'SmartResponse' time of up to 5ms which is definitely an improvement. Most users are unlikely to notice the input lag, though if you are after an ultrafast gaming monitor, there are alternatives that guarantee almost no lag whatsoever.

Whether watching video, gaming, photo editing or scrolling through websites, I found that the image remained clear and stable at all times thanks to the 60Hz refresh rate at full resolution. The colour reproduction is also spot on, though out of the box the brightness was a little overwhelming. After turning this down I also decided to leave SmartImage off for most of the time I had with the 258B6QJEB, and instead preferred to set up the colour settings myself.

I was particularly pleased to see adjustment options for colour temperature and Gamma alongside the standard brightness, contrast and sharpness modes. An sRGB mode is also available for very accurate colour reproduction, though this does then disable brightness and other settings. 'Pixel orbiting' is also available, which would help avoid screen burn-in if using a fairly static desktop arrangement or single application.

Verdict

If your desk would suit a slightly smaller-sized monitor than any of the larger 27- and 28-inch Quad HD monitors that are widely available, the Philips 258B6QJEB is definitely a worthy contender that you should consider. At full retail price, it may not be as good value as the very similarly specified Dell U2515H, but shop around and the Philips can be found for an identical price making it a very sensible alternative.

The IPS panel is responsible for truly excellent image quality that is about as good as it gets without forking out a great deal for professional RGB monitors, and a wide range of image settings allows you to set the monitor to perfectly suit both the kind of content and applications you are using, and the room in which the monitor is situated.

The incredibly thin bezel means that not only does the monitor look good, but it can be easily paired up in tandem with a twin display to give minimal ugly black borders. It is also worth mentioning the wide choice of connectivity options and the four-port USB hub that make this monitor ideal for either home or office use.

We liked

Beyond the very good quality Quad HD IPS panel, it will be the very thin borders that's the stand-out feature which strikes you first – and this combination makes for a monitor that is a pleasure to use.

The wide range of connections are most welcome, as is the highly adjustable (and very sturdy) stand, which allows for 90 degrees of rotation and plenty of tilting and swivelling.

We disliked

Although the image quality is fantastic, the response time and refresh rate may be a little low for serious gamers.

The 258B6QJEB isn't the cheapest monitor out there – if you shop around you can get a similarly specified 27 or 28-inch monitor, albeit with less connectivity and perhaps slightly larger bezels.

Final verdict

Though there are cheaper 24 and 25-inch monitors available, the combination of an excellent Quad HD IPS panel and very slim bezels make the Philips 258B6QJEB a very attractive option for those who haven't quite got the desk real-estate to cope with a 27 or 28-inch monitor.

With great connectivity and a versatile stand, this monitor is highly recommended for those looking for pin-sharp visuals in a slightly smaller package.

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