[PCM2]

VA panels don’t make a very good reference for that sort of thing as perceived gamma is highly viewing angle dependent and shifts depending on where on the screen you’re observing and head position relative to the screen. Assuming you’re observing a point of the screen in a way where gamma is indeed as it should be for the ‘2.2’ curve, their stronger contrast will naturally improve visibility for some of those very dark shades a bit as well. 🙂 So your 288E2UAE probably isn’t as badly calibrated as you might’ve thought, but I can still appreciate how the ‘open box’ state of it when you received it plus the colour channel adjustments you had to make could cause some concerns.

[sebas76]

Yes I know for VA monitors but mine is a small 20″ of 15 years old and has low contrast comparing to modern VA but not great difference between the 288E2UAE.
I must have bad luck in this period, because a dark spot appeared on my old monitor in the right corner (never seen it before). For the 288E2UAE the panel leans more than 1 cm.

Edit: Bad news, Amazon want I pay the international return shipping fees (more than 38€) and refund only 5€ !
The worst is that Amazon spain sent the monitor from France to France…

[sebas76]

Hello,

I have succeeded to change my monitor by Philips itself by a new “one”. I get it yesterday but unfortunately new problems come. The new unit has some scratches on the top plastic (like the screen was opened… strange) And a dead green pixel on left.. not good…The colors are better but the black uniformity is worst. I think that control quality are no good in Philips factory. Even the packag isn’t so good… The screen can move a little in styrofoam. Finally, I don’t know if I could return this one to Amazon ? Buy a monitor is great lottery, one could be good and others not…

[PCM2]

I’m sorry to see that, though I’m afraid these sorts of things can happen with any monitor really. It is indeed a lottery, particularly with aspects such as uniformity and pixel defects. I’ve received a lot of feedback with respect to the 288E2UAE/288E2E/288E2A and used multiple units myself (in fact I bought one for my wife’s system). In most cases (not always) they’re free from obvious defects such as severe uniformity issues and certainly physical damage to the screen. It appears you’ve been unlucky and perhaps Amazon.fr is sending you used products for some reason. Which I know is very frustrating, but isn’t indicative of a specific Philips QC issue here.

The packaging is fairly minimal and also fairly standard – manufacturers are under pressure to be quite conservative with packaging where possible and don’t usually jam in unnecessary extra packaging. For the units I’ve looked at the box and packaging material has offered adequate protection to the monitor – not to say improvements couldn’t be made there. I actually really like Dell’s all-cardboard packaging as used on the S2722QC and many of their other models. It’s very well thought-out, doesn’t require polystyrene and does a great job at protecting the screens.

[sebas76]

Yes I know but the second monitor was sent directly by Philips itself from Netherlands to France (a new one beacause I didn’t accept a refurbished but I don’t know if they really sent a new one) Amazon do nothing in this case.
The dead pixel is the more important problem for me because colors are better.
I don’t know what I can do and if Amazon will accept the monitor from Philips.

Edit: Finally, I have checked the screen again and in fact, there are 4 stuck or dead pixels ! One is lighter ( maybe 2 pixels side by side) and the 3 others are stuck sub pixel. All seems green and are the same area in left. I think warranty could work because Philips writes in manual 3 luminous pixels for change. But the amazon return limited time is the 6 march…

[PCM2]

Yeah, that should be covered under the Pixel Defect Policy part of the warranty for the 288E2UAE as you’ve >3 defective ‘bright dots’.

[sebas76]

Yeah , I really hope but Philips is very very slow to reply and when you call them, they say “you must wait…”.
And they always want to send a refurbished monitor in exchange to a new one.

Edit:

Finally Philips have sent me a new monitor for replacement.
The stand is ok, the colors normal (a little red maybe), it seems to have no dead pixel but a new problem affecting green only !
I have tested gradient colors in full screen to see banding or artifacts and the results is :
– Blue and red gradient are ok
– Green gradient has a lot of “banding” along all the gradient like it’s missing some variation between each green.I really see regular green bands !
And of course, all gradients containing green ( gray, yellow, cyan…) are affect by this.

I have tested on windows 10 and 11 with 2 different graphics cards (Intel/ Nvidia), for Nvidia with color set to full range.
I haven’t this problem on my old VA screen…

I didn’t know if it is “normal” but no good for graphic (video, photo) editing.
3 differents Philips monitors = 3 different problems !
I’m so tired about that.

[PCM2]

What are the specific gradients you’re observing and is the Philips in its ‘out of the box’ state (i.e. ‘SmartImage’ = Off)? Sometimes issues like this can be corrected with profiling, if you could get hold of a colorimeter or alternative calibration device, though other times that doesn’t help and could potentially make such issues worse.

[sebas76]

I have tested all presets and setting available but nothing change, just the global shade and some extreme gradient. So the problem is really specific to green color. It is like there is only 64 or 128 shades in gradient.

[PCM2]

If these are the EIZO monitor test gradients you’re observing, I can confirm it is entirely normal to see banding there. It’s an 8-bit source image and I can see exactly the same banding for grey, cyan, yellow and green on a properly set up Gigabyte M32U, FI27Q-X and Philips 288E2UAE. Red and blue appear much smoother, magenta somewhat smoother. It’s exactly the same on all monitors tested. I don’t have a VA model to hand, but I’ve already discussed that’s a poor reference to use and there are various factors such as specific low-end gamma masking and crushing together that could change how things are perceived there. So I don’t think there’s anything at all wrong with your current Philips monitor, you should keep it, use it and be happy.

[sebas76]

Yes I’ve tested on eizo test. But to be sure, I’ve tested with a graphic software with 8 bits gradients and same results. So for you, it’s normal on IPS screen ? But why only on green ? Maybe because eyes are more sensible to green. On red and blue is very smoother comparing.
For sure, I will check on others screens at my job, I have a lot of VA monitor ( philips and samsung) to compare result. Thank you very much for your help.

And I forget : gamma changes nothing in my case, just extreme color are more dark/white.

[PCM2]

Yes, as I said it is normal. It’s just how that particular gradient test appears when presented normally on an 8-bit monitor without any additional processing or masking. The appearance could be smoothing, superficially or otherwise, if viewed on a model with enhanced LUT bit-depth or VA-style panel inconsistencies which could mask things or make them appear more blended. Changing the gamma on the IPS models I mentioned didn’t significantly change this representation, either. You can view other gradients (example) and they’ll appear smoother, so should the greyscale gradient on Lagom (viewed without scaling).

[sebas76]

You’re right, it’s completely normal.
I’ve tested it on different monitors particularly on the Philips Brilliance 24″ FHD AMVA and I get same results.
On the other hand, the blacks are very deep on VA-style panel comparing to the IPS. And colors are also good on VA monitors. The gradient was fine on this VA model.
But I will keep this third model.
The only difference with 2 previous unit : the user color settings makes a great change with only 1 step. On the first screen, it was more subtil.
The plastic of this monitor are very cheap, there are few stratches on the top ( perhaps burring or blow).
Normally Philips gives me a new unit in replacement but maybe it is a refurbished, i don’t know…
The serial number is older than the 2 previous but it comes directly from Poland to my home and the box was in perfect state, not like the previous.
I hope this monitor will last a long time.

[Anonymous]

At first I’m sorry for my not good English.
Thank you for the thread on the forum that made me think about choosing the best monitor for me.

I am looking for IPS monitor from 27 to 32 inches, 16: 9 aspect ratio and UHD or 4K.
It will be used primarily for texts, CAD, amateur media creation (RAW photos and movies of my family), and watching YT.

At first, I was enchanted by the monitors:
M32Q and FI32Q – In my country, both are at similar prices 405 euros (this is my max. budget).
After creating monitors from the boxes, the size terrified me 🙂
My desk is 130x60cm. I fear sitting too close to the screen I was also considering hanging this monitor on a VESA mount, but it probably might still be too close.
I noticed the opinions on this forum that 32 monitors at a distance >60cm do not cause any problems. Does this also apply to 60cm-deep desks?

After reading this forum I was interested 3 monitors available in my country:
288E2UAE / 00 – price about 290 euros
276E8VJSB / 00 – price about 300 euros
278E1A – price about 285 euros
I would like to ask for your opinion whether my choices and searches are correct.
Are there any other monitors to consider buying?

[PCM2]

32″ models aren’t for everyone. Some people find they adapt to the size, even if it feels overwhelming at first. For other people they simply prefer a smaller screen – nothing wrong with that. 🙂 If the desk is 60cm deep the screen itself and the stand will mean you’re eating away at some of that space. But usually you’d sit with your eyes a bit further back than the edge of the desk. I personally prefer to sit ~70 – 80cm from 32″ screens but it’s a very individual thing really. I’d find them alright from 60cm if I had to sit that close, but not everyone would.

With that in mind you’ve selected some good models to focus on there. The only other one to consider is the Dell S2722QC which is mentioned earlier in this thread. But perhaps you discounted it due to the price premium over the models you’re considering. I think any of those Philips models will work nicely for you. If you don’t have a colorimeter or similar device to calibrate the monitor yourself then I’d suggest if you go for the 288E2UAE that you use GPU level sRGB emulation to cut down on oversaturation for your content creation purposes. Actually you might find this beneficial on any of these models, but the 288E2UAE has the widest gamut amongst the Philips models so will give the most oversaturation.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for your reply.

You’re right that the stand will eat up some of this space. That’s why I thought about the VESA mount on the wall. If the monitor fix on the wall, my eyes would be about 70cm from the screen.
In my work, I have the monitor EA244WMi at a distance of about 50 and I feel comfortable. However, the EA244WMi is a completely different resolution and size.

I considered the monitor Dell S2722QC and the older brother S2721QS but it is not available in my country. Very nice monitors and I would gladly increase my budget 😊

The monitor 288E2UAE is my favorite so far for price and image quality. The only thing that worries me is low brightness:
– by Philips 300 cd/m²
– by PCMonitors max 277 cd/m²
In my room, when I sit at the desk behind my back, I have a roof window facing south. Sometimes it is very sunny room in the afternoon.

[PCM2]

Yes I see what you mean. If you’re sitting in a room with lots of sunshine pouring in from a south-facing window behind you, you may well find the brightness of the 288E2UAE a bit limited. What brightness do you have your EA244WMi set to in similar conditions? That has a 350 cd/m² typical maximum luminance, so if you’re able to cope with that at a brightness of roughly ’80’ you may find the Philips fine at full brightness. Your NEC will be a bit old now its brightness may have degraded slightly as well plus the screen surface will be different, but this could still give you a decent idea of whether the Philips would be suitable.

[sebas76]

I have the Philips 288E2UAE monitor and if you look at my previous comment, you could have a lot of problem with Philips.
I have my third monitor after my 3 warranty exchanges and again there are problem with the monitor !
The gray uniformity is not good. I can see 5 cm vertical banding on the left of the screen. A little annoying for photo editing.
For remember, the first has stand uneven and wobbly (1,5 cm between left and right!) and yellowish colors, the second 5 stuck/dead pixels, and this last uniformity problem…
I know that this kind of problem could happen in any brand but 3 times, it becomes boring… I bought the monitor the 2 february…
If you buy this monitor anyway, please check it very carefully upon receipt and return it if there is any defect.

[PCM2]

I agree that having 3 screens in a row with in some cases obvious and clearly unacceptable defects feels like more than ‘bad luck’. I almost suspect some of the replacements being offered here are refurbished units or essentially customer returns, based on the condition and issues described. It’s not economical for manufacturers to send out brand new units to replace ones customers are unhappy with, it’s best if they’re replaced with a screen that has a defect they may not personally be sensitive to. Taking my cynical hat off again, though, this feedback is noted.

For the sake of balance, I have to also point out that I’ve recommended the 288E2E, 288E2A and 288E2UAE to a large number of people who are very satisfied with it. I also purchased a unit for my wife because of the experiences I had with my review sample. This didn’t have any issues beyond what I’d expect to see on any monitor in this class. Or more broadly, for that matter. Furthermore, I can see the return rates for the monitor are if anything slightly below average based on the data I can see for purchases via our referral links. I’ve also received a good volume of positive comments on the monitor outside of this forum, including via email and YouTube. Unfortunately those positive comments aren’t usually shared here.

It’s not in my interest to recommend a product to people if I think there’s a good chance that it will be defective. I gain nothing positive whatsoever from such a customer experience and response to a product. But in this case the weight of evidence still doesn’t suggest that and there’s nothing I’d recommend in its place. That can shift depending on feedback received in the future of course and the negative experiences shared by sebas76 and others always helps shape what is and isn’t recommended. I do still recommend the S2722QC as an alternative alongside the Philips, but I don’t have enough data to say whether it’s a better choice in terms of Quality Control. It’s certainly the better built monitor, though that doesn’t guarantee much once you turn it on.

[sebas76]

I agree with you for my philips experience.
I’ve perfectly understood your mind and your review.
In fact, it is your review that has motivated me to buy this Philips. I have also 24″ Philips VA monitors which are good but not this one.
Now I’m waiting again a reply from Philips about uniformity defects but I don’t know if they will do anything ?
It is strange because it is normally a new unit from Poland but i’m in doubt with that.
For the uniformity problem, you can look at the pictures :
uniformity problem 1
uniformity problem 2

[Author]

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