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Hardware

First Look Review: Philips 230WP7NS

29 May, 2006 By: Ron LaFon

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23" LCD monitor offers good looks, excellent display quality and flexibility in connectivity options

Philips 230WP7NS Pros: Excellent display quality; solid construction and design; widescreen 16:10. Cons: None significant. Price: $999 Philips www.philips.com

The Philips 230WP7NS is a new 23" flat panel LCD monitor designed for business users. Featuring a wide-aspect (16:10) 23" panel with WUXUGA resolution that has a display default at 1920x1200, the 230WP7NS can display two full-size letter or A4 pages side-by-side. A pixel pitch of 0.258x0.258mm makes it easy to read 6.8-point type (9 pixels tall) at the default resolution.

Brightness on the Philips 230WP7NS is rated at 300 cd/m², with a rated contrast ratio of 700:1. Response time is a relatively speedy 12ms, good for a panel of this size. The power supply on the 230WP7NS is internal, so you don't have a bulky external power supply to manage. Connectivity includes an analog D-sub connector and a digital DVI-I connector on the rear of the panel, plus video cables and a USB cable are provided for both methods of connection.

The 230WP7NS is an attractive new 23" flat panel LCD monitor from Philips.

The display has very good USB connectivity, with a powered USB 2.x hub, an upstream connector and four downstream connectors -- two on the rear of the panel and two conveniently located on the right side of the display panel. Viewing angle is 178-degrees horizontally and vertically. Typical power consumption is a modest 75 watts.

The design of the Philips 230WP7NS is very clean, with a matte aluminum bezel on the panel, and a matte aluminum and black stand. Display controls consist of seven buttons located at the bottom center of the display that are easy to see and operate. The controls consist of an autoadjust button, two on-screen adjustment buttons, a central power on/off button with an LED indicator, two more on-screen adjustment buttons and a button on the right that calls the on-screen menu. The menu is well-organized and easy to navigate, offering an extensive range of adjustments.

The stand allows for tilt, swivel and rise, as well as pivot, which allows the panel to be used in vertical (portrait) orientation. We found some very slight wiggle when the display is configured in portrait mode, but this isn't unusual for a panel of this size.

We tested the 230WP7NS monitor with a range of display tests using Displaymate software. On the test bench, the Philips 230WP7NS did quite well, sailing thorough with perfect scores. In terms of color, the reds were slightly orange and the greens were slightly weak, though neither deviated enough from the norm to warrant a deduction -- and adjustment options are available. A total of five color temperature settings can be selected. Grays were very slightly on the warm side; grayscale gradations were smooth. No flicker or ghosting was evident at any time during the testing.

A CD that accompanies the Philips 230WP7NS monitor includes an electronic user manual; FPadjust program (which helps with monitor adjustments); Smart Control (featuring SmartManage, which allows IT managers to track, control and secure all Philips monitors from a single location on the network); browser; and drivers; plus an INF file and an ICM color profile for the display.

The Philips 230WP7NS carries a suggested retail price of $999. (This reflects a price cut that occurred after the monitor was reviewed, and brings the price in line with those of other monitors of this size.) Warranty coverage is a standard three years. Philips professional monitors are available from Philips-approved distributors, resellers and system integrators.

Combining good looks, excellent display quality, and flexibility in connectivity options, the Philips 230WP7NS monitor has much to offer.