Hands on: Philips 34B1U5600CH review
This review first appeared in Issue 357 PC Pro.
You can almost think of the Philips 34B1U5600CH as the spoiled older brother of the AOC CU34P3CV. They appear to share similar genes: both are 34 inches bending The VA panel has a 3,440 x 1,440 resolution and nearly identical (and strong) performance in our Tech tests. Whites look good, and DCI-P3 color coverage of 85% and an average delta of 0.58 means you can trust the colors to be accurate.
The reason it’s spoiled is monitor Gets many features its AOC competitors lack. Has a respectable, albeit grainy, 1080p Camera This supports Windows Hello, the ability to turn the screen off if no one is detected, and an ambient light sensor. this speaker Better, too; not nearly the quality of hi-fi speeds, but you can actually listen to music on the Philips 34B1U5600CH.
It also wins the numbers game. It has a better refresh rate of 120Hz to 100Hz. Philips also quotes a higher peak brightness of 350cd/m2to 300CD/m2although in our testing the gap closed at 368CD/m2to 355CD/m2. The single tip extends to the port, with its primary USB-C connector delivering 100W of AOC’s 65W. It also adds two USB-C ports to the four USB-A ports found on the hub, half to the left of the display and half to the rear.
Philips also has a superior position. The numbers are certainly there – note its excellent 180mm height adjustment – but the fit and finish are also smoother, with its swivel option. The Philips’ OSD is also easier to navigate, but like the AOC, it’s difficult to see which buttons you’ve pressed, and don’t expect many useful options. However, it’s worth using the SmartImage preset as it can be useful to jump to simple reading or low blue mode.
But this is Philips’ challenge. At over £500 it’s more expensive than AOC’s expensive chunk (with its equal panel quality) and that’s excellent value iiyama Prolite XUB3293UHSN-B5 Sit in the middle. IIYAMA’s warranty is better than Philips as it offers on-site exchange instead of return to base (you have to pay for courier to get it repaired).
The 34B1U5600CH is a fine screen, and if you can take advantage of its extra features, you could make an argument that it deserves more than the AOC. However, it needs to drop £500 to compete with this month’s ferocious competition for the prize.
