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Philips has created a sleek and elegant monitor in the Blade 2, but this beauty also packs an impressive punch.
A healthy bundle coupled with an effective quantity of video inputs is certain to satisfy a large proportion of potential customers. The lack of DVI port may irritate a few people, but DVI to HDMI cables or adapters are cheap and readily-available.
An elegant and attractive design is where Philips really goes to town on the Blade 2 monitor. At just 12.5mm thick (or should that be thin?), the LED Blade 2 makes those old ‘cumbersome' CCFL backlit monitors look like they were built during the stone age.
Corners haven't been cut on the materials either; the 17mm-wide bezel's glossy finish dissolves even the most overt of fingerprint strokes, instantaneously.
Some of Philips' ‘Smart' features incorporated on the Blade 2 monitor were advantageous to image quality, although others weren't so ‘Smart'. With the exception of the Movie and Game modes which were thoroughly impressive, there is little point in using any of the pre-defined SmartImage selections if you are even moderately happy with the monitor's existing settings. They simply aren't all that great.
SmartContrast, on the other hand, was an inspiring feature which is highly commendable.
You can buy the Philips Blade 2 from Lambdatek for £199.30 inc vat. At this price we can certainly overlook some of the minor technical issues mentioned earlier in the review.
Pros:
- Great colour reproduction.
- White purity is excellent at this price.
- excellent for High Definition movies.
- low power consumption.
- attractive design.
Cons:
- Some minor backlighting inconsistencies.
- tough competition at this price point.
- No DVI port.
Kitguru says: Well worth a look, especially if you yearn for a stylish, well-designed monitor at a reasonably competitive price point.
