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The Philips 248X3LFH LightFrame is a very attractively designed monitor which would look fantastic in a modern office environment.
The main talking point is the Lightframe bezel which emits a soft, relaxing glow when turned on. While many may consider it a gimmick, it is actually a very welcome addition to such a stylish panel design.
We wouldn't say it transformed the experience of using the monitor over the last week, but it did generate a soft ambient light which left me with only positive feelings. For those people who may find the lighting offensive, Philips do give the option to disable this completely.
Philips supply a decent bundle with the monitor, including a VGA and HDMI cable, removable stand and quick start guide. The monitor ships with protective plastic covers on all the panels however when these are removed, the glossy back panel attracts dust and fingerprints very easily. If you are a clean freak like myself, then the constant need to clean will become a little irritating.
Technically, and most importantly, the 248X3LFH is a little disappointing. We wouldn't say the overall image quality is poor, but it is definitely distinctly average when compared against other leading monitors available under £250. Viewing angles are slightly worse than we would have liked, even from a TN panel.
There are also some lighting inconsistencies which ruin the overall image a little, and I found the black definition could have been improved for viewing video content. White purity was also no better than average, meaning that bright white images could appear to have a slight, yet noticeable colour offset. Using the built in enhancement settings such as SmartKolor and SmartContrast would help rectify these problems, at the expense of either creating more noise or delivering a slightly artificial looking image.
Pricing in the United Kingdom is around the £230 inc vat mark from ARIA.
The 248X3LFH is a very attractive design and the Lightframe glow really appealed to me. Unfortunately, technically it falls short. I would love to see this chassis used when paired with a high grade IPS panel, it would be a joy to use.
Pros:
- Beautiful styling.
- Lightframe is a great addition.
- Good colour saturation.
- Great stand system.
- Image is sharp.
- Very low power draw.
Cons:
- Technically, there are panel inconsistencies.
- Price is too high.
Kitguru says: Slightly overpriced and not the best image we have seen at this price point. Worth a look for a modern office environment however if the price drops below £190.
