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Philips Moda Slim 245C7QJSB Design, Build and Ergonomics
As we already mentioned in the introduction, the Moda Slim 245C7QJSB is aptly named. For most of its chassis it’s only 5mm thin, though this does bulge out to more usual dimensions at the bottom, where all the connections and electronics (and we imagine the backlight) are housed.
Unless you use an external box for most of these, like the Samsung QLED TVs or LG’s Wallpaper OLED range, there’s really no way to avoid this, and doing so would have driven the 245C7QJSB’s price up way higher than its currently very affordable level.
Philips’ spec claims a mere 2.5mm for the top and side bezels but we measured just over 5.5mm, as the 245C7QJSB performs the common trick of having an outer and inner bezel; it’s the former that matches the 2.5mm spec. However, we haven’t seen an LCD display yet that managed much better, and it’s still pretty slim and attractive compared to most.
Only the lower bezel is quite thick at 15mm. It’s finished in a brushed metal effect grey plastic that matches the gunmetal stand nicely. We can’t help but feel it would have looked better in black, yet as with many design considerations that’s a matter of personal preference.
Below this thicker bezel the Philips logo is printed on a transparent section that looks a little like the label on a fashion brand, and this is attractively backlit in white. Thankfully if you find it distracting you can lower its brightness or turn it off altogether, but we certainly liked the effect.
The slim part of the 245C7QJSB’s rear is covered in metal, likely to lend strength as much as providing a highly attractive finish. However, its mirror-like surface does pick up fingerprints very easily, which is something to keep in mind if this monitor is visible from the rear.
We also wish Philips had paid a little more attention to cable management, as its rear-facing ports and lack of cable clips or guides means things are likely to get messy. This seems an odd oversight on a display that’s so design-focused that even the Moda part of its name might suggest it was chosen to evoke a sense of fashion.
Setting the 245C7QJSB up couldn’t be simpler, since it comes pre-assembled out of the box. The monitor’s attractive stand certainly maintains its thin aesthetic and takes up a minimal amount of space on your desk, with plenty of room to put items around its sharply angled ‘legs’ if so desired.
Unfortunately, as with most pre-assembled monitors the stand only offers tilt, so there’s no swivel or pivot to be found here, and adjusting that tilt results in very audible creaking – but to be fair no more so than many other monitors, especially at this price point.
The 245C7QJSB‘s lack of height adjustment means that – depending on your desk and seating height – you’ll likely have to find some means of raising it, which may spoil the clean look Philips was obviously aiming for. We would recommend an attractive black or metal desk raiser, but this could have been avoided; even by providing optional VESA mounting to potentially allow for an alternative.
Philips Moda Slim 245C7QJSB Connectivity
Connectivity on the 245C7QJSB is not particularly generous but it does cover the basics well. Full-size HDMI and DisplayPort (DP) connections take care of digital video, and they’re accompanied by a VGA port for those who still use the analogue standard – obviously something we would recommend avoiding where possible, but nice if you have an older laptop or hub lying around.
Philips provides both HDMI and VGA cables. Our review sample came with two sets of HDMI cables, one of which has bright pink connectors. We are unsure which one comes as default so are letting you enjoy both in the photos – after all, who doesn’t love pink connectors?
For audio there’s a single headphone jack which will provide sound from the digital video ports. The only other connection is for the external power adapter; a thin cable of around 1m in length which leads to an 11 x 5 x 3cm universal power supply that in turn takes a chunky kettle lead. We would have expected something a little thinner and more elegant at that end, but then in most setups you should easily be able to hide the power brick out of the way.
All connectors are outward-facing and easily recognisable, so hooking everything up is remarkably simple. Just keep in mind that for frequent actions like plugging headphones in or out you’ll need to have access to the Moda Slim 245C7QJSB’s rear, so it might be advisable to get an extension cable you can leave plugged in permanently if you’re placing this monitor close to the wall.
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