Philips tries to ride the smartphone bandwagon and falls off
Because this monitor has the same structural layout as an AOC I reviewed here recently, there appears to be something attractive about it for the display makers. What I’m referring to is the large support foot in which the inputs and speakers have been placed, allowing the screen (23 inches in this case) to be thin and elegant.
But my complaints about the AOC I2473PWY, specifically that you can’t wall mount it and the need for an external PSU, are equally applicable here.
I also wonder about the purpose of making the screen so thin, because the depth of the base and the additional space needed for cabling precludes it getting flush with the wall.
But let’s talk about what’s good here, because there are a number of plus points to the Blade 2. First of these has to be the drop-dead-gorgeous IPS panel Philips put in it. Its crisp, has strong contrast ratio, an excellent colour gamut and exceptional viewing angles. At just 250 cd/m², this isn’t the brightest panel I’ve seen, and ideally it could have benefited from extra illumination, but otherwise it’s great.
The flipside of IPS technology is a response time that isn’t as fast as TN technology, introducing lag that some gamers find unacceptable. Personally, I’m not good enough at fast-paced games for it to matter, but others might find it impairs their frag count.
That is a minor problem, because where I really lost patience with the Blade 2 was when I started to test its party trick, Miracast. This was a parallel of my AOC experience, because this implementation is equally fraught with problems.
PCs won’t connect for any obvious reason, and when they do it changes their screen resolution, even though they’re the same natural res as the screen. It also takes nearly a minute to become ready for use. When it finally is ready and you’ve connected, taking at least another minute or more, playback is choppy and massively delayed.
Buying the Blade 2 for Miracast, you’ll be disappointed if it doesn’t undergo some massive transformational update soon.
As if to add insult to injury, in the review model, all the Miracast messages were in German, even though I’d set the menus to English.
This design also includes HDMI MHL support, so if you want to connect your phone or tablet to it, I’d use that, as it works well and can be ready to use in mere seconds.
Even with MHL, the inputs are a somewhat disappointing selection, with just VGA and HDMI. Philips also didn’t include an HDMI cable, saving a few pennies, and the lack of any USB hub is also a regrettable omission.
Overall, the Blade 2 combines both the best and the worst of what Phillips has to offer. The screen technology is exceptional, but the critical details, like Miracast and the limited inputs overshadow those positive first impressions comprehensively.
The final nail is the price. If you want a Philips 23” IPS monitor and casting capability, I’d buy the 234E5QDAB/00 (DVI and HDMI) for about £145 and get a Chromecast for £30, and pocket £25. Mark Pickavance
Another underwhelming Miracast capable monitor.