Philips recently revealed a massive 49” ultra-wide monitor slated for release in the second half of next year. The so-called Philips 492P8 takes the bigger is better approach with its 32:9 aspect ratio ultra-wide monitor based on the same VA (vertical alignment) panel as Samsung’s more expensive (and feature-full) CH90 QLED. With a planned MSRP of $1,077, Philips has cut a few features in its model namely support for AMD’s FreeSync 2 and Samsung’s QLED backlighting. It Is not yet clear whether or not the monitor will retain the same 144Hz refresh rate and high dynamic range (HDR).
The 49-inch diagonal monitor features a 3840 x 1080 resolution and a 1800R curvature. The 492P8 is rated at a maximum brightness of 600 cd/m2 and a contrast ratio of 5,000:1. The monitor is based on a VA panel which is a compromise between the fast response times and refresh rates of TN and the colors and viewing angles of IPS (and PLS) with strong contrast, good viewing angles, decent refresh rates (response times can be an issue in gaming as far as possible motion blur), and the ability to crank up the brightness. With the axing of FreeSync 2 support, this may not be the best option for gamers wanting an ultra-wide, but this monitor is sure to find a place in the corporate world with lots of side-by-side windows open in brightly lit office environments. Depending on reviews it could also be good for flight sims, 4X games, and other gaming as well.
The monitor features DisplayPort, HDMI, VGA, and USB Type-C display inputs (one each) as well as (using the USB Type-C port to connect to a PC) a two port USB 3.0 hub, one Ethernet jack, and two 3.5mm audio jacks (one headphone and one microphone).
The Philips 492P8 32:9 VA monitor is slated for a Q2 2018 release with a MSRP of $1,077 (C899). OF course, there is plenty of time for specifications and pricing to change between now and then, but it seems Philips is aiming for a budget option under $1100.
I would have liked to see more vertical resolution (I mean, why not at least 1200p? heh) but you can’t have everything, especially for cheap. What do you think about the 32:9 aspect ratio? Also, would you put a 49" ~34 pound monitor on your desk?
Also read: Samsung Announces FreeSync 2 HDR Displays, includes C49HG90 49-in UltraWide!
NO
1. NO HDR
600 cd/m2
NO
1. NO HDR
600 cd/m2 this is not HDR
The standard speaks about 10,000 NITS, 600 its joke
2. this is not HDMI 2.1
NO 12-16 BIT COLOR
Take care of your money because it’s a joke
Education time:
1. HDR10,
Education time:
1. HDR10, HLG, HDR10+, DV are all just metadata passed along as part of the display data stream. HDR is possible on a screen of any brightness, but looks best with a very high contrast ratio and wider color gamut. The best HDR screens are currently OLED, which have literally an infinite contrast ratio, but only hit 850 nits peak brightness. The best LCD-based HDR display can only do about 1,800 nits, but can’t do perfect black like OLED, so contrast ratio is significantly lower than OLED. Depending on how bright the room is will dictate which looks “better”. What you’re talking about is the maximum theoretical value of Dolby Vision and HDR10 – which is 10,000 nits. Dolby Labs itself – using the Pulsar HDR mastering monitor – can only achieve 4,000 nits.
2. HDMI 1.3 supports up to 16-bit color (48bbp).
1080 .. fail.
This should
1080 .. fail.
This should be 2160 height and then whatever width makes it UW.
That would make it two 4k
That would make it two 4k displays worth of pixels side by side. Not sure that technology exists
Yes, at 7680×2160 this would
Yes, at 7680×2160 this would be an amazing productivity display.
Maybe in another couple of years.
WHO IS THIS FOR?
Too wide for
WHO IS THIS FOR?
Too wide for gamers, and no Freesync/GSync.
Too little vertical resolution for productivity.
Basically 2x 1920×1080, 27″ panels joined so PIXEL DENSITY will also be low so you can SEE the pixels at normal viewing distance.
I suspect a lot of people will buy because it sounds cool but then be disappointed.
“Too wide for gamers” I
“Too wide for gamers” I think the racing crowd and FPS players that want more immersion enjoy very wide monitors.
Ofcourse as VR becomes more popular maybe wide monitors for gaming will become irrelevant anyways.
I would also say certain
I would also say certain production work would make use of this instead of 2 or 3 monitors along with work loads that need view multiple application’s at once.
when it comes to a workplace
when it comes to a workplace environment, not talking about working with pictures or video or 3d models, i mean regular-run-of-the-mill-daily-grind-IT where I need to use 2 or three monitors then this would actually be welcome.
everything else? looks like it would be “ok” for everything else, but not really great at anything
John H,
It’s 32:9 (2×16:9) so
John H,
It’s 32:9 (2×16:9) so just multiply the height by 32/9.
For example, 5120×1440, which would be slightly less than 4K pixels so a modern GPU can drive that at 60Hz, possibly 70Hz.