Latency Concerns and Closing Thoughts

Okay, let's get right to it. Latency is everywhere when dealing with PCs: processors, memory, mice, software and more. Monitor latency comes into play when a display is adding in additional delay from the time a frame is sent over the cable to when the image is actually displayed on the screen. This is mostly a result of scalars that "do work" on a frame before outputting it to the LCD itself. This also affects TVs to some degree – you might have noticed a "Game Mode" in your settings that is meant to minimize input latency.

Unfortunately, the Philips 288P6LJEB exhibits a fairly large amount of latency for an LCD screen. We tested latency by connecting both the LCD under evaluation as well as an aging 1024×768 CRT (yes, CRT) that is incapable of causing latency due to its analog input. We put together a special website that uses a JavaScript timer, duplicated on a web page so we could put one timer on the LCD and one on the CRT.

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This is the result with the 288P6LJEB; you are seeing a 50 ms difference between the CRT and the LCD which tells us that the monitor itself is adding a 50 ms delay into the pipeline. That is more than 3 frames of latency when looking at 60 FPS. That's a lot. Here is a graph of other monitors we had around the office.

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Keep in mind that we tested these panels at native resolutions, as well as non-native resolutions, but using the DisplayPort connection when possible. You can clearly see that the Philips 288P6LJEB stands alone in the world of recent 4K monitors (as well as the ROG Swift) as having any input latency at all, and even exceeds the result tested on the Dell 3008WFP, regarded as a high quality display that already introduced too much lag.

(As an aside, it was interesting to note that the G-Sync panels, both the Acer XB280HK and the ASUS PG278Q ROG Swift, did not appear to introduce any additional lag to the display pipeline.)

Closing Thoughts

So where does this put us? The Philips 288P6LJEB monitor was impressive in nearly every area we look at with modern monitors. It offers a 4K resolution and a 60 Hz refresh rate without the hassle of multiple streams. The stand is high quality, mostly wobble-free, and it offers support for VESA mounts for users that want to get more customized. Though built on a TN screen, the viewing angles are solid (with the exception of the bottom). The on-screen display is fast and the buttons work quite well. Philips even included a 4-port USB hub (split between 3.0 and 2.0).

Out of the box the Philips 288P6LJEB was the most color accurate low-cost 4K display we have seen and for users that desire that, the ability to trust what the monitor is showing you without external calibration hardware is a great feature.

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The inclusion of DVI and VGA inputs is a great choice as well – it offers the ability for users to utilize the 288P6LJEB in other locations on machines that may not support DP or even have HDMI.

However, it's quite possible that this feature addition is the root cause of the input latency we are seeing with the display. At 50 ms, this is essentially a deal killer for gamers and one person in our office was able to spot the latency while at the Windows desktop. I would imagine that wouldn't be the case for most consumers, and using the monitor in a non-gaming situation would be just fine.

The Philips 28-in 4K 288P6LJEB display is currently selling on Amazon.com for just $579, making it one of the most cost efficient of the 4K panels we have looked at. At that price, Philips would have earned an easy recommendation from us without the latency hiccups we experienced and noted. With that caveat, I can only suggest that users with little interest in PC gaming give it a try.

(We have contacted Philips about this matter and we will update our review with any additional information provided.)

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