Philips 21.5" Slim Full HD (1920 x 1080) Computer Monitor, 75 Hz, VESA, HDMI and VGA Connections, 4 Year Replacement Warranty, 221V8LN
After evaluating several 4K display options, I bought these to use with my MacBook Air M2 and have been using them for a few months. First, it's a great 4K monitor with great screen and resolution, as well as great color accuracy. I don't see any dead pixels or uneven backlighting. The build and build quality is excellent, I love the flat base and the ability to adjust to any height or angle, the easy on screen menu controls and the screen lives up to its name... bright.
As a USB-C docking station, it's flaky at best. Yes, you can connect your laptop to the monitor with a single USB-C cable, and it will charge and access any peripherals you plug into the monitor's many ports. It has everything you need. And I had no problem hitting 60fps at 4K and the USB 3 speeds that a lot of people complained about. This could be an issue with my Mac M1, but I don't have an issue with my M2 laptop. The problem is that when you put the computer to sleep and wake it up, you get a black screen with "No video signal". No matter how many times I use the onscreen menu to select the correct entry, it can't find the signal. If you opened your laptop and fiddled with the cables, you've probably figured it out. Even pressing the soft power button on the front of the screen does not restore the signal. To make matters worse, connecting external hard drives and USB hubs to the monitor resulted in constant "hard drive not removed properly" errors. If the monitor does not detect a video signal after about 4 seconds, it will turn off and all devices connected to it will also turn off... like unplugging a hard drive without unplugging it first. We all know what kind of problems hard drives can cause. However, you can flip the hard power switch on the back and when you turn it back on it will capture video from the laptop, but the same problem occurs when an external drive is connected to the monitor. Guaranteed risk of disk damage. Even when the screen went to sleep and came back the day after the laptop was unlocked, there were over 30 error messages on the screen indicating that the external drive was not removed properly. So a cyclic power cycle causes the hard disk to spin, then lose the data signal and keep going. Not good if you care about your data.
Also, it has built-in speakers that sound good, but not the best. But when you select it as audio output in System Preferences, it completely disables the volume control on your computer and keyboard. The only way to adjust the volume is to navigate the onscreen menus or adjust the slider to match the video you're watching onscreen. This is probably the most annoying error of all. The Ethernet port works fine, but you still have to use the same single USB-C connection as a charging station and the other hassle just isn't worth it. Love the screen... great 4K screen and better value than LG and other brands I've seen. I really want to like the docking feature, but USB-C is still in its early stages of adoption and is very weak at the moment. Perhaps a future firmware update will fix these issues, but since Philips has discontinued this monitor, I wouldn't expect anything. I bought a $100 GIISSMO USB-C docking station that does exactly what I need from a screen, plus it has a few extra ports and easy access behind the screen. So this monitor is still value for money, and you just need to spend a little more if you want a powerful USB-C docking solution.
- Crystal Clarity: The 22" Philips V-Line monitor (21.45" viewing area) provides a Full HD display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080. Enjoy the detail of movies, shows and videos
- Stunning contrast: VA panels produce brighter whites and deeper blacks. Get true-to-life images and an expanded color space of up to 16.7 million colours
- Perfect Viewing: The ultra-wide 178/178° viewing angle eliminates color shift when viewed from a different angle, so you get consistent colors at all times.
- Work without interruption: This slim screen has virtually no bezels on three sides, making the screen appear larger. This simple design also allows for seamless multi-monitor setup, which improves your workflow and boosts productivity
- Better reading experience: For busy office workers, EasyRead mode provides a more paper-like experience when viewing long documents
- 75Hz Fast Refresh Rate: 75Hz (via HDMI 1.4) brings your favorite movies and video games to life. Stream, bing and play effortlessly
- Smooth Motion with ADAPTIVE-SYNC: Adaptive-Sync technology ensures smooth action sequences and fast reaction times. Every image is displayed smoothly and very clearly without stuttering
- Designed for your comfort: Philips monitors use LowBlue mode to reduce harmful shortwave blue light. Flicker-free technology reduces eye strain and makes working longer hours more comfortable
- Ease of use: Robust connections include HDMI 1.4, VGA, and audio out. VESA compatibility gives you flexible mounting options
- Peace of mind: Reduce downtime with Philips monitors backed by a 4-year US pre-exchange warranty