While it may be difficult to pin down who might need a 4K PC monitor right now, a deluge of attractive (and increasingly affordable) next-gen panels is making them difficult to ignore.
Philips is the latest to add an "UltraClear" UHD (Ultra High Definition) model to its bow with the 28-inch 288P6LJEB, which totes a 4K-worthy pixel-resolution of 3840 x 2160.
Specs include support for 1 billion colours, a gaming-friendly 1ms response time, HDMI with MHL (for viewing and interacting with the contents of a mobile device) and MultiView, which lets you beam different inputs (such as TV and HDMI) simultaneously to different parts of the display.
According to Philips, you won't have to bother messing about with the display's settings to get the best picture as it features SmartResponse, a technology that automatically adjusts response time depending on whether you're watching movies, playing games or using the desktop.
Port(s) of call
Among its ports are VGA, DVI Dual Link, DisplayPort 1.2, MHL-HDMI, two USB 2.0 and three USB 3.0 ports, which can charge devices faster.
The panel is due to land on UK shores in June at £599, while US and AUS pricing and availability is yet to be confirmed. That puts it a touch above AOC's (a subsidiary of Philips) £499 (around US$297, or AUS$531) U2868PQU, which is also due to arrive in June.
If those prices are still a little too steep for your 4K-fearing wallet, it may be worth holding out to see if Intel and Samsung delivers on their promise to drive down prices of 4K panels - potentially to as little as £240 (around US$410, or AUS$436).
