▷Philips Momentum review: the 43-inch mega-monitor with HDR 1000 🥇

Philips Momentum 436M6VBPA it is not a monitor like all the others, one of those that you connect to your PC and then use for anything. The Philips monster indeed is clearly intended for console users, a vocation shown first of all by the size and secondly by some compatibility problems with Windows 10.

But before discovering in detail the advantages and limitations of this gigantic display, let's take a step back.

Bulky but sparkling

The first thing I thought in front of the box of Philips Momentum was: "And now how do I do?". Yes, because this 43-inch monitor comes in a huge box, weighs more than 14 kg and it is certainly not easy to place. The good news is that the pedestal is already mounted, the bad news is that you will have to put some effort into positioning it yourself.

Once this is complete, you can begin to appreciate the monitor. The design is quite simple, but it is all very solid and well built. The lower part houses the LEDs of Ambiglow, a function designed both to give a modern and surprising touch to this monitor and to help you less strain your eyes if you find yourself in a dark room. Obviously you are not obliged to use the lighting of Philips Momentum: you can decide whether to turn off the LEDs, keep them always on, use the Random mode or let the monitor choose colors perfectly matching what happens on the screen.

Obviously to do all this you will not have to go crazy. The rear of this 436M6VBPA houses a small joystick which helps you achieve the OSD menu, but in the box you will also find a convenient remote control which will help you change settings, choose the source, adjust the volume and increase or decrease the brightness of the display. Sure, it won't be super-responsive at times, but it will still be easier to handle than the aforementioned joystick.

And the doors? Even those can be found on the back. At your disposal you have an HDMI, a DisplayPort, a Mini Display Port, a USB-C, two USB 3.0, the 3,5 mm headphone jack and an Audio-In. In short, everything you need to connect PCs, notebooks and televisions.

A sea of settings

The aforementioned OSD will soon become your best friend, an old and introverted friend. The menu in fact turns out not very modern, complex and sometimes not very intuitive. My advice is to have a good dose of patience and then start modifying the various parameters. At your disposal you have many: you go from the more classic ones, such as Brightness, Contrast and Sharpness, to more advanced functions. These include the possibility of choose the type of HDR (Normal, UHDA or VESA HDR 1000), Smart answer to reduce input lag and lo Smart Frame, which enhances the darker tones of the image.

For those who don't want to just play there is the tab PIP/PBP. In fact, the monitor can be connected to two sources at the same time and this tab allows you to define the behavior of the display in these cases. In fact, we can place two identical images side by side or occupy only 1/4 of the surface for one of the two sources. Of course the choice is up to you based on your needs.

Voted for gaming

Philips Momentum 436M6VBPA è one 42,5 inch W-LED LCD monitor, with backlight Edge LED, 1,07 billion colari, support to the aforementioned HDR 1000, a resolution equal to 3840 2160 pixels x and an update frequency of 60 Hz. All with a response time of 4ms. IIn short, on paper it is certainly a great monitor, but only for playing games.

The 16: 9 aspect ratio and the important dimension make it rather difficult in everyday life. Yes, it's true, editing videos with this desktop giant was absolutely pleasant given the amount of information you can keep on the screen but writing, consulting emails or simply surfing the Internet is really difficult on a normal work surface. To enjoy it, you should stay at least one and a half meters away.

There was also a few problems and quarrels with my Desktop PC. Among these, the lack of recognition of the source during computer startup, which forced me to connect everything to another monitor and then access and reconnect the HDMI to Philips Momentum.

Everything is different with a console. You can also stay 2 meters from the monitor and still have a great view of the game. The yield is then really good with fluid images, bright colors and good contrast. But beware of games with very dark screens. The reason? Simple: l’Edge LED. This technology, which illuminates the panel thanks to the sources present along the edges, contrasts a little with the very high brightness (1.000 cd / m²) in general, causing some unpleasant stains to appear. A phenomenon that obviously does not concern only video games: I also noticed the same spots when opening Photoshop or Adobe Premiere, both programs with dark interfaces. Don't panic anyway: lowering the brightness you can contain the problem.

Philips Momentum 436M6VBPA: buy it or not?

Philips Momentum 436M6VBPA is not a monitor for everyone. Its resemblance to a Smart TV and its generous 43 inches make it in fact mainly suitable for gamers, to those who want the performance of a monitor and the size of a TV to get the best out of their consoles.

Those who instead aim for a solution designed also or mainly to work, should turn to other shores, perhaps aiming at the now widespread 21: 9 monitors.

Finally, I remind you that Philips Momentum 436M6VBPA is already available on the market at the cost of 799 euro.