Photography News | Issue 50 | photographynews.co.uk
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First tests
Philips 4KUltra HD LCD BDM4037UW £600
Specs
You’re going to need a bigger desk. And possibly a new computer. But don’t let that get in the way of anything just yet. Philips’ BDM4037UW monitor is certainly the biggest display I’ve ever had on my desk and its curved, 40in screen gives you the impression of being even bigger than its already sizeable dimensions confirm. Immersive springs to mind. My standard screen set-up involves two monitors: a 23in Full HD monitor for main tasks and an aged 19in VGA display that I use for viewing emails and web browsing. They both just about get on my modestly-sized desk with enough room for a couple of hard drives and, crucially, a cup of tea. The Philips changes that, pretty much filling the width of my desk, pushing hard drives and drinks to the peripheries in the process. The screen’s slimstand does leave roomunderneath for the aforementioned items, but it is quite thin (although there was no evidence during the test to suggest it was going to give way). The stand does not have a pivot mechanism so the screen and stand is one fixed item, and you should consider this if, for example, you have a corner desk because not being able to twist the screen round might mean a problem with leg positioning. There is no height adjustment, either. Set-up out of the box is remarkably simple: no instruction manuals were harmed – or indeed touched – during the testing of this screen. Once the stand is attached by a single screw, it’s simply a question of plugging in a power cable and an HDMI cable to get you up and running. Other ports are provided – a second HDMI, multiple USB 3.0s (including a fast-charging port), two display ports and even a VGA socket. The HDMI ports are both Mobile High-Definition-Link (MHL) compatible so you can directly connect a smartphone or other portable device, plus there is an audio in-port if you want to attach PC speakers rather than use the built-in 5w offer. The monitor offers 4K UHD (3840x2160) resolution, which is 4x bigger than Full HD, but if you plug it into a computer that doesn’t offer
Price
£600
Key features 4k UHD, Multiview (PBP 4s devices, PIP 2x devices), Ultra Wide-Color technology, SmartImage presets, 5w built-in speakers In the box Screen and stand, mains lead, 1x audio cable, 1x USB, 1x DP cable, 1x HDMI 2.0, 1x VGA cable, CD with manual and driver software Colour bit 10-bit Screen size 40in VA LED Display colours 1.07 billion Colour gamut NTSC 100% Aspect ratio 16:9 Resolution 3840x2160 Display area 884.7x497.6mm Brightness 300 cd/m2 Input 1x HDMI 2.0, 1x HDMI 1.4, VGA, 2x DisplayPort, 4x USB 3.0 (one with fast charging), PC audio in, headphone out Native contrast (typical) 4000:1 Power consumption 43.74W, Eco mode 32.6w Height adjustment 150mm Dimensions (wxhxd, with
stand, max height) 90.9x64.3x24.7cm Weight 11.6kg (with stand) Contact philips.co.uk
4K compatibility, you’re not going to see the very best it can offer. In my case, I initially tried it with a non-4K compatible Mac Mini. It’s quite easy to have multiple windows open, so you could use this as an alternative to a two smaller screen set-up, although it would take some getting used to. I then tried a newer 4k compatible Mac Mini and now I could enjoy and appreciate the 40in screen. The thing with using 4k on a smaller screen is that while image quality is amazing, dialogue boxes can look really small and that can be an inconvenience for some. But on a 40in screen there is no
issue with squinting at dialogues and menus, and everything is of a decent size. As for the image, the Philips certainly showed the benefits of a high resolution camera – get it right, and you’ll never question decisions about image sharpness again. Also on offer are Picture by Picture (PBP) andPicture inPicture (PIP). Both allow you to attach multiple devices, with PBP enabling you to monitor four devices in the screen at once and PIP enabling you to, for example, watch TV while picture editing – assuming you have a set-top box in your office, of course. The display is 10-bit offering 1.07 billion colours and smooth gradations. I certainly had no problem with colour accuracy while picture editing. There are also a number of Philips’ own SmartImage presets such as Photo, Game and Movie, but I opted to turn these off and went for a more traditional method of calibration using a Spyder 5 device, which worked fine despite the curved screen. There are no controls on the front of the monitor and only one joystick-like control around the back on the bottom right-hand side. While this helps with the svelte look of the screen, I didn’t find the control itself particularly intuitive to use and regularly jumped backwards or to the wrong control in the on-screen menu. In all likelihood, of course, you’re only likely todabble in the menus once or twice and then leave themwell alone. RP
Verdict
A big screen means you can really enjoy your camera skills, and the Philips BDM4037UW certainly does a very fine job of showing your shots in glorious 4k resolution. The generous size, though, is a double- edged sword, and if your working environment is less than spacious you might find the screen simply too big for eye comfort. Before committing, if you have a TV in your lounge roughly the same size as this monitor, go and park yourself two or three feet in front of that and binge on a favourite series for a few hours; you’ll soon get the idea. After an initial adjustment period, I grew to really enjoy working on the monitor, easily transitioning from a two-screen set- up to one big-screen layout, and never suffering any adverse side effects such as headaches or eye strain. Naturally, be sure to check your computer’s 4K compatibility before you buy and look again at your desk’s dimensions. As I said at the start, adding costs on for these as well as the screen could make the overall cost of owning the BDM4037UWmore than you expected. However, priced at £600 this is a good value monitor, with many smaller models on the market at higher prices.
Pros Big screen, easy set-up Cons Screen might be too big for some, joystick control
Above The BDM4037UW is a slim, 40in screen and its curved design gives an immersive experience, but its size won’t suit all home offices so before investing make sure that you have the space to enjoy its potential urevedcree4037UW
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