Details
A business monitor with a USB-C port, Windows Hello camera, KVM switch, LightSensor and PowerSensor. If you’ve heard this somewhere before, it was probably the Philips 34B1U5600 that we recently tested.This time, we’re focusing on the smaller, 27-inch variant, which is perhaps even more suited to the workplace environment than the curved widescreen. What makes the 27B1U5601 different besides the smaller diagonal?
Basic parameters
| Parameters | Philips |
| 27B1U5601 | |
| 27E1N5600HE | |
| Display | 27" IPS, 16:9, flat, matte |
| Resolution | 2560 × 1440 px |
| Refresh rate | 75 Hz |
| Colors | 8-bit |
| AMD FreeSync Premium Pro | no |
| Response time | 4 ms GTG |
| Brightness | 350 nits |
| Contrast | 1000:1 |
| Color spaces | sRGB: 101 %, NTSC: 89 % |
| Outputs | 1× HDMI 1.4, 2× DisplayPort 1.4 (1× output), 2× USB-C (1× data) |
| USB hub | yes |
| Audio input/output | no/yes |
| Speakers | yes, 2× 5W |
| VESA | yes (100 × 100) |
| Approximate price | 439 EUR |
Packaging and accesories
The cardboard box has the same design as its larger sibling, i.e. the silhouette of the monitor and the main parameters are displayed in white. However, it opens like a shoebox, not from the front. Nevertheless, it is one of the easier opening styles.
The package is just as generous as the larger model, including HDMI, DisplayPort and USB-C cables (with a Type-A reducer on one end) and, of course, the power cable. There is also documentation, but this time there is no calibration result of the monitor, which is probably just a problem of the tested package, which has already made several stops in other editorial offices.
The square base is almost identical and will again offer side-to-side rotation, which is a unique feature of Philips monitors that we don’t see much of elsewhere.
The other part of the stand with height adjustment is virtually identical and I don’t see any changes.
Attaching the base to the leg is a matter of seconds and requires no tools.
You can also use the VESA 100×100 mount if needed, for example if you would like to mount the monitor on a wall or your own arms.
Attaching the stand to the monitor body is a matter of one “click”. Thanks to the aforementioned opening of the box in the middle, you can do this even before you take the monitor out of the package.
What we are probably most interested in is the port selection and whether it has remained as good as its curved sibling. The connectors from the left start with HDMI and DisplayPort, a pair of USB-C and RJ-45 Ethernet. After that, the ports are identical. But next comes another DisplayPort, which the curved 34B1U5600 doesn’t have. Last is a pair of 5 Gb USB for connecting accessories.
The second DisplayPort connector is used for video output and thus the possibility of connecting a second monitor. We will look at this feature in the next chapter. The first USB-C port handles up to 100W charging as well as video input and data transfer. The second is then used for data transfer. On the other side of the bottom there is a power connector for the integrated power supply and a power button.
We’re not done with ports yet, and like the 34B1U5600, the 27-inch version has another USB-C with 15W charging on the side. Then there are two more USB Type-A connectors, with one offering fast charging and also a 3.5mm audio jack. Like the larger version, the test piece features ultimate connectivity that really lacks nothing. Again, I commend the sending of the obsolete USB Type-B connector to the scrapyard of history.
The monitor also offers a pair of 5W speakers that you can use when playing videos or video calls, which is what this monitor is built for.
The design of the monitor is very simple and decent. The thin bezels on three sides are complemented by a thicker chin in grey, as if in a brushed aluminium design. There’s also the typical light and presence sensor, which changes the brightness or turns off the display according to the ambient light or whether you’re using the monitor or not. This is a useful feature for the office, where you walk away from the monitor for meetings or lunch. This way you don’t have to manually turn the monitor off and on.
What I also praise is the placement of the control buttons on the front of the chin. Philips tends to put them from the bottom or the back and then it happens that you accidentally press the wrong button. That’s why it’s much better if they are in the front.
The new product is also literally an acrobat as it offers all positioning possibilities. Height adjustment is in the range of 150 mm.
In addition, it offers a tilt range of -5 to +30 degrees, which is more than normal.
As we noticed in the unboxing, the square base offers 180 degrees of lateral rotation in each direction. So you can practically rotate the monitor around its axis in full as seen in the picture above. However, it can’t be done in one stroke, as you hit the end when you rotate a semicircle and have to go back.
Unlike with its bigger sibling, pivot is not missing and it is possible to pivot to both sides, which is also not standard. So the 27B1U5601 really does offer all the rotation and positioning options you could wish for.
One of the monitor’s highlights is the 5MP camera with Windows Hello support, which you can use for quick logins and video calls. For the latter, you’ll also enjoy the ambient noise filtering feature offered by the built-in microphones.
Backlight bleed of the 27B1U5601 is really minimal and only slightly visible around the edges. This is definitely one of the better results you could ask for in a backlit panel.
Of course, as always, every panel is different and your piece can be better or worse. We will also measure uniformity with a colorimetric probe in the next chapter.
