Welcome to our review of the Philips 328E1CA. The Philips 328E1CA is an attractive option for those looking for high-quality specifications, such as its 32-inch curved screen and 4K resolution, all at an affordable price.
This category of monitors was previously non-existent, so it's great that they are now widely available and affordable.
If you're looking for a reasonably priced monitor with added sharpness and immersion, the Philips 328E1CA is a solid choice. However, how does it perform in practice?
Also Read: Best Curved Monitors for Office Work
Philips 328E1CA review
Now let's see the main details of the Philips 328E1CA monitor. The device uses a TPV panel from TP Vision based on SVA CELL, and its maximum matrix frequency is 60 Hz with W-LED backlight.
The screen has a standard 4K UHD resolution of 3840 × 2160 pixels, with a curvature radius of 1500R.
Some sources claim that the 328E1CA has a 10-bit color depth (8-bit + FRC), but this is inaccurate; the actual color depth is only 8 bits.
Pixel response time is listed at 4ms, but it is important to approach this setting with caution due to the panel used.
Design
The Philips 328E1CA monitor features a sleek and minimalist appearance. The base of the stand is designed in a square ring shape, while the leg is made of powder-coated silver metal. The monitor also has a small bezel, with a thin bezel around the sides and top that is flush with the plane of the array.
The bottom part of the frame protrudes slightly and the frame is made of hard black plastic on three sides. The top and sides have a frame of approximately 8mm, while the bottom panel measures 24mm.
The bottom of the frame is made of matte black plastic, with the Philips logo. The large curved screen is also coated with a matte anti-glare layer, reducing glare and improving visibility.
The OSD menu of the Philips 328E1CA monitor is controlled by buttons located on the lower right panel, with a white LED indicating its status. A flashing light signals the transition to a low consumption state. This monitor is quite thin on the side, measuring just 12mm at its thinnest point.
The included stand allows you to tilt the screen 5 degrees forward and 20 degrees backward. The bottom edge of the monitor sits 100mm from the table, with 525mm of clearance on top.
This model is ideal for those looking for a space-saving option, requiring a niche depth of only around 250mm for installation.
The rear casing of the monitor features a matte black plastic finish with a textured surface. In the center, a VESA mount (100x100mm) allows for alternative mounting, although a wall mount is not included.
A K slot is located in the lower right corner, and the I/O ports face rearward, in a recess above the bracket.
Connectivity
The Philips 328E1CA monitor has multiple interfaces, including two HDMI 2.0 ports, DP 1.2a, 3.5mm audio input, 3.5mm headphone jack, and power input.
The built-in power supply is used, and the monitor is equipped with a pair of speakers that deliver a total sound power of 3W.
The speakers are downward-firing and the sound quality is above average compared to other models, although users shouldn't expect a great sound experience with this setup.
The monitor supports 3840×2160@60Hz resolution and adaptive sync over DP 1.2a and HDMI 2.0 ports. The package includes a DP, HDMI, audio and power cable for easy installation.
Although it's recommended to use a separate audio system or headphones for optimal sound quality, the monitor's pair of built-in speakers provide decent volume.
General screen performance
Although the Philips E328E1CA's refresh rate tops out at 60Hz, which is typical for affordable 4K monitors, videos and images still look stunning on screen.
It's worth noting that gaming may not run as smoothly as on a dedicated gaming monitor with a higher refresh rate of 144Hz or 240Hz.
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However, the monitor's response time of 4ms is actually better than the 5ms average on similar displays. Additionally, the Philips E328E1CA is not marketed as a gaming monitor, which can be easily overlooked.
The monitor is equipped with Adaptive Sync, which allows for a smoother gaming experience if desired. I personally tested the monitor with Red Dead Redemption 2, and not only did the game look stunning in 4K resolution, but the adaptive sync feature also enhanced the immersive gaming experience.
The Philips E328E1CA's vibrant colors and sharp details truly shine when viewing high-resolution videos, images and games.
Whether watching drone videos on YouTube, trailers for the latest MCU film, or playing games like Cyberpunk, colors are vibrant and pop off the screen thanks to NTSC color coverage 99% and 122% sRGB, combined with the display's 2500:1 contrast ratio.
Read also: Cheap gaming monitors for PS4 and PS
Assembly
Assembling the Philips 328E1CA is child's play and requires no tools. I simply attached the base using the captive bolt, which only took a few seconds.
Connecting the monitor to my laptop was just as easy: I plugged in the HDMI and power cables and was working on documents in moments.
For those who prefer to mount the monitor on an aftermarket arm, a 100mm VESA mount on the rear of the unit allows for easy mounting.
The package includes all the necessary cables, including HDMI, DisplayPort, and power cables. However, it should be noted that no USB port is included on the monitor.
Also Read: Best Monitors with HDMI Port, Speakers and DisplayPort Outputs
Calibration and color quality
Once the image is calibrated, you can get the highest brightness for white, the lowest brightness for black, and the highest contrast ratio.
With factory settings at 100% brightness, the measurements are 319 nits for white, 0.13 nits for black, and a contrast ratio of 2446:1. After the appropriate adjustments in custom mode, the values increase to 382 nits for white, 0.12 nits for black and a contrast level of 2938:1.
The 328E1CA monitor does not use PWM for backlight dimming; rather, it controls the current supplied to the backlight LEDs.
This makes the monitor model “flicker-free,” which some advanced users often consider when looking at monitor specifications.
Philips 328E1CA Review Monitor Test Settings
We reduced the brightness significantly and made some adjustments to the color channels in our “Test Settings”. Remember that individual preferences and different units within the same model may require different settings, so our suggestions may not be optimal in all cases.
If you are an Nvidia user connected via HDMI, you also need to adjust the color signal in the graphics driver from the default “Limited Range” to “Full Range” RGB, as explained in this article.
We left all settings not mentioned at their default values in the OSD, including “contrast”. Additionally, we have included our favorite setting “SmartResponse” for your reference.
In our “Test Settings,” the white point was slightly lower than our daylight target of “6500K,” but it was close enough. The 6500K value is an approximate guideline, and the appropriate white point depends on individual preferences and lighting conditions.
We would have preferred finer control, but reducing the blue channel from “100” to “99” resulted in a significant drop in color temperature.
- SmartImageGame = Off Brightness = 38 (adjust based on preference and lighting)
- SmartResponse = Faster
- Temp. color = User defined
- Red = 100
- Green = 88
- Blue = 99