The 242G5DJEB is a 24″ TN LCD backlit panel with a rapid 1 ms response time and, of course, the aforementioned 144Hz refresh rate. The standard contrast ratio is 1000:1, with a Smart Contrast offering an impressive 80,000,000:1. Connectivity on this model is. quite frankly amazing: a pair of HDMI ports, DVI, VGA and both a normal DisplayPort and the obscure mini-DisplayPort for added effect. One of the HDMI ports is also MHL compatible, so you can hook up your phone or tablet and enjoy a spot of big screen Angry Birds should the need ever arise. Added to that little lot is a four-port USB 3.0 hub with one of the ports designated as a Fast Charger.
In terms of image-related features, there’s also a new Philips video mode called Smartlmage, which offers several pre-defined modes dedicated to certain aspects of gaming: FPS mode. Racing mode and RTS mode all speak for themselves, but can also take up the option of customising your own preferred modes and store them in the alloted Gamerl and Gamer2 preset slots.
Another concept that could be of interest to gamers is the SmartFrame feature, that enables you to highlight a specific area on the screen by boosting the gain level of RGB for the selected area. This, in theory at least, will allow you see an opponent by focusing your attention to the area specified. Whether you would actually find this of any use is going to be down to personal preference, but it’s another example of the innovative features that make up this monitor’s impressive spec sheet.
Finally, you can add to that list SmartKeypad, a remote control on a wire (very 80s Betamax), that gives you access to the OSD controls without having to reach over the monitor while mid-game.
Build quality is very good throughout, but in terms of the design, this monitor is surprisingly basic. However, the extraordinary level of connectivity and features make up for its rather drab and bland looks. Still, you could argue that looks aren’t as important as features or price, but for those who do care about such things it’s worth looking more into at any rate.
In our tests the Philips did reasonably well, although the picture quality wasn’t quite as crisp, nor the colours quite as brilliant as the previous AOC. It was certainly quite the performer, though, and thanks to the 1ms response time and the 144Hz refresh rate the content on-screen whizzed by without any perceivable difficulty inherent to fast motion imagery. Aside from the gaming side of things, normal day to day duties performed well, and despite the picture quality not being as good as we expected, it’s still adequate enough for photo or video editing.