Looking to buy 27" glossy 1080p monitor ~£200-£300 range

[spartanlemur]

Now I'd normally choose a matt screen for work or outdoors usage, but I have black-out blinds in my pc room which allow for use of glossy screens with no reflection, and I feel the sharpness and colour are better given this situation.

After scouting around the internet for something suitable I found the Phillips Gioco 278G4DHSD/00 matched my criteria for a reasonable price and also included passive 3D (which I suppose is a bonus).

My only concern is that I've seen next to no discussion of the model around the internet, and only two reviews, this one giving it 82%

http://pcmonitors.info/reviews/philips-278g4dhsd

and this one 3/5

http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/monitors/1296499/philips-gioco-278g4-3d-ambiglow

amazon.co.uk has no reviews either, and I've been left wondering why this model has been so low-key, especially compared to some of the more popular IPS monitors.

Does this monitor look like it might be a safe bet? Are there any other monitors to be recommended which fulfill the above criteria? I'll primarily be using it for gaming.

 

[dannyboy2233]

I have the Asus VE278Q, and I love it. The refresh rate is relatively slow, but that is to be expected; no one will produce a 120 Hz/144 Hz 27" monitor for less than $400 or $500. The VE278Q is 1080p, and also has built-in speakers if you don't have any (although they aren't spectacular). It also has a very fast 2ms response time, which is great in gaming. However, it is non-IPS. But, if you're fine with color that is a bit less than perfect, then you should be great with this.

 

[sam_p_lay]

I'd hugely recommend the ASUS MX279H. It's 1080p again, though it is IPS. Absolutely amazing monitor for the money.

 

[sancco]

go dell. customer service and warranty are awesome. quality is top notch too. i've had the same screen for 5 years and it's still as good as ever.

also i would advise against glossy. there might days when you want to let the sun in and do some relaxed web surfing.

good luck whichever why you go

 

[dannyboy2233]

I'd hugely recommend the ASUS MX279H. It's 1080p again, though it is IPS. Absolutely amazing monitor for the money.

The only thing I don't like is the design; it seems flimsy to me. Is this true, or no?

 

[sam_p_lay]

I'd hugely recommend the ASUS MX279H. It's 1080p again, though it is IPS. Absolutely amazing monitor for the money.

The only thing I don't like is the design; it seems flimsy to me. Is this true, or no?

Shows how tastes vary! I think it looks really good. But then I think my own monitor is pretty standard-looking and my friend thinks it's stunning. As for build-quality I've seen no reviews criticising it. Techradar say the build quality is good in their review:

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/monitors-and-projectors/monitors/asus-mx279h-1131312/review

 

[dannyboy2233]

I'd hugely recommend the ASUS MX279H. It's 1080p again, though it is IPS. Absolutely amazing monitor for the money.

The only thing I don't like is the design; it seems flimsy to me. Is this true, or no?

Shows how tastes vary! I think it looks really good. But then I think my own monitor is pretty standard-looking and my friend thinks it's stunning. As for build-quality I've seen no reviews criticising it. Techradar say the build quality is good in their review:

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/monitors-and-projectors/monitors/asus-mx279h-1131312/review

Excuse me; I didn't mean I dislike the design, I meant that I may dislike it on the grounds of flimsiness. However, seeing as there have been no major reports, I too would recommend that monitor. In the wrong setting it might look a bit weird, as it is very unique-looking, but in most setups it would look awesome and perform well.

 

[sam_p_lay]

Yeah I feel inclined to stick to an all-black setup but I think I could make an exception for this!

 

[spartanlemur]

So I decided that as most monitors are going matt these days, I'd give it a try and buy the AOC i2757 display, which had been receiving excellent reviews on the internet.
It arrived yesterday and I was at first pleased by the lack of dead pixels, but when I tried to make the image clearer through extensive calibration I realised that the Matt screen itself was preventing it reaching the levels I wanted (I now see why Apple cinema displays are remaining stubbornly glossy).
Not only that, but when I launched Endless Space, the backlight bleed was absolutely terrible (probably compounded for me by the matt texture which already ruined clarity).
I think I'm going to send it back to amazon tomorrow and hopefully get a refund so I can buy something else glossy/semi-glossy. I understand why the clarity loss of matt is an acceptable sacrifice for people who like being able to game/watch movies with natural light coming in, but it just isn't for me.
Screenshot of the backlight bleed below if anyone is interested.

http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/5963/uzad.jpg

 

[sam_p_lay]

Wow... I think that might be the worst bleed I've ever seen. You could actually find another monitor of the exact same model with little to no bleed - unfortunately not every panel comes off the production line the same. There's a big gap between what is deemed acceptable and what's actually near-flawless. Screen coatings are an important consideration (not all anti-glare coatings are created equal) and reviews are good to get an idea about that. Bad AG coatings can often cause a grainy look to whites.