Philips 436M6VBPAB Momentum 43-Inch 4K FreeSync Monitor Review: Better Than a TV
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Conclusion
The Philips 436M6 perfectly bridges the gap between TV and monitor. It’s priced closer to a TV and offers a ton of screen area and accepts HDMI 2.0 signals from a UHD Blu-player or outboard streaming boxes like Apple TV. It even comes with a remote control.
When used as a monitor, its image is sharp enough to render fine text and detailed graphics in Windows and makes easy work of spreadsheets and word processing. Excellent color accuracy for both sRGB and DCI-P3 means that it can work for professional photo or video editing. With a 1,000-nit backlight and HDR10 it can handle the latest UHD content.
We have few complaints, though the big one is the stand, which is more TV-like. Those who want more ergonomic adjustments will need their own mounting solution. Also, you can’t calibrate for sRGB (DCI-P3 only); although, the out-of-box presets are quite accurate. Further, we’d love to see a true, full-array local dimming backlight, although that’d be surprising at this low price. However, VIZIO offers 65-inch TVs with 100 zones for around $1,100, albeit without FreeSync or DisplayPort. Those features are the primary reason to use the Philips 436M6 over a TV.
But there’s no denying the appeal of a giant, bright HDR-ready screen for gaming (and watching movies). Plus, you’ll have ample room to sit back and enjoy some popcorn. The 436M6 has no real competition in monitors and delivers a better computing experience than a TV.
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Christian Eberle is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware US. He's a veteran reviewer of A/V equipment, specializing in monitors. Christian began his obsession with tech when he built his first PC in 1991, a 286 running DOS 3.0 at a blazing 12MHz. In 2006, he undertook training from the Imaging Science Foundation in video calibration and testing and thus started a passion for precise imaging that persists to this day. He is also a professional musician with a degree from the New England Conservatory as a classical bassoonist which he used to good effect as a performer with the West Point Army Band from 1987 to 2013. He enjoys watching movies and listening to high-end audio in his custom-built home theater and can be seen riding trails near his home on a race-ready ICE VTX recumbent trike. Christian enjoys the endless summer in Florida where he lives with his wife and Chihuahua and plays with orchestras around the state.
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