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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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