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The Philips 241V8LB isn’t a massive or brightest computer monitor – it’s 24 inches – but it’s big on affordability for just under $100. Like many cut-rate monitors, it blends a relatively small screen with a modest 1080p resolution, minimal ergonomic adjustments, basic port selection, and comes with control buttons in place of a mini joystick that you find on modern computer monitors.
Beyond the features on paper, the Philips 241V8LB’s image quality beats many slightly more expensive screens that I’ve reviewed, all thanks to its full sRGB coverage and surprisingly high contrast ratio, and it costs almost a fraction of its competitors even when they’re on sale. A rock-bottom sticker price and solid image quality earn the 241V8LB our Editors’ Choice award as the best budget general-purpose monitor.
Philips 241V8LB Specs
- Display size: 24-inch
- Native resolution: 1920×1080
- Brightness: 250 cd/m2
- Contrast ratio: 4000:1
- Response time: 4ms
- Panel type: VA
- Refresh rate: 100Hz
- Ports: 1 x HDMI, 1 x VGA, 3.5mm Headphone
Design and Features
The Philips 241V8LB is a basic monitor, through and through; it doesn’t do anything to stand out from the pack or compete with the sleekest PC monitors on the market. It sports a basic aesthetic that makes it comfortable for use as a home office or entertainment display. However, its color coverage, contrast, and refresh rate make it ideal for light photo editing and working with some lines of art, and it stacks up well in movie rendering.
The 24-inch vertical alignment (VA) panel with a 100Hz refresh puts it in good standing for casual gaming, but it won’t deliver the kind of clarity you’d get with, let’s say, the Alienware AW2723DF gaming monitor. At 24 inches, this monitor is light and compact, meaning it can fit in cramped spaces such as an office desk or a dorm room. Mounted on its stand, the all-black monitor measures 7.9 x 21.3 x 16.8 inches and weighs 6.3 pounds.
The full HD (1,920 x 1,080) screen measures 23.8 inches diagonally, with a 16:9 aspect ratio, 4000:1 contrast ratio, and 250 cd/m2 peak brightness, all of which deliver a reasonably sharp image by the standards of non-professional monitors. The VA panels help keep the price down, but they deliver a much higher contrast compared to an in-plane switching (IPS) screen.
Elsewhere, the round base and stand are made of plastic, but they do a fine job of holding the screen in place. Assembly f pretty straightforward; you don’t need any tools; the shaft clicks into place onto the back of the chassis, and the base easily rotates into the bottom until it locks. The only ergonomics you get here are tilt adjustment – up to 5 degrees back and 20 degrees front, and it’s VESA compatible for arm or wall mounting.
Port selection is typical of budget monitors – one HDMI, one VGA, and a jack for headphones or powered speakers to output audio received from the computer over an HDMI connection.
Image Quality
We never expect great image quality from budget monitors, but in my view, this makes image quality even more important when shopping in the budget category. Any $1000 monitor like the Samsung Odyssey G93SC (49-inch, 5,120 x 1,440 resolution) can offer a quality picture. However, the same can’t be said for a below $100 monitor. Fortunately, Philips 241V8LB is ideally one of the better monitors in the budget category.
Brightness comes in at a maximum of 250 nits, an above-average result in this category. Many competitors in this niche are closer to 200 nits; that means the 241V8LB can appear bright and vivid even when used in a bright sunlit room without blinds or curtains. If your office has some light control, you can set the monitor at around 60 percent of its maximum brightness.
The Philips 241V8LB delivers a respectable contrast ratio of 4,000:1. While not the highest, this is still better than what you’ll find in most budget-oriented monitors on the market and avoids a plain, washed-out look. The lack of depth is noticeable in HD movies and games, however, and some content might look less immersive. The LG 32UL500-W is a better choice for entertainment and creative projects, but it isn’t the best when used for gaming.
The Philips 241V8LB is a 24-inch monitor that offers so much for so much little: 100Hz, a VA Panel for just under $100.
Color gamut is respectable at 100 percent of sRGB, with a 100Hz refresh rate. This sets a better precedent over alternatives that have a narrower sRGB gamut. In particular, it helps the monitor to display clear pictures and colors have less banding than many in the budget category. A 1440p monitor is better, yes, but you’ll have no issue using this 1080p monitor to write Word documents or edit spreadsheets.
HP claims that the 221V8LB is capable of gaming, but it doesn’t have the motion performance to compete with modern gaming monitors out there. For basic gaming, the 100Hz refresh rate and 4ms response time are fine, but don’t expect anything more than that. It’s nowhere near as crisp as a 144Hz IPS gaming monitor, but it’s free of the more serious ghosting and smearing issues that are common in the budget niche.
Overall, the Philips 221V8LB offers solid picture quality for its price. The monitor has decently HIGH brightness, good color gamut, and fine color accuracy that make for a realistic and lifelike image. It lacks the extra flair of more expensive monitors, but it is enjoyable enough for day-to-day productivity and casual gaming.
Philips 241V8LB Review: Bottom line
Three recent monitors have earned our editors’ Choice award status by providing a little more than is typical of a low-priced display. The AOC 27B3HA2 delivers a perfect office experience with its 27-inch IPS monitor, resulting in rich and deep contrast alongside a breathtaking design. The Dell S3222HN delivers 75Hz, AMD FreeSync, and excellent processing in a high-contrast curved panel.
Then there is the Philips 241V8LB, which costs pennies but ropes in lots of features that you’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. It delivers excellent image quality and deep contrast, much better than you’d find even on more expensive monitors out there. A perfect mix of price and function easily earns the Philips 241V8LB its own Editors’ Choice award as a general-purpose budget monitor.
Price Comparison
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