Philips’ 21.5" LCD display rids users of the all too common inconvenience of struggling with connection and power cables. This plug and play monitor only makes use of a single USB 2.0 port for both power as well as video transmission to the display.

According to Philips, the screen consumes around 9 watts of power, which is about 50% less than similarly sized, conventionally powered displays.

Unfortunately, since it only draws power from USB, there are no other connectivity options included on this display. This means no HDMI inputs so you cannot hook it up with a PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360, while there’s also no sound onboard.

Convenient setup

Since it measures in at 507 x 323 x 59 mm (without the stand) and 3.85 kg (with the stand), users don’t need to have Beast Mtawarira’s physique to be able to carry it. This makes it easy to move around an office where workers do not have a fixed desk and work where a space is available.  

Once connected, you are easily able to find the best viewing angle, as the monitor can be tilted  up or down and swivelled around, while the neck of the display’s Compact Ergo base can also be adjusted by as much as 7 cm.  

Philips’ screen boasts a typical response time of a decent 5 ms (milliseconds), full HD (1920 x 1080) screen resolution for crisp looking text, images and video, as well as a 16:9 aspect ratio that is perfect for watching movies.

Colours look good but are not as vibrant as on a few of the displays we tested recently, including Acer’s Olympics P238HL LCD monitor and LG’s D2542P Cinema 3D display, although both of these cost a lot more.  

To the point

The 21.5" USB-powered LCD monitor from Philips frees users from becoming entangled in any cable problems. This monitor delivers the same functionality on offer on its conventionally powered display counterparts, whilst utilising a lot less power. Just a pity about the lack of any additional inputs to expand upon its connectivity horizons.

The RRP of USB-powered LCD monitor is R1 875, making it around R400 more expensive than other cable intensive 21" displays. For more info phone Drive Control Corporation (DCC) on 011-201-8927 or send a mail to info@drivecon.net.

Pros:

Single USB 2.0 notebook connection for power and video.
Tilt and swivel adjustment for an ideal viewing angle.
More power efficient compared to conventionally powered monitors.

Cons:

No added connectivity options such as HDMI or VGA.
Not cheap.