Philips 328E1CA Review

Welcome to our Philips 328E1CA Review. The Philips 328E1CA is an attractive option for those seeking high-quality specifications, such as its curved 32-inch screen and 4K resolution, all at an affordable price point.

This category of monitors was previously non-existent, so it’s excellent that they’re now widely available and affordable.

If you’re looking for a reasonably priced monitor that offers extra sharpness and immersion, the Philips 328E1CA is a solid choice. However, how does it perform in practice?

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Philips 328E1CA Review

Let’s dive into the key details of the Philips 328E1CA monitor. The device uses a TPV panel from TP Vision based on SVA CELL, and its maximum matrix frequency is 60 Hz with W-LED backlighting.

The screen has a standard 4K UHD resolution of 3840 × 2160 pixels, with a radius of curvature of 1500R.

While some sources claim that the 328E1CA boasts a color depth of 10 bits (8 bits + FRC), this is inaccurate; the actual color depth is only 8 bits.

The pixel response time is stated to be 4ms, but it’s important to approach this parameter cautiously due to the panel used.

Design

The Philips 328E1CA monitor boasts a sleek and minimalist appearance. The base of the stand is designed in a square-ring style, while the leg is constructed from powder-coated silver metal. The monitor also features a small bezel, with a thin frame around the sides and top that is flush with the matrix plane.

The lower part of the frame protrudes slightly, and the frame is made of hard black plastic on three sides. The top and sides have a frame size of approximately 8mm, while the bottom panel is 24mm.

The bottom of the frame is composed of matte black plastic, complete with the Philips logo. The large curved screen is also covered with a matte anti-reflective layer, reducing glare and enhancing visibility.

The OSD menu of the Philips 328E1CA monitor is controlled by buttons located on the bottom right panel, with a white LED indicating its status. A flashing light signals a transition to a low-power state. This monitor is quite slim on the side, measuring only 12mm at its thinnest point.

The included stand allows you to tilt the screen 5 degrees forward and 20 degrees back, and the lower edge of the monitor sits 100mm from the table, with a top clearance of 525mm.

This model is ideal for those looking for a space-saving option, requiring a niche depth of only around 250mm for installation.

The back housing of the monitor features a matte black plastic finish with a textured surface. In the center, there is a VESA mount (100x100mm) for alternative mounting, although a wall mount is not included.

A K-slot is located in the lower right corner, and the I/O ports are directed towards the back, located in a recess above the stand.

Connectivity

The Philips 328E1CA monitor features several interfaces, including two HDMI 2.0 ports, DP 1.2a, a 3.5mm audio input, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and power input.

The built-in power supply is utilized, and the monitor comes equipped with a pair of speakers that offer a total sound power of 3 W.

The speakers are directed downward, and the sound quality is above average compared to other models, although users should not expect an overwhelming sound experience from this setup.

The monitor supports 3840×2160 @ 60Hz resolution and Adaptive-Sync on the DP 1.2a and HDMI 2.0 ports. The package includes a DP, HDMI, audio, and power cable for easy setup.

While using a separate sound system or headphones for optimal sound quality is recommended, the pair of built-in monitor speakers provide decent volume.

Overall monitor performance

While the Philips E328E1CA’s refresh rate peaks at 60Hz, which is typical for affordable 4K monitors, videos and images still look stunning on display.

It’s worth noting that gaming may not be as smooth as it would be on a dedicated gaming monitor with a higher refresh rate of 144Hz or 240Hz.

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However, the monitor’s response time of 4ms is actually better than the average of 5ms on similar displays. Additionally, the Philips E328E1CA isn’t marketed as a gaming monitor, so this can be easily overlooked.

The monitor does come equipped with adaptive sync, allowing for a smoother gaming experience if desired. I personally tested the monitor with Red Dead Redemption 2, and not only did the game look stunning in 4K resolution, but the adaptive sync feature enhanced the immersive gameplay experience as well.

The Philips E328E1CA’s vibrant colors and crisp details truly shine when viewing high-resolution videos, images, and games.

Whether it’s watching drone videos on YouTube, trailers for the latest MCU film, or playing games like Cyberpunk, the colors are vivid and pop off the screen thanks to the NTSC 99% and sRGB 122% color coverage, combined with the monitor’s 2500:1 contrast ratio.

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Assembly

Assembling the Philips 328E1CA is a breeze and requires no tools. I simply attached the base with the captive bolt, which took mere seconds.

Connecting the monitor to my laptop was just as easy – I plugged in the HDMI and power cables and was working on documents within moments.

For those who prefer to mount the monitor on an aftermarket arm, a 100mm VESA mount on the rear of the unit allows for easy mounting.

The package includes all necessary cables, including HDMI, DisplayPort, and power cables. However, it’s worth noting that no USB ports are included on the monitor.

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Color Calibration and quality

Once you calibrate the image, you can attain the highest white brightness, lowest black brightness, and maximum contrast ratio.

With factory settings at 100% brightness, the measurements are 319 nits for white, 0.13 nits for black, and a contrast ratio of 2446:1. After proper adjustments in custom mode, the values change to 382 nits for white, 0.12 nits for black, and a contrast level of 2938:1.

The 328E1CA monitor doesn’t use PWM for backlight dimming; instead, it controls the current supplied to the backlight LEDs.

This makes the monitor model “flicker-free,” which some advanced users often consider when examining monitor specifications.

Philips 328E1CA Review Monitor Test Settings

We significantly reduced the brightness and made some adjustments to the color channels in our ‘Test Settings’. Remember that individual preferences and different units of the same model may require different settings, so our suggestions may not be optimal for every case.

If you’re an Nvidia user connected through HDMI, you must also adjust the color signal in the graphics driver from the default ‘Limited Range’ to ‘Full Range’ RGB, as explained in this article.

We left any unmentioned settings at their default values in the OSD, including ‘Contrast’. Additionally, we’ve included our favorite ‘SmartResponse’ setting for your reference.

Under our ‘Test Settings’, the white point was slightly below our target of ‘6500K’ daylight, but it was close enough. The ‘6500K’ is a rough guide, and the appropriate white point depends on individual preferences and lighting conditions.

We would have preferred finer control, but reducing the blue channel from ‘100’ to ’99’ resulted in a significant drop in color temperature.

• SmartImageGame = Off Brightness = 38 (adjust according to preferences and lighting)
• SmartResponse = Faster
• Color Temp. = User Define
• Red = 100
• Green = 88
• Blue = 99