Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Philips claims ‘world’s first’ with a new 4K HDR desktop display

Philips Momentum 436M6
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Philips 43-inch Momentum 4K HDR Quantum Dot monitor introduced in April is now up for grabs on Amazon and other online retailers for $999. At the time of its announcement, parent company Envision Peripherals deemed it as the world’s first DisplayHDR 1000 panel, residing at the top of the Video Electronics Standards Association’s (VESA) new certification system for HDR-capable displays. Since that time, Asus revealed an HDR1000 display that is twice the price: The ROG Swift PG27UQ for gamers.

Launched at the end of 2017, VESA’s DisplayHDR certification sets out to simplify display purchases by throwing HDR-capable desktop displays into three categories based on their specifications: 400 (baseline), 600 (mid-range), and 1000 (high-end). Based on the requirements, those numbers seemingly reflect the display’s peak brightness, but other factors come into play such as contrast ratio and color depth.

“As with any new technology, there can be confusion out there regarding HDR specs and benefits. VESA’s new DisplayHDR standard will make monitor shopping easier by offering consumers a comparable standard to judge HDR picture performance between monitors,” Chris Brown, Philips Monitors Global Marketing Manager, said in April.

The new Philips Momentum 436M6 panel is based on quantum dot technology promising rich, deep colors and extreme darks. Quantum dots are nano-sized crystals that absorb and then emit light. The size of a crystal’s core determines the color it emits, which is pure and precise. They’re also more power efficient, enabling higher brightness levels.

The panel itself is based on multidomain vertical alignment (MVA) technology. This tech is known for its high contrast ratio and high refresh rates, but it falls behind the now-standard in-plane switching (IPS) panels regarding color depth, response time, and viewing angles. Backing this panel is Ambiglow technology that essentially “bleeds” the current on-screen colors outside the screen and into your surroundings for a cool halo effect.

Here are the specifications:

  • Model: 436M6VBPAB
  • Panel type: MVA
  • Screen size: 43 inches
  • Resolution: 3,840 x 2,160 @ 60Hz
  • Viewing angles: 178(H) / 178(V) degrees
  • Pixel density: 103.64 PPI
  • Brightness (typical): 720 nits
  • Brightness (peak): 1,000 nits
  • Color gamut: 145-percent sRGB, 119-percent NTSC
  • Display colors: 1.07 billion
  • Response time: 4ms
  • Contrast ratio (typical): 4,000:1
  • Contrast ratio (dynamic): 50,000,000:1
  • Aspect ratio: 16:9
  • Audio: 2x 7-watt speakers with DTS Sound

Now here are the ports:

  • 1x HDMI 2.0
  • 1x DisplayPort 1.2
  • 1x Mini DisplayPort 1.2
  • 1x USB Type-C
  • 2x USB Type-A (both fast-charging)
  • 1x PC audio input
  • 1x Headphones out

According to Envision Peripherals, the Philips Momentum 436M6 panel includes Multiview technology so you can connect two devices and view their output simultaneously on the same screen. That means you can still watch your game while working on documents without having to strain your neck to view two different displays.

“We are very excited to launch the world’s first DisplayHDR 1000 monitor,” Brown added. DisplayHDR 1000 level of picture performance will offer a more intense gaming and entertainment experience. The contrast and color really bring action scenes alive, like we’ve never seen before.”

You can get the new Philips Momentum 436M6 panel from Amazon here.

Kevin Parrish
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kevin started taking PCs apart in the 90s when Quake was on the way and his PC lacked the required components. Since then…
A dangerous new jailbreak for AI chatbots was just discovered
the side of a Microsoft building

Microsoft has released more details about a troubling new generative AI jailbreak technique it has discovered, called "Skeleton Key." Using this prompt injection method, malicious users can effectively bypass a chatbot's safety guardrails, the security features that keeps ChatGPT from going full Taye.

Skeleton Key is an example of a prompt injection or prompt engineering attack. It's a multi-turn strategy designed to essentially convince an AI model to ignore its ingrained safety guardrails, "[causing] the system to violate its operators’ policies, make decisions unduly influenced by a user, or execute malicious instructions," Mark Russinovich, CTO of Microsoft Azure, wrote in the announcement.

Read more