Philips Brilliance 225P1ES review

Not long ago, PC components were all about features, performance or, in the case of displays, image quality. Now, manufacturers are more likely to boast of their products’ eco friendliness, and Philips is no exception.

The new Brilliance 225P1ES has PowerSensor technology, which uses two infrared sensors to detect whether you’re sitting in front of it or not. The idea is that the screen dims when you’re away from your desk, consuming around 70 per cent less power. You can set the distance at which the sensor is activated, or deactivate it entirely if you want.

We found it effective at its default setting, quickly dimming the display, even if we sat back at our desk to take a phone call. This reduces power consumption from 25W to 15W – a saving of around 40 per cent. Stay away for a few minutes longer and the screen dims even further, reducing power consumption to just 10W for a 60 per cent saving. Even the standard 25W is respectable for a 22in monitor, especially given the very usable brightness at this setting.

Another bonus is the fully adjustable stand, which allows you to raise the screen by up to 130mm and pivot it to portrait mode. The screen has both VGA and DVI inputs, as well as built-in stereo speakers. The headphone socket and USB port are also potentially useful inclusions.

One disappointment is the resolution: 1,680×1,050 seems low now that most 22in monitors have 1,920×1,080 pixels. The other problem is the price: £215 is steep for a monitor with this resolution, even considering the stand and sensors.

Image quality is excellent, though. Colours are rich and the picture is sharp no matter which interface you use. Contrast is also impressive, and there’s no lag or juddering when playing videos or games. Viewing angles aren’t wonderful, but you need to move a long way off centre before the colours begin to change.

The menus are easier to use than those on many displays we’ve seen recently. It helps that Philips has mounted the buttons on the front of the bezel rather than under it. The menus are slick and are sensibly arranged, with enough adjustment options to keep tweakers happy, including colour temperature and Gamma settings and an sRGB mode.

However, while the 225P1ES does a good job of saving power, it’ll take a while to recoup the extra £100 or so it costs over other 22in monitors before you start saving money. Plus, it’s not hard to get into the habit of switching off a standard monitor to reduce power consumption to almost zero. The G2220HD costs less than £130, has a full-HD resolution and is the better choice if you can live without the 225P1ES’s portrait mode.