Big, clear and bright, Philips’ wide-screen LCD has the right blend of performance and price.
With prices hovering between $1,500 and $2,000, 20in or 21 in LCDs haven’t represented great value for money — especially since 19in models can be had for around $500 to $800. But at $1,299, this stunning 20.1 in (51cm) wide-screen display from Philips equals great bang for your buck.
Aimed at the productivity market, the 200W6 has a modest 16ms refresh rate. It’s not going to make any gamer’s wish list, but frankly they’d be remiss to discount it for that reason. The screen is rated at 300 nits brightness with 600:1 contrast, and while many monitors look better on paper, few live up to the claims made by manufacturers. However, the 200W6 had APC Labs staff marvelling at its brightness and clarity under testing, and that’s what sets it apart.
In a business context, the Philips truly shines. The screen’s intensity and good contrast make it suitable for extended periods of use, while the high resolution wide-screen enables side by side viewing of documents and spreadsheets. An effective viewing angle of 176° enhances collaboration and makes it appropriate for use as a display monitor for presentations or permanent installation.
Testing was done with HD WMV film trailers and the game Pariah, a first person shooter running at the screen’s native resolution of 1,680 x 1,050. The game looked amazing, with no visible blurring due to the slower refresh, and a clear and vibrant image. Testing with DVD video during fast action scenes also showed no noticeable blurring.
Belying its business target market, the 200W6 is light on connection offerings, only supporting DVI and D-sub (VGA). A single audio input is available for driving the screen’s built-in speakers, which are mediocre. Located in the side of the screen is a USB 2.0 hub, albeit with a single output. A headphone port is situated at a difficult position at the back of the monitor. There’s an internal power supply, yet the monitor maintains a depth of 16cm.
A relatively simple affair, the 200W6’s onscreen display includes options for colour presets at 6,500K, 9,300K, user-defined profile and system-set RGB. Display size, brightness and contrast can be adjusted, and the screen’s input can be set manually. There are no options for Picture in Picture or other advanced image features. Sitting on a swivel base capable of around 250° of movement, the 200W6 can be adjusted vertically and on an angle.
The cost of larger LCD panels has long been prohibitive. Thanks to the Philips 200W6, more people can have access to a high-quality screen that’s easy on the eyes and lighter on the wallet.

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