Philips 150MT

The 150MT is less pricey than many standalone LCD TVs.

The 150MT is something of hybrid device and is an attempt by Philips to catch the early adopters of PC/video convergence products by combining a TV tuner with a flat-panel monitor.

The two-tone chassis contains a 15in LCD panel with a conventional pixel pitch of 0.297mm and offering a native resolution of 1,024 by 768 pixels.

The bezel is rather wide, but contains a pair of 2.5W speakers, which provide better sound reproduction than the more common 1W speakers.

At the rear of the monitor is a wealth of connectors, with 15-pin VGA, Scart, S-Video and audio ports sitting alongside the RF connector for a standard coaxial aerial cable.

This arrangement lets you use the 150MT as a PC monitor and TV (with Teletext), while you can also plug in other A/V equipment such as DVD players or games consoles. Unlike fitting your PC with a TV tuner card, the 150MT's TV functions can be used independently from your PC.

Technically, the panel at the heart of this product is a mixed bag. It's very good at colour and greyscale reproduction, with an exceptional contrast ratio of 500:1.

It's also bright, rated at a peak level of 300cd/sq m. Pixel response time is fast, with 25ms almost matching the 50 frames per second of a standard TV signal.

However, viewing angles are less impressive at 150 horizontal and only 130 vertical, which causes colour inversion when you sit outside the optimal viewing area. Having so many connectors also makes the 150MT slightly prone to interference if it sits too close to your PC.

That aside, it functions extremely well as both a TV and monitor, while Picture-in-Picture lets you use both simultaneously. Image scaling for non-native resolutions is effective, as is the automatic rescaling, user interface and remote control.

Compared to other 15in monitors, the price of the 150MT is high. However, if you're looking for a monitor that doubles as a TV, then we'd suggest you think about this one.

Price: £594.89 (ex. VAT).

Specification:
Native resolution: 1,024 by 768
Pixel pitch: 0.297mm
Brightness: 300cd/sq m
Contrast ratio: 500:1
Response time: 25ms
Interfaces: VGA, Scart, S-Video, audio-in, RF.

Contact: Philips 0800 896 324
www.philips.co.uk