Gaming Monitor Philips Momentum 279M1RV with Ambiglow (reviews, opinions)

In today’s material, I am testing the latest proposition for gamers from Philips – the Momentum 279M1RV monitor with Ambiglow lighting. How does it perform in practice and is it worth buying? More on that in today’s material.

Philips Momentum – First Impressions

Nowadays, computer monitors not only enable work and entertainment but also offer advanced technologies that enhance the quality of the displayed image. One such modern device is the described monitor, which combines several interesting solutions. 
The Philips Momentum is equipped with a Nano IPS type panel, which allows for very good color reproduction and deep contrasts. The tested monitor has a 27-inch diagonal screen and supports a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels. The monitor offers a wide range of connection options, including HDMI 2.1, DP 1.4, and USB-C. If we decide to connect via HDMI or DP, we will get a refresh rate of 144 Hz. In the case of USB-C, it is 120 Hz.

Quick Response and Low Input Lag

For gamers, the monitor’s response time is a key feature. Here we deal with a 1-millisecond response time, which eliminates the smearing effect of the image during dynamic scenes in games. In addition, low input lag means that actions respond to mouse or controller movement instantaneously. Additional settings built into the monitor are also helpful in this regard.

Brightness and Contrast

With a brightness reaching 450 cd/m² and SmartContrast technology, the monitor delivers an image with clear details and intensity. The typical contrast ratio of 1000:1 ensures deep black and vivid colors, which translates into a realistic visualization in both games and movies.

Philips Momentum – Pros and Cons

The monitor has an almost massive base, which somewhat resembles a miniature soundbar. Such a solution takes up some space on the desk, but even when typing on a mechanical keyboard, vibrations do not transfer to the screen, and it stands perfectly even without the slightest swaying or vibrations. 

The sound from the monitor’s speakers is sufficient for office applications – e.g., watching some social media video or conducting a teleconference. Less demanding people can also listen to music this way, but given the choice between headphones or this monitor – I would choose headphones.

The Philips Momentum has quite a lot of setting possibilities, but the controller located on the right side of the rear housing can be unresponsive. What I didn’t like first and foremost is the speed of this monitor’s startup. I have never encountered a screen that, after going into energy-saving mode (e.g., when we leave the computer for a while), needs even 10 seconds to wake up again. This is terribly irritating. If you listen to music through the monitor and it goes into energy-saving mode, the music will automatically be cut off and there is no way to change that.

Ambiglow in the Monitor

The second thing I did not like is the ambiglow. I expected Philips, known for its Ambilight technology, to also show off with ambiglow. Nothing could be more wrong. Ambilight is a technology created by Philips that consists of creating a light environment around the television. The idea behind ambilight is to emit light from the back of the device towards the surrounding surface, such as a wall, which makes the screen visually appear larger and more surrounded. This effect also aims to adjust the light emitted by the television to the image on the screen, which can improve the quality of viewing and make the experience more immersive. In this way – what you see on the screen is also somewhat projected in color onto the wall behind it.

Why am I disappointed with ambiglow? This feature does not work at all. In screen tracking mode, the backlight reacts with quite a large delay and every change is absolutely not smooth, but very jerky. Jumping between open tabs – I quickly became discouraged. Watching test films only deepened my reluctance, the delay is so great that often the screen displays something different than what is displayed behind it. It is completely nonsensical. Similarly, the color of the backlight, which clearly in this mode pulls in shades of blue and generally cool colors, which in no way resembles what is on the monitor.

Fortunately, we have the possibility to change these settings, e.g. the color response to sound. Here’s the surprise. Connecting via DisplayPort and playing music through the monitor – the backlight simply does not work. Changing the source of sound to another also did nothing. Among other settings, we also have, for example, glowing sky, pulsation, or movement. The movement is very jerky and distracting. In the end, I decided on a glowing sky, which starts a sequence of playing different colors randomly and that on different parts of the backlight.

Monitor in Games

In the case of games, in this price range, there is not so much to complain about specifically. The image is sharp and smooth, and these are the two most important things in this case.