Labs

There are some monitors here that simply impress from the minute you turn them on, and the Philips 190CW7CS is one of them. Our image tests produced a stellar range of results, and throughout the 190CW7CS was a clearly excellent choice for professionals.

The panel may have a lacklustre-sounding brightness of 300cd/m2, but in practice the Philips is visible from almost anywhere in a room. This is a monitor that you'll be able to sit in front of for hours. The quoted pixel response time is 5ms, and in both

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our technical and real-world video tests, there was never evidence of smearing on the panel.

But it's for colour sensitive work that the 190CW7CS really excels. We're used to writing off panels at this price point for professionals or enthusiastic amateurs, but the 190CW7CS excels when it comes to photography work. Our colour gradients were smooth and uninterrupted, and our greyscale tests showed no evidence of discolouration. Our real-world photography tests backed up our technical ones: our photos appeared as they had been taken, and if you need a monitor for onscreen proofing, this is as good as you'll find at this size and price.

The 190CW7CS doesn't score perfectly, though. Extras are sadly lacking - there's no USB hub built in, and the stand is also non-adjustable.

But these minor quibbles are exactly that, and we'd rather substitute a few nice extras for superlative image quality, which is exactly what the Philips provides. If you're a keen photographer or simply want the best possible image quality for the lowest possible price, this is the 19in widescreen to go for.