You can wirelessly stream video from your smartphone or tablet

Mar 14, 2014 10:36 GMT  ·  By

It's one thing for a Smart TV to be able to stream media files from anything, that's what it's supposed to do, but another for a monitor to be able to do that, and an unusual monitor is exactly what Philips has just launched.

Granted, technically, it's MMD, the main technology company and brand license partner for Philips Monitors, that made the release.

Still, the new product, called 239C4QHWAB, is nonetheless, at the end of the day, a Philips monitor, and a fairly minimalistic one at that.

It doesn't have a super-slim bezel, sure, but it does have a thin stand support, and the base of the stand isn't too bulky either.

The feature that Philips paid the most attention to, in its press release, was the support for Miracast technology.

It is this technology that allows Android phones, tablets and other devices (presumably even smartwatches, if not yet then eventually) to wirelessly stream content to the monitor, without a PC playing intermediary.

To activate Miracast, you need to kick a button on the keypad embedded in the base. That done, the device is detected and identified, and the interface of the mobile device is duplicated on the large screen (the status and command bars, the apps, the videos, everything).

Even if you don't have a Miracast-certified device, you can still use an optional MHL cable (mobile high-definition link) to do it instead.

Knowing how much people use smartphones to shoot photos and record videos, or even store their favorite music and films, the new Philips monitor should gather a solid customer base eventually.

As for the specifications, the newcomer has an IPS Full HD screen (1920 x 1080 pixels), which means wide viewing angles (178 degrees horizontal and vertical). It also has white LED backlighting (W-LED), brightness of 250 cd/m2, 16.7 million colors, tilt support on the stand, HDMI input, and 100% recyclable packaging.

It is also built without mercury or led, and meets Energy Star 6.0 and EPEAT Silver certifications, plus RoHS guidelines.

Finally, the SmartImage technology is included, analyzing the content on the screen and adjusting color and contrast to make it look as well as possible. Meanwhile, SmartKolor expands the color range. SmartContrast is self-explanatory.

The 23-inch Philips Miracast has, sadly, not been given a price, and even the availability date is unclear. Still, retailers should have the 239C4QHWAB up for order sooner rather than later, so keep your eyes open if you're in the market for such a thing.