27-inch 4K monitors aimed at pro and semi-pro content creation workflows are awfully common these days and span a wide range of price points. So, what makes the new BenQ PhotoVue SW272U stand out in this crowded segment?

The core panel specs look pretty standard at a glance. IPS, 4K, 60Hz, 400 nits, you've seen it all before. However, the 99% coverage of both Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 hint at something at least a little bit special, as does the guaranteed sub-1.5 DeltaE factory calibration. Actually, so does the pricing, which is rather high at around $1599 / £1199.

That pricing is particularly painful given this isn't a true HDR monitor. It does support HDR10 and HLG. But with that 400 nits peak brightness and no local dimming, the actual HDR performance on offer is extremely limited.

It's also conspicuous that monitors like the Asus ProArt PA348CGV offer seemingly the same broad specs and feature set for one third of the money. Ouch. However, the difference here is that the BenQ PhotoVue SW272U is pitched as a true pro-level display at a relatively low price, while that Asus is more prosumer or semi-professional. Whether the extra precision, features and performance this BenQ delivers are worth the money, well, at least in part that comes down to your workflows and requirements. 

BenQ PhotoVue SW272U: Design & features

• Very solid build quality
• Slightly dowdy design
• Strong overall feature set
• But limited HDR support
• Great usability features

We’ve reviewed plenty of the best business monitors, and there’s no hiding it: the BenQ PhotoVue SW272U doesn't exactly turn heads for sheer design flair. For the most part it's a fairly dowdy all-grey display, albeit the slim bezels on three sides of the panel keep things reasonably contemporary. The stand in particular is very nicely engineered and supports height, swivel, tilt and rotate into portrait.

It's also worth noting that the shading hood bundled with the display and designed to reduce ambient light glare includes attachments for both landscape and portrait viewing, which is unusual.

Another notable design feature is the flat base with an inlaid leatherette pad. The pad itself is a little hard and feels cheap. However, the ergonomic benefit of the flat base is that you reclaim usable desktop space where conventional stands simply eat it up.

The 27-inch 4K IPS panel ticks the usual boxes for resolution, contrast and refresh rate for this class of display. However, the finer details place it in a much higher class than more affordable competition.

The full list of features is phenomenally long. However, highlights include 99% coverage of both Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 hint, sub-1.5 DeltaE factory calibration, a 16-bit LUT, both Calman verification and Pantone validation, plus support for 24, 25 and 30fps video to allow smooth playback with no jitters. Like several BenQ displays we’ve tested, these specs point to one of the best monitors for photo editing or other creative workflows. 

However, it’s not perfect, and not professional-grade. The panel supports 10 bits per colour channel, however that is achieved via 8-bit native panel support plus dithering. That's one measure by which even more expensive pro displays are typically superior, offering native 10-bit colour without dithering. Rounding out the specs are support for both Calman and Lightspace hardware calibration, along with BenQ's own calibration app.

As for connectivity, you get dual HDMI 2.0 ports, DisplayPort 1.4 and USB-C with 90W power delivery. There's also an SD card reader and a dual-port USB-A hub. As handy as the SD card reader sounds, bandwidth to it is limited when using the USB-C interface to drive the display.

Final flourish is the hotkey puck. The basic idea isn't novel. Chiefly, it allows easier access to the OSD menu, plus three quick-jump calibration slots. The novel bit is that it's wireless and communicates over IR. That's a genuine benefit in terms of minimising cable clutter.

The puck also ties in with BenQ's Palette Master Ultimate or PMU hardware calibration app. One of the cleverer upshots of this combo is that, in MacOS, when you switch profiles with the hotpuck, MacOS automatically switches colour spaces to match. Nice. The info button on the puck is handy, too. That shows the current configuration information so that you can easily see what calibration you are running without the need to dig down into multiple layers of OSD menu. Useful if you regularly swap between workflows and calibrations.

BenQ PhotoVue SW272U: Performance

• Beautifully calibrated
• Novel anti-glare coating
• Limited HDR performance

Make no mistake, this is a beautifully calibrated display. Out of the box, it's one of if not the most accurate displays we've seen. Colors are crisp and vibrant, but the balance is bob on with no hint of oversaturation, banding or really any calibration flaws.

Of course, this is an IPS display with a monolithic backlight, so it does have limitations. So, there's inevitably a degree of light bleed. That said, the contrast is about as good as we've seen for this class of monitor, albeit it's well behind an LCD monitor with local dimming, much less an OLED display. The viewing angles are also excellent.

On a related note, the SW272U has a new anti-glare coating design to reduce unwanted reflections even further compared with existing matte coatings. It genuinely does and without impacting perceived contrast. It's a definite will.

Less successful is the panel's HDR performance. With no local dimming and a peak brightness of 400 nits, this monitor was never going to be a true HDR display. But it's worth reaffirming that this isn't the monitor you want if grading HDR content is a significant part of your workflow.

However, what is impressive is SDR content rendering in HDR mode. As with every other mode, the HDR mode is brilliantly calibrated for both HDR and SDR content. In terms of SDR content accuracy in hDR mode, this monitor is perhaps the best we've ever seen.

Speaking of modes, the OSD offers most of the key colour spaces pre calibrated, including Adobe RGB, Rec. 709 and DCI-P3. And like many of the best monitors for MacBook Pro, there's also an "M-Book" mode, designed to match the factory calibration of Apple's MacBook monitors. 

Beyond that, you get the usual upsides of a 27-inch monitor with 4K resolution and consequent 163DPI pixel density. Fonts look crisp and clear, especially in macOS but also in Windows, and there's plenty of image detail on offer.

BenQ PhotoVue SW272U: Final verdict

The BenQ PhotoVue SW272U is an excellent monitor with one obvious problem, cost. Depending on how you look at it, this display is either very much worth the money or very hard to justify.

In particular, the Asus ProArt PA279CRV - our pick for best video editing monitor on a budget - makes for an uncomfortable comparison. That's another 27-inch 4K panel aimed at content creators. It matches BenQ's monitor with 99% coverage of both Adobe RGB and DCI-P3. But it cost one third the price.

What the Asus can't do is compete with the PhotoVue SW272U outstanding calibration accuracy or some of its features. For the serious content creator, it’s one of the best monitors for graphic design, photo editing, and video work. Features like the shading hood, hotkey puck and multiple calibration profiles can make all the difference to effective and efficient execution of workflows.

Likewise, compared to true professional class monitors, the BenQ PhotoVue SW272U arguably isn't that expensive. Ultimately, then, it comes down to the sort of content creator you are. More casual, semi-professional creators are probably better off with the likes of the cheaper Asus ProArt PA279CRV. But for really serious professionals, there's an awful lot to like with this BenQ. It's almost certainly worth the extra investment.

Pair the BenQ PhotoVue SW272U monitor with the best business computers - tested, reviewed, and rated by us 

As someone who loves using laptops, I frequently face the frustrating challenge of needing more or the proper ports when needed. Depending on your needs, this lack of ports can slow down tasks and affect the laptop's usability. 

Now, with the standard moving closer and closer to Thunderbolt 4, while some devices are still utilizing the slower, though now standardized thanks to the EU, USB-C protocol, I have found myself with some of the best laptop docking stations of varying kinds strewn about my workspaces at all times.

Some of these docks are USB-C, and some are Thunderbolt. Some have a plethora of ports, and some are minimal. What's great about the Kensington SD5800T is that it sits in the middle of all my docks. It's powerful enough to run the majority of even my most complex setups, but it's also minimal sufficient that it doesn't take up a ton of space. It can run my Thunderbolt devices at Thunderbolt speeds, but it can also run my USB-C devices without any problems.

Kensington SD5800T: Unboxing and First Impressions

Unboxing the Kensington SD5800T was straightforward. The box was the docking station, a power adapter, and a Thunderbolt 4 cable were in the box, along with the appropriate documentation. Kensington neatly packaged all of the gear, and the included graphics on the dock made it so that I did not have to consult the paperwork to understand where to plug the Thunderbolt cable to run to my laptop (something that changes on almost every docking station). This unboxing was simple and minimal - precisely what I hoped for when I opened a docking station.

Kensington SD5800T: Design and Build Quality

I care a lot about my desk's aesthetics - admittedly, perhaps too much. Anything I deem necessary on any of my desks/workstations must also fit the style of the workplace. For a desk to work well, it must also look great. Thankfully, the Kensington SD5800T is a simple dock that can slide under a shelf, mounted beneath the desk, or neatly tucked away.

Overall, the shape, build, and construction are unassuming and can go unnoticed, which is the point of many of these docks. I rarely want a dock to be a focal point of a desk build. That said, I like the dock to be durable and capable of heavy work. There are days I am a lighter user of technology, though those days are few and far between. Most days, I push my devices to run many things simultaneously at high speeds and work immediately without friction. 

The last area worth mentioning regarding the design would be the port layout. In the docks I have reviewed, I have seen a fair split between putting the host port in the back or the front. I prefer the host port in the back, much like my desk, where I run my CalDigit TS4 Dock. However, on another one of the desk setups I use daily, I have a much smaller Thunderbolt dock with the host port in the front, which is visible. Host ports on the front are accessible, visible, and helpful if you plan on switching out host cables, have a reasonably modular desk (meaning you switch gear out regularly or change how you use the desk), or just like the look. The Kensington SD5800T has its host port in the front, so keep that in mind while considering this dock for your setup.

Kensington SD5800T: In use

So far, this dock has stood up to the test. One of the biggest issues with even the best business laptops we've tested is the port selection limiting workflows. That's not the case here. 

I have been able to run an entire workstation through this dock without the dock taking over the dominance of the desk itself. The standout feature by far has been the seamless integration with any USB-C, USB-4, Thunderbolt 3, and Thunderbolt 4 device. This flexibility gives access to just about any modern or near-modern device. I can run my MacBook, iPad Pro, older iPad Pro, Windows laptops, and more all off the same dock due to its ability to host such a wide range of USB-C protocols. When working on bigger projects, transferring large files, or working directly from an SSD Drive, I have noticed that the 40GB transfer speeds work wonderfully. It's quick enough to work on most things from the drive (some video files still stuttered), and even if you are not working directly from the drive but instead transferring files, these transfers are quick.

My primary laptop is an M2 MacBook Air. For those who have M-series Macs and are trying to run multiple displays, you know I need help running multi-output natively. Sadly, unlike when running Intel chips, the baseline for the best MacBook Pro laptops these days are the Apple Silicon chips (M1, M2, M3). So, there is only an opportunity to output those laptops to a single external display. Only when you jump to the M Pro chips or M Max chips, do you gain the ability to multi-display on newer Apple laptops. That's where DisplayLink comes in. So far, it's the best way to get around this and output to multiple displays even when your laptop cannot natively handle this. However, the dock you are using has to have a DisplayLink chip integrated into the components to pair with the DisplayLink tool on your laptop.

Sadly, this dock does not have the DisplayLink chip. So, what this means is that the baseline M1, M2, and M3 MacBook cannot push out to multiple displays. It can, however, push a single 4K display at 60Hz. You can run up to dual 6K monitors at 60Hz if you have the Pro or Max series M Chips. For Windows, this dock can power up to four 4K monitors at 60Hz, a single 8K monitor at 60Hz, or dual 6K monitors at 60Hz. An ideal companion, then, for the best business monitors and the best monitors for a dual screen setup. 

Another element that makes this dock stand out (literally) is that it can sit horizontally or vertically on your desk with help from a base included in the box. For my setup, I chose to lay it down so it was shorter and wider. Positioning the dock this way also made it easier to hide it under my desk shelf. However, if you had a different setup, knowing that you could throw this dock vertically and put it in a different position could be helpful and potentially even a selling point for some.

Kensington SD5800T: Final verdict

The Kensington SD5800T is a great dock. The biggest miss on this dock is the need for Thunderbolt ports, which reflects how I use docks and what gear I usually use throughout my day. However, this dock is fantastic if you don't need Thunderbolt ports but need USB-A, USB-C, Ethernet, video ports, and SD card readers. I currently use this dock at a desk where I do exactly that. My team uses this desk dock to edit SD Cards' content. It's an excellent dock for them as they can plug in their laptop, run one or two monitors, connect to Ethernet for high-speed uploads and downloads, and access the SD Card. We also have some additional peripherals connected to the USB-A slots. If you're looking for a dock for similar use, this is an excellent option, as it will meet your needs perfectly.

Kitting out the office? See the best standing desks and the best office chairs as tested by TechRadar Pro

The 70mai Hiker 400 is what everybody wants in a portable power station. It is tiny, lightweight, and can easily fit in a backpack. The plastic case is tough and integrates a small handle. A single fan provides the necessary airflow for the unit, producing barely any noise during regular operation. The NCM battery is not the best available in terms of lifetime, but with a capacity of 378Wh, it has enough energy to charge a laptop over five times.

The technology behind the 400W inverter yields an efficiency of 74% and limits the amount of energy wasted as heat. A built-in Bluetooth low-energy interface controls the unit over a short distance, allowing turning on the built-in flashlight remotely, among other things. The device features four USB ports, but only one is Type-C. Two AC sockets complete the output section.

The 70mai Hiker 400 is available directly from the 70mai online store for $399, or $1.05 per Wh, a high number for an NMC-type power storage solution. It comes with a limited two-year warranty.

70mai Hiker 400:

Testing the unit consisted of an initial discharge cycle followed by a complete charge. Input power over time when charging was recorded. The unit was again discharged using an AC load at full inverter capacity. The energy provided, in Wh, when compared to the initial charge, gives an idea of the overall efficiency of the power station. 

70mai Hiker 400: Design

The unit ships with a 90W power adapter, a car charger, and a user manual. A curved handle at the top makes carrying the Hiker 400 around easy but renders storing the unit more cumbersome. 

A curved top also means losing the ability to place items like smartphones on a flat surface. The unit is well constructed with quality material. Four rubber pads on the bottom prevent the station from moving when cables are connected. The unit measures 22cm x 17.7cm x 19.7cm for a weight of 3.9kg.

The front panel holds the user interface. A high-contrast segmented LCD shows easy-to-understand information while reducing power consumption. The power gauge is displayed centrally. Input and output power and other measurements have a reasonable one-second refresh rate. Icons for Bluetooth, Eco-mode, and timer indicate what features are enabled.

Five push buttons control the unit. The Power and Function buttons are dual-purpose. A long press on Power will turn the unit on or off, while a short press on Function enables the Eco-mode. A long press on Function places the unit in Bluetooth pairing. The remaining three buttons activate electrical sockets or the flashlight. All push buttons light up when active.

The Hiker 400 supports three charging modes totaling 120W of input power. The most convenient charging method remains through the USB Type-C socket, but it takes four hours to complete. The Anderson and 5525 DC inputs both support 12V or 24V, which makes it easy to use a 100W solar panel. The supplied 19V 90W power adapter will take the longest time to charge.

The station provides four USB sockets. A single Type-C socket supports the power distribution mode of up to 100W. In addition, three USB-A sockets offer 5V for a maximum power of 18W. The other DC outputs are a 5521 and a carport, supplying the same regulated 13.6V supply at 10A. Two 120V AC outputs supply 400W under regular operation and can boost to 800W for short durations.

70mai Hiker 400: In use

The 70mai mobile app, available for Android and Apple phones, enables the station's remote control but requires registration. Installation of the Hiker 400 is easy thanks to clear on-screen instructions. Two icons representing the Bluetooth and smartphone modes appear on the LCD, indicating that the app is connected to the station. Turning off the station does not disconnect the Bluetooth.

With features such as an Economic mode and a power passthrough, the Hiker 400 makes the most out of its small footprint. In the Economic mode or Eco, the station turns off unused outputs after a predefined time. The power passthrough uses the DC input to power devices connected to the station, bypassing the Lithium battery and reducing its wear.

The power station was tested using programmable AC and DC loads to get its overall efficiency. Ideally, this should be 100%, but due to the heating of internal parts and using an active cooler, this number oscillates around 80%. The Hiker 400 earns a respectable 85% when using the DC output, which decreases to 75% in AC mode. The difference is explained by having the fan operating when using the AC inverter. The noise level of the fan at one meter is around 45 dB.

70mai Hiker 400: The competition

Portable power stations capable of less than 1000W used to be rare, their primary purpose being as an emergency power source on the road or at home. The Hiker 400 is ideal for this situation with its small volume and lightweight. The battery chemistry works down to -10 degrees Celsius, making it hard to use on cold winter days.

The Bluetti EB3A is the power station to beat with a price similar to the Hiker 400. Equipped with Bluetooth, it lacks an Anderson input, which limits the type of solar panel it can work with, and more importantly, the battery is limited to 268Wh.

70mai Hiker 400: Final verdict

The Hiker 400 provides good battery capacity and inverter power in a small volume. The unit's versatility is on full display thanks to the Bluetooth low-energy connection. It is an excellent feature since the device rarely loses connection with a paired smartphone. The well-designed mobile app also stands out with no bugged functionality. At 75% in AC mode, the system's overall efficiency is what one can expect at this price point. 

The battery chemistry could be better, but an NMC type still provides at least two years of full capacity, even with daily charge and discharge cycles. Although we liked the passthrough feature, it could have been better as the power is limited to 120W. Having an external power adapter is also something competition tries to avoid as it means an extra item to carry around.

We've also listed the best power banks.

UK based TrilbyTV has over 30 years of experience in education, which drives them to build whole-school communication, boost community cohesion, and enhance parental engagement. The TrilbyTV platform is an easy and cost-effective way to grow the digital signage estate and #SwitchOnYourSignage. TrilbyTV makes it simple to add and manage content so that even the busiest school can easily keep its screens up-to-date. 

TrilbyTV: Features

TrilbyTV is a digital signage solution for education that allows you to share and showcase your own content on your screens. It offers plans for both education, which looks to be its greater focus, and also business. Some notable features of TrilbyTV are:

• Unlimited screens: You can connect as many screens as you like and start sharing your content with your school community (on educational plans).
• Your content on your screens: You can upload videos, slideshows, web content, title slides, social media feeds, and more from any device via the web app or the dedicated iPad app.
• Manage and schedule: You can create playlists and set schedules to control what content to show and when. You can also use the TrilbyTV Announce app to broadcast urgent messages on all screens, which is useful to get a message out quickly.
• Familiar hardware: TrilbyTV can playback your content on all common devices, such as Android, iOS, tvOS, macOS, Windows, and more.
• Content catalog: You can access a collection of pre-made content and templates from hand-picked partners, ready to use on your digital signage.
• Integrations: You can login with your Google, Microsoft, and Apple IDs and upload content from Powerpoint, PDF, Google Slides, Word, Publisher, YouTube, RSS, and more.
• Multisite: If you work in a multi-academy trust, a group, or a school district, you can have an administrative overview of your TrilbyTV sites, and share content to one or more schools with a few clicks.

Overall, TrilbyTV offers a number of attractive features, with support for a wide variety of platforms, content, and ease of sign in credentials, making this a reasonable choice for your school or business.

TrilbyTV: Pricing

TrilbyTV has a few plans to choose from, but they are not divided into tiers with additional features as most do in this segment. Rather they are divided by the use case: educational, or business. Also of note, while there is no free plan, there is a free 30-day trial to decide on it.

On the educational side, there is a choice of two plans, the first for a single site, and the second for a multisite deployment. The single site plan can be deployed at a single school site for a cost of £1200/year (about $1495) (+ £240 VAT), and includes 50 GB of storage, and an unlimited number of screens. Then there is the multisite plan, which starts at £1800/year (about $2242) for the first site (+ £360 VAT), with each additional physical location costing an additional £600/year (about $747). There are unlimited screens on either of these plans, with each site getting its own 50 GB of storage.

The lone business plan is priced a little differently, as it is by the screen. For a single screen, it costs $36.85/month +VAT when paid monthly, or when paid annually there is a 30% discount to bring it down to $25.41/month +VAT. It can be priced for additional screens, but each additional screen comes at the same price, until it reaches 25, and then company contact is required for a “Bespoke quote;” furthermore each screen comes with 5 GB of storage.

TrilbyTV: Support

Thankfully, TrilbyTV offers numerous support options, and we also appreciate that they are laid out in a “Support and Training” section of the website.

We always like to see the direct option for phone support, as some issues simply are easier to deal with via a direct conversation, and we are glad that this option is present. However, the number is only for the UK so it will be international long distance if present outside of Great Britain, and there are no days or hours of operation listed, but we queried the company and was told that phone support is offered 8:30 am to 6 pm Monday through Friday (UK time).

For those located outside of the UK, the chat support is probably a more viable option for most issues. However, when we attempted it, we are disappointed to report that it is more of a contact portal, as you have to provide your email address, and you can expect a response “In a few hours,” so hardly what most folks think of as live chat. While waiting for the delayed response, there are a handful of predone answers to questions, along the lines of a FAQ. We did try it and get an answer in about two hours on the weekend. There is also a direct email address.

There are also a number of self help options, including live webinars, and a demo on getting started. We would have liked to see some other options as well, such as a user forum, access to the previous webinars or other instructional videos, or a larger FAQ or knowledge base.

TrilbyTV: Final Verdict

TrilbyTV is a digital signage platform that offers a variety of features and pricing options for educational and business use. It has a number of attractive features, including support for a wide variety of platforms, content, and ease of sign in credentials. However, its support options could be improved, and it would be helpful to have more self-help options available. Overall, TrilbyTV is a solid option for digital signage, but it may not be the best fit for everyone.