Review on 🖥 ASUS PB278Q 27 Inch Flicker Free Monitor with 2560X1440 DisplayPort and LED Display - HD, HDMI by Don Fenix

Great monitor, does what it's supposed to. Images look sharp and great. It operates at a resolution of 2560 x 1440, which is exactly the maximum possible resolution of dual-link DVI. This is what I use and it looks good. I chose DVI because all my devices can play it by default (including my trusty early 2008 MacBook Pro, which maxes out at that resolution). However, there is one important usability feature. Whenever your video signal is interrupted for any reason, even if it's just for a split second, the monitor will automatically switch to another video input! This is frustrating because I use a DVI switcher and every time I switch sources the monitor switches to VGA! The only workaround is to standardize only one input source. Never connect more than one input to this monitor at a time. I ended up using a second VGA monitor to get around this problem. I used Asus tech support and they said unfortunately it's not possible to disable this "feature". This monitor also lets you wait through the ASUS splash screen every time you turn on the monitor. It's getting pretty old. I don't have to watch the Inspiring Innovation - Lasting Perfection mini-ad every time! Emphasizes the expectation. There is also no way to disable this "feature". If the video input is lost for a long time (assuming you only have one video connection connected), the monitor will turn off. Presumably this "feature" cannot be switched off either! How rude. Whenever my computer goes into sleep mode because it's been unattended for a while, I have to manually turn the monitor back on by pressing the power button. It will not turn back on when the video resumes. And then again mini advertising! I want this thing to just sit on top of my chosen video source, permanently, never changing and never turning off. Is Asus getting too heavy? Yes, of course. The monitor has a really good footing, with just enough friction and weight to keep it securely in place, while still allowing you to set it up at different angles and rotations to suit your needs. I can rotate it 90 degrees to use in vertical mode, which is great for coding. Unfortunately, it only turns in one direction, namely to the right. This is totally the wrong direction compared to what it would take to get the video cables up at a good, comfortable access angle! I wish they would instead opt to have the monitor rotate in the opposite direction, or better yet, have it rotate 180 degrees so you can choose which way to go. While this monitor is nice and big, the cables connect at a surprisingly tight angle. It would be nice if Asus placed the ports at a more comfortable angle, perhaps with a screen on the back to hide them. Instead, Asus tries to make the cables invisible by cramming them in at an awkward 90-degree angle behind another bend. It's not the best design, and it's probably bad for cables over time because they have to be bent to fit. However, Asus includes cables. In addition to the power cord, you will receive 1 video cable of each type: VGA, DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort. The included DVI cable is a dual link cable, so it will work at the maximum resolution of this monitor. The description also states that it comes with built-in speakers. I don't see any holes in the monitor where the speakers would be. Maybe they are all sealed in plastic? I don't use video cables with audio (I only use DVI and VGA video) so I can't test this. I would not use this monitor for sound. There's no handy volume control, you just have to go through the menu to access the volume control, so using it every day for audio would be a hassle. There's also no headphone jack on the front, which would be nice. A USB hub built into the monitor would also be nice, as is the case with many monitors. Considering that Asus is known for using all sorts of silly features and gimmicks to stand out, this is a pretty surprising omission. Don't let the negative tone of this review mislead you. I'm still pretty happy with this monitor, it's a big step up from what I had before. I'm just pointing out its features in the hopes that someone at Asus will read this and make the next monitor even better. Josch