German consumer electronics outfit Medion has joined the 4K/UHD club with a budget 28-inch monitor.

The Medion Akoya X57299 is based on a TN panel and we are not sure about the manufactuer, but it seems to share the exact same spec as the Philips 288P6LJEB.

Medion Akoya X57299 goes cheap

While many enthusiasts may frown at the notion of a TN panel in a ultra high def monitor, it should be noted that about one in two available UHD monitor models is actually based on TN technology rather than pricier IGZO or IPS panels.

TN panels still offer a couple of advantages and Medion, being a value brand, is looking to capitalise on them - the Akoya X57299 has a suggested retail price of €499, but some shops in Germany are taking pre-orders for €399, which sounds like a fair deal. A similar IPS panel would probably set you back €600+.

TN also offers relatively good response times and Medion claims 2ms in gray-to-gray Overdrive.

Uber-connectivity

The budget panel delivers 300cd/m2, 1000:1 contrast and viewing angles of 170/160 degrees.

The official spec is sketchy, but the monitor features two HDMI and two DisplayPort inputs, one of which is 1.2 compliant, thus enabling 60Hz at the full resolution. The monitor also sports legacy DVI-D and VGA inputs for a total of six different video inputs. (Insert politically correct joke about German over-engineering here. Ed)

To top it all off, the monitor also sports a two-port USB 3.0 hub on the side, along with audio in and out connectors. It also ships with HDMI, DP, USB 3.0 and DVI cables, as well as audio cables for an added dose of overkill.

As for as the looks go, it's a bit chubby, but we've seen worse - especially in this price segment.