Regardless of what your computer is used for, it's hard to imagine a monitor with too much resolution. Sure, you might discover that your graphics card isn't fast enough to drive a 4K screen at its native 3840x2160 in your favorite shooter. But once you step up from FHD (1920x1080) to QHD (2560x1440) and then to UHD, it's really, really hard to go back.
We looked at a lot of QHD monitors over the past 12 months, each step of the way lamenting that prices simply refuse to budge. Full HD screens are a dime a dozen. Quad HD will still cost you $600 or more (potentially a lot more), though. For that reason, most vendors are reserving the high-res stuff for their professional monitor families.
Of course, Tom's Hardware readers know that it takes more than just high pixel density for a display to be a true professional-grade tool. Accurate color, and a high degree of flexibility and adjustability are important too. I believe that a wide-gamut option is mandatory, and many screens do indeed have this feature. Only a tiny few, however, include the ability to select multiple color gamuts, white points, and gamma curves (and then fully adjust them).
Today we're reviewing NEC's PA272W 27-inch QHD monitor. It's part of the company's Color Accurate line, aimed squarely at users needing reference-level accuracy and the functionality to work with multiple imaging standards.

| Brand | NEC |
|---|---|
| Model | PA272W |
| MSRP | $1299 |
| Panel Type | AH-IPS |
| Backlight | GB-r LED, edge array |
| Screen Size | 27-inch |
| Max Resolution | 2560x1440 |
| Max Refresh Rate | 60 Hz |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 |
| Native Color Depth | 10-bit (8-bit w/FRC) 14-bit internal LUT |
| Native Gamut | Adobe RGB |
| Response Time (GTG) | 6 ms |
| Brightness | 340 cd/m2 |
| Speakers | - |
| VGA | - |
| DVI | 1 |
| DisplayPort v1.2 | 1 mini, 1 standard |
| HDMI 1.4 | 1 |
| Audio In | - |
| Headphone | - |
| USB | v2.0 - 2 up, 3 down |
| Media Card Reader | - |
| Panel Dimensions W x H x D | 25.2 x 15.6-21.5 x 9.3 in 640 x 396-546 x 236 mm |
| Panel Thickness | 3.3 in / 85 mm |
| Bezel Width | .8 in / 20 mm |
| Weight | 28.4 lbs / 12.9 kg |
| Warranty | Four years |
The latest wide-gamut monitors all pretty much use a GB-r-LED backlight, rather than the more common white LED. Its spectral properties make it ideal for this application because red, green, and blue wavelengths are produced with equal intensity. Consequently, far less internal processing is required to produce a large and accurate color gamut on-screen.
Of course, when a monitor has a native Adobe RGB gamut, it should be able to produce any gamut that falls within those parameters. To that end, NEC includes a Digital Cinema preset, which is something we haven’t seen or talked about before now. The Digital Cinema Initiative is a set of parameters that specify not only color, but also resolution, light intensity, audio, and a whole host of other guidelines for digital movie presentation in commercial theaters. For our purposes, we’ll just talk about the color gamut, grayscale, and gamma specs.
The DCI color gamut lies between Rec.709/sRGB and Adobe RGB. Theoretically, a wide-gamut display should have no trouble rendering it, and the PA272W can. The color temperature spec is decidedly green in hue and intended to compensate for the spectral properties of the high-powered Xenon lamps used in commercial projectors. Finally, the gamma value is a good deal higher (2.6 instead of 2.2).
After a little research, I discovered that the only other desktop display capable of meeting DCI specs is Dolby’s PRM-4220. It’s a 42-inch reference monitor with FHD resolution and a very exotic full-array RGB-LED backlight incorporating 1500 diodes. It sells for an astounding $40,000. You might see a few of them in Hollywood post-production facilities. But most of us need something a little more down-to-earth.
Photographers looking for a color-critical display will certainly be attracted to this panel’s 10-bit native color and 14-bit internal LUT. You need a 10-bit signal path to take full advantage, but the bandwidth is there for those who need it.
Other features we’ll look at closely are the PA272W’s factory calibration, comprehensive OSD, and SpectraView software, which gives the user full control over all image parameters and interfaces with popular meters from Datacolor and X-Rite.
Our press sample PA272W arrived in a stout double-corrugated box that seemed virtually impregnable. It’s very thick, and the monitor is almost completely enclosed by Styrofoam. The base and upright are already attached, so all you have to do is pull the display up and out for setup.
Four different power cords are included, covering the U.S. and three other regions. You also get dual-link DVI, mini-to-standard DisplayPort, and USB A-to-B cables. There are a few printed materials too, though there’s no English manual except for a small quick-start guide. You don't get a CD-ROM either, so you’ll have to download documentation and supporting software from NEC’s website.
Product 360

The PA272W follows NEC’s usual design style of minimalist-industrial. Function is definitely more important than form. The monitor doesn’t call attention to itself other than the fact that it’s a little bulkier and thicker than most LCD panels. The bezel is 20 millimeters wide all around, so it’s a good candidate for multi-screen setups.
The anti-glare layer is one of the least aggressive we’ve encountered. It rejects mild reflections, but harsh focused light sources in your workspace should be avoided. The design intent is to maximize clarity and color intensity. You get an extremely high-quality image, even though this display's contrast ratio is not significantly higher than other similarly-priced monitors.

OSD controls are all mechanical; there are no touch keys. They consist of buttons for power, input, menu, and PIP; followed by up/down and left/right rocker switches to navigate the menus. All of the keys have a high-end feel, and a solid click lets you know when you’ve sent a command. The power LED glows blue by default. But you can change the color to green and tone down its intensity if you want. Left of the power button is an ambient light sensor. It can be used to automatically dim or brighten the image, and it can be factored into the calibration.
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When you press any key, small icons appear telling you the function of each. This makes it very easy to operate in a dark workspace. Additionally, the rockers can access quick functions like brightness or picture mode without forcing you to navigate the OSD.

You get a full set of ergonomic adjustments, including the pictured portrait mode. The height range adjustment is almost six inches and moves with a reasonable effort. Tilt is around 30 degrees and swivel is over 45 degrees in both directions. Rotating the panel automatically flips the image when you have a compatible video card.

You can see from the top view that this is a very substantial panel. At 3.3 inches thick, it’s the heftiest LCD monitor we’ve tested in a while. And given the PA272W’s weight of over 28 pounds, it looks like no internal space goes unused. All of the electronics are heavily shielded and there is more than ample cooling provided by full perimeter ventilation.
If you want to use your own mounting solution, the upright comes off without tools. One-hundred- and 100x200-millimeter VESA fittings are provided.

The input panel is digital-only. You get two DisplayPort 1.2 connectors, one mini and one standard. HDMI and DVI are provided also. USB 2.0 comes in the form of two upstream and three downstream ports, one of which is on the panel’s side. In the OSD you can assign the two upstream ports to different video inputs. This way, two computers can share one PA272W with a single keyboard/mouse combo.
There are two distinct menu systems on the PA272W. The main one is similar to what we’ve seen on other NEC monitors, but it looks a little more modern. It accesses most functions and is arranged like most OSDs with multiple submenus for image controls, PIP, and ergonomic functions.
The real fun begins in the Advanced menu, which is accessed from the third submenu denoted by a little “RGB” icon. We’re going to focus on that because it has all the same tools from the main OSD plus quite a few more.
OSD Tour
Press Menu on the bezel to bring up the OSD. Click Right twice and Up once, then Select to enter the Advanced menu.
It looks a lot like a service menu to us. But with simple and logical labels, it’s just as easy to use as a graphical OSD. The picture modes number five: Adobe RGB, sRGB, DCI, High Bright, and Full. They are all fully adjustable; no parameters are locked out in any mode. The second field shows the preset’s name and a little edit icon pops up when you make changes. Clicking the up/down rocker switch changes fields and left/right adjusts the value.
Brightness is set by 1 cd/m2 increments, and the stepping proved accurate in our testing. If you set the display to 200 cd/m2, it comes within about two cd/m2 of that.
The White field is another way to adjust color temp, though it’s easier to use the RGB sliders in the main menu.
Gamma presets are extensive. In addition to the indicated sRGB, there is L Star, DICOM, Programmable, and Custom. When you choose Custom, the value can be from .5 to 4.0 in .1 steps.
Black refers to black level and the PA272 is one of the rare few computer monitors that lets you change it. Minimum works fine for PC-format signals, but if you hook up a video source component like a Blu-ray player, you may need to adjust the black threshold.
The Red, Green, and Blue fields are the color management system (CMS). You can alter the primaries using x and y values rather than the traditional hue, saturation, and luminance controls. This works very well, allowing us to achieve superb color accuracy in our tests.
Color Vision EMU is a fascinating feature. The PA272W can actually simulate the images seen by users with specific types of color blindness. The options are Protanopia, Deutanopia, Tritanopia, and Grayscale. You’d be hard pressed to find that anywhere else!
Screen 2 has the remainder of the image controls. Sharpness is best left at zero to avoid edge enhancement.
Response Improve can reduce the ghosting sometimes seen behind moving objects on the screen. It can also create a slight color fringing artifact in vertically-scrolling text.
Eco Mode caps backlight intensity. Mode 1 limits you to 200 cd/m2 and Mode 2 has a 100 cd/m2 peak.
Metamerism is something we had to look up. It refers to the difference in the perception of white by measuring instruments versus the human eye. It’s meant to correct discrepancies between the PA272W and standard (sRGB) gamut monitors when they’re used side by side. In practice, calibrating all of your screens to D65 achieves the same result with greater precision.
Ambient Light Comp will change the backlight level depending on the light in your room using the sensor on the bezel.
The CMS fields that come next repeat the functions of the main OSD. They are best left alone in favor of the x and y coordinate system on the previous menu screen.
If you choose an aspect ratio other than full-screen 16:9, this menu can position and size the image to your liking. You can also change the brightness level of the side borders.
The PA272W has two upstream USB ports that can be assigned to their own video inputs in this menu.
Video Detect changes the order in which inputs are polled when searching for an active source.
Off Timer shuts down the monitor, regardless of signal status, after a user-specified time. Power Save Timer powers off after a two-hour no-signal condition. If you want finer control of this parameter, Off Mode and Off Mode Setting give you a few more options, including dimming of the image rather than a complete power down.
The last two fields control the bezel’s power LED. I’m personally not a fan of the bright blue LEDs that come on most electronics today. Green is much easier on the eyes, and this monitor lets me reduce the intensity too.
These are fairly standard OSD controls. We moved it down to the lower-right corner to make way for our test patterns. You can view the menus in one of nine languages. The Lock Out function is pretty cool; it lets you specify which controls are blanked so users can still change things like brightness or picture mode. Or you can eliminate the OSD entirely.
The final field, Factory Preset, returns all OSD settings to their factory defaults.
The PA272W can display images from two inputs simultaneously using either picture-in-picture or picture-by-picture. This menu allows full control over each window's size and placement. You can even use the feature in portrait mode, which is something we haven’t seen before.
We saw a menu like this on NEC's V801 presentation monitor. It allows the PA272W to be part of a video wall of up to 25 screens. You’ll need to use a distribution amplifier, and only a single image can be displayed.
The PA272W wouldn’t be an NEC monitor without the company's famous carbon footprint menu, which allows you to track energy use. While individual users may see this as a novelty, large enterprises can undoubtedly benefit from that data.
The last option, Self Color Correction is designed to compensate for the “natural color shift that occurs with age.” That’s a quote from the user manual. We believe it’s better to leave such adjustment to the user and a proper set of calibration instruments.
The last screen contains the signal information and tells you which USB input is currently active. Even though firmware updates on monitors are not common, it would be nice if the version information were shown here.
NEC PA272W Calibration
The PA272W is extraordinarily easy to calibrate because every picture mode is fully adjustable. No parameters are locked out even in the High Bright or Full presets. We set up the Adobe RGB, sRGB, and DCI modes for our tests.
Out of the box, grayscale and gamma are pretty much spot-on in all three modes. But the color gamut required adjustment for blue and magenta. There are effectively two color management systems here. One is the traditional hue, saturation, and lightness (NEC calls it offset) setup, and the other lets you dial in the primaries via x and y coordinates. The HSL controls don’t work properly, mainly because saturation starts at the bottom of its range. Using the x and y options, however, rewarded us with just about perfect color. To tweak the grayscale, we used the RGB sliders in the main OSD.
Finally, there is no contrast control, which we didn’t miss at all. We never had a problem with white clipping or accuracy at the highest output levels. Brightness controls the backlight as you’d expect. There is an additional black level control, though. Leave it set to minimum for PC signals.
| NEC PA272W Calibration Settings: Adobe RGB | |
|---|---|
| Brightness | 198 |
| RGB | Red 122, Green 118, Blue 119 |
| xy Coordinates | Red .642 .335, Green .187 .732, Blue .152 .030 |
| NEC PA272W Calibration Settings: sRGB | |
| Brightness | 198 |
| RGB | Red 121, Green 119, Blue 120 |
| xy Coordinates | Red .639 .336, Green .292 .610, Blue .145 .027 |
| NEC PA272W Calibration Settings: DCI | |
| Brightness | 202 |
| RGB | Red 113, Green 127, Blue 102 |
| xy Coordinates | Red .685 .325, Green .265 .690, Blue .152 .032 |
For our benchmark tests, we calibrated the PA272W solely through its OSD, though the monitor can also be adjusted via NEC’s SpectraView software. It sells separately for $99, or $299 with an i1Display Pro colorimeter. A license key was included with our press pack, so we downloaded the latest version to give it a try.
Setup could not be easier. After installing the application, connect a supported meter to your computer (we used our i1 Pro) and start it up. Other compatible meters include X-Rite’s ColorMunki and Datacolor’s Spyder 2, 3, and 4 models. If you want to connect the meter directly to the PA272W, you'll have to run a USB cable between it and the computer.

This is the main screen. You can use one of the preset targets or create your own. All of the parameters are listed so you know what the targets are. SpectraView also tells you the last calibration date and when it’s due next. NEC recommends re-calibrating every two weeks. If you have multiple displays, you can select and configure them separately.

All calibration parameters can be edited to your preference. Our sample screen is set for a D65 white point with 200 cd/m2 max intensity, a 2.2 gamma curve, and an sRGB color gamut. You’ll notice in the gamma choices there is a new standard, BT.1886, which has been recently adopted by the television and film industry. Here’s a graphic that compares the two curves.

BT.1886 bumps up light output at the lower brightness levels and flattens it out until around the 80-percent mark, where the two curves become identical. The end result is better shadow detail and a little more pop in the mid-tones.
Now that content providers are migrating to this new gamma standard, displays will have to include the BT.1886 gamma option in their calibration toolkit. The PA272W is the first computer monitor we’ve seen that supports it, though you’ll have to use SpectraView to access the preset. It isn’t in the OSD.

To select a color gamut, you can choose a preset from the drop-down list or enter the CIE coordinates manually. The yellow triangle shows the PA272W’s native gamut, which matches Adobe RGB 1998. Any gamut inside can be specified.

To create a custom white point, enter a color temperature value in Kelvins or type in the CIE xy values. If you’d rather use a visual comparison, operate the intensity slider and RGB controls to set the white point, then measure it for inclusion in your custom calibration.
Once you’ve set your options, click Calibrate on the main screen and follow the meter placement instructions. Our rig took about 10 minutes to do its thing. Depending on how much adjustment is required, it could take longer.

When it’s finished, the results are summarized in the above window. You can store multiple calibrations on your PC and recall them at any time. The values are written to the PA272W’s internal LUT, so no drivers or running apps are required. You’ll notice that a picture mode called SpectraView is added to the OSD. Because it doesn't replace any of the others, you can still access the monitor's previously-discussed presets. And an ICC profile is automatically generated and installed, so you can go right to your graphics apps and access the new calibration.
We’ve seen applications like this from Samsung and Dell, but NEC’s SpectraView is the easiest and fastest one yet. Our only beef is that it’s not included with the monitor. Many users already own the necessary meter; all they would need is the application.
To measure and calibrate monitors, we use an i1Pro spectrophotometer, a Spectracal C6 colorimeter, and version 5.2.0.1374 of SpectraCal’s CalMAN software.
The i1Pro is very accurate and consistent measuring color on all types of displays, regardless of the backlight technology used. When we just need a luminance value, the C6 works better, especially in low light.
For patterns, we employ an AccuPel DVG-5000 video signal generator. This approach removes video cards and drivers from the signal chain, allowing the display to receive true reference patterns. Connections are made via HDMI.

The AccuPel DVG-5000 is capable of generating all types of video signals at any resolution and refresh rate up to 1920x1080 at 60 Hz. It can also display motion patterns to evaluate a monitor's video processing capabilities, with 3D patterns available in every format. This allows us to measure color and grayscale performance, crosstalk, and ghosting in 3D content via the 3D glasses.
The i1Pro or C6 is placed at the center of the screen (unless we’re measuring uniformity) and sealed against it to block out any ambient light. The AccuPel pattern generator (bottom-left) is controlled via USB by CalMAN, which is running on the Dell XPS laptop on the right.
Our version of CalMAN Ultimate allows me to design all of the screens and workflows to best suit the purpose at hand. To that end, I’ve created a display review workflow from scratch. This way, we can be sure and collect all the necessary data with a concise and efficient set of measurements.
The charts show us the RGB levels, gamma response, and Delta E error for every brightness point from zero to 100 percent. The table shows us the raw data for each measurement. And the area in the upper-left tells us luminance, average gamma, Delta E, and contrast ratio. The individual charts can be copied to the Windows clipboard to easily create graphics for our reviews.
Every primary and secondary color is measured at 20-, 40-, 60-, 80-, and 100-percent saturation. The color saturation level is simply the distance from the white point on the CIE chart. You can see the targets moving out from white in a straight line. The further a point is from center, the greater the saturation until you hit 100 percent at the edge of the gamut triangle. This shows us the display’s response at a cross-section of color points. Many monitors score well when only the 100-percent saturations are measured. Hitting the targets at the lower saturations is more difficult, and factors into our average Delta E value (which explains why our Delta E values are sometimes higher than those reported by other publications).
Uncalibrated
Before calibrating any panel, we measure zero and 100-percent signals at both ends of the brightness control range. This shows us how contrast is affected at the extremes of a monitor's luminance capability. We do not increase the contrast control past the clipping point. While doing this would increase a monitor’s light output, the brightest signal levels would not be visible, resulting in crushed highlight detail. Our numbers show the maximum light level possible with no clipping of the signal.
We always take our initial luminance measurements in the display’s stock configuration. For the PA272W, that means uniformity compensation is turned on. You’ll see later on how this affects the black level more than the white.

NEC specifies the PA272W at 340 cd/m2 maximum, and we beat that number by using the High Bright mode, a preset that is fully adjustable. Maxing the backlight in Adobe RGB or sRGB modes yields a peak brightness reading of around 300 cd/m2. You wouldn’t need that much output unless you used the monitor outdoors, on-location at a photo shoot, for example.

A measurement of .3388 cd/m2 is very respectable. It can be improved upon slightly by reducing or turning off the uniformity compensation.

The PA272W beats all other recent review subjects for max contrast. We still look to TN screens for the highest possible ratio, but IPS monitors at all price points are catching up, as these results show.
We believe 50 cd/m2 is a practical minimum standard for screen brightness. Any lower and you risk eyestrain and fatigue. The PA272W bottoms out at an extremely dim 19.8644 cd/m2. You’d have a hard time using any display at such a low light level, even in a completely dark room.
Since the brightness slider is ticked in cd/m2 values (which, by our measurements, proved to be pretty accurate), if you want 50 cd/m2, set brightness to that number and you’ll be within one or two candelas.

The NEC finishes second here, and sixth out of all of the monitors in our database. Our reading is quite low, and it only rises a tiny bit if you set the brightness to 50 cd/m2. The PA272W’s black levels are excellent, and even better when you turn the uniformity compensation off.
The minimum contrast value is pulled down by a low max white result. When used at more realistic light levels, the PA272W consistently delivers contrast closer to 1000 to 1.
After Calibration
Since we consider 200 cd/m2 to be an ideal point for peak output, we calibrate all of our test monitors to that value. In a room with some ambient light (like an office), this brightness level provides a sharp, punchy image with maximum detail and minimum eye fatigue. On many monitors it’s also the sweet spot for gamma and grayscale tracking, which we'll look at on the next page. In a darkened room, some professionals prefer a 120 cd/m2 calibration. We find it makes little to no difference on the calibrated black level and contrast measurements.
Right away you can see how the uniformity compensation feature affects black levels and overall contrast. It does make a measureable difference in screen uniformity, but ultimately you’ll have to decide which metric is of greater importance.

Personally, I prefer using the PA272W without uniformity compensation. Our measurements demonstrate excellent uniformity in the monitor’s native state, so I didn't feel it was necessary. Other users may disagree. Either way, black levels are very good.

Remember that there are five levels of uniformity compensation, so you can tweak around to find a happy medium between contrast and screen uniformity. We’re perfectly content to leave it off and enjoy above-average contrast performance.
ANSI Contrast Ratio
Another important measure of contrast is ANSI. To perform this test, a checkerboard pattern of sixteen zero and 100-percent squares is measured. The test is somewhat more real-world than on/off measurements because it gauges a display’s ability to simultaneously maintain both low black and full white levels, and factors in screen uniformity. The average of the eight full-white measurements is divided by the average of the eight full-black measurements to arrive at the ANSI result.

Both outcomes are among the best ANSI measurements we’ve recorded. The difference between uniformity compensation settings is only about 14 percent. The PA272W is an extremely well-engineered monitor built to a high quality-control standard. While its price tag may be high, you won’t find this level of precision in a less expensive display.
The majority of monitors, especially newer models, display excellent grayscale tracking (even at stock settings). It’s important that the color of white be consistently neutral at all light levels from darkest to brightest. Grayscale performance impacts color accuracy with regard to the secondary colors: cyan, magenta, and yellow. Since computer monitors typically have no color or tint adjustment, accurate grayscale is key.
The most impressive thing about NEC's PA272W is its color accuracy. But you'll put in some work to unlock the monitor’s full potential. We’re going to focus on its three main modes: Adobe RGB, sRGB, and DCI.
NEC includes a factory calibration data sheet with each PA272W. The measured errors are expressed using Delta E 94, which returns slightly lower values compared to the Delta E 2000 standard we use at Tom’s Hardware.

Given the difference between dE94 and dE2000, we pretty much match NEC’s results. This is excellent performance for an uncalibrated screen. The errors barely cross the visible level at 90 and 100 percent. You can see the slightest green tint in those patterns.
Calibration with the RGB sliders produces the following result.

And there's the perfection we expect from a professional monitor like the PA272W. It only takes a couple of small adjustments to lock in amazing tracking in the Adobe RGB or sRGB modes.
The next chart demonstrates why professionals in the film industry should consider this display.

Digital Cinema Initiative (DCI) is a set of specifications for digital film-making and projection in commercial theaters. It employs a completely different set of parameters for color temperature, gamma, and color gamut, which we’ll show you on the next page. The PA272W is the first computer monitor we've seen that includes a DCI preset. The above result was obtained without any adjustment whatsoever. Talk about impressive.
Here is our comparison group:

We’re showing you the before and after grayscale results for Adobe RGB, sRGB, and DCI. The DCI and sRGB results are excellent for an uncalibrated monitor, while the Adobe RGB result is a tad weak. Granted, it’s still an invisible error. But a monitor like this should measure a little better.

The DCI number is unchanged because we couldn’t improve upon it, even after calibration. The Adobe RGB and sRGB values show nice gains with only small changes to the RGB sliders. Even though the PA272W is very accurate out of the box, calibration helps it achieve near-perfection.
Gamma Response
Gamma is the measurement of luminance levels at every step in the brightness range from 0 to 100 percent. It's important because poor gamma can either crush detail at various points or wash it out, making the entire picture appear flat and dull. Correct gamma produces a more three-dimensional image, with a greater sense of depth and realism. Meanwhile, incorrect gamma can negatively affect image quality, even in monitors with high contrast ratios.
In the gamma charts below, the yellow line represents 2.2, which is the most widely used standard for television, film, and computer graphics production. The closer the white measurement trace comes to 2.2, the better.

The PA272W’s gamma controls are extremely precise. We didn’t have to alter them, even after making changes to the grayscale and color management controls. If you want to use a standard other than 2.2, the presets range from .5 to 4.0 in .1 steps. The dip at 90 percent represents a luminance error of only 2.34 cd/m2.

The DCI v1.2 spec calls for a gamma value of 2.6. In practice, that makes the image look a little darker. But remember, it’s designed for high-powered theater projectors, not LCD monitors. If you’re mastering movie content, though, having this option is a must. Looking at both charts, you can see the gamma tracking is identical at either level.
Here is our comparison group again:

We’re showing you measurements in Adobe RGB, but they're almost identical in the sRGB and DCI modes. While the results aren't as tight as we've seen in the lab, they're well within our standard. If it weren’t for the dip at 90-percent brightness, the result would be perfect.
Gamma deviation is calculated by simply expressing the difference from 2.2 as a percentage.

Again, 90-percent brightness is the only flaw in the PA272W's otherwise perfect gamma performance. The luminance error we measured is completely invisible to the eye both in test patterns and in actual content.
Color gamut is measured using a saturation sweep that samples the six main colors (red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, and yellow) at five saturation levels (20, 40, 60, 80, and 100%), yielding a more realistic view of color accuracy.
To properly tell the story of the PA272W’s color gamut performance, we need to show you all three gamuts (Adobe RGB, sRGB, and DCI). We also encountered a little surprise when we took our initial readings.

When a monitor is calibrated at the factory, we expect near-perfect color performance. For red, green, cyan, and yellow, that is indeed the case. Blue and magenta, however, are not where they should be. Blue is especially under-saturated and off-hue; magenta is a little less so. Blue luminance is set higher to compensate, but the chart still wasn't what we thought we thought we’d see.
To save space, we’re not showing the pre-calibration sRGB and DCI charts. They look pretty much the same. Again, blue and magenta are under-saturated and blue shows definite hue errors.
We tried the traditional hue, saturation, and lightness (NEC calls this one offset) controls to fix the color problems, but encountered difficulties. The biggest one was that the saturation sliders start at zero and can only be increased. Traditional CMS design posits that you should only be able to lower saturation. Basically, the color management in the main menu doesn’t work. Fortunately, there's an excellent fix!
In the Advanced menu, you can set the primary colors positions via x and y values. There is no luminance control, but as it turns out, it’s unnecessary. After spending some time with this unusual (but highly effective) adjustment routine, we recorded three stellar results.

The PA272W’s native gamut is Adobe RGB and you can see it matches perfectly after calibration. Even though there’s no luminance control in the Advanced menu, it isn’t needed. It really doesn’t get better than this.

The sRGB result is equally impressive. You have to adjust each gamut separately, but the process is well worth the effort to achieve such precise accuracy.

You can see how large the DCI gamut is on the green, yellow, and red side where those colors are especially close to the limit of the visible color spectrum. The PA272W comes up a little short rendering them, though only by a tiny bit. To display such a large gamut explores the limits of modern LCD technology. For a $1300 computer monitor to get this close is pretty amazing.
Now we return to the comparison group.

The results for all three color gamuts are quite excellent. The efforts we made to calibrate the PA272W are obviously worthwhile. Using NEC’s unique CMS made it fairly easy. None of the controls interacted, so we didn’t have to go back and re-adjust grayscale or gamma at all.
Gamut Volume: Adobe RGB 1998 And sRGB
There are basically two categories of displays in use today: those that conform to the sRGB/Rec. 709 standard like HDTVs, and wide-gamut panels that show as much as 100 percent of the Adobe RGB 1998 spec. We use Gamutvision to calculate the gamut volume, based on an ICC profile created from our actual measurements.

The PA272W covers pretty close to 100 percent of the Adobe RGB and sRGB gamuts. Ninety-five is a respectable number, though lower than some of the other wide-gamut screens we’ve tested. But given superb Delta E performance, we don’t think a slightly reduced volume is a big deal. The added bonus of an almost-perfect DCI gamut places this display well above other professional monitors available today.
The more monitors we test, the more we can see that off-axis viewing performance is dependent not only on pixel structure (IPS, PLS, TN, etc.) but the backlight technology as well. And we can see that the anti-glare layer makes a difference too.
Remember back to ViewSonic's VP2772? If you think the PA272W’s off-axis pictures look a lot like that screen, we won't be surprised. After all, they both employ the same LG panel.
You can see a slight red shift in the top and bottom shots, and almost no tint in the side-to-side views. Moreover, there’s little loss of detail. Of course, for critical work where you plan on sitting front and center anyway, consider a hood for the best possible image quality.
Screen Uniformity: Luminance
To measure screen uniformity, zero and 100-percent full-field patterns are used, and nine points are sampled. First, we establish a baseline measurement at the center of each screen. Then the surrounding eight points are measured. Their values get expressed as a percentage of the baseline, either above or below. This number gets averaged. It is important to remember that we only test the review sample each vendor sends us. Other examples of the same monitor can measure differently.
Our results reflect both the On and Off settings of the uniformity compensation. There are five levels ranging from strong (5) to weak (1). We used 5 and Off in our tests. You’ve already seen how level 5 affects contrast. Now it’s time to see if that reduction is worth the improved screen uniformity.

The black field measurement with compensation off is about average among the monitors we’ve tested. We couldn’t see any hotspots on our press sample, but the C6 meter tells us that the upper-right and lower-left corners are a tiny bit brighter. Turning the compensation on yields a two-percent improvement.
Here’s the white field measurement:

Screen uniformity is just shy of seven percent in the full-white field pattern. Again, you wouldn't be able to see that with a naked eye. Our meter says the center portion of the screen is brightest and the upper-left zone is a bit dimmer. I stand by my preference of leaving the compensation off, and enjoying better contrast and black levels.
Screen Uniformity: Color
To measure color uniformity, we display an 80-percent white field and measure the Delta E error of the same nine points. Then we subtract the lowest value from the highest, giving us a result. A smaller number means a display is more uniform. Any value below three translates to a variation that is invisible to the naked eye.

The compensation feature helps a little with color uniformity as well. Both results are well below the threshold of visibility, however. Regardless of signal level, the PA272W renders a perfectly smooth-toned image over the entire screen. The performance is excellent.
To perform these tests, we use a high-speed camera that shoots at 1000 frames per second. Analyzing the video frame-by-frame allows us to observe the exact time it takes to go from a zero-percent signal to a 100% white field.
The pattern generator is placed at the base of the monitor so our camera captures the precise moment its front-panel LED lights up, indicating that a video signal is being received by the monitor. With this camera placement, we can easily see how long it takes to fully display a pattern after pressing the button on the generator’s remote. Our testing methodology facilitates accurate and repeatable results when it comes to comparing panels.
Here’s a shot of our test setup. Click on the photo to enlarge.
The brighter section of the camera’s screen is what actually appears in the video. You can see the lights of the pattern generator in the bottom of the viewfinder. We flash the pattern on and off five times and average the results.

Nobody's going to spend this much money and use the PA272W as a gaming monitor. But a professional might be tempted to fire up a favorite titles after hours, right? Fortunately, screen draw time is right in line with the IPS crowd at 24 milliseconds. For all but the most competitive titles, NEC's pro display works just fine. Motion blur and ghosting look about the same as other IPS-based monitors we’ve tested.
Here are the lag results:

Again, these results are average among QHD screens with IPS panels. The graphics pro taking a break to play a role-playing or RTS game won’t encounter any issues. But if you plan to tear through enemies, competitively, on a high-speed battlefield, a high-refresh gaming-oriented screen is going to be more appropriate. One plus for the PA272W is its extremely high PWM rate of 44 kHz. Flicker won't be apparent at low light levels unless you have some sort of cybernetic ocular implant.
We can't review a Quad HD display without talking about value. These are still high-end products, and not everyone has the budget to spend as much on a monitor as they dropped on the rest of their rig. Vendors know prices are high, and each one offers something different to set its products apart. We try to uncover whatever that is each time a new display lands in the lab. Yes, the PA272W costs more than most of the already-expensive QHD monitors out there. But it also comes armed with more features and abilities than any screen we've reviewed previously.
NEC has always included a fairly complete set of calibration adjustments in its products, but this panel sets a new standard in our experience. We’re impressed by the vast array of color gamut, white point, and gamma options available, and we love that every picture mode is fully adjustable.
After spending a long afternoon exploring and working with the OSD, I was able to create three highly accurate picture modes meeting the Adobe RGB, sRGB, and DCI specifications. Then I did the same thing again in about 60 minutes with NEC’s excellent SpectraView software. It's unfortunate that the company charges an extra $99 for something that'd make a great value-add. Once you use it, though, the cost becomes secondary. I've used a few other auto-calibration solutions, and SpectraView is by far the best one.
Performance-wise, the PA272W comes out on top or close in every metric. Color, grayscale, and gamma accuracy are beyond reproach. Contrast, while never stellar on any LCD monitor, is better than most of the screens we’ve tested. Response time and input lag are on par with other IPS monitors (even if that's obviously not the intent).
What really sets this display apart is its unparalleled flexibility and adjustability. We’ve never seen such a complete set of calibration controls outside of a commercial projector. The color management system allowed us to create custom gamuts that measured within a whisker of perfect. Grayscale controls did the same and offered presets we haven’t seen on other screens. And the gamma control easily has the largest range of any display we’ve worked with of any type.
The fact that the PA272W can duplicate and even exceed most of the abilities of a $40,000 Dolby reference monitor speaks volumes about the progress of LCD flat panel technology. Evolution may seem slow compared to the pace at which graphics processors and CPUs move, but strides are being taken.
For those still waiting for IPS screens with accurate color, high contrast, and a sub-$300 selling point, we advise patience. Prices seem pretty stable for the time being. It looks to us like manufacturers are placing a higher priority on features and better performance rather than moving quickly to cut costs.

We’ve said before that a truly professional-quality monitor needs to combine accuracy with full adjustability. No display we’ve tested, at any price, can do what this one does. The Tom's Hardware Elite award is typically recognition we reserve for the best of the best, regardless of price. We feel that it's appropriate to recognize this particular screen for its reference-level performance and superb flexibility. Although you'll pay a premium, there are tasks that require excellence, and the PA272W delivers.






