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Grayscale, Gamma and Color

To verify the PA27JCV’s factory calibration, I measured the modes that will be most commonly used, P3 (cinema and display), sRGB, Adobe RGB, BT.709, and BT.2020. At the end of this page, there’s a summary of all the test results for each mode.

Grayscale and Gamma Tracking

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Asus ProArt PA32QCV — (Image credit: Portrait Displays Calman)

All the average error values are around 3dE, which tells me this PA32QCV is an early or pre-production sample. Other ProArt monitors I’ve reviewed are closer to 1dE. The green errors seen in the charts above can be adjusted away using the OSD. To confirm this, I calibrated the Native mode, represented by the last chart and its invisible error of 1.30dE. The only exception to this is sRGB mode, which is fixed at 80 nits with all color controls grayed out.

Gamma tracks perfectly in every case and uses the correct value for each mode. BT.709 and BT.2020 use the power function at 2.4. sRGB, Adobe RGB, and Display P3 use the power function at 2.2. Cinema P3 uses the power function at 2.6. I calibrated Native also using the power function at 2.2

Color Gamut Accuracy

Our color gamut and volume testing use Portrait Displays’ Calman software. For details on our color gamut testing and volume calculations, click here.

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The color charts all show precision with average errors under 2dE in all cases except BT.2020, which rendered 2.66. This is solely due to the lack of gamut volume, as the PA32QCV is a P3 monitor with no Quantum Dot tech. However, inner targets are on point. The only issue that can be seen in any chart is the slightly green white point that I spoke of earlier.

Grayscale, Gamma and Color Gamut Test Summary

Here are the grayscale, gamma and gamut results in a summary table. Error values are referenced to the Delta E 2000 spec. Gamma range refers to the difference between the highest and lowest value. Gamma Average is the percentage deviation from the standard for each color mode.

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Row 0 - Cell 0	Grayscale Error	Gamma Range	Gamma Average	Gamma Actual	Gamut Error	Gamut Volume
sRGB	2.86dE	0.05	0.91%	2.22	1.41	99.38%
Adobe RGB	3.40dE	0.06	0.91%	2.22	1.88	88.22%
BT.2020	3.17dE	0.06	0.42%	2.41	2.66	72.72%
Display P3	3.66dE	0.05	0.45%	2.21	1.56	99.58%
Cinema P3	3.42dE	0.06	0.38%	2.59	1.52	99.48%
BT.709	3.47dE	0.06	0.00%	2.40	1.53	99.53%
Native calibrated	1.30dE	0.06	0.45%	2.21	0.77	99.70%

Test Takeaway: The PA32QCV has superb gamut and gamma accuracy with a few slight grayscale tracking issues seen in my review sample. Given the performance I’ve seen from other ProArt monitors, I conclude that this is an anomaly. At any rate, one can correct any errors easily using the available calibration methods.

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Christian Eberle is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware US. He's a veteran reviewer of A/V equipment, specializing in monitors. Christian began his obsession with tech when he built his first PC in 1991, a 286 running DOS 3.0 at a blazing 12MHz. In 2006, he undertook training from the Imaging Science Foundation in video calibration and testing and thus started a passion for precise imaging that persists to this day. He is also a professional musician with a degree from the New England Conservatory as a classical bassoonist which he used to good effect as a performer with the West Point Army Band from 1987 to 2013. He enjoys watching movies and listening to high-end audio in his custom-built home theater and can be seen riding trails near his home on a race-ready ICE VTX recumbent trike. Christian enjoys the endless summer in Florida where he lives with his wife and Chihuahua and plays with orchestras around the state.