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Brightness and Contrast

To read about our monitor tests in-depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test PC Monitors. We cover brightness and contrast testing on page two.

Maximum Backlight Level

· Maximum White Luminance Native Mode – 415.4752 nits

· Maximum Black Luminance Native Mode – 0 nit

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· Maximum Contrast Ratio Native Mode – Unmeasurable

· ANSI Contrast Native Mode – Unmeasurable

The PA32UCDMR includes a Constant Brightness toggle in the Settings menu. When turned off, a 25% window pattern measures just over 415 nits. That is typical of the DisplayHDR 400-rated OLEDs I’ve tested. A 3% window is claimed to be around 1,000 nits. A full field measures 240 nits, so that’s the peak you can expect when Constant Brightness is on. For SDR, this is my preferred setting, as it keeps everything more consistent-looking, which is ultimately better for long work sessions. I generally save variable brightness for HDR video and game content.

Test Takeaway: The PA32UCDMR delivers typical OLED numbers in my brightness and contrast tests. It’s not super bright, but it is more than bright enough for any indoor environment. Black levels are immeasurable, which is why contrast is too. The image is gorgeous in every respect.

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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.