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The PA27USD is very easy to configure when creating content. Just pick the color standard you want from the list of presets. It’s calibrated at the factory before shipment and if you want to verify or modify any mode, that’s easy to do with the integrated calibrator.
Grayscale and Gamma Tracking
Our grayscale and gamma tests use Calman calibration software from Portrait Displays. We describe our grayscale and gamma tests in detail here.
Above are the grayscale and gamma charts for the PA27USD’s default Native preset and all other SDR modes. Grayscale tracking is very consistent from mode to mode with no visible errors anywhere. However, gamma isn’t quite as solid as I expected. It’s a tad light in general with some variation in the 80-90% brightness steps. These errors aren’t huge, but given the precision I saw in the color tests, there is room for improvement. Luckily, it took me just five minutes to improve one mode. I got the gamma for Display P3 in line with the reference at every point except 10%, which was still a tad light.
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.
The color gamut charts are the definition of professional. This is what one expects from a reference display. All measured points are on target in every mode except for BT.2020 and Adobe RGB. 2020 is an easy one because the PA27USD isn’t a 2020 monitor. It tops out at 102% of DCI-P3. But it hits every point it is capable of. Adobe RGB is also a bit short in green, which is also typical of Quantum Dot screens. A true Adobe RGB monitor is rare these days, thanks to the advent of LED backlights. In the past, Adobe monitors had a special CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent) backlight, which gave the extra green required to meet the Adobe RGB spec. Modern-day LEDs and OLEDs can’t quite get there. But again, the PA27USD hits every target it can.
Grayscale, Gamma and Color Gamut Test Summary
Below is a table with all the measured results for grayscale tracking, gamma range and average, gamut accuracy and gamut volume. I tested the seven SDR modes that cover all signal formats currently used for video and game production
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Grayscale Error | Gamma Range | Gamma Average | Gamma Actual | Gamut Error | Gamut Volume |
Native | 2.25dE | 0.24 | 1.36% | 2.17 | 1.46dE | 101.97% |
sRGB | 2.02dE | 0.11 | 4.55% | 2.10 | 1.40dE | 100.27% |
BT.709 | 1.74dE | 0.19 | 2.08% | 2.35 | 1.23dE | 98.89% |
Adobe RGB | 1.86dE | 0.20 | 0.45% | 2.19 | 1.34dE | 88.36% |
Display P3 | 1.92dE | 0.25 | 4.09% | 2.11 | 1.33dE | 96.04% |
Cinema P3 | 1.78dE | 0.39 | 4.23% | 2.49 | 1.22dE | 95.94% |
BT.2020 | 1.89dE | 0.20 | 2.08% | 2.35 | 2.02dE | 73.11% |
Test Takeaway: The PA27USD is extremely color accurate out of the box. Gamma was a little off the mark in all preses but could be corrected with the built-in calibrator in around five minutes per mode. I noted that P3 could be configured with either D63/2.6 cinema or D65/2.2 display settings. Gamut volume is nearly 100% for each mode except BT.2020 and Adobe RGB. The most colorful mode for non-critical use is Native with 102% coverage of DCI-P3.
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