Why you can trust Tom's Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Our HDR benchmarking uses Portrait Displays’ Calman software. To learn about our HDR testing, see our breakdown of how we test PC monitors.
The PG49WCD supports HDR10 content with a seamless switch to HDR mode. There are four picture presets available, and you can adjust brightness, which is something few HDR monitors allow.
HDR Brightness and Contrast
The PG49WCD earns its VESA DisplayHDR 400 rating with a 453-nit measurement. I used a 25% window for this test. Asus claims 1,000 nits for a 3% window and given these results, it tracks. Like SDR mode, black levels can’t be measured because the pixels are shut off. The mode I tested is called “HDR 400 True Black” for good reason. You can also choose Console, Game or Cinema, but HDR 400 is the best option. I had no need to adjust brightness for my environment, but you can turn that option on in any of the HDR modes.
Grayscale, EOTF and Color
The PG49WCD’s HDR grayscale tracking is spot on, with no visible errors anywhere in the brightness range. The EOTF tracks close to the reference as well. Darker steps are slightly lower than spec, but I saw no negative impact on the image. Shadow detail was clearly rendered. The tone map transition is at 65% which is correct for the measured black and white levels.
With such a large gamut available, the PG49WCD excels in the HDR color tests. The DCI-P3 gamut is exceeded in all areas but not too over-saturated. Linear saturation tracking means that color is vivid but not over-balanced, and detail is maintained. Hue points are on-target as well. In the Rec.2020 test, color is similarly over-saturated until the limit which is around 90% for red and green. If you watch HDR content mastered to Rec.2020, it will look very close to what you’d see on a reference monitor that fully covers that gamut.
Test Takeaway: The PG49WCD leverages OLED’s infinite contrast and deep blacks with more color than its competition. It accurately renders all the DCI-P3 gamut and then some. And it comes closer to Rec.2020 than any other OLED. It’s hard to imagine better HDR than this. Superb!
MORE: Best Gaming Monitors
MORE: How We Test PC Monitors
