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Our HDR benchmarking uses Portrait Displays’ Calman software. To learn about our HDR testing, see our breakdown of how we test PC monitors.
The PD3226G is fully compatible with HDR10 and responds automatically to the change in signal. There’s a single color mode with contrast and backlight control available.
HDR Brightness and Contrast
In HDR mode, the PD3226G makes backlight control available which is a field dimming feature. It raises peak brightness to 520 nits and broadens contrast to almost 5,000:1. This makes a noticeable improvement in dynamic range that comes with a nice drop in black levels. Only the top three screens with more aggressive dynamic contrast can do better. This is very good performance.
Grayscale, EOTF and Color
The PD3226G lacks color controls in HDR mode, which is a bummer because grayscale tracking runs a bit green in tone. The error is more visible in the brightest parts of the image. The EOTF tracks to near-perfection with a correct tone-map transition at 70% brightness.
In the color test, I was surprised to find some undersaturation. This is a tuning issue that could be addressed with a firmware update. HDR color is a bit drab as a result. Detail remains sharp thanks to the linear tracking, but more verve would be welcome. I noted the same behavior in the BT.2020 test.
Test Takeaway: The PD3226G exhibits decent HDR contrast thanks to its field dimming feature. But color errors in the grayscale test render neutral tones slightly green. And HDR color is generally undersaturated. These issues could easily be fixed with a firmware update.
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