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Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level
The FO32U2P isn’t super bright in SDR mode but with 265 nits peak, there is more than enough light output for indoor environments. My office gets plenty of Florida sunshine and I still had to turn down the brightness slider once testing was complete to achieve comfort. Yes, the Asus is brighter, but you won’t last long running it at 356 nits before fatigue sets in. The same is true of the Mini LED monitors, they are much brighter than is practical for standard work or gameplay use.
As is typical for OLEDs, the FO32U2P has unmeasurable black levels, so contrast can’t be determined.
After Calibration to 200 nits
Since variable brightness was not in play, I set the FO32U2P to 200 nits using a full field pattern. This is to maintain a level playing field with other monitors. Once testing was complete, I lowered the brightness to a more comfortable level. Contrast is still unmeasurable for the OLED screens. The Mini LED monitors were tested with their local dimming turned off, so the numbers reflect their native IPS contrast.
The Philips OLED is the one exception I have encountered. For some reason, it does not fully shut down its pixel matrix when a black pattern is displayed. Though this black level is very low, it is measurable, hence the 27,726.9:1 contrast ratio. That is still far above anything LCD is capable of, but it is slightly less impressive than other OLEDs.
The ANSI test shows the same behavior from all monitors. The FO32U2P can’t be measured, and the IPS screens are at 1,000-1,100:1. The Philips manages 45,170:1, which is excellent, just not as good as other OLEDs.
Test Takeaway: I can’t say it enough: if you want the best contrast and the most impactful image possible, buy an OLED. The FO32U2P delivers typical OLED quality in the contrast tests. Even the Philips will look better than any Mini LED monitor. At this point in time, no display technology has more dynamic range than OLED. And what could be more than infinite?
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