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HDR Performance

Our HDR benchmarking uses Portrait Displays’ Calman software. To learn about our HDR testing, see our breakdown of how we test PC monitors.

The H27E6 supports HDR10 signals with an automatic switch. It’s certified for VESA DisplayHDR 400, and it meets that standard. It’s one of the only HDR monitors I’ve encountered that leaves RGB controls available for calibration

HDR Brightness and Contrast

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KTC H27E6 — (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The H27E6 doesn’t have any field or local dimming available for HDR content, so output levels and contrast are the same as they are for SDR content. This is typical performance for budget HDR screens. It is at a disadvantage to the AOC CQ27G4ZH’s VA panel. And the Q27G4ZMN’s Mini LED zone dimming backlight provides an even greater advantage with its over-100,000:1 contrast ratio. But the H27E6 has one trick that the others don’t, see below…

Grayscale, EOTF and Color

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If you’ve read my monitor reviews before, you know that HDR image adjustments are usually limited to luminance or in most cases, completely non-existent. The H27E6 grays out the brightness controls but leaves its color temp options active. That means I was able to fix the green tint I could see in the brighter areas of the image. It’s a small difference, but one that can easily be seen in content. It makes the picture pop with more depth than a typical budget HDR screen. Kudos KTC.

In the color test, the H27E6 uses its large gamut to full effect with a little oversaturation in all colors save 100% red, which comes up slightly short. In practice, HDR color is bright and vibrant with natural hues in all parts of the image. It is one of the most colorful value-priced HDR monitors I’ve seen. The same behavior can be seen in the BT.2020 test, where it runs out of color at 83% red, 75% green and 95% blue.

Test Takeaway: The H27E6 doesn’t offer any more contrast for HDR content versus SDR. But it is the only screen I’ve seen that lets you calibrate grayscale and that clearly improved the picture in my tests. It also has greater color coverage than other budget screens, which largely mitigates any lack of dynamic contrast. It is a standout HDR monitor.

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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.