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The R45w-30 supports HDR10 content with an auto switch and four additional picture modes with fixed settings. It has a field dimming feature that increases contrast to over 8,000:1 giving it a leg up in the value priced HDR monitor class.
HDR Brightness and Contrast
The R45w-30 is rated for DisplayHDR 400, and my sample hit the mark with 406 nits peak and a very low black level of 0.0507 nit. I was pleasantly surprised to see the 8,011.9:1 contrast result because the DCR (dynamic contrast) option in the OSD was grayed out. Obviously, a field dimming feature is in operation. I checked a few moving test patterns to see if edge zone dimming was in effect, but it is a field-dimming feature. It effectively improves picture quality by giving brighter content more pop and bringing darker scenes closer to true black. The ASRock and LG screens go further by using edge zone dimming, but the R45w-30 acquits itself extremely well here.
Grayscale, EOTF and Color
The R45w-30’s HDR grayscale errors are slight and like SDR, warmer in tone so therefore are less obvious. You might see a little issue around 50-70%, but only if you look very hard. I have no complaints here. The EOTF tracker shows slight darkness at the low end of the brightness scale with a soft transition to tone-mapping. This too is a minor error that did not impact actual content in any meaningful way.
In the HDR color tests, primaries are slightly over-saturated, which isn’t strictly correct but serves to add impact and set HDR content apart from SDR. This is a typical choice for HDR monitors. This behavior has been seen in most of the screens I’ve reviewed. Only magenta shows a slight hue error. The Rec.2020 chart is much the same and only differs in that the R45w-30 runs out of color 75-85% shy of the gamut perimeter, also typical performance. Lenovo has set up this monitor properly.
Test Takeaway: With the addition of dynamic contrast through field dimming, the R45w-30 delivers better HDR than some other ultra and mega-wide monitors. As a value choice, its HDR picture is exceptional. Blacks are deep, highlights are bright, and color is extremely well-saturated. Gamut coverage is about average, so you won’t find any similarly priced displays with a better HDR image. Your $760 buys terrific performance.
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