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To read about our monitor tests in-depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test PC Monitors. We cover brightness and contrast testing on page two.
Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level
The varying results in the first chart speak to the aggressiveness of each monitor’s variable brightness feature. When I can, I turn it off for this test which is the case for the 27M2N8500, Alienware and MSI screens. Therefore, a 25% window and a fill field pattern measure the same. If you turn on the 27M2N8500’s SmartContrast option, the peak for a 25% window is around 400 nits. In all cases, black levels are unmeasurable as is contrast.
After Calibration to 200 nits
With SmartContrast turned off, I only had to lower the brightness control a few clicks to measure 200 nits. When it’s turned on, a typical screen only gets a little brighter. The 27M2N8500’s variable brightness option is more subtle than others. This means I only had to lower the brightness by five clicks to make the image comfortable for long-term viewing.
Test Takeaway: The 27M2N8500 has the same brightness and contrast performance as other OLEDs in its class when variable brightness (SmartContrast) is turned off. Philips’ version is more subtle than others, so it only adds a little more punch to the image. This is not a negative because contrast is still infinite. Black levels are perfect no matter what OLED you look at. If you need a very bright screen, the Pixio might be a better option.
MORE: Best Gaming Monitors
MORE: How We Test PC Monitors
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Current page: Brightness and Contrast
Prev Page Response, Input Lag, Viewing Angles and Uniformity Next Page Grayscale, Gamma and ColorChristian 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.
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oofdragon What's exactly "response time"? Like, how can it be faster than a also OLED but 480hz?Reply -
deesider
It's the total time from when the video signal changes at it's source, to when the image changes - so it includes any processing time the monitor needs.oofdragon said:What's exactly "response time"? Like, how can it be faster than a also OLED but 480hz?
Their testing methods are explained further here: https://www.tomshardware.com/reference/how-we-test-pc-monitors-benchmarking/4