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Brightness and Contrast

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

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Pixio PX277 OLED MAX — (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

All the displays here are based on the same LG part. So why do their SDR brightness values differ? Because each has a different implementation of variable brightness. All OLEDs use this technique to save energy and to avoid over-driving the panel. Some have a constant brightness option but the PX277 OLED MAX does not. It varies brightness, not too aggressively, but just enough to enhance perceptual contrast. With an SDR peak of 475 nits, plenty of light is available. Black levels can’t be measured, so neither can the contrast.

After Calibration to 200 nits

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Calibration does not affect contrast. For testing purposes, I set a 25% window to 200 nits. When I got to the hands-on part of the review, I upped the brightness slider a bit. All OLEDs react differently to the brightness control, so you’ll have to set your PX277 OLED MAX to taste. Black levels remain unmeasurable from a checkerboard pattern, so intra-image contrast cannot be determined.

Test Takeaway: The PX277 OLED MAX has the same infinite blacks and contrast as any other OLED monitor. It has a higher SDR peak than most, which is more than one would need for an indoor environment. Its variable brightness feature is non-aggressive, so you might need to set brightness a bit higher for this monitor to get the picture you want.

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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.

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