HDR Performance
The AG322QC4 supports HDR10 content in games and video, as well as Windows 10. We had no issues using our HD Fury Integral signal tester and Philips BDP-7501 Ultra HD Blu-ray player connected to the HDMI input (remember, you cannot use this monitor’s DisplayPorts for HDR). HDMI is version 2.0 and therefore also supports 144Hz, FreeSync 2 and extended color.
HDR Brightness & Contrast
At max brightness, our AG322QC4 sample couldn’t quite deliver 400 nits in any of the four HDR modes. We measured each of them and got the same result. The difference between the different modes is in the luminance curve—minimum and peak white stay the same.
When a 0 percent signal is present, the backlight almost appeared to be off, but we recorded a .0354 nit value, which calculates to an impressive 10,795.2:1 contrast ratio. Only the two 1,000-nit screens boast higher dynamic range, and that’s due solely to their bright backlights. At this price point, HDR performance won’t get much better these days.
Grayscale, EOTF & Color
We’re very impressed by the AG322QC4’s HDR grayscale and luminance accuracy. Remember that readings above 65 percent are beyond the clip point and therefore represent invisible errors. Only a slight blue tint is present at 60 and 65 percent. Grayscale is perfect below that. And check out that EOTF curve; it’s almost perfectly in sync with the standard. Accuracy like this goes a long way to enhance HDR image quality.
Color tracking in HDR was also excellent with most colors near their targets in the DCI-P3 gamut. Primaries were slightly undersaturated, but the points are appropriate given the monitor’s 84 percent coverage. This also makes a significant impact on image quality. At this price point, it’s hard to imagine better HDR performance.
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