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Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level
No panel needs this much output in SDR mode but the XG43UQ can crank out over 800 nits if you want it. At this level, the picture is too bright to look at for more than a few minutes. The minimum brightness is 70 nits which is a tad strong for gameplay in the dark. We’d rather see a max SDR level of around 400 nits and a 50-nit minimum. This would allow for finer adjustments and less eye fatigue.
Black levels are VA dark though the Philips and Aorus screens can manage impressively low numbers. Though the XG43UQ takes last place in the contrast test, 4,196.6:1 is an excellent number. The FO48U’s contrast is unmeasurable which is why there is no value for it on the chart. Among the LCDs, the Aorus is the over-achiever at over 6,500:1.
After Calibration to 200 nits
The XG43UQ has a slightly higher black level than the others after calibration which takes contrast down a bit to 3,328.4:1. This is still perfectly respectable since it is triple what one would see from an IPS panel.
The XG43UQ’s ANSI contrast is nearly as high as its static number which indicates good quality control and a properly-fitted grid polarizer. We were also very satisfied with our sample’s image depth in all content both moving and static.
