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Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level
If you need a super-bright monitor, OLED is not the tech for you. The PG42UQ is on par with its competition at just over 350 nits for SDR. This was determined by measuring a 25% window pattern. A full field pattern returned around 190 nits. If you turn on the Uniform Brightness option, windows and fields will measure the same, about 190 nits peak. The AW5520QF is an early-generation product and cannot muster the light output of newer panels. The XG43UQ’s VA panel is the obvious choice for those needing a light cannon in their office.
All four OLEDs have unmeasurable black levels and, therefore, infinite contrast. I’ve formatted the charts to reflect this. The G8 uses an always-active zone-dimming Mini LED backlight to achieve over 24,000:1 contrast which is impressive. The XG43UQ’s result is in the panel’s native state with no dynamic contrast in play.
After Calibration to 200 nits
I set the PG42UQ to 200 nits with a window pattern to level the playing field for the calibrated comparison. In practice, I leave its brightness slider maxed because the picture is never too bright. Black levels remain impossible to measure.
The ANSI test yields the same results though the G8’s value is cut in half. It’s still an incredible monitor among LCDs and can deliver over 2,000 nits in HDR mode. But it still won’t have the look of an OLED. Their contrast and black levels are something that no LCD can match.
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