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Conclusion
Reviewing BenQ’s PV3200PT and NEC’s PA302W in such close proximity invites obvious comparisons. BenQ is one of the only manufacturers that provides equivalent build quality for starters. The stand included here is quite the piece not only in function but in styling. There’s something special about a solid piece of metal that’s finished to the level of a centerpiece rather than hidden beneath plastic. You can get it on several BenQ gaming monitors as well.
In the color accuracy category, the two screens finish close to one another as well. Both measure well enough out of the box that no calibration is required. But you can tweak either one to your heart’s content thanks to large and comprehensive menu systems. From a navigation standpoint, BenQ’s puck controller (which we love) gives it an edge. It’s something we’ve seen on many the company's products and it really has become an iconic feature.
The PV3200PT also has a significant price advantage: about $500 MSRP. Are you giving up anything to save that coin? Just a wider color gamut. The PA302W goes out to Adobe RGB, which means it can cover DCI-P3 (and includes that preset), where the PV3200PT maxes out at Rec.709. What that means to a pro depends on whether you’re talking about movie post-production or television work.
With the proliferation of digital technology in Hollywood film-making, accurate DCI-capable monitors are essential. That’s the gamut used in digital cinema which is becoming more common. Commercial theater owners are replacing their film projection systems with digital units at a rapid rate and that content requires P3.
In the broadcast industry however, Rec.709 is going to be it for the foreseeable future. Some of you are wondering about Rec.2020 right now and that standard will make its way to our desktops eventually. But at this writing, only prototype displays can render that enormous gamut. There are no cameras that can capture it and no desktop monitors that can show it.
We think the PV3200PT is an extremely relevant product for broadcast pros. And if your graphics work requires only sRGB, it’s great for that purpose as well. BenQ’s factory calibration is spot-on, to the point where we only had to set the output level to measure near-perfect color, grayscale and gamma.
For its accuracy, build quality and calibration flexibility, we’re giving the BenQ PV3200PT our Editor Recommended Award.
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