HDR Grayscale, EOTF, & Color
To run HDR benchmarks, we add an HD Fury Integral to the signal chain to simulate HDR10 content from our Accupel DVG-5000 pattern generator. This enables us to measure the S2719DM's grayscale in 5% increments, track Electro-Optical Transfer Function (EOTF), an electronic value in content that specifies brightness displayed on the monitor, and calculate color gamut capabilities within a Rec.2020 container.
Grayscale Tracking & EOTF
The only available adjustment in HDR mode is contrast. This should be reduced slightly to avoid clipping highlight detail. We recommend a setting of 70%.
Other parameters are right where they should be for grayscale and EOTF. White balance is excellent at all brightness steps. A bit of green creeps in from 80-95%, but it’s unlikely anyone will see that in real world content. The EOTF tracks perfectly to and beyond the clip point at 65%.
Even though the S2719DM doesn’t have a lot of dynamic range, it meets HDR standards as well as any professional display.
Color Gamuts Within Rec. 2020
The S2719DM can’t get to the limits of DCI-P3 color, but it approximates the gamut well up to about 80% saturation. For most content, that means you’ll see some extra punch unless a scene is extremely bright, but the difference is small. We’re still aiming for Rec.2020, which is not yet out of the prototype stage. Few monitors can even hit 100% of DCI-P3. So, for this monitor to render 75% doesn’t mean it’s at a disadvantage. We would not consider the performance we measured a deal-breaker. It’s equally accurate to what we’ve seen so far from HDR/DCI displays.
Ultra HD Blu-rays
The S2719DM responded perfectly when we connected a Philips BDP-7501 Ultra HD Blu-ray player. Though the monitor is Quad HD (QHD), it will accept 3840x2160 signals up to 60Hz. It will not process 24p the same way as a TV, however. That isn’t a big deal except during camera pans when a little stuttering becomes apparent.
What we’re really looking for though is HDR and color quality. The monitor instantly and automatically switches to HDR mode when an HDR10 signal is present. You can still adjust the contrast slider, but not brightness, which is locked to maximum. Don't worry about excessive output. The 600-nit peak is rarely seen, and even then only in tiny highlights in some content. The images we saw were just right for a moderately lit room. Total darkness might be a little much, but Dell’s choices are appropriate overall.
The extra color is subtle given that the S2719DM can’t quite reach the DCI volume of other monitors. That 75% volume means a slightly less saturated experience, but it is more vivid than what you’ll see in standard Blu-ray or gaming content.
Detail is clean and clear despite the down-rezzed signal. You’d never know that it isn’t Ultra HD at this screen size. Even close-up viewing doesn’t reveal any artifacts.
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