Results: Viewing Angles And Uniformity
The more monitors we test, the more we can see that off-axis viewing performance is dependent not only on pixel structure (IPS, PLS, TN, etc.), but also backlight technology as well. The anti-glare layer even makes a difference.
The UP2414Q has a traditional AH-IPS pixel structure like many monitors, but takes the unusual step of incorporating a GB-r-LED backlight, rather than the more common W-LED. The only other monitor we’ve tested like this is Asus' PA279Q. Dell's solution exhibits similar color shifts to that screen, where a red tint can be seen as we move to the sides, and a blue one appears when we go above or below the center. The exotic backlight definitely improves color accuracy and makes the Adobe RGB gamut possible. However, it sacrifices some off-axis viewing performance.
Screen Uniformity: Luminance
To measure screen uniformity, zero- and 100-percent full-field patterns are used, and nine points are sampled. In a change from previous reviews, we’re now comparing the results to other monitors we’ve measured. First, we establish a baseline measurement at the center of each screen. Then the surrounding eight points are measured and their values expressed as a percentage of the baseline, either above or below. This number gets averaged. It is important to remember that we only test the review sample each vendor sends us. Other examples of the same monitor can measure differently in this metric.
First up is black field uniformity:
The numbers are excellent with and without Uniformity Compensation. Since it’s such a small difference, we think it best to leave that feature off, rather than accept lower contrast. Only seven monitors out of the last 25 we tested fare better. We couldn’t see any hotspots on our press sample, but the meter tells us the lower-left corner is a tad brighter than the rest of the screen.
And here’s the white field measurement:
This result isn’t quite as good, but it’s still barely visible to our eyes. The center is the brightest zone, and there is a tiny bit less light on the right side of the screen. Suddenly, Uniformity Compensation makes a marked difference in the measurements. When viewing real-world content, though, you won’t see any issues; we still recommend leaving the feature turned off to maximize contrast.
Screen Uniformity: Color
To measure color uniformity, we display an 80-percent white field and measure the Delta E error of the same nine points on the screen. Then we subtract the lowest value from the highest to arrive at the result. A smaller number means a display is more uniform. Any value below three is a variation invisible to the naked eye.
The Uni-comp makes almost no difference to color uniformity, and a Delta E range of 1.69 is well below the point where anyone will see a problem. I'm happy to report a uniform white field at all brightness levels with no tint of any kind.
