HP Z27x Dreamcolor Professional Display Review
HP's new Z27x DreamColor supports all the important color gamuts and carries some distinctly unique features. This screen simply blows us away.
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Results: Color Gamut Accuracy
For details on our color gamut testing and volume calculations, please click here.
As on the previous page, we’re showing the results from sRGB, Adobe RGB, DCI, and Rec.2020 modes after calibration with the DreamColor Calibration System. Since it’s not the best meter for adjusting color, we don’t feel our charts represent the full potential of the Z27x. Even so, the monitor still performs extremely well.
This is a result we feel few would find fault with. The white point is a tiny bit red, but not visibly so. Blue is slightly under-saturated as you move to the edge of the gamut, but its luminance is tweaked higher to compensate. The overall errors are completely invisible. For all intents and purposes, this is perfect color.
Near-perfect color performance is also found from the Adobe RGB mode. Blue is more on-target than before. The only thing we can see wrong is that magenta is a little off in hue.
The DCI color gamut doesn’t have quite as much green as Adobe RGB, but that primary (as well as red) is closer to the edge of the visible spectrum. The NEC PA272 we tested lost a little ground on that side of the triangle, which the Z27x hits its target quite well. The visible errors are only in the hue of cyan. All other colors and saturation levels are under the three Delta E level. Users mastering for the DCI spec are unlikely to find a more accurate mastering monitor.
The Rec.2020 gamut is large, as you can see, and the Z27x is only able to render a subset of it. The mode is included at user request. Right now, though, there are no displays available at any price that can actually show it all. In fact, engineers I’ve spoken to aren’t sure if it can be achieved with today's technology.
Now we return to the comparison group. The Z27x result is from its sRGB mode.
Considering the limitations of calibrating with a tri-stimulus meter, an average error of 1.29 Delta E is fantastic. It’s the same figure in Adobe RGB. The DCI average error is 2.39 and in Rec.2020 it’s 3.19 Delta E. No matter what mode you use, the color accuracy is top-shelf.
Gamut Volume: Adobe RGB 1998 And sRGB
We’re pretty sure the Z27x is capable of hitting 100 percent for both sRGB and Adobe RGB if calibrated with a spectrometer. We came up slightly short in the DCI mode with 88 percent of the gamut rendered. In Rec.2020, HP claims 68-percent coverage, but we measured 70 percent.
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Christian Eberle is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware US. He's a veteran reviewer of A/V equipment, specializing in monitors. Christian began his obsession with tech when he built his first PC in 1991, a 286 running DOS 3.0 at a blazing 12MHz. In 2006, he undertook training from the Imaging Science Foundation in video calibration and testing and thus started a passion for precise imaging that persists to this day. He is also a professional musician with a degree from the New England Conservatory as a classical bassoonist which he used to good effect as a performer with the West Point Army Band from 1987 to 2013. He enjoys watching movies and listening to high-end audio in his custom-built home theater and can be seen riding trails near his home on a race-ready ICE VTX recumbent trike. Christian enjoys the endless summer in Florida where he lives with his wife and Chihuahua and plays with orchestras around the state.
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DoDidDont I have 3x Z24x, very impressed with them so far for compositing and 3d work. Would have gone with 3x Z27x but simply don’t have the desk space or room for a bigger desk. My only worry is if they have the same problem as the older ZR24w’s they replaced, in that the whites go yellowish and make greys have a tint of brown after only one or two years of use. Always had a dark grey desktop, and in 3ds max everything is set to Dark GUI, and always been careful not to leave monitors on for long periods with the same image so no idea why the older ZR24w’s go yellowish after a while. Hopefully this problem has been fixed in the new line-up. But at the Mo, highly recommend these monitors, amazing quality for the price if you are into DCC.Reply -
laststop311 .29 is not a good black level really. Hopefully oleds will displace the need for these monitors soon, only a matter of timeReply -
somebodyspecial hopefully 1600p will displace 1440p soon ;) I'm tired of scrolling up/down so much on web pages. Gaming doesn't get any better wide either, and if I want that I'll use more than one monitor to get the best of both worlds (taller for the web, and wider for games if desired).Reply -
laststop311 14215918 said:hopefully 1600p will displace 1440p soon ;) I'm tired of scrolling up/down so much on web pages. Gaming doesn't get any better wide either, and if I want that I'll use more than one monitor to get the best of both worlds (taller for the web, and wider for games if desired).
Agree 100% I had a 24" 1920x1080 Cheapo TN monitor and then I found a Dell u3014 on craigslist and jewed the guy down to 575 for it. The bezel was a little scuffed up but the screen was flawless was a hell of a deal and man once you are used to 16:10 you cant go back to 16:9 it feels claustrophobic.
I am not a graphics professional though. But I fear since 16:10 is more a professional monitor we will never see a gaming monitor with 120hz and g sync in 16:10. I just can't bring myself to downgrade to a 27" asus rog swift even tho i really could use the gaming features. I'm probably just going to hold onto this dell until 120hz 3840x2160 rog swift type monitor is released at 30-34 inches. I don't think there is much hope in 16:10 4k monitors, never seen one yet 3840 x 2400 i believe.
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Draven35 When I was at HP in Fort Collins for the new Z Workstation launch, I had an opportunity (several opportunities, really) to chat with Greg Staten, the HP DreamColor Solution Architect. He's really enthusiastic about his work and was really excited that this review was coming!Reply -
rajubaju Complaints about lack of CMS in OSD... I couldn't agree with them more. Totally unacceptable... Especially when you know; z24x provides that possibility (like every other, wide gamut, monitor on the market; nec pa272w, dell u2713h, asus pa279q, vp2772, lg 27ea83-D etc.) In the z24x manual, we can read: "the User (User Preset) adjustable color settings for customers who do not have calibration equipment". What is the difference? with z27x - price i guess - you pay more, you get less! ;) I understand that now, when I buy z27x, I must buy a colorimeter (HP ofc)... even if I do not need ideal color accuracy... and i only want adjust monitor (RGB primaries) for my preferences. Not a chance! I hope that Greg Staten read this and add User preset, like in z24x, to Z27x... About saturation, 6 color adjustment, etc. I don't even dream; It would be a miracle! ;)Reply