Why you can trust Tom's Hardware
To read about our monitor tests in-depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test PC Monitors. We cover brightness and contrast testing on page two.
Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level
Though it has an extra white sub-pixel, the 42M2N89 isn’t as bright as other OLEDs I’ve tested. But it is bright enough. Like every OLED, it gets brighter as the average picture level decreases. I used 25% window patterns for this test. Peak output in the default Standard picture mode is just under 200 nits for a window and 135 nits for a full white field.
Black levels are just within my meter’s ability to measure as the screen isn’t completely blanked like other OLEDs. Visually there is no difference, but I recorded a super-low 0.007-nit result. That resulted in a 27,726.9:1 contrast ratio. While that may sound like a negative when compared to the other OLEDs, there is actually no visible difference in practice.
After Calibration to 200 nits
Since 193 nits is the 42M2N89’s peak output level, and I couldn’t calibrate it, the second set of results is the same – 0.007 nits black and 27,726.9:1 contrast.
The ANSI result is much higher because the 100% parts of the checkerboard pattern are smaller than a 25% window. They measured around 210 nits average, so the intra-image contrast ratio is higher. Don’t be swayed by the other panel’s infinite contrast and zero black levels. In practice, they don’t look any better than the 42M2N89. It’s just that my instruments are unable to measure their black luminance.
MORE: Best Gaming Monitors
MORE: How We Test PC Monitors
MORE: How to Buy a PC Monitor
Current page: Brightness and Contrast
Prev Page Response, Input Lag, Viewing Angles and Uniformity Next Page Grayscale, Gamma and ColorChristian 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.
Intel appoints two new board members with semiconductor backgrounds following Gelsinger exit
Polysoft offers $849 8TB SSD upgrade module for Mac Studio — reverse-engineered SSD vastly undercuts Apple's $2,220 price
Nvidia bids goodbye to GeForce Experience — Nvidia App officially replaces it in the latest driver update
-
toffty
Beat me to it. I don't know why / how monitor manufacturers continue to ask for obscene prices when there are same/better products for cheaper.oofdragon said:It's a TV And on that note you can find the LG 42 OLED 120Hz around $700
The 48" LG can be had for $500 less too -
Greg7579 Christian, I need your help. I am a Medium Format (GFX) photographer and have enjoyed editing and viewing my own extremely high-resolution files on 32 inch 4K professional IPS monitors (various ASUS pro monitors over the years). I am about to build a top-end gaming PC, but I do not game. I just want a fully loaded extremely top-end PC because I just do, and also because Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom use a lot of AI masking and features now, so I will be running a 4090 GPU and the best ram and CPU that can be had. Now the monitor....Reply
I almost ordered an ASUS mini-LED at 3-5 grand this past year but held off. I've followed the OLED invasion that you wrote about and know you love OLED. I have an OLED 80 inch TV in fact.
But I'm about to order the Dell 6K you reviewed, and I know you talked about the drawbacks of IPS and the HDR performance of that Dell IPS monitor. But 6K is 6 K.... And I'll be viewing and editing thousands of those huge GFX raw files. Plus, the Dell 6K IPS has double the PPI of this Phillips OLED monitor.
I am so tempted by this OLED invasion. and this monitor. I know my images will look stunning on it.
But 6k is 6k.... And the Dell PPI is way better....
Plus, I won't be able to get back 4 or 5 feet from that 42-inch monitor. I will be at normal desktop viewing distance.
I have heard some productivity guys say not to go with OLED unless you are a gamer. They talked about fonts and how the screen looks with windows 11 and all the Microsoft and Adobe programs having certain issues. One prominent tech guy said to not even consider OLED for Windows productivity work.
Is this monitor OK for productivity and for my photography? I don't care about not being able to calibrate it. The color specs are awesome.
So, what do you think, Sir.... Should I get the Dell 32 inch IPS 6K or this (or one of these) 42 inch OLED?
I don't care about the cost in this case - 1400 vs 3500. I care, but it is not an issue in this case. The Dell is twice as much, but it is 6K....
Would you be willing to tell me which way to go in my case? Should I get that 42 inch OLED for what I do (not game). -
newtechldtech
6k is 6k ? get 8K oled .... 32 inch 8K resolution OLED monitors are coming this year.Greg7579 said:Christian, I need your help. I am a Medium Format (GFX) photographer and have enjoyed editing and viewing my own extremely high-resolution files on 32 inch 4K professional IPS monitors (various ASUS pro monitors over the years). I am about to build a top-end gaming PC, but I do not game. I just want a fully loaded extremely top-end PC because I just do, and also because Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom use a lot of AI masking and features now, so I will be running a 4090 GPU and the best ram and CPU that can be had. Now the monitor....
I almost ordered an ASUS mini-LED at 3-5 grand this past year but held off. I've followed the OLED invasion that you wrote about and know you love OLED. I have an OLED 80 inch TV in fact.
But I'm about to order the Dell 6K you reviewed, and I know you talked about the drawbacks of IPS and the HDR performance of that Dell IPS monitor. But 6K is 6 K.... And I'll be viewing and editing thousands of those huge GFX raw files. Plus, the Dell 6K IPS has double the PPI of this Phillips OLED monitor.
I am so tempted by this OLED invasion. and this monitor. I know my images will look stunning on it.
But 6k is 6k.... And the Dell PPI is way better....
Plus, I won't be able to get back 4 or 5 feet from that 42-inch monitor. I will be at normal desktop viewing distance.
I have heard some productivity guys say not to go with OLED unless you are a gamer. They talked about fonts and how the screen looks with windows 11 and all the Microsoft and Adobe programs having certain issues. One prominent tech guy said to not even consider OLED for Windows productivity work.
Is this monitor OK for productivity and for my photography? I don't care about not being able to calibrate it. The color specs are awesome.
So, what do you think, Sir.... Should I get the Dell 32 inch IPS 6K or this (or one of these) 42 inch OLED?
I don't care about the cost in this case - 1400 vs 3500. I care, but it is not an issue in this case. The Dell is twice as much, but it is 6K....
Would you be willing to tell me which way to go in my case? Should I get that 42 inch OLED for what I do (not game). -
Greg7579
I don't think 8K OLED desktop monitors are coming this year. I might be wrong about that. Hope I am. But how is OLED for productivity? Photoshop? Lightroom? Windows? MS Office? The web? I'm not a gamer but will have the powerful PC.newtechldtech said:6k is 6k ? get 8K oled .... 32 inch 8K resolution OLED monitors are coming this year. -
Alvar "Miles" Udell $1399.99 for a monitor that will in the space of a couple of years be so burned in it's worthless? Easiest pass in the world.Reply -
newtechldtech ssj3rd said:Mate or glossy?
Couldn’t find the answer in the text/test…
with high brightness monitors it does not matter anymore being matt or glossy ... -
newtechldtech
no need to wait moreUWguy said:I’m waiting for a 32” OLED. 42” is too big for an average desk.
https://www.lg.com/us/business/oled-pro-monitors/lg-32ep950-b