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I was initially bummed that the 42M2N89 cannot be calibrated, but once I measured it, I came away impressed. This is a seriously accurate monitor, as in professional level.
Grayscale and Gamma Tracking
Our grayscale and gamma tests use Calman calibration software from Portrait Displays. We describe our grayscale and gamma tests in detail here.
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It is safe to say that OLED panels in general are very color accurate. None of the monitors require calibration and only benefit slightly, if at all, from adjustment. The 42M2N89 has no visible grayscale errors with all dE values under two. Three is the generally accepted level where issues become visible. Lower values are considered visually perfect. I noted two slight aberrations in gamma, slightly light shadows and slightly dark highlights. But these errors are also visually acceptable. This is excellent performance. Because I could not calibrate the 42M2N89, there is no post-calibration test result.
If you switch on the sRGB gamut, it shrinks the color space correctly and the grayscale is unchanged. But gamma becomes more skewed with a visibly lighter shadow area in the 10 and 20% steps. This is a visible error that cannot be corrected. Color-wise, sRGB mode is fine but its gamma issues mean a slightly less punchy image.
Comparisons
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Since the 42M2N89 can’t be calibrated, I’ve posted the 1.34dE grayscale error result to both the before and after charts. None of the monitors here have visible grayscale errors, so this comparison is essentially a wash. They all look the same to the naked eye.
The 42M2N89 is only off the 2.2 gamma standard by 0.45%, which translates to a 2.19 actual value. The PG42UQ matches that result with the other monitors slightly more off-target. All have a tight range of values so again; the gamma comparison is largely a wash. They all look the same to the naked eye.
Color Gamut Accuracy
Our color gamut and volume testing use Portrait Displays’ Calman software. For details on our color gamut testing and volume calculations, click here.
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The 42M2N89 absolutely slayed my color gamut accuracy tests with near-perfect results. In the DCI-P3 realm, which corresponds to the Standard picture mode, only the 60 and 80% red targets aren’t perfect. None of the points are off by more than 2dE, which is astounding performance for any monitor. The 42M2N89 is better than many of the professional screens I’ve tested.
In sRGB mode, red, magenta and blue are a tad under-saturated, but the errors are barely visible. The overall average is still well below 3dE, which is excellent.
Comparisons
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Like the grayscale results, all the OLEDs are supremely accurate. The 42M2N89 takes the crown in the gamut test but a visual comparison of all monitors would reveal no differences. It truly doesn’t get better than this.
Philips claims 95% coverage of DCI-P3 for the 42M2N89 and it delivers. Like nearly all wide-gamut monitors, the deficiency, however small, is in the green primary. But the error here is so minute that you won’t see it in actual content. All the displays here are fit for color-critical applications. The 42M2N89’s sRGB mode is a bit weak with just under 90% coverage so I would likely choose a different monitor if I needed an accurate sRGB or Rec.709 gamut mode.
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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.