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The 329M1RV switches to HDR mode automatically when an HDR10 signal is applied. You get six new picture modes that offer different interpretations of color and luminance tracking. My favorite, and the most accurate, is DisplayHDR 400. In the color tests below, I’ll also show you the results from the HDR Xbox mode.
The 329M1RV has a VESA DisplayHDR 400 certification, but it far exceeds that with a peak output of over 572 nits. That’s plenty of juice for bright highlights and high contrast. The black level is quite low thanks to an effective dynamic feature that’s turned on for all HDR content. Though it has less contrast than the other screens, it is far ahead of other monitors that don’t have dynamic contrast. 8,704.8:1 is very high and means the Philips HDR image is superior to its SDR one.
For the HDR color tests, I measured the DisplayHDR 400 and Xbox modes. The former is the most accurate, with excellent grayscale tracking and perfect rendering of the EOTF luminance curve. It transitions to tone-mapping just below 70%, which is higher than average. That means clearer highlight detail since the 329M1RV can let the image metadata determine levels. Interestingly, the Xbox mode is similar in its grayscale measurement but vastly different in its luminance curve. The picture is quite light and flat because levels rise too quickly. Again, I would not use this mode since the Xbox puts out a correct HDR signal that needs no compensation from the connected display.
The 329M1RV’s gamut test chart is impressive indeed. Color points are on or close to target, with the expected deficiency in green that most wide-gamut monitors have. 80% red is a bit over-saturated, but I could not spot this error in content. This linear color tracking is what I like to see from HDR monitors because it means all the picture detail will be clearly visible. The Xbox mode isn’t all that different in this test, with only slight variations in color tracking. Only its EOTF is a problem for me. The takeaway is that you should use the DisplayHDR 400 mode for all HDR content, regardless of its source.
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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.
