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After applying an HDR10 signal, we still had to turn the PX278’s HDR mode on manually. And going back to SDR meant turning the feature off manually too. That’s a bit clunky, but there’s little to complain about when it comes to this monitor’s HDR accuracy.
HDR Brightness and Contrast
The Pixio PX278 doesn’t tout a VESA certification for DisplayHDR 400 but it easily exceeded 400 nits in HDR mode in our tests. Unfortunately, it doesn’t offer any dynamic contrast in HDR mode, so the static contrast ratio is the same as it is in SDR, 1,013.4:1. While it accurately rendered color and followed the correct luminance curve, the monitor didn’t look different when showing HDR content. At this price point however, no other screen can do better. The winners of today’s comparison all cost more than the Pixio.
Grayscale, EOTF and Color
There is no real fault to be found with grayscale and color accuracy in the PX278’s HDR mode. The EOTF clip point is around 65%, and our measurements show a rise in brightness up to that point that’s slightly too fast. Thankfully, this didn’t have a significant impact on actual content. Grayscale tracking is also slightly warm in the brightest tones, but, again, this isn’t a big deal.
DCI color tracking in HDR mode runs generally over-saturated with some red and blue hues looking too vivid. Actual content looks OK but not that different from SDR. Given our hands-on experience, we’d use the HDR mode in supported games. The PX278’s price point is certainly attractive, but you will sacrifice some HDR impact in the process.
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