Why you can trust Tom's Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
The OLED G8 keeps things simple with just two SDR picture modes, Graphic and Entertainment. The former is the default and best option.
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.
The out-of-box grayscale and gamma measurement shows visually perfect grayscale tracking and a slightly elevated gamma at 10 and 20% brightness. Obviously, no RGB adjustments are required here. This is pro-level accuracy.
To fix the gamma issue, I tried the Shadow Detail Slider which adjusts brightness only in the darkest steps. A setting of -2 improved the trace though it still isn’t quite as straight as I would like. But I’m being very picky here. Visually, the adjustment makes a positive difference.
If you want to use sRGB color, you can either set the Color Space to Custom or Auto. SDR signals will automatically use sRGB as they should. Native forces the gamut to its wider setting for all content. The sRGB mode is just as accurate as the other color options with no visible grayscale errors. The same slight gamma error is still there.
Comparisons
My adjustment of the Shadow Detail slider changed the grayscale error from 0.5 to 0.75dE. This difference cannot be seen by the naked eye in test patterns or content. It’s worth doing for the improvement in gamma. Though the trace looks a little wonky, the numbers indicate reasonably tight tracking with only a 0.91% deviation from the 2.2 spec. The actual value was 2.18, well within the realm of visual perfection.
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.
The OLED G8’s color is similarly accurate both out of the box and after tweaking the Shadow Detail control. Initially, the average error is just 1.09dE which is one of the best results I’ve ever recorded for any monitor. You can see a bit of bonus red in the chart at the 80 and 100% saturation points. Other colors are spot-on and there are no hue errors here.
Adjusting the Shadow Detail slider adds a tiny bit of saturation which you can see if you’re looking for it. Red is still a tad over-saturated, but the entire gamut is without visual errors.
The sRGB gamut test shows even higher accuracy with just 0.71dE averaged over 30 measurements. This is useful for graphic and photography work that requires exact color. This is excellent performance that is equaled only by a handful of very expensive professional displays.
Comparisons
Like the grayscale test, the OLED G8’s gamut accuracy took a tiny hit after adjustment, from 1.09 to 1.13dE. This shift is completely invisible to the naked eye. But the improvement in darker tone impact is visible and that’s a good thing. It is one of the most color-accurate monitors I’ve ever reviewed.
The OLED G8 also delivers on gamut volume with that slightly over-saturated red primary and full green coverage. The total score of 108.05% is matched only by the Philips 34M2C8600’s 108.09%. That difference is too small to be seen. Of all the OLEDs in my test database, the Samsung and Philips are the most colorful. I noted that the sRGB coverage of 99.08% is ideal for color critical applications.
Test Takeaway: The OLED G8 is extremely accurate and extremely colorful right out of the box. Adjustment of the Shadow Detail slider improves the picture without any compromise. It’s one of the most colorful OLEDs available at this writing and it doesn’t require calibration to produce a measurably perfect image.
MORE: Best Gaming Monitors
MORE: How We Test PC Monitors
MORE: How to Buy a PC Monitor
