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Grayscale Tracking And Gamma Response
Our grayscale and gamma tests are described in detail here.
Native is the XG2401's default mode and it isn't too bad. The middle and upper brightness steps are slightly red but in real-world content, you can barely see the error. But there is some headroom to improve image depth in the User Color preset.
Switching to the User Color mode without making further adjustments improves grayscale tracking and brings it closer to a neutral 6500 Kelvins. Green and red are well balanced throughout but blue is lacking slightly at the 70 and 80 percent levels.
A few clicks of the RGB sliders corrects the error and results in pro-level accuracy. This is better than we'd expect from a value-priced gaming display. Accuracy like this is always an asset no matter what the monitor is used for.
Here is our comparison group.
1.67dE average means you'll see little or no problem with the XG2401's white balance. This screen is one of a handful that can be enjoyed without calibration.
But if you have the means, a calibration will bring error levels down to well below the visible point. While you don't need performance this good to enjoy gaming, it certainly doesn't hurt and it will increase image depth and color quality.
Gamma Response
Gamma is the XG2401's only weak spot. In the Native and sRGB modes, the tracking rides well above the 2.2 line, which means the image looks a bit dull and hazy. Even with the extra contrast available, a curve like this will reduce depth and clarity.
In the User Color mode, tracking comes fairly close to 2.2 except for the 90-percent level which suddenly becomes too bright. The error is around 8.3cd/m2 so we’re not talking about a huge problem but it’s a flaw in the XG2401’s otherwise stellar performance. The above chart looks the same whether or not you calibrate the RGB sliders.
Here is our comparison group again.
The XG’s wide range of gamma values is almost solely due to the 90 percent measurement. Otherwise the tracking is fairly straight. A firmware update from ViewSonic could potentially solve this.
We calculate gamma deviation by simply expressing the difference from 2.2 as a percentage.
By riding a little too dark, the XG misses its gamma target by a .08 average. Again this isn’t a huge issue and it’s far from becoming a deal-breaker. But a monitor that approaches perfection in every other area deserves better gamma tracking.
