To read about our monitor tests in-depth, check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test Monitors and TVs. We cover brightness and Contrast testing on page two.
Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level
There is nothing in our database that truly rivals the PA32UCX’s performance and its groundbreaking backlight. However, for comparison we rounded up a group of monitors that can hit 1,000 nits brightness with HDR. We have the FALD-equipped Acer Predator X27, Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ, Dell UP2718Q and HP Omen X 65 Emperium -- all with 384 dimming zones and wide color gamuts. The wild card is a Philips 436M6VBPAB Momentum, a VA screen with a wide gamut and 1,000-nit capability but with edge lighting.
The PA32UCX is rated for 600 nits in SDR mode but easily exceeded that with over 619 nits. This is helpful when using the zone dimming feature for SDR content because it bumps up highlight detail and makes brighter content pop without increasing black levels. With 1,152 dimming zones, you’ll never see gray blacks, even when the backlight is turned up to maximum.
Our SDR contrast result -- 901.3:1 -- shows the panel’s native contrast with zone dimming turned off. The only time one would turn off zone dimming is during calibration. The high black level (0.69 nit) is no surprise, given the PA32UCX’s extreme brightness capability.
After Calibration to 200 nits
Sequential contrast after calibration was similar to our earlier result (897:1 versus 901:1 before calibration). We adjusted the Rec.709 mode with small changes to the RGB gain and bias controls. They start at center-range and allow for a precise and balanced adjustment. VA panels’ advantage in native contrast is clear, with the Philips and HP screens topping the black level and contrast tests above.
The PA32UCX’s ANSI score (third chart above) was fairly close to its sequential result (855:1 versus 891:1). This is to be expected from such a high-quality panel. Turning on the zone dimming didn’t affect this score, as we used a checkerboard pattern with a 50% average picture level.
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