Measurement And Calibration Methodology
To measure and calibrate monitors, we use an i1Pro spectrophotometer and the latest version of SpectraCal CalMAN software (v5.0.3).
For patterns, we employ an AccuPel DVG-5000 video signal generator. This approach removes video cards and drivers from the signal chain, allowing the display to receive true reference patterns. Connections are made via HDMI.
The AccuPel DVG-5000 is capable of generating all types of video signals at any resolution and refresh rate up to 1920x1080 at 60 Hz. It can also display motion patterns to evaluate a monitor's video processing capabilities, with 3D patterns available in every format. This allows us to measure color and grayscale performance, crosstalk, and ghosting in 3D content via the 3D glasses.
Calibration Notes
The HP ZR2740w has no user adjustments other than brightness. And there is no on-screen display to tell you where you’ve set the control. You have to press the plus or minus keys until you get a brightness level that is comfortable to the eye. Another issue we ran into is the monitor only accepts three resolutions: 640x480, 1280x720, and its native 2560x1440. Gamers who play at resolutions other than these will see a blank screen instead of an image.
The PB278Q takes the opposite approach with a large array of options. There are six picture modes. Four of them contain some locked settings, while the other two are fully-adjustable. In the user modes, there are RGB controls for both the high and low signal levels. This adjustment is common in televisions, but extremely rare in computer monitors. Also unique to this screen are color saturation and hue controls. You can use these if you want to create a custom look to your monitor, though they won’t help to improve upon the already accurate sRGB color gamut. These sliders are best left at their default positions, both for our testing and in normal use.
Calibration Settings
| Asus PB278Q | |
|---|---|
| Picture Mode | User |
| Sharpness | 50 |
| Contrast | 75 |
| Brightness | 62 |
| Gain | Red 46, Green 54, Blue 43 |
| Offset | Red 48, Green 48, Blue 52 |
| Saturation | 50 |
| Hue | 50 |
| Color Temp | 6500 |
| Gamma | 2.2 |
You can set the Contrast control as high as 81 (out of 100) before clipping detail. However, any setting over 75 causes a visible color shift at 90 and 100 percent signal levels. For the best grayscale tracking, we recommend you set it to 75.
Obviously, there are no recommended settings for the HP ZR2740w. You can set the Brightness either by eye or by measuring the level with a meter.