[deisuke]

Thank you for you answer.
Sorry for the double post. What I meant like with the cinematic experience is like when the black feels like one of those matrix movies for example and when the saturation gives some glow. For example one way to imagine what I am trying to describe is imagine photos of the night time of LA or Las Vegas.

[PCM2]

No problem, I wouldn’t have expected you to look through all existing threads on the forum to check for similarities. That’s my job! 🙂

What you’re describing is a ‘pop’ you’d get from a model with strong contrast. Vibrant colour output on top could help as well. I’d say that if you’re happy to sit in sensible lighting (that is to say, a moderately well-lit room rather than dimmer conditions) then the 328E1CA could give you this sort of feeling. The XG32VQR could as well, but as covered in my first post I don’t personally recommend this model as highly as the ‘4K’ Philips model.

This same kind of ‘pop’ could also be enhanced by a glossy screen surface in the right lighting. But that would massively restrict your choices and there’s nothing remotely comparable to that model on the market with a glossy screen. Something like the upcoming Philips 328M1R might deliver that sort of thing, but it isn’t available yet and as with most upcoming monitor releases the release schedule is uncertain due to the current global pandemic.

[deisuke]

Thanks I know what to look out for then 😀

[deisuke]

Sorry can I ask you something really weird regarding this conversation.

I noticed that Philips 328M1R feel like a little bit over my budget should I wait for a new monitor or just buy a Philips 328E1CA.

[PCM2]

Correct, the pricing and capabilities of the two products is very different. As I mentioned the release date for the 120Hz model is not yet known. It seems you like the sound of the 328E1CA, which we currently recommend. Plus you’re far more comfortable with that sort of price than anything quite a bit more expensive. So I’d say give it a try.

[deisuke]

So what will be the plan b if 328E1CA
Would be out of the stock

[PCM2]

Many models are out of stock during this pandemic. So either wait for it to reappear or consider one of the alternatives using the same panel (CELL – different backlight used) such as the Samsung U32R590C.

[Umutzx]

Hello, Im looking for deepest blacks possible monıtor. I hate glowing blacks when watching movie or playing games. I mean not just good blacks closest to OLED panel you have ever seen ? With vibrant colors if possible.

Any suggestions? 27 Inch or 34 Inch wide screen.

[PCM2]

I’ve merged your thread with an existing one on the topic. You didn’t mention “gaming” specifically, but the advice is the same. The newer content from this post onwards provides some more recent food for thought. But adjust thoughts and expectations away from “closest to OLED” or any such comparisons. Or you’re going to end up disappointed.

[Umutzx]

I dont expect to find oled panel levels ofc. But you seen lots of va panels based on your experience what do you say which one stand out most so far for best blacks ? hz resolution ms doesnt matter. Just 27 inch and 34 inch size Im looking.

[PCM2]

You’ll find some suggestions and advice in this thread regarding 27″ models, which I why I suggested reading through it. In my experience the 34″ VA models are slightly better than the 27″ models in general when it comes to overall contrast eprformance. Perhaps because you’ve got a larger “central mass” where perceived contrast is stronger, away from ‘VA glow’ and suchlike. The 34″ VA models all use the same underlying panel technology (Samsung SVA panels). I also find the 34″ models have a bit of an edge over the 35″ models using AU Optronics VA panels, at least those without the 512 dimming zone FALD solution. So you’ve got quite a few options to choose from. The AOC CU34G2X we’ve recently reviewed being a good recent example.

[Pope]

Hi and thanks for the site, I’m finding it a wonderful resource.

In 2016 I bought the BenQ EW2750ZL as my primary display for watching media and gaming when I moved into a small college room and had to leave my beloved Pansonic Plasma behind. It’s sad to say but I have never been wholly satisfied with the monitor. I prefer to game in dark conditions and have always found the black level performance and general representation of detail lackluster, in an admittedly unfair comparison to both my old plasma and the OLED displays on my phone and now, tablet. The 27inch size is OK for sitting directly in front of but not really big enough if you have it set up on the other side of even a very small bedroom, and the lack of adaptive sync is a bummer. I’ve been looking at your reviews of newer, 32 inch VAs, and it seems that the LG 32GK850G, ASUS CG32UQ, and Philips 328E1CA are the most promising, although the ASUS is probably too costly and its stand is ugly. But I have to admit I was shocked when I went back to your review of the BenQ and found its measured contrast was substantially higher than any of these models, and your critique of the black levels was also more complimentary. Especially considering the BenQ is a budget model from 5 years ago and the new(er) VAs are more than twice as expensive.

There are a few possibilities in my mind: A) The panel on my BenQ is a lemon compared to the one you reviewed. B) As time has progressed your standards have risen for black performance and so you are harsher on the newer panels (that doesn’t explain the contrast number itself though). C) My expectations for LED performance in dark conditions is unrealistic and I need to invest in some ambient lighting rather than simply relying on a little light filtering in through the window from street lamps.

Even if my BenQ is a better performer than I ever knew I am still ultimately in the market for a bigger, higher resolution display with adaptive sync. But will these significantly more expensive monitors be a step down for me in terms of black levels?

[PCM2]

Hi Pope,

It could well be a combination of all three possibilities you raised there. If your panel has some clear dark uniformity issues, it doesn’t really matter how good the colorimeter is telling you the contrast is – it’s going to be less than impressive for dark performance. You’re also comparing to a backlightless technology (plasma), which will give you quite a different experience. So coming in at ‘C’ there, more appropriate room lighting or at least an adjustment of expectation may well be in order. As for ‘B’, my own experiences have grown tremendously since the EW2750ZL review was published. But I did get a very good unit in terms of dark uniformity and the measured static contrast (>4000:1) was certainly on the strong side compared to most LCDs.

The perceived contrast is further affected by factors which become more pronounced the closer you’re sitting to the monitor – how close are you sitting? What brightness level are you using on the monitor? And did you make sure you’ve corrected the HDMI colour signal? Trying out one of the models you listed is probably worth it, but also keep in mind that you may need to invest in some lighting around or behind the monitor. Or perhaps use a monitor with poor contrast for a bit so your new one is impressive by comparison. 😉

[Pope]

Thank you for your response. I think my panel probably isn’t as good as the one you had, mainly due to the fact that is has some horizontal banding of brighter luminance than the rest of the screen which can show itself in panning shots. But after using the monitor more in daytime I understand how a display with similar contrast can be impressive under ideal lighting conditions. And I did have the HDMI colour signal set properly so no worries there.

I talked to my girlfriend about this decision and she described it as a “false economy”. I either spend $1K on a monitor that won’t fully satisfy me or $2K on a beautiful OLED TV with the added annoyance of having to do some clever household planning to make it fit in well. To her the answer is obvious because $1K is already so much money, it would be pointless to spend it on something lacking rather than waiting and saving up the extra cash. So for now my answer is to go with an OLED, but I’ll be an eye on the site to see what I’m missing out on.

[Author]

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