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Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level
The M9 doesn’t include variable brightness for SDR content. That means full white field patterns measure the same as 25% windows. Samsung rates the panel at 250 nits, and I confirmed that with a 260-nit result. There is a Contrast Enhancer option in Expert Settings that tweaks dynamic range, but it doesn’t increase peak output. Black levels and contrast are unmeasurable in any case.
After Calibration to 200 nits
Calibration was a simple matter of adjusting the peak to 200 nits and setting gamma to BT.1886 +1. This did not change black levels or contrast, which were still unmeasurable. The ANSI test yielded the same result.
Test Takeaway: The M9 delivers the same infinite contrast I’ve observed from all OLED displays. Black levels cannot be measured, so the difference is only in peak output. That is also about average for monitors with constant brightness at just over 260 nits. This is the same excellent performance that you will find from any OLED monitor.
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