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To read about our monitor tests in-depth, please check out Display Testing Explained: How We Test PC Monitors. We cover brightness and contrast testing on page two.
Uncalibrated – Maximum Backlight Level
Monoprice specs the 42772 at 400 nits, but our sample couldn’t quite get there, topping out at 365 nits for SDR. This is still plenty of output for any ordinary situation. What’s really impressive here are the black levels, which lead the field by a visible margin. The default contrast measurement of 5,162.4:1 is superb. All highlight and shadow details are clearly visible.
After Calibration to 200 nits
Calibration reduces the contrast number a bit, but since I improved gamma tracking in the process, the image looks far better with more vibrancy and better color saturation. The 42772 is one of the best-looking VA monitors I’ve reviewed, with tremendous depth and dimension.
The ANSI score is similarly high at 4,546.9:1. It doesn’t get much better than that, certainly not in the LCD category. Only a few of the jumbo monitors I’ve reviewed score higher in this test. This is excellent performance and a real selling point for the Dark Matter 42772.
