Is it normal for VA panels to be so washed out?

[DayZero]

Hi All!

 

I'm building a setup of 2 x 4K 32" monitors, primarily for work. I much prefer the monitors to be curved, especially since there are two of them so having flat monitors side by side at an angle always looks a bit weird and unnatural to the eye as the centre and the edges of the monitor are at a different distance from the eyes. However, unfortunately all the 4K 32" curved monitors are VA rather than IPS. I previously tried Odyssey G9, which is a VA monitor, and after using IPS monitors for ages it seemed a bit weird at first due to viewing angles issues but I got used to it in the end and was fine with it (returned it in the end in favour of 2 x 4K though).

 

I've been choosing between 2 x Philips 328E1CA and 2 x MSI Optix MAG321CURV and have ordered Philips 328E1CA in the end as reviews I read showed overall better performance.  Now, here's my problem. Its colours are really really washed out and bleak no matter what angle I'm looking from – compared to an IPS monitor. The issue is present even when looking directly at the centre of the screen and not just at the sides. When looking at the sides, the contrast drops even further. It's particularly prominent with dark colours, e.g. when I look at dark themed UI of some programs, on an IPS monitor I see pleasant deep night blue, whereas on the Philips monitor it's a much lighter brighter grayish blue. My question is: is this normal for VA panels of this size, curve and resolution or is it just a problem with this particular monitor? Am I doing something wrong?

 

Just to clarify, I have two Philips monitors and the image looks equally horrible on both of them in terms of colour brightness. I've also tried changing the gamma from the default 2.2 on the monitor to the max 2.6 and whilst it does improve the image, it's still nowhere near what I call a decent image. I've also tried increasing the contrast. I'm just very surprised why none of the youtube reviews call out this strange feature of the monitor which stands out the most to me. Some reviews even say it's a "great colourful monitor".

 

I've uploaded a few photos showing how the different monitors look like. Of course the photos don't precisely represent what I see but I think they give an idea and show that the Philips monitor is undersaturated. The Philips one is on the right, on the left is a Dell IPS monitor and a Macbook pro on the bottom (also IPS). 

Image 1, Image 2

 

I could order the MSI Optix MAG321CURV to test as well but I'm concerned it will look about the same as the Philips ones. Plus I understand that all VA panels have issues with contrast towards the edges and viewing angle issues which I quite hate. I might have to stick with 2 x flat IPS screens unfortunately. 

 

Thanks in advance.

 

  

[Stahlmann]

Normally VA panels have much better contrast than IPS monitors. While there can be good and bad VA's in that regard, i never saw one that was as bad as IPS in contrast. Are you sure your VA monitors are undersaturated or did you just get used to a oversaturated look because of your macbook? Did the Odyssey G9 have the same issue with undersaturation?

 

I cannot say that VA panels are washed out. I currently run the Asus PG35VQ which is a VA panel. But the colors are as good as my former LG 27GN950 IPS monitor. And contrast is just another world.

[minibois]

People often say VA panels have better contrast (specifically better blacks, compared to IPS), but in my personal opinion looking at a bunch of options in store (tweaking with the settings a bit too), I've found VA panels to be a bit "hit or miss" in terms of color, contrast and viewing angles.

Do keep in mind you have a MacBook Pro right next to the monitor you're comparing, which has a very excellent screen. Most monitors just cannot compete with the colorful, sharp (glossy) screen the MacBooks have.

 

It might be best to check if any local stores have different monitors on Display, that you can hook up your laptop up to, to compare the colors and contrast a bit more.

Monitors are quite subjective, as the way you perceive a monitor is based on  a number of things, including the equipment you set it next to (like the DELL monitor and MacBook laptop next to the Phillips monitor).

[Mark Kaine]

Actually the more realistic aka close to sRGB the colors are the more "washed out" they appear, and many people dont like that because it reminds them of real life and they prefer the oversaturated  colors of OLED and co…

 

personally definitely prefer muted colors, but im in luck as my old Asus IPS can be easily changed up (they call it "settings") should i crave the hyper unrealistic "popping" colors.  

 

 

photo:

*mind u thats on an ips screen, known to look "washed out"

 

how it should look (screenshot):

 

 

[Tan3l6]

Maybe the "output dynamic range" in GPU drivers has been set to "limited"?

[SolarNova]

Double check make sure, as above, that ur output is either RGB Full, or YCbCr 444

 

If that doesn't work a quick and easy test would be to plug another device into the displays and compare, if the difference persists then its likely and option on the Phillips display causing it, or its a poor contrast VA.

 

Apparently the display has a 'smartimage' feature, this could be causing the issue, disable it if u can by choosing one of the other profiles.

 

"The SmartImage menu lets you select a mode based on what you’re doing, and the monitor will optimize contrast, color, saturation and sharpness for that media. The 328E1CA’s SmartImage options include FPS, RACING, RTS, Gamer 1, Gamer 2, LowBlue Mode and Smart Uniformity. This is an odd lineup, considering the 328E1CA isn’t marketed as a gaming monitor. We used the default setting, Smart Uniformity, for our testing. It looked the best, providing me with optimal brightness (100% default) and color performance."

 

 

To be fair, this monitor apparently has a contrast of around 2300-2500 , thats on the lower end for a VA, they usually sit above 3000. But it still shouldnt look worse than an IPS which typical are 1100 or lower.