World first QD-OLED monitor from Dell and Samsung (34 inch Ultrawide 175hz)

Man of Honour
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
100,535
Location
South Coast
I just discovered something really cool. From the MPC thread in Windows, I have been checking out the MPC Video Renderer which has a pass through mode for HDR. The moment you enable this option, any HDR file you open in MPC will automatically switch the QD-OLED into HDR mode from SDR mode. In the OSD you can see Smart HDR is "On" whereas it is off any other time. There is no specific SMart HDR option to toggle in the OSD either so appears to be fully automated.

Anyway I have Windows set to HDR Off, and when I play a HDR vide in MPC, the Smarg HDR seems to enable HDR in Windows, too. I am unsure if this is thanks to installing the Dell monitor driver previously so things are working this way at a low hardware level or something but I'm actually pleased with this as I was solely planning on just using the monitor in SDR mode but as it's automatically doing this and then putting the screen back to SDR mode and turning off HDR in Windows too when I close MPC, then i'm fine with that.

Doesn't seem to do it with YouTube etc though, seems whatever you view content through has to have the option to passthrough HDR signal direct to the monitor which the MPC Video Renderer does.
 
Soldato
Joined
25 Mar 2004
Posts
15,832
Location
Fareham
I just discovered something really cool. From the MPC thread in Windows, I have been checking out the MPC Video Renderer which has a pass through mode for HDR. The moment you enable this option, any HDR file you open in MPC will automatically switch the QD-OLED into HDR mode from SDR mode. In the OSD you can see Smart HDR is "On" whereas it is off any other time. There is no specific SMart HDR option to toggle in the OSD either so appears to be fully automated.

Anyway I have Windows set to HDR Off, and when I play a HDR vide in MPC, the Smarg HDR seems to enable HDR in Windows, too. I am unsure if this is thanks to installing the Dell monitor driver previously so things are working this way at a low hardware level or something but I'm actually pleased with this as I was solely planning on just using the monitor in SDR mode but as it's automatically doing this and then putting the screen back to SDR mode and turning off HDR in Windows too when I close MPC, then i'm fine with that.

Doesn't seem to do it with YouTube etc though, seems whatever you view content through has to have the option to passthrough HDR signal direct to the monitor which the MPC Video Renderer does.

This is what my TV does with KODI, play an HDR video, it flips the TV into HDR mode.

I think Windows and Games are less likely to do it though.
 
Man of Honour
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
100,535
Location
South Coast
I don't mind if Windows doesn't do it, there's no app that s HDR that I use (is there any even??), so SDR for Windows and to keep in line with my colour critical work in photo editing etc so all good by me.

I might turn on HDR mode in a game one day, Cyberpunk has it, and see if it too kicks the monitor into Smart HDR mode too. If not then no biggy I guess.
 
Associate
Joined
10 Jan 2022
Posts
1,029
Location
London
I might turn on HDR mode in a game one day, Cyberpunk has it, and see if it too kicks the monitor into Smart HDR mode too. If not then no biggy I guess.
It doesnt unfortunately. You have to start the game with HDR on in windows to be able to toggle HDR on in game.
That said, HDR in CP2077 is amazing, so many neons just popping from screen. Too bad true black is almost non-existent in this game.
So far from games I have tried Resident Evil 3 looks the most stunning. Awesome colors combined with many pitch black areas. There is no other screen on earth to replicate that. Even LG OLED looks pale in comparison.
 
Associate
Joined
3 Aug 2011
Posts
684
Location
Plymouth Devon
I've put a written complaint in about the whole process and the lack of exchange stock not expecting much from it but I feel better for having a moan lol

So this will happen to anyone buying this monitor wait month's for it after paying full price in my case then any problem's will be waiting month's again for a replacement, Dell really suck.

Would buy Nexus18 returned monitor for £1099.99 from Dell if could get it the same week lol.
 
Last edited:
Associate
Joined
25 Apr 2012
Posts
223
So this will happen to anyone buying this monitor wait month's for it after paying full price in my case then any problem's will be waiting month's again for a replacement, Dell really suck.

Would buy Nexus18 returned monitor for £1099.99 from Dell if could get it the same week lol.

I would pull the trigger on a c2 but I feel may be to large so atm im going wait out see what comes to the table.
 
Associate
Joined
3 Aug 2011
Posts
684
Location
Plymouth Devon
I would pull the trigger on a c2 but I feel may be to large so atm im going wait out see what comes to the table.

Yeah for everyday use the LG 42'' is too big and with it being so overpriced rather wait till next year to see what other QD Oled monitor's come out.
Suffer from motion sickness so having to large a display for gaming make's me ill in fast game's and eye strain from being too close as well it's totally unusable.
 
Last edited:
Man of Honour
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
100,535
Location
South Coast
There's a really useful app on the Windows Store called DisplayHDR Test. It will run through various HDR based display screens to test out the capability of any HDR display. Screen 7 will allow you to see if you spot any banding on the Native bars. I checked this out between 8 bit and 10 bit - Could not spot any difference between the two - I read some other materials online and came to the conclusion that between 10bit and 8bit output, on a PC at least there should be very little difference unless you are actually working in a wide gamut colourspace with wide gamut content (as in P3/AdobeRGB etc where the extra colour space would benefut from 10 bit?) - As everything I work on at a professional level is sDR, 10bit then yields no benefit. And as I'm on PC, any 10bit media I play, even if the display is in 8bit, will still showcase max dynamic range anyway with a negligible difference in banding/quality between 8 and 10 bit.

You do not need 10 bit colour to display full HDR capabilities in media/games because of this, on PC you will get full capability.

So I guess the best option is to keep it on 8 bit to benefit from the 175Hz refresh rate?

Wondering if anyone else has tested this out and come to a similar conclusion?

It doesnt unfortunately. You have to start the game with HDR on in windows to be able to toggle HDR on in game.
That said, HDR in CP2077 is amazing, so many neons just popping from screen. Too bad true black is almost non-existent in this game.
So far from games I have tried Resident Evil 3 looks the most stunning. Awesome colors combined with many pitch black areas. There is no other screen on earth to replicate that. Even LG OLED looks pale in comparison.

Have certainly noticed Doom Eternal auto switching to HDR.
Haven't gone through the library but hopefully it's something that'll feature more often

I just tried Cyberpunk and indeed it does not auto enable HDR like the MPC passthrough does for films etc. I did however play a bit with it manually turned on in Windows and wow yeah HDR definitely makes it more vivid in a game like this. All Neons are making use of the high nits and in some signs etc it is really glaring to the eye like you would expect in real life when up close to a light source like that.

It's not night and day, but the difference is there. Sadly screenshots and recordings are not in HDR though so when later viewed back in SDR mode, everything looks whack.
 
Soldato
Joined
12 Jan 2005
Posts
3,332
Location
Devon
Speaking of selling old monitor, someone is coming over tonight to buy my LG 34UM95-P - I posted it up for £250, they offered £220. Fair deal tbh. Will be sad to see it go, it gave me superb service since 2014!

By what you've said about your previous monitor, it sounds as though the new owner got themselves a bargain seeing as it's considered a 'golden panel'.

Matey's coming to get the X34a tomorrow now so I gotta get it off my desk mount and back on its original stand in the morning. Will be quite sad to see it go. My first ever display that's higher than 60hz.
 
Caporegime
Joined
4 Jun 2009
Posts
31,164
I had a quick look, can't see a great deal of difference tbh, however, can see the difference in this test between 175hz/fps and 144hz/fps :p

https://www.testufo.com/framerates-...rection=rtl&framerate=144&compare=2&showfps=1

Shame no new games can push them fps with max settings @ 3440x1440, even with dlss (unless settings etc. are sacrificed) so I'll probably just stick with 144HZ for now especially if it does indeed have less flickering as per Vincents comments.


In terms of HDR stuff to check out, have a look at guardians of the galaxy (free on gamepass), god of war and riftbreaker (free on gamepass), destiny 2 (free on gamepass). Great showcases them.

RDR 2 is also quite good.

More photos from me, nothing special and obviously won't see it through your displays but it's little things like this water and the rocks where you can just see so much more variety in the tone/colours:

TB9PqzX.jpg

O9Lgrkk.jpg

OYQ3oAd.jpg
 
Soldato
Joined
14 Sep 2008
Posts
2,616
Location
Lincoln
I had a quick look, can't see a great deal of difference tbh, however, can see the difference in this test between 175hz/fps and 144hz/fps :p

https://www.testufo.com/framerates-...rection=rtl&framerate=144&compare=2&showfps=1

Shame no new games can push them fps with max settings @ 3440x1440, even with dlss (unless settings etc. are sacrificed) so I'll probably just stick with 144HZ for now especially if it does indeed have less flickering as per Vincents comments.


In terms of HDR stuff to check out, have a look at guardians of the galaxy (free on gamepass), god of war and riftbreaker (free on gamepass), destiny 2 (free on gamepass). Great showcases them.

RDR 2 is also quite good.

More photos from me, nothing special and obviously won't see it through your displays but it's little things like this water and the rocks where you can just see so much more variety in the tone/colours:

TB9PqzX.jpg

O9Lgrkk.jpg

OYQ3oAd.jpg

Man.... looking at your pics is surreal.... I have the AW3821DW so the monitor looks the same, but also we have the same cheap chinese (with a lot of misspelt countries) map mats :D

20211201_170611.jpg

excuse the crampedness, in barracks and the room is tiny D:
 
Caporegime
Joined
4 Jun 2009
Posts
31,164
Man.... looking at your pics is surreal.... I have the AW3821DW so the monitor looks the same, but also we have the same cheap chinese (with a lot of misspelt countries) map mats :D

20211201_170611.jpg

excuse the crampedness, in barracks and the room is tiny D:

haha, your one is different to mine :p I was looking at your one at the time but it looked a bit too busy compared to this one:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07MHTYHWK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Don't think I have looked at any of the countries tbh, which I suppose kind of defeats the point of getting it in the first place :cry:

Some more pics:

eBTJj56.jpg

7YDq2zN.jpg

Firewatch above but colours are very rich and "warm" compared to what you see there, looks quite pale in the photos.

YzpqNmq.jpg

BsYV2I9.jpg

bYjSZAj.jpg

veYOYxF.jpg

Monitor is definitely not "washed out" like some think.

Still amazed at the lack of banding (as long as it isn't present in the source). Can't wait to get a QD-oled TV now.

It's quite funny as I had downloaded a whole load of wallpapers in the past but when full screened on my 34" 1440 ips, they looked rubbish where as on this, they now look great, especially any stars/space kind of ones.
 
Soldato
Joined
14 Sep 2008
Posts
2,616
Location
Lincoln
Ah, you're right - they're slightly different mats... *basically* the same though :D

16th June (assuming it doesn't get pushed back), we'll have the same monitor too ;)
 
Man of Honour
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
100,535
Location
South Coast
By what you've said about your previous monitor, it sounds as though the new owner got themselves a bargain seeing as it's considered a 'golden panel'.

Matey's coming to get the X34a tomorrow now so I gotta get it off my desk mount and back on its original stand in the morning. Will be quite sad to see it go. My first ever display that's higher than 60hz.

In terms of IPS panel lottery, that LG was a jackpot and one of the reasons I never really upgraded to a higher refresh model in later years because finding one with BLB so low that it may as well be no BLB is virtually impossible so the thought of getting a panel with BLB and faffing returning it to try another hoping for another jackpot is not something I wanted to do having gone through it twice back in 2014.
.

Thankfully that faff is a thing of the past now as an LCD will never be on my desktop again :p
 
Back
Top Bottom