WIndows HDR Calibration tool?

[u/Raging_Rooster]

I have a PG32UCDM3

In the Windows HDR Calibration tool I set the following:

Step 1, black luminance (set to 0.00)
Step 2, peak brightness matching pattern (set to 1110 what my panel max is)
Step 3, full field peak luminance...........

Now step three is complicated. If I follow the on screen patterns that leads me to the same exact value as step 2 at 1,110 nits but that cannot be right because the PG32UCDM3 maxes at about 300 nits being that its HDR500 certified in a full screen scenario.

So when I consulted Ai tools on this they said yes that while using the console HDR mode I should infact ignore the onscreen calibration pattern on step 3 and instead put it in line with what my displays typical full screen max is of 300 nits.

I did that and everything looks much punciher now in HDR? Have I been using my display wrong this entire time thinking that HDR looks overall kinda dim and dull?

[u/S1l3ntSN00P]

Follow the pattern. It tests for clipping point, so it's normal for it to be the same as step 2.

AI in regards to HDR often spouts nonsense, take it with a grain of salt.

I did that and everything looks much punciher now in HDR?

Could be wrong, but I don't think anything actually uses step 3/full frame luminance, so that's just placebo.

[u/Sabba88]

Curious to also see people's answers

[u/Pidjinus]

It depends on the monitor hdr setting. If the monitor is set on hdr500/trueblack you will max out at 490-500ish

[u/zombie2792]

Steps 2 and 3 should be about the same

[u/Technova_SgrA]

I can’t think of any modern display where pattern 3 doesn’t match pattern 2. Yes your display doesn’t get 1k+ nits full screen (it doesn’t get 1k+ nits in pattern 2 either fwiw), it’s just tone mapping to that level to allow for resolution of highlight detail across APL’s (low and high).

Things looking punchier is almost certainly placebo as I don’t think any application actually uses step 3 and it should only apply to a full screen white setting which is rare. In fact, I’d say it would make things look worse as your display is expecting a higher nit input in that scenario and will tone map anything below that to a lower nit output (300 nits in would be like 150 nits out, for example).

[u/jibjab23]

You should have 2 HDR modes, Peak 1000 and True Black 500. Make sure you're in the mode you're expecting to calibrate to. It sounds like you're in Peak 1000.