Know what you’re testing.
A browser can draw a useful pattern. It cannot see your panel. Here is how to use ScreenLab’s results without mistaking a visual check for a laboratory measurement.
Start with repeatable settings
Use the panel’s native resolution, set browser zoom to 100%, and switch off night-light or colour filters for colour checks. Note the brightness, refresh rate, HDR setting and room lighting. Change one setting at a time. Scaling and browser colour management can affect fine patterns.
Use the monitor inspection checklist to record your observations and repeat the same checks later.
Pixels, backlight and uniformity
Solid colours make a pixel that stays dark or coloured easier to spot. Grey and black fields reveal unevenness, but viewing angle, ambient light and camera exposure can exaggerate it. Clean the screen first to rule out dust. Check whether the mark stays in the same physical position with another source.
The result is your visual observation, not an automatic defect count. Warranty eligibility depends on the manufacturer, model, seller and applicable rights. No universal pixel threshold guarantees a replacement.
Colour, gamma and HDR
Reference patches help spot obvious clipping, banding, a colour cast or a gamma mismatch. They do not measure Delta E, luminance in nits, contrast ratio or the percentage of a colour gamut. Accurate calibration needs a suitable meter, software and a controlled setup.
A browser reporting Display P3 or HDR support is a capability signal, not a certification of panel performance. See the browser colour-gamut documentation.
Refresh timing and motion
Refresh tests estimate animation callback cadence. A busy browser, power saving, background tabs and variable refresh can change the result. Confirm the configured mode in your operating system and display menu. requestAnimationFrame usually follows display refresh, but is not a hardware frequency counter.
Motion patterns let you compare visible trails and overshoot at different overdrive settings. They cannot produce a reliable manufacturer-style GtG response-time measurement without external equipment. A flash-to-click task includes human reaction time and must not be interpreted as display input lag or click-to-photon latency.
OLED retention and flashing tools
Solid fields can reveal a persistent outline. A single observation cannot establish whether it is temporary retention or permanent wear. Let the display rest and follow its built-in maintenance instructions before checking again. Browser colour cycling is not the manufacturer’s pixel-refresh routine and cannot reverse permanent OLED wear.
Flashing patterns are optional. Avoid them if flashing light causes symptoms or you have a photosensitivity condition. Stop if uncomfortable. Turning a display off when unused avoids the light output and wear of a running screensaver.
How to read our guides
ScreenLab publishes explanations and browser tools, not instrumented product reviews. Examples illustrate behaviour; they are not measurements of your individual display. We distinguish a visual check, a browser estimate and a measurement requiring hardware. We do not create ratings or claim hands-on product tests that have not been performed.
Found a claim that does not meet that standard? Send a correction with the page URL and a primary source. ScreenLab is operated by Space-Node.