EIZO's Christian Ohlig explains the CG3200X's redesigned ABL system, built to fix OLED's biggest HDR grading problem, and confirms new CS3200X pricing.
The launch of the first OLED ColorEdge reference monitor is the main talking point on the EIZO stand. The CG3200X sits alongside the company’s existing dual-layer LCD reference monitor, the CG1000 series.
“The CG1 is our top-of-the-line dual-layer LCD with maximum brightness and extremely dark blacks,” explained Christian Ohlig, Senior Manager Product Marketing at the Japanese vendor. “The new OLED has the same maximum brightness, 1000 nits, but its full-frame brightness is 300 nits, which is more than most competitors.”
He said the 31.5-inch 4K UHD monitor model brings “ColorEdge-class precision” to workflows mastered in HLG, PQ and SDR, while introducing a “unique approach” to luminance and contrast control that sets it apart from competing OLED panels.
Most OLED reference monitors, he noted, top out at around 200 nits full-frame, making the CG3200X’s sustained brightness a differentiator for colorists and finishing artists working in HDR.
Ohlig said the biggest technical challenge in OLED reference monitoring is the Automatic Brightness Limiter (ABL), a system that prevents burn-in and overheating by reducing luminance when large portions of the screen are bright. “Usually ABL dims the whole image when it activates, and it compromises the dark and midtones. Precision is lost,” he said.
EIZO’s solution is a redesigned ABL system with two selectable modes: Uniform dimming, which maintains the overall impression of the image, and Highlight dimming, which clips only the brightest highlights while preserving midtones and shadows.
“Our ABL kicks in later than others,” Ohlig said. “And when it does, you can choose the mode. Highlight dimming is very important if you want to see the mid and dark tones easily.”
The CG3200X also introduces Safe View Mode, a feature designed to prevent ABL from activating at all. “We can reduce the whole image to 25% of the screen,” Ohlig explained. “If there are many bright spots, that’s enough so the ABL doesn’t kick in. And if it’s not enough, you can go to 10%. It’s almost certainly small enough then.”
This allows colorists to evaluate full-range HDR content without luminance shifts, a common frustration with OLED reference displays.
The CG3200X includes a built-in calibration sensor, a hallmark of the ColorEdge line, and covers 99% of DCI-P3, making it suitable for cinema, episodic and streaming HDR mastering. Ohlig emphasized that the monitor is designed for reliable, repeatable results throughout the post-production pipeline, from grading to QC.
It may only be day one at IBC, but Ohlig said interest was keen.
The monitor will sit below the price of EIZO’s 31-inch CG3100X, which has a street price of around €5000. “The OLED will be below that,” he confirmed.
That places the CG3200X in a dramatically different bracket from high-end OLED reference monitors costing €30,000 or more. “With very little downside, it’s almost as capable as those much more expensive machines,” Ohlig said.
Asked about supply chain issues affecting OLED manufacturing, Ohlig acknowledged delays but said EIZO is confident. “We are optimistic that we can start mass production within this year and create a market there,” he said.
The price, however, is a highly competitive €1780 recommended retail. “For a real ColorEdge, it’s a really, really low price,” he said. The model was announced earlier this year, but IBC marks its first public showing.