Eizo ColorEdge CG319X review: Professional perfection

This is an insane monitor. Not only because of that price, but because of its sheer talent; it's truly the Lionel Messi of monitors. Want a huge 31.1in screen for editing HDR video? No problem, because the CG319X comes equipped with everything you need. Need perfect colour matching for an outdoors print campaign? At the press of a button, you can move into the Adobe RGB colour space with total confidence.

But Eizo primarily pitches the CG319X - its top-of-the-range monitor - at video professionals, and with good reason. The first is a panel that packs all the necessary technology. You've got the HLG and PQ gamma curves to ensure HDR video is accurate, plus the promise of 98% gamut coverage of the DCI-P3 colour space. In our tests, it didn't quite live up to that - covering 95.2% - but that's still a phenomenal score.

The other key consideration are the video inputs, of which Eizo includes four: two DisplayPorts and two HDMI 2 ports. The latter two ports support HDCP 2.2 and 1.4, which means the CG319X can input 4K video at 60Hz. And the key point for video editors is that it takes 4:4:4 video at 8-bit, or 4:2:2 at 10-bit. The DisplayPort goes one step further, able to run at 4:4:4 in 10-bit colour. If you're unfamiliar with the ratios, they refer to how much colour data is in each image: 4:4:4 means none is lost, while 4:2:2 is still considered professional standard. By comparison, NTSC DV video uses 4:1:1, losing 75% of the colour data.

When you're done with editing your 4K HDR video, you might want to switch to sRGB mode. Naturally, the panel again has excellent coverage - 96.6% - and it matches this with a Delta E of 0.32. That's a stellar result, especially when you consider the maximum variance we saw was 0.61. Anything under 1 is considered brilliant.

It's a similar story in the Adobe RGB space, with the panel covering 96.3% of the gamut in our tests. What's also impressive is the rock-solid gamma tracking, which means colours look more realistic. Add a measured contrast ratio of 1,417:1 and a maximum brightness of 394cd/m2, and we simply can't fault this monitor's quality. Well, almost. The only spoiler is brightness uniformity, as it varied by up to 18% on the left edge. We'd hope for less than 10%.

Eizo includes a carry handle if you need to take the CG319X onto shoots, but note its 12.4kg weight. This monitor is definitely more at home on an office desk. And if you need to show its contents to a neighbour, an easy swivel motion covers an owl-like 344, while a height adjustment range of 154mm means you should have no difficulty finding a comfortable position for your desk setup.

It doesn't support pivoting, but that's no surprise for a 31.1in panel such as this. Note that its resolution goes a little beyond the 4K most people think of, which is 3,840 x 2,160. Here, it refers to the 4K used in digital cinema, namely 4,096 x 2,160. With a pixel density of 149ppi, images are impeccably detailed at normal viewing distances.

As usual with Eizo, the OSD is easy to use. Press one of the six touch-sensitive buttons on the front of the screen and it brings up shortcuts, including one that lets you flick between the preset modes, which include Rec.2020, Rec.709, DCI-P3, Adobe RGB and sRGB. Naturally, you can go deeper into the menu and, with a logical structure coupled with exceptional levels of control, experts will be able to tune this panel like no other.

Or you can rely on the default settings, and note that the chunky top bezel includes a built-in calibration sensor that you can set to activate automatically. By default, it runs after 112 hours of use, or you can Eizo's ColorNavigator 7 to kickstart it. It's a superb way to take control of the monitor's settings, but it relies on you plugging a USB cable into the upstream hub. This then activates the three USB-A ports, which sit on the left-hand side of the monitor as you look at it.

The final question is the same we always ask with Eizo's ColorEdge range: is it worth the money? And it's the same answer as always: yes, if the work you're doing is colour-critical and a mistake could cost you hundreds or thousands of pounds. If not, then the answer's no. And while paying this much will always hurt, take comfort in the five-year on-site warranty.

Verdict

This mammoth monitor is an absolute must for video professionals, combining outstanding colour reproduction and accuracy with all the customisation options you could wish for. Watch out for that hefty price-tag, though