AW3423DWF, ETA on EOTF firmware fix?

There are similar monitors from Samsung and MSI. Here is a comparison:

https://youtu.be/aMa5mo-v_Aw

If I am not mistaking, Samsung is the actual provider of the OLED panel for both AW and their own line of OLED monitors.

I don't believe MSI makes their own panels,  so they could also be using a Samsung panel.

I do know LG makes their own, and so does Philips. They both have OLED monitors available, but the Philips one might be hard to get in North America.

It's worth doing some research on them, as the issue with the EOTF might not just be a calibration issue and if it's not than going with the same panel but a different manufacturer might not solve the issue.

Yes, all monitors in the video use the same Samsung panel. The EOTF issue is exclusive to the DWF though. They show in the video that the others have way better accuracy, the DW being the best.

@rsalmei 

Asus ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDM

Samsung Odyssey OLED G8

MSI MEG 342C QD-OLED

And honestly, while not technically a monitor per se, the LG G2 40" OLED is pretty fantastic if you have the depth. I own it, and have since taken it off my wall for the 3423dwf because the size is much more reasonable. However, if you have the depth (at least 35") away from the screen it makes a great gaming monitor (plus all the extras like built in apps like netflix, hbo max etc...) Plus little apps like LGCompanion app, or colorcontrol allow the LG to act exactly like a monitor. 

So, options are out there.

Until we have an official reply from Dell, there's no way to say with 100% guarantee that it is firmware fixable. And even if it is a firmware issue, there's no guarantee they will address it.

That is why I would not recommend to wait for a firmware update to fix it, because there is a limited time window to return the monitor. Only exception would be if they officially commit to a firmware fix in the near future.

For me personally I don't care since I use HDR400 and not HDR1000 mode.

News about date of the update?

but I think it can be solved, just want it.. the samsung and the msi don't have the gsinc module, and they don't have problems with the hdr, it should be the same panel.. the only difference is the refresh rate @ 175hz. it is unsolvable only if the panels are different and the problem is caused by it

What puzzles me is that this has gained very little attention in the tech reviewer space. LTT even praises this monitor as a superior alternative to DW version due to firmware upgradeability and, even though they do mention some inferiority in HDR matters, it's very vague and sounds almost irrelevant, unless you already know exactly what the issue is. The only reviewer I've seen to actually address this problem is Monitors Unboxed--all the others seem to only have universal praise, which is really weird, considering this (potentially unfixable) huge issue that you'll have to live with, along with many other (smaller?) annoyances, inherent to OLED or otherwise.

I'm stuck with one of these due to bad return policies in my country and I'm mildly satisfied. But I would never recommend it to anyone in this state (even after M3B103). Yes, True Black 400 looks good, but that's completely beside the point--this is supposed to be a premium product, and it certainly does not behave like one.

I hope this thread might help someone not to order AW3423DWF blindly based on the tech reviewer praise alone (like I did) and consider the alternatives with this panel (MSI, Samsung, ...) before pulling the trigger on this one.

Price does not make something premium. Features do.

And while I agree the HDR1000 mode EOTF might be an issue for some, there's a ton of other display modes that work exactly like they should and are calibrated from the factory.

I think some are staring themselves blind on the HDR1000 mode and forget about the multitude of other modes that are working with great precision and provide a gaming and desktop experience that is in the top category out there, together with the other OLED monitors.

EOTF is a transfer function. It's possible there's a technical limitation on the F-sync module, or a technical limitation on the EOTF calculation that cannot be fixed with a firmware update.

Remember this is the exact same screen as the DW, yet there is a difference in the color bit capabilities and the maximum refresh rate when compared to the DW.

The AW3423DWF is aimed towards gaming rather than productivity and HDR1000 is a strong selling point in a gaming monitor. In fact, along with uber contrast and response times, it's the main reason I bought it (which seemed like a no brainer considering how well the AW3423DW handles HDR1000). We have every right to be irked after buying a premium priced gaming monitor that doesn't deliver on the primary gaming display mode. HDR1000 looks substantially better in certain titles than HDR400 and it's so overblown on the AW3423DWF that it's pretty much defunct.

I agree with all your points.

However, DW is heavily advertised "OLED that can pull off peak 1000", and justly so. I guess my beef is mostly with the reviewers, who did not make it transparent that DWF is (right now) not there. Maybe that alone justifies the price difference, I don't know. But it's heavily implied that DWF will get you roughly the same performance and that price difference seems to be attributed solely to the absence of G-Sync module. That's quite misleading to say the least.

There's 2 HDR modes available on both models:

- HDR 400 True Black

- HDR Peak 1000

The problem is that most people read the HDR Peak 1000 assuming it meets the same standards as the HDR 400 True Black mode.

Nothing can be further from the truth. The HDR 400 is VESA certified and meets the VESA standard.

The HDR 1000 mode is not VESA certified, and it does not confirm to any specific standard.

You can read more about it here: HDR 400 versus HDR 1000 

This is why I have advocated to use the HDR 400 mode for HDR content, as it meets a proper standard. 

For another analogy, just look at those 500 Watt computer speakers they sell for $100. Then go to an audio store and ask to listen to the $1,000 25 Wat speakers. 

I can assure you the 25 Watt speakers will far outperform the others in both quality and power.

Hey Dell, can you confirm whether or not the EOTF is bug that can be fix. I'm seeing people in this thread who claim it might not be a fixable issue. I'm a potential customer and I would like to know.

This is still being worked on, but I don't have any new updates since my last post. As soon as I hear something I will update the thread.

I am still optimistic that it will be a Firmware update and the reason for this (in my opinion/not speaking on behalf of Dell) is because of the other OLED monitors all having nearly exact same specs (if you watch the Monitor Unboxed video comparison he details this).