Why color spaces exist
Your monitor can display millions of different colors, but not every color that exists in nature. Color spaces define the specific range (called gamut) of colors a device can reproduce or a content format assumes.
Without a shared color standard, a red that looks correct on a professional photography monitor might look oversaturated on a gaming monitor with wider gamut. Color spaces give software and hardware a common language.
sRGB: the standard you probably use
sRGB was defined in 1996 by HP and Microsoft for use on consumer monitors, the web, and Windows. It covers about 35% of the visible color spectrum. That sounds small, but it matches what almost all consumer content is created in.
Your JPEG photos, web browser, YouTube, Netflix SDR content and most games are mastered in sRGB. When a monitor accurately displays sRGB, you are seeing content as the creator intended.
Almost every consumer monitor released since 2000 can cover 100% of sRGB. Coverage above 100% means nothing for sRGB content unless the monitor correctly tone-maps the extra gamut instead of overdriving it.
DCI-P3: cinema standard
DCI-P3 was defined by the film industry for digital cinema projectors. It covers about 45% of the visible spectrum, roughly 25% more than sRGB in total gamut area. The biggest difference is in reds and greens, which are significantly more saturated in P3 than in sRGB.
HDR content, Apple devices, high-end OLED TVs, and premium photography displays are mastered in or calibrated to DCI-P3.
If you watch a lot of HDR video, do video production, work in design for screen or print, or use Apple hardware, P3 coverage is relevant to you.
What happens with a wide gamut monitor and no color management
A monitor that covers 120% sRGB or 95% DCI-P3 will oversaturate sRGB content if the system is not color-managed. Reds look blood-red. Greens look radioactive. Skin tones look orange.
Windows without color management, Chrome without hardware color management, and many games will push sRGB content through the full monitor gamut. This makes everything look oversaturated.
macOS has had display-wide color management for decades. On a Mac, sRGB content stays within sRGB even on a wide-gamut display.
On Windows, you need per-application color management or an ICC profile for the monitor. Modern versions of Chrome, Firefox and many professional apps handle this. But many games and older software do not.
When DCI-P3 coverage actually helps
P3 coverage is useful when:
P3 coverage is largely irrelevant when:
How to check your monitor gamut coverage
Our Color Accuracy Test shows reference color blocks for sRGB primaries and DCI-P3 primaries. If P3 reference reds and greens look clearly more saturated than the sRGB blocks on your display, you have meaningful wide gamut coverage.
For precise measurement you need a hardware colorimeter and software like DisplayCAL. Consumer colorimeters from Calibrite or X-Rite in the 100-200 dollar range are sufficient for home use.
What to look for when buying
For general use and gaming: 100% sRGB coverage with accurate calibration is more important than wide gamut. A monitor at 90% DCI-P3 but poorly calibrated will look worse than a 100% sRGB monitor that is properly calibrated.
For content creation: aim for at least 90% DCI-P3 coverage and a monitor that ships with a factory calibration report. Good options include panels from LG, Dell UltraSharp and BenQ DesignVue lines.
For HDR value: HDR on a monitor with less than 90% DCI-P3 coverage is limited. HDR content will technically display but the color benefit will be muted.