LG 34UM95 Monitor Review
by Chris Heinonen on June 18, 2014 7:00 AM EST_678x452.jpg)
21:9 monitors have done a good job of filling a couple niche positions in the marketplace. For someone that wants a single display to watch movies and use with the PC, the aspect ratio can work well. With many games, the wider field-of-view enhances games with more information on screen at once and a more immersive experience. Where they have fallen short is with their vertical resolution of 1080 pixels. Running two applications side-by-side makes everything feel cramped. For regular office work a 27” display for the same price has provided a better user experience.
Now we have the first 21:9 aspect ratio monitor with 1440 pixels of vertical resolution, the LG 34UM95. That provides the same vertical area as a 27” display but 3440 horizontal pixels instead of 2560. The larger size makes running two programs side-by-side equivalent to dual 20” displays at 1720x1440, or a 6:5 aspect ratio. Furthermore, the additional real estate makes it much easier to use for non-gaming or movie use. From spreadsheets to word processing, image editors to web browsers, the additional vertical space makes a large difference.
_thumb.jpg)
_thumb.jpg)
_thumb.jpg)
_thumb.jpg)
_thumb.jpg)
_thumb.jpg)
The LG 34UM95 is also the first non-Apple display to include Thunderbolt support. With three integrated USB ports you can use a single cable to drive the 34UM95 display and connected devices from a Thunderbolt equipped computer. An additional Thunderbolt connection allows you to connect another device directly to the 34UM95 as well. Unlike the Apple display there isn’t an Ethernet port, but there is integrated audio.
For traditional video cards the display includes a DisplayPort input and two HDMI ports. The HDMI ports are still revision 1.4a so they cannot support 60Hz refresh rates at the monitor's native resolution, but DisplayPort will run at 3440x1440 at 60Hz without any issues, including audio support. The monitor includes a full color management system with a 1-point white balance. As with previous LG displays, I have found that the CMS doesn’t work well and should be avoided. It improves the 100% readings but makes everything below that worse.
The 34UM95 includes two “Reader Modes” designed to make reading documents on-screen easier. In use what they do is pump up the red in the white balance. Since most displays ship with an overly-blue image by default, and people are used to that, this will help those people. If you have the display calibrated correctly, you wind up with an image that is very red and large errors in gamma and grayscale. Since these are easy to enable and disable in the menu system, if you like them it is easy to utilize it.
| LG 34UM95 | |
| Video Inputs | 2x HDMI 1.4a, DisplayPort |
| Panel Type | IPS |
| Pixel Pitch | 0.2325mm |
| Colors | 1.07 Billion |
| Brightness | 320 cd/m2 |
| Contrast Ratio | 1000:1 |
| Response Time | 5ms GtG |
| Viewable Size | 34" |
| Resolution | 3440x1440 |
| Viewing Angle (H/V) | 178 / 178 |
| Backlight | LED |
| Power Consumption (operation) | 56W |
| Power Consumption (standby) | 1.2W |
| Screen Treatment | Anti-Glare |
| Height-Adjustable | No |
| Tilt | Yes, -5 to 15 degrees |
| Pivot | No |
| Swivel | No |
| VESA Wall Mounting | Yes, 100mm VESA |
| Dimensions w/ Base (WxHxD) | 32.7" x 18.5" x 6.8" |
| Weight | 17 lbs. |
| Additional Features | 3.5mm stereo out, 2x Thunderbolt, 2x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.0, 2x7W speakers |
| Limited Warranty | 1 year |
| Accessories | DisplayPort Cable, HDMI Cable |
| Price | $999 |
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
110 Comments
View All Comments
bigboxes - Wednesday, June 18, 2014 - link
Why doesn't this have any of the input ports on the side? Whenever I want to slip in a flash drive I want an easily accessible port.ggathagan - Wednesday, June 18, 2014 - link
Given the width of this monitor, I suspect most users would actually find it easier to reach the ports in back.The ports aren't too densely packed, so once you acclimated yourself to the location, the back ports are probably pretty easy to access by feel.
twistedgamez - Thursday, June 19, 2014 - link
5120x2160 would be amazing - once you get that you'd probably wont need to buy another display againsseemaku - Thursday, June 19, 2014 - link
Everything is fine except the price. When will the price of monitors greater than 24'' come down!MrSpadge - Thursday, June 19, 2014 - link
Based on this model I would like to:Remove Thunderbolt, USB und audio to make it cheaper.
Make it a bit smaller (27 - 29") but keep the resolution.
Add variable refresh rate for stutter-free movies and games.
At this point I'd be willing to spend 500€ on it even though I'm pretty pleased with my current model.
Conficio - Thursday, June 19, 2014 - link
Wow those pictures are grainy.Footman36 - Thursday, June 19, 2014 - link
I really like this monitor. I currently have a Dell U2711 at 1440 x 2560 and would love a little more horizontal real estate to play with. 4K is just too much screen and does not scale well currently.It is a niche product but IMO way overpriced at the moment. I would consider an upgrade to this monitor if it was priced at a more reasonable $800 or less... Part of the cost is most likely due to the non standard IPS panel size. Still having an IPS panel with these dimensions is a great idea, certainly for the way I use my PC...
Larzy - Thursday, June 19, 2014 - link
Some really misinformed replies in the comments section.."It's niche but it's not for enthusiasts" ?
- Enthusiasts are a niche market as they are a minority.
"The Human eye is actually 4:3"
- lol
"4K is the future but 21:9 is not" ?
- Err so what about a 21:9 4k display ? Not so much ? Fine I'll take one.
"more people want 4:3 than widescreen"
- WTF ?
Ever since the 21:9 ratio was released in displays people whom have gone out of thier way to find ways of shunning it. Perhaps because they are trying to justify everything where they have spent thier moneies and is the only way the can react to not being able to buy the latest and greatest??
21:9 is finally here,thankgod, and its here to stay, so get used to it.
My thoughts on the physical aspects of the display...
It seems like they have got a lot right here, but I cant stand plastic silver finish. I really don't like materials that are cheaper knock offs made to look like something they're not.
Also these un even sized bezels, they should be equally thin on all four sides. NEC was the only company to do this right imo.
Also...
Make it black or make it with high quality materials like Apple do, or even better do both.
Bet the panel itself is very impressive though.
Footman36 - Thursday, June 19, 2014 - link
I like 21:9 but not the initial panels that had a horizontal resolution of 1080. This panel has a more usable 1440.....TegiriNenashi - Thursday, June 19, 2014 - link
"21:9 is finally here,thankgod, and its here to stay, so get used to it."Fine. Turn this monitor to portrait mode and be happy. Excuse me if some of us wan't IMAX experience, not embrasure world view.