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.
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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 |
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blackmagnum - Wednesday, June 18, 2014 - link
The Koreans are on a roll with product diversity!SulianJeo - Wednesday, June 18, 2014 - link
I've always felt that the Korean companies seem to push for innovation the most. There are certainly some redundant releases (GS 5), but so many products are really game changing.weiran - Wednesday, June 18, 2014 - link
This is a nice idea using existing hardware and manufacturing with a very niche market.I fail to see where the innovation is.
darwinosx - Wednesday, June 18, 2014 - link
You should read the article you are commenting on then. Also it's hardly a niche market. That is an uninformed and laughable comment.chophshiy - Wednesday, June 18, 2014 - link
"Innovation" is becoming a meaningless word, thanks to marketing-speak. I agree with weiran; Making an obvious evolutionary step with tech that is easily available and understood should not be referred to as 'innovation'.inighthawki - Wednesday, June 18, 2014 - link
Sorry, these displays are definitely niche. Very few people see benefit of ultra widescreen displays. There are more people out there that want to go back to 4:3 than those who want to go to 21:9.FlyBri - Wednesday, June 18, 2014 - link
@inighthawki I would have to disagree that this monitor is "niche". Based on the form factor and resolution, it's actually quite versatile, and a better option than a 4K monitor at the moment (due to the current state of graphics cards). Many reviewers are saying how versatile this monitor is for both productivity and gaming. For instance, you can even use this monitor as a regular 1440p 27" monitor (with black bars, of course) if you so choose. One review I watched had the reviewer stating that he already had negative preconceived notions about this monitor and form factor, and ended up realizing how absolutely amazing it is and how he couldn't be without it now.I don't think it's niche because I think it genuinely could be a better alternative to a dual monitor setup, and I don't believe those to be niche. Not as prevalent? Yes. Niche? No. I would would say 4K monitors are more niche than this monitor.
fokka - Wednesday, June 18, 2014 - link
what you say makes sense, but i'd still call a 21:9 monitor with a unique resolution "niche". 4k is the future and will be the mainstream in a couple years. this? not so much.marcosears - Thursday, October 9, 2014 - link
I agree... Most people will want to get one of the top monitors at a more reasonable price range. /Marco at http://www.consumertop.com/best-monitor-guideMarthisdil - Wednesday, June 18, 2014 - link
It's niche because it's $1000