Recently I was reading an article that covered the question, “ultra-wide monitor vs 4K Monitors: which is right for you?” Those kinds of questions assume you can’t have a 21:9 ultra-wide monitor and Quad High Definition at the same time. Well, that is no longer the case! Today we are talking about the world’s first curved 38-Inch IPS monitor, The LG 38UC99.
This monitor is BIG! LG is taking things to a whole new level with this gigantic 38-inch curved IPS Monitor, proudly showing off a 3,840 x 1,600 resolution, with a 75Hz refresh rate, and with FreeSync support.
Design
The aesthetics of this monitor is nothing short of what we have come to expect from a company like LG. A pure white and brushed metal color scheme has been selected for this monitor, giving it a sleek feel with a modern look.
The 21:9 ratio of this monitor, combined with its curved screen and extremely accurate colors, makes for an absolutely lovely and immersive experience. A 21:9 ratio is the same ration used in most cinema’s around the world. Watching movies in their original ration makes ratio (combined with the curved screen) makes for an experience that can’t be described with words.
While the LG Ultra-Wide monitor is monstrous in size (38 inches to be exact), it leaves a surprising amount of open space on your desk. The reason is found in the thinness of the screen and the design of the monitors Arclinestand. The monitor screen is quite thin and the stand for the monitor matches the curve of the screen. This stand design allows for the minimum amount of surface area to be taken up, while still providing a solid amount of stability. This leaves plenty of open space on most desks for extra accessories such as touch-pads or Wacom tablets.
The Ultra-Wide monitor stand also comes with a cable management clip that pinches all the cables into one lovely bundle. By managing cable clutter, and by designing a compact yet reliable stand, LG has managed to make this 38” monster fit ever so nicely on medium to large sized desks.
The power button to the monitor if found directly under the center of the screen. This power button also functions as a joystick that is used to navigate throughout the built-in menus. While some people have given poor reviews regarding LG’s Built-in Menus, I find them to be easy to navigate through and that they contain all the features one would expect from a high-end monitor.
Ports, Cables and… Bluetooth?
Yes, This LG Ultra-Wide comes with a rather unique feature that I, personally, have never seen in a monitor before. There is a Bluetooth adapter built into the monitor itself. Your cellphone, tablet, laptop, and virtually any other Bluetooth compatible device can now be used for audio pass-through. This means that you can now stream music from your phone and onto the speakers in your monitor.
This also means that you can add the monitor’s Bluetooth signal to your phone’s “trusted device” list so your phone remains unlocked while in your home. (a useful feature for all android users who have a very long password) Apart from the built-in Bluetooth adapter, the monitor also comes with a massive power-supply cable and adapter, a HDMI 2.0 cable, a DisplayPort 1.2 cable, and a USB Type-C cable.
Regarding ports, the LG 38UC99 has no shortage. The monitor has:
- Two HDMI 2.0 ports
- Two USB 3.0 Quick Charge ports
- One DisplayPort 1.2 port
- One USB Type-C port
- One 3.5mm Headphone jack
The USB 3.0 Quick Charge ports are used to charge any USB device quickly while working at your Monitor. I find this to be extremely useful as I can never have enough USB ports to charge various gadgets. An even more exciting feature is the USB Type-C port. The Type-C port can be used to charge laptops similar to the other USB ports, but the Type-C port can also be used as an input. This means that you can hook up your laptop via the USB Type-C port, charge your laptop, and project the laptop screen to the monitor all at the same time!
Screen
Hands down, the best part of this monitor is the immersive feeling of it all. The 38-inch curved screen seems to suck you in and just fully submerge you into the screen content. Despite the enormous size, you really have to stick your eyeball close to the screen to spot the individual pixels. The Monitors resolution is 3840×1600, which is 4x the resolution of standard HD monitors. The horizontal pixel count of this screen is the same as a 4k screen (which is 3840×2160) This screen also uses IPS technology which makes the screen not lose color as the screen bends.
Speaking of color, this monitor is rated at a 99% sRGB. This means that over 99% of the sRGB spectrum is portrayed on your screen, making this monitor ideal for photography, videography, and design. One things to keep in mind though is the distortion caused by the bend of the screen. As long you keep this distortion in mind and keep the magnet/Snap-to features turned on in your editing program of choice, there should be no problem.
There is a really nifty feature built into the monitor called Screen Split 2.0. This feature, located in the On-Screen Control menu, allows you to be able to split your giant screen into separate screens. There are over 14 types of Screen Split options, which allow you to have all the benefits of dual monitors built into one, seamless screen. Once your screen is split using Screen Split, you can hook up one computer to virtual monitor #1 and another computer to virtual monitor #2. For those of us who are not caught in the mac-boy vs die-hard-windows-user catfight, we finally have a monitor that can display mac and windows on a single screen.
This monitor’s refresh rate is 60hz through the HDMI Cable and up to 75hz through the DisplayPort Cable. This may be where many gamers want to throw up their hands and give up on this monitor, but consider the other features LG has poured into this monitor. LG has taken AMD FreeSync Technology and implemented it into the monitor, making most aliasing problems a thing of the past. Also with a built in 1ms motion blur reduction feature, gaming is clear, sharp, and accurately colored.
Conclusion
LG is really trying to make this monitor the all-in-one monitor, and while I can give you my personal opinion about this monitor the ultimate decision is yours, the buyer. I would highly recommend this monitor to designers, photographers and videographers who like to do a little gaming on the side. With that in mind, is this monitor right for you? Well, let’s consider the pros and cons.
PROS
- The world’s first curved 38-inch IPS monitor
- Enhanced features for Multi-tasking
- Screen Split 2.0
- A monitor that is both Ultra-wide 21:9 and QHD
- 99% sRGB (color calibrated from the manufacturer)
- IPS Panel type
- AMD FreeSync Technology
- 1ms Motion Blur Reduction
- Multiple charging ports
- Mac compatible via USB Type-C
- Bluetooth audio
CONS
- A price tag of $1499.99 (as of Jan. 2017)
- Max refresh rate of 75hz
- Response time 14ms / 5ms GTG