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Review: LG’s 34″ UltraWide curved monitor is great for movies and video editing workflows

LG UltraWide Review Hero

As someone who uses timeline-based apps such as Logic Pro X and Final Cut Pro X on a regular basis, horizontal display real estate is incredibly important to me. When it comes to editing video and audio, the bigger the monitor the better.

With the recent popularity of extra-wide 21:9 monitors, I’ve come to understand that width can make a major difference in managing timeline-based editing workflows as well. The extra horizontal real estate is also a nice option for watching movies shot with a 2.39:1 aspect ratio.

With this in mind, I’ve been looking forward to going hands-on with a 21:9 display. LG’s 34UC98 UltraWide IPS monitor is not only extremely wide at 3440 x 1440, but it’s curved as well. How does this new display fit into my workflow? Does having a so-called UltraWide display make a difference? 

The issue with resolution

Before I even received this monitor, I knew that I would have to overcome one major issue if I was going to be able to use it long term. That issue, of course, revolves around clarity.

As someone who is accustomed to Retina (HiDPI) displays, transitioning back to lesser clarity was going to present the biggest challenge. That’s what makes 4K monitors, and to an even greater degree, 5K monitors, so desirable. Because these monitors have enough real estate to run in HiDPI mode, you get the benefit of a large screen that looks as good as your MacBook Pro with Retina display with regard to text sharpness.

LG Native vs Retina

How “Retina” HiDPI mode would look on the UltraWide — not practical

At 3440 x 1440, the 34UC98 doesn’t really have that luxury. Sure, you can use third-party utilities in an attempt to enable HiDPI mode, but then you’d still be looking at a max resolution of 1720 x 720. Having such little real estate pretty much negates the benefits of having an UltraWide display, so the best choice is to try to live with the “non-Retina” look of the monitor.

Could I do it? Well, I’d be lying if I said it was easy. Going from Retina to non-Retina can be taxing on the eyes for sure, especially when reading text. I really wanted to make it work, though, so I persevered through a little bit of eye strain. After about a week of constant usage, my eyes began to get used to reading text that was just a tad blurry when compared to my MacBook Pro.

If you don’t use a Retina display on a daily basis already, then such a predicament won’t even be an issue for you. For instance, if you’re still using Apple’s Thunderbolt Display on a regular basis, you won’t notice much of a difference as far as text fidelity is concerned.

Specs

  • Screen Size Class – (diagonal) 34″
  • Panel Type – IPS
  • Color Gamut – (CIE1931) sRGB over 99%
  • Color Depth – (Number of Colors) 10bit (8bit + A-FRC)
  • Pixel Pitch (mm) – 0.2325 mm x 0.2325 mm
  • Response Time – 5ms GTG
  • Refresh Rate – 60 Hz
  • Aspect Ratio – 21:9
  • Resolution – 3440 x 1440
  • Brightness – 300 cd/m2
  • Contrast Ratio – 5M:1
  • Viewing Angle – 178 / 178
  • Surface Treatment – Hard Coating (3H), anti-glare

It’s the horizontal real estate

Just what are the benefits of such a display if you don’t get to enjoy the crispness afforded by HiDPI mode? As I alluded to at the outset, it’s all about the amount of real estate, primarily the horizontal real estate.

Having 3,440 pixels of horizontal resolution means that you can fit multiple browser windows side-by-side with ease. More importantly, it means that you can fit some incredibly long Final Cut Pro X or Logic Pro X timelines on a single screen.

For those of you who do work using non-linear editing apps, you’ll immediately recognize the benefit of such a setup. It means less scrolling and less zooming, which can save you time on your edits.

Widescreen FCP X

With an UltraWide display, scrolling and zooming is still necessary, but it can be used a lot more sparingly. There’s just something about being able to see more of a project timeline without having to use zoom often. The sheer amount of additional horizontal space makes this monitor worth considering for frequent timeline editors.

Movies look awesome

One of the biggest benefits to having a 21:9 monitor didn’t occur to me until I tried watching a movie from my iTunes collection. On my normal 16:9 monitor, I’d get those annoying black bars at the top of the screen for any movie shot with a 2.39:1 aspect ratio.

As you know, many movies are shot using this anamorphic aspect ratio, so this monitor, with its wider screen, is particularly suitable for watching such movies. Obviously, 4:3 content and even 16:9 content is going to feature black bars, but if you watch a lot of modern movies with anamorphic aspect ratios, then you’ll be able to view them without the letterbox.

LG UltraWide Movies

Ahead of the curve

Curved displays may seem like marketing gimmicks, and for things like televisions, where you’re sitting five or more feet away from the screen, I’d tend to agree. But for a monitor that’s literally no more than a couple of feet from your face, having a curved display makes for a more immersive experience.

LG UltraWide Curve

At first, I found the curve to be a little disorienting. It was almost as if the screen was 3D and the image was popping off the display. Like the rest of my experience with this display, time seemed to alleviate most of my issues, and I no longer felt that sensation while viewing the screen.

I’ll say this; having a curved screen might not reap any tangible benefits, but I certainly didn’t feel like it detracted from the experience at all. Besides, it looks way cooler sitting on my desk than a flat panel display ever would.

If you aren’t particularly fond of a curved display, you can opt for LG’s flat panel 34″ UltraWide display from last year, which also comes at a cheaper price.

Video walkthrough

Thunderbolt support and more

Not only does the 34UC98 feature dual HDMI and a DisplayPort connection, but it also features dual ThunderBolt 2.0 inputs that can be used to connect directly to your Mac with a single cable.

Having Thunderbolt as a connection option adds a great deal of simplicity to Mac setups. That’s because you can access other peripherals that connect to the monitor via USB over the Thunderbolt connection. In other words, such a setup essentially turns the UltraWide monitor into a convenient docking station for your Mac.

Thunderbolt LG Monitor

Speaking of USB, LG’s curved UltraWide display features two USB 3.0 inputs, along with a USB uplink cable for those who don’t use Thunderbolt. One of the ports supports faster charging for mobile devices via its Quick Charge feature.

Rounding out the rest of the interface options is a 3.5mm headphone input and a place for the monitor’s power adapter.

For all of its advantages, I was disappointed that LG omitted placing an SD Card reader on the display. That seems like a huge missed opportunity considering the type of audience that a product like this is going to attract.

Sound

LG UltraWide Sound

LG’s MaxxAudio speakers is a two speaker stereo setup at 7W each. The sound quality is okay if you’re in a pinch, but you’re definitely going to want to invest in some audio hardware to go along with this display.

Sound on the 34UC98 is thin, lacks clarity, and is devoid of any sort of low end range. That’s par for the course when it comes to speakers on monitors or televisions, so that should not be surprising in the least.

Stand and build quality

The stand for the display easily snaps on to the back of the monitor and provides it with an adequate amount of stability. While on the stand, the monitor can tilt forward and backward -5° to 15°. The stand also allows users to adjust its screen height up to 110mm. The monitor doesn’t rotate from side to side, but that might not be a big issue given its curve.

The stand itself is a mixture of white and grey plastic. The bottom portion of the stand curves around to compliment the curve of the display itself.

I’ve noticed that most monitors these days suffer from shaking and stability issues, especially as you raise the height. Outside of Apple’s own in-house displays, it’s hard to find a monitor that features rock-solid stability. LG’s UltraWide is no exception. Moving the desk that the stand is resting on pretty much guarantees at least some slight movement of the display itself. It’s not overly distracting, but it’s something to be aware of.

LG UltraWide Build Quality

Thankfully, the issues with stability can be solved by using a heavy duty monitor arm, and LG’s UltraWide can connect to an industry standard VESA mount via an attachment. If stability issues become a concern to you, then it’s nice to know that you have options outside of the default stand.

Overall, I wasn’t very impressed with the build quality of this monitor considering its asking price. An all metal stand would have gone a long way towards helping the presentation. I also noticed small gaps on the side of the display where the front of the monitor meets the back. For a price north of $1,000, I think my high expectations are warranted.

Interface and options

There is a single button found on this monitor, and it’s one of those joystick deals that allow you to control the entire OSD from a single source of input. Moving the joystick to the left or to the right adjusts the monitor’s sound volume, and pressing and holding the joystick toggles the monitor on and off. A single press on the joystick activates the OSD, which allows you to configure the display’s many settings and options.

LG UltraWide Joystick

The OSD features the typical options that you’d generally associate with a display. There’s input settings for changing the current input, and quick settings for quickly adjusting crucial features like brightness and contrast.

You’ll also find more advanced features like PBP mode, which allows you to display two sources of input on the display in a simultaneous side-by-side setup. With PBP mode, you could display an Apple TV and your Mac at the same time.

LG Software UltraWide Snapping

There are several additional options available for this display, including LG’s OnScreenControl app. TheOnScreenControl app is basically LG’s version of window snapping, and it lends a quick way to take advantage of all of the available space on the monitor across multiple apps.

Conclusion

The LG 34UC98 UltraWide display is an awesome display when used with the right applications. For using timeline-based audio and video editing applications, it truly excels and can make editing easier. Anamorphic widescreen movies fill the entire display and look downright incredible. If either of those use-cases fit your circumstances, then I can easily recommend LG’s UltraWide offering.

With all of that said, this isn’t a monitor that’s going to work properly with HiDPI modes. That means that you won’t get the “Retina” look that many of us enjoy on the MacBook and MacBook Pro with Retina display. If you’re someone who’s primarily working with editing apps like Logic Pro X, or Final Cut Pro X, this will be much less of an issue.

But if writing and reading are your main things, I have to be honest and say that some of you will not be able to handle going back to a non-Retina display, even if it means a better experience from a real estate perspective. For those of you in that boat, I totally understand. It’s not easy dealing with semi-blurry text once you’ve gotten used to the sharpness made possible by HiDPI modes.

LG Non retina Display

Another thing to think about when considering this monitor is the lack of an SD Card reader. For creatives, the type of people that are the primary audience for this display, that seems like an egregious omission. My entire workflow is based largely around transferring the contents of SD Cards to my Mac, and having an SD Card slot would have simplified this exercise.

Lastly, I wasn’t overly impressed with the monitor’s build quality. Plastic is the material of choice here, and while it’s high quality plastic, I tend to expect more when spending close to a grand.

While having such a wide screen is a definite win for video editing workflows, as someone who writes more than he edits video, I do miss the sharp text afforded by a Retina display. This is a solid, workflow-enhancing second monitor for pro apps, but 4K is what I’d recommend for web browsing, reading, writing, etc.

One day, we’ll get a Retina-enabled UltraWide display with a 6880 x 2880 resolution. Such a monitor, right now, would likely cost a small fortune. In the meantime, you can score LG’s UltraWide 34UC98 for about $1,039.99 for the Thunderbolt-enabled model, and only $868 for a version sans Thunderbolt. The cheaper version also comes with a black exterior and stand, which some may prefer. Don’t forget that you can get last year’s non-curved model for a cheaper price as well, if curved displays aren’t your thing.

What type of monitor are you currently using with your Mac? Drop me a line in the comment section with the details. For more coverage of Mac-compatible displays, be sure to have a look at Jordan’s 4K display shootout.

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Comments

  1. triankar - 8 years ago

    A very compelling monitor, except for one thing. Sure, there’s still enough MacBooks out there being sold with TB2, but when TB3 is out there a few months now and it IS the future, the omission of a USB-C / TB3 port is a big miss. (I say while I’m patiently waiting for the right monitor to replace my Thunderbolt Display)

  2. Damian Krawczyk - 8 years ago

    Hey, are you able to answer those two questions ?
    – Are you able to control screen brightens using Macbook keys ?
    – Do you know if you can run this display at max resolution using TB2 from Macbook with Intel iris only (13″ Mid 2014) ?

    • Jeff Benjamin - 8 years ago

      Question 1: I don’t think so, but you can use an app like this: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/brightness-slider/id456624497?mt=12

      Question 2: Yes. I have a Late 2013 MacBook Pro with Retina display, Iris Pro ONLY, and it drives it at 3440×1440 60Hz via Thunderbolt 2. Even when I have the MacBook open.

      • Damian Krawczyk - 8 years ago

        Thanks

      • peterblood71 - 8 years ago

        Looking at Apple’s site and elsewhere I haven’t found ANY information about just what the Thunderbolt 2 port on my MBP 15″ 2014 can drive. Notably 3440×1440. Does it connect with just a single Thunderbolt cable? Thunderbolt to HDMI? Thunderbolt to Displayport? What did you use? Can you still use the remaining Thunderbolt port for a RAID or external drives??

  3. PhilBoogie - 8 years ago

    Photos might come out looking differently after printing them. lol

    • myke2241 - 8 years ago

      unless your calibrating…

      • PhilBoogie - 8 years ago

        Actually I mean that one needs to fold the printed picture, in order to view it the same as you saw it on this display.

  4. alethomas - 8 years ago

    When looking for a desktop… I was thinking of going with a MacBook Pro and this LG UltraWide monitor.

    But I went and got the 27″ 5K iMac instead… Although having the option to unplug the MacBook Pro and go portable with it, I preferred the 5K screen and didn’t mind the stationary aspect of it.

  5. Tangier Clarke - 8 years ago

    I was looking into an ultra wide as well, but didn’t like the idea that I can’t do something on a separate display the way I can with two displays. This applies to using FCP X and showing the event browser on one screen and everything else on the other. It also applies to playback through AppleTV or some other presentation device. I searched the interwebs trying to see if any ultra wide monitors have an option of being virtual dual display inside the one screen. That doesn’t seem to exist. There are benefits to having two displays at the app level and Finder level, but I still want one of these for sure.

    • PhilBoogie - 8 years ago

      I agree that a second screen for the same application would be a great benefit. We used to have it for some apps (iTunes) and still do for some apps (MS Excel, Word).

      • bsenka - 8 years ago

        On the LG Ultrawides, you can split the screen into up to 4 separate “panels” so that it behaves as if it were multiple monitors. Lots of arrangement possibilities too.

      • Tangier Clarke - 8 years ago

        Wait, so bsenka – you’re saying that FCP X would be able to identify that operation of the screen as another monitor? FCP X has a feature where you can view the event browser or viewers on a second display, but twitch these wide monitors I doubt this is possible to separate the space on one physical display like that or rather for the software to acknowledge a virtual space and another physical display. I would really like to know if anyone has ever tried this on an ultra wide successfully.

  6. spiffers - 8 years ago

    Oh man, perfect for Xcode!

  7. irelandjnr - 8 years ago

    A curved screen of this size for movie watching is nothing more than a gimmick. Just because something is possible doesn’t mean you should do it.

    • Jeff Benjamin - 8 years ago

      I agree that curved screens can be gimmicks, but I think a curved screen is more apt for a computer monitor than a TV. It works in this case, and isn’t a gimmick at all IMO.

  8. calisurfboy - 8 years ago

    @Jeff Benjamin I am not a computer expert but I am following the articles on building your own hackintosh you published last month. A good follow up article would be discussing good replacement monitors for an iMac to buy for your hackintosh. Comparison of ones with 2560 x 1440 and 4K/5K that can replicate the iMac experience would be very helpful. I need to buy a monitor soon and am a bit lost looking at all the monitors and their specs.

  9. mochachaiguy - 8 years ago

    I’m loving my LG 34UM95 – it’s the flat screen version. Excellent for large IMAX (200+ tracks) ProTools sessions!

    • pfsquad - 8 years ago

      I second this. Love it and have been using it for almost a year roughly where I really learned to enjhoy the real estate it offers.

  10. I have the aforementioned last year’s, non-curved model and love it. Yes, the build quality is a little disappointing, but as long as the thing just sits there and you don’t touch or move it, it’s fine. I did try with an iMac 5k in addition to my MacBook Pro, but in the end I sold the iMac and got that LG display, as I was getting tired with managing two systems and keeping files in sync. With the work I do, cloud storage wasn’t an option, and I wasn’t disciplined enough to always have an external SSD with me to have my files where I need them. So when I saw LG was doing a display with TB 2 built-in, I was sold.

  11. Rod Drury (@roddrury) - 8 years ago

    Tried the Samsung version soon after getting new MacBook 12″. Had to connect over HDMI and lack of Camera meant it wasn’t an ADC easy replace but the width was great. Sparks two questions

    1. Why is a new USB-C Cinema Display so late
    2. Why don’t Samsung or LG build a USB-C, Camera, noise cancelling sound as ADC replacement. I’d by several 34″wide screens with those features in a heartbeat.

    • myke2241 - 8 years ago

      you are asking for too much. you want noise canceling and camera etc in a aftermarket display! you have to remember these are purpose built displays. i would personally ask for no extras (not even speakers! what display speakers sound good anyway). give me good build quality and input options. all that other stuff is for the cats and potential failure points.

      Question (to the reviewer) why LG over Dell?

  12. Aaron Lozano - 8 years ago

    So, can we get a curved iMac 34″ with that aspect ratio? I would upgrade immediately.

  13. Marco Brandão - 8 years ago

    Jeff, thank you for this great review. It is a big step in the right direction for pro consumers. I hope they make a smaller version for mid consumers as well.

  14. John Kilpatrick - 8 years ago

    I bought this monitor. I love it. I have the Dell U3514W at work, but for me this is awesome. I have my home desktop, a Mac Mini, hooked up via USB and DP. I have a Thunderbolt cable waiting for my laptop. When I work from home, like today, I just dock my work laptop and go. So nice.

  15. Jay - 8 years ago

    How about color reproduction? I avoided buying non-Apple monitors because of color calibration between multiple displays. Is color represented equally between this monitor and an iMac screen, for instance? Thanks.

  16. Brent Maxwell - 8 years ago

    I have this monitor and I love it, except that it is not possible to turn off the light coming from the OSB toggle in “stand by/sleep” mode. It is very bright and if your monitor is in your bedroom like mine is, it lights up the whole room with non stop slow flashing. I have to turn the monitor off overtime I finish using it. VERY annoying.

    • Jeff Benjamin - 8 years ago

      Black tape…

      • Brent Maxwell - 8 years ago

        The entire joystick/switch is a light… hard to use with tape on it. I thought about that one already unfortunately :/ Thanks for the idea though.

  17. Mondo Floro Armedilla - 8 years ago

    hi all, i’m looking for an external display for my mbpro mid 2015 (retina) and i was really rooting for this model but i got turned off with the visible pixels. can anyone recommend a good monitor? i actually want the same features of this LG but at par RETINA display quality (or at least close). i read a lot, do photo and graphics work and a little bit of video editing. really need your recos soon. :) thank you!

  18. David Schulte - 7 years ago

    Hi,

    I bought the 34UC97 and just plugged it into my Retina Macbook. Although I can select the screen resolution of 3440×1440 in settings, once I choose it, the monitor can’t display it and just shows coloured lines. I have connected the monitor and mac with the supplied HDMI cable. on 2048 x 858 everything works fine, but just looks nasty.

    Does anyone know, what I have to do to get the 3440×1440 to work?

    I would really appreciate any help!

    Thanks
    David

  19. hdvideoeditors - 7 years ago

    thanks !! great Voice

Author

Avatar for Jeff Benjamin Jeff Benjamin

Jeff is the head of video content production for 9to5. He initially joined 9to5Mac in 2016, producing videos, walkthroughs, how-tos, written tutorials, and reviews. He takes pride in explaining things simply, clearly, and concisely. Jeff’s videos have been watched hundreds of millions of times by people seeking to learn more about today’s tech. Subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube to catch Jeff’s latest videos.