If "massive" is the first word that pops into your head when considering the next monitor you want to buy, then thoughts of LG's 38-inch, 3,840x1,600-pixel curved display will probably follow. The size is pretty much the most notable thing about it, and while it has many of the amenities you'd expect from a prosumer model, you're really paying $1,499 for the size. In contrast, the Acer XR382CQK and Asus Designo Curve MX38VQ are both less expensive with similar specifications.
For context, a 38-inch diagonal provides the same horizontal display area as two 19-inch displays side by side; that's really not so much these days when people frequently may have a pair of 24-inch monitors, and that pair is taller because they don't have the squashed 21:9 aspect ratio of a wide screen. But a single, curved screen does look a lot nicer.
The combination of size and resolution gives it a fairly loose 111 pixel-per-inch density. That produces larger -- and for a lot of people, more readable -- interfaces, though both Windows and Mac OS allow you to scale the interfaces on denser displays.
Like all LG's newer displays, it supports AMD Freesync for gaming and LG's 1ms Motion Blur Reduction mode; you can't use them simultaneously, though, and the MBR, which basically reduces the brightness so that the pixels can adjust faster, only works at full-resolution and 75Hz.
In addition to the expected selection of inputs and USB-C ports, you can connect a device via Bluetooth to play through its speakers.
LG 38UC99-W | |
Price | $1,500, £1,300 |
Panel type | IPS |
Size (diagonal) | 37.5 |
Curve radius | 2,300R |
Resolution |
WQHD+ (3,840 x 1,600) |
Aspect ratio | 21:9 |
Pixel pitch | 0.229 |
Maximum gamut | 99 percent sRGB |
Rotates vertically | No |
Bit depth |
8 (10-bit simulation via FRC) |
Typical brightness (nits) | 300 |
Color profile stored in hardware | No |
Hardware calibration compatibility | n/a |
Selectable color spaces | None |
Color space transformation | n/a |
Color temperature options | n/a |
Claimed delta e tolerance | n/a |
HDR | No |
Selectable/custom picture modes | Yes/Yes |
G-Sync/FreeSync | FreeSync |
Maximum vertical refresh rate | 75Hz |
Gray/gray response time (milliseconds) | 5 |
Black/white response time (milliseconds) | 14 |
HDMI | 2 x 2.0 |
DVI | No |
USB-C (out) | No |
USB-C (in) | 1 |
USB 3.0 (out) | 2 |
USB 3.0 (in) | No |
Thunderbolt | No |
DisplayPort | 1 x 1.2 |
Mini DisplayPort | No |
Built-in speakers | Yes |
Headphone jack | Yes |
Card reader | No |
Wireless charging in base | No |
Bluetooth | Audio input connect/disconnect |
Accessories included | n/a |
Release date | October 2016 |