LG 34UM95 Monitor Review
by Chris Heinonen on June 18, 2014 7:00 AM ESTPre-calibration I used the Warm color temperature preset and the Gamma 1 setting. This provided results closest to our targets of 200 cd/m2, sRGB color gamut, and a gamma of 2.2. The RGB balance is good overall and the largest issue is the gamma. Yellow and Green are slightly over-saturated but most of the color gamut is good overall.
| Pre-Calibration |
Post-Calibration, 200 cd/m^2 |
Post-Calibration, 80 cd/m^2 |
|
| White Level (cd/m^2) | 207.8 | 198.8 | 81.3 |
| Black Level (cd/m^2) | 0.2023 | 0.205 | 0.085 |
| Contrast Ratio | 1027:1 | 970:1 | 955:1 |
| Gamma (Average) | 1.98 | 2.20 | 2.37 |
| Color Temperature | 6791K | 6511K | 6494K |
| Grayscale dE2000 | 1.65 | 0.46 | 0.81 |
| Color Checker dE2000 | 2.08 | 1.30 | 1.34 |
| Saturations dE2000 | 2.84 | 1.15 | 1.20 |
Post-calibration the RGB Balance is nearly perfect and the gamma is ideal as well. Color errors are improved due to the more accurate gamma but the 100% yellow and green colors are still overly saturated. Our contrast ratio drops slightly but is still good. With our 80 cd/m2 target and sRGB gamma the 100% issues at Green and Yellow remain but other colors are much better.
With a white LED backlight system, the LG is limited to the sRGB gamut. Using the internal color management system you can correct the over-saturation in the yellow and green colors but I would advise against it. I did this and while 100% improved, every saturation below 100% is worse and and the color checker test is worse as well. It is nice of LG to include a CMS system, but it does not function correctly in my testing. I would much rather see a multi-point white balance, which does work correctly, to help correct for the RGB balance and gamma inside the display instead of in the video card LUT.
Post-calibration the LG 34UM95 is good but not excellent. For most people it should be just fine, but for graphics professionals the extra saturation will pose a problem. LG also provides their own calibration software but I was unable to get it to run correctly on my MacBook Pro or PC. Even when it detected the display correctly it is unable to use my i1Pro or i1DisplayPro meters to calibrate itself. Assuming this performs similar to my last experience using it, CalMAN will still provide superior results as the LG display lacks an internal LUT.
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Sm0kes - Wednesday, June 18, 2014 - link
Thanks for the review. I've had this on pre-order for a couple of weeks. For someone with both a Mini-ITX gaming PC and a Macbook Air, the inclusion of both DP/HDMI and Thunderbolt is a nice touch.Like many, I've been considering the jump to 4K, but it still feel like there's too many compromises given the price. The Asus ROG 27' 1440p display is interesting (despite the TN), but I'm tired of waiting.
Azurael - Wednesday, June 18, 2014 - link
It's a shame it doesn't support running at 1/2 its native resolution when pretending to be two monitors. I frequently watch full screen video in one of my monitors whilst working on the other, which doesn't really work the same on one wide monitor, else it'd be perfect. Oh well, I'm sure somebody will release something that meets my needs eventually. I just hope it happens before much more of the backlight on one of my 2405fpws turns yellow...Gast - Wednesday, June 18, 2014 - link
Can we get a good picture with this display on a desk with a keyboard & mouse so we can get a good feel for the size? And maybe one with a standard 24" and/or 20" display for comparison?cheinonen - Wednesday, June 18, 2014 - link
I can try to place it next to a standard 20" 4:3 display and a 27" 16:9 display today or tomorrow. I'll use my wife's desktop since no one needs to see the mess that is my workspace.crazysurfanz - Wednesday, June 18, 2014 - link
there is such a picture (your first request at least) on the forum thread at ars that mackjam linked earlier: http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?f=19&am...Mark_gb - Wednesday, June 18, 2014 - link
Just over a month ago, I purchased a 29" AOC ultra-wide 21:9 format monitor. AOC 2963Pm. I've been using monitors on computers since they were experimental (and they were TV's at first). Thats going back to the 1970's. This is my first Ultra-Wide. You will not get me to ever buy another "normal" monitor again. If I had known this one was coming out, I might have waited for it. I have no use for thunderbolt ports and those are expensive add-ons, so they must be going after the Apple market more with this monitor.In any case, when I need another monitor, I will be looking for the largest affordable ultra-wide monitor that I can get.
And please dont call these a niche product. You should hear the oooohs and aaaahs I get when people see my screen. The more that people see these,, the more they will sell. I believe that eventually, most monitors will be ultra-wide.
Just use one. Then you will know.
madmilk - Wednesday, June 18, 2014 - link
So what benefit does your 29" 2560x1080 21:9 monitor have over a 32" 2560x1600 16:10?fokka - Wednesday, June 18, 2014 - link
@anandtech: not wanting to step on anyone's toes, but i think the product pictures could use a bit more polish. better lighting could go a long way in this regard. kthxbye!crazysurfanz - Wednesday, June 18, 2014 - link
I have to politely agree with you on that one, they are not great.cheinonen - Thursday, June 19, 2014 - link
I wish I had the space for a better picture setup, but I really do not right now. Finding the space to photograph a small device (smartphone, tablet) isn't too hard, but for a 34" monitor it is a challenge.