This week at IFA in Berlin LG introduced a new flagship UltraWide display. The new monitor is called the LG 38UC99 and it's LG's largest UltraWide display to date, with a diagonal size of 37.5 inches. With a horizontal resolution of 3840 pixels, and support for 99% of the sRGB color gamut, LG appears to be positioning the monitor as one well suited for displaying UltraHD content filmed in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 or 2.40:1. Gamers aren't left out either, with support for AMD FreeSync being included as well.

The basic specifications for the panel are listed below. There aren't any big surprises as far as the panel goes, with a resolution of 3840 x 1600, a 5ms GtG response time, a peak brightness of 300 nits, and a contrast ratio of 1000:1. When you look at the monitor as a whole there are a few interesting points. The monitor has a built in USB 3.0 hub, which is generally expected of high end monitors, but in this case there are two USB Type-A connectors as well as a USB Type-C connector. LG has noted that the Type-C port can charge mobile devices, but there's no word yet on whether they support high wattage charge modes as part of the USB Power Deliver spec.

The monitor also has two 10W speakers, and it can be paired with smartphones or other devices via Bluetooth to play audio wirelessly. I would expect that most users interested in buying the LG 38UC99 for watching movies will also have a good set of speakers to go with it, but the feature is there for users who may not have enough desk space to fit such a large monitor and a sizeable pair of speakers.

LG UltraWide 38UC99
Panel 37.5" IPS
Resolution 3840 × 1600
Refresh Rate 60 Hz
Response Time 5 ms gray-to-gray
Brightness 300 cd/m²
Contrast 1000:1
Viewing Angles 178°/178° horizontal/vertical
Color Saturation 99% sRGB
Pixel Pitch 0.23 mm
Pixel Density 110 ppi
Anti-Glare Coating Yes
USB Hub 3-port USB 3.0 hub: two USB-A, one USB-C receptacles
USB-C port supports charging
Audio 10 W × 2
Launch Price $1499 (?)

LG can really be credited with bringing 21:9 displays to market in any significant capacity. A few years ago it was just a niche form factor, and prior to that it didn't really exist at all. Since then it has been adopted by many different users, including fans of movies, gamers, and users looking to improve on productivity without having to set up two separate displays. In the case of the 38UC99 the display is curved, which may limit its appeal among some groups, particularly those who need proper accuracy for geometry displayed on the monitor like users doing computer assisted design work.

Right now the LG 38UC99 doesn't have an official price, but several reports have stated that it will cost $1499 at launch. That places it strictly in high-end territory, but that's not really a surprise for a monitor of this size with these specifications.

Sources: LG, DisplaySpecifications, TechCrunch.

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  • Ikefu - Friday, September 2, 2016 - link

    I've had an LG 3440x1440 21:9 monitor for a year and a half now and love it to death. I do wish it was curved though as the edges start to have a severe angle compared to the curve. I really like that this new one is exactly 2x 1080p monitors wide but with lots of extra vertical resolution.
  • sonofgodfrey - Friday, September 2, 2016 - link

    If I figured it correctly, the display area on this monitor is about 15.5" inches high, and about 34" inches wide. For comparison, a 4:3 display of this height would be about 26" diagonal, or about the same as the old 27" tube TVs.
  • madwolfa - Friday, September 2, 2016 - link

    Please stop this curved nonsense. Nobody needs it.
  • TesseractOrion - Saturday, September 3, 2016 - link

    That told 'em madwolfa! Guess they'll now stop making these things, phew!
  • Dukenukem117 - Saturday, September 3, 2016 - link

    My goodness! For a while there, I was entranced by the monitor's seductive curves and unparalleled viewing experience, which even tops my current 34". Thank you for breaking that spell! Now I can go back to hating everything I can't afford, and being free from the yoke of the curvature-industrial-complex. A million blessings on you!

    A pox on thee foul monitor! Go back to the shadows and don't return until yee are split in half! Long live the glorious Four-to-Three!
  • AnnonymousCoward - Saturday, September 3, 2016 - link

    madwolfa, you don't want the screen facing you?
  • garrek99 - Monday, September 5, 2016 - link

    Lol.
    Try it before you knock on it. I've been using one for a year and wish it actually curved more. I've got an lg 34uc97 and believe the curvature is rated at 2800 or 3000.
  • seerak - Tuesday, September 6, 2016 - link

    Hell, we don't even need flat screens. Bring back the CRT fishbowl!
  • scanex - Sunday, September 4, 2016 - link

    Since when did 3840x1600 become 21:9! But now I guess I am asking to much...
  • ajhix36 - Sunday, September 4, 2016 - link

    Shouldn't this monitor be called 12:5 not 21:9?

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