Last year, curved TVs burst into the scene and promised an immersive viewing experiences without needing 3D. Though many of us are still dubious of the effects, Samsung has proceeded to bring the feature to PC monitors. Check out the flagship model of Samsung’s new curved monitor series – the Samsung S34E790C.

Complete Package

At 34-inches, the S34E790C was the size of a small TV. It’s coloured black for a classier look and accented with a dash of silver to give it a little bit of shine, followed by a brushed metal back and stand to complete the design. There was no lack of ports as it had a plethora of connectivity options including two HDMI ports, a DisplayPort, and one audio out. There’s also a USB link for PCs, which enables the use of the four extra USB ports at the back; this doesn’t matter much for laptop users like me, but I imagine it would be handy if the monitor was easier to reach than the PC.

Curved 21:9

The curve on the monitor was subtler than expected, which Samsung claimed would deliver a more immersive viewing experience, but in practice I couldn’t really tell due to the shorter sitting distance that’s normal for monitors. More than likely, the effect would have been better if the user was sitting farther back, that means a longer HDMI or DisplayPort cable would be required.

Average Ergonomics

Despite the small ‘legs’ of the T-shaped stand for the S34E790C, it never felt wobbly because the stand was solid and heavy. It didn’t have much in terms of ergonomics though, except for limited angles for tilting and being able to adjust the screen’s height. Nothing particularly fancy, but including height adjustment is good enough for many users.

Controlling Thumbstick

To control the OSD (On-Screen Display), a thumbstick on the back can be used. It was quite easy to use and had the standard number of settings such as the brightness and colour tone, as well as added features like Picture-in-Picture; more on PIP later. One thing I felt Samsung should have done, however, was to put the thumbstick closer to the bottom-centre of the monitor so as to be more accessible.

Display Ups and Downs

Since the S34E790C was based on a VA panel, contrast was excellent as was the viewing angles. Flickers weren’t an issue on the monitor, so it was less tiring on the eye on long days of staring at the screen. I didn’t feel any greater sense of immersion while using it, but it did seem as if the two ends of screen were of equidistance so at least I wasn’t turning my head as much for a screen so big. My eyeballs still got way more exercise than it normally does with my 13-inch laptop’s display though.

The ultra-wide QHD resolution, when paired with Picture-in-Picture, was a very useful combination. It gave me a wider display to work with and allowed me to casually work on my PC on one half of the screen, while the other was playing some videos from a media player. There was even a pair of stereo speakers, which while not fantastic, did a decent job.

Flaws noted were the display’s sharpness and colour gamut. For the first, I noted that the display wasn’t as sharp as I’d like it to be, a fact that may bother some people. Secondly, the colour gamut being only 72% NTSC means that those who require the best in colour accuracy for their work would give the S34E790C a pass. Overall, the visual quality of the monitor was adequate, but I felt that it should have performed better if Samsung wanted to charge that much for the display.

A price tag too steep

No doubt, the curve display category still needs to mature as a technology. Given time, it may develop into a new niche that consumers would consider. As it is, the Samsung S34E790C is a good option for those who need the amount of space it provides, as well as the ability to multitask on two separate machines thanks to PIP. Make no mistake; this is a great monitor. However, at RM4,299 it’s really difficult to justify what you’d need to pay for.

Byline: by matthew yap

Price RM4,299

Specs

Weight 9.9 kg

Screen Size 34 Inch

Type Vertical Aligned

Native Resolution 3440 x 1440

Brightness 300 cd/m²

Contrast Ratio 3,000:1 (8Mil:1 Dynamic Contrast)

Response Time 4ms

Refresh Rate 60Hz

Value 6

Performance 9

Features 9

Design 9

Usability 9

Total 8.4

Verdict A new frontier for monitors, but carries a stunning price tag that few can afford.