Choosing a 49' (Super) Ultra Wide Monitor

Skullytor on 30/07/2023 - 03:12
Last edited 30/07/2023 - 03:13

I'm considering a new monitor setup for my home workstation.

Use it primarily for work, browsing etc and a bit of gaming here and there.
PC is a Gen11 i7, 64GB RAM and a 3060 GPU.

I was thinking a dual screen setup, with a 34' Ultra Wide + a 27' standard aspect screen. But thinking why not do it proper and go for a 49' Ultra Wide.

What I want to do is use my PC to plug in 2xVideo outputs into the screen and have hardware Dual Screens via Picture by Picutre (PBP). Reason is I do a lot of MS Teams presenting and I need to present what's on my screen, not just individual apps.
Basically like this bloke is doing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIp7bDMaIU4&t=168s

And then when I go back to using it for leisure, I switch it to utilise the entire 49' screen.

So far the leading contender is the AOC screen: https://aoc.com/us/gaming/products/monitors/AG493UCX

Wanted to get advice and opinions if this is the best screen for the $1000-$1300 budget or it the Samsung and others are better for some reason.

Also happy for input regarding my intended usage.

Computing

Comments

  • Hybroid on 30/07/2023 - 03:30
    +1

    Consider that 49" ultrawide monitors are quite short in display height to maintain 32:9 aspect ratio. Much shorter than a regular 32" which is perfect for 2 documents/applications side-by-side. That means it's not actually ideal for productivity having less vertical real estate i.e. less visible information and more scrolling. They're much more designed for media consumption.

    Conversely, if your work involves 3D modelling/AutoCAD/Engineering applications etc then the ultrawide would be a far more ideal monitor and make more sense.

    It would really be worthwhile finding a local shop with some samples to check them out in person. Also to help you decide if you prefer curved or not at that size as that will narrow down options considerably. Some people love curved, some people can't stand them.

    • Skullytor on 30/07/2023 - 03:42

      If i understand correct, when its running in PBP 'split' mode it gives me 2x 2560x1440 resolution screens, which scale down to to 1920x1080.
      That's a run of the mill standard screen aspect these days?

      The current screen I present from is at 1920x1080 and it works well.

      Tell me if I'm missing something.

      PS I'm currently running an old LG 24' at 1920x1080 and an LG 29' widescreen at 2560x1080. I tend to enjoy working on the widescreen more. Using 'fancy zones' to snap windows into zones that suite the shape I like them at.

      100% will check one out in person! I think I'll enjoy the curve screen, Mrs has one in her study but not a wide screen.

  • bargaino on 30/07/2023 - 13:47

    I don't get it. What is the compelling advantage over using a matched pair of 16:9 displays?
    Is there a software problem that loses some feature that way?

    • Skullytor on 30/07/2023 - 18:09

      Yes, MS Teams cannot share a specific screen area. It's either a single app or and entire screen. There is 3rd party software that apparently does it - but our MOE is locked down and not available.

      Software screen splitting, such as the Windows built in or Powertoys Fancy Zones will let you split and snap apps, yet MS Teams won't recognise.

      • ozbargainsam on 30/07/2023 - 18:28
        +1

        That doesn't answer bargaino's question. And I'm not undersanding what the issue is. I run two screens and if I'm sharing on (insert any team chat app) I usually share just one screen. The other screen is still accessible (usually has my chats and emails, reference docs) and they don't see it.

        FancyZones is just window snapping. It won't help you.

  • Skullytor on 30/07/2023 - 18:13

    I had a look at one on display and played with it, it was the Samsung at $1299.

    I tried out the PBP screen split and it worked pretty good. Gave me 2 27" monitors.

    I also tried it on full wide screen and liked the extended view it gave me.

    For none-work I'd be happy to use it on wide screen. For work I'd use the PBP feature.

    I met a shopper there who was also doing reached on it, he advised the AOC has flicker issues I should research. I could not find a place that had the AOC on display

  • ozbargainsam on 30/07/2023 - 18:23

    My general feel after some research is that most ultrawides, apart from a handful (see Dell's U4021H), are geared towards gaming and not productivity. They're also just more expensive because they're niche and gamers tend to spend up. If it's not gaming you're going for (since you never mention it), then it's probably aesthetics?

    Using them for productivity is a bit of a waste. They aren't particularly high resolution for what you pay for (two 27" 1440p screens are like $300?) and the colours are generally aren't as good, either.

    Honestly, just get a couple of the Dell 4Ks when they're on 20% off: https://www.dell.com/en-au/shop/dell-27-4k-uhd-usb-c-monitor…

    But if you really want the aesthetic, you better be sure of the compromises you're making.

    Also, I prefer 27" for my displays (others 32"). If you have decent eyesight, then 4K @ 27" is a good cheap 'high DPI' option. 1440p @ 27" is rather grainy if you're used to higher resolution screens (or once you've seen it).

  • bhubb18 on 31/07/2023 - 13:37

    My old boss had one, and I ran an ultrawide + vertical widescreen.

    He did a lot of work on very wide excel sheets, whereas I typically had a bunch of windows open

    I like the idea but imo doesn't work for my use case. Vertical + ultrawide is my choice for home and office

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