We love a great ultra-wide monitor right here at TechSwitch, and the Samsung C49J89, which comes with a ‘tremendous ultra-wide’ side ratio, makes many of the screens we’ve beforehand tried really feel slightly cramped and titchy by comparability.
That is because of its mixture of a big 49-inch display and a facet ratio of 32:9. As compared, commonplace widescreen screens often have a facet ratio of 16:9, whereas ultra-wide screens, just like the BenQ EX3501R, have side ratios of 21:9.
Actually, the Samsung C49J89 has just one rival with regards to 32:9 side ratio, and that’s one other Samsung monitor: the Samsung CHG90, a gaming-focused monitor with the identical 49-inch display dimension and 32:9 side ratio.
The distinction between the Samsung C49J89 and the Samsung CHG90 is the latter’s deal with players, so the C49J89 on check right here has a decrease most brightness (300cd/m2 in comparison with the CHG90’s 350cd/m2), and a slower response time (5ms (GT) in comparison with the CHG90’s 1ms (MPRT)).
There’s additionally a distinction in value, with the Samsung C49J89 costing a good bit lower than the Samsung CHG90.
Value and availability
The Samsung C49J89 is now obtainable to order within the US for $1,099, within the UK for £899, and in Australia for AU$1,899. Whereas that is fairly steep for a monitor, you’re getting much more display than you often would.
It’s not the costliest monitor we’ve tried both, and is inexpensive than the Samsung CHG90, though that monitor is now seeing reductions should you store round.
So, if the gaming-centric options of the Samsung CHG90 don’t attraction however you continue to need that massive 32:9 side ratio for engaged on, watching films or doing the odd little bit of gaming (or all three directly – critically, this monitor is broad), then you possibly can save your self some cash by going for the Samsung C49J89 as a substitute.
Design
At first look the Samsung C49J89 seems to be just about an identical to the Samsung CHG90, with the identical display dimension and side ratio, together with a just about an identical physique and stand. It’s little shock that the design is so related, as Samsung would hardly have a wide array of 32:9 monitor our bodies knocking round, so it is sensible to make use of the identical chassis.
Until you are aware of its sibling, the Samsung C49J89 seems to be like no different monitor you’ve seen, with its virtually ridiculous width typically showing as if it have been an optical phantasm – it fairly simply fills your horizontal visual field. Nevertheless, the broader screens get, the extra the vertical side appears diminished, so right here you get a really broad, but slim, monitor. Mixed with the decision of 3840 x 1080, which provides you a similar vertical decision as a high-definition TV, you might discover the side ratio a bit constrictive.
As compared, the 21:9 BenQ EX3501R has a decision of 3440 x 1440, and that further vertical decision is vastly appreciated. After all, upping the vertical decision of the Samsung C49J89 would seemingly improve the asking value dramatically, and would additionally make it require extra highly effective to function, particularly should you needed to sport on it.
If you’re eyeing up the Samsung C49J89 you’ll want a reasonably broad desk to deal with its 47.36-inch span. And, sitting in entrance of it, you’ll seemingly end up having to show your head to see open home windows positioned on the extremities.
Just like the Samsung CHG90 it is curved, which makes it extra snug to soak up the total display. It has a curvature of 1800R, which is fairly pronounced – 1800R is kind of widespread in curved screens, however some (in addition to curved TVs) go for a 3000R curvature, which is subtler. However then there’s nothing delicate about this monitor.
The display is well hooked up to the arm and stand, though you’ll need a screwdriver to correctly affix it, and when meeting is full you possibly can swivel and tilt the display, in addition to modify the peak. Across the again are two 7-watt audio system, and on the underside are the varied ports. Given the huge width of the Samsung C49J89 you possibly can think about that there’s loads of area for ports, and Samsung hasn’t handed on the chance – the monitor comes with two HDMI ports, a DisplayPort, two USB Kind-C ports, two USB 2.zero ports, a USB three.zero port and an audio jack. It additionally has a USB Kind-C upstream port, enabling you to show the monitor right into a hub.
It’s a trendy, slick, but additionally domineering monitor, because of an aesthetic design by Samsung, and naturally the sheer dimension of the display.
Efficiency
The Samsung C49J89 has a VA (vertical alignment) panel. On paper VA panels ought to ship glorious blacks, however they’ll undergo from having a slightly slim viewing angle, which suggests VA screens can typically seem washed out should you’re viewing them from an angle, slightly than straight-on.
As a result of sheer size and dimension of the C49J89 there’s a great probability that you simply’ll be viewing at the very least among the display at an angle, however in our time with it we didn’t discover any deterioration in picture high quality on the extremities when sitting in entrance of it at a desk – the curvature of the display definitely helps right here.
The Samsung C49J89 is designed extra for productiveness use than for gaming, and Home windows 10 does a great job of scaling the desktop to the super-ultra-wide side ratio. You actually do get loads of display area to play with, and we have been capable of work fairly comfortably with a lot of applications, apps and web sites all open directly.
Nevertheless, the 1080-pixel vertical decision does imply there’s not loads of vertical display area, and should you’re coming from a monitor with a WQHD decision (2560 x 1440) you may very well discover the Samsung C49J89 a bit too slim.
Nevertheless, having the ability to have so many home windows open whereas solely having one monitor in your desk is a implausible characteristic, and picture high quality out of the field is fairly good. The buttons on the underside of the bezel are shortcuts for sure options, with the primary switching between enter sources. The second activates the monitor’s Image-In-Image mode – this is a wonderful characteristic that lets you plug in a second supply, comparable to a laptop computer, and show that display inside the principle display linked to your PC. Due to the sheer dimension of this monitor this can be a very helpful addition, and it really works nicely.
The third button lets you use the Samsung C49J89 as a KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) swap, so you possibly can have one keyboard and mouse plugged into the monitor, and the button will allow you to swap the peripherals to different gadgets you will have plugged into the monitor with out having to bodily unplug and transfer the mouse and keyboard. It’s one other helpful characteristic for enterprise customers.
Behind the facility button is a joystick-like button that is used to convey up and management the onscreen menu. It’s hidden away a bit, however as soon as situated it may be used to undergo among the pre-set show modes, which you’ll tweak to your liking.
Samsung additionally has a chunk of software program, EasySettingBox, that works with the Samsung C49J89. This software program allows you to shortly break up the display into a number of areas, both utilizing one of many ready-made templates or one that you simply’ve created your self. Then, once you drag a window you possibly can place it in an space (they’re highlighted in blue) and the window will broaden or shrink to slot in that space. The concept with that is to make it fast and simple to rearrange a number of home windows, and it’s fairly a helpful software, and value having a mess around with.
Whereas in contrast to the Samsung CHG90 the Samsung C49J89 is not designed primarily as a gaming monitor, there will likely be individuals who wish to use it as one, with the tremendous ultra-wide side ratio and 144Hz refresh price being two compelling causes. So we fired up a few video games to see the way it carried out.
Most trendy video games can deal with the weird decision and side ratio of the C49J89, however you might have to tweak just a few settings to get them displaying correctly. We did with Wolfenstein II, and after we fired up a degree the outcomes have been actually spectacular. The sector-of-vision-spanning side ratio actually is immersive, and should you sit in the proper spot it’s virtually like carrying a VR headset, as your complete imaginative and prescient is full of the sport. The view is so broad that you could bodily transfer your head to go searching you, slightly than utilizing the mouse, which takes a little bit of getting used to however may find yourself providing you with an actual benefit in sure video games, as enemies could have a tougher time sneaking up on you.
The slower response time of the Samsung C49J89 in comparison with gaming screens does make the gameplay really feel somewhat extra sluggish. We’ve just lately been spoiled by gaming screens with G-Sync and Free-Sync know-how that mixes excessive refresh charges with low response occasions for extremely easy gameplay, though none of them can match the sheer spectacle of the Samsung C49J89’s 32:9 side ratio.
For those who usually work over a number of screens, and also you’d love to do a little bit of gaming as nicely, you then’ll be very pleased with the Samsung C49J89’s efficiency. We’d like to see a model with a better decision (and there at the moment are rumors that Samsung is working on one) and should you’re a aggressive gamer who’s acutely aware of enter lag then a gaming-orientated monitor could be extra to your liking.
Verdict
If the gaming-orientated Samsung CHG90 was a bit too costly to your tastes, the Samsung C49J89 is an excellent different, providing the identical uncommon 32:9 side ratio for a lower cost, and with out sacrificing too many options.
It’s not fairly nearly as good for gaming because the CHG90, but it surely nonetheless places on a great present – that tremendous ultra-wide side ratio actually might be breathtaking once you’re taking part in video games. It’s additionally obtained some nice productiveness instruments that make it a good selection for enterprise use, particularly should you usually work over quite a few screens, as now you can swap out these for a single Samsung C49J89.
Our solely main criticism is the dearth of vertical decision – at 1080 pixels it does make issues somewhat tight, however should you’re used to 1080p screens you’ll love the additional horizontal area.