Lenovo Announces New ThinkVision LT2934z Panoramic Display
by Jarred Walton on September 3, 2013 5:29 PM EST
Along with their new ThinkPad Ultrabooks, Lenovo also announced their new LT2934z panoramic display today in Berlin, Germany prior to the start of IFA. This is a 29” 21:9 aspect ratio display similar to the LG 29EA93 monitor we looked at earlier this year, only with the stand and other features designed and packaged by Lenovo. While Chris wasn’t particularly impressed with the initial LG display, the updated firmware solved every major complaint and turned it into a very compelling product. Lenovo’s LT2934z will hopefully keep all of the good aspects and merely add to it.
Core features include an AH-IPS panel, full HD webcam, dual array microphone, and stereo speakers. It also has picture-in-picture functionality. The backlight is rated at 100% sRGB gamut, so perhaps not ideal for professionals but great for “the rest of us”. The native resolution is 2560x1080, with the normal 178 degree viewing angles that IPS provides. Adjustment options include tilt (-5°/+25°) and swivel (+/-45°), as well as 110mm of height adjustment (if I’m reading the spec sheet properly – it says “110mm Lift”). Video connectivity consists of VGA, HDMI 1.4, MHL, DL-DVI, and DisplayPort 1.2. The LT2934z also includes two USB 3.0 ports (one with BatteryCharge 1.2, so it’s always powered) and two additional USB 2.0 ports. The display weight 18.3 lbs. (8.3kg) and measures 26.5”x11.2” (673mm x 284mm). Also included are dedicated VoIP keys for mute, pick up/drop call, and volume.
The LT2934z is scheduled for availability starting in October 2013, with pricing starting at $799. That’s $100 more than the LG 29EA93, but hopefully with the extra features making it a worthwhile upgrade.
Source: Lenovo PR
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yik3000 - Tuesday, September 3, 2013 - link
Look at the thin bezel for this one...hopefully this is not like some of the LG model that has a "fake thin bezel"..zanon - Tuesday, September 3, 2013 - link
Good 2560x1440 27" IPS panels are now firmly into the $400-500 range, with the super budget ones even getting below $400 (like Monoprice's), albeit at the cost of some features. Even 30" 2560x1600 panels are starting to hit <$800. Given general VESA compatibility an included stand isn't worthless but not it's not a massive feature either, and that seems to be about all this has going for it.So I'm having trouble seeing how cutting off 360-520 vertical pixels and raising the price a lot makes for a "very compelling product". If it was a lot cheaper as part of the bargain then maybe, if it was wider then 2560 then maybe, but less screen real estate with the same display quality doesn't particularly seem like a positive.
JarredWalton - Tuesday, September 3, 2013 - link
As someone with a 2560x1600 display, there are times when taller isn't necessarily better. Home theater enthusiasts might prefer the 21:9 aspect ratio. I linked Chris' review for a reason, as that's basically going to cover most of the questions of "is this good for me". Personally, I'm sticking with my 30" display(s) until they go belly up. Heh.zanon - Tuesday, September 3, 2013 - link
I did consider home theater enthusiasts, but I then discounted it too, because this isn't a big TV. In a 60"+ display sure, the argument that it's for the living room and oriented around video is clear. But this is for the desktop, and there the argument seems a lot more dubious. Unless the black levels are awful, black bars are not a problem (if anything they can be useful in circumstances like watching foreign video with subtitles).This is ultimately still a cut down resolution desktop display. I could see the extra 2" diagonal combined with the edge use case justifying the same price as a 27" 1440 panel, but *double* the price? Seems like pure, direct gouging and another in a long, long string of cases where manufacturers have tried to justify margin padding as "features". I'm not mad at them for it, but we don't have to let them get away with it without comment either.
DanNeely - Tuesday, September 3, 2013 - link
I'll probably retire my 30" display from primacy in a year or two. 4k monitors are still a bit more than I'm willing to spend. Once I get my new big toy, the question becomes: Do I try to smuggle it into my office because I can't convince corporate IT to buy me one (This would be interesting; not least because NEC's box is so big it won't fit into my car.); or just push it off to the side and use it in place of one of my 20" screens as an ancillary displayRyan Smith - Tuesday, September 3, 2013 - link
"Personally, I'm sticking with my 30" display(s) until they go belly up. Heh."You and me both. 16:9 is bad enough; I can't fathom trying to use something even shorter.
RocketChild - Wednesday, September 4, 2013 - link
I kinda think this is more targeted at the crowd that uses two screens. Like, a spread sheet for work and personal web browsing when the boss isn't around. Or, Skype on one screen while the GF doesn't know you have StarCraft open on the other. Kinda just saving the footprint space by combining the two together. lenovo must feel there is a niche market for this thing, especially since it has a camera. Maybe we don't see it here in the States, but overseas, in smaller apartments it has significant value.MrSpadge - Wednesday, September 4, 2013 - link
Also consider laptops which mostly have only 1 digital output, or the power consumption penalty of multiple monitors on all but the most recent GPUs. Obviously an ultra vide angle screen still has to be significantly cheaper than existing offerings with the same width but more hight.agent2099 - Tuesday, September 3, 2013 - link
It's amazing how slow PC makers are to introduce Haswell into their current generation of laptops. What's even more confusing is that they hardly ever post battery hour specifications. Or are they failing to do so because the battery life is that bad compared to the new Macbook airs?GTRagnarok - Tuesday, September 3, 2013 - link
Wrong article? Haswell ultrabooks are already coming out and they've gotten good battery life. Not as good as the MacBook Air, but then again the Air is still using a low resolution TN screen while everything else is on 1080p IPS panels.