Friday, August 9th 2013
ASUS Introduces PB298Q Ultrawide 21:9 Panoramic Monitor
ASUS announced the PB298Q, a 29-inch widescreen monitor with an ultra-wide 21:9 aspect ratio and 2560 x 1080 resolution. The PB298Q features an AH-IPS (Advanced High Performance In-Plane Switching) display for rich, vibrant color and wide 178-degree viewing angles. It has a narrow 0.8mm bezel design which helps create the illusion of a frameless, edge-to-edge display. It also has rich connectivity options, ASUS-exclusive technologies, and an ergonomic stand with tilt, swivel, pivot, and height adjustments allow for enhanced productivity.
Increasing productivity with a panoramic 21:9 display
The 2560 x 1080 resolution of the ASUS PB298Q is 33% wider than standard Full HD display and, together with its 29-inch diagonal, is equivalent to two non-widescreen, 5:4 aspect ratio, 17-inch monitors placed side by side. The 21:9 aspect ratio gives more room for multiple windows, removing the need for a secondary desktop monitor. The ultra-wide resolution also means users can view more columns in a spreadsheet, with up to 13 more standard-sized columns than a conventional Full HD monitor.
The LED-backlit AH-IPS display gives extremely accurate color reproduction, making the PB298Q ideally suited to both professional and home use. 178-degree wide viewing angles also mean that images don't wash out when seen from either side, or above and below. Paired with a narrow 0.8mm bezel design, it helps create the illusion of a frameless monitor that delivers edge-to-edge visuals.
Extensive connectivity and exclusive technologies
The PB298Q display has an array of connectivity options for wide compatibility with a range of multimedia devices. Video inputs include DisplayPort, HDMI, and Dual-link DVI ports, while audio can be played through built-in 3W stereo speakers.
With an 80,000,000:1 ASUS Smart Contrast Ratio and a 300cd/m² brightness rating, the ASUS PB298Q display delivers life-like visuals by adjusting backlight luminance to achieve the darkest black and the brightest white shades. The exclusive ASUS MultiFrame software lets users organize multiple desktop windows, arranging them in an orderly fashion where they don't overlap.
ASUS Splendid Video Intelligence Technology also ensures vivid colors in every situation, with its six modes easily activated using a designated hotkey. The PB298Q also comes with QuickFit Virtual Scale with on-screen guidelines for an actual-size preview of images prior to printing. The PB298Q also features a sturdy stand with adjustable tilt, swivel, and height (up to 150mm), while a pivot joint allows the display to be rotated through 90 degrees for portrait use.
The 2560 x 1080 resolution of the ASUS PB298Q is 33% wider than standard Full HD display and, together with its 29-inch diagonal, is equivalent to two non-widescreen, 5:4 aspect ratio, 17-inch monitors placed side by side. The 21:9 aspect ratio gives more room for multiple windows, removing the need for a secondary desktop monitor. The ultra-wide resolution also means users can view more columns in a spreadsheet, with up to 13 more standard-sized columns than a conventional Full HD monitor.
The LED-backlit AH-IPS display gives extremely accurate color reproduction, making the PB298Q ideally suited to both professional and home use. 178-degree wide viewing angles also mean that images don't wash out when seen from either side, or above and below. Paired with a narrow 0.8mm bezel design, it helps create the illusion of a frameless monitor that delivers edge-to-edge visuals.
Extensive connectivity and exclusive technologies
The PB298Q display has an array of connectivity options for wide compatibility with a range of multimedia devices. Video inputs include DisplayPort, HDMI, and Dual-link DVI ports, while audio can be played through built-in 3W stereo speakers.
With an 80,000,000:1 ASUS Smart Contrast Ratio and a 300cd/m² brightness rating, the ASUS PB298Q display delivers life-like visuals by adjusting backlight luminance to achieve the darkest black and the brightest white shades. The exclusive ASUS MultiFrame software lets users organize multiple desktop windows, arranging them in an orderly fashion where they don't overlap.
ASUS Splendid Video Intelligence Technology also ensures vivid colors in every situation, with its six modes easily activated using a designated hotkey. The PB298Q also comes with QuickFit Virtual Scale with on-screen guidelines for an actual-size preview of images prior to printing. The PB298Q also features a sturdy stand with adjustable tilt, swivel, and height (up to 150mm), while a pivot joint allows the display to be rotated through 90 degrees for portrait use.
68 Comments on ASUS Introduces PB298Q Ultrawide 21:9 Panoramic Monitor
People who say more resolution is always better doesn't understand the market. If you ask the average person who knows nothing about computers, many don't like high-res monitors because it "makes everything look small". Now I know there are scaling options in some cases but the average person doesn't want to muck around with that, and it doesn't work in every situation.
I know an older guy who was convinced on a forum to buy an expensive 27" Dell 1440p monitor, only to return it a few weeks later because he had trouble seeing things that used to be bigger on his old monitor. There is a reason 1080p is a mainstream resolution. Its adequate for most uses and cheap, and you don't need an expensive graphics card to run it.
Personally I think the more options the better. More aspect ratios, more resolutions is a good thing....
And I also can confirm that numerous times people I visited had not set up their monitors correctly. That must be the reason why MS moved the "Resolution" configuration from the "Display properties" to the more immediate desktop Context Menu. But then you still have people in the woods that are unaware of the "right click", hehe....
Like, you can have both. I can set my 30" to 2560x1080 without having to sacrifice for good the 1600p portion of my monitor.
hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1039801131&postcount=163
Honestly my triple monitor 5760x1080 setup has a wider bezzle then what is shown in the link above but the bezzle doesn't bother me. I honestly don't even notice it when I am gaming. So much of this stuff IMO is simply mental and personal preference.
I was only saying I can take it or leave it. I don't feel it hinders my overall experience and these sort of things are kind of up to the individual and their tolerances.
Sort of like how some people can tolerate the existence of 1080 products and others freak out at the mere mention of them,....which is kind of their cross to bear,...
If I buy a Seiki Digital SE39UY04 39-Inch 4K Ultra HDTV (~$699 USD) as an upgrade for my Wife's 27" 2560x1440 monitor I can then repurpose her 2560x1440 (and one other) monitor into a 5x 27" setup at 3240x1920 in portrait mode. She doesn't game so it should be a fairly decent upgrade for her too,....
If I were to do that then I would definitely need some serious GPU power to push that quasi 4K resolution. That single GTX 670 certainly wont cut it,...
Beware that the Seiki is 30Hz, I wouldn't game on that.
If I bought the Seiki 39" 4K as a desktop display it would be for my Wife and her telecommuting system not for me. She uses a VPN to access her work iMac (2560x1440) and it takes up her local 2560x1440 screen. It would be beneficial for her to have a higher local resolution and 3840x2160 would fit the bill nicely. She doesn't game or use any graphically intensive stuff so 30Hz shouldn't be an issue. For a developer / programer it should be a great match!
I would definitely game on the subsequent 5x27" setup at 3240x1920 that I could build using her current 2560x1440 monitor if I bought her the Seiki though,.....
I'd like a couple of GTX780 cards but I might try and get by with a couple of HD 7970 if I were to go for it,....
So instead of the three 27" landscape screens at 5760x1080 it would be five 27" displays in portrait mode at 5400x1920.
I messed up the math earlier when I said 3240x1920 because that would be for only three monitors not five,....
For that kind of setup you would need an Eyefinity setup because as far as I am aware Nvidia Surround does not support more than 3 monitors :)
I am very much interested in a 21:9 ratio, but I wish they would increase the size to at least 32 inches or an equivalent 27" with extra wings.