BenQ 34-inch ultrawide 2K monitor review: Perfect for Universal Control - AppleInsider

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The BenQ PD3420Q is an ultrawide 34-inch 2K show with a built-in KVM switching capability, a Mac-specific colour accuracy mode, and dynamic PiP settings.

Apple has acceptable a precocious barroom for displays, making pairing a MacBook Pro with a show rather difficult. Luckily, erstwhile you destruct monitors without Mac-specific features, it tin marque the prime easier.

The BenQ PD3420Q is an ultrawide show built with Apple users successful mind. Its expansive 2K show tin link implicit USB-C and reproduce colors akin to a Mac, acknowledgment to P3 and HDR support. It adjacent has a Mac-specific colour setting.

The 21:9 show ratio besides enables a unsocial acceptable of features related to picture-in-picture modes. This show allows users to unify their workflows crossed devices successful a azygous merchandise without needing analyzable KVM setups oregon further monitors.

This show takes a large woody of setup, but erstwhile everything is up and running, it tin enactment wonders wrong Apple's hardware ecosystem. We've tested the show successful assorted setups and volition screen however each enactment below.

BenQ 34-inch ultrawide 2K show features and design

The BenQ PD3420Q is simply a 34-inch show astatine 3440 pixels by 1440 pixels with 350 nits of brightness. It supports the P3 colour gamut and is rated astatine HDR10, VESA DisplayHDR 400.

The basal offers plentifulness of tallness adjustment, and the show tin tilt too

Due to its wider-than-normal facet ratio, it supports picture-by-picture modes with 1 input utilizing a 16:9 format and different successful 5:9. It isn't imaginable to prime a 16:9 mounting from the show unless it is successful PBP mode, truthful immoderate inputs volition agelong to acceptable the 21:9 facet ratio.

HDR tin beryllium enabled, but it could beryllium of a higher quality. Images thin to look darker erstwhile HDR is on, and the mode lone works successful azygous input mode. We utilized the show with HDR turned off.

The HotKey Puck G2 gets its ain USB-B port, positive determination are 2 HDMI 2.0 ports, 1 DisplayPort 1.4 port, a 65W USB-C DisplayPort alt port, and a USB-B upstream with 2 USB-A ports. The show besides has a USB-A port, USB-C port, and headphone jack connected the broadside for casual accessory connection.

There are plentifulness of inputs to take from

The rear has a powerfulness button, a joystick fastener for paper question and selection, and 2 buttons for input power and colour mode switching.

The included HotKey Puck G2 makes controlling the monitor's menus a breeze. After everything was up and running, we configured the knob to power volume.

Three preset options and a dial marque the HotKey Puck G2 precise useful

Using the BenQ 34-inch ultrawide 2K monitor

The ultrawide facet ratio successful the BenQ PD3420Q show allows users to acceptable up 2 inputs side-by-side. One takes up the accustomed 16:9 space, and different uses a 5:9 space. There is besides a picture-in-picture mode.

The cardinal to mastering the BenQ PD3420Q is knowing which of your devices tin accommodate to facet ratios. If you program connected utilizing the picture-by-picture mode, past a Mac oregon PC would champion acceptable successful the 5:9 broadside — since they would person the astir power implicit their output.

A two-device setup

We tried picture-by-picture with a 14-inch MacBook Pro acceptable successful the 5:9 abstraction and an iPad Pro acceptable successful the 16:9 space. The MacBook was connected via USB-C for its DisplayPort alt input, and the iPad was connected to HDMI via a dock.

This setup took cleanable vantage of Apple's Universal Control feature. After placing the iPad show by the MacBook show successful settings, the cursor would determination betwixt the 2 displays arsenic if they were the aforesaid computer.

The headphone jack and charging ports connected the broadside are wrong casual reach

This setup unsocial sold america connected the BenQ monitor, though it has its symptom points. Getting the MacBook to behave successful a 5:9 facet ratio took a fewer minutes of toggling show settings and switching inputs, but yet it worked fine.

The MacBook Pro had lone 1 viable solution enactment — 880 x 1440. It causes immoderate icons to look small, and substance truncates successful immoderate titles, but everything worked arsenic expected.

We judge this setup is perfect for idiosyncratic who wants to enactment from an iPad but needs entree to immoderate things connected macOS.

Of course, this setup could enactment for having a Mac and PC connected successful this way, and the HotKey Puck G2 acts arsenic a KVM power for accessories connected done the display.

We besides tested the show with an Apple TV 4K and a MacBook to effort the PiP mode. The BenQ show provides plentifulness of options for users to make their cleanable setup.

Monitor settings

The BenQ PD3420Q has 11 colour presets and a user-customizable one. These tin beryllium switched easy utilizing the HotKey Puck G2 oregon buttons connected the rear of the monitor.

The show tin beryllium controlled without the HotKey Puck G2

Presets see DCI-P3, Display P3, HDR, sRGB, REC. 709, CAD/CAM, Animation, Low Blue-Light, Darkroom, M-book, and DICOM. The M-book mounting is meant to calibrate the show intimately to Apple's, and it was our go-to option.

You can't alteration HDR with picture-by-picture mode successful use. HDR lone works successful full-screen mode, and adjacent past isn't preferable. Colors tin look washed retired depending connected the contented being viewed.

The show has built-in speakers, but similar astir monitors, we don't urge utilizing them. You'll privation a dedicated acceptable of speakers oregon headphones.

DisplayPilot software

One redeeming grace of the BenQ show is its quality to usage DisplayPilot. Rather than woody with awkward show menus, users tin set settings from this exertion erstwhile a Mac oregon PC is connected to the monitor.

DisplayPort makes show power and automation elemental

It offers each of the basal controls for mounting up picture-by-picture oregon selecting colour modes. Users tin besides configure antithetic colour modes to automatically beryllium successful usage erstwhile prime applications are successful the foreground.

There are adjacent options for arranging windows successful antithetic patterns utilizing desktop partitions. Once a partition is set, apps dragged to that partition volition automatically resize to acceptable that space.

A multifunctional Mac monitor

If you're successful the marketplace for a prime show that doesn't interruption the bank, past the BenQ PD3420Q is an fantabulous option. It is particularly utile for those that privation to usage aggregate products attached to the aforesaid monitor.

The BenQ PD3420Q is simply a bully enactment for multitasking users

The possibilities for combinations are endless — tally an iPad and Mac, PS5 and PC, oregon propulsion successful an Apple TV too. The antithetic show and layout options springiness users plentifulness of control.

Setup tin instrumentality immoderate proceedings and error, and the speakers don't dependable great, but these are the lone complaints we tin marque astir a show astatine this price.

If you're looking for a show that would lone beryllium utilized with a azygous product, the BenQ PD3420Q inactive works, but beryllium alert of immoderate limitations. For example, an Apple TV 4K volition agelong to acceptable the 21:9 facet ratio if utilized successful full-screen mode, and determination is nary mode to hole this without activating picture-by-picture.

We highly urge this merchandise for anyone looking to heighten their Universal Control amusive and usage an iPad and a Mac successful tandem. However, beryllium alert that the iPad volition not show correctly successful the 5:9 information of the display, and lone M-series iPads person outer show support.

BenQ PD3420Q Pros

BenQ PD3420Q Cons

Rating: 4 retired of 5

While it has present travel to a close, we've truly enjoyed our clip the BenQ PD3420Q. It is an fantabulous show that tin fulfill galore usage cases.

If you're looking for Retina-rated resolution, you'll person to treble this monitor's price. The picture-by-picture mounting that retains a 16:9 facet ratio for 1 of the windows is our favourite feature.

Where to bargain the BenQ PD3420Q

Customers tin acquisition the BenQ PD3420Q connected the BenQ website for $799.99. It is besides listed connected Amazon for $799.99 and qualifies for Amazon Prime escaped shipping.