Websites Not Good on Super-Widescreen Displays

FrgMstr

FrgMstr

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Business Insider points out that Samsung's 49" display which has a 32:9 aspect ratio, the CHG90 ($950 with Prime Shipping), and is specifically marketed as a "Gaming Monitor," is sometimes not the best for not-gaming. Not actually earth-shattering news, but something to keep in mind should you be in the market for a news display. The site does run down a few popular websites and show us what those sites look like when viewed full screen. Thanks cagey.


Samsung's new CHG90 monitor is so wide it's almost ridiculous.
 
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I have a 21:9 ultrawide monitor (Acer X34) and it sucks for most website when maximized. But when you put two browsers next to each other; they're perfect and the multitasking possibilities are superb. Could only imagine a 32:9 aspect ratio would suck even worse for a single, maximized application.
 
Most websites do poorly on my 32" 4K Predator main display, which is why I do almost all of my web browsing on one of the two portrait-mode 24" 1440p displays I have next to it.
 
After look at the pictures in the article, I don't see a real problem. The only problem I see is that they're opening the applications in full screen mode. If you've got that kind of aspect ratio, don't use full screen mode, use windows. I've invariably got multiple windows open on my multiple monitors (even when I've only got one monitor).
 
I have a 21:9 monitor (Dell U3415w) at 3440X1440, and I regret getting it. I wanted to watch movies in the original aspect ratio, but all the playback software does is put huge black bars all the way around it. Nothing shows up without letterboxing. Of course, most web browsing has been bad. I've tried gaming with it, and all I get are distortions on the far sides. WoW stretches that far, but everything on the sides is stretched. Diablo 3 just has this weird object dropoff toward the far edges. Starcraft 2 just stretches it or puts in filler graphics. Star Trek Online just shows me empty space. The extra width has just been useless, except for 2 things: Excel shows more columns and Word shows 2 pages side by side, which have both been useful.

I'm thinking of getting a 40-43" UHD TV to replace it.
 
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So as a surprise to NO ONE most websites suck on a widescree, or ultrawide screen monitor. I could have called that, %85 of the website I view never use the full width of even a 16:9 monitor which has mroe or less been the standard for desktops for what well over a decade.
 
Jesus is this news?
My 30" Dell, websites looks like shit if I have them full screen, so much empty space.
I use side by side browsers to use the space more effectively
 
Could figure out how to take screen shots but not snap windows side by side?

Published on Sunday. Someone miss their work deadline Friday and this is the best they could dredge up by the end of the weekend?
 
I was gonna say, what about edge snapping? Or if you want more customizable settings try fences.
 
Meh.. Using a LG 29" 29UM60-P and and for the most part I use it like two monitors, but yeah.. going full screen just stretches things past those UI devs reckoning so I just invariably don't use it that way.
 
dgingeri said:
I have a 21:9 monitor (Dell U3415w) at 3440X1440, and I regret getting it. I wanted to watch movies in the original aspect ratio, but all the playback software does is put huge black bars all the way around it. Nothing shows up without letterboxing. Of course, most web browsing has been bad. I've tried gaming with it, and all I get are distortions on the far sides. WoW stretches that far, but everything on the sides is stretched. Diablo 3 just has this weird object dropoff toward the far edges. Starcraft 2 just stretches it or puts in filler graphics. Star Trek Online just shows me empty space. The extra width has just been useless, except for 2 things: Excel shows more columns and Word shows 2 pages side by side, which have both been useful.
Click to expand...

I have and love my 3440x1440 UW so I'll try and help you out here.

Watching movies in their original aspect ratio works flawlessly. It comes down to your software and if you know how to use it. I watch everything with either Plex desktop or MPC-HC. Youtube, with the UW plugin for Chrome also works well.

Web broswing... i don't see a problem unless you're trying to full screen your browser which frankly doesn't make much sense as websites aren't designed that way. Just make use of the resolution and have two browser windows open or use the extra space for other things.

The distortions you're experiencing are completely normal. Its supposed to add peripheral information and when you're focusing on the center of the screen, which you're supposed to be, it really adds to the experience. This is no different to how Eyefinity or NVidia Surround work with multiple displays.

WoW on my UW looks amazing, not sure what issues you were experiencing there.

SC2 has zero UW support. That's been that way for a long, long time.

I highly suggest checking out the sidebar links on UW Master Race on reddit. Tons of useful information.
 
Yeah lets blame the monitor on the fact the website developers can't make accessible content.
 
criccio said:
I have and love my 3440x1440 UW so I'll try and help you out here.

Watching movies in their original aspect ratio works flawlessly. It comes down to your software and if you know how to use it. I watch everything with either Plex desktop or MPC-HC. Youtube, with the UW plugin for Chrome also works well.

Web broswing... i don't see a problem unless you're trying to full screen your browser which frankly doesn't make much sense as websites aren't designed that way. Just make use of the resolution and have two browser windows open or use the extra space for other things.

The distortions you're experiencing are completely normal. Its supposed to add peripheral information and when you're focusing on the center of the screen, which you're supposed to be, it really adds to the experience. This is no different to how Eyefinity or NVidia Surround work with multiple displays.

WoW on my UW looks amazing, not sure what issues you were experiencing there.

SC2 has zero UW support. That's been that way for a long, long time.

I highly suggest checking out the sidebar links on UW Master Race on reddit. Tons of useful information.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I can't really use Plex desktop or MPC-HC for movie playback. I have 3 book cases of DVDs and BluRays, not digital copies. (Data gets lost too easily in my experiences, where I can take care of physical disks. So, yeah, I buy disks.) It would take forever to rip those to files to serve out on Plex or something. Although, I may do that with some of my disks, as I do loan some out from time to time.

My experiences with WoW are that near the extreme edges everything is stretched out and distorted, kind of like looking through a fishbowl lens. It is more like a peripheral type thing, but it doesn't give me the additional information I wanted while tanking. I wanted to actually be able to see more of what was going on around me, and it didn't offer that. I now run all my games in windowed mode with the sides cut down to a more 'normal' aspect ratio. It does allow me to switch to a web browser or monitor my system usage and temps while gaming, though. I guess that might be a good thing.
 
because most websites are geared towards mobile it seems even though they have different layouts depending on device it seems.
 
Dermen said:
I don't even browse the web in full screen on my 1080p 16:9 monitor.
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Personally i think full-screen web browsing only makes sense in portrait mode.
All of the desktop PCs in my house (3 of them) have at least two monitors, of which one is always in portrait mode for just this reason.
 
I think there are a ton of websites that look like crap on standard 16:9 1080p panels, to be honest. There are so many that are still formatted for 1024x768 4:3 displays. That leads to...

pcgeekesq said:
Most websites do poorly on my 32" 4K Predator main display, which is why I do almost all of my web browsing on one of the two portrait-mode 24" 1440p displays I have next to it.
Click to expand...

This. I couldn't imagine only having one display, even if it is a super wide aspect one. Web browser windows belong on secondary monitors, preferably turned to portrait mode.
 
I use custom CSS on every site I visit regularly, in some instances almost completely redesigning them to the limits available through pure CSS. I always center content at a fixed width of 900 to 1200px.
 
greenman said:
Learn to utilize your workstation. I bet they felt so smart opening up each website and taking a picture.
Click to expand...

Indeed, not even mentioning snap or exploring 3rd party window management tools is a bit of an oversight. But hey, a fine display of journalistic excellence: "herpa derp I make window big, page look funny"

Same author has hard hitting pieces like:

Phones coming out soon have some specs
Duolingo advertorial(s)
New phones have bigger screens
 
um, put a few browsers up on the screeen? Is this function not known to journalists?
 
oldmanbal said:
um, put a few browsers up on the screeen? Is this function not known to journalists?
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Huh?

upload_2018-2-19_12-36-17.png
 
I mean feel free to multitask and not use full screen apps on a massive display. WTF, are people stupid (rhetorical question)?
 
I have this monitor and you would never full screen a webpage on it that would be stupid. I open it in a 1080 Window dead center and it remembers this every time I open Chrome. This is really a non issue...

Thently
 
I have an Acer XR382CQK for my main display. I do not use full screen. For web browsing, I'll have two instances opened up side-by-side.
 
dgingeri said:
Thanks. I can't really use Plex desktop or MPC-HC for movie playback. I have 3 book cases of DVDs and BluRays, not digital copies. (Data gets lost too easily in my experiences, where I can take care of physical disks. So, yeah, I buy disks.) It would take forever to rip those to files to serve out on Plex or something. Although, I may do that with some of my disks, as I do loan some out from time to time.

My experiences with WoW are that near the extreme edges everything is stretched out and distorted, kind of like looking through a fishbowl lens. It is more like a peripheral type thing, but it doesn't give me the additional information I wanted while tanking. I wanted to actually be able to see more of what was going on around me, and it didn't offer that. I now run all my games in windowed mode with the sides cut down to a more 'normal' aspect ratio. It does allow me to switch to a web browser or monitor my system usage and temps while gaming, though. I guess that might be a good thing.
Click to expand...


That's not the monitors fault. Blizz changed the camera zoom out so it only goes so far now. In WoD it was awesome before they made the fix. Blizz said people with UW monitors had an edge because you can see more.
 
wizzi01 said:
That's not the monitors fault. Blizz changed the camera zoom out so it only goes so far now. In WoD it was awesome before they made the fix. Blizz said people with UW monitors had an edge because you can see more.
Click to expand...


I play Diablo 3 on mine. There is a definite advantage using Zeis Stone of Vengeance. I dropped over a minute off of my GR clearing times.
 
exlink said:
I have a 21:9 ultrawide monitor (Acer X34) and it sucks for most website when maximized. But when you put two browsers next to each other; they're perfect and the multitasking possibilities are superb. Could only imagine a 32:9 aspect ratio would suck even worse for a single, maximized application.
Click to expand...
Exactly one of the reasons I like my 4k display, multiple windows, wow what a concept! ;)
 
That's why you do this on an Ultrawide...

upload_2018-2-19_18-20-39.png


Also this image is going to be used in another thread... :D
 
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