Superwide 43-inch NEC display is super-expensive

Remember those "wider is better" Pontiac commercials from several years back? NEC will probably need a marketing campaign at least as effective (was that one even effective?) to sell the following behemoth.

On Thursday, NEC officially announced its CRV43 monitor, a 43-inch curved display with a 32:10 aspect ratio and native resolution of 2880x900.

NEC says the display will be available in July with a street price of $8,000. That's right, $8K for a single monitor. Not sold? Will never be sold? Are sold but won't have the money until you finally pull off that bank job you've been planning? Well, maybe the specs will sweeten the deal for you.

I think I've hit bottom as this just became my new goal in life.

(Credit: NEC)

The display's panel is made from, according to NEC, "four panels seamlessly blended" in a "unique adaptation of DLP technology." According to the company, this allows the panels to (collectively) post a super-fast response rate of 0.02 milliseconds, as well as low input lag.

Also, while most displays have a color depth of 6-bit or 8-bit, the CRV43 has a 12-bit color depth. This indicates that it should be capable of displaying more colors than a typical monitor. It also has an impressive color gamut that covers 100 percent of the sRGB color range and 99.3 percent of Adobe RGB range. A high color depth and wide color gamut means the display should satisfy most when it comes to color reproduction.

Rounding out the specs list is a 200 cd/m? brightness, 10,000:1 contrast ratio, HDMI and single link DVI connections, and at least one USB port.

Unless you're rollin' VIP big time, you're probably not sold. NEC says the display is designed to be used in applications like professional graphics, higher education, government, financial, command and control, and home office.

I don't see gaming in that list, but I'm sure that's what most of us are thinking, right? Seriously, what does Crysis or WoW look like running on this bad boy? Would Crysis even support a 2880x900 resolution? Hmmm, I'm sure MS Flight Simulator would.

Not that you can afford to buy it even if it they do look amazing, but sometimes it's nice to have lofty goals in life.

[tehrani625]

Didn't Alien ware show off a concept like this about a year ago?

Anyways... DO WANT!!!!

[jedmmj11]

i actualy find widescreens annoying (on a computer) because when you maximise a window the rest of the screen goes white and it's too bright. then again it's much better for running multiple programs not maximised (whats the word for that?)

[djjeesh]

i want it

[strange1889]

2880x900 that sounds pretty slack considering the 43 inch width and the price tag. my two year old laptop has approx 90 pixels per horizontal inch. this thing has approx 67 pixels per horizontal inch. in other words a poorer quality picture due low pixel density. or OH NOES!, DA JAGGIES! maybe i'm splitting hairs here, i would love for someone to prove me wrong because i would love this thing

[Miko34]

I like the concept of these monitors and I'm glad companies are at least trying to push the envelope.
It brings virtual reality a bit closer (if games would support it).

But $8,000? Seriously?
I'd rather use that money for three great monitors and hook them up together.
I'd have more resolution and plenty of cash leftover for a new 50+ inch plasma TV.

I'm fairly certain this is just a marketing trick for people to look at NEC a bit closer when buying a normal monitor.

[blusky08]

IMO, this is best for very specific applications rather than for home entertainment. A 16:9 ratio often results in video thin enough to ruin the cinematic experience even on large HDTVs. This 32:10 ratio set has a screen height of less 13" (yet it's over 15" wide!) according to the specs on Nec's website.

http://www.necdisplay.com/NewTechnologies/CurvedDisplay/

[rrod182]

"NEC says the display is designed to be used in applications like professional graphics, higher education, government, financial, command and control, and home office."

Home office? Really? If I had $8k to burn it'd be on my home theatre not my home office. But damn!!! I want one.

[Absolution2009]

I would only use this to put a hot chick lying down across my table. Seriously though, why not just put 4 monitors together and angle them to be curved? =)

This way you can play 4 games at once!

[skunkpuddle]

i could 50 table on full tilt.

[fredgwuedu]

This would be a great tool for a radiologist... I'm salivating (but also wiping it off, cause I'll be damed if I ever pay 8 grand for a monitor). What kind of sucker do they take me for?

[Scott Gardener]

Crysis on that monitor? Only if you really, really hate your graphics card.

[dennisl59]

Here's where your "stimulus" money will go. Send a Thousand each to the CIA, NSA, Congress and the White House.

[dodgeman007]

horrible price, wouldn't buy it on clearance for 60% off and the resolution really really sucks...they should double it on a display that big... its funny because they didn't even make 1 big one they just took 4 displays retail ill give them 500 bucks which is overshooting it im sure, so they want 6,000 to put a nice little bezel around them. WOW.

[joeltom]

8 grand and only 900 vertical? Fahgettaboudit. I get more than that with my 23 inch, so why lose vertical to gain horizontal at that price?

[MrMurder]

I'm not gonna pay 8K for a DLP moniter the is wider than Philip's 52" Cinema 21:9 TV. 32:10? Is there a signal that has that aspect ratio? And it's curved! Curved=slightly distorted picture.

[espeed623]

If it does HDMI, I'll buy it. Forza 3 would look totally awesome on that nice screen.

[strange1889]

this isn't that nice of a screen!! stop drooling over the size and look at the pixel/inch. its horrible considering its 8 grand. it doesn't matter if it does HDMI if the resolution of the screen sucks.

[coheeed2113]

wow...i would buy this in a heartbeat if i had the cash.although you could buy a tv with pc hookups for less money...but this just looks so kickass.

[Brian]

Imagine that with a Mac Pro maxed out.

[Pon666]

Input: Mac Pro System at Max Capacity+ NEC 43inch display. Msg "Please wait for output". ERROR! ERROR! Process timed out. Aborting now. <Blue Screen of Death>

[BlitzBoy1120]

I'd need eyes on the side of my head for that thing. Still pretty cool.

[ooprus]

Certainly a monitor for special applications. Notice the SINGLE link DVI and that it only has 2.6 Megapixels. The 30" Samsung 305T I'm on right now has 4 Megapixels and only cost about $1150. The high refresh rate may make it 3-D capable with LCD shutter glasses. Web pages, which tend to like tall not wide, will not look much better than a 1280x800 laptop display. Sitting a foot away with shutter glasses might give a very immersive experience, so probably awesome flight simulator monitor.