# Anyone use a 49” ultrawide monitor?



## Soundhound (Dec 8, 2021)

I’m thinking of getting one to go along with my Macbook Pro M1 Max which will arrive in January. hopefully.

I’d been eyeing those for years because i’ve always used two 27” monitors (imac and second 27”) so it would be much the same but without the split in the middle, and kind of badass. 

I’ve been researching resolution and pixel size and distance from monitor etx etc, and it seems like the 49” would work, though you never know till you try for yourself of course.

Anybody here use one? Like? Not like? Thoughts? Warnings? Effusive praise?


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## Pictus (Dec 9, 2021)

Soundhound said:


> Anybody here use one? Like? Not like? Thoughts? *Warnings*? Effusive praise?


Check https://vi-control.net/community/threads/4k-32-monitor-recommendations.111312/#post-4858824


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## CSS_SCC (Dec 9, 2021)

I went from two 4k 32" screens to one 4k 49" and yes, the real estate is amazing but be prepared to rearrange everything and, at least in my case, the biggest issue is that I have to have everything pretty low on my desk as if I raise the screen, then it's not ergonomic anymore.

To give you my example, previously I had the Scarlett 18i20 and on top the Mackie Big Knob to be able to quickly switch between audio sources and monitors, plus to be able to listen from my smartphone or a laptop on the monitors without starting my computer. If I put the Mackie on top again, I have to raise my screen another 10 cm / 4 in. As it currently stands, the top of my screen is at 150 cm / 5ft. My eye level position is 125 cm / 4.1 ft. Almost fine giving that I still need to have access to my midi keyboard under my desk and I have to have to have my desk raised at 82 cm / 2.7 ft (luckily that my desk can be height adjusted). Adding another 10 cm / 4in at the bottom will mean that whenever I need to interact with any of the menus, I will need to also tilt my head. Do this for a day...

As a side note, I really miss the second screen and I am looking to buy a touch screen to have on my desk where I can interact with either my e-mail, follow-up a tutorial and/or place plugin windows/mixers for quick interaction via touch.


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## CSS_SCC (Dec 9, 2021)

As a side note, I have tried to use one of the 32" screens on the side but you are swapping tilting your head up to moving quite far from side to side. Or you need to find a way to position your monitors somewhere where they are still in a good listening position or go for a set of far field monitors and they are not in the same price category. Plus you need a much bigger room for those.


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## Soundhound (Dec 9, 2021)

CSS_SCC said:


> I went from two 4k 32" screens to one 4k 49" and yes, the real estate is amazing but be prepared to rearrange everything and, at least in my case, the biggest issue is that I have to have everything pretty low on my desk as if I raise the screen, then it's not ergonomic anymore.
> 
> To give you my example, previously I had the Scarlett 18i20 and on top the Mackie Big Knob to be able to quickly switch between audio sources and monitors, plus to be able to listen from my smartphone or a laptop on the monitors without starting my computer. If I put the Mackie on top again, I have to raise my screen another 10 cm / 4 in. As it currently stands, the top of my screen is at 150 cm / 5ft. My eye level position is 125 cm / 4.1 ft. Almost fine giving that I still need to have access to my midi keyboard under my desk and I have to have to have my desk raised at 82 cm / 2.7 ft (luckily that my desk can be height adjusted). Adding another 10 cm / 4in at the bottom will mean that whenever I need to interact with any of the menus, I will need to also tilt my head. Do this for a day...
> 
> As a side note, I really miss the second screen and I am looking to buy a touch screen to have on my desk where I can interact with either my e-mail, follow-up a tutorial and/or place plugin windows/mixers for quick interaction via touch.


You’ve got this down to a science! I think in my setup the 49 would a lot right in where the two side by side 27”s are. I’m so used to it and don’t have to issues seeing things at the outer edges. but i’m going to be careful about return policies… i get the feeling this will be a process…


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## Soundhound (Dec 9, 2021)

Pictus said:


> Check https://vi-control.net/community/threads/4k-32-monitor-recommendations.111312/#post-4858824


thanks! i hd seen that but was helpful to read it again…


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## Soundhound (Dec 10, 2021)

I've thought about one of those as well, nice to be able to see more tracks for sure. I tend to not write with gigantic numbers of tracks, but do wind up with all kinds of insane routing so a wider mixer is appealing. i may just have to try both. 

Anybody else using a 49" (or 38" or or or...) ultrawide?


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## GeoMax (Dec 10, 2021)

I use one 43" 4k scaled at 125%. I also have two 22" 1080pTouch screens on adjustable arms on my right side. Dont really need the touch, but I have it and use it for some things
In the past, I tried a 49" widescreen and didnt like how far apart my studio monitors were. Otherwise I probably would have liked it...specially if I would have stacked 2 of them together.
At this point, I use my 4k 99% of the time. My eyes suck, so if I go larger I dont like it. I have to push it far back. I actually tried a 75" 4k TV, but decided to stay with a smaller footprint of the 43"


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## David Kudell (Dec 10, 2021)

I bought this Dell 40" one. I thought it would be the ultimate, being both 5K and huge, but the issue is that at the native resolution, everything is still too tiny. And the next resolution down from that is like 2500x1600, which makes everything stretched and huge and ugly. There needs to be an in-between resolution but there's not. 

However, I made it my secondary monitor and it's ideal for hosting the Cubase key editor and the mixer window, because those can be smaller, and you can see lots more notes at once which is great. But as a primary monitor, it's not ideal. 









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## PaulieDC (Dec 10, 2021)

David Kudell said:


> I bought this Dell 40" one. I thought it would be the ultimate, being both 5K and huge, but the issue is that at the native resolution, everything is still too tiny. And the next resolution down from that is like 2500x1600, which makes everything stretched and huge and ugly. There needs to be an in-between resolution but there's not.
> 
> However, I made it my secondary monitor and it's ideal for hosting the Cubase key editor and the mixer window, because those can be smaller, and you can see lots more notes at once which is great. But as a primary monitor, it's not ideal.
> 
> ...


Here's the in-betweener, that I'm saving my pennies for. My wife has a 34" curved and it just needs to be a touch bigger, and this 38" at 3840x1600 is just right. Plus it's the widest monitor I can fit between my speaker stands. 






Dell UltraSharp 38 Curved USB-C Hub Monitor - U3821DW | Dell USA


Experience clarity, productivity and connectivity on this 38-inch ultrawide WQHD+ curved, USB-C hub monitor with 95% DCI-P3 color and integrated speakers.



www.dell.com





They are hard to find in stock, but there's an almost-identical alienware version Dell is now marketing, if you're OK with the upside-down raindrop weirdo watching you. 🤣


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## rgames (Dec 10, 2021)

Yeah I definitely wouldn't commit until you try it in your setup for a week or so. I tried some of the 40+ inch monitors, widescreen or otherwise, and they were terrible for me. Too much head turning. So I went with a 32" 16:9 4k monitor. But I sit with eyes 36" - 40" from the screen. If that distance were 12" - 18" further away then 42" or so might be about right.

I had a curved 34" widescreen for a few years. I much prefer the 16:9 4k format but I guess that's preference. However, note that the curved screens can waste a lot of space but you don't notice any difference when working with them.

rgames


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## Soundhound (Dec 11, 2021)

Thanks! Yes I've been eyeing the 38"s as well. Seems like a very nice compromise. I keep thinking the 49" could work though, if they really do wind up being much like two 27"s which I'm so used to. Here's a picture of my setup (kind of a mess right now, ok always... 88key is in the shop...)











PaulieDC said:


> Here's the in-betweener, that I'm saving my pennies for. My wife has a 34" curved and it just needs to be a touch bigger, and this 38" at 3840x1600 is just right. Plus it's the widest monitor I can fit between my speaker stands.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## PaulieDC (Dec 12, 2021)

Nice mess you have there!  That desk looks great. The 49” would definitely work, even if the near-fields had to go on stands.


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## Wunderhorn (Dec 12, 2021)

I don't recommend it. Most ultra wide screens don't have the full vertical 4K resolution which is what you would want when using a DAW.
A (or two) full 43" screens get you a lot further.


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## Collywobbles (Dec 12, 2021)

I’m currently looking at the Samsung LS34J550, which has an ultrawide version of the 1440p resolution. Imo 1440p is that middle ground most people seem to be looking for. I have both a 27” 1440p and a 32” 4K monitor and honestly prefer the 27” since I don’t have to use any scaling. You lose a lot of that extra real estate anyway when you use scaling.

Monitors are very subjective of course, but I would urge anyone who’s in the market for a new one(s) to check out 1440p, either 2x27” or 34” ultrawide. The only reason 1440p never took off like “full hd” and “4K” is because of marketing imo. Luckily us gamers have known that it’s the golden middle ground for years 😉.


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## colony nofi (Dec 12, 2021)

I'll try be brief - but I've looked into this a tonne over the last 3 or so years. Still not settled, but I've definitely now found the best solution *for me* and possibly others.

I've tried a bunch of big screens. All sorts from 16:9 to 21:9 and even 32:9
Resolutions from 3440x1440 all the way up to 5k2k (and 5k1.4k)

All have their pros and cons.

Always easier to take a look right?






So that is the samsung 49" 32:9 which is effectively 2 x 2560x1440 monitors glued together. Indeed, this room runs a trashcan, so it effectively sees it as two separate displays. New macs see it as a single.
It works well here - since it allows vertical space for a center speaker (focals were chosen for their height in this case!) and room for an ok size client monitor (though we are trying to squeeze a 65"+ inch in there now)




Same size (I think a slightly different model) in another room.
Never worked great in there. The lack of vertical space when working just didn't suit the workflows in there)




Interesting - you can see here how the low profile nature allowed a bunch of other gear to be able to go in the room - which is tiny.





Here's another room with 43" and 55" client monitor (set back a bit)
The height of the screen meant the screen is actually set LOWER than the desk (hard to see, but you look down to the bottom.). Not ideal, but did work surprisingly well. The 4k native res of these 43" monitors is excellent, especially if the monitor is a little away from your eyes. In this case the screen is between the speakers, which for acoustics is EXCELLENT (and far better than getting reflections off the back of a large monitor)





While we were building out another room with a small neumann 5.1 system. (Kh110's). I'll try find a newer pic later - but here we're using a 34" 3440x1440 monitor. Its mainly used for editing atmos / dialog, and does the job nicely. Sure, more res would be nice, but we had the monitor already, and that made the decision easy. There's now a 50" TV monitor in there as well - the neumann C needed to be flipped onto its side to make room. Again, not ideal - but for the operator, its not an issue. (It changes horizontal spread, but being in the sweet spot means this doesn't become an issue).


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## colony nofi (Dec 12, 2021)

So we had a spare 43" which I lent to a studio down the road (where my piano lives and I get score / music recorded and mixed.)
Hard to see here - but it sits between the large ATC's (temporary - they're going to a new studio soon enough!) and down just enough to see over the top to the musicians in the two rooms that are beyond. This is kinda a DIFFERENT use for the 43 - as the res is lowered - and the large screen size used to be able to see from a distance.

And finally :






My little work from home rig. 40" 5k2k. 21:9. This thing is just brilliant for composing. Best of all worlds. I've got two machines here, so one (mac pro) I run in 4k2k on the left, and the other on the right (with a second vertical screen) - which is a mac mini m1. It runs a fairly intense remote session service - which behaves MUCH better when on a different machine to the DAW.

I personally need 2k vertical res. I'm just so used to it now that I feel lost when I go back to 1440. I always run 1:1 res - so choose the monitor based on how far I need to be away from it. 

I'm right now trying to work out the right monitor for a studio using kh310's as the LCR... this is where vertical space becomes seriously important. The 40" may well win the day, but also there's a 5k2k 34" around which might also be useful (although that might need to be too close to the user)

Hope this helps in some way.


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## quickbrownf0x (Dec 12, 2021)

Here are my 2 38" inch LG ultrawide monitors and they are gorgeous. Very easy on the eyes, lovely colours.

I use the right one for my main project window, left for the MixConsole, Key editor, Remote desktop windows, etc. No neck pain/eye strain issues. Actually thinking of getting another one to go on my right side (so off-camera here on a side desk). Top screen is a Samsung 4K tv I use for VideoSync and stupid cat videos only.


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## colony nofi (Dec 12, 2021)

quickbrownf0x said:


> Here are my 2 38" inch LG ultrawide monitors and they are gorgeous. Very easy on the eyes, lovely colours.
> 
> I use the right one for my main project window, left for the MixConsole, Key editor, Remote desktop windows, etc. No neck pain/eye strain issues. Actually thinking of getting another one to go on my right side (so off-camera here on a side desk). Top screen is a Samsung 4K tv I use for VideoSync and stupid cat videos only.


What is the res of those? 5k2k or 3440x1440? I've used the 38" at an edit house in Soho for a while - but the lower res kinda frustrated me. Although that was only one, and the client monitor was on the side... doing music in a pic edit room is always interesting....


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## X-Bassist (Dec 12, 2021)

Collywobbles said:


> I’m currently looking at the Samsung LS34J550, which has an ultrawide version of the 1440p resolution. Imo 1440p is that middle ground most people seem to be looking for. I have both a 27” 1440p and a 32” 4K monitor and honestly prefer the 27” since I don’t have to use any scaling. You lose a lot of that extra real estate anyway when you use scaling.
> 
> Monitors are very subjective of course, but I would urge anyone who’s in the market for a new one(s) to check out 1440p, either 2x27” or 34” ultrawide. The only reason 1440p never took off like “full hd” and “4K” is because of marketing imo. Luckily us gamers have known that it’s the golden middle ground for years 😉.


I have two 32” 1440 monitors and it seems the perfect size, since there is no scaling and I can read them easily at 2 or 3 ft. I keep looking at ultra wide but the height is a big problem, even a 43” doesn’t give you the vertical space of My 32”s, and with a DAW that has many tracks, it becomes a lot of scrolling or opening folders. If a 55” wasn’t so tall, I might think about it- maybe a 60” ultra wide?😂


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## quickbrownf0x (Dec 12, 2021)

colony nofi said:


> What is the res of those? 5k2k or 3440x1440? I've used the 38" at an edit house in Soho for a while - but the lower res kinda frustrated me. Although that was only one, and the client monitor was on the side... doing music in a pic edit room is always interesting....


Ehr... I just checked; it's 3840x1600 at 100%. Can't detect a single pixel if I tried. Zero scaling issues.


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## Rasoul Morteza (Dec 12, 2021)

Based on my understanding 1440px vertical resolution doesn't suffer from scaling issues. Anything above that might become problematic (elements being displayed too tiny, or blurry when scaled up).


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## Henning (Dec 13, 2021)

LG 49" here. Works fine for me


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## MartinH. (Dec 13, 2021)

liquidlino said:


> Pixel Pitch


I haven't bought a monitor in many years and I'm out of the loop with this stuff. Why did they stop using PPI resolutions in favor of pixel pitch to compare the pixel density/size of screens? And is there also a common word for the size of the "dark gap" between pixels? I noticed in the past, that I care about this a great deal and have seen expensive big displays that had such large gaps that I thought I wouldn't want to sit in front ot that screen for a minute. 

I've been using 22inch 1200p displays for over a decade now, Lenovo L220x. But I only have 3 of 5 left and know they won't last forever.


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## Soundhound (Dec 14, 2021)

colony nofi said:


> So we had a spare 43" which I lent to a studio down the road (where my piano lives and I get score / music recorded and mixed.)
> Hard to see here - but it sits between the large ATC's (temporary - they're going to a new studio soon enough!) and down just enough to see over the top to the musicians in the two rooms that are beyond. This is kinda a DIFFERENT use for the 43 - as the res is lowered - and the large screen size used to be able to see from a distance.
> 
> And finally :
> ...


Tremendous help, thank you! The 49” looks so big, but it’s no more space than two 27” side to side and I never feel like there’s too much screen space (no such thing right?) 

The regular aspect ratio 40” or 43” or even bigger is tempting also, it does seem to offer a really expansive workspace. 

I found this calculator for figuring out dot pitch from resolution and screen size, not sure how accurate it would be, but i’m using as i look at options. my m1 mac macbook first arrive for a few more weeks, so plenty of time to hem and haw…









Pixels Per Inch PPI Calculator


PPI Calculator finds pixels per inch (PPI) and pixels per square inch (PPI^2). Calculate screen resolution and pixel density using width and height of display screen in pixels. Also find dot pitch and diagonal in pixels. Enter screen diagonal in inches or cm.




www.calculatorsoup.com


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## Soundhound (Dec 14, 2021)

PaulieDC said:


> Nice mess you have there!  That desk looks great. The 49” would definitely work, even if the near-fields had to go on stands.


I once put the speakers up on stands and it sounded so bad i had to watch 30 nba games before i could put them back on their little iso stands on the desk and continue writing. 😂 Old dog, new tricks bad… It does seem the 49” would fit. It feels a little bridge of the enterprise-y, but what the hell, i can ask bones and spock if they like the mixes…


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## Soundhound (Dec 14, 2021)

quickbrownf0x said:


> Here are my 2 38" inch LG ultrawide monitors and they are gorgeous. Very easy on the eyes, lovely colours.
> 
> I use the right one for my main project window, left for the MixConsole, Key editor, Remote desktop windows, etc. No neck pain/eye strain issues. Actually thinking of getting another one to go on my right side (so off-camera here on a side desk). Top screen is a Samsung 4K tv I use for VideoSync and stupid cat videos only.


That is absolutely gorgeous. i don’t think i have room for that though…


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## Soundhound (Dec 14, 2021)

Henning said:


> LG 49" here. Works fine for me


Nice! I’d be in the same boat, with speakers on the desk outside the screen. Wouldn’t look organized and pristine like that, more a holy mess, but the screen and keyboard distance much the same….


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## Henning (Dec 14, 2021)

Soundhound said:


> Nice! I’d be in the same boat, with speakers on the desk outside the screen. Wouldn’t look organized and pristine like that, more a holy mess, but the screen and keyboard distance much the same….


First time I set it up it felt gigantic. My wife said it looked I could direct incoming airplanes from my desk  But as with everything you get accustomed to it.


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## Soundhound (Dec 15, 2021)

Absolutely. I'm sure I'd feel at home in no time, wondering how I'd ever gotten along without it.

Mr. Sulu, set a course for the second verse...









Henning said:


> First time I set it up it felt gigantic. My wife said it looked I could direct incoming airplanes from my desk  But as with everything you get accustomed to it.


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## jaketanner (Mar 2, 2022)

Sorry to rehash an old thread, but anyone using a 34” ultra wide can tell me approximately how many vertical tracks you can see comfortably? Thanks. I use Pro Tools and sometimes Cubase.


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## cleverr1 (Mar 2, 2022)

I got a great deal on a Samsung LC49HG90DMUXEN 49 as a black Friday offer in 2019. I love it. I mainly use it as 2 x seamless 27" monitors but it's also useful to see much more of the arrangement by setting it as one big display. I can't play games with it though - it's so immersive I start to feel sick.


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## aeliron (Mar 2, 2022)

colony nofi said:


> All have their pros and cons.
> 
> Always easier to take a look right?
> Same size (I think a slightly different model) in another room.
> ...


Love how the prison bars are clearly visible. That composing rehab program is great! 😂


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## aeliron (Mar 2, 2022)

Soundhound said:


> Absolutely. I'm sure I'd feel at home in no time, wondering how I'd ever gotten along without it.
> 
> Mr. Sulu, set a course for the second verse...


“Arrived at Andromeda, Captain.”

”… BBO or …?”


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## Soundhound (Mar 2, 2022)

cleverr1 said:


> I got a great deal on a Samsung LC49HG90DMUXEN 49 as a black Friday offer in 2019. I love it. I mainly use it as 2 x seamless 27" monitors but it's also useful to see much more of the arrangement by setting it as one big display. I can't play games with it though - it's so immersive I start to feel sick.


looks great! speaking of immersive how is the amount of curve for bringing the edges of the screen close enough to view? work well? i’m still figuring out which to get and the lg doesn’t have a published curvature amount….


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## jaketanner (Mar 2, 2022)

cleverr1 said:


> I got a great deal on a Samsung LC49HG90DMUXEN 49 as a black Friday offer in 2019. I love it. I mainly use it as 2 x seamless 27" monitors but it's also useful to see much more of the arrangement by setting it as one big display. I can't play games with it though - it's so immersive I start to feel sick.


What is the actual height of the screen without the stand? It seems that the ultra wide isn't that much smaller than the curved 27" gaming monitor I had...so that would be a fair trade off...I am also thinking of a 34"...49 is way too big.


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## cleverr1 (Mar 3, 2022)

jaketanner said:


> What is the actual height of the screen without the stand? It seems that the ultra wide isn't that much smaller than the curved 27" gaming monitor I had...so that would be a fair trade off...I am also thinking of a 34"...49 is way too big.


Viewable screen height is about 13.25" and including the bezel just over 14".


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## cleverr1 (Mar 3, 2022)

Soundhound said:


> looks great! speaking of immersive how is the amount of curve for bringing the edges of the screen close enough to view? work well? i’m still figuring out which to get and the lg doesn’t have a published curvature amount….


I don't find I'm constantly moving around so I guess that means it works well, but it's hard to quantify compared to say 2 x 27" monitors angled. My working space is tiny so the ultrawide made sense in terms of desk space. There's a higher res ultrawide - iirc many plugins I used at the time would be too small on the screen, but that may have changed by now.


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## jaketanner (Mar 3, 2022)

cleverr1 said:


> Viewable screen height is about 13.25" and including the bezel just over 14".


Thank you for that.


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## colony nofi (Mar 3, 2022)

aeliron said:


> Love how the prison bars are clearly visible. That composing rehab program is great! 😂


hahaha! Those studios are on a first floor as well (garage underneath) but the building came with the bars so we can't take them off. The area we are in used to be a little problematic for breakins...


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