Packaging, Physical Layout And Accessories
A sleek chassis like this doesn’t have much room for an internal power supply so LG supplies a brick with its own detachable cord. You also get HDMI and DisplayPort cables. Even though there is a two-port USB 3.0 hub, the cable isn't provided. Rounding out the accessory package is an input panel cover, and a CD containing desktop management software and the user manual.
The stand is a slim-but-sturdy piece of chromed metal that comes in two parts. Four screws are included for assembly, along with a foam pad to protect the screen when you lay it face-down on your desk. It’s quite solid in operation, though you only get a 20-degree tilt adjustment. Height and swivel are fixed.
Product 360
Fortunately, the 34UC97’s height is just about right for the average desktop. Since the panel is IPS, viewing angle isn’t as critical to nail down. You’ll see a bright, contrasty image without a lot of tweaking. The anti-glare layer is a standard 3H-hardness plastic with an average level of reflection. Powered off, the monitor appears to bezel-less. But when it's on, there is a frame around the image measuring less than half of an inch. Putting three of these together would make for a great flight simulator!
Obviously, the big star here is the curved screen. It’s more subtle than it looks in LG's photos. You won’t see any kind of distortion when using the display. Moreover, the curve does make it a little easier to utilize all of that extra width, since you don’t have to turn your head as far to see the sides. It’s a cool idea that works.
The styling drips high-end, not only with the chromed base and upright, but a flush bezel and completely clean front. OSD navigation is accomplished with a tiny joystick under the LG logo. We imagine this monitor will be right at home on an expensive glass and chrome desk, though it looks pretty good on our more industrial-looking test bench too.
The back of the 34UC97 curves more than the front, hence the apparent bulge in this photo. The stand appears skinny, but it’s actually rock-solid. There’s no wobble at all, and the tilt function is both smooth and firm. The only thing we miss are USB ports. There are two on the input panel; they're just hard to reach.
The curved seam you see is the input panel cover. The jacks face downwards. Apparently, though, LG wanted to clean that part of the display up even more. While you can't see any ventilation in the above image, there is some along the bottom. We never felt excessive heat from the 34UC97. The seven-watt speakers also fire downwards. With their extra power they sound better than most. And you’ll also find plenty of audio options in the OSD that make them sound even better.
The input panel is fairly hard to see, so we weren't able to plug in cables by feel as we usually do. When you make connections, it’s easiest to simply lay the panel down on the provided foam pad. Starting from the left, we have a power supply connector, headphone jack, two HDMI ports, one DisplayPort input, two Thunderbolt ports and the USB 3.0 up/downstream connectors.
