NEC EA294WMi 29" Monitor Review: 21:9 At Twice The Price

Features
By Christian Eberle
published

Last month, we reviewed AOC’s Q2963PM ultra-wide monitor at 2560x1080. Based on the same LG panel, NEC brings us its EA294WMi. Selling for almost twice as much, does this screen offer two times the performance and features? Our tests give you the answer.

Results: Color Gamut And Performance

Color gamut is measured using a saturation sweep that samples the six main colors (red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, and yellow) at five saturation levels (20, 40, 60, 80, and 100%). This provides a more realistic view of color accuracy. Since there are no color management controls on the EA294WMi, we're only showing the post-calibration graphs (although we’re sure they'd look pretty much the same out-of-box).

While this chart isn’t quite as good as the one generated by AOC's Q2963PM, it’s very close. All of the color points, at every saturation level, are within a hair of perfect. And aside from 100-percent blue, color luminance is superb as well. Since there is no way to adjust color on the EA294WMi, it’s possible that a second sample would measure slightly differently. Regardless, there is no visible error, and the observed performance is excellent.

Again, this display is in the top tier of performance for color accuracy. Only three other monitors have scored better in 2013. The EA294WMi is plenty accurate for professional work, unless you need the wider Adobe RGB 1998 gamut.

Gamut Volume: Adobe RGB 1998

There are basically two categories of displays in use today: those that conform to the sRGB/Rec 709 standard like HDTVs, and wide-gamut panels that show as much as 100 percent of the Adobe RGB 1998 spec. We use Gamutvision to calculate the gamut volume, based on an ICC profile created from actual measurements. We’ve expanded the chart from previous reviews to also include the sRGB gamut volume.

At 97.15 percent, NEC approaches the full sRGB gamut. It also comes a little closer to Adobe RGB 1998 than most other Rec 709. monitors at 70.9 percent. This screen is best suited for productivity, gaming, and entertainment, and it renders the full color gamut in those applications. While pros may need the wider 1998 spec, the EA294WMi’s superb color accuracy makes it well-suited for high-end photo work.

Christian Eberle
Christian Eberle
Contributing Editor

Christian Eberle is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware US. He's a veteran reviewer of A/V equipment, specializing in monitors. Christian began his obsession with tech when he built his first PC in 1991, a 286 running DOS 3.0 at a blazing 12MHz. In 2006, he undertook training from the Imaging Science Foundation in video calibration and testing and thus started a passion for precise imaging that persists to this day. He is also a professional musician with a degree from the New England Conservatory as a classical bassoonist which he used to good effect as a performer with the West Point Army Band from 1987 to 2013. He enjoys watching movies and listening to high-end audio in his custom-built home theater and can be seen riding trails near his home on a race-ready ICE VTX recumbent trike. Christian enjoys the endless summer in Florida where he lives with his wife and Chihuahua and plays with orchestras around the state.

29 Comments Comment from the forums
  • runswindows95
    Considering this screen is $805 for this monitor on Newegg, I rather get a nice 2560X1440, like the Dell U2713, for the money, or dual 1920X1200 screens. 2560X1080 really isn't an ideal resolution for any practical application.
    Reply
  • TBC1
    $750 for this! bahh!
    Reply
  • patrick47018
    Triple Post! Triple Post! Triple Post! But yeah too much money
    Reply
  • TBC1
    11821147 said:
    Triple Post! Triple Post! Triple Post! But yeah too much money

    Darn thing lagged on me!

    Reply
  • Vorador2
    Well this is a professional monitor so the high price is not that surprising. Still if i were on the hunt for a monitor this wouldn't be my choice.
    Reply
  • wikiwikiwhat
    No and screw LG and others that model them.
    Reply
  • burkhartmj
    You could get 2 Dell Ultrasharp U2412M's plus a dual monitor mount for the price of this, it just doesn't make sense at this price point.

    There's also the issue of ultra wide screen. This seems to have a niche market that doesn't exist, a professional grade monitor that's only particularly good at watching movies. People who just watch TV and movies all day aren't going to be willing to spend more than 250 on a monitor , and those who want/need professional features will want as much screen real estate as possible, opting for large 16:9 or 16:10 monitors.

    This is exacerbated by the fact that this aspect ratio is literally ONLY helpful for movies, not even TV. having big black bars on each side during a TV show or older movie that doesn't have the cinematic aspect ratio is way more distracting than the thin bars at the top and bottom created by cinematic movies on normal 16:9/10 monitors.
    Reply
  • jasonpwns
    I dislike this new trend. I'd rather have a 27 inch with 2560x1440. Why are we constantly trying to lower our screen resolutions. This 1080p trend needs to stop.
    Reply
  • InvalidError
    11822582 said:
    This 1080p trend needs to stop.
    I would prefer 2560x1600 on a 24" screen myself.

    The problem is the bulk of offer and demand gravitates around 1920x1080 since that is what most common forms of entertainment are optimized for. With 1080p screens starting as low as $90, anything higher than that for 3-5X the price becomes a tough sale so these higher-resolution monitors get pitched and priced as "professional" displays instead of trying to compete for people's desktops.

    I paid $270 for my 24" 1200p display four years ago. Equivalent models today are usually listed around $400. To me, this seems to indicate that mainstream interest in higher resolution desktop displays has regressed, hence the switch to pitching those nearly exclusively at professionals and enthusiasts.
    Reply
  • mortsmi7
    Seems to me that if your a fan of the 4:3 ratio, and want a seamless dual monitor experience, this might be the way to go. For once, a person might have reasonable room to put two windows side by side. And it sure as hell takes up less desk space than two separate monitors.
    Reply