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amazon ViewSonic VP3481 reviews
As a professional monitor for photographers, video editors, and graphic designers, the ViewSonic VP3481 offers an ultra-spacious display with very good color accuracy that is well-received. Pre-correction for some color spaces. The 34-inch curved monitor renders images and video nicely in our testing, and the inclusion of AMD FreeSync and a 100Hz refresh rate should appeal to game developers (as well as gamers).
Ultra-Wide Immersive Viewing
VP3481 has a simple design, easy to understand. The base has a large size of 39 x 27 cm; from it emerges a split shaft (through which you can thread cables) to which the cabinet is attached. The base and shaft are mostly plastic, but they seem stable enough. With the stand fully extended (its height can be raised to 13 cm), the monitor measures 61 x 81 x 30 cm (HWD). It also supports swivel and tilt adjustments adding height. The top and bottom edges are almost invisible, maximizing screen real estate and serving well in a multi-monitor array.
The core of the VP3481 monitor is in its 34-inch MVA panel. MVA means “multidomain vertical alignment,” a variant of the more common VA that is used in high-end monitors. MVA panels exhibit higher contrast with some (VP3481 rated for a whopping 3,000:1 contrast ratio) deep blacks. The native resolution is WQHD (3,440 x 1,440 pixels) for an unusually wide 21:9 aspect ratio, with a pixel density of about 110 PPI.
Asus ProArt PA34VC professional curved monitor has a size, resolution, and pixel density identical to that of ViewSonic. The BenQ PD3220U DesignVue Designer Monitor, on the contrary, is another professional panel of diagonal dimensions of 32 inches, with 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160 pixels) resolution, with a more conventional widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9. In this respect, BenQ has a higher pixel density (140ppi), which gives it sharper images.
It’s one of those monitors that’s curved, simply because that’s what you see in most giant ultrawide monitors, be it for gaming, graphic design, or pretty casual business stuff. The screen has a very pronounced 1800R curvature, which practically means that if you put enough VP3481 monitors with the curved side outward, it might just make a perfect circle with a radius of 1,800 mm (1.8 m). Alongside BenQ EX3501R and Asus ROG Strix XG32VQ, it maintains an 1800R curvature, while Asus ProArt PA34VC is a little more gentle at 1900R.
Ports & Controls
The VP3481 has a wide selection of ports to connect to. These include two HDMI 2.0 ports, a DisplayPort input, and one USB Type-C upstream port capable of carrying video, audio, and data while providing up to 60 watts to charge a laptop. Also available is one USB Type-C downstream port (up to 15 watts for charging a smartphone or other device), one USB 3.1 Type-A upstream, and two USB 3.1 Type-A downstream, plus a 3.5-mm audio output for connection to headphones or external speakers. Or you can go for just the monitor’s own speakers. (Audio from the built-in 5-watt speakers is good enough for casual use with satisfactory volume and quality.)
All ports are rear-facing, but it is not difficult to plug something in from under the 3481 thanks to the massive amount of tilt and height adjustment it has. The controls, however, are trickier. The OSD controls are found under the panel near the right edge. It does not take long to master the controls, but they are more cumbersome than the mini-joystick controllers found on the Asus PA34VC and the BenQ PD3220U, not to mention the HotKey Puck G2 controller for the BenQ, which is extremely convenient. They are easier to use than the buttons of the ViewSonic VP3881, which are located on the back and must be operated without a view.
The VP3481 allows you to change a large range of common options, including brightness, contrast, color, picture mode, sound, and system settings. An HDR (HDR10) option can be switched on, though you must also opt to use it in Windows 10 settings after doing so. (In macOS, starting with High Sierra, HDR videos will be automatically displayed correctly.)
where can you get a ViewSonic VP3481 online
ViewSonic VP3481 34″ UWQHD 100Hz Curved Monitor with USB Type C 100% sRGB HDR10 14-bit 3D LUT and Color Calibration for Video and Graphics: Buy it now
Accurate color, moderate brightness
I performed the brightness, color, and contrast test using the Klein K10-A colorimeter, the Murideo SIX-G signal generator, and the Portrait Displays CalMAN 5 software. ViewSonic evaluates the maximum brightness of VP3481 as 400 nits (candelas per square meter); in our testing, it dropped a bit, maxing out at 327 nits with HDR enabled. In standard definition sRGB mode, it recorded 230 nits.
I calculated its contrast ratio to be 1,916:1, far below its 3,000:1 rating. However, its brightness is typical of the professional monitors we’ve reviewed (it matches the HDR brightness of the Asus PA34VC and BenQ PD3220U, both of which are rated at a lower level 300 nits). Its contrast ratio is almost twice that of typical IPS monitors, most of which are rated at 1,000:1, although we tested the PA34VC at 3,162:1.
ViewSonic talks about the VP3481, ensuring great color accuracy with pre-calibration for each color mode (sRGB, EBU, SMPTE-C, Rec. 709, and DICOM-SIM). A 14-bit 3D lookup table (LUT) with thousands of possible colors is meant to provide an even richer palette. The optional ViewSonic Color Calibration Kit ($301) enables hardware calibration, thereby simplifying the calibration for photography, graphic design, and various other production-oriented applications.
The company gives a presentation of the VP3481 covering up to 99% of the sRGB color space. In testing, it registered for 100% of the sRGB and then some (see chart above), where the circles… Our test points – these circles — are neatly placed outside the triangle that represents the sRGB color space.
I used the VP3481 to see pictures, watch videos, browse webpages, and more with these displays, and the colors seemed quite realistic and vivid. Video HDR, in short, was brighter than the panel in an SDR setting.
Good for Game Designers
The target users for ViewSonic for the VP3481 are game developers; hinting already: game-friendly features are first the 100Hz refresh, and then FreeSync support by AMD for adaptive sync.
Normal non-gaming monitors will usually max out at 60Hz for refresh rates. Adaptive sync sets the refresh rate of the monitor to match the graphics card’s frame rate and can get rid of screen tearing, judder, etc. Only one note: To get the 100Hz refresh rate on your computer, whether you are on an AMD Radeon or Nvidia GeForce GPU, you need to activate FreeSync from your monitor’s OSD. I would run some benchmarks in-game in a few different games, including Final Fantasy XV, and the scenes in the boxes looked smooth and free of artifacts.
An ultra-wide professional monitor for all intents and purposes
Basically smaller in screen size and lower in native resolution than the 38-inch ViewSonic VP3881, the VP3481 takes this as a base and adds a few features that the bigger brother does not have. With its 100Hz refresh rate and AMD FreeSync technology, the VP3481 is the better choice for game designers who also want to squeeze in a little gaming when time permits. Both have an upstream USB Type-C port for transferring data and video, and the charging of a laptop may be admitted as well, while the VP3481 has a second USB-C port strictly for charging mobile devices. Seeing that the display of each has a recessed design for immersive viewing, the VP3481 is more curved.
Having some similar specs with the Asus ProArt PA34VC, the VP3481 offers a 34-inch wide display sharing the same resolution and aspect ratio; it has height, tilt and swivel adjustment and features an audio system of its own alongside some extra analog ports. There, adaptive sync tech and refresh rates greet their game designers and casual player kind alike.
They have comparable measured brightness, with the PA34VC coming with a higher contrast ratio. The mini-joystick controller makes the ProArt easy to navigate. The PA34VC does weigh a bit more in its favor, while the ViewSonic VP3481 be an extremely capable-yet-slightly cheaper alternative.