How wide is too wide for a monitor? That’s the question the new Philips Brilliance 298P4 dares you to ask. Like many IPS-based monitors it has been designed with professional consumers in mind but in this instance, does so with a unique, controversial design.

Usually monitors come in 16:9 or occasionally 16:10 aspect ratios which blend vertical with horizontal space for an optimal viewing experience. While these ratios work very well for a wide variety of scenarios and tasks, there’s a small but vocal segment that wants a huge amount of horizontal real estate. Previously, they needed to look at higher priced, 27” and 30” monitors which routinely sell for $700 and more. That’s not exactly an economical solution since it’s being hampered by the higher manufacturing costs associated with substrate loss when producing LCD / LED panels.