Does the different profiling of Curved and Flat TVs matter?

Since the invention of the television set by humans in the 19th century, the display technology has been continuously improved and innovated, and the appearance and function of the television are constantly changing. In the past, the bulky “big bulge” TV set, and later the LCD TV, broke through the technical limitations of 4K ultra-clear, and now the screen is “curve”, the appearance of curved screen TV was once attracted, but it is not warm afterward. In a market that is not hot, at first glance, the high-definition screen TV, why not lead the trend in the market?

Flat TV

Speaking of this, I have to talk about how the curved TV was born. The first and most successful application of curved screens is the cinema. We all know that the human eye is a sphere, and the eye mask is also a curved state, so the object on the plane actually bends when imaged through the eyeball. In addition to the huge screen of the cinema, the eyes of the audience are not the same from the middle of the screen and the distance between the two sides, which leads to the visual effect of deformation. Therefore, the cinema makes the curtain into a curved surface, so that the distance from the left to the right of the screen is the same, so that the deformation of the picture is not generated, and the sense of presence and envelopment is increased.

After this successful application of the film, the curved TV was born. After all, who wouldn’t want to watch a movie at home to enjoy a cinema-like presence? “The ability to bring into the same immersive experience as a movie theater” is also the focus of today’s curved TV campaigns. However, the fate of curved TV is not as good as the movie screen, and it can be said that “the thunder is loud and the rain is small”, but now it is not warm.

High price deterred the consumers to divert towards the Curved TVs

Nowadays, the smart technology industry is highly competitive. Whether it is a smartphone or a smart TV, the price/performance ratio is often an important reference point for consumers. The selection of the curved screen must be soft, and the high process requirements directly lead to the soaring price of the curved screen TV, even several times more than the ordinary straight-screen TV. Although the technology of curved TV is quite mature now, curved TV is about 30% more expensive than flat-panel TV.

One more reason that refrains the Curved TVs to being popular is its concave in the structure which is not aesthetically pleasing, and there are hidden dangers of scratching the body while moving around it.

The another biggest reason why curved TVs are not as popular as cinema screens is size. Although the screen is getting bigger and bigger today, due to cost control and technical bottlenecks, the largest curved screen TV can only reach 100 inches.

Conversely, because the size of the curved TV is not large enough, the sense of surroundness on the viewing and the “immersive experience” claimed by the Tv manufacturers are not obvious. In particular, it is even more disappointing than the sense of envelopment brought by the super-large screen of the cinema.

Although curved TV does have some disadvantages compared to flat-panel TVs, it also has advantages.  

All flat TV panels are almost the same in design, however, the curved TV is a refreshing feeling in appearance. In principle, since the curved screen forms an enclosing angle toward the viewer, we can get the best viewing from the edge to the edge of the screen. As a result, the large-screen curved TV provides a wider viewing angle and a wider panoramic image, making the overall painting more intense.

Earlier we said that due to the advancement of process technology, although the price reduction is quite small, it is still 30% more expensive than the same grade flat-panel TV. For consumers who are not so sensitive to price, this price premium may be acceptable. So what is the difference between a flat-panel TV and a curved TV?

Curved tv viweing experiance
Image source: 4K


At the angle of 0 degrees. In a movie, the top and bottom are cropped, the upper and lower edge portions of the movie video appear to have a curvature on the curved TV, and there is indeed a sense of surroundness. Watching the curved TV in front of the TV is slightly better than the flat TV.

However, because the curvature of the curved TV itself is limited, the sense of surround is further reduced, but sitting in the middle of the look is still slightly better than flat-panel TV.

Next is the angle of 20 degrees. This angle is basically the angle of three or four people in front of the TV.

Because this angle is also considered to be the center of the position, so the difference between the two is not large. But there is still a certain difference, on the left side of the flat-panel TV appears dimmed in terms of brightness.

The angle of 40 degrees, this position is basically the position of people who watch TV on the edge of six or seven people.

From this point of view, the edge of the flat-panel TV is further eclipsed due to the problem of the viewing angle, and there is a deformation phenomenon. The curved TV is tilted up because of the curved edge of the surface, and the look of the edge of the picture is quite good.

The last is the 60-degree angle. At this angle, the look and feel of the flat or curved TV are quite bad and it looks very uncomfortable. So, we can now draw a simple conclusion: curved TV is not so unbearable. Although it not completely can give you a cinema screen, it can still let you feel a certain sense of surround when watching a movie. But don’t forget the curved Tv designed could not alone improve your viewing experience certain other things do matter such as the display technology, resolution, processing power and how smart it is.

via mydrivers