Curved TVs are a new idea that is emerging on the technology grapevine at the moment, with huge companies like LG and Samsung bringing out the first models. After a reported 2 year dry spell of sales, they’ve suddenly seen a huge increase in popularity.
So we thought we’d take a look at them and evaluate them in terms of pros and cons to help you decide whether it would be the right purchase for you, and if after years of trying to make TVs flat, whether a curved one is the way to go.
Pros of opting for a curved TV
- They provide an ‘immersive’ experience – as the sides of the screen curve round, it feels as if they are ‘wrapping’ around you, making it a really great experience when gaming on them in particular, for example.
- They enable a wider field of view – curved TVs give the illusion of a much wider field of vision compared to flat ones despite taking up relatively the same amount of room in your home.
- They have an attractive, modern look – there’s no denying that they look great and are the latest must-have for technology/design fanatics and are sure to impress any visitors you have in your home.
- It creates a ‘theatrical effect’ – they mirror the technology used in the best cinemas, so create a similarly spectacular viewing experience that you can enjoy in your very own living room.
- They have an improved contrast quality compared to normal screens – curved screens focus the light coming from the screen more directly at your eyes and so can deliver between 1.5x and 1.8x higher contrast than flat screens.
Cons of curved screen TVs
- Viewing from the side of the screen won’t be great – viewing from the side can be distracting and slightly distorted unlike most good flat screens.
- They’re for table tops only and can’t be mounted on the wall – you’ll need a decent TV stand or entertainment centre to hold them and will never have the option of being able to mount them onto the wall.
- You need to be viewing from the ‘sweet spot’ for the optimum experience – you need to be able to watch the TV from directly in the middle of the screen to get the ultimate experience…which won’t be great for the rest of the household.
- They’re much more expensive than flat TVs – as with any new technology, they’re much more expensive than the existing options, and it’s thought that while tweaks above are worked out, they won’t be getting much cheaper any time soon.
- They need to be big for them to give you an optimum view – as they use similar technology used in cinema screens, they need to be big to be able to hold up to it and give you the best experience possible, which won’t be too great for your bank balance or your living room space.
