Which TV screen is better - curved or flat?

Beginning around 2014-2015, more and more video equipment manufacturers are producing TVs with curved screens. And this is not just a way to slightly increase the price of equipment. Curved screens - slightly concave, as opposed to convex "kinescopes" - provide a completely new visual experience.

Let's figure out whether to overpay for cinematography and which TV screen is better - curved or flat.

Comparison of curved and flat screen TVs

We will compare curved and flat screens by the following parameters:

1. Immersive effect;

2. Contrast and viewing angles;

3. The number of reflections;

4. Visual screen area;

5. The amount of optical distortion.

Actually, these parameters are indicated by sellers and manufacturers of curved TVs as key ones. Therefore, consider them.

Immersive effect

Most often, curved screen TVs are compared with IMAX. Say, and there, and there the display is concave, "picture" as if from all sides and the viewer as if finds itself in the film. This is true, but only in part.

Optical laws that work on a 22 × 16 meter canvas do not perform well on a 55-inch matrix. That is, the effect of immersion is, yes. But for this you need to sit directly in front of the TV at a distance of 1.5-2 meters. Moreover, if you sit 2-3 meters away from the display - this is the place recommended by doctors for viewing - then visually all this curvature will disappear and the TV screen will seem flat.

Nevertheless, the effect of immersion still manifests itself - if you take a curved TV with a larger diagonal than 55 inches. For example, 65-inch displays retain the radius of curvature, if you sit down from them at 2.5-3 meters. These models are not very many, but they are in the lines and Haier, and Samsung, and other manufacturers.

Thus, concave television screens retain the effect of immersion in two cases:

1. If you sit close enough to them (1.5-2 meters);

2. If they are large enough (60-65 inches).

In other cases, there is no special reason to overpay - unless, of course, do not use them as a monitor.

Contrast enhancement

The second advantage of curved TVs over “even”, according to manufacturers, is the increased contrast at the edges of the image. And, unexpectedly, it is absolutely true. LCD matrixes really lose the image contrast along the edges - and when the light field from a concave display is fully capable of restoring it.

However, this effect is noticeable only if you sit directly in front of the TV screen. As well as the notorious "immersion effect." It is necessary to sit a little to the side - as the contrast loss, on the contrary, increases many times.

And being right in front of the screen in a large family is an “asterisk task.” Therefore, this TV is better to buy for 1-2 viewers.

Viewing angles

But this feature of concave matrices by manufacturers of television equipment is usually not advertised, because this is the main drawback of a curved display. What is it:

1. Flat screens, depending on the production technology of the matrix, have a viewing angle of 150-178 degrees horizontally. This means that they can be seen from every corner of the room;

2. Concave screens, in turn, physically do not reach the viewing angle of at least 150 degrees. In addition, the higher it is relative to the vertical center - the more visually distorted the image.

Thus, TV with a concave display must be placed so that the sofa from which you plan to watch them, was strictly opposite.

Number of reflections

And now - the absolute advantage of curved matrices over "even".

Flat matrices are glare, and glare is very strong. They reflect any source of light, be it the sun from the window, the lamp from the ceiling or something white in the interior of the room. As a result, it even happens that during the day it becomes impossible to watch TV or movies - bright highlights from the window are reflected on the display and overlap the “picture”.

The curved matrix seems to be too glare, but reflect the light a little in the direction that the flat. That is why, if you watch TV, sitting in front of him - well, or on a small corner from the center - there is no glare.

Thus, if you plan to install a TV in a bright room, with a lot of windows or lamps, it is better to take a concave, with a standard curvature of 1800. Watching something from a flat display in such conditions will be one continuous “pleasure”.

Visual screen area

Another advantage that is really an advantage, and not just a marketing gimmick. Curved screens, if you sit directly in front of them, really seem more "straight" with the same diagonal.

The matrix seems to be more due to the fact that the brain, accustomed to the "direct" screens, "completes" the image. So, with an actual diagonal of 140 centimeters, a person who sits in front of him at a distance of 2-2.5 meters will feel him as 1.5 meters. The advantage is small, of course, but still the “wow effect” is observed.

In addition, the so-called "visual effective" area is increasing. With the comfort of the eye, a person with a flat-screen TV can only look at one point at a time, plus a relatively small field of view. The edges of the image literally fall out of it.

The concave matrix is ​​devoid of this. The field of view of a person sitting in front of such a TV screen is somewhat wider - and you can look at objects from different sides without strain on your eyes.

Optical distortion reduction

It would seem that this is quite true. Each point on the flat display is located relative to the eye at an increasing angle away from the center. For curved matrices, the angle also increases, but not so much.

But! First, films are shot on a flat sensor. Secondly, the brain (as is clear from the section above) itself completes the curved image to a flat one. And finally, when trying to look at the matrix at an angle - from the side, for example - the objects on it “stretch”.

As a result, the number of optical distortions only increases.

Comparative table of flat and curved TVs

Thus, we can reduce the advantages and disadvantages of all these types of matrices into one large table:

When should I buy a curved TV?

It is worth buying a curved screen TV in the following cases:

1. It is planned to watch it from close range;

2. There are many luminous and glare objects in the room;

3. I want the largest possible TV;

4. It is planned to buy a small TV and use it as a monitor.

In other cases, it will be excessive overpayment. And for viewing by a large family or with friends, it is not suitable at all. Not only will none of the spectators find themselves in the so-called focal point (an ideal place for comfortable viewing), so also people sitting on the edge will display a very distorted image.

Similarly, a concave TV screen is not the best solution for the kitchen. Kitchen TV devices are usually installed somewhere on the refrigerator away from the table, at an angle, to view the news during breakfast. It is difficult to imagine the whole level of discomfort when using a concave screen in such conditions.

On the other hand, manufacturers often concave top models of their television devices. For example, Samsung in many models install a QLED matrix with pure spectral color and close to absolute black, which retains excellent visibility when viewed at an angle. LG, in turn, uses an active OLED-matrix with absolute black and infinite contrast, which further enhances the quality of the image with side viewing.

So if you take a curved TV for viewing by the company - then QLED or OLED. They provide excellent image quality. And for self-use and fit any other.