What Do You Think About Curved HDTVs? Better than Flat TV??

[Karen Molinares]

Curved TV: Innovation or Gimmick?

For over a decade the TV industry has been selling us on flatter, thinner HDTVs. Back in the 90s ultra-expensive flat CRT screens were sold as an enhanced viewing experience. But today TV manufacturers are deviating slightly from the message of flatter is better.

Sony, Samsung and LG have all created curved TVs. But Samsung is at the leading-edge of the curve with 70% of its high-end lineup featuring the new design. Do curved screens really enhance picture quality, are they just another gimmick — or both?

Let your voice be heard, vote in our poll on what you think and share your comments below.

Read our article on: Curved TV: Innovation or Gimmick?

 

[Seth=L]

No pressure to upgrade until holography.

 

[Topken]

I can easily see curved screens working for near field monitors AKA PC monitors since it wraps the edges inwards towards your eyes but on a Big screen TV not very useful.

 

[3db]

If I were the only one in my family to use my HT, then I would buy one. However, since watching movies is a family affair with multiple people sitting at positions far from the sweet spot, I would have to say pass. Curved screens would make for a really uneven viewing experience, far worse than a straight screen would.

 

[jliedeka]

I could see having a large projection screen that's curved. In a 55-70 inch TV, the disadvantages seem to outweigh any advantages.

Jim

 

[wiyosaya]

I could see the argument about the edges of a picture being farther away IF the view were of a panoramic scene; however, for a scene in an office or some similarly enclosed space, it sounds like typical marketing blather to me.

About a year or so ago, I spoke with my trusted AV dealer about curved screens and he said that they had heard that curved screens add strength to the structure.

However, it sounds to me like Samsung is now pushing curved as the next fad so that they can sell new models at prices that make them outrageous profits.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I think I beginning to see the trend here of useless features added to sell more overpriced TVs:

• "Smart" TV
• 3D
• 120 and 240hz
• UHD
• and now Curved Screens

I could go on and on....

 

[Seth=L]

I think I beginning to see the trend here of useless features added to sell more overpriced TVs:

• "Smart" TV
• 3D
• 120 and 240hz
• UHD
• and now Curved Screens

I could go on and on....

The best viable technology offered in televisions is now exiting stage left, plasma.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

The best viable technology offered in televisions is now exiting stage left, plasma.

Oled might be next , but how viable or affordable it would be is still big question mark.

 

[Seth=L]

Oled might be next , but how viable or affordable it would be is still big question mark.

OLED might be, it does seem like it has some catching up to do. I was looking at the LG OLED at best buy and wasn't overly impressed with it. I still found plasma to be more pleasing to look at and the motion more fluid and without artifact. The thing that sucks about looking at most new tech tvs is they pipe slow moving uncompressed sources through them giving you a false representation of what it will actually look like when you're watching it at home.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Fast motion is needed to be figured out, but undeniably oled is superior in terms of actual contrast and by far. It also should have an advantage in pallette depth

 

[Seth=L]

Fast motion is needed to be figured out, but undeniably oled is superior in terms of actual contrast and by far. It also should have an advantage in pallette depth

Guess I'll have to see a good one.

Another concern with OLED I have is that I've seen the AMOLED Samsung smart phone displays and they seem to get burn in quite easily. I understand their displays are running all day and night, but the new phones will be on display for let's say a month and you'll notice there are images burnt into the displays.

 

[whatthedileo]

if you put a grid pattern on the curved screen, how many 'seats' in the house would allow the viewer to see that grid without obscuration? Even the central sweet spot cannot be too high or too low, without seeing the straight lines begin to curve out to the sides.

I can only imagine how this would look with panning scenes... my old Panny plasma had a 'stretch' mode to fill the wide screen with a 4x3 image, and it was hideous during pans - it looked like it was projected onto the side of a soup can.

People say 'but it is such a subtle curve you won't notice these things'... so DON'T BOTHER CURVING IT AT ALL! I buy a TV to use as a monitor, and the perfect monitor would have no base and no bezel, and just let me see the image uninterrupted.

 

[cpp]

What I found in my audition of TVs of late, 50 and 55" TV;s. The curved screen exaggerated reflections and I found setting outside the viewing angle by say 35% and out my eyes hurt after long viewing periods. I think a larger curved screen would be desirable say above 65". But these curved sets, they are a bitch to hang on a wall and provide that nice WAF. and $$ the cost.

But the contrast is nice, there appears to be some added depth which is nice. The big ones look cool if you have the room and the wallet.

I didn't buy one, the wife liked the Sony 55" XBR-X900B. So that's what we got.

 

[The Dukester]

Gimmick. I don't care for them. It you have one that's over 92" with a reasonable seating distance it may be OK when displaying Cinemascope but other wise forget it. I'll keep my Pioneer 60" until either it dies or OLED get mainstream.

 

[darien87]

I don't want one if nothing else than how do you wall mount it without it looking stupid?

 

[Ferd Smurf]

I don't want one if nothing else than how do you wall mount it without it looking stupid?

+1. My TV is on the wall. My wall is flat. I will not be buying ANY curved TV's. They would have to seriously discount a curved TV below the price of a flat one before I'd even think of it.

 

[Alan Brown]

Since this is primarily an audio-focused forum, what are the acoustic consequences to having speakers near a large, concave, rigid surface? Wouldn't this interfere with dispersion? In commercial cinemas with curved screens, it's to compensate for anamorphic lens distortion, and speakers are behind a perforated fabric screen.

"Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." H. L. Mencken

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

My guess if speakers are close enough to curved screen one - the sound would be focused to narrow point and amplified - I am not sure if this works be beneficial effect

 

[tyhjaarpa]

Will rock on my flat plasma until it dies and move on flat oled after that.