→ Flat vs. curved monitor: its advantages and disadvantages?

Curved monitors, like 4K television, promised to be a revolution in our lives towards a higher quality and more immersive audiovisual experience. Today we are here to talk about screens and deny or confirm all those doubts and myths that revolve around the comparison of a flat vs. curved monitor. Let's go!

Index of contents

A little context

Back in the Pleistocene we used some fantastic boxes where our wonderful Windows 95 was pedal powered by monitors the size of fruit pads, transmitted images through the Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) and had more static than a wool sweater.

Although LiquidCristal Display (LCD) flat panels began to be used commercially during the 80s and 90s, the transition period lasted almost ten years until the CRT ceased to be common in the home against the LCD and the first type of LCD screens were Thin Film Transistor (TFT). It was a long way until TFTs could be made curved, and so we arrived at the 2012 bombshell (for TV, 2014 for monitors) and at the heart of the matter: flat vs. curved monitor.

Let's talk about the human eye

No, I am not going to give you a biology class, I assure you that this section is justified, you will see: The human peripheral vision covers up to 180º, while the central vision is 30º. The peripheral is full of rods and focuses much more on the perception of movement, while the central does more striking things like colors or high definition through the cones. By now you will know where I am going: curved monitors are immersive because they force sticks to do something with their lives.

Human field of vision

Why curved?

The curved screen promised to be the panacea, the nightmare, the ultimate technological culmination. The radius of curvature of these screens replicates that of the human eye, which is why they guarantee to provide less eye fatigue and a more natural perception of panoramic images, less "distorted". Obviously comments like these sound prophetic for users who spend long hours in front of the monitor, but all that glitters is not gold.

Indeed, the experience is more immersive and its ideal curvature / size ratio is 21: 9 (very close to the 2: 35: 1 of the cinema), but the rise of curved monitors coincided with that of wanting everything bigger and bigger. Yes, obviously on the TV in your living room you were not going to have a problem, but a monitor in front of you of a disproportionate size was not intended to be seen from so close to your table, so dizziness is common in such cases given that edges of the screen disappear from the field of view. For this reason, the minimum recommended viewing distance is equal to the monitor's curvature in millimeters.

Viewing angle and curve

Yes, these monitors are designed to include your peripheral vision in your gaming experience. That is why they are more immersive. Although the scope of our field of view is fixed, it is possible to find different screen radii (in millimeters) to choose from. What the parameters below indicate both how deep the curve that describes the screen is and how far you can handle it. As a reference point, the curvature described by the human eye is 1000R.

monitors curvature index

• 1800R: curvature of 1.8m for ideal maximum viewing distance. 2300R: curvature of 2.3m for ideal maximum viewing distance. 3000R: curvature of 3m for ideal maximum viewing distance. 4000R: curvature of 4m for ideal maximum viewing distance.

In general, it is thought that the steeper the curve, the more immersive the experience, but it also tends to increase in price. For gaming, the most common are the 1800R or 2300R monitors, but obviously this is something that can change depending on the consumer. Likewise, they are the screens that offer the least curvature and among which the cheapest prices can be found.

LCD types and response time

Initially, curved monitors were manufactured following the same processes as their TFT siblings but forcing them to bend at the mediation of the process. This is obviously a bestiality, and later the technique was refined until it was manufactured following two different methods: In-Plane Switching (IPS) and Vertical Alignment Panels (VA). The difference between the two is that IPS aligns the crystals of the LCD monitors horizontally while the PVA does so with reference to the vertical.

However, this does not mean that on screens are the only two methods that exist, and whether it is for flat or curved monitor, there are advantages and disadvantages in each model. Allow me a small table courtesy of the house:

Orientative table of types of lcd panels

Flat vs. curved durability

Both types of screens are fragile when compared to the monitors of the past that could be fixed with well-given slaps. Now anyone taps their LCD without thinking twice.

It is true that in transport matters it is advisable to take special care of the position of the curved model and make sure that it is padded correctly so as not to force the angle of its screen.

In short, we can affirm that we can expect the same performance from both display models since this depends much more on the quality of its components, manufacturer and assembly.

Advantages of flat vs curved monitor

• All games will have resolutions compatible with a flat or curved monitor. In contrast, not all video games have an ultrawide 21: 9 aspect, so you can end up playing with two black stripes on both sides of the screen and waste their use if it is especially for what we have acquired. alter your perception of the texts and composition of the image with respect to the final printed result if you dedicate yourself to editing work. In general we can say that they are very favorable for more organic forms, but not for displaying texts, planes or lines. If you do reading or editing graphic design or illustration activities on your computer, these monitors are not for you. If it is a desktop monitor, an excessively large curved screen may cause headaches or dizziness if you use it too close, it is recommended to use the same distance criteria as for a TFT. Curved screens are more prone to internal reflection due to their concave shape. If you are looking for high-performance gaming but if you are on a budget, a 24 ”1080 flat screen 144hz can be half the price of a curved one, and if it is ultrawide we do n't even talk.

Disadvantages of flat vs curved monitor

• The curved monitor brings your peripheral view onto the pitch, so 100% of your vision will be part of the experience. Ultrawide curved monitors provide a larger screen area, so they can allow you to share. without having a second monitor. If you have a gaming computer and dedicate many hours to this leisure, the use of a curved monitor can compensate you. Large flat panel monitors cause distortion due to their straight shape. The difference is that flat screens project images forward perpendicularly, while curves "hug" the user. This makes the same image appear distorted at its ends on a large large screen if it is flat or proportionate if it is curved. This is especially noticeable in 3D video game scenarios when making a 360º turn and is in fact the biggest drawback to VR glasses to date. Curved monitors are made to replicate the curvature of the human eye, thus providing less eye strain. The concave surface of the screen results in image perception making them appear wider and a greater sense of depth than on a flat panel monitor. the same size and resolution.

Our recommended

We have chosen AORUS monitors because they are the models that most surprised us during 2018 and 2019. But if you want more models, we recommend that you take a look at our guide to the best monitors on the market.

Specifications shared by AORUS flat and curved models:

• Customizable rear ambient LED lighting AMD Radeon freesync Nvidia G-sync compatible Anti-reflective surface Contrast 1000 + 3.5mm jack port Two USB ports Side and vertical rotation Adjustable height Power supply integrated into the display

Recommended flat panel monitors

AORUS KD25F

AORUS KD25F - Monitor

• Gigabyte aorus kd25f 24.5 '' led fullhd 240hz freesync

542.90 EUR Buy on Amazon

• Resolution 1920 x 1080 full HD Response time 0.5ms Monitor 24.5 ”Refresh rate 240Hz USB 3.0 ports Ideal for competitive shooter games

AORUS AD27QD

Gigabyte AD27QD PC Screen 68.6 cm (27 ") Quad HD LED Matte - Monitor (68.6 cm (27"), 2560 x 1440 Pixels, Quad HD, LED, 1 ms)

• -

498.32 EUR Buy on Amazon

• Resolution 2560 x 1440px WQHD Response time 1msMonitor 27 ”Refresh rate 144Hz USB 2.0 ports

Recommended curved monitors

AORUS CV27F

Gigabyte AD27QD PC Screen 68.6 cm (27 ") Quad HD LED Matte - Monitor (68.6 cm (27"), 2560 x 1440 Pixels, Quad HD, LED, 1 ms)

• -

498.32 EUR Buy on Amazon

• Resolution 1920 x 1080 full HD Response time 1msMonitor 27 ”Refresh rate 165Hz USB 3.0 ports Curvature 1500R

AORUS CV27Q

* Still to be released, we only provide the information confirmed so far

• Response time 1msMonitor 27 "

Conclusion on flat vs curved monitor

On a personal level I can tell you that it seems like a fetish article. Of course, a curved screen brings a different experience, but it cannot be as immersive as the virtual reality that is currently in constant development. Depth perception is based on three-dimensional objects and movement, so if you are not interested in buying VR glasses, I would keep a good flat screen monitor at 144hz and 1ms response before a curved screen for my sticks to do More than just loitering on the periphery. In my opinion a smooth and smooth gaming experience is more immersive than all the curved screens in the world.

The curved screen experience is fabulous, but one-person. That is the reason why curved televisions have lost their bellows while the monitors still persist, if only because of the desire to sink to the eyebrows in pixels.

With nothing more to add, we hope that the article has been useful to you and if you want to share any idea, do not hesitate to leave comments. Until next time!