Curved monitor or flat monitor? When shopping for a new monitor, the question of whether to opt for a curved or flat screen often comes first. Are curved monitors worth the hype? Absolutely! Curved monitors boast several incredible benefits, thanks to their unique design. From reducing eye strain to offering a more immersive field of view, these monitors are designed to elevate your screen time.
Keep reading to discover how a curved monitor could enhance your visual experience, or click here for some top curved monitor recommendations.
Curved monitors have been making waves for a few years now, and like all great technologies, the once-steep prices have settled down. This makes it the perfect time to consider making the switch from a flat to a curved screen.
But why should you take the leap? How do curved and flat monitors compare in terms of daily usage, immersion, and health benefits? Let’s dive in and explore the advantages and drawbacks of curved monitors.
Curved vs. Flat Monitors Compared
Everyone has used a flat monitor at some point in their lives, but despite their increasing popularity, not everyone has had the opportunity to experience a curved monitor. So, how do the two compare in terms of user experience? Here’s what you need to know.
Curved Monitors Are Immersive
In the world of viewable media, immersion is a golden standard to work towards. If a product can make you forget, so to speak, that you’re staring at a screen, then you’re much more likely to enjoy the experience.
To create this sense of immersion, products must be engineered in a way that replicates real life. The monitor technology specifically used in this case is called ocular perception. This is something everyone learns from an early age.
We see the world in three dimensions - length, width, and height. If our collective reality was based only on two dimensions, then everything would appear to be flat. This is where the battle of curved vs. flat monitors comes into play.
Curved monitors take advantage of all three dimensions. Further, they expand on peripheral vision. In contrast, flat monitors, which live up to their namesake and don’t require the use of peripheral vision, offer a weaker immersive experience.
Curved monitor benefit #1:
- A more immersive experience
Curved Monitors Eliminate Distortion
Imagine how annoying it is when you experience a blurry picture. Next, consider how you feel when that blurriness is not due to a poor internet connection, but instead a hardware issue. In another example, consider how when you enlarge a video or picture, the quality ends up suffering a fair amount of distortion, particularly at the edges.
When it comes to the debate between curved vs. flat monitors, the situations above are almost exclusively associated with flat monitors. Although examples of distortion can occur on screens of any size, they become more prevalent as monitor size increases. Less distortion is one of the advantages of curved monitors over flat monitors as distortion issues are minimized on curved monitors.
There is a simple explanation for this.
The difference between curved and flat-screen distortion comes down to the physics of light projection. Put simply, flat screens blast their images in a straight line, both at the viewers and past their sides. Curved screens, on the other hand, take advantage of their shape, and aim everything at the viewer, thus limiting distortion.
Curved monitor benefit #2:
- Less distortion on a curved monitor
Curved Monitors Are More Comfortable for Your Eyes
The same physics that limit curved-screen distortion also make their use more comfortable. Essentially, the curvature of the monitors allows our eyes to take in everything at once, without strain.
This comes in opposition to flat screens, which, depending on the size, may cause eyestrain if the screen exceeds a viewer’s natural field of view. The ability to take in a scene without strain is something that occurs naturally in everyday life.
By being able to take in the entirety of a curved screen, even at its largest sizes, your eyes will take advantage of that natural feeling to remain comfortable. All in all, when considering curved vs. flat monitors, bear in mind that your eyes will be able to do their job more comfortably when viewing the former.
Curved monitor benefit #3:
- Curved monitors are comfortable for your eyes
Curved Monitors Cover a Wider Field of View
When researching curved vs. flat monitors, it’s common for the specs of curved screens to correlate greater immersion with a superior field of view. Frankly, this is true for the same reasons that curved screens are also more comfortable than their flat counterparts.
Since a curved screen directs light from all angles towards the viewer’s eye, the idea is that you will be able to take everything in without much ocular exertion. Therefore, if your eyes are more easily covering a larger field of view, as compared to flat screens, then curved monitors will thus feel larger.
An additional benefit of a wider field of view is that it also attributes to your perceived level of immersion.
Curved monitor benefit #4:
- Curved monitors offer a larger perceived field of view.
Drawbacks of Curved Monitors
Nothing is ever 100% perfect; there’s always a catch. Although that certainly goes for claims that appear too good to be true, it, unfortunately, goes for curved screens as well
Thankfully, the drawbacks of curved screens are very minor and will probably not be sending any buyers running for the hills to purchase flat screens instead.
Wall mounting
First and foremost, as a result of their eponymous shape, curved screens face difficulty when it comes to wall mounting. Unlike flat screens, which are typically flush with the adjacent wall, curved screens require specific mounts and positioning in order to be mounted.
Broadly speaking, curved screens necessitate a situation where they are kept from being too close to the wall. Although they don’t resolve the fact curved screens will jut out, tilt & swivel brackets and adjustable arm mounts are great options to overcome the hurdle of mounting in general.
The good news here that this is mostly a superficial issue and has no impact on performance.
Glare
Due to the geometry involved in its curvature, a curved screen will regrettably be prone to glare, when viewed at certain angles. As compared to a flat screen, which projects light at a single uniform angle, curved screens will do so at countless numbers.
With that in mind, while it is easy to keep light sources away from a single angle, it may become nigh impossible when dealing with many.
The best way to mitigate this issue is to place the screen away from as many light sources as possible.
Ultrawide Curved vs. Flat Monitors
A frequent adage is that bigger is better – ultrawide monitors are a testament to this statement.
Although monitors have come in many sizes for a long time, it is a somewhat recent development that curved monitors have also made an appearance in the ultrawide space. These ultrawide curved monitors are different because they utilize a 21:9 aspect ratio as opposed to the traditional 16:9 aspect ratio.
As you can see in the image above, the 21:9 ultrawide monitor offers approximately 33% more horizontal screen real estate than the standard 16:9 monitor. The resulting ultrawide curved combination fits together nicely and it would make sense to go with an ultrawide curved monitor over a standard 16:9 curved monitor. Having the extra horizontal screen real estate of an ultrawide monitor further accentuates the benefits of curved monitors that we outlined above.
Furthermore, for those who require multiple displays for work or gaming-related purposes, ultrawide monitors will allow you to ditch the other screen. In regard to gaming, some games even support the ultrawide 21:9 aspect ratio, resulting in all the benefits of a curved monitor for gaming plus an extended field of view in-game!
Searching for the ultimate gaming curved monitor? Then don’t miss out on our comprehensive guide!
Final Thoughts
With curved monitors offering deeper immersion for both work and entertainment, you don’t want to miss out on their extraordinary viewing experience they offer. From reducing stress on your eyes and neck, a wider perceived view (especially with ultrawide models), and noticeably less distortion than flat monitors—the benefits just keep stacking up! While there are a few minor drawbacks, they can be easily managed.
Ready to take the next step? Explore ViewSonic’s extensive range of curved monitors! Also, if you’re curious about ultrawide monitors, this article has all the details you need.
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