Curved monitors – advantages and disadvantages

Curved monitors hit the market in 2014. The peak of user interest in them came in 2016, when companies in every possible way promoted unusual devices through research by scientists and the release of new models. We will talk about the relevance, advantages and disadvantages of such monitors at the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022 below.

Advantages

What benefits do users get when they buy a curved monitor?

Immersive effect

It is created by a curvature: the center of the monitor is slightly recessed, and its edges “stretch” towards the user. This format uses peripheral vision just like in real life. It should be noted that the perception of each person is individual, therefore, the radius of curvature of the monitor will be perceived differently.

Reducing distortion

Curved monitors do not completely eliminate distortion; they minimize it. This is again due to the fact that the projection of the image is directed towards the user, while on flat monitors it is “scattered” on the left and right sides.

Actual solutions

In 2021, you can choose a model for every taste with:

• response in 1 ms;
• increased frequency;
• diagonal from 24-inches.
• HDMI, DisplayPort and Thunderbolt connectors;
• support for AMD FreeSync, NVIDIA G-Sync technologies;
• different aspect ratios: classic 16: 9, cinematic 21: 9 or widescreen 32: 9.

Basically, curved monitors are positioned as gaming or for watching movies, TV series.

Flaws

No technology is complete without noticeable downsides.

Viewing angles

Aiming only at the user in front of the screen, the image cannot be seen from an angle. This also applies to some models with a radius of 1000R, when, by moving the head a little, the picture becomes faded and barely distinguishable.

It also depends a lot on the diagonal. The 24 “is not capable of full immersion, but the 32 or 40”.

Wall Mount

An extremely subjective minus, since the shape of the monitor will not fit snugly against the wall. At the same time, on the movable arm, the difference with the flat models remains unnoticeable.

What can we offer?

The game model AOC CU34G2X / BK, which  we reviewed . The immersive gaming experience is ensured by the 34-inch VA panel with 3440 x 1440 resolution, 1500R curvature and 144Hz refresh rate. The response time is 1 ms, and among the supported technologies, AMD FreeSync is implemented.

You can display an image on the monitor from several sources at once by using 2 HDMI 2.0 outputs and / or 2 DisplayPort 1.4 ports. Complements 4 USB Type-A connectors, which allows you to turn the model into a docking station for connecting additional peripherals. More details about the monitor  can be found here .

Outcomes

The presence of curved monitors on sale is justified by the immersive effect, which will be appreciated by gamers and fans of films and TV series. According to reviews, many do not succeed in using such solutions for work – their eyes quickly get tired. In terms of cost, at the end of 2021, curved monitors are slightly more expensive than flat counterparts.