A few years ago, no one had heard of curved screens, they were skeptical about their appearance, and today they are surprisingly very popular among users. There is an opinion that the basis of their popularity is just the good work of marketers. But interestingly, curved displays on smartphones are still a rarity, although some manufacturers have actively promoted their unconventional products. And yet, why are curved monitors attractive? Why do people buy them and even collect them multi-monitor systems based on them? In this article, we will try to objectively understand this.
What is the “chip” of curved screens?
You’ve probably already heard that curved displays allow you to immerse yourself in what is happening on the screen – whether it’s a computer game, watching a movie or working on a project. The so-called “presence effect” is created. And in the presence of a good acoustic system, it is also amplified audibly. To the question “Why is this happening?” There is a completely logical answer: the very structure of the human eye dictates the arcuate design of the monitor.
Few people think in everyday life that in addition to the main vision, a person also has a side vision, which increases the viewing angle to 130 degrees. This peripheral feature allows us to better perceive the surrounding reality, and more recently has also become a prerequisite for the appearance of curved screens.
Let’s try to explain this in practice. When looking at a curved monitor, the on-screen image continues in the side view zone, and is not interrupted by the frame of a flat monitor. This is where the effect of total immersion comes from. And compared to flat monitors of the same diagonal, the viewing area on a curved monitor visually seems larger.
Moreover, if you continue the comparison with flat monitors, you can not help but notice that when using curved analogs, contrast and color reproduction do not get worse at the edges of the matrix. This is not surprising, since the distance from any point on the screen to the eye does not change. However, there are also nuances. If you sit in front of such a screen not strictly in the center, all the “magic” disappears.
But back to the positive aspects, which are much more. For example, curved monitors with a glossy finish glare noticeably less than flat screens. Due to the bending, the refraction of light rays changes, and reflections cease to cause inconvenience, being reduced to a minimum. And in general, completing the laudable praises, let’s pay attention to the fact that a curved monitor looks stylish and futuristic in any interior.
What applications are curved displays suitable for?
Although curved monitors are not a budget treat, especially when it comes to quality products, they are relevant for use in both home and work environments. The undeniable advantage of a curved monitor is that in order to perform tasks in the proportions of a wide screen, the workspace can be organized more conveniently than in a comparable configuration of two standard monitors. In addition, the use of curved displays in the office will allow people to literally go headlong into work, significantly increasing their attentiveness.
For gamers and moviegoers who prefer to watch movies on their home PC, the curved screen has become a real opportunity to immerse themselves in the virtual world without virtual reality glasses. UHD content reveals itself especially well on such screens, without losing sharpness at the edges. Those who have been to modern cinemas with curved screens, such as IMAX, understand what we are talking about now. The widescreen format (16:9 or 21:9) and the curve acceptable to the human eye will really give its owner a new experience.
| How much should the monitor be bent? |
| Curvature parameters of monitors are determined by index R. The smaller it is, the more curved the matrix is. If we take a bend of 3000R and continue to draw lines until we get a closed circle, the radius of the circle will be 3 meters. The sweet spot is 1800R flex, like HP’s EliteDisplay monitors or the Omen X gaming line. According to our measurements in the test lab and overall impressions after practical tests, this flex setting is one of the most optimal for the human eye and does not cause eye fatigue. muscles during prolonged work. |
Curved displays: which solution to choose and why?
At the very moment when the decision to purchase a curved monitor is made, one can be surprised at the wealth of choice among models of this kind. All of them differ in bending radius, equipment and a set of various technologies on board, which creates a serious choice problem. Save money and buy a cheaper monitor or take a more expensive device and get maximum comfort when working with it? It all depends on the tasks that you are going to assign to your display tool.
For video games
With a suitable bending radius, we have already decided a little higher. Now let’s talk about the rest. If you’re buying a curved monitor for gaming and want to get the most out of your virtual worlds, high-resolution support will be the deciding criteria (from QHD up to 4K), large diagonal, fast response, eye protection technology and NVIDIA G-SYNC to synchronize the operation of the video card and monitor.
These parameters are met by the monitor we tested at the end of last year. HP OMEN X (X3W57AA) with a 35-inch screen, 21:1 aspect ratio and ultra-thin bezels. Adjustable Screen Height The monitor can be comfortably placed right in the center of the player’s view.
Plus, taking into account the announced parameters, you can be sure that when gaming on such a monitor, no artifacts or image breaks will spoil your enjoyment of atmospheric video games. For a more affordable gaming solution, consider buying a monitor. HP Value 27x (1AT01AA)=”content_internal_link”>. With a diagonal of 27 inches. Its cost is about 21,000 rubles.
For multimedia tasks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFWgGdNyg5U
Watching movies and performing multimedia tasks, whether it is working with design software, editing videos or processing photos, is better to entrust to a professional monitor. HP EliteDisplay S340c. Given the high cost of this device, you can resort to buying a more affordable option – HP Value Curved 27 (Z4N74AA)=”content_internal_link”>, costing about 20,000 rubles. But we recommend making a reserve for the future: the 34-inch HP S340c model is, of course, more expensive, but it works with modern resolution WQHD and has an aspect ratio of 21:9, which provides a better image perception.
Do not forget that any movie fan appreciates good sound, just like any designer draws inspiration from music. So here HP EliteDisplay S340c eliminates the need to buy an expensive speaker system later. Built-in monitor speakers from one of the leading audio manufacturers Bang & Olufsen are equipped with four speakers (7 watts each) that create a spacious and rich sound when you sit in close proximity to the monitor.
For office use
Not a single person likes to be distracted from work, but willy-nilly, attention is sometimes switched to the movement of other people around the office, the conversations of colleagues, etc. Partially avoid this and focus on work will help curved displays. Based on them, you can even create a convenient multi-monitor system. It is desirable that the monitors are equipped with a sufficient number of modern connectors for connecting external storage media.
True, if we are talking about UltraWide-monitors (21:9) with a large diagonal, you can limit yourself to one screen. Taken together, this approach will significantly increase the productivity of the employee, reducing the number of distractions and at the same time expanding the area of u200bu200bthe working space in front of his eyes. Read more about how multi-monitor systems can improve productivity in our material “Multi-monitor systems: why it is beneficial to use multiple screens.
An individual offer for the selection of next-generation PCs from HP can be obtained here.
Read also:
- USB Type-C – the format of the future?
- Mobile Internet in laptops: how to always stay connected
