Curved vs flat monitor for work

When curved displays first appeared on the market, most people thought it was just a gimmick and a passing fad thats not worth the extra cost. And while thats partially true for TVs, its a whole different story when it comes to monitors.

So, why exactly do curved monitors make more sense than curved TVs, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of curved monitors in comparison to flat-screen models?

Curvature Ratings

First, well explain what different curvature radius ratings mean, such as1000R, 1500R, 3800R, etc.

The lower the number preceding the R is, the steeper the screen curvature will be.

1500R, for instance, refers to a radius of 1500mm or 1.5 meters if you were to form a circle out of a bunch of 1500R curved monitors, the radius of that circle would be 1.5m.

Additionally, the curvature rating tells you the optimal viewing distance.

So, with a 2000R curved monitor, youll only get full benefits of the curvature if you are no more than 2 meters away from the screen.

Samsungs Odyssey gaming monitors are the first models to have a 1000R curvature, which is supposed the match the curvature of the human eye for added immersion.

Curved vs Flat Monitors

Curved Monitors vs Curved TVs

Unlike curved TVs, which usually have subtle curvatures of ~4000R, most curved monitors have steeper curvatures of ~1500R. This makes sense as youll be sitting further away from a TV than youd from a monitor.

However, the problem with TVs is that to take full advantage of a curved screen, you also need to be sitting directly in front of it, which is impossible to do if you have a lot of people in the room.

Additionally, people watching the TV from the far sides of a room wouldnt be able to see the entire screen due to the curvature.

So, its understandable why, for most people, a curved TV is not worth the extra cost.

There are some advantages to curved TVs too, which you can learn more about in our curved vs flat TV article.

These problems dont affect curved monitors as they are intended for one person sitting in front of the screen.

Whats more, curved monitors are not necessarily more expensive than the flat-screen models. Oftentimes, curved panels are used for budget gaming monitors that are actually more affordable than their flat-panel counterparts.

Of course, just how useful is the curvature on a monitor mainly depends on the displays size and curvature radius.

Small 24 and 27 sized curved monitors usually have curvatures of 1500R or 1800R, which arent even that noticeable due to their small screen size.

With 32 or bigger curved monitors, the curvature becomes more noticeable, especially if its 1500R or steeper, but even then, the curvature isnt exactly necessary.

You shouldnt buy a 24 32 widescreen (16:9 aspect ratio) monitor just because its curved unless youre also interested in other features and specifications the display offers.

Advantages Of Curved Monitors

Its only when we get to ultrawide (21:9) or super ultrawide (32:9) monitors that the curvature becomes almost vital for an immersive viewing experience.

Due to the extra width of these monitors, the curvature actually brings the edges of the screen closer to you thus covering more of your peripheral vision.

This adds extra depth to the image as you can see more of the screen at once, without having to move your eyes/head as much, which improves both immersion and eye comfort, and also eliminates distortion at the edges of the screen.

Disadvantages Of Curved Monitors

The main disadvantage of curved monitors is the viewing angles as you wont get the optimal viewing experience unless youre sitting directly in front of the screen.

So, if you wish to watch a movie from your bed, and your curved monitor isnt facing it, the picture quality may not be ideal, especially if the monitor has a VA panel with inferior viewing angles to the IPS technology.

Naturally, this depends on the monitors screen size and curvature as well as the particular angle youd be looking at the screen.

Another concern users have with curved monitors is regarding professional use such as architecture, 2D and 3D modeling, and design, but as long as the curvature is not too steep, it wont be an issue.

Conclusion

In the end, the most important thing to consider is the panel quality itself.

For professional use, youll want an IPS panel display for the most accurate colors and widest viewing angles, and all widescreen IPS displays are flat-screen.

When it comes to the ultrawide models, the ones intended for professional use have subtle curvatures precisely for this reason; they eliminate distortion without stretching out the objects which are close to the edges of the screen.

For gaming and multimedia/everyday use, we highly recommend getting a curved monitor if you want an ultrawide display. As far as the widescreen models are concerned, its just a matter of personal preference.