In the TV world, gimmicks reign supreme, and while the curved screen has kind of felt like one of those, it may actually have some real reasons to exist over in the world of computing.
You might have looked at the curved screen and wondered if it has any real world use, outside of a salesman telling you that it’s a great inclusion in your local electronics store.
While the jury is still out on that one — seriously, you should audition a TV with your own eyes and see for yourself — curved displays may be turning into more than a gimmick in another place, with computers the target market that could see them work.
In fact, recently Samsung has announced that the demand for curved screens “has catapulted out of nowhere”, with 18 percent of the monitor market based in curved displays.
While immersive experience is a factor tagged with the curved monitor’s success, Samsung’s representatives have told GadgetGuy that demand is also coming from a combination of design and a comfortable work environment, with an increased arch and display curve being easier on the eyes as workers take more of their monitor in at once.
As a result of the increased demand, Samsung is releasing nine monitors in 2016, five of which are curved, with sizes ranging from 22 inches all the way up to 32 inches.
“The 2016 range of Samsung monitors deepens our range of beautifully crafted curved screens that will provide an incredibly rich and immersive experience,” said Todd Lynton, Director of Business Solutions at Samsung Australia.
“The monitor market is undergoing an exciting evolution in terms of panel design and technology, as well as how people use them to interact with content, whether they’re streaming online or working.”
The curved range on offer is primarily geared at people keen to see if a curved monitor could be better for them long term, with Full HD’s 1920×1080 resolution spread out across an arch that differs depending on the monitor you go for.
Each screen relies on Vertical Alignment technology (VA), a sort of middle ground between the low-grade high-speed TN screens normally seen in cheaper monitors and the expensive great-for-colours IPS displays used in phones and tablets, and Samsung has even pushed the technology with an active crystal technology to bring a wider colour gamut to the screens.
Support for AMD’s FreeSync technology is also part of the mix, so while the curved screen is ideal for work, gamers who want to try the whole “immersive experience” concept to see whether it is just marketing fluff or something more can do so with better graphic syncing, provided they have an AMD graphics card in their computer.
“Samsung has experienced a strong uptake in demand for curved monitors since launching our first range,” said Lynton. “We see clear growth in this market which is why we are responding by extending our range, as well as the degree of curvature in specific ranges.”
Going hands-on with Samsung’s range, it’s easy to see why the company sees demand for these increasing, though it is surprising to see a push back from touchscreens, which none of the new monitors support.
Rather, the screens are matt, which is something we’re delighted to see since most monitors are switching to glossy and reflective, and these aren’t. With the curve, the non-reflective screens are easier to keep your eyes on, since glare doesn’t appear to be there at all, with that curve ever encompassing.
Sitting in front for even a small amount of time, it’s nice to see that the curve between the sizes is different, with not just a “one size fits all” approach, but rather something made for the particular size.
That’s a good thing, and means the curve at least accommodates the screen in question, though we do wish Samsung had brought in better resolutions.
Specifically, Full HD is now a little old, and while it makes sense on anything 24 inches and below, once you go higher, you kind of expect something with more pixels and more space to work. Samsung’s 2016 curved range includes a 22, a 24, two 27 inch options, and a 32 inch model, and yet all run on Full HD, with no screen resolution higher than this.
We’re absolutely surprised by this, simply because it means if you want more space, you’ll have to opt for a second screen, though we suspect that could be intentional.
Samsung’s 2016 range of curved monitors is out now from selected retailers, with the 22 inch CF390 costing $289.95, the 24 inch CF390 costing $349.95, the 27 inch CF390 costing $519.95, a second 27 inch CF591 costing $549.95, and the 32 inch CF391 fetching $699.95.
