When you want to purchase a monitor for your computer, you will be overwhelmed with the different types of monitors available in the market. Broadly, there are two categories of monitors available, and they are flat monitors and curved monitors.
You must be wondering which one of them is perfect for your purposes. In order to decide that, you have to understand the pros and cons of both the monitors and compare them thoroughly for a better decision. In this article, we will make a detailed comparison of curved vs flat monitors.
Latest Monitor Technology-Curved and Flat
Curved monitors are the latest addition to the monitor world, and they are fast becoming a favorite among gamers and movie watchers. The curvature design is stunning, and the structure reduces distortion and glare significantly. On the other hand, flat monitors are slim monitors that are in existence even since CRT monitors have got out of the market being too bulky and old-fashioned. Among curved and flat monitors, there are two different divisions in terms of display, and they are LCD monitors and LED monitors.
1. LCD Monitor
After CRT monitors, LCD monitors surfaced in the market. LCD monitors are generally slim and flat monitors with a wider range of colors. They occupy less space on the desk and they are extremely lightweight in comparison to CRT monitors.
2. LED Monitor
After LCD monitors, LED monitors surfaced in the market. From that perspective, you can say that LED monitors are the latest monitors. That is why the curved monitors which are the latest addition to the monitor world are all LED monitors. On the contrary, flat monitors are available as LCD as well as LED monitors. LED monitors have a wider range of colors, wider viewing angle and more eye-soothing.
What Are the Pros and Cons of Curved Monitors?
Here are the pros of curved monitors you should be aware of.
Immersive Viewing – Since the curvature of a curved monitor mimics the peripheral vision of our eyes, you will get a proper immersive viewing experience.
Less Image Distortion – The bigger the size of the curved monitor, the greater is the curve. The edges will also get nearer to you, and this creates a surrounding effect that reduces image distortion to a greater extent.
Less Eye Fatigue – It has been found that a curved monitor reduces the strain on our eyes in comparison to a flat monitor. This is because the curvature structure of the monitor matches well with the human eye shape. In fact, the distance between our eyes and the curved screen stays the same when you take a center position.
Improved Privacy – Due to the curvature sides of a curved monitor, the outside will not be able to view your screen from the sides. Therefore, you will have enhanced privacy with a curved monitor.
Here are the cons of curved monitors in comparison to flat monitors.
Expensive – Because of more features and exception design, curved monitors are more expensive. In fact, for proper viewing, you have to opt for bigger size curved monitors.
Less Suitability – Curved monitors are not suitable for mounting on the walls as it looks weird. It is best for placing on the working desk.
Glares and Distortion – Even though curved monitors are supposed to produce fewer glares and distortion if your lights are not perfectly positioned, you are going to get more glares and distortions than flat monitors.
What Are the Pros and Cons of Flat Monitors?
Here are the pros of curved monitors you should be aware of.
Size Advantage – For a curved monitor, you have to opt for a large screen size for the perfect curvature effect. However, for flat monitors, you can buy any size as they are flat throughout.
Wide Viewing Angle – Flat monitors can be viewed from all angles comfortably, and you can check out the content of the screen from the sides. Therefore, it can accommodate more viewers.
Versatile – You can place a flat monitor on the flat wall comfortably as well as place it on the desk as per your requirements. In fact, the surface area of a flat monitor is less than a curved monitor.
Less Expensive – The flat monitors are priced quite lower than the latest curved monitors, and hence, they can fit your budget easily.
Here are the cons of curved monitors in comparison to flat monitors.
Eye Strain – It has been found that flat monitors cause more strain to human eyes than curved monitors as it does not mimic the curvature viewing of the human eye.
b If you place a flat monitor and a curved monitor side by side, the flat monitor will be less aesthetically pleasing than the curved monitor.
Less Immersive Experience – The curved monitors are designed to enhance the immersive experience of users. Therefore, flat monitors clearly lack this parameter in comparison.
Comparing Curved Vs. Flat Monitors
Here is the complete and detailed comparison between curved and flat monitors parameter by parameter.
1. Immersive Experience
A curved monitor enhances the immersive viewing experience in comparison to a flat monitor. A flat monitor is more two-dimensional while a curved monitor is more like three-dimensional. That is why images on a curved monitor look more realistic than on a flat monitor.
2. Eye Comfort
A curved monitor puts less strain on human eyes. Therefore, your eyes will feel less tired, and there is going to be less blurred vision. Similarly, the eye ache and general comfortable will be much lower when you use a curved monitor. A flat-monitor does not mimic the natural field of view, and hence, the eye strain is greater.
3. Image Distortion
Flat monitors cause image distortion near the edge, and you can notice it when you have a big screen. This leads to blurriness and eye strain as well. On the contrary, distortion in a curved monitor is negligible due to its innovative light protection. The light is aimed at the viewer due to its curvature shape, and hence, distortion is restricted.
4. Wider Field of View
A flat monitor offers a wider field of view, and you can watch the monitor from any angle. On the contrary, you need to position yourself parallel to the center of the screen for a wider field of view. Therefore, it depends on the user which monitor he considers to have a wider view of the field depending on his sitting position.
5. Efficiency and Productivity
There are practical benefits of using a curved monitor over a flat monitor. You can read things faster on a curved screen and you can even find things faster and easier. To put it into numbers, you can enhance reading and finding efficiency by 25% with a curved monitor. Naturally, this is going to boost your productivity especially when you are surfing online or using spreadsheets.
6. Aesthetically Pleasing
Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. But the general consensus is that a curved monitor looks far better than a flat monitor. It adds a special spark to the working desk. This is because we are all used to flat monitors and curved monitors bring in some fresh air. Therefore, users are paying a premium price to buy a sizeable curved monitor to make their desks eye-catching.
7. Latest Technology
The curved monitors are the latest monitors in the market, and hence, they are equipped with the latest technology. It is not that the new flat monitors do not have the latest technology, but you can be assured that the curved monitors have all the latest technology for better output quality. For example, the curved monitor has VA panels than IPS panels for better picture quality.
8. Pixel Response Time
Pixel response time is the time a monitor takes to change a pixel from one color to another. When you are watching high-quality videos or playing high-quality games, you need a faster response time from your monitor. Curved monitors have a faster pixel response time than flat monitors. Flat monitors that are designed for gamers are trying to cope up with curved monitors in terms of response time, but curved monitors are still a clear winner.
Conclusion – What Is Better Curved Or Flat Monitor?
There is no doubt that curved monitors are better than flat monitors from almost all perspectives. If you do not have budget constraints and you do not want to place the monitor on the wall, a curved monitor should be your priority. Moreover, curved monitors are most suitable for gaming and video streaming due to the immersive viewing experience.
