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Old 06-06-2014, 17:38
Andy2
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What's all this about curved TV screens? Samsung are pushing theirs as giving 'a wider viewing angle', but it doesn't stack up. If you are sitting off to one side, the opposite side of the screen will be at a slightly more favourable angle, but the nearer side will be at a worse angle.
Surely a flat screen is the best?
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Old 06-06-2014, 17:51
Nigel Goodwin
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What's all this about curved TV screens? Samsung are pushing theirs as giving 'a wider viewing angle', but it doesn't stack up. If you are sitting off to one side, the opposite side of the screen will be at a slightly more favourable angle, but the nearer side will be at a worse angle.
Surely a flat screen is the best?
It must be the biggest (and most stupid) gimmick to date
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Old 06-06-2014, 18:44
Caxton
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It must be the biggest (and most stupid) gimmick to date
I agree I saw one of these working the other day and was completely underwhelmed..

TV manufacturers like with other technological products have to come up with new ideas and they are running out of anything that will really enhance the viewers experience, with that over-used "wow factor".

Similar thing with ultra high definition TVs, if the programmes are crap them it can be in any resolution and it will still be crap. We have yet to see HD at its best due to broadcasting definition restrictions by cramming too many programmes in the space available on the muxes.
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Old 06-06-2014, 18:57
kjhskj75
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I believe you have to be sat at the focus of the curve in order to get the best picture, so all parts of the screen are the same distance away and at right angles.

Useless if you have the family spread around the room.
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Old 06-06-2014, 19:04
Orbitalzone
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For decades we all wanted flat thin TV but now we've all got one they need something else to make us think we need that instead.

I'm all for change but this curved screen TV is utterly pointless.
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Old 06-06-2014, 19:05
Andy2
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I believe you have to be sat at the focus of the curve in order to get the best picture, so all parts of the screen are the same distance away and at right angles.

Useless if you have the family spread around the room.
So these curly tellies are designed for one viewer at a time, and he has to sit at the centre of the radius? Wow, a massive leap in technology... backwards!
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Old 06-06-2014, 19:10
Mustabuster
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Didn't somebody here suggest that the OLED screen manufacturing had better yields if they were curved so this new marketing gimmick was to cover this?
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Old 07-06-2014, 07:24
David (2)
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Curved screens to arrive on mobile phones too. How much extra space will that take up in your pocket. Surely more difficult to use (fingers being stretched across the curve).
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Old 07-06-2014, 10:03
barbeler
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Agreed. It's a really silly idea that will appear on one of those "dumb inventions" programmes in years to come.
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Old 07-06-2014, 10:43
flagpole
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strikes me that they could, in direct sunlight, be a fire hazard.
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Old 07-06-2014, 12:22
Orbitalzone
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strikes me that they could, in direct sunlight, be a fire hazard.
Indeed, this might end up being known as the Archimedes phone
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Old 09-06-2014, 12:11
late8
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apparently reflections are a nightmare.

There was a reason over a decade ago now why even CRT screens went flat. It reduced reflection and distortion.

Seen a review on CNET living with one of these new curved TV's. Lines are distorted on things like tennis and football - even from the central seating position.

They are BS-ing people of immersion etc - IMAX is curved because the screen is as tall as a house ! and you need that benefit.

They dont provide immersion and the reviewer said he quickly forgot it was curved until the distortions popped up.

I hope nobody buys into this - 3D was a bad enough gimmick.

Just give me a awesome picture and design. That is all.
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Old 09-06-2014, 13:08
Peter_CJ
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I haven't sat and watched a program on a curved screen TV, so don't have an opinion. But some of the explanations for the curvature sound dubious to me. One being that the eyeball is round. But most people watch TV with two eyes, and the part of the eye that deals with vision is so small that any curvature must surely be irrelevant.

Another selling point was that people on the edge of the viewing field get a better picture, which definitely must be counter-intuitive if true. As I recall, light travels in straight lines, so unless there are two seating positions, i.e. one at the convergence point, and another ‘back-row’ position further away for divergent viewing, how can a curved screen be better than a flat one for viewing angles?

Have an image of Homer Simpson sat bang in front of the TV at the convergent point watching with one eye closed, as the rest of the family shout for him to: GET OUT OF THE WAY!
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Old 09-06-2014, 17:45
emptybox
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I haven't sat and watched a program on a curved screen TV, so don't have an opinion. But some of the explanations for the curvature sound dubious to me. One being that the eyeball is round. But most people watch TV with two eyes, and the part of the eye that deals with vision is so small that any curvature must surely be irrelevant.

Another selling point was that people on the edge of the viewing field get a better picture, which definitely must be counter-intuitive if true. As I recall, light travels in straight lines, so unless there are two seating positions, i.e. one at the convergence point, and another ‘back-row’ position further away for divergent viewing, how can a curved screen be better than a flat one for viewing angles?

Have an image of Homer Simpson sat bang in front of the TV at the convergent point watching with one eye closed, as the rest of the family shout for him to: GET OUT OF THE WAY!
Well, if you're sitting just less than side on to an LCD flat screen, the picture you will see will lack contrast.
But sitting at the same position with a curved screen TV, the bit of picture that you can see is angled more towards you, so won't have lost contrast.
So in that sense the viewing angles are better.

Obviously, if you are sitting exactly side on to a flat screen or a curved screen, then you won't see any picture, as the bit curved on your side will obscure the bit on the other side curved towards you. And I would think that would happen at the same spot,whether the screen was flat or curved.
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Old 09-06-2014, 18:00
grahamlthompson
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Well, if you're sitting just less than side on to an LCD flat screen, the picture you will see will lack contrast.
But sitting at the same position with a curved screen TV, the bit of picture that you can see is angled more towards you, so won't have lost contrast.
So in that sense the viewing angles are better.

Obviously, if you are sitting exactly side on to a flat screen or a curved screen, then you won't see any picture, as the bit curved on your side will obscure the bit on the other side curved towards you. And I would think that would happen at the same spot,whether the screen was flat or curved.
That only works for a viewer ideally located at the centre point of the screen radius. If you move further away on axis then the screen edges will have a more acute angle than a flat screen, so will be worse than a flat screen. .

If you then move left to right then one side of the screen will be more directly viewed but the other will be worse.



Out of interest when Which tested this TV they couldn't see any advantages, only disadvantages.
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Old 09-06-2014, 19:32
Nigel Goodwin
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Well, if you're sitting just less than side on to an LCD flat screen, the picture you will see will lack contrast.
You must have watched some crappy LCD's

Sony ones have generally had extremely wide viewing angles - but a VERY old 4:3 Sharp one I had was absolutely abysmal, but they all were from back then.
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Old 11-06-2014, 17:43
Caxton
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You must have watched some crappy LCD's

Sony ones have generally had extremely wide viewing angles - but a VERY old 4:3 Sharp one I had was absolutely abysmal, but they all were from back then.
Agreed, my Panny also has a very wide viewing angle with little loss of contrast, whereas I had a cheap Luxor TV in my office, till it broke, that had a terribly poor viewing angle.

I have found that many cheap TVs give dreadful inferior pictures, they maybe cheap but it shows.
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Old 11-06-2014, 18:43
Nigel Goodwin
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Agreed, my Panny also has a very wide viewing angle with little loss of contrast, whereas I had a cheap Luxor TV in my office, till it broke, that had a terribly poor viewing angle.
I've got a Panasonic one (4:3 portable) that I use for checking security cameras etc. it's absolutely abysmal vertically

But things have come on a lot since 4:3
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Old 11-06-2014, 20:06
Matt35
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If you put a standard tv and a curved tv together and sat in front of them and watched a film. You wouldn't know which is which. That tells you what a ridiculous idea this. And people say 3D is pointless. At least you get something out of 3D.
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Old 11-06-2014, 20:33
Peter_CJ
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Well, if you're sitting just less than side on to an LCD flat screen, the picture you will see will lack contrast.
But sitting at the same position with a curved screen TV, the bit of picture that you can see is angled more towards you, so won't have lost contrast.
So in that sense the viewing angles are better.

Obviously, if you are sitting exactly side on to a flat screen or a curved screen, then you won't see any picture, as the bit curved on your side will obscure the bit on the other side curved towards you. And I would think that would happen at the same spot,whether the screen was flat or curved.
What about the half that is angled away from you?
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Old 12-06-2014, 09:23
Dansky+HD
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My 4K samsung arrived yesterday with 8 blurays in 4k

Spectacular

Even BBC in HD looks great, ITV is ok too
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Old 12-06-2014, 10:07
call100
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My 4K samsung arrived yesterday with 8 blurays in 4k

Spectacular

Even BBC in HD looks great, ITV is ok too
Nice to see someone who actually has something commenting...You should post this in the 4K thread I'm sure there will be questions from those of us who are just waiting for a further drop in the price..
Be prepared for someone to come along and tell you that there is something wrong with your eyesight or that you are just imagining the improvement etc etc....
Enjoy.
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Old 12-06-2014, 11:35
Nigel Goodwin
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My 4K samsung arrived yesterday with 8 blurays in 4k
Presumably you mean normal BluRays?, just authored from a 4K source - as far as I'm aware there aren't any 4K discs yet, nor anything that could play them (or even an agreed standard).
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Old 12-06-2014, 12:37
call100
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Presumably you mean normal BluRays?, just authored from a 4K source - as far as I'm aware there aren't any 4K discs yet, nor anything that could play them (or even an agreed standard).
It would only be of interest if you hold the view that physical media will continue under the onslaught of streamed media. There may not be enough profit in discs to make the development worthwhile in the future. Sony are already being shady about the future development of BluRay.
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Old 12-06-2014, 13:08
emptybox
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What about the half that is angled away from you?
You can't see that.
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