电脑(Computer)显示器已经走过了漫长的道路。颜色(Color)、分辨率、刷新率和几乎所有其他图像指标都达到了令人难以置信的高度。这意味着显示器制造商必须想出新功能来吸引用户购买他们的产品。曲面显示器就是这样一种选择，但曲面显示器实际上更好，还是只是一个毫无意义的噱头(pointless gimmick)？
我们可以立即告诉您，曲面显示器实际上有很多实质性的好处，但它们也有一些显着的成本。让我们看看为什么有些人对曲面显示器大惊小怪，以及为什么他们会控制自己的价格。
我们不是刚买了平板屏幕吗？
传统的LCD或OLED 面板(OLED panel)是平面的。事实上，您可能还记得，平板显示器多年来一直是圣杯。阴极射线管(Cathode Ray Tube)( CRT ) 监视器有一个凹曲线(concave curve)，这会导致图像边缘的图像失真。(image distortion)CRT(CRTs)在其时代结束时达到了平坦度。
如果没有失真的纯平屏幕是一个如此珍贵的功能，那么人们为什么还想要曲面显示器呢？是什么让曲面显示器与众不同？
它与曲率的类型有关。与曲面CRT(CRTs)不同，曲面平板仅沿单轴均匀弯曲。图像失真当然是不可避免的，但曲面显示器旨在最大限度地减少这种失真。至少对于坐在预定观察点(viewing point)的人来说。
曲面(Point)显示器(Curved Monitor)的意义何在？
曲面显示器向我们展示了一些关于为什么它们更好的关键声明。
沉浸感是主要原因，这也是为什么这些显示器也面向喜欢电子游戏的人。这是一种模仿周边视觉的方法，因为我们当然不会将世界视为具有明确边缘的平面图像。取而代之的是，我们的视野具有柔和的边缘，或多或少地在水平方向上包裹 180 度。
虽然曲面显示器(monitor isn)不会填满你的周边视觉，但它肯定比平面显示器更能填满周边视觉。这意味着您可能会更加沉浸在第一人称射击游戏等游戏中。
对于非常大或非常宽的显示器，如果您从轴外看像素，颜色可能会发生变化。因此，曲面显示器可以提供色彩更准确的图像。它通过确保每个像素以最佳方式向您倾斜来实现这一点。从理论上讲，这意味着您将获得更好的整体画面，但现代LCD面板已经最大限度地减少了离轴颜色偏移，因此其总体好处可能值得商榷。
曲率测量
虽然所有弯曲的显示器都不是平坦的，但它们的弯曲度并不相同。字面上地。
每台显示器都有“R”等级。如1800R、2300R、3000R和4000R。该数字是如果您将显示器扩展成一个完整的圆圈，您将获得的半径的总毫米数。所以如果你把一堆1800R的屏幕排成一个圆圈，那么这个圆圈的半径就是1800mm。
数字越小，显示器越弯曲。据我们了解(what we’ve read)，人类视野的弧度约为1000R。这意味着一个 1000R 的屏幕，假设它足够宽，可以适当地填充你的周边视觉。
这种“超曲面”屏幕是最近才上市的。三星 T55 系列(Samsung T55 series)显示器是消费者可以购买的首批 1000R 示例。
一般的经验法则是，您离屏幕的距离也不应该超过它的半径等级(radius rating)。因此，对于 1000R 屏幕，建议的最大观看距离为 1 米。
越大越好
虽然您可以找到小至 24 英寸的曲面显示器，但屏幕曲率的影响会随着尺寸的减小而减弱。要从小曲面屏幕获得任何类型的真实效果，您必须将它放在离您的脸更近的地方，而不是舒适。
如果显示器具有更宽的纵横比(wider aspect ratio)，屏幕曲率也更有意义。超宽(Ultrawide)或更宽的纵横比与弯曲设计(wider aspect ratio)配合(s work)得很好，因为它有助于将整个画面置于您的视野中。具有细微曲率的较小(Smaller)屏幕不会对您的沉浸感产生太大影响，但可能会使您从色彩一致性(color consistency point)的角度受益。
这是一个单一查看器设备
由于曲面显示器已经过调整，可以从最佳角度向观看者显示每个像素，这也意味着任何其他观看者都无法获得良好的视野。这是大型曲面电视或多或少失败的主要原因之一。由于电视是为一群人观看而设计的，因此缩小最佳观看位置(viewing position)选择并不是一个好主意。
因此，如果您想要一个需要向同事或客户展示某些东西的屏幕，您可能需要重新考虑使用曲面模型。无论好坏，最好将曲面屏幕用作单观看设备。
它更贵
鉴于两台显示器的规格相同，您将为曲面屏幕支付更多费用。这意味着如果您不愿意妥协，您要么必须忍受其他领域的低规格，要么专门为曲率支付更多的钱。
为了不超出预算，您必须做出哪些权衡？较低的分辨率、较小的面板尺寸(panel size)、较低的刷新率(refresh rate)、无HDR和低端面板技术(panel technology)是可以偷工减料的主要地方。
空间可能是一个问题
曲面显示器的空间效率(space efficient)低于平面显示器。根据型号和曲线(model and curve)的不同，差异可能不会很大，但大多数办公桌的空间都非常宝贵。
您也可能无法将曲面显示器靠墙或安装在显示器臂上(monitor arm)。支持VESA支架的曲面显示器通常需要一个适配器，以便将显示器安装到平面VESA支架上。
这是个人选择
那么曲面显示器更好吗？这可能是计算世界(computing world)中最主观的选择之一。在尝试之前使用曲面显示器进行实际测试非常重要。并非每个人都会以同样的方式体验曲面显示器。对于某些人来说，它可能会分散注意力，而对于另一些人来说，它可能不会真正让人感觉更身临其境。
如果您从合适的零售商处购买，如果您不喜欢它，通常可以在购买后几天内退回显示器。再多的告诉你优点是什么都不会让你喜欢曲面显示器，但这绝对不仅仅是一个噱头。希望(Hopefully)您现在清楚地了解曲面显示器带来了什么，以及它是否会对您产生任何影响。
Is a Curved Monitor Better? The Pros Vs. The Cons
Computer monitors have сome a long way. Color, resоlution, refresh rate and just about every other image metric has reached incredible heights. Which means that monitor makers have to come up with new features to entice users into buying their products. Curved monitors are one such option, but is a curved monitor actually better, or is it just a pointless gimmick?
We can tell you right off the bat that curved monitors actually have quite a few substantial benefits, but they come at a few notable costs as well. Let’s look at why some people make a fuss about curved monitors and why they command the prices they do.
Didn’t We Just Get Flat Screens?
A traditional LCD or OLED panel is flat. In fact, as you might recall, flat screen displays were a holy grail for many years. Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitors have a concave curve to them, which causes image distortion at the edges of the picture. CRTs achieved flatness towards the end of their time.
If a flat screen, free from distortion, is such a prized feature, why do people want a curved monitor at all? What makes a curved monitor different?
It has to do with the type of curvature. Unlike curved CRTs, curved flat panels are only curved uniformly along a single axis. Distortion of the image is of course inevitable, but curved monitors are designed to minimize this. At least for the person sitting at the intended viewing point.
What’s The Point Of a Curved Monitor?
Curved monitors are pitched to us with a few key claims about why they’re better.
Immersion is the main reason, and that’s also why these monitors are also pitched at people who enjoy video games. It’s a way to mimic peripheral vision, because of course we don’t see the world as a flat image with defined edges. Instead, we have a field of vision with soft edges that wrap more or less a 180-degrees horizontally.
While a curved monitor isn’t going to fill your peripheral vision, it certainly fills more of it than a flat monitor. Which means that you may feel more immersed in games such as first person shooters.
With very large or very wide monitors, the colors can shift if you look at the pixels off-axis. A curved monitor can therefore provide a more color-accurate image. It does this by making sure that each pixel is angled towards you in an optimal way. In theory, this means you’ll get an overall better picture, but modern LCD panels already minimise off-axis color shifts, so the total benefit of this may be debatable.
Curvature Measurements
While all curved monitors aren’t flat, they don’t all curve to the same degree. Literally.
Every monitor will have an “R” rating. Such as 1800R, 2300R, 3000R and 4000R. The number is the total number of millimeters of the radius you would get if you extended the monitor into a complete circle. So if you took a bunch of 1800R screens and arranged them in a circle, the radius of the circle would be 1800mm.
The smaller the number, the more curved the monitor is. According to what we’ve read, the arc of the human visual field is about 1000R. Which means that a 1000R screen, assuming it was wide enough, would properly fill your peripheral vision.
Such “ultra curved” screens have only recently come to market. The Samsung T55 series of monitors are the first 1000R examples consumers can buy.
The general rule of thumb is that you should also sit no further from the screen than it’s radius rating. So, for a 1000R screen, the maximum recommended viewing distance is 1 meter.
Bigger Is Better
While you can find curved monitors as small as 24”, the effects of screen curvature diminish the smaller you go. To get any sort of real effect from a small curved screen, you’d have to put it closer to your face than would be comfortable.
Screen curvature also makes more sense if the monitor has a wider aspect ratio. Ultrawide or wider aspect ratios work well with the curved design, because it helps put the entire picture in your field of view. Smaller screens with subtle curvature won’t do much for your sense of immersion, but may benefit you from a color consistency point of view.
It’s a One-Viewer Device
Since a curved monitor has been tuned to show each pixel to the viewer from an optimal angle, it also means that any other viewers aren’t getting a good view. This is one of the main reasons that large, curved televisions have more or less failed. Since TVs are designed to be watched by groups of people, narrowing the optimal viewing position choices isn’t a great idea.
So if you want a screen where you need to show something to coworkers or clients, you might want to reconsider going for a curved model. For better or for worse, a curved screen is best used as a single-viewer device.
It’s More Expensive
Given two monitors that are otherwise equally specified, you’re going to be paying more for a curved screen. This means you either have to live with lower specifications in other areas or pay more money specifically for curvature if you aren’t willing to compromise.
What sorts of trade offs would you have to make to stay on budget? Lower resolution, smaller panel size, lower refresh rate, no HDR and lower-end panel technology are the main places one can cut corners.
Space Can Be An Issue
Curved monitors are less space efficient than flat monitors. It might not be a huge difference, depending on the model and curve, but space is at a premium on most desks.
You may also not be in a position to mount your curved monitor against a wall or on a monitor arm. Curved monitors that do list support for VESA mounts usually need an adapter that lets the monitor fit onto flat VESA mounts.
It’s a Personal Choice
So is a curved monitor better? This is possibly one of the most subjective choices in the computing world. It’s very important that you actually test using a curved monitor before taking the plunge. Not everyone will experience curved monitors the same way. For some people it’s likely to be distracting, for others it might not really feel more immersive.
If you buy from the right retailer, you can usually just return the monitor within a few days of buying it if you don’t like it. No amount of telling you what the advantages are can make you like curved monitors, but it’s definitely more than a gimmick. Hopefully you now have a clear idea of what curved monitors bring to the table and whether it’s something that will make any difference to you.
