Shipments of curved TVs estimated to reach six million by 2017

[Shawn Knight]

Curved television screens were once a staple in homes around the globe but ultimately gave way to the flat panel sets we are accustomed to today. That’s about change in the coming years as most new sets will once again be sold with a curve, albeit of the concave style rather than the convex sets that predate modern TVs.

The latest research from NPD Group’s DisplaySearch reveals shipments of curved LED and OLED TVs will reach nearly 800,000 units by the end of this year. I’ll be the first to admit that isn’t too terribly impressive but it’s just the start.

Sales of curved LED sets are expected to reach their peak in 2016 but by that point, OLED technology will have worked out its major setbacks. By the following year, total shipments are expected to exceed six million.

That’s good news for television manufacturers that have watched shipments and revenue drop since the market’s peaked in 2011. They’ve tried to find the next big thing in television technology over the past several years without much luck but as prices come down, curved displays and 4K resolution look to be next in line.

Even if curved sets prove little more than a fad, they will have done their job of differentiating high-end models and in turn provide a much-needed boost to the global market.

What are your thoughts on curved televisions and 4K resolution?

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/56317-shipments-of-curved-tvs-estimated-to-reach-six-million-by-2017.html

 

[VitalyT]

OLED technology will have worked out its major setbacks

What setbacks? OLED is the best screen technology as it is, just pricey.

And curved screens is definitely a gimmick, according to its early adopters. All it does - makes the TV look "cool", but doesn't really improve the viewing experience.

 

[Jad Chaar]

OLED technology will have worked out its major setbacks

What setbacks? OLED is the best screen technology as it is, just pricey.

http://www.cnet.com/news/seven-problems-with-current-oled-televisions/

 

[Railman]

OLED technology will have worked out its major setbacks

What setbacks? OLED is the best screen technology as it is, just pricey.

And curved screens is definitely a gimmick, according to its early adopters. All it does - makes the TV look "cool", but doesn't really improve the viewing experience.

I saw my first curved TV a couple of weeks ago. I thought it was just a gimmick. Frankly I am more interested in getting a good quality TV with decent connectivity and sound.

 

[VitalyT]

OLED technology will have worked out its major setbacks

What setbacks? OLED is the best screen technology as it is, just pricey.

http://www.cnet.com/news/seven-problems-with-current-oled-televisions/

That links gives a non-credible article. It is quite old and biased, to chase people away from the OLED, to sell more of the old LCD-s panels. From the 7 problems listed only one is real (3, they can burn in), but even that's in the past in the newest products.

Seriously, that article is a very poor point of reference, and obsolete at best. Here's one good product based on OLED: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1688200382&pf_rd_i=507846

It now can be found for under 5k, and prices continue to fall.

 

[Jad Chaar]

That links gives a non-credible article. It is quite old and biased, to chase people away from the OLED, to sell more of the old LCD-s panels. From the 7 problems listed only one is real (3, they can burn in), but even that's in the past in the newest products.

Seriously, that article is a very poor point of reference, and obsolete at best. Here's one good product based on OLED: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1688200382&pf_rd_i=507846

It now can be found for under 5k, and prices continue to fall.

There is a nice list of disadvantage in this Wikipedia Article.

 

[VitalyT]

There is a nice list of disadvantage in this Wikipedia Article.

The latest products listed in that article are from 2012 (for LG at least). I think that 2014 OLED products have addressed many of those issues already.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

Having curved PC monitors would make more sense to me than a curved TV. For starters it'll save you a ton of cables, consume less power as well as possibly a save few hectares of desk space and you won't have to contend with distracting bezels if you're the type of person who uses a multi monitor setup.

 

[Guest]

For goodness sake, it would be far more valuable to have eyes on the back of my head.

And as for YOU Googlelicious, didn't you know that we ALL actually want to see what's going on BEHIND us? Why doesn't Glass have a rear facing camera so we can 'walk like we drive' - spending far more time looking at what's going on behind us (and thinking that people don't know we are watching then watching us).

It's all about being a spy on the world from within the confines of your head.

Snowden may just get that job at Google afterall.

But on topic, lol, curved screens have a significantly reduced viewing angle (which has only just been partially overcome by IPS screens) so the suggestion that we should all upgrade is just the TV makers trolling their own previous products.

 

[stewi0001]

Having curved PC monitors would make more sense to me than a curved TV. For starters it'll save you a ton of cables, consume less power as well as possibly a save few hectares of desk space and you won't have to contend with distracting bezels if you're the type of person who uses a multi monitor setup.

Yea I have to second this. It makes more sense for a computer monitor than a TV since you're sitting a lot close to a computer monitor than a TV.

 

[nazartp]

Curved TV - absolutely useless fad. I really see no particular benefit given the viewing distance.

Curved monitor - I also doubt that is useful. I kind of value the fact that I have flat screen. Try drawing a straight line on a curved screen. Would drive me completely bonkers.

 

[davislane1]

Curved monitors are appealing to me so long as they are 2x-3x wider than standard flat monitors. This eliminates the bezel gap and viewing angle problems of traditional multi-monitor setups. The price just needs to be reasonable.

Curved TVs... I don't see these taking off. Unless you're trying to build an IMAX in your own home, I can't see any general purpose applications where a curved display would be superior.

As for 4K... It'll become standard eventually. The only question here is how long it will take content makers to adopt the format. 1080p had been around for a while before equivalent content became common. I expect it will be the same story with 4K.