The 10 Best Reasons to Avoid a Curved TV Today

Curved TVs burst onto the scene several years ago with promises of a more immersive viewing experience. However, according to industry analysts, curved TV sales have declined sharply since 2018.

John Archer, a well-known TV reviewer and editor for Forbes, notes that in 2018, curved TVs were “conspicuous by their absence” at major TV industry shows. This declining interest implies that the much-touted benefits of curved screens may not have lived up to their hype.

So if you’re considering buying a new TV, should curved screens still be on your shopping list? Here are 10 compelling reasons why curved TVs may not be the best fit for most consumers today.

1. Limited Viewing Angles

Curved screens are designed primarily for head-on viewing from a center spot directly in front of the TV. Sit anywhere even slightly off-axis, and the images can become distorted.

According to RTINGS, an independent TV testing lab, curved screens have significantly smaller sweet spots compared to flat screens. Their in-depth analysis found the sweet spot for a 65” curved TV measuring just 54 degrees, versus over 170 degrees for a flat screen.

So if you plan on having more than 1-2 viewers watching TV regularly, a curved screen could mean poor picture quality for anyone not seated in the center spot. Definitely not ideal for large families or households that frequently entertain guests.

2. Annoying Reflection Issues

That sleek, glossy curved surface might look gorgeous when the TV is switched off. But when watching TV, it can be a major nuisance due to increased light reflections.

Consumer Reports notes in their TV buying guide that the immersive quality of curved screens comes at the price of more distracting reflections from ambient light in the room. Unlike flat screens where light bounces off uniformly in one direction, the curves on curved TVs refract light in different angles.

So if your TV room receives a lot of daylight or has multiple lighting sources like floor and table lamps, a curved screen will be far more prone to bothersome glares and reflections.

3. Awkward Wall Mounting

Wall mounting a curved TV often requires specialized (and more expensive) mounting brackets designed to accommodate the screen‘s shape. Even with these customized mounts, the viewing experience suffers when a curved screen is pulled away from the wall.

The aesthetic appeal is also reduced since the screen’s curvature is less prominent. As CNET points out, curved screens are designed to "envelop the viewer" which works best when placed on a credenza rather than mounted high up on a wall.

So if you were planning on mounting your new TV to save space or customize your viewing position, a curved screen will almost certainly lead to buyer’s remorse.

4. Significantly More Expensive

When first introduced, curved TVs commanded premium prices over comparably sized flat screen models. And while prices have dropped recently as demand has slowed, they still cost considerably more than flat screens with similar display specifications.

For instance, the Samsung 55” Curved 4K Smart TV currently sells for $498 compared to just $398 for Samsung’s 55” Flat 4K Smart TV with nearly identical features. That’s a $100 premium or 25% more for largely the same viewing experience!

And that price gap only widens as screen sizes get bigger. So if staying within a set budget is important, curved screens will significantly limit the display size you can afford.

5. Lack of Content Designed for Curved Screens

When curved TVs first hit the market, there were high hopes that streaming platforms like Netflix and studios like Disney would remaster content optimized for curved screens.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough consumer uptake to justify the additional production costs. Which means none of the shows and movies you watch – whether from steaming apps, Blu-ray discs, or cable/satellite boxes – are optimized for curved screens. Much of the picture will be artificially stretched or distorted by the aggressive curve.

And serious cinephiles should note that movie theaters still exclusively use flat screens. So curved TV marketing claims about delivering an “immersive” and “cinematic” experience fall short without content mastered for their screens.

6. Curvesintroduce Viewing Angle Image Distortion

While curved TV manufacturers emphasize the captivating visuals, they often gloss over one pesky downside – geometric distortion. Elements of the picture appear increasingly compressed towards the edges of the screen from wider viewing angles.

For instance, circles become ovals, squares morph into trapezoids, and straight lines bend into curves. This warping occurs on all TVs as you move further off-axis. But it’s far more pronounced on curved screens.

So that beautiful curved design that promises a cinema-style movie night will make familiar shapes, patterns and landscapes appear artificially skewed and distorted.

7. Restrict Smaller Room Installation

Curved screens need more breathing room compared to flat panels. As Consumer Reports cautions, "the immersive experience promised by a curved screen is most effective only when you‘re sitting fairly close to it”.

But with their aggressive depth and wider bezels, curved TVs eat up precious space in compact living rooms. This forces viewers closer to the TV which strains your eyes, neck, and back – the opposite of a relaxing viewing experience!

So if you live in an apartment or smaller home with cozy entertainment spaces, a curved screen will likely end up feeling overpowering instead of enveloping.

8. Major Hassles Wall Mounting

Wall mounting any flat panel TV takes considerable planning with measurements, stud finding, leveling, cable management and more. Now imagine doing it all over again but for an uneven surface!

Few standard TV wall mounts work with curved screens due to depth clearance issues. You’ll need a special curved mount with adjustable arms and joints that cost $100-200 more. Professional installation is highly recommended given the complexity which adds even more to the final cost.

And after spending hours perfectly mounting your curved screen, you’ll discover it no longer appears that curved when pulled away from the wall! That immersive curvature is only fully noticeable up close.

Clearly, wall mounting curved screens introduces tremendous hassles and installation challenges without much real benefit.

9. Questionable Long-Term Support

Curved TV technology has proven far less popular than early proponents expected, leading to declining media coverage and manufacturer support. Industry giants like Sony, Panasonic, Hisense, TCL and Vizio have already stopped making curved screen TV models altogether.

And Samsung recently announced they have no plans for new curved models going forward. Instead, their 2023 TV lineup will focus entirely on flat screens.

While existing curved TVs will likely continue to receive firmware and software updates for awhile, ongoing support is questionable. Replacement parts could also become scarce over time leading to premature product obsolescence. So buyers should consider long-term viability before investing in these specialty TVs.

10. Other Immersive Alternatives Available

Curved TV manufacturers would have you believe it’s the only way to get truly immersive viewing experiences at home. But exciting alternatives like short-throw projectors and large flat screened 8K TVs offer similar wow factors without the drawbacks.

For example, giant flat 8K screens like Samsung’s 85” model allow sitting very close without image distortion. And projectors like Samsung’s 120” The Premiere can beam shockingly huge 4K images onto any flat surface in your room.

Both these options deliver jaw-dropping cinematic experiences without awkward room fit issues or restricted viewing angles found with curved displays. And they fully support all existing entertainment content without distortion or modifications.

So if you’re looking for the “wow” factor, curved TVs have comparable (or better) alternatives capable of delivering similar immersive viewing without all the curved screen drawbacks.

Curved TVs certainly attracted their fair share of hype and bombastic marketing claims when first unveiled. However, the actual benefits have proven marginal for many consumers once placed in real-world living spaces. Their aggressive curves introduce image distortions, limited viewing angles, glare/reflection issues, and installation challenges that manufacturers conveniently downplay.

And exciting new flat panel display options like giant 8K TVs and short-throw projectors allow awe-inspiring home theaters without the compromises curved screens demand. Couple this with gradually declining industry support, and it’s hard to recommend curved TVs to most buyers in 2023.

Carefully evaluate your room layout, seating arrangement, lighting conditions, viewing habits and connectivity needs before deciding. Odds are a feature packed flat screen or even projection system will outperform a curved TV in your environment without busting your budget.

Why should I avoid buying a curved TV today?

Beyond gimmicky immersion claims, curved TV technology has proven less versatile for real-world home use compared to flat panel displays according to extensive buyer reviews and industry analysis. Limitations like narrow viewing angles, awkward room fit, image distortions, increased glare, lackluster content support, higher costs and questionable longevity make them hard to recommend to most households.

Don’t curved screens offer better picture quality?

Despite flashy jargon about “optimized” and “cinematic” viewing, curvature does not technically enhance core picture quality. Display characteristics like HDR support, contrast, color gamut, black levels, refresh rates and backlighting determine PQ. And many affordable flat screens match or outperform curved models on these key benchmarks.

I thought curved TVs were supposed to be really immersive?

In theory yes, but only when precisely centered and close enough to fill your field of view without distortion. In smaller rooms, the massive curves overwhelm instead. And the immersion effect drops off drastically when viewing even slightly off-center. Families or households rarely watch TV in a perfect sweet spot, diminishing the real-world benefit.

Why would reflection issues be worse on a curved screen?

The aggressive bend of the screen reflects light in more directions compared to a flat panel. This amplifies annoying glares that reduce contrast and vibrancy. Manufacturers try compensating with anti-glare coatings but the impact is marginal according to expert reviewers. Bottom line – curved screens perform far worse in brightly lit rooms.

Should I reconsider a curved TV if I wanted to wall mount it?

Absolutely yes! Mounting curved screens rarely blends well aesthetically with room decor because optimal curvature is only visible up close. The visual impact diminishes proportional to mounting height and distance. You’ll also need expensive specialty mounts and professional calibration. For ideal picture-quality-to-cost ratio, flat screens are far better candidates for wall mounting.