The Next Generation of Gaming - There is Something Holding Us Back?

Predicament · 1 May 2011 at 18:22

Disclaimer:
I have limited knowledge on monitor development.

Let us begin anyways:
Why is it so expensive or seemingly impractical for companies to manufature curved screens?

Are they worried that:

Game Dev's will not make enough games that are scaleable on high resolutions [3xxx pixles +]
Is the cost/profit ratio just not favorable to companies whom develop new monitors?

Please share your opinion

Alienware appear to have done it... although at the cost of having dark lines where bezels would normally be. In addition, these monitors are at ridiculously high price-points, making them unavailable to most mainstream consumers.

With stronger and stronger GPU's coming out, I feel the consumer should be able to purchase monitors that support HIGHER resolutions, without having to purchase 3* screens.

stulid · 1 May 2011 at 18:24

Wrong forum bud, theres a monitor section for this, PM a DON to move it and delete this post.

VaderDSL · 1 May 2011 at 18:36

Supply/Demand

not enough demand, low volumes, high price sadly

IANAE

(I am not an economist)

Predicament · 1 May 2011 at 23:40

requested a move.

People can still answer if they wish

wentalong · 2 May 2011 at 02:10

wow, 3000+ resolution :O im guessing it'll come eventually, we just arent ready for it yet... and the curved screens seem cool and im gunna say the only reason that ones expensive, is becuase its alienware

but i think apple are going to run low on brilliant things to improove their systems, so im gunna take the risk and say they'll be the first to properly sell curved screens on their imacs or something and then it'll cath on like fire, just like everyother concep release by apple, ipad, iphone(style) , features, os layout etc...

oliver2601 · 2 May 2011 at 02:37

It would cost a lot of money to develop and produce, resulting in a very high selling price which is out of 99% of people's price range for a monitor.

Running at 3XXX resolution has been around for a long time... b(http://support.amd.com/us/eyefinity/Pages/eyefinity-software.aspx)

In one word: Cost.

DJ_Hughesy · 2 May 2011 at 03:25

wentalong said:
wow, 3000+ resolution :O im guessing it'll come eventually, we just arent ready for it yet... and the curved screens seem cool and im gunna say the only reason that ones expensive, is becuase its alienware but i think apple are going to run low on brilliant things to improove their systems, so im gunna take the risk and say they'll be the first to properly sell curved screens on their imacs or something and then it'll cath on like fire, just like everyother concep release by apple, ipad, iphone(style) , features, os layout etc...

all of apples "great ideas" originate elsewere...

paul8811 · 2 May 2011 at 07:25

Looking at the OPs sig I wouldn't think money was a worry

oliver2601 · 2 May 2011 at 07:34

paul8811 said:
Looking at the OPs sig I wouldn't think money was a worry

I think he's talking about the general development of them, not if there are any available for him to buy.

anyway, I'm surprised his rig can run windows...

Troezar · 2 May 2011 at 07:36

paul8811 said:
Looking at the OPs sig I wouldn't think money was a worry

I take sigs will a large pinch of salt

On topic, like all things as costs to manufacture drop and sales increase the prices come down and it will become more accessible to the the poorer enthusiasts at least :cool:

I would say that given the average rooms sizes in the UK space to accommodate screens that large may be an issue

Edit: Typo

psychas · 2 May 2011 at 08:57

paul8811 said:
Looking at the OPs sig I wouldn't think money was a worry

i dont think its hes rig as stated in his previous posts , its a e-peen

Ch3m1c4L · 2 May 2011 at 09:39

you cant create curved tft's. That Alienware one is rear projection, OLED fixes this issue.

There was a NEC one which was about 2/3 or 1/2 the price of the Alienware one as well.

Predicament · 2 May 2011 at 13:00

Ch3m1c4L said:
you cant create curved tft's. That Alienware one is rear projection, OLED fixes this issue.

There was a NEC one which was about 2/3 or 1/2 the price of the Alienware one as well.

Ahh now we are getting somewhere!!

What is the reason they cannot manufacture curved TFT's?

Ch3m1c4L · 2 May 2011 at 13:04

the technology just cant be "bent" round a curve, so it would have to be 3 flat ones stuck together. OLED is flexible and as such can be bent.

OLED was shown on a 15" screen recently so it wont be that much longer before decent size screens start to use it, and then shortly after it will become mainstream hopefully. Until then there arent exactly any big jumps in monitor tech that are going to happen. Just larger/slightly better evolutions of current stuff. IPS also isnt fast enough for 120Hz so we wont see any large 120Hz screens unless they are TN panels, which at larger than 24" the viewing angle affects just a single monitor

oliver2601 · 2 May 2011 at 13:27

Predicament said:
Ahh now we are getting somewhere!!

What is the reason they cannot manufacture curved TFT's?

They use glass I believe somewhere in the tft process

Random Guy · 2 May 2011 at 13:36

Not to mention the cost in setting up a prefabrication process to mass-produce these curved screens (if they are technically feasible). Something like this would cost millions of dollars, so how would they be assured of recouping their costs, turning a profit, and reinvesting in R&D?

wentalong · 2 May 2011 at 14:28

DJ_Hughesy said:
all of apples "great ideas" originate elsewere...

yeah the have lol but heres how it goes, someone invents the pc table, apple re-invent it better.... someone invents the mp4 player, apple re-invent it better,,, its how it will always be... :O

joxang · 2 May 2011 at 17:11

wentalong said:
yeah the have lol but heres how it goes, someone invents the pc table, apple re-invent it better.... someone invents the mp4 player, apple re-invent it better,,, its how it will always be... :O

Wow...talk about devout. Steve would be proud of you

.

PCM2 · 2 May 2011 at 17:22

Someone empties your wallet, Apple empties it better.

On topic - the Alienware curved monitor is actually a rebranded Ostendo CURVD Display. Restrictive price and market aside - do you have any idea how thick and heavy that thing is? The majority of consumers were happy to get rid of the 'bulk' that is a 20" CRT monitor and they don't want something the size of a large air conditioning unit on their desks. As somebody else mentioned the experience itself is far from perfect (especially when using it 'on the desktop') as it isn't the equivilent of a single curved screen at all. It is a concept that is currently ahead of its time but as somebody else mentioned is something that may be filled out in the future in the form of a much thinner and more practical single curved OLED display. With any luck LG will have a 31" OLED TV in production by the end of the year and both Samsung and LG in particular plan to boost their production of 'IT line' and TV type products significantly in the coming years. The technology still needs some refinement but the right people are on the case.

cmndr_andi · 2 May 2011 at 17:59

As above - when that alienware thing came out everone was like "Finally the future at last!" when they saw a picture from the front.

Then they saw pictures from other angles and we were like

(above: NEC's version of the same monitor)

Just for perspective, as well as being very wide (2880 horizontal pixels, 43in diagonal) it wasn't particularly tall (and vertical resolution was only 900 pixels). Also, it weighed 20.7kg, was 38cm deep, and retailed for $8,000.

In comparision, you can currently buy a 30in 2560x1600 IPS monitor like this today (well, when they arrive in) for £849. It's not nearly as wide as the alienware, but it is much taller, much higher resolution and easier on the wallet.

As PCM2 points out - if you really want a practical curved screen for gaming then wait for OLED to become mainstream.