Sometimes life throws you a curve…or a curved HDTV

Back in December we replaced our aged Sharp Aquos HDTV with a new Vizio model. As is my way, I spent considerable time researching the purchase.

At the time I knew what I wanted to spend, and had some guidance about how large I could go without getting into trouble. We were replacing a 42″ model and Stella did want something too much bigger.

Along the way, I noticed that there appeared to be a passing fashion in curved HDTVs. I say “passing” because in Q4-2016 the curved models were very heavily discounted, where their flat counterparts were not.

Similarly, I’ve seen curved computer monitors offered at greater discounts than comparable flat models from the same manufacturer. Although the trend is not as pronounced with computer monitors.

I had my doubts about curved displays for general use. My suspicion seems to have been well-founded, since a writer at The Verge today posted a short and rather pointed negative review of their new, curved Samsung HDTV.

It’s not that there’s anything wrong with the display or the electronics. It’s just that the curved geometry virtually ensures that you’re going to suffer a huge amount of glare in any typical viewing environment.

I settled upon a 50″ Vizio M Series (M50-D1) as being the best choice. It was a newer model and very well reviewed in multiple places, including CNet, Reviews.com, Digital Trends, amongst many others. Everyone liked the product, which gave me some confidence.

I may have something to say about the Vizio TV one day soon. It lacks a tuner and comes with a low-end Android tablet as a remote control. So far we’re pretty happy with it.

Do you have one of the curved TVs or monitors? Do you think the curve is a good thing?