The Future of PC Monitors - Last Part

Curved Monitors

A little-known monitor company called Ostendo has released a 43-inch behemoth of a PC monitor called the CRVD bowed display. The Ostendo CRVD offers a stunning 2880x900 resolution with a 32:10 aspect ratio. Ostendo claims that the screen is an ergonomic & more visually appealing solution to having TFT monitors side-by-side; although the monitor is thick & heavy as well as long. Whilst this may be true, at around $6,500 per CRVD (probably around, 500 pound in the event that they make their way to the United Kingdom), you'd hope so! This monitor is also obtainable to hardcore game fanatics with Alienware branding, & it is a pleasant idea, but the current cost & resolution does present a barrier at the moment. A similar but slightly more affordable idea is that of the Eyefinity display, which is currently being offered by Samsung in the kind of the MD230 series. Unlike the CRVD they do have bezels, but they are narrow bezels & the resolution supported is even more insane- 5760x2160 in the case of the MD230 X6. You can read more about the Samsung MD230 series of eyefinity displays here.

Organic Light Emitting Diodes

OLED (organic light emitting diode) monitors are thin-film LED (light emitting diode) monitors which do not need a backlight to function. In lieu, they depend on electroluminescent materials; that is, a material that glows when an electrical current is applied. Unlike standard LCD monitors, they can be flexible which gives them the obvious advantage of portability & of being literally wearable. They also consume far less power, making them an ideal choice for mobile devices. In terms of color reproduction, contrast ratio & response time (at around 0.01ms), OLEDs are thought about superior to even the best LCD displays. The viewing angle is also superior to that of a TFT PC monitor. 

So how come they are not all using OLED PC monitors if this technology is obtainable today? The main answer to that is manufacturing costs. They are seeing an ever-increasing number of devices using OLED screens from digital cameras, to MP3 players & smartphones. The US military has also expressed interest in soldier-wearable OLED screens to display intelligence knowledge such as maps & UAV output, as well as for improved vehicle HUD data. But all of these technologies use comparatively small screens, & it may be some time before affordable OLED PC monitors & TVs make their way in to our homes & offices. An equally fascinating know-how that ought to bring similar advantages to OLED is also being developed, by a cooperative partnership between LG Display & QD Vision; QLED (Quantum dot Light Emitting Diode) so there is actual commercial interest in advancing things beyond LCD.

The Future

This article has explored some fabulous & some whacky ideas related to PC monitors. I think that they can expect lots of these technologies to be developed further & perhaps combined in the near future. I would expect that LED backlighting know-how of the humble LCD monitor will be refined, as will the 120Hz (or higher) display standard. I also expect these technologies to be combined to give a top quality display indeed. Looking further in to the future, perhaps beyond 2015, I would expect to start seeing the first batch of actual affordable OLED PC monitors hit the market. With Samsung, Sony, LG & some others displaying a keen interest in OLED know-how, it is only a matter of time before the know-how becomes affordable for the mainstream. Perhaps by 2020 we'll even see some actual 3D PC monitors, perhaps even combined with some kind of gesture interaction. The type that gives you jaw-dropping visuals, without any glasses or headaches, & from lots of different angles.

The future of PC monitors is definitely a fascinating, & we'll be there every step of the way.