Competition for Curved Technology
Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are in conflict with each other surrounding their curved TVs. The former is asserting that a greater curvature signifies better technology, whereas the latter is arguing that the curvature is just one of the factors determining the optimal viewing environments, and has nothing to do with technological strength.
The dispute was ignited by Samsung Electronics Vice President Kim Hyeon-seok at its product launching event on February 20. “It is not simply a curved screen, but the degree of curvature and picture quality determine how advanced the TV technology is,” he said, adding, “In short, what we need to focus on is the curvature.”
Samsung’s curved UHD TV has a radius of curvature of 4,200R, that is, a radius of 4.2m. Meanwhile, the figure is 4,600R for LG’s UHD TV, and even higher than this when it comes to those provided by Chinese and Japanese manufacturers. The smaller the radius of curvature, the more curved a TV set. Samsung developed its UHD TV based on an LCD display. LCD display panels are unlikely to be bent because layers upon layers surround the liquid crystals. In other words, Samsung Electronics emphasizes its technological superiority by mentioning the greater curvature.
However, LG Electronics’ opinion is that it adopted the curvature of 4,600R, allowing for various viewing environments, not for its incapability to reduce the number. “Statistically, many people watch TV at a distance of 4.6 meters with another person and this is why we adopted 4,600R,” it explained.
Some industry insiders are mentioning that Samsung Electronics is focusing on the curvature of its new product because of the difference between the LCD technologies of the two companies. Samsung Electronics uses vertical alignment (VA) LCD panels in its UHD TVs, while LG Electronics uses in-plane switching (IPS).