Squares screens: Useful or outdated.

[phantom000]

A triangular or circular screen would probably be more difficult to design and build than a square/rectangular one, and then what would be the benefit?

Build-difficulty might have been a contributing thing in the past, when screens largely were cathode-ray radiation chambers making phosphor glow in different colours, but these days, you could easily create panels in any shape you'd like for minimal extra cost, I think. Probably the most obvious reason for screens being rectangular is, to me, that this is how we see the world naturally. Our field of view is about 130° in the vertical and 220° in the horizontal. That's almost a 2:1 aspect ratio and most things around us happen on a planar level, meaning we're naturally inclined to pay more attention to the horizontal view over the vertical, overemphasizing the width as opposed to the height in our perception.



Making the screen rectangular and, particularly, wide just kinda comes naturally. Just like we produce t-shirts and pants with two openings for appendages. We could add more or include less, but that's just not natural to us.

I'm not an engineer, but I would have thought a rectangular screen would be easier to build. It would also give you the largest screen for the surface area. I mean look at how much of that picture is empty negative space; if that was an smart phone the screen would be smaller while taking up (practically speaking) the amount of space. Although it might fit in your pocket a little easier.

[McAvoy]

For your typical everyday use? Sure square or rectangular shape works fine.

I think the only time where a different shape would be needed is when you import something that requires more than a 2D view.

Take for example how VR is treated. Import it to the typical 2D view and it is all distorted. Especially if that VR is designed for eyes in mind.

Actually that is the only example I can think of.