different lcd panel types brands

Many TVs use LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) panels that are lit by LED backlights. There are two popular types of LCD panels: In-Plane Switching (IPS) and Vertical Alignment (VA), and there are two main differences between each type. A VA panel usually has a high contrast ratio and narrow viewing angles. However, an IPS panel has low contrast and wide viewing angles. These are the main differences between each, and for the most part, panel type doesn"t affect other aspects of picture quality, like peak brightness, color gamut, or color accuracy.

For the purposes of this article, we"re going to compare two LED-backlit LCD TVs: the Sony X800H, which has an IPS panel, and the Hisense H9G, which has a VA panel. Due to their different panel types, there are three noticeable differences in picture quality: viewing angles, contrast, and black uniformity, so we"re going to look at each one.

Viewing angle refers to the angle at which you can watch the TV without seeing a noticeable drop in picture quality. IPS TVs are the clear winner here, as the image remains accurate when viewing from the side - you can see the differences in the videos above. This is their main advantage over VA panels. Most VA panel TVs have a noticeable loss in image accuracy when viewing from the side. The narrow viewing angle of VA-type TVs is also problematic when the TV is used as a PC monitor from up close since the edges of the display look washed out.

VA panels are far superior to IPS panels when it comes to this, so if you tend to watch movies in the dark, you likely want to get a TV with a VA panel. Most TVs use VA panels due to this main advantage, and high-end models may have a local dimming feature that further enhances black levels. On the other hand, IPS panels normally have low contrast, so blacks look closer to gray, but you may not notice the difference in contrast in bright environments.

Our black uniformity tests determine how well a TV displays a dark scene with a bright image in the center. Ideally, you want to see a completely black screen with the center cross being the only part that"s lit up, and this is important for people watching movies. No LED TV has perfect uniformity, and unlike viewing angles and contrast, the panel type doesn"t completely determine its black uniformity. However, most VA panels that we"ve tested have good black uniformity, while most IPS panels have sub-par black uniformity. This doesn"t mean that every VA panel TV has good uniformity, as this can change between units, and you can also improve uniformity using the local dimming feature.

LCDs function by having liquid crystals in little groups to form the pixels. These crystals react and change position when charged with electricity and, depending on their position, they allow a certain color of light to pass through.

There"s also another type of IPS panel, called Plane-to-Line Switching (PLS), which can be seen with the Sony X800H. This panel type was designed by Samsung and technically performs the same as an IPS panel. When you compare the pixels visually, IPS panels look like chevrons, VA looks like very straight rectangles, and PLS looks like round-edged capsules. You can learn more about pixels here.

The way the pixels are laid out can also affect text clarity. Many IPS panels, like the ones on the Sony X800H or the LG SK9000, use RGB sub-pixel layouts, while many VA panels have a BGR layout, like on the Hisense H9G. The sub-pixel layout doesn"t directly affect picture quality unless you"re using it as a PC monitor. Some applications may expect an RGB layout, so if you have a BGR sub-pixel layout, text may not look clear. You may need to increase the text scaling to read it properly, but this issue isn"t common with an RGB layout. You can learn more about it here.

Unlike LED TVs, OLEDs don"t use a backlight and instead have self-emitting pixels. This allows the pixels to individually turn on and off, resulting in perfect blacks. This means that they also have perfect black uniformity as there"s no blooming around bright objects like on some LED TVs. They also have wide viewing angles, sometimes even wider than some IPS panels, so OLEDs are a good choice for wide seating arrangements.

Samsung released quantum dot TVs in 2015, which they later labeled as QLED in 2017. These TVs include a quantum dot layer between the LED backlights and the LCD panel to achieve a wider color gamut. Other companies like Vizio and TCL also use this quantum dot technology on their TVs. Adding this extra quantum dot layer doesn"t change the characteristics of the panel type; the VA panel on the TCL 6 Series/S635 2020 QLED still has a high contrast ratio and narrow viewing angles. Although most QLED TVs use VA panels, you can easily use an IPS panel as well.

Manufacturers have tried different techniques to improve the viewing angles on VA panels over the years, aiming to produce a perfect LCD panel with both wide viewing angles and high contrast. While they have yet to achieve that goal, a few TVs have hit the market that try to combine the best of both panel types. The first TVs with this viewing angle technology came out in 2018, and only a few high-end models like the Samsung Q90/Q90T QLED and the Sony X950H had this technology in 2020. These TVs are a bit unique, delivering noticeably better viewing angles than their pure VA counterparts, but still worse than true IPS panels. This comes at the expense of a lower contrast ratio, as these TVs have worse native contrast than most VA panels, but they"re still better than IPS panels. Combined with their local dimming features, they still produce deep blacks.

Between IPS and VA panels, neither technology is inherently superior to the other as they both serve different purposes. In general, IPS TVs have wide viewing angles suitable for when you want to watch the big game or your favorite show in a large seating arrangement. They"re also beneficial for use as a PC monitor since the edges remain accurate if you sit up close. However, VA panels are a better choice for watching content in dark rooms, as their improved contrast allows them to display deep blacks. Choosing between the two is a series of trade-offs and qualities, so choosing the best TV for your needs depends on your usage.

For people that aren’t the most tech-savvy, it would seem that LCD monitors are all the same. But in reality, the opposite is true. There are four major types of LCD monitor panels, all with unique benefits and drawbacks depending on your needs. So, when shopping for an LCD screen, it’s important to consider how you’ll use it, and which type of computer monitor is best suited for that goal. To learn more about LCD, LED, QLED, and other monitor technology types, check out our guide on the types of monitors.

Technically, there are 11 different types of LCD panels, but they’re usually divided into three main categories — In-Plane Switching (IPS), Twisted Nematic (TN), and Vertical Alignment (VA). IPS is considered the top choice while VA is often associated with burn-in, a condition where pixels lose brightness over time and leave image silhouettes on the screen.

IPS panels tend to offer the best color accuracy, image quality, and viewing angles. As a result, these types are the best monitors for designers who demand better image quality to complete their graphic design work. In particular, IPS panels can provide fidelity at viewing angles as wide as 178 degrees.

However, these panels tend to be more expensive because of their enhanced image quality. Likewise, they don’t score as well for refresh rates, which makes them suboptimal for gamers.

IPS panels can be further divided into seven additional versions. While they’re all somewhat similar, how the pixels are structured is different. These include:S-IPS

Super PLS, or Plane to Line Switching, is another twist on IPS panels but is proprietary to Samsung. Their patented technology promises to offer wider viewing angles and 10% more brightness than standard IPS displays.

AHVA — not to be confused with VA panels — was developed by AOU and stands for Advanced Hyper-Viewing Angle. However, it still relies on IPS technology.

And Nano IPS was created by LG Electronics and promises to create a wider color range because of its use of nanoparticles instead of traditional pixels. Additionally, Nano IPS panels tend to have faster refresh rates.

Touchscreen monitors can be any panel variation, it depends on which one you need. However, if you can’t afford one, as they are expensive, then you’ll need to learn how to convert a monitor to touchscreen.

If you’re a budget shopper looking for an LCD screen, TN panels are going to be the most widely available option. While they’re wallet-friendly, this option has fantastic response times. Some TN-based LCDs can offer response times as low as one millisecond, which makes them ideal for gaming. However, TN panels aren’t as competitive when it comes to color accuracy. These panels are only six-bit instead of eight-bit like IPS panels and therefore can’t display all 16.7 million colors found in 24-bit true-color displays.

VA panels are a median choice for people who have a little bit more to spend but aren’t ready to invest in IPS panel technology. While they provide truer color than a TN panel and wider viewing angles, their response time isn’t as competitive. Additionally, VA viewing angles aren’t as wide as an IPS panel.

Although VA panels have higher contrast ratios for better black levels, they struggle with color shifting. This means that depending on your viewing angle, the brightness can vary. And especially for watching television, this can create a lack of detail in darker scenes. However, because of its affordability, this panel is incredibly popular with manufacturers and is often used in computer monitors and televisions. If you need something with closer to 100% of the sRGB color gamut, you’ll want a different option.

This is going to depend on how you plan on using your LCD monitor, along with your budget. Remember that the lowest price isn’t always the best, especially when considering computer monitor lifespan. You want a monitor that will last you a while. And, also consider the different monitor sizes as well. But as a general rule, the three main panel categories are most compatible in the following ways.

IPS panels are ideal for professionals who need true color accuracy for their work. Gamers who are more concerned with image quality will also do well with this pick. Likewise, serious tech aficionados with exacting standards regarding color accuracy, want to avoid color shifting and maximize viewing angles will like IPS panels. Remember that IPS panels include a wide array of subcategories, many of which are proprietary to select electronics brands.

Budget-conscious shoppers that want a decent LCD monitor that won’t break the bank can’t go wrong with a TN panel LCD. Additionally, gamers who want faster response times will also like these panels. And, anyone who isn’t obsessed with technical specs and simply wants an affordable monitor for general use will like these LCDs.

Flat-panel displays are thin panels of glass or plastic used for electronically displaying text, images, or video. Liquid crystal displays (LCD), OLED (organic light emitting diode) and microLED displays are not quite the same; since LCD uses a liquid crystal that reacts to an electric current blocking light or allowing it to pass through the panel, whereas OLED/microLED displays consist of electroluminescent organic/inorganic materials that generate light when a current is passed through the material. LCD, OLED and microLED displays are driven using LTPS, IGZO, LTPO, and A-Si TFT transistor technologies as their backplane using ITO to supply current to the transistors and in turn to the liquid crystal or electroluminescent material. Segment and passive OLED and LCD displays do not use a backplane but use indium tin oxide (ITO), a transparent conductive material, to pass current to the electroluminescent material or liquid crystal. In LCDs, there is an even layer of liquid crystal throughout the panel whereas an OLED display has the electroluminescent material only where it is meant to light up. OLEDs, LCDs and microLEDs can be made flexible and transparent, but LCDs require a backlight because they cannot emit light on their own like OLEDs and microLEDs.

Liquid-crystal display (or LCD) is a thin, flat panel used for electronically displaying information such as text, images, and moving pictures. They are usually made of glass but they can also be made out of plastic. Some manufacturers make transparent LCD panels and special sequential color segment LCDs that have higher than usual refresh rates and an RGB backlight. The backlight is synchronized with the display so that the colors will show up as needed. The list of LCD manufacturers:

Organic light emitting diode (or OLED displays) is a thin, flat panel made of glass or plastic used for electronically displaying information such as text, images, and moving pictures. OLED panels can also take the shape of a light panel, where red, green and blue light emitting materials are stacked to create a white light panel. OLED displays can also be made transparent and/or flexible and these transparent panels are available on the market and are widely used in smartphones with under-display optical fingerprint sensors. LCD and OLED displays are available in different shapes, the most prominent of which is a circular display, which is used in smartwatches. The list of OLED display manufacturers:

MicroLED displays is an emerging flat-panel display technology consisting of arrays of microscopic LEDs forming the individual pixel elements. Like OLED, microLED offers infinite contrast ratio, but unlike OLED, microLED is immune to screen burn-in, and consumes less power while having higher light output, as it uses LEDs instead of organic electroluminescent materials, The list of MicroLED display manufacturers:

LCDs are made in a glass substrate. For OLED, the substrate can also be plastic. The size of the substrates are specified in generations, with each generation using a larger substrate. For example, a 4th generation substrate is larger in size than a 3rd generation substrate. A larger substrate allows for more panels to be cut from a single substrate, or for larger panels to be made, akin to increasing wafer sizes in the semiconductor industry.

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While there are many different manufacturers of LCD monitors, the panels themselves are actually only manufactured by a relatively small selection of companies. The three main manufacturers tend to be Samsung, AU Optronics and LG.Display (previously LG.Philips), but there are also a range of other companies like Innolux and CPT which are used widely in the market. Below is a database of all the current panel modules manufactured in each size. These show the module number along with important information including panel technology and a detailed spec. This should provide a detailed list of panels used, and can give you some insight into what is used in any given LCD display.

Note:These are taken from manufacturer product documentation and panel resource websites. Specs are up to date to the best of our knowledge, and new panels will be added as and when they are produced. Where gaps are present, the detail is unknown or not listed in documentation. The colour depth specs are taken from the manufacturer, and so where they specify FRC and 8-bit etc, this is their listing. Absence of such in the table below does not necessarily mean they aren’t using FRC etc, just that this is how the manufacturer lists the spec on their site.

There’s a variety of display panel out there and even more on the way. But looking at all the different types of panels can be baffling. They come in various acronyms, and many of those acronyms are confusingly similar. How do LCD, LED and OLED compare? What about the different types of LCD panels? And how do these different technologies impact your viewing experience for things like gaming? To help, we’ve created this guide so you can gain a firm understanding of today’s display panel technology and which features really matter.

The first type of panels we’ll cover are LCD (liquid crystal display) panels. The main thing to understand about LCD panels is that they all use a white backlight (or sidelight, etc.). They work by shining a bright white light into your eyes, while the rest of the panel is for changing this backlight into individual pixels.

LED stands for light-emitting diode. You’ll often see LCD panels that are LED, but that doesn’t necessarily mean much when choosing an LCD. LED is just a different type of backlight compared to the old cold cathode backlights. While you could congratulate yourself on not using mercury, which is found in cathodes, at this point all LCDs use LED backlights anyway.

The second thing to understand is that LCDs take advantage of a phenomena known as polarization. Polarization is the direction in which the light wave is oscillating, or swinging back and forth at the same speed. Light comes out of the backlight unpolarized. It then passes through one polarizer, which makes all the light oscillate the same way.

Now you have an on and off (and between) switch for light. To produce color all that’s needed is three color filters, red, green and blue, that block all light other than that color from coming through. The difference between different types of LCD panels is mostly in how this in-between liquid crystal part works.

This design allows for fast response times (the time between the panel getting the frame it’s supposed to display and actually displaying it). It also allows for fast refresh rates. Consequently, TN panels are the only 240 hertz (Hz) gaming monitors available right now.

TN panels are cheap but suffer from poor viewing angles due to the “twist” only being aligned in one direction for viewing the panel straight on. They can also have poor color and contrast due to this twist mechanism not being the most precise or accurate.

VA stands for vertical alignment, again referring to the crystal alignment. These came about in the 1990s. Instead of using liquid crystals to twist a light’s polarization, a VA panel’s liquid crystals are aligned either perpendicular (vertical to) or parallel (horizontal to) the two polarizers. In the off state, the crystals are perpendicular to the two opposing polarizers. In the on state, the crystals begin to align horizontally, changing the polarization to match the second polarizer and allowing the light to go through the crystals.

This structure produces deeper blacks and better colors than TN panels. And multiple crystal alignments (shifted a bit off axis from each other) can allow for better viewing angles compared to TN panels.

However, VA panels come with a tradeoff, as they are often more expensive than TN panels and tend to have lower refresh rates and slower response times than TN panels. Consequently, you won’t see quite as many VA panel gaming monitors.

IPS stands for in-plane switching. These panels debuted after TN panels in the mid-1990s. The crystals are always horizontal to the two polarizers and twist 90° horizontally to go from off to on. Part of this design requires the two electrodes (which apply current to the liquid crystal to change its state) to be on the same glass substrate, instead of aligned with each other on the sandwiching glass substrates above and below the crystal (as in other types of LCDs). This, in turn, blocks a bit more light than both TN and VA panels.

IPS panels have the best viewing angles and colors of any LCD monitor type, thanks to its crystal alignment always lining up with the viewer. And while they don’t offer as fast a response time or refresh rate as TN panels, clever engineering has still gotten them to 144hz, and with nice viewing angles you’re not necessarily going wrong with an IPS gaming panel.

How do LCD panels go about reaching HDR brightness when incorrect polarization and color filters block so much light?The answer is quantum dots. These clever little things are molecules that absorb light and then re-emit that light in the color you engineered them to.

Today’s quantum dot layers usually go between a blue backlight and the polarization step, and are often used to produce red and green that more closely matches the color filters, so more light passes through them. This allows more of the backlight to come through instead of being blocked by the color filters, it can also reduce crosstalk, or colors slipping through the wrong subpixel, ensuring better colors of LCDs.

Other uses of quantum dots are being tried, however. One promising one is using QD molecules to replace the color filters entirely, allowing even more light through. Because LCD backlights produce more light than OLED panels (more on those below), this would allow LCDs to become the brightest displays around.

Motion blur/ghosting can be a result of how long an image takes to switch from one to another and how long an image is displayed on screen (persistence). But both of these phenomena differ greatly between individual LCD panels regardless of underlying LCD tech. And both are often better controlled by higher refresh rates, rather than clever panel engineering, at least for LCD displays.

Choosing an LCD panel based on underlying LCD tech should be more about cost vs desired contrast, viewing angles and color reproduction than expected blur, or other gaming attributes. Maximum refresh rate and response time should be listed in any respectable panel’s specs. Other gaming tech, such as strobe, which flashes the backlight on and off quickly to reduce persistence, may not be listed at all and is not part of the underlying type of LCD used. For that kind of info you’ll have to check the detailed reviews here on our site.

OLED, or organic light emitting diode, panels, are different from LCDs. There are no polarization tricks here. Instead, each pixel (or subpixel of red, green, or blue) lights itself up as a voltage is applied to a giant complex molecule called, yep, an organic light emitting diode. The color emitted is dependent on the molecule in question, and brightness is dependent on the voltage applied. OLEDs can reach HDR brightness because their molecules put out the right colors to begin with without being blocked.

Due to its approach to color and brightness, OLEDs have great contrast ratios. There’s no need to block a backlight, so there’s no worries about light bleeding through. Blacks are very black, and colors look great. OLEDs can also strobe, or flash off and on quickly to lower persistence. They can also use a trick called rolling scan.This turns blocks of the screen on and off one at a time, from top to bottom in a roll. This is all done as the image is sent to the screen, which cuts down on persistence blur a lot. This is why every major VR headset that can afford it uses OLED panels today.

Unfortunately, that’s where the advantages of OLED end. Refresh rates of OLED panels have never surpassed about 90Hz. And they’re quite expensive. A large part of that $1,000 iPhone X price is due to its OLED display. The current molecules used in OLEDs also degrade relatively quickly over time, especially those used for the color blue(opens in new tab), making the screen less and less bright.

OLEDs were also supposed to use less power than LCDs, but newer, giant OLED molecules that take less voltage to turn on have yet to appear. And while molecules covering the colors of the P3 HDR gamut are out today, those covering the larger BT.2020 gamut have yet to be found commercially. So OLEDs, while once promising and seemingly the future, have yet to live up to that promise.

A relevant question: If our fastest gaming displays are 240Hz TN panels now, just how fast do we need to go anyway? Well, a 2015 study places maximum human perception at 500Hz. So from that perspective, we’re halfway there. But that’s halfway there with today’s HDR, and not in lightfield 3D, or other possible advancements. And mobile devices could always use displays that take up less power.

In other words, in order to get fancy 3D effects, or much higher brightness, or any other desirable features, a different, new type of panel may be required. MicroLED tech is one such technology; think of it as OLED without the organic part and with the potential to improve contrast, response times and energy usage over standard LED panels. If you want to know more you can go here, but the real takeaway is that MicroLEDs work almost exactly like OLEDs.

Panel type names are based on the molecule arrangement on a liquid crystal display - LCD monitor - and the changes that occur upon voltage application. LCD monitors - see also LED vs LCD review - adjust the molecule positioning to function, though the way the changes occur immensely impacts your response time and image quality.

While it is the oldest panel technology, a TN panel still has some advantages over the newer VA and IPS panel technologies (see QLED and IPS). For one, they are the cheapest and suitable if you want budget-friendly options . If the extent of color reproduction or better viewing angles is not essential, a TN screen might suit you.

Moreover, TN panels have the least input lag of about one millisecond. A TN computer can operate at fast refresh rates reaching 240 Hz (see 1440p - 240Hz monitors review). For this reason, they are ideal for competitive players seeking gaming monitors (check out the best monitors for Xbox One X and Xbox Series X) that enable them to take advantage of each second. The Benefits of a good monitor for gaming are shown also in our review of monitors for League of Legends.

TN screens also have poor color reproduction. Most TN displays cannot function at 24-bit true color, so they depend on interpolation for accurate shade simulation. This performance can lead to color banding and lower contrast ratios than VA and IPS panel technologies.

TN panels also have a relatively lower color gamut. Only high-end TN monitors display wide color ranges. Many lack a wide-gamut and therefore are unideal for color grading, web design, photo and video editing, or other usages demanding color accuracy.

With their much wider viewing angles compared to TN screens, IPS panels allow you to sit at extreme angles while getting accurate color displays. Those characteristics are also the reason why IPS displays are good for touchscreens in tablets and portable monitors suh as this ZenScreen Touch monitor from Asus or this from Elecrow, an open hardware facilitation company based in China. Unlike a TN screen, you"ll hardly notice a color shift when looking at the screen from an unideal perspective.

IPS panels also have excellent performance in black reproduction, vital in eliminating the washed-out displays typical on TN panels. Regardless, IPS monitors don"t have as high contrast ratios as VA panels.

While TN panels dominate in terms of the refresh rate, IPS panels are now available that support refresh rates even over 240 Hz. For instance, the ASUS TUF VG259QM 24.5-Inch has a 280 Hz refresh rate and features an IPS monitor (see also this 23.8-inch monitor from HP).

TN displays previously had lower lagging than any other panel type, but IPS displays are now at per. LG launched their Nano IPS UltraGear screens boasting of the fastest response times on IPS at one millisecond. Moreover, Samsung"s quantum dot technologies, which will be covered in another post, are more energy-efficient and offer enhanced color accuracy over IPS, as well.

Despite measuring up, you"ll still spend more to get an IPS screen with a one millisecond response time than a similar-rated TN monitor. If you want to benefit from IPS technology at a budget cost, expect an LCD panel at approximately four milliseconds. Dell S2318HN here has gone a step further though, combining IPS and LED - see also "What is OLED?" - technology for some great results.

Another notable demerit dominant in IPS panels is the IPS glow. If this phenomenon occurs, your screen"s backlight shines and blurs your view when sitting at extreme viewing angles. While not the biggest issue, it is something to consider if you like sitting on the side. On the other hand, these types of monitors are thin and lightweight (see "Auzai"s portable monitor", or this Desklab monitor), as well as energy-efficient. Speaking of portability, ASUS mb168b monitor and AOC e1659fwu are also easy to carry and offer good quality at an affordable price.

VA panels form a middle ground between IPS and TN monitors. They have the highest contrast ratios, making them a go-to option for TV manufacturers. While an IPS screen can have 1000:1, comparable VA alternatives may reach up to 3000:1 or 6000:1 contrast ratios.

VA panels feature slower response times than TN and IPS monitors at their best performance. While some VA monitors refresh at up to 240 Hz, they tend to have latency that can cause motion blur and ghosting.

Compared to TN panels, VA screens provide better color reproduction, often supporting full sRGB spectrum even on budget options (see the best monitors under $200 review).

Because of their attributes, VA panels are suitable for general use. However, these panels tend to perform lower in most specs apart from the contrast ratio. VA monitors are pretty excellent in single-player action, flight simulations, or casual gaming.

Media professionals prefer IPS panels to VA panels, given their wider color gamut, though professionals like music producers require different features in their monitors.

The general consumer typically has very limited knowledge about the different types of LCD panels on the market and they take all of the information, specifications, and features printed on the packaging to heart. The reality is that advertisers tend to take advantage of the fact that most people conduct very minimal research before making big technological purchases—in fact, they depend on this to sell higher quantities of commercial monitors. With that in mind, how exactly do you know if you’re actually getting a good quality product that’ll suit your needs? Reading up on all of the different types of industrial LCD monitors is a good place to start!

LCD stands for liquid-crystal display. Over the years, LCD technology has become ubiquitous with various commercial and industrial screen manufacturing. LCDs are constructed of flat panels that contain liquid crystals with light modulating properties. This means that these liquid crystals use a backlight or reflector to emit light and produce either monochromatic or coloured images. LCDs are used to construct all sorts of displays from cellphones to computer screens to flat-screen TVs. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about the different types of LCD displays on the market.

Twisted Nematic LCDs are the most commonly manufactured and used types of monitors across a wide range of industries. They’re most commonly used by gamers because they’re inexpensive and boast faster response times than most of the other display types on this list. The only real downside to these monitors is that they possess low quality and limited contrast ratios, colour reproduction, and viewing angles. However, they suffice for everyday operations.

In Plane Switching displays are considered to be among the best of the best when it comes to LCD technology as they offer superior viewing angles, excellent image quality, and vibrant colour accuracy and contrast. They’re most commonly used by graphic designers and in other applications that require the highest possible standards for image and colour reproduction.

Vertical Alignment panels fall somewhere in the middle between TN and IPS panel technology. While they have much better viewing angles and higher quality colour reproduction features than TN panels, they also tend to have significantly slower response times. However, even their most positive aspects still don’t come anywhere close to holding a candle to IPS panels, which is why they’re much more affordable and suitable for everyday use.

AFFS LCDs offers far superior performance and a wider range of colour reproduction than even IPS panel technology. The applications involved in this type of LCD display are so advanced that they can minimize colour distortion without compromising on the extremely wide viewing angle. This screen is typically used in highly advanced and professional environments such as in the cockpits of commercial airplanes.

Nauticomp Inc. is the leading designer and manufacturer of high-quality LCD panels and displays. All of our touchscreen displays are made to order and customized according to your specific needs and applications. To learn more about our products, please contact us today.

When choosing a new computer monitor, the type of panel used by the display is a key piece of information that reveals a lot about how the monitor will behave and perform. By far the most common types of display panels are TN, IPS and VA.

Monitor LCD panels are made up of many layers, including a backlight, polarizing filters and the liquid crystal layer. It"s this liquid crystal layer that determines the intensity of light let through from the backlight, and in what colors, whether red, green or blue. To control this intensity, a voltage is applied to the liquid crystals, which physically moves the crystals from one position to another. How these crystals are arranged and how they move when voltage is applied, is the fundamental difference between TN, VA and IPS.

Our original explainer about display technology and the difference between TN vs. VA vs. IPS was published almost three years ago, and while most of that information remains accurate to this day, we"ve seen the introduction of much faster IPS displays as well as a revolutionary updates to VA panels, particularly from Samsung Odyssey gaming monitors. We"ve also since tested over 100 monitors, so we have a lot more insights to share about performance.

TN is the oldest of the LCD technologies and it stands for twisted nematic. This refers to the twisted nematic effect, which is an effect that allows liquid crystal molecules to be controlled with voltage. While the actual workings of a TN-effect LCD are a little more complicated, essentially the TN-effect is used to change the alignment of liquid crystals when a voltage is applied. When there is no voltage, so the crystal is "off," the liquid crystal molecules are twisted 90 degrees and in combination with polarization layers, allow light to pass through. Then when a voltage is applied, these crystals are essentially untwisted, blocking light.

IPS stands for in-plane switching and, like all LCDs, it too uses voltage to control the alignment of liquid crystals. However unlike with TN, IPS LCDs use a different crystal orientation, one where the crystals are parallel to the glass substrates, hence the term "in plane". Rather than "twisting" the crystals to modify the amount of light let through, IPS crystals are essentially rotated, which has a range of benefits.

There are various subvariants to these technologies which can tweak things further, and you"ll also see different brand names depending on the panel manufacturer. For example, AU Optronics use "AHVA" to refer to an IPS-type panel, not a VA panel. Samsung use PLS, while brands like LG simply use "IPS". Then on the VA side we have AU Optronics "AMVA" and Samsung"s "SVA" among others.

So in summary, TN panels twist, IPS panels use a parallel alignment and rotate, while VA panels use a vertical alignment and tilt. Now let"s get into some of the performance characteristics and explore how each of the technologies differ and in general, which technology is better in any given category.

The most immediately obvious difference when viewing a TN, IPS or VA panel for the first time is in viewing angles. This is one area that hasn"t significantly changed since the introduction of these technologies.

TN panels have the weakest viewing angles, with significant shift to color and contrast in both the horizontal and especially vertical directions. Typically viewing angles are rated as 170/160 but realistically you"ll get pretty bad shifts when viewing anywhere except for dead center. Higher-end TNs tend to be somewhat better but overall this is a big weakness for TNs and can impact the experience for productivity where any shifts to color impact accuracy for things like photo editing.

VA and IPS panels are significantly better for viewing angles, with IPS panels generally giving the best overall experience. Here you"ll commonly see 178/178 ratings for viewing angles, and while there can still be some shift to colors and brightness viewing at off-center angles, this will be far less noticeable than on a TN panel. Of all the IPS panels we"ve reviewed over the years, I"d describe the majority of them as having excellent viewing angles, a non-issue for modern IPS displays.

Because the liquid crystal layer is separate to the backlight layer, there is no technical reason why TN, IPS or VA monitors should differ in terms of brightness. Across the 100 displays we"ve tested using our latest test suite, the average SDR brightness for IPS panels was 385 nits, versus 367 nits for TN and 346 nits for VA - so really there"s not much of a difference.

Contrast ratio, on the other hand, is where another major difference occurs. TN panels have the worst contrast ratios, with the twisting technique not particularly great at producing deep blacks. In the best cases you"ll see contrast ratios around 1000:1, but typically after calibration these numbers are lower, in the 700:1 to 900:1 range. Of the monitors we"ve tested, the average TN has a contrast ratio of 872:1, which is poor so if you want rich, beautiful blacks - well maybe just buy an OLED but if you"re buying LCD, don"t get a TN.

IPS is the next step up, though generally IPS contrast ratios aren"t that different from TN. In the worst cases - in particular LG"s current line-up of Nano IPS panels - you won"t see contrast performance any different from a typical TN, with a ratio below 1000:1. However outside of those worst cases, it"s much more common to see contrast at or above 1000:1, with some best case examples pushing up to 1500:1 which is about the ceiling I"ve seen for IPS. Of the IPS panels we"ve tested, an average contrast ratio of 1037:1 was recorded, 19% higher than the average contrast of a TN.

If you really want an LCD to produce deep blacks though, you"ll have to go with a VA panel. The design of these panels is much more conducive to great contrast ratios, which typically start at 2000:1, higher than even the best IPS alternatives.

It"s also worth mentioning that while IPS panels tend to be a middle ground for contrast they do suffer from a phenomenon called "IPS glow," which is an apparent white glow when viewing dark imagery at an angle. The best panels exhibit minimal glow but it"s still an issue across all displays of this type, and can vary between individual units.

Before when discussing TN vs. VA vs. IPS, we spent some time talking about the differences between TNs, VAs and IPS in terms of bit depth -- or the difference between 6-bit, 8-bit and 10-bit panels. But we feel this is less relevant these days when the vast majority of displays are native 8-bit panels, with the exception of a few low-end panels that are 6-bit, and a few professional grade high-end panels that are 10-bit.

It remains the case that most displays advertised as "10-bit" or having "1 billion colors" are not true 10-bit panels, instead achieving this through FRC or dithering, and the type of LCD panel technology makes little difference.

There also isn"t a significant difference these days between LCD types when it comes to coverage of "standard" color spaces like sRGB or Rec. 709, which is used by default in Windows and is widely used for video content.

Even TN panels, which historically have had the "worst" color quality, these days will cover over 95% of the sRGB color space at a minimum for any monitor worth buying. The exceptions to this are entry-level junk some OEMs like to punish their low-end laptop buyers with; it"s rare for a desktop monitor to go below 90% sRGB coverage and certainly you shouldn"t buy it if it does.

As for native true 10-bit, typically you"ll need to look for an IPS panel, which make up the majority of native 10-bit panels. Some VA panels can do it, but they are rare. Most displays you purchase that claim to be 10-bit, are actually 8-bit+FRC, with only high-end professional-grade monitors offering a native 10-bit experience.

As far as gaming monitors are concerned, which is the majority of monitors we test, it"s uncommon for TN panels to exceed the sRGB color space and produce a wide color gamut. We"ve seen it on occasion, with DCI-P3 coverage topping out around 92% in the best cases, but the majority of TN displays are standard gamut which is fine for SDR content.

The next best panel type for color gamut is VA. Some entry-level VAs will start at only sRGB coverage, but today"s wide gamut VA monitors typically cover between 85 and 90% DCI-P3, or up to around 66% of Rec. 2020. They don"t generally have adequate Adobe RGB coverage (below 85%), making them most suited to a basic wide gamut experience for videos or games. We"ve also yet to test a VA monitor with a really wide color gamut, like 98% DCI-P3, despite the highest end models of today using Quantum Dot enhancement films. Still, VA is decently mid-range for gamut coverage.

If you want the widest color gamut, you"ll need to get an IPS monitor. While basic IPS panels will be limited to sRGB only, the best wide gamut IPS displays offered these days can achieve much higher gamuts than TN or IPS.

We"ve measured up to 97% DCI-P3 and over 99% Adobe RGB in the same panel - usually a high-end model from AU Optronics - which leads to excellent Rec. 2020 coverage above 80%. This tends to make IPS the most, or at times only suitable technology for color critical wide gamut work like video or photo editing, and it"s the tech I"d choose for that task.

The highest refresh rate displays on the market today are capable of 1080p 360Hz speeds, and use an IPS panel from AU Optronics, not a TN. There is lower demand for TN panels than other panel types these days, so a lot of development effort on high refresh models has gone into IPS instead. This makes IPS the highest refresh technology for now, with all three technologies being available at 1440p 240Hz.

Response times have also improved substantially for IPS and VA monitors, especially for high-end panels. There is no longer a clear distinction between TN and the rest of today"s contenders, thanks to big speed gains headed by LG"s Nano IPS and Samsung"s new-gen VA.

The fastest TN panels that we"ve measured using our current, strict test methodology are able to hit the 4ms mark on average with a cumulative deviation of around 400. Cumulative deviation tells us how close a monitor"s response times get to the ideal instant response, and also show the balance between response times and overshoot. The HP Omen X 27 is definitely a fast monitor with its 1440p 240Hz spec. However, the Samsung Odyssey G7 and G9 are actually slightly faster, with response times between 3.4 and 4.0 ms and cumulative deviation below 400.

This puts the best VA monitors of today slightly ahead of the best TN monitors that we"ve tested, which we definitely couldn"t have said a few years ago. With these new panels, Samsung have also fixed the unsightly dark level smearing issue that plagued last-generation VA panels, giving the latest VA panels an overall experience similar to the best LCDs have to offer.

Meanwhile over at the IPS camp, the best IPS panels are slightly slower than VA and TN, but still highly competitive with the best of today. The fastest we"ve seen is a response time average of 4.5ms, with cumulative deviation around 460. That"s less than 20% off the best from other technologies, giving us a pretty small difference in 2021 between the three LCD panel types in a best vs best comparison.

With that said, this discussion of response times only applies to high end monitors. Currently in the mid-range and entry-level markets, the performance differences between TN, IPS and VA are more traditional. TN monitors can still be quite fast, with performance in the 4ms range even with basic 1080p 144Hz panels. Basically if you buy a TN in any market segment, you know it will be fast.

The next step down is IPS in lower price segments, with performance varying a bit depending on the exact model. The reason for this is that mid-range and entry-level IPS monitors tend to use more last-generation panels, which aren"t as fast as the best of today. Still, performance between 6 and 9ms on average is pretty common, and cumulative deviation is still quite competitive, especially in the value-oriented IPS market. Not as fast as TN, but still generally good for motion clarity.

Budget-oriented VA panels are, unfortunately, nowhere near as fast as the best panels of today used in Samsung"s Odyssey G7 and G9 series. It"s much more common to get a 9ms to 13ms average response time here, which puts the best budget VA panels behind an average budget IPS in performance. You"ll also get dark level smearing, which is seen as a dark trail following moving objects, which you don"t get with the other two LCD technologies.

Backlight strobing or black frame insertion is also a popular feature these days for some, particularly those after a high performance gaming monitor for esports. Generally speaking, the performance of backlight strobing is dictated by response time performance, so you can get good results with all three monitor types depending on the implementation, especially with high-end panels.

Summarizing each of the three main LCD technologies is much harder today than in previous years, as there"s been a lot of focus on improving IPS and VA panels. This has led to much better gaming monitors for all, and many more displays to analyze and keep us busy which is always a good thing.

If we had to summarize the LCD ecosystem today... TN panels are a dying breed and their main strengths have been countered in recent years. TN panels are still very fast and great for competitive gaming, but aren"t as much of an outright speed leader anymore, especially at the high end. The main advantage to buying a TN is their affordability and consistency of speed even with entry-level panels, but this comes with weaknesses like viewing angles, contrast ratio and gamut coverage, which makes them unsuitable for a lot of stuff and probably not what you"d want to choose these days.

VA panels are a real mixed bag. At the high end, VAs are very competitive with excellent motion performance, no dark level smearing, decent contrast ratios and good colors. They have to some degree replaced IPS as the middle-ground technology that offers a bit of everything. However in the lower-end of the market, VAs retain the great contrast ratios they are known for, but suffer in motion performance due to the use of last-generation panels and end up quite slow. That"s offset by affordable prices which makes them a decent budget buy in some monitors.

IPS panels have received the most attention and continue to improve each year. IPS monitors are typically the most balanced choice, with strengths in many areas including motion performance, gamut coverage and viewing angles. These strengths tend to apply consistently in all market segments, whether high-end or entry-level, and that can make IPS a great bang for buck option.

Due to the prevalence of flat panels with great uniformity and very wide gamuts, IPS is also the most suitable technology for gaming and content creation on the same display, though contrast ratios are still well behind what VA panels can achieve.

But really there"s no right answer to which monitor technology is best. You might want excellent black levels and great speed, in which case a high-end VA is best for you. Or you might want Adobe RGB coverage, in which case you"ll need to go IPS. There"s no overall winner in the LCD space right now, it"s all about which individual qualities matter most to you.

There are many LCD display types to choose from. Some are new cutting edge technology and other are older legacy types of displays. Although even some of the legacy type of LCD displays make use of cutting edge technology. The goal of this article is to provide the reader with a brief overview of the uses, advantages and disadvantages of each type of display.

Segment LCD’s, also called static or direct drive are an older technology but are still in heavy use today. These displays are reliable and have been in use for many years. They show no signs of going away anytime soon.

In fact, you could reduce the static/direct drive LCD down to the simple formula of one pin equals one segment. If you need a display that contains a 7 segment number, you need 7 pins. The exception to this is if you increase the number of backplanes and convert this to a multiplex display.

LCD display type to use we have a general rule: If the total number of segments is 20 or less, we advise a static (direct drive) displaysince a display with 20 pins is low cost to build and to install on the PCB.

graphics type of LCD display that makes use of the controller driver chip. The controller driver chip allow the number of connections for multiple segments to be reduced to 14 or 16 pins. This LCD technology is covered later in the article.

While monochrome displays are simple and can come across as somewhat boring, there are some key advantages to consider when choosing which of the LCD display types to go with.

advantage of the monochrome LCD display is that they are not power hungry. They operate with very little current draw. This becomes an ideal choice when the only power you have is a battery. These displays are built to operate at 3.0V, 3.3V (in some case they can operate as low as 1.7V) and 5V. The current draw for a display with no backlight can run as low as 6uA per cm^2. (Note: The lower the operating temperature of the LCD, the greater the power required).

The majority of the static or multiplex displays we offer have been customized to meet the customer’s requirements. This is a great advantage to consider when choosing one of the LCD display types you will use in your product.

The tooling or NRE (non-recurring engineering cost) of this type of display is much lower than newer technologies and the MOQ (minimum order quantities) are also lower than other types of displays.

Even after the introduction of newer display technologies, LCDs still remain relevant even today.LCD displays are used for multiple purposes (TV, Monitor, Mobile Phones, Laptops, Automobiles, etc.) and one single configuration cannot satisfy all the purposes. So, LCD displays come with two different panels – VA (Vertical Alignment) and IPS (In-Plane Switching) to satisfy the different viewing needs of consumers.

A VA panel offers a superior contrast ratio but a narrow viewing angle. Contrarily, an IPS panel offers a wide viewing angle but a low contrast ratio.

As mentioned earlier, displays with VA Panels provide a great contrast ratio. You can find VA panels that typically come with contrast ratios of 3000:1 or 6000:1. A comparable IPS panel will only have a contrast ratio of 1000:1.

VA panels have narrow viewing angles. You will only be able to have an immersive experience when you sit straight opposite the display. The wider angles will not provide you the same experience.

In this, the liquid crystals are arranged parallel to the glass substrate instead of the perpendicular alignment. Furthermore, the structure of crystals and the placement of electrodes differ from the one used in VA panels. The electrodes occupy more space that results in lower contrast and brightness of the screen.

With the IPS panels, you can view the TV / monitor from a wide-angle and still get an impressive picture quality. Unlike VA panels, you will notice very little difference in color reproduction when you sit at a wide-angle from the display.

But when it comes to black uniformity, the IPS panels are sub-par. These panels do a poor job in displaying a bright image in the center of a completely black screen.

One more major drawback with the IPS panels is that they exhibit a distinct phenomenon called ‘IPS Glow’. You will notice some light patches on the corners of the screen. This happens when excessive light is passed through the screen.

Initially, IPS panels are mainly used in TVs due to their wide viewing angles, as we can watch TV in our living room from anywhere. But due to their better quality, color accuracy and response time, LCD panels gradually occupied the high-end computer monitor and laptop screens

IPS:These panels have the highest color range. You will be able to enjoy a realistic gaming experience. Besides, they have better viewing angles. So, you won’t notice any drop in picture quality even when you are not sitting in front of your TV / monitor.

VA:Even though the color range is not as great as the IPS panel, it does a pretty good job in showing the color variations. But the viewing angle is narrow. So, you have to sit straight opposite the TV / monitor.

VA panel compensates for its decent color range with an impressive contrast ratio. You will be able to see great detailing in the difference between light and dark colors.

IPS:IPS panels have one of the highest refresh rates. While you easily find an IPS panel with a refresh rate of 144Hz, some of the latest ones come with a refresh rate of 360Hz. If you are a serious online-gamer, digital artist, or video editor, then you have to go with the highest refresh rate within your budget.

VA:VA panels have lower refresh rates than IPS panels. Most VA panels come with a refresh rate of 120Hz. If you want to have a higher refresh rate, then you have to be willing to spend extra. VA panels have a maximum refresh rate of 240Hz.

IPS:IPS panels generally come with a response time of 4 milliseconds. This would suffice for watching TV or playing most games. But, if you are playing racing games or first-person shooting games, you need to have a response time of less than 2 milliseconds.

VA:VA panels generally have a slower response time than IPS panels with 5 milliseconds. So, there is a higher chance for you to experience motion blur. But, some of the VA panels that come with an expensive price tag have faster response times.

IPS:When it comes to the viewing angle, IPS panels far outweigh the VA panels. They have wider viewing angles. You will experience no drop in picture quality even if you sit and watch the TV from an extreme angle.

VA:The VA panels have a very narrow viewing angle. You have to sit as close to the straight axis of the TV to enjoy the picture quality. If you sit wider, there will be a significant loss in the picture quality.

IPS:IPS panels do a decent job in the contrast ratio segment but they are nowhere close to that of VA panels. An IPS panel offers a contrast ratio of 1000:1. When you watch a black color environment in an IPS panel, the black color will be slightly greyed out.

VA:VA panels offer a superior contrast ratio of 6000:1 that is very impressive. It has the capacity to show dark environments as darker. So, you will enjoy the picture detailing shown by the VA panels.

IPS:IPS panels are not really great at displaying the uniform black color throughout the screen. Due to the low contrast ratio, the black color will appear slightly greyed out.

VA:VA panels have a good black uniformity. But it also depends on the TV model you go with. Not all TV models with a VA panel have good black uniformity. But it is safe to say that in general, VA panels have better black uniformity than an IPS panel.

To put it short, the main difference between the panels lies in the alignment of the liquid crystals. The alignment results in the differences in the performance and picture quality of the panels.

The VA panels are ideal for office/study use, high-end PC games, and online games. If you are looking for a panel for mixed usage, the VA panel should still suffice your needs.

Contrary to what you may think, not all LCD TVs are built around the same core panel technology. They can actually have at their hearts one of two really quite different technologies: VA or IPS.

Each, as we’ll see, has its own distinct advantages and disadvantages – so much so that we personally think the type of panel a particular TV uses should be presented right at the top of its specifications list, rather than typically left off altogether. Especially as some brands have been known to actually mix and match VA and IPS panels at different screen sizes within the same TV series.

The VA initialism stands for Vertical Alignment. This name is derived from the way VA panels apply voltage to vertically aligned liquid crystals that have been mounted perpendicularly to the panel’s glass substrate, making them tilt as required to let the necessary amount of light through for each image frame.

The main advantage of VA panels is contrast. Their perpendicular crystal alignment provides greater control over the light passing through each pixel, meaning dark scenes and dark areas look less grey / enjoy better black levels.

The extent to which this strength is exploited can vary greatly between different manufacturers, and depends on any number of secondary factors. The type and position of LED lighting a particular VA screen might be using can have an impact, for instance. There are multiple variations on the VA theme available from different manufacturers, too. As a basic principle, though, black levels and contrast are consistently and often considerably better on LCD TVs that use VA panels.

Because of their ability to control light better, high-end VA panels generally deliver more brightness in real world conditions than IPS ones do. This further enhances their contrast capabilities, and arguably makes them more consistently able to do fuller justice to the wider light range associated with high dynamic range technology.

Being able to deliver dark scenes with relatively little overlying low-contrast greyness additionally means that VA panels tend to achieve more consistent colour vibrancy and toning.

VA panels for use in LCD TVs come from a number of panel manufacturers, including Samsung Display (which makes a so-called SVA variant) and AU Optronics (which makes an AMVA variant). TV brands are able to buy in panels from these and other VA panel manufacturers as they see fit.

Samsung Electronics is the most consistent user of VA panels in its LCD TVs. In fact, until recently pretty much every Samsung TV at every price level used a VA panel. For the past couple of years, though, IPS panels have unexpectedly cropped up in one or two parts of Samsung’s TV range, including 2021’s high-end QN85 series.

Sony predominantly uses VA panels on its most premium TVs, but it also habitually mixes IPS and VA panels across its wider mid-range and entry level LCD ranges. The same goes for most of the other big brands, too, including Panasonic and Philips.

IPS stands for In-Plane Switching. Like VA panels, IPS panels work by manipulating voltage to adjust how liquid crystals are aligned. Unlike VA, though, IPS panels orient their crystals in parallel with (rather than perpendicular too) the glass substrates present in every LCD panel, and rotate their crystals around to let the desired amount of light through rather than tilting them.

By far the biggest and most talked about advantage of IPS technology is its support for wider viewing angles. In fact, one way of identifying IPS panels has traditionally been to look for quoted viewing angles of 178 degrees.

When we talk about wide viewing angle support in relation to LCD TVs, we’re talking about how much of an angle from directly opposite the screen you can go before the picture starts to lose contrast, colour saturation and, sometimes, brightness.

With VA panels the angle you can watch them before the picture starts to deteriorate sharply can be really quite limited – as little as 20 degrees off axis. While we’d say the 178-degree claims for regular IPS panels are rather exaggerated, you can typically sit at a significantly wider angle than you can with VA and still enjoy a watchable picture.

The VA/IPS viewing angle situation is muddied a little by the introduction into a few high-end VA TVs of wide angle technologies based around filters or sub pixel manipulation. These technologies can be associated with other problems, though, such as reduced resolution, and can still struggle to suppress backlight blooming around stand-out bright objects with LCD TVs that use local dimming backlight systems.

Traditionally IPS panels have been associated with – on high-end screens, at least – wider colour gamuts than VA panels can re