Is IPS worth it for my uses?

IPS is a superior and costlier technology. It mainly focuses on color and IPS panels have some of the widest color gamuts.

TN is basically a value technology. Although some feel TN panels are getting closer to their peers (IPS, MVA, PVA), TN remains inferior in terms of contrast ratio and especially viewing angles.

IPS did have issues with pixel response, but revisions and S-IPS made this better.

Personally I have found MVA panels to offer superb contrast ratios, better than IPS and PVA and this is often more important for multimedia users (movies, gaming) than color purity.
 
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ds9voy said:
Hi everyone,

I live in the middle of no where in Texas and there is absolutely no place near here that stocks IPS LCDs. So sadly I have never actually seen an IPS in action.

I have only used TN LCDs.

I am wanting to buy a new LCD finally.

Basically I am about to install a blu-ray drive in my computer. I am also going to hook up a Playstation 3 to the same monitor.

I am strongly considering getting an IPS panel after some of the posts I have read here.

However, it sounds like an IPS panel is only really useful if you are a professional doing photo work or some other related work? Or if you are looking at the monitor from the side? (I won't be looking at it from the side ever... I always am sitting directly in front of it)

Would I really notice a difference just watching Blu-rays and using a PS3 on it? Or for my uses would I come out ahead just using a cheaper TN LCD? And when I say notice a difference would it be "Oh wow MAJOR difference" or "Eh you can tell a difference if you look really hard"?

Thank you for any advice. I have been considering getting the NEC EA231wmi if I do get an IPS. Other than that I have been considering the Acer S1 super slim LCDs that seem cheap and don't take up much space.
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Sense you sit directly in front of your display you will only benift from the good coor presets an IPS panel like the Dell U2311H has and maybe better screen uniformity. If you pick the right TN panel you will also get good presets and good screen uniformity compared to other TN's.


That being said, the Samsung XL2370 TN panel will give you accurate color presets, high contrast ratioand it is very responsive. It's around 290$.

Review:
http://www.digitalversus.com/samsung-syncmaster-xl2370-p357_6587_36.html
http://reviews.cnet.com/lcd-monitor...-33683882.html?tag=contentMain;contentBody;1r

The Acer G245H is 250$ comes with HDMI/DVI/VGA cables and has speakers. It has very similar performance to the XL2370 but has a glossy screen, so if you are in room with a lot of light it probably won't be suitable.

Review:
http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1035834696&postcount=16

Comparison (lots of pictures) to other TN panels:
http://wecravegames.com/forums/show...aming-Panel-Comparison-x9&p=173571#post173571


Those are pretty much the pinacle of TN panels right and will both be great for PS3 gaming and Blu-Ray.
 
ds9voy said:
However, it sounds like an IPS panel is only really useful if you are a professional doing photo work or some other related work? Or if you are looking at the monitor from the side? (I won't be looking at it from the side ever... I always am sitting directly in front of it)
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You definitely do not have to be a graphic professional in order to appreciate the benefits of an IPS panel. Plenty of people here are going the IPS route even if they are not doing any professional work on their monitors.

Whether or not you would find IPS to be worth the extra cost is difficult to say. One major difference that you would see everywhere are the viewing angles. Viewing a TN slightly from the side is fine most of the time, it's the vertical viewing angles that are the problem because they cause a gradient in image from top to bottom. Sitting directly in front of the screen doesn't solve this.
 
ds9voy said:
Hi everyone,

I live in the middle of no where in Texas and there is absolutely no place near here that stocks IPS LCDs. So sadly I have never actually seen an IPS in action.

I have only used TN LCDs.

I am wanting to buy a new LCD finally.

Basically I am about to install a blu-ray drive in my computer. I am also going to hook up a Playstation 3 to the same monitor.

I am strongly considering getting an IPS panel after some of the posts I have read here.

However, it sounds like an IPS panel is only really useful if you are a professional doing photo work or some other related work? Or if you are looking at the monitor from the side? (I won't be looking at it from the side ever... I always am sitting directly in front of it)

Would I really notice a difference just watching Blu-rays and using a PS3 on it? Or for my uses would I come out ahead just using a cheaper TN LCD? And when I say notice a difference would it be "Oh wow MAJOR difference" or "Eh you can tell a difference if you look really hard"?

Thank you for any advice. I have been considering getting the NEC EA231wmi if I do get an IPS. Other than that I have been considering the Acer S1 super slim LCDs that seem cheap and don't take up much space.
Click to expand...


The major defining factor in image quality of a monitor is dependency on viewing angles.
Among LCD technologies IPS is the least dependent (best viewing angles) and TN is the most dependent (worst viewing angles).
You need to bear in mind that good viewing angles are important for "sitting directly on front of it". Why? Because all parts of the screen are viewed from different angles even if you sit directly in front.
TNs darken upper part of the screen and wash out colors on the bottom part of the screen.
If it's OK for you - you buy a TN.
If not - look for better monitors.
Better monitors are for all those who want better picture, not for professionals only.
Same as good food is not for professional cooks only, flat floors are not for professional dancers only, etc.

images
 
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I'll be posting an IPS vs TN showdown soon once I get my TN in. IPS is about color accuracy and picture quality at the expense of response time. TN is pretty much the opposite. If you want a quality image and don't mind some blur get an IPS. Response time is not terrible and you can still game and watch movies on it. The TN screens on the other hand are better for gaming and movies and the colors and viewing angles are not so bad that you can't use the screen or anything. Personally, I will be doing both so I can have the best of both worlds but if I had to choose one personally I would take the IPS.

Opinions on the forum vary mostly based on price and sensitivity to motion blur/trailing/ghosting.
 
Man, albovin, did you have to use an image with a girl with only one nostril for that comparison? That picture freaks me out!

Honestly, the TN doesn't look that bad to me in the pic but I'm sure the differences would be much more noticeable if I had both monitors in front of me.
 
I just upgraded from TN to IPS and the viewing angles are obviously better but it wasn't the night and day difference I was expecting. I plan on doing portrait mode so I'll keep buying more IPS monitors but otherwise I'd just save money and get a TN.
 
In terms of colours, if you look at a TN on its own, it will seem fine, especially if you have never used a IPS before and have either not used a CRT or not used a CRT for a long time.

What should be noticeable is the viewing angle improvement, a TN only requires slight movement off centre and it is distorted.

Also response times is a weird one, every TN monitor I have owned whether it be a laptop screen or monitor suffers fromn what I call display lag, where if dragging stuff around the screen like scrolling a page or moving a window there is a shadow. My PVA monitor also had this problem but to a much lesser extenct. However my e-IPS 2209WA doesnt have this at all visibly, its like I am using a CRT in terms of display lag.
 
Well, with any TN, even looking head on, the top of the screen will have different color and brightness compared to the bottom. All TN is garbage.
 
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