Modern devices are equipped with screens of various configurations. The main ones at the moment are displays based on but different technologies can be used for them, in particular, we are talking about TFT and IPS, which differ in a number of parameters, although they are descendants of the same invention.
Now there are a huge number of terms that denote certain technologies hidden under abbreviations. For example, many may have heard or read about IPS or TFT, but few understand what the real difference between them is. This is due to the lack of information in the electronics catalogs. That is why it is worthwhile to understand these concepts, and also decide whether TFT or IPS - which is better?
Terminology
To determine which will be better or worse in each individual case, it is required to find out what functions and tasks each IPS is responsible for, in fact, it is a TFT, or rather its kind, in the manufacture of which a certain technology was used - TN-TFT. These technologies should be considered in more detail.
Differences
TFT (TN) is one of the methods for the production of matrices, that is, screens on thin-film transistors, in which the elements are arranged in a spiral between a pair of plates. In the absence of voltage supply, they will be rotated towards each other at right angles in the horizontal plane. The maximum voltage forces the crystals to rotate so that the light passing through them leads to the formation of black pixels, and in the absence of voltage - white pixels.
If we consider IPS or TFT, then the difference between the first and the second is that the matrix is made on the basis described earlier, but the crystals in it are not arranged spirally, but parallel to the single plane of the screen and to each other. Unlike TFT, the crystals in this case do not rotate in the absence of voltage.
How do we see it?
If you look at IPS, or visually, the difference between them is in contrast, which is provided by an almost perfect reproduction of black. On the first screen, the image will appear sharper. But the quality of color rendering in the case of using a TN-TFT matrix cannot be called good. In this case, each pixel has its own hue, different from the others. Because of this, colors are highly distorted. However, such a matrix also has an advantage: it is characterized by the highest response speed among all existing at the moment. The IPS screen requires a certain amount of time, during which all parallel crystals will complete a full reversal. However, the human eye barely picks up the difference in response time.
Important features
If we talk about which is better in operation: IPS or TFT, then it is worth noting that the former are more power-consuming. This is because it takes a lot of energy to rotate the crystals. That is why, if a manufacturer is faced with the task of making their device energy efficient, a TN-TFT matrix is usually used in it.
If you choose a TFT or IPS screen, then it is worth noting the wider viewing angles of the second, namely 178 degrees in both planes, which is very convenient for the user. Others have been unable to provide this. And another significant difference between these two technologies is the cost of products based on them. TFT matrices are currently the cheapest solution, which is used in most budget models, and IPS belongs to a higher level, but it is not top-end either.
Should I choose an IPS or TFT display?
The first technology allows you to get the highest quality, sharpest image, but it takes more time to rotate the crystals used. This affects the response time and other parameters, in particular the rate of battery discharge. The color rendering level of TN-matrices is much lower, but their response time is minimal. Crystals are arranged in a spiral here.
In fact, one can easily note an incredible chasm in the quality of screens powered by these two technologies. This also applies to cost. TN technology remains on the market solely because of the price, but it is not able to provide a juicy and bright picture.
IPS is a very successful continuation of the development of TFT displays. A high contrast ratio and fairly wide viewing angles are additional advantages of this technology. For example, with TN monitors, sometimes the black color itself changes its shade. However, the high power consumption of IPS-based devices is forcing many manufacturers to resort to using alternative technologies or to lower this figure. Most often, matrices of this type are found in wired monitors that do not operate on a battery, which allows the device not to be so volatile. However, there are ongoing developments in this area.
Surely every user of a modern smartphone, TV or monitor has heard such a thing as an IPS LCD matrix. But what does this mean? What are the inherent advantages of such products, and how does this technology work? You will receive answers to all these questions in this publication.
So, first of all, it is worth understanding what LCD and IPS are. This will let you know if there is any difference between the two.
1. What is LCD
LCD is an abbreviation for Liquid Crystal Display, which means liquid crystal display in Russian. This explains the unspoken name of such matrices - LCD. Thus, almost any screen that you have in your home - monitor, TV, mobile phone, and even screens on household appliances - is LCD. At the moment, LCD screens are most widely used all over the world, as they have a lot of undeniable advantages, while they are affordable and inexpensive. The only competitor to such screens is a plasma panel, but such screens are slightly more expensive than LCD.
2. LCD screen type IPS
IPS unlike LCD is a type of matrix in LCD screens. Thus, it is impossible to say which is better than IPS or LCD, since they are two parts of one whole. LCD is a type of screen and IPS is a type of matrix in a liquid crystal display.
IPS technology was developed relatively long ago, and today we can observe its active development and improvement. The main difference between such matrices lies in the arrangement of the control electrodes, which are located on the same plane with the liquid crystal molecules, in contrast to TN, where the electrodes are located on different sides of the crystals.
This solution means that when the display is off (in the absence of an electromagnetic field), the liquid crystals are positioned so that light does not pass through the molecules, which makes the screen black. This explains the fact that in the event of a pixel failure, a black dot appears on the screen. In addition, IPS technology has increased the viewing angles up to 170˚ (and in the new models up to 178˚). Among all matrices, IPS have the largest viewing angle comparable only to a plasma panel, which is the main advantage of this technology.
But like any other IPS LCD screen technology, it has its drawback. It consists in a long response time. Some improvements have been made to solve this problem. Moreover, IPS technology is actively developing in our time. The developers are constantly improving the performance of such matrices and already at the moment they are in no way inferior to TN technology in terms of response time, while significantly winning in other parameters. According to most electronics manufacturers, it is IPS matrices that have the greatest prospects. This is reflected in the fact that the overwhelming majority of manufacturers of monitors, smartphones and tablet PCs use exactly IPS matrices.
3. Super LCD or IPS LCD
Continuous active development of technologies in the field of production of high-quality displays has led to the emergence of a new type of matrix, which are called super LCD. This type of screen has very high performance. These are more natural colors, good viewing angles, high contrast and image clarity. All these indicators significantly exceed those of the first IPS displays.
However, the developers of IPS matrices also did not waste time developing new solutions to achieve higher performance in all characteristics. So, for almost 13 years of evolution, several improvements to IPS matrices have been published:
- Super IPS - to improve response time;
- AS-IPS (Advenced Auper IPS). This technology made it possible to increase the transparency of the matrix itself, while improving the contrast and brightness;
- Horisontal IPS — a more natural white color;
- Professional IPS - up to 1.07 billion colors. This technology is considered the best among LCD screens. At the same time, the developers worked on improving the response time, thanks to which the E-IPS matrix was born, with a response of 5 ms.
4. IPS and non-IPS matrix on the tablet: Video
Such developments have allowed IPS matrices in LCD screens to break out of the first place. They occupy the leading positions in our time. Of course, it is worth noting that modern technologies TN + Film, Super LCD, Amoled and others are not significantly inferior, and in some areas even surpass the IPS technology. Therefore, which screen to choose super LCD or IPS depends only on you, your preferences and requirements.
5. Advantages of IPS matrices
As mentioned above, modern IPS matrices have a number of advantages. The developers are still working on new solutions, constantly improving the performance of displays based on IPS matrices. The main advantage of IPS displays is natural colors. The deepest and most natural blacks and pure whites make these displays ideal for those who work with photographs.
In addition, IPS monitors have the largest viewing angles without distortion or loss of color. This is a controversial advantage, since the user usually sits directly in front of the monitor or televisions. In addition, competitors such as Amoled, super LCD and TN + Film also have large angles that are not significantly inferior to IPS. But still the fact remains. In this regard, IPS is ahead.
There are, of course, disadvantages, for example, the higher cost compared to TN + Film, as well as higher power consumption, which is very important for stand-alone devices. However, in the aggregate of all the properties of the IPS matrix, they still occupy a leading position, although other technologies practically do not lag behind.
Fundamentals of Monitor Science. Matrix types: IPS
Quite a long time has passed since the creation of the first LCD monitor, when the world realized that it could not go on like this - the quality produced by TN technology was clearly not enough. The innovations that were intended to correct the shortcomings of TN-matrices (and are discussed in detail in previous articles) saved the situation only partially. Therefore, by the mid-90s of the last century, an active search began for new solutions that could bring the quality of LCD monitors to a fundamentally new level.
It just so happens in the world of technology that some are looking for solutions to emerging problems by modernizing existing developments, while others are not afraid to start from scratch. The proud Japanese under the auspices looked at all this noise for a long time, then sighed, rolled up their sleeves and in 1996 showed the world their own development, devoid of the minuses of TN technology. It was named IPS (In-Plane Switching), which can be translated as "in-plane switching". It differed from the standard TN matrix in that, firstly, the crystals in the matrix were not twisted, but were located parallel to each other in the same plane (hence the name). And secondly, both contacts for supplying voltage were located on the same side of the cell.
Schematic representation of a cell in an IPS matrix
What is the result of this? In IPS matrices, in the absence of voltage, the light did not pass through the polarizers, therefore, unlike TN technology, the black color here was exactly black. The first versions differed in one more feature - when looking at the screen from the side, the black color gave a purple tint (this problem was later solved). In the off state, the matrix did not transmit light, so now, if a pixel fails, then, unlike TN matrices, not a luminous point appeared, but a black one. In addition, the quality of color rendering has increased by an order of magnitude.
But, as is usually the case in such cases, solving old problems gave rise to new ones. Due to the peculiarities of the "design", in order to rotate the crystals, it took much more time, respectively, the matrix became much "slower". Further, since both contacts were located on the same side, this reduced the usable area (slightly, but nevertheless), which, in turn, led to a decrease in the brightness and contrast of the panels created using this technology.
But that's not all. Energy consumption has also increased - both due to technical solutions and due to the use of more powerful lighting sources. As a result, the price of these matrices is quite high.
In any case, the image quality has become much higher, which has allowed several companies to actively rush to search for upgrades in order to reduce the "harmful" parameters and improve the benefits. Simultaneously with Hitachi, this same technology began to be used in (only now they called it Super Fine TFT, or SFT).
Already in 1998, Hitachi upgraded the IPS matrices, reducing the response time. The technology that was named S-IPS, were immediately adopted by such giants as and. It is worth noting that today it is in the direction of IPS that there are most modifications that have gone far from the original version. And although the general points regarding these matrices remain, in many modifications some parameters have been greatly improved.
For a number of reasons, LCD screens are in great demand among users and are the most in demand in the domestic market. Modern LCDs are classified into two types of matrixes - IPS and TN. In this regard, many buyers have a question, which is better than an IPS or TN screen?
In order to understand which technology is better, you should consider all the advantages and disadvantages of IPS and TN screens. However, it is worth noting that both technologies have come a long way of development and improvement, which made it possible to create screens of decent quality. Taking into account some technological features of technologies, depending on the situation, one should choose one or another screen.
When choosing a screen, there are a few of the most important parameters to consider:
- Screen resolution;
- Color rendering;
- Color saturation, contrast and brightness of the image;
- Response time;
- Energy consumption;
- Durability.
1.TN vs IPS
First of all, you should pay attention to the screen resolution. This is one of the most important parameters that directly affects the image quality as well as the diagonal size. Simply put, resolution is the number of pixels on the screen vertically and horizontally. For example, a resolution of 1920 × 1080 means that the screen has 1920 pixels horizontally and 1080 pixels vertically. Accordingly, the higher the resolution, the higher the dot density, and the sharper the image you can get.
It should be understood that modern technologies allow you to enjoy high-resolution video and photo images. Therefore, it is worth giving preference to screens with the maximum resolution. To date, the highest resolution is 1920 x 1080 pixels (Full HD). Of course, such monitors or TVs will have a higher cost, but you can fully experience all the benefits of technology.
If we talk about which matrix is better than TN or IPS in terms of resolution, then both technologies are equal. They can be both low and maximum high resolution, it all depends on the cost of the device.
2. Color rendering
Color rendering is a parameter that determines the amount of colors and tints displayed by the screen. The saturation of the colors depends on this, as well as the realism of the picture. Modern technologies have made it possible to make screens with a fairly high level of color rendering, regardless of technology. However, there are some differences between IPS and TN screens.
2.1. IPS matrix color rendering
Features of this technology made it possible to make the screen with the most realistic colors. It is worth noting that IPS displays are in greatest demand among professional photo editors, as well as among those who are engaged in image processing. This is due to the fact that IPS monitors have the greatest color depth (black and white), as well as the largest number of displayed colors and tints - about 1.07 billion. This makes the image as realistic as possible.
In addition, IPS screens have the highest brightness and contrast, which also has a positive effect on image quality.
2.2. Color rendering of TN matrices
Although this type of matrix has a high level of image quality, as well as excellent color reproduction, it is still significantly inferior to IPS screens. In addition, such matrices have smaller viewing angles.
If it says that TN Film or IPS is better in terms of color rendering, then the answer is unambiguous - IPS matrices are significantly superior to TN + Film screens. Although, at home, any monitor will allow you to enjoy excellent quality and color depth.
3. Response time
This parameter determines the time it takes for a liquid crystal molecule to change its position to display from black to white and vice versa. This is especially important for those who like bright and fast special effects and colorful games. In case of a slow response, you will be able to observe an effect called “loopback” on the screen. In other words, some shadow will be visible after fast moving objects. This can cause discomfort in certain cases. Measures the response in milliseconds.
3.1. IPS Screen Response
As mentioned above, IPS screens are famous for excellent images, clarity and accuracy of the picture, as well as realistic color reproduction, however, due to some features of the technology, such displays are inferior in response to TN matrices. Of course, this difference is insignificant and almost imperceptible at home, but nevertheless it is, and for some it is very important.
It should be noted that the most modern IPS matrices have a fairly fast response, but they have a higher cost than TN + Film screens.
3.2. TN matrix response
This type of matrix has the fastest response, which makes such monitors the most suitable for fans of games and 3D films with vivid special effects.
If we talk about which IPS or TN matrix is better in response, then TN has the advantage. However, it's worth noting that at home, all of these benefits are negligible. The choice depends solely on personal preference.
4. So, which is better IPS or TN matrix
When choosing between these two technologies, you should take into account personal requirements, as well as for what purpose the monitor is being purchased. Of course, there is an opinion that IPS matrices are a newer technology, and therefore better. However, in some situations, a TN + Film matrix is a better choice.
If we talk about which IPS or TN matrix is better for games, then TN + Film should be preferred. TN monitors have a lower cost and also have excellent response. Although, if your budget is not limited, then a monitor with an AH-IPS matrix will be the ideal choice for you, since such a monitor combines all the advantages of IPS and TN technologies.
It should be noted that IPS matrices are slowly but surely replacing TN + Film screens. This is reflected in the fact that every year more and more manufacturers prefer IPS screens. Among the advantages of IPS screens, one can also distinguish large viewing angles. Thanks to all the advantages of IPS screens, they are worthy of competition with plasma panels.
5. Comparison of two LG monitors with TN + FILM and IPS matrices: Video
Liquid crystal screens are one of the fastest growing technologies. Every year, new developments are released that significantly improve the image quality and other display parameters. In connection with such a rate of development and the constant appearance of new types of LCDs, many have a question, IPS screen, what is it?
So, answering the question, what is an IPS display, you should start by saying that it is an abbreviation for In-Plane Switching. The technology received this name due to the peculiarity of the location of the control electrodes, which are not located on opposite sides of the liquid crystal molecules, as in other types of matrices, but on the same plane. This decision led to a significant increase in the brightness and contrast of the image.
However, there is also a negative side, which is that for such an arrangement of the electrodes, a higher voltage is required to drive the liquid crystals. This in turn means that the IPS screen has a longer response time.
The main feature of this technology is the location of the control electrodes not on different sides of the liquid crystal, but on the same plane.
1. What is IPS screen
An IPS panel is an array of special cells called pixels. These cells are filled with liquid crystal molecules. As mentioned above, the main feature of the technology is the location of the electrodes, but this is not the only difference between the IPS matrix. In addition, the molecules of liquid crystals themselves are located parallel to the plane of the screen, and in the cells they are located in the same plane.
This means that in a quiet state, light emission does not change its polarization. That is, light freely passes through the first polarizing filter and is completely blocked by the second. This in turn means that the dead pixel will appear as a black point on the screen, which is less noticeable than a bright white point on a TN screen.
The technology was developed back in 1996 by Hitachi. However, IPS displays have been widely used only since 2010. During this time, the technology has come a long way of development, as a result of which we have a fairly wide variety of IPS matrices.
1.1. IPS display types
As mentioned above, there are many varieties of IPS matrices in the world. Of course, it's not worth listing all of them, but there are several types of screens that are most popular:
- AS-IPS;
- H-IPS;
- AH-IPS;
- E-IPS;
- P-IPS;
- S-IPS.
It is worth noting that the E-IPS display is the cheapest. It is designed for the middle and budget class. However, even this type of display has a fairly high performance. The most modern matrix with the highest image quality indicators is AH-IPS. This technology was developed in 2011, and today it occupies a leading position among LCD displays.
Remarkable is the fact that it is IPS screens that are almost the only competitor to plasma panels. It is also worth noting that every year more and more manufacturers prefer this type of displays.
1.2. Advantages of IPS displays
The modern IPS display provides high image quality, as well as the most natural color reproduction. The main feature of the technology is the realism of color reproduction. It is for this reason that this monitor is in great demand among professional photo and video editors.
In addition, IPS matrices are distinguished by higher brightness and contrast. Relatively recently, a new backlight technology has been developed, which is called LED. It is based on the use of modern LEDs, which significantly surpass fluorescent lamps in terms of brightness and flicker frequency. In addition, such a backlight takes up much less space, which allowed not only to increase the brightness and image quality, but also to make the screen even thinner. Almost all modern IPS Displays are equipped with LED backlighting.
IPS screens are used in a wide variety of devices, from monitors and televisions to smartphones and tablets. If we compare them with plasma, then we can say with complete confidence that IPS-displays are more affordable, while they are practically not inferior to plasma panels. Among screens for mobile devices, the only competitor to IPS technology is Super Amoled, developed by Samsung. However, while S-Amoled is a brighter and thinner screen, IPS still wins in clarity and color reproduction.
2.LCD vs AMOLED: Video
