IPS versus TN LED LCD Monitor

[AussieTech]

Hi there, this is my first post on here, after reading an article from here and several other places I am confused.

Give me the verdict. I've read numerous opinions on both, and am confused as ***.

My thoughts of each.

IPS: I can view the monitor from below the desk...big deal I'm always gona be playing sitting up, and it is not going to be a home viewing screen so wide viewing angles r not needed. Are power hogs, provide better image clarity, used for photo and video editing / CAD drawings. Are more expensive technology, leave back light light bleeds in black areas.

TN: Greater response times (don't know if this is a marketing fad idea-read that anything under 12 ms is not noticeable), use less power, are more thin than their IPS counter parts, proven traditional LCD technology for gaming.

There just my thoughts atm of both types of panels. Could some of guys clear up things. I've read so many views and am so confused as to which monitor to purchase. I've read that new TNs are just as good as low end IPS and possibly even better for games. I also know that there is a 3rd panel type known as VPS but I don't see it used much in monitors so I'm not worrying about it.

Currently looking at buying one of these,

DELL Ultrasharp U2412M (IPS panel) - but has no HDMI and the next model up is 200 dollars more just for HDMI : o
http://accessories.ap.dell.com/sna/p...093&redirect=1

OR

Samsung 23" SA950 (TN panel)
http://www.samsung.com/hk_en/consume...led&returnurl=

I also saw some cheap 23" LG IPS panels but heard complaints of them so not considering them. Are there any other good monitors I should be considering for my price range and screen size, i.e 23"-24", price ~AUD $400 willing to pay a little extra.

Thanks.

 

[tecmo34]

This topic has been moved from the section Graphics & Displays to section Computer Peripherals by Tecmo34

 

[MagicPants]

It's PVA not VPS. Those are used mostly in televisions. They have awful input lag, but on a TV it doesn't really matter.

The viewing angle on a TN is narrow enough to where, once you get up to 24", you can't view the whole monitor flat on without sitting pretty far away from it.

IPS don't have deep blacks, but unless you are viewing a black screen in a black room, you won't notice.

TNs have the best response time, but this is partly due to them being 6-bit color. Response time is also listed for G2G. Their Black to White response times are much higher, so that that with a grain of salt.

Imho IPS is just plain better. TN is good because it's cheap, and they're good for pro gamers because they update a little faster. But when I say pro gamer, I mean professional, not just hardcore.

 

[AussieTech]

The samsung includes some wide viewing angle feature even though it's still a TN screen. I'm currently looking at a 15.4" laptop screen, which is most likely TN and never had any issues for gaming.

 

[MagicPants]

FYI, I've seen Samsung "misquote" their viewing angles from time to time. Make sure your read a review rather than just going by their spec.

 

[AussieTech]

I saw it in-store today, looked pretty neat, viewing angles look okayish. The glossy screen kinda turns me off though. and the fact that it's not IPS -.- So I'll prob look at the dells again.

I've noticed that Dells alienware 3D gaming monitor is TN due to increase response time from review I have heard BenQ also did this for their 3D monitor. am I better off going with Dell's nvidia's 3D screen or just go with a 400 dollar IPS? what kinda of IPS is in that DELL Ultrasharp U2412M any ways, I've heard that there a various version such as e-IPS and S-IPS :/ could you clear this up thanks.

 

[MagicPants]

There aren't any 3d IPS monitors, although Panasonic makes a few TVs that are.

The u2412m uses e-ips, which basically means 6-bit ips. The loss of 2 bits is what makes the panel change faster. Apparently the more bits you have, the longer it takes to switch.

One caveat: sometimes products marked the same model number will use different panels, and even different panel tech. This hasn't been widespread since about 2006, and Dell never did much of this.

Which does bring up a very big question: If g2g times are measured to hit the exact target color, does an 8bit panel get as close to the target color as a 6bit panel in the same time as a 6-bit panel does? (ie are 6-bit panels "cheaitng" in their g2g number because they never actually hit the correct color)

 

[hang-the-9]

IPS is better in pretty much all situations than TN, except in price. Colors are richer, viewing angle is great (if you have a few people looking on for example). UltraSharps are great, every review I have seen has them in the top few of the pick.

I have an IPS but it's not a dell, it's a high-end NEC model, about $600, which is probably going to look better than a $300 model, but I'd still recommend IPS.

 

[AussieTech]

Right, thanks, but do IPS suffer from blue tints / orange tints in black areas, or suffer from back light bleed in black areas? I read that in reviews.

Should I got for S23A950D (High-end TN) or U2312HM (e-IPS)?

 

[MagicPants]

I've never heard or seen blue or or orange tints. And yes IPS does more of a really really dark grey rather than black, I'm not sure if you'd call this back-light bleed or not, because it's fairly uniform.

Personally I prefer 24", but to each their own. The dell u2312hm is a good 23" panel. I think lg makes some 23" panels but I don't know much about them.

I think the panels worth looking at are:

Dell u2410, u2412m, u2312hm

HP zr2440w, zr2475w

Asus PA246Q

 

[AussieTech]

The Samsung S23A950D looks like a beefy option. I decided to go for a 23" after drawing up the sizes of each, I found that 24" would be too big for my room / desk. As a moderate gamer I want to be able to see the entire screen without straining my eyes or turning my head.

I just rang dell, and their kiosk do not have an Ultrasharp monitors on display, but have other series up. I kind of like the glossy screens, they look neat and can be used as a mirror when it's off (my room doesn't have a mirror) - my laptop currently has a glossy screen. I had to position my desk/screen away from sunlight contact so I can view the screen clearly. Works as a charm now.

I don't really see any outstanding benefits from either screens after reading many reviews and watching Youtube reviews. But I do like the look of the Samsung screen and it has a HDMI port built in, so that easily lets my run PS3 games without the hassle of finding an adapter. Although the Dell does have more adjustability options, I'm not the person that would use them, e.g. portrait mode, sure it may be useful for viewing long amounts of code, but I would much prefer landscape, that's just me.

Just a question about 120 Hz, that's only for PC games that can support fps at 120 FPS correct (provided the system can render the game at 120 fps. I also read that HDMI doesn't support 120 Hz but 1.4 HDMI does :/ will the monitor automatically scale back down to 60 Hz for PS3 games, so they can run at a viewable rate? I will be using DVI for my PC. Another thing about the Samsung, is its space saving design, the screen is extremely thin and the base has space to put objects on. I also quite like the eco sensor, dims the screen when you walk away from the screen, that's a fantastic idea for reducing power consumption! and in turn maximising the life of the LED back lights.

Also I can currently pick up this monitor for AUD $350 at my retailer store, and I really cbb waiting 5-10 working days for Dell to deliver, I've been without a monitor for around a week and a half, and have been unable to use my newly built PC since. (tired of dragging it to another monitor and hooking it up). So yeah I'm going to take a last look at the Dell's in store (I've heard that anti-glare is too strong and causing frost glare on the screen or something :/ so yeah I'm going to take a look at Dell's screens, if I don't like them, I'm definitely going with the Samsung. Also the Samsung comes with an added bonus of entry-level 3D capability at a reasonable price - which I'm not looking to use (Would use it mainly for 2D), but it would be nice to experience my first 3D monitor. I've also heard TN panels are slightly beneficial for response times for gaming, but yeah no big deal about it. I JUST WANT A SCREEN ASAP, this whole argument of which screens are better is driving me nuts. In 6 months time there will probably be a newer screen that's heaps better than anything currently on the market. OLED looks promising but expensive as hell.

On a side note, LOL Dell's 3D gaming monitor was AUD $469 excluding the 3D glasses. The Nvidia glasses cost a whooping AUD $310 !!!! Even though it's the "supreme 3D experience, I still don't find 3D has hit it's sweet spot yet, there's still many flaws that need fixing including health issues it poses / Increased eyestrain. And for Nvidia 3D, games / movies have to be compatible for the 3D to work, the Samsung monitor just draws displays 2 frames itself so a 3D image can be displayed - meaning it can pretty much making anything 3D but not at that "supreme quality"

My 2 cents as of this time.

 

[AussieTech]

Okay so I went to another shop, and saw an LG IPS 235V and was amazed at the colour depth and viewing angles, but I also knew there was a LG IPS 236V, what is the difference between these two? I was the Samsung SA950 and was very happy at all with the colour, it could of been the wallpaper, but it looked quite faded. I just didn't want to buy something I wouldn't like staring at.

The LG IPS are good yeah?

 

[MagicPants]

I don't know much about them but check out this review:

http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/lg_ips231p.htm
(note this is not a review of the LG IPS 236V, but it's only decent review of a recent lg ips monitor I could find.)

Two things though:

1) It's a mistake to choose a monitor based on the exterior design, if anything you want it to be boring (it's the screen that counts right?)

2) It's smart to be mindful of what connections any piece of hardware has. If the best looking monitor in the universe can't hook up to your ps3, it's just a blank screen.

Also don't worry about a 120hz monitor working with 60hz devices. I have a 120hz monitor and it works fine. The only thing you need to remember is to set the refresh rate to 120hz on the desktop and to look for the options in games. (but it'll work fine in 60hz without this.)

 

[srirambond007]

So which one did you buy eventually?

 

[rflmyyz]

I've never heard or seen blue or or orange tints. And yes IPS does more of a really really dark grey rather than black, I'm not sure if you'd call this back-light bleed or not, because it's fairly uniform.

Personally I prefer 24", but to each their own. The dell u2312hm is a good 23" panel. I think lg makes some 23" panels but I don't know much about them.

I think the panels worth looking at are:

Dell u2410, u2412m, u2312hm

HP zr2440w, zr2475w

Asus PA246Q

I like all the ones you mentioned here but how about the Asus ML249H,how does it compare to the PA246Q?Any thoughts?
I'm looking for a 24" IPS to use as my main display with cubase(reading text at a slight angle being key here,colors and speed,etc..not that important).
the other monitor I have now is a 24" Toshiba LED TV(not hooked up yet)..so my question is,do I need an IPS at all for my application?

 

[MagicPants]

The only thing you ever really "need" IPS for is digital painting and print media. Otherwise, it's just nice to have.

If cubase is music software, then no you don't need it for that. I recommend IPS for anyone doing graphics work and people who play games like Skyrim or Wow.

I recommend TN if you want a cheap display, or you are playing a super twitch game, (death match, quake style)

Basically IPS just makes working a computer a nicer experience. It's like having good speakers.

 

[rflmyyz]

The only thing you ever really "need" IPS for is digital painting and print media. Otherwise, it's just nice to have.

If cubase is music software, then no you don't need it for that. I recommend IPS for anyone doing graphics work and people who play games like Skyrim or Wow.

I recommend TN if you want a cheap display, or you are playing a super twitch game, (death match, quake style)

Basically IPS just makes working a computer a nicer experience. It's like having good speakers.

Ok,makes sense,is there a 24" TN that you would recommend then,that will come as close as possible to an IPS?
Thanks man,really appreciate it

 

[MagicPants]

They are really apples and oranges. E-IPS is an attempt to make IPS like TN (dell u2412m, u2312hm) but there is no TN that is like IPS.

If you want a good TN, I'd look at Samsung and Asus. Try not to overpay for TN, one of it's main advantages is that it's cheap. Paying hundreds of dollars more for LED or 120hz isn't worth it.

LED is worth at most $25 more, and you shouldn't pay more than $50 for 120hz (It'll be standard in a few years i.e. $0).