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Viewing Angles, Uniformity, Response & Lag

Viewing Angles

The VP3881 shows off-axis image quality typical of high-end IPS panels. At 45° to the sides, light output is reduced by 40% and there is a pronounced green shift. From the top, detail is substantially reduced. While this is better than a VA monitor can boast, it still pales in comparison to an OLED screen. That’s a technology we all hope comes to the desktop soon. For now, IPS is as good as it gets, and we have no issues with this ViewSonic. Look at it head-on from about 36 inches away, and you’ll be fine.

Screen Uniformity

To learn how we measure screen uniformity, click here.

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The VP3881 includes a uniformity compensation feature, but we avoided it for three reasons. First, it’s only available in the fixed color modes. And some of them lock out the brightness slider when it’s turned on. Second, it reduces both output and contrast by half. And third, it’s clearly not necessary. Our tests show the panel’s native state, which is quite good. 8.65% is a superb black field result, especially for a curved screen. And 3.02% is one of the lowest white field values we’ve ever recorded. The color test result is only approached by the UP2718Q, which comes within .01dE of the ViewSonic (that’s also a near-record measurement).

Pixel Response & Input Lag

Click here to read up on our pixel response and input lag testing procedures.

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The VP3881 makes no claims about being a gaming monitor, but there are gaming modes and low input lag settings available in the OSD. However, these won’t help it rise above the average 60Hz screen. Most professional and business-class displays draw the screen in around 25ms and deliver input lag in the mid-60s. While this is fine for casual play, serious gamers will not be considering this product. The overdrive feature helps keep motion blur under control, but if your reflexes are quick, the lag might be a problem. And without adaptive sync, those who have been spoiled by FreeSync and G-Sync won’t want to play without it.

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Christian Eberle is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware US. He's a veteran reviewer of A/V equipment, specializing in monitors. Christian began his obsession with tech when he built his first PC in 1991, a 286 running DOS 3.0 at a blazing 12MHz. In 2006, he undertook training from the Imaging Science Foundation in video calibration and testing and thus started a passion for precise imaging that persists to this day. He is also a professional musician with a degree from the New England Conservatory as a classical bassoonist which he used to good effect as a performer with the West Point Army Band from 1987 to 2013. He enjoys watching movies and listening to high-end audio in his custom-built home theater and can be seen riding trails near his home on a race-ready ICE VTX recumbent trike. Christian enjoys the endless summer in Florida where he lives with his wife and Chihuahua and plays with orchestras around the state.