What’s the Difference?
Additionally, we’ve tested dozens of new monitors since then.
TNis the oldest of the LCD technologies and it stands for twisted nematic.
Then when a voltage is applied, these crystals are essentially untwisted, blocking light.
VA, stands for vertical alignment.
Samsung use PLS, while brands like LG simply use “IPS”.
This is one area that hasn’t significantly changed since the introduction of these technologies.
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.
IPS is the next step up, though generally IPS contrast ratios aren’t that different from TN.
We’ve measured ratios up to 5000:1 for VAs, and some TVs can push this even higher.
We often get asked whether these differences in contrast ratios actually matter.
709, which is used by default in Windows and is widely used for video content.
Some VA panels can do it, but they are rare.
DCI-P3 and the larger Rec.
The next best panel bang out for color gamut is VA.
Still, VA is decently mid-range for gamut coverage.
If you want the widest color gamut, you’ll need to get an IPS monitor.
2020 coverage above 80%.
Refresh Rates
Time to talk about speed.
In 2021, that is no longer the case, and there’s a lot less separating each technology.
This makes IPS the highest refresh technology for now, with all three technologies being available at 1440p 240Hz.
The HP Omen X 27 is definitely a fast monitor with its 1440p 240Hz spec.
The fastest we’ve seen is a response time average of 4.5ms, with cumulative deviation around 460.
With that said, this discussion of response times only applies to high end monitors.
Basically if you buy a TN in any market segment, you know it will be fast.
Not as fast as TN, but still generally good for motion clarity.
VA panels are a real mixed bag.
They have to some degree replaced IPS as the middle-ground technology that offers a bit of everything.
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.
But really there’s no right answer to which monitor technology is best.
Or you might want Adobe RGB coverage, in which case you’ll need to go IPS.
