Difference Between TN and IPS

There are lots of things to keep in mind while shopping for a monitor which includes features like size, color, budget, video inputs, ultrasonic sounds, refresh rates, contrast ratios, pixel response times, building qualities. But what you may not know is that all these factors are affected by the type of panel used by these monitors. Below is some comparison is given between the panels IPS and TN for a better understanding of your knowledge so that it’s for you to make the most preferable purchase according to your need.

TN vs IPS

The main difference between TN and IPS is that the viewing angles of a TN panel, in particular, might be a reason for what you would not want it whereas, IPS Displays usually look better overall when compared to a TN. High-quality IPS monitors are available which are aimed at gamers but usually, the truth is the response time is generally lower on IPS displays than on a TN. IPS monitors are generally a bit expensive as compared to TN.

A TN panel works by the fundamental principal of that of a polarized light.TN panels are unique in their own way,even though they have become really thin on the ground (rare) these days. It is no surprise that the TN panel is the cheapest among all panels but this leads to low response time of the displays because of its inability to change faster.

An IPS panel was actually invented and developed to improve all the drawbacks seen in a TN. IPS panels are designed by shifting patterns of their liquid crystals, unlike TN. The crystals are placed parallel to the electrode pair which helps them give and produce rich color, brightness and higher visibility.

Comparison Table Between TN and IPS

What is TN?

TN is the short form for (Twisted- Nematic). This gives the highest refresh rates and lowest response time, stated as the best performing panel. This is a type of LCD( a type of LED) panel display technology. TN or twisted Nematic panels use a kind of ‘Nematic’ crystal which rotates and passes the light through, to correspond to the signal that is transmitted. The TN panel has a low input lag.

TN panels to take advantage of a thing called, “active 3D shutter” which actually allows them to display twice as much information compared to other panels which make speed its main advantage. It also should be noted that very few of the TN panels support HDR and those which support do not bare the kind of contrast necessaries for making full use of it.The feature of fast response time and cheap factor makes these panels quite popular in the gaming community.

The larger the monitor the larger you would be able to see and notice the color shift on the left, right, and top and bottom.The major fall back of TN panels is that they lack 100 percent accuracy in reproduction of color. When you browse Facebook or Instagram, it isn’t that important, but when it comes to editing work for a movie or photo edit then perhaps TN panel may not be the right monitor for you. Laptop screens are usually pretty much the worst variant of TN panel on the market.

What is IPS?

IPS is short termed for In plane switching. This is a screen technology which is used usually for liquid-crystal displays(LCD’s) which was mainly designed to solve main limitations of the TN(Twisted Nematic) panel. The limitations included strong viewing angle dependence and low quality color reproduction as mentioned above. This type of panel is very popular used by a wide range of devices such as monitors,TVs, smartphones, etc. They were prevalent in the late 1980s.

IPS is definitely a better choice than a TN when it comes to showing superb visuals and excellent color and amazing viewing angles. They involve in arranging and switching the orientation of molecules of LCD layer between the glass substrates which are done essentially, parallel to these glass plates. The IPS panels come with a response time of 4ms or more. But there are some new models out there which can manage response times as low as 1ms too.

The drawback of this panel is that they usually have some back light bleed issues. Also, if you are adamant about buying an IPS then you would have to spend a little extra as 144Hz monitors start a bit higher than TN counterparts. IPS panels are known for their remarkable good black production that helps eliminate the washed out look you get in TN panels.

Main Differences Between TN and IPS

1. TN is vastly used for purpose of gaming and animation, whereas, IPS is used gradually for professional purposes and multi media.
2. IPS panels costs relatively more than compared to TN panels to produce.
3. TN has high refresh rates, fast response times.
4. IPS has vivid colors and accuracy compared to TN which makes be efficient enough for use even after its high price.
5. TN have the lowest input tag typically around 1 millisecond. And if you prefer low latency over color reproduction then a TN panel is all you need.

Conclusion

There is no accurate answer on which panel is the best Or worst. It will differ from person to person based on their needs and for they are actually going to use it for. Both the panels have their strengths, and weaknesses which is why both are co-existent in the market today. An IPS panel have high reaction and refresh rates compared to TN but this will lead to increase in the cost of production as well as while buying it. This might also increase in power consumption.

Creative professionals should be eyeing on IPS panel monitors exclusively while those with high refresh competitive gaming should opt for TN panel monitors. Type of panel to be used is determined literally on the purpose of the monitor.

References

1. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-23771-3_21