Which display is better ips or tft. IPS displays: excellent color reproduction

It always comes down primarily to the choice of the type of monitor matrix. And when you have already decided what type of matrix you need, you can move on to other monitor characteristics. In this article, we will consider the main types of monitor matrices that are currently used by manufacturers.

Now on the market you can find monitors with the following types of matrices:

  • TN+film (Twisted Nematic + film)
  • IPS (SFT - Super Fine TFT)
  • *VA (Vertical Alignment)
  • PLS (Plane-to-Line Switching)

Consider all types of monitor matrices in order.

TN+film- the simplest and cheapest technology for creating matrices. Due to its low price, it is the most popular. Until a few years ago, almost 100 percent of all monitors used this technology. And only advanced professionals who need high-quality monitors bought devices built on the basis of other technologies. Now the situation has changed a bit, monitors have become cheaper and TN + film matrices are losing their popularity.

Advantages and disadvantages of TN+film matrices:

  • Low price
  • Good response speed
  • Bad viewing angles
  • Low contrast
  • Poor color reproduction

IPS

IPS- the most advanced type of matrices. This technology was developed by Hitachi and NEC. The developers of the IPS matrix managed to get rid of the shortcomings of TN + film, but as a result, the price of matrices of this type has risen significantly compared to TN + film. However, every year the prices are falling and becoming more affordable for the average consumer.

Advantages and disadvantages of IPS matrices:

  • Good color reproduction
  • Good contrast
  • Wide viewing angles
  • High price
  • Great response time

*VA

*VA this is a type of monitor matrix that can be considered a compromise between TN + film and IPS. The most popular among such matrices is MVA (Multi-domain Vertical Alignment). This technology was developed by Fujitsu.

Analogues of this technology developed by other manufacturers:

  • PVA (Patterned Vertical Alignment) from Samsung.
  • Super PVA from Sony-Samsung (S-LCD).
  • Super MVA by CMO.

Advantages and disadvantages of MVA matrices:

  • Large viewing angles
  • Good color reproduction (better than TN+film, but worse than IPS)
  • Good response speed
  • deep black color
  • Not a high price
  • Loss of detail in shadows (compared to IPS)

pls

pls- a type of matrix developed by Samsung as an alternative to expensive IPS matrices.

This technology for manufacturing matrices has already firmly entered the modern world. She has enough competition.

But in order to understand which technology is better, you should understand what ips matrices are and how they are better.

The name "IPS" itself stands for In-Plan-Switching, which can literally be translated as "in-site switching".

Simply put, this technology allows you to display the picture on a monitor with a more active matrix.

IPS-matrix means a type of liquid crystal screen. This type was discovered by Hitachi and NEC as a result of research in 1996.

At the moment, LG has also taken up the improvement of this technology. We developed this technology as an alternative to TN+film LCD displays.

Quite a lot of manufacturers use equipment with this display manufacturing technology, since it can significantly improve color reproduction and image quality.

The work of liquid crystal screens on polarization is based.

Normally, the light we see is not polarized. This means that its waves lie in many different planes.

There are substances that can bend light into one plane, and such substances are called polarizers.

Light cannot pass through two polarizers whose planes are 90 degrees apart from each other.

When another substance is located between them, capable of changing the vector of incidence of light by the required angle, then we will be able to control the brightness.

The simplest LCD screen matrix contains the following parts:

  • Illumination lamp, mostly mercury;
  • Reflectors and polymer light guides, which provide uniform illumination in the system;
  • Polarizer filter;
  • Glass plate substrate with contacts deposited on it;
  • Liquid crystals;
  • Another polarizer;
  • Closing glass substrate with contacts.

In addition to the standard filter, a color filter is built into the color matrices. Each pixel consists of dots of three colors, collected in cells - red, blue and green.

Each of the cells is either on or off, thereby forming shades and colors. Turning on all cells at the same time will give white color.

Matrices can be divided into passive and active. Passives are otherwise called simple.

In them, the control is pixel by pixel, which means from cell to cell.

In the manufacture of liquid crystal screens in this technology, a problem often arises that with an increase in the diagonal, the lengths of the conductors that transmit current to the pixels automatically increase.

This problem is expressed in the fact that if the conductors are too long, during the transfer of the change to the last pixel, the first one will already be discharged and turn off.

Also, due to the large length, the voltage deteriorates.

This problem was solved by the creation of active matrices. TFT (Thin Film Transistor) became the main technology.

This technology made it possible to control the pixels individually, which significantly reduces the response time of the matrix.

Thus, it became possible to create monitors and TVs with the largest diagonals.

Transistors are located separately and do not depend on each other. Each pixel cell has its own transistor.

To prevent the cell from losing charge, a capacitor goes to the pixels, which acts as a capacitance buffer.

Due to this, the reaction time is significantly reduced.

Types of IPS matrices

Read also:pls matrix what is it? Overview on the example of Philips 276E7Q + Reviews

For all the time that this technology exists, many types of IPS matrices have been created. They were improved for a clearer and better image transmission.

To date, there are 7 types of matrices:

1 S-IPS (Super IPS) - This type was created in 1998. It has significantly increased image contrast and reduced response time.

2 AS-IPS (Advanced Super IPS) - This technology was discovered in 2002. It increased the brightness and further increased the contrast, due to which the quality of image transmission has improved significantly.

3 H-IPS (Horisontal IPS) - This type was created in 2007. In it, the developers have optimized the transmission of white color, and also increased the contrast even more. This improvement made it possible to make pictures with more naturalness. Most of all, photo editors were pleased with this improvement, as many details became more visible when editing photocells.

4 E-IPS (Enhanced-IPS) - This type was developed in 2009. The innovation reduced the response time and made improved transparency. Also, such matrices have lower power consumption. This is achieved by installing low-power and inexpensive backlight legs in them. Accordingly, the image quality due to lower power consumption is slightly reduced.

5 P-IPS (Professional IPS) - In 2010, a newer type of IPS was released. It has significantly increased the number of colors and shades, due to which the image has become even more colorful and detailed. This type of matrix is ​​used in more professional equipment, so it is more expensive.

6 S-IPS II (Super IPS II) - An improved version of the first type. It was developed immediately after P-IPS.

7 AH-IPS (Advanced High IPS) - Today, this is the best type of IPS matrices, which was developed back in 2011. It has greatly improved the naturalness, brightness and clarity of the transmitted image. At the moment, this type is the main one in the manufacture of modern equipment with displays.

IPS backlight types

Absolutely in any matrix there is a built-in backlight. In IPS, the main types of backlighting are fluorescent lamps and LED backlighting (LED).

Fluorescent - a more outdated type of backlight. Today it is quite rare to find it. This type of illumination began to disappear from the market in 2010.

LED backlight is found in 90% of matrices. It improves color reproduction and screen brightness.

When choosing a matrix, of course, you should give preference to screens and monitors with this type of backlight.

It will also increase the contrast and clarity of the image on the screen and will not let your eyes get tired when working at a computer or tablet for a long time.

Advantages and disadvantages of IPS

This type of matrix has many advantages.

The main one is improved color reproduction and brightness.

You can also note the increased viewing angles, thanks to which the image will be clearly visible from any angle.

Another inherent advantage is that pixels are very clearly visible on this type of matrix.

Users note that black is blacker on an IPS matrix.

The remaining colors are more saturated on the screen.

Among the shortcomings can be noted the high cost.

Despite the fact that the technology has been entrenched in the market for a long time, its cost is still high.

This is due to higher rates, as well as the high cost of raw materials.

The disadvantages are still low speed. While TN matrices have an image switching time of 1 ms, for IPS this figure is 8-10 ms.

Also, users noted a high inertia, which, when watching movies in 3D format, slightly slows down the frame rate.

Comparison of IPS and TFT displays

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TFT displays are a type of LCD that uses an active matrix driven by thin film transistors. She is amplifies each pixel, improves performance and contrast.

The most advanced creation is TFT IPS (IPS is a type of TFT), this is manifested in the fact that the liquid crystals in it are located in parallel, when current passes through them, they turn smoothly and quickly in the other direction.

The viewing angle of such displays reaches 180 degrees, and the picture is characterized by high contrast and good color reproduction.

The latest models of iPhones and iPads have chosen exactly the IPS version, but the number of pixels per unit area.

This may be an indicator of which of these options is more worthwhile, reliable and has the potential for development.

TVs with IPS

Read also:Which TV is better to choose? TOP-12 current models of 2018

The screen size of this TV is 40". Also, equipped with an IPS-matrix.

The screen is thin and the design is very high quality. Resolution 1920x1080 pixels.

The backlight is LED. Since the matrix is ​​​​installed with IPS technology, the viewing angles are appropriate - 178 degrees.

This model has the same diagonal as the previous one - 40”.

Equipped with an IPS matrix, which is illuminated with a strip-type LED backlight.

The resolution of this TV is standard - 1920x1080 pixels. Viewing angles correspond to the matrix type standard, and is 178 degrees.

LG 32LF510U

Since LG has been improving IPS-matrix technology in recent years, they undoubtedly supply their own production equipment with this type of matrix.

This TV model has a diagonal of 32”, and a resolution of 1366x768 pixels. However, this does not affect the image quality in any way.

Viewing angles, like all devices with an IPS-matrix, are 178 degrees.

Read also: TOP 10 Best Ultrabooks on the Market | Current rating 2019

The screen of this laptop model has a diagonal of 14 "with a built-in IPS-matrix.

The matte finish of the Acer SWIFT 3 screen does not reflect in direct light.

The viewing angle is 178 degrees, which is the standard for this type of matrix. Resolution - 1920x1080 pixels.

This laptop model has an IPS matrix with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels or 3840x2160 pixels (depending on modification). Screen size 15.6".

The viewing angle is standard for IPS 178 degrees.


The monitor is perhaps one of the most basic elements of a computer: it depends on it whether your eyes hurt after ten minutes of use, whether you can process the picture correctly, and even whether you can notice the enemy in time in a computer game. And for more than 15 years of the existence of liquid crystal monitors, the number of varieties of matrices has exceeded a dozen, and the price range is from several thousand to hundreds of thousands of rubles - and in this article we will figure out what types of matrices exist and which will be the best for a particular task.

TFT TN

The oldest type of matrix, which still occupies a significant market share and is not going to leave it. It is TN that has not been on sale for a long time - mainly improved modifications are sold, TN + film: the improvement made it possible to bring horizontal viewing angles to 130-150 degrees, but everything is bad with vertical ones: even with a deviation of ten degrees, the colors begin to change, up to inversion . In addition, for the most part, such monitors do not cover even 70% of sRGB, which means they are not suitable for color correction. Another disadvantage is the rather low maximum brightness, usually it does not exceed 150 cd / m ^ 2: this is only enough for indoor work.

It would seem that everything, TFT TN are hopelessly outdated and it's time to write them off. However, not everything is so simple - these matrices have the shortest response time, and therefore have firmly established themselves in the expensive gaming segment. It's no joke - the delay time of the best TN does not exceed 1 ms, which in theory allows you to display as many as 1000 individual frames per second (in fact, less, but this does not change the essence) - an excellent solution for an eSportsman. And besides, in such matrices, the brightness is up to 250-300 Cd / m ^ 2, and the color gamut at the very least corresponds to 80-90% sRGB: it won’t work for color correction anyway (viewing angles are small), but for gaming is the perfect solution. Alas, all these improvements have led to the fact that the cost of such monitors from $ 500 is just starting, so it makes sense to use them only for those who are critically important for the minimum delay.

Well, in the low price segment, TN is increasingly being replaced by MVA and IPS - the latter give out a much better picture, and cost literally 1-2 thousand more, so if possible, it’s better to overpay for them.

TFT IPS

This type of matrix began its journey to the consumer market with phones, where the low viewing angles of TN-matrices interfered with normal use quite strongly. In the past few years, the price of IPS monitors has dropped significantly, and now you can buy them even in a budget computer. These matrices have two main advantages: viewing angles reach almost 180 degrees both horizontally and vertically, and they usually have good color gamut right out of the box - even monitors cheaper than 10 thousand rubles often have a profile with coverage of 100% sRGB . But, alas, there are also enough minuses: this is a low contrast ratio, usually not higher than 1000: 1, which is why black looks not like black, but like dark gray, and the so-called glow effect: when viewed from a certain angle, the matrix seems pinkish (or purple). Also, there used to be a problem with a low response time - up to 40-50 ms (which allowed you to honestly display only 20-25 frames on the screen, the rest were smeared). However, now there is no such problem, and even cheap IPS matrices have a response time of no higher than 4-6 ms, which allows you to calmly display 100-150 frames - this is more than enough for any use, even gaming (without fanaticism from 120 fps, of course ).

There are many subspecies of IPS, we will analyze the main ones:

  • TFT S-IPS (Super IPS) - the very first improvement of IPS: viewing angles and pixel response speed are increased. Not on sale for a long time.
  • TFT H-IPS (Horizontal IPS) - almost never found on sale (only one model on Yandex.Market, and then from the remnants). This type of IPS appeared in 2007, and compared to S-IPS, the contrast has slightly increased, the screen surface looks more uniform.
  • TFT UH-IPS (Ultra Horizontal IPS) is an improved version of H-IPS. By reducing the size of the strip separating the subpixels, light transmission was increased by 18%. To date, this type of IPS-matrices is also outdated.
  • TFT E-IPS (Enhanced IPS) is another legacy type of IPS. It has a different pixel structure and transmits more light, which allows you to reduce the brightness of the backlight, which leads to a decrease in the price of the monitor and lower power consumption. It has a fairly low response time (less than 5 ms).
  • TFT P-IPS (Professional IPS) are quite rare and very expensive matrices designed for professional photo processing: they provide excellent color reproduction (30-bit color depth and 1.07 billion colors).
  • TFT AH-IPS (Advanced High Performance IPS) - the latest type of IPS: improved color reproduction, increased resolution and PPI, increased brightness and reduced power consumption, response time does not exceed 5-6 ms. It is this type of IPS that is now actively sold.
TFT*VA

These are the types of matrices that can be called average - they are somehow better, and somehow worse than IPS and TN. Plus in comparison with IPS - excellent contrast ratio, plus in comparison with TN - good viewing angles. Of the minuses - a long response time, which also grows rapidly with a decrease in the difference between the final and initial states of the pixel, so these monitors are not very well suited for dynamic games.

The main types of matrices are:

  • TFT MVA (Multidomain Vertical Alignment) - wide viewing angles, excellent color reproduction, perfect blacks, high image contrast, but long pixel response time. They are priced between the budget TN and IPS and offer the same mid-range features. So if games are not important to you, you can save 1-2k and take MVA instead of IPS.
  • TFT PVA (Patterned Vertical Alignment) is a type of TFT MVA technology developed by Samsung. From pluses in comparison with MVA - the brightness of black color is reduced.
  • TFT S-PVA (Super PVA) - improved PVA technology: the viewing angles of the matrix have been increased.
TFTPLS

Just like PVA is an almost exact copy of MVA, so PLS is an exact copy of IPS - comparisons of IPS and PLS matrices under a microscope made by independent observers did not reveal any differences. So when choosing between PLS and IPS, you should only think about the price.

OLED


These are the newest matrices that began to appear on the user market just a couple of years ago and at astronomical prices. They have a lot of pluses: firstly, they have no such thing as the brightness of black, because when outputting black, the LEDs simply do not work, so the black color looks like black, and the contrast in theory is equal to infinity. Secondly, the response time of such matrices is tenths of a millisecond, which is several times less than even eSports TN. Thirdly, the viewing angles are not only almost 180 degrees, but also the brightness almost does not drop when the monitor is tilted. Fourth - a very wide color gamut, which can be 100% AdobeRGB - not every IPS matrix can boast of such a result. However, alas, there are two problems that reduce many advantages to nothing: matrix flickering at a frequency of 240 Hz, which can lead to eye pain and increased fatigue, and pixel burn-in, so such matrices are short-lived. Well, the third problem that many new solutions have is the exorbitant price, in some places more than twice as high as that of professional IPS. However, it is already clear to everyone that such matrices are the future, and their problems will be solved, and their prices will fall.

With the development of display technologies, users have more and more questions when choosing a suitable monitor. In addition to its physical dimensions, in particular the diagonal of the visible zone, it is necessary to select the type of matrix and related parameters - contrast, color reproduction, response time, and so on. Choosing a monitor, understanding all these subtleties, will not be difficult if you first study the principles of its operation and the main characteristics of its main component - the matrix, which will be discussed below.

Comparison of matrix types at different viewing angles

General information about displays and their components

A computer monitor, for all its apparent simplicity, is a very technically complex component, which, like the rest of the hardware, has many different parameters, manufacturing technologies, and characteristics. Almost all PC displays consist of the following parts:

  • case, which contains all the electronic stuffing. The case also has mounts for mounting the display on vertical or horizontal surfaces;
  • matrix or screen - the main component of the monitor, on which the output of graphic information depends. In modern devices, various matrices for monitors are used, which differ in many parameters, among which resolution, response time, brightness, color reproduction and contrast are of paramount importance;
  • power supply - part of the electronic circuit responsible for converting current and powering all other electronics;
  • electronic components on special boards responsible for converting the signals received on the monitor and their subsequent output to the display for display;
  • other components, which may include a low-power speaker system, USB hubs, and so on.

The totality of the main parameters of the display, on the basis of which it is made, predetermines the scope of its use. Inexpensive consumer monitors can be equipped with screens with not the most impressive characteristics, since such devices are often inexpensive and are not required for professional graphics applications. Displays for professional gamers must first of all have a minimum delay in displaying information, since this is critical in modern games. Displays for graphics editors used by designers are distinguished by the highest levels of brightness, color reproduction and contrast, because the exact reproduction of the picture plays the most important role here.
Currently, the displays found on the market, as a rule, use several types of matrices. You can find a large number of monitors in datasheets, but this variety can be based on the same basic technologies, improved or slightly modified to improve their performance. These main types of screens include the following.

  1. "Twisted Nematic" or TN matrix. Previously, the prefix "Film" was added to the name of this technology, meaning an additional film on its surface, which increases the viewing angle. But this designation is less and less common in descriptions, since most matrices produced today are already equipped with it.
  2. "In-Plane Switching" or IPS matrix type, as the more common name in the abbreviated form.
  3. "Multidomain Vertical Alignment" or MVA matrix. A more modern incarnation of this technology is referred to as the VA matrix. This technology also has its advantages and disadvantages and is something in between those presented above.
  4. "Patterned Vertical Alignment". A variation of MVA technology that was developed as a competitive answer to its creators, Fujitsu.
  5. Plane-to-Line Switching. This is one of the newest types of display matrices, which was developed relatively recently - in 2010. The only downside to this type of sensor, while otherwise outperforming competing technologies, is the relatively long response time. Also, the PLS matrix has a very high cost.

Matrix TN, TN+film

The TN matrix type is one of the most common and at the same time it is a very outdated technology for their manufacture by modern standards. It was with this type of matrices that the victorious march of liquid crystals began to replace cathode ray tubes. It is worth noting that their only indisputable advantage is their extremely short response time, and in this parameter they surpass even more modern counterparts. Alas, this type of matrices does not differ in other critical parameters for a monitor - image contrast, its brightness and permissible viewing angles. In addition, the cost of monitors based on this development is low and we can say that this is another plus of the Twisted Nematic technology.
The reason for the main shortcomings of "Twisted Nematic" lies in the very technology of their production and the structure of optical elements. In TN matrices, the crystals between the electrodes (each of which is a separate pixel of the visible zone) are arranged in a spiral when voltage is applied to them. The amount of light passing through it depends on the degree of its rounding, and a picture on the screen is formed from a multitude of such elements. But due to the uneven formation of the spiral in each element of the matrix, the level of contrast of the image displayed on it drops very much (Fig. 1). And given that the refraction of light when passing through the formed spiral is very different from the direction of view, the viewing angle of such a matrix is ​​very small.

Rice. 1. Comparison of IPS and TN matrices

VA/MVA/PVA displays

The VA matrix was developed as an alternative to the popular TN technologies at the time and already won the loyalty of users, although not yet as widespread in the IPS market. The developers positioned its main competitive advantage as the response time, which at the time of introduction to the market was about 25 ms. Another important advantage of the new technology was the high level of contrast, which was ahead of similar indicators in the manufacturing technologies of TN and IPS matrices.
This technology, which was originally called "Vertical Alignment", also had a very significant drawback in the form of relatively small viewing angles. The problem was hidden in the structure of the optical elements of the matrix. The crystals of each matrix element were oriented along the voltage lines or parallel to them. This led to the fact that the viewing angle of the matrix was not only small, but also the image could differ depending on which side the user was looking at the screen from. In practice, this led to the fact that the slightest deviation of the viewing angle led to a strong gradient filling of the image on the screen (Fig. 2).

Rice. 2. Viewing angles of an MVA monitor

It was possible to get rid of this shortcoming with the development of technology in the “Multidomain Vertical Alignment”, when groups of crystals inside the electrodes were organized into a kind of “domain”, as it is shown in the title. Now they began to be placed differently within each domain that makes up a whole pixel, so the user could look at the monitor from different angles and the image did not change much.
Today, displays with MVA screens are used for working with text and are practically unsuitable for dynamic images, which are typical for any modern game or movie. High contrast, as well as viewing angles, allow those who work, for example, with drawings, print and read a lot, to work confidently with them.

Do not confuse the contrast of the matrix and such a thing as the dynamic contrast of the monitor. The latter is a technology for adaptively changing the screen brightness depending on the displayed image and uses the built-in backlight for this. The latest LED-backlit monitors have excellent dynamic contrast ratios because the turn-on time of the LED is very short.

IPS screen

The TFT IPS matrix was developed taking into account the elimination of the main shortcomings of the previous technology - "Twisted Nematic", namely small viewing angles and poor color reproduction. Due to the peculiar arrangement of the crystals in the TN matrix, the color of each pixel varied depending on the direction of view, so the user could observe an "iridescent" image on the monitor. The TFT IPS matrix consists of crystals that are located in a parallel plane to its surface, and when voltage is applied to the electrodes of each element, they turn at a right angle.
The subsequent development of technology has led to the appearance of such types of matrices as Super IPS, Dual Domain IPS and Advanced Coplanar Electrode IPS. All of them, one way or another, are based on the same principle with the difference only in the arrangement of liquid crystals. At the dawn of its appearance, the technology was distinguished by a significant minus - a long response time of up to 65 ms. Its main advantage is amazing color reproduction and wide viewing angles (Fig. 1), at which the picture on the screen was not distorted, inverted, and an unwanted gradient did not appear.
Monitors with an IPS matrix are in great demand today and are used not only in PC displays, but also in portable devices - tablets and smartphones. They are also used mainly where the color of the picture and its most accurate transmission are important - when working with graphic software, in design, photography, and so on.

Often, many users confuse the abbreviations IPS or TFT, although in fact, these are fundamentally different concepts. "Thin Film Transistor" is a general technology for creating liquid crystal arrays, which can have various implementations. "In-Plane Switching" is a specific implementation of this technology, based on the peculiar construction of individual elements of the matrix and the arrangement of liquid crystals in it. The TFT matrix can be based on TN, VA, IPS or other technology.

Matrix PLS

The PLS matrix type is the cutting edge of the development of technologies for their creation. Samsung, the developer of this unique technology, set itself the goal of producing matrices that are significantly superior in parameters to the competing technology - IPS, and in many respects it succeeded. The undoubted advantages of this technology include:

  • one of the lowest current consumption rates;
  • high level of color reproduction, fully covering the sRGB range;
  • wide viewing angles;
  • high density of individual elements - pixels.

Among the shortcomings, it is worth highlighting the response time, which does not exceed similar indicators in the Twisted Nematic technology (Fig. 3).

Rice. 3. Comparison of PLS ​​(right) and TN (left)

Important! When choosing which type of monitor matrix is ​​better, you should first of all decide on the tasks, since in many cases the purchase of the most modern display may not be economically justified. The latest developments with high response time will be useful for professional games or watching dynamic scenes in videos.

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Monitors with a high level of color reproduction are suitable for designers and artists. And if you need an inexpensive monitor for surfing the net and working with text, then options based on old, but time-tested technologies are suitable.

TFT and IPS matrices: features, advantages and disadvantages

In the modern world, we regularly encounter displays of phones, tablets, PC monitors and TVs. Technologies for the production of liquid crystal matrices do not stand still, and therefore many people have a question, what is better to choose TFT or IPS?

In order to fully answer this question, it is necessary to carefully understand the differences between both matrices, highlight their features, advantages and disadvantages. Knowing all these subtleties, you can easily choose a device whose display will fully meet your requirements. Our article will help you with this.

TFT matrices

Thin Film Transistor (TFT) is a liquid crystal display manufacturing system based on an active matrix of thin film transistors. When a voltage is applied to such a matrix, the crystals turn towards each other, which leads to the formation of a black color. A power outage gives the opposite result - the crystals form a white color. Changing the applied voltage allows you to form any color on each individual pixel.

The main advantage of TFT displays is the relatively low production cost compared to modern counterparts. In addition, such matrices have excellent brightness and response time. Due to this, distortions when viewing dynamic scenes are invisible. Displays made using TFT technology are most often used in budget TVs and monitors.

Disadvantages of TFT displays:

    • low color rendering. The technology has a limit of 6 bits per channel;
    • the spiral arrangement of the crystals adversely affects the image contrast;
    • image quality is noticeably reduced when the viewing angle is changed;
    • high probability of the appearance of "broken" pixels;
    • relatively low power consumption.

The shortcomings of TFT matrices are most noticeable when working with black. It can be distorted to gray, or vice versa, be too contrasty.

IPS matrices

The IPS matrix is ​​an improved continuation of displays developed using TFT technology. The main difference between these matrices is that in TFT liquid crystals are arranged in a spiral, while in IPS the crystals lie in the same plane parallel to each other. In addition, in the absence of electricity, they do not rotate, which has a positive effect on the display of black.

Advantages of IPS matrices:

  • viewing angles at which image quality does not decrease are increased to 178 degrees;
  • improved color rendering. The amount of data transmitted per channel has been increased to 8 bits;
  • significantly improved contrast;
  • reduced energy consumption;
  • low probability of the appearance of "broken" or burnt out pixels.

The image on the IPS matrix looks more lively and saturated, but this does not mean that this technology is without flaws. Compared to its predecessor, IPS has significantly reduced image brightness. Also, due to the change in the control electrodes, such an indicator as the response time of the matrix has suffered. The last but not the least significant drawback is the relatively high price of devices that use IPS displays. As a rule, they are 10-20% more expensive than similar ones with a TFT matrix.

What to choose: TFT or IPS?

It should be understood that TFT and IPS matrices, despite significant differences in image quality, are very similar technologies. They are both created on the basis of active matrices and use liquid crystals of the same structure. Many modern manufacturers give their preference to IPS matrices. Largely due to the fact that they can compete more worthily with plasma matrices and have significant prospects in the future. However, TFT matrices are also evolving. Now on the market you can find TFT-TN and TFT-HD displays. They are practically not inferior in image quality to IPS matrices, but at the same time they have a more affordable cost. But at the moment there are not so many devices with such monitors.

If image quality is important to you and you are willing to pay a little extra, then a device with an IPS display is the best choice.