▷ What is an ips screen on a mobile or pc monitor

When buying a PC monitor or a new smartphone, it is very common to see the word IPS among the specifications and characteristics of the new device that we are going to acquire. But what exactly is an IPS screen and what advantages does it bring? We explain everything in this article.

What is an IPS screen used in smartphones and monitors

The panel technology of a display is important because it affects what the display can do, and what uses it is best suited for. There are different types of display panels, all of which offer their own distinct benefits and drawbacks. Choosing which type of panel type to buy will largely depend on your intended use and personal preference. Considering how the requirements of gamers, graphic designers and office workers are completely different, it is not hard to imagine that there are specific types of monitors that are more suitable for each different usage scenario.

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LCD or "Liquid Crystal Display" is a type of panel that encompasses thin layers of liquid crystals sandwiched between two layers of filters and electrodes. While CRT monitors used to shoot electrons at glass surfaces, LCD monitors operate using backlighting and liquid crystals. The LCD panel is a flat sheet of material containing layers of filters, glass, electrodes, liquid crystals, and backlight. Polarized light, which means only shines in one plane, is directed towards and transmitted through a rectangular grid of liquid crystals.

Liquid crystals (LC) are used because of their unique ability to maintain a parallel shape. Acting as a solid and liquid, LCs are able to react quickly to changes in light patterns. The optical properties of LCs are activated by electric current, which is used to change liquid crystals between phases. In turn, each pixel generates an RGB color (red, green, blue) based on the phase it is in.

IPS monitors or “In-Plane Switching” monitors, take advantage of liquid crystals aligned in parallel to produce intense colors. IPS panels are defined by the changing patterns of their liquid crystals. These monitors were designed to overcome the limitations of TN panels in reproducing colors and offering wide viewing angles. The ability of the liquid crystal to scroll horizontally on these IPS panels creates better viewing angles.

Variations of the IPS monitor include S-IPS, H-IPS, e-IPS and P-IPS and PLS, the latter being the last iteration. Since these variations are quite similar, they are all collectively referred to as "IPS" panels. They all claim to offer the main benefits associated with IPS monitors: excellent color and ultra-wide viewing angles.

Advantages and disadvantages of an IPS screen

IPS panels continue to be the preferred display technology for users who want precision and color consistency. These IPS panels are really great when it comes to color performance and super wide viewing angles. The expansive viewing angles provided by IPS monitors help deliver exceptional color when viewed from different angles. An important differentiator between IPS monitors and TN monitors is that the colors on an IPS monitor do not shift when viewed from as drastic an angle as they do on a TN monitor.

When it comes to color accuracy, IPS monitors easily outperform TN and VA monitors. While state-of-the-art VA technologies offer comparative performance specifications, pro users still claim that IPS monitors are the go-to in this regard. Another important feature of IPS monitors is that they can support professional color space technologies, such as Adobe RGB. This is due to the fact that IPS monitors can offer more colors than can be displayed, which helps improve color accuracy.

IPS panels offer 178-degree horizontal and vertical viewing angles. Graphic designers, CAD engineers, professional photographers, and video editors will benefit from the use of an IPS monitor. Many users appreciate the color benefits of IPS monitors, and technological advances have improved the speed, contrast, and resolution of the IPS panel. IPS monitors are more attractive than ever for general desk work as well as many types of games. They are even versatile enough to be used on different styles of monitors.

In the past, response time and contrast were the initial weaknesses of IPS technology. Today, however, IPS monitor response times have advanced to the point where they are even capable of satisfying gamers, resulting in increasing popularity in IPS gaming monitors. Regarding gaming, some criticisms that IPS monitors include more visible blurriness as a result of slower response times, however the impact of motion blur will vary from user to user.

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