IPS vs VA Panel | In TV and Gaming

Whether it be a TV or a Monitor, we have 3 choices of display panels to choose from.

Choosing the right panel will depend on the type of usage and budget you have. To choose the right panel you will have to understand the key differences between them.

In this post, I have compared IPS vs VA panel. 

Types of LCD Panels

There are 3 types of displays or LCD panels namely TN, VA, and IPS panel.

Every panel has LED or some other lighting behind it.

In this post, I have focused more on VA and IPS panels.

1. TN Panel

TN stands for Twisted Nematic

These are the first type of LCD panels that existed in time. It came in 1980-1990.

These panels are characterized by higher refresh rates, poor picture quality, and a cheap price.

These are the worst in terms of picture quality and are easy to manufacture.

You will not find any TV with this panel, it is used only in gaming monitors to achieve the higher refresh rates desired by gamers and is cheaper too.  

2. VA Panel

VA stands for Vertical Alignment

In this display, the liquid crystals are vertically aligned. When current is passed through them, these crystals rotate to a horizontal position allowing the light to pass.  

It is characterized by a better contrast ratio, better picture quality, deeper blacks with poor viewing angles.

3. IPS Panel

IPS stands for In-Plane Switching

In this, the liquid crystals in each pixel are horizontally aligned. When current passes, the crystals rotate to either let the light pass or block. 

It is characterized by better viewing angles, the picture quality does not degrade much when viewed from different angles. However, in terms of picture quality, it is not better than the VA panel.

Contrast Ratio

ips vs va panel

When it comes to picture quality, the contrast ratio is the most important deciding factor. 

Contrast ratio is the difference between the brightest bright and darkest dark a display can produce.

Higher the contrast ratio of a TV or monitor better will be the picture quality.

VA panel is far superior when compared to a IPS panel in terms of contrast ratio. The picture looks more vivid and enhanced. The black regions are far darker.

When both panels are placed in a dark room, the image will appear flushed, the blacks will appear grayish on the IPS panel.

However with techniques like dimming this contrast ratio can be increased in IPS panels. 

Viewing Angles

viewing angles in va and ips tv
source

This refers to the angle at which one can see the picture without seeing a drop in picture quality.

IPS panels are superior in terms of viewing angles. Other panels suffer degradation in picture quality after every 20 degrees.

Refresh Rate

Refresh rate is a great concern in gaming while for watching TV or movies it does not play a major role

Generally, VA panels have higher refresh rates but with the advancement in technology, we can achieve IPS panels with higher refresh rates up to 240Hz which will be very costly. 

VA vs IPS Display (Table)

Here we assume basic panels for both without any technology advancement

FactorsVAIPS
Contrast RatioVery HighModerate
Picture QualityBetterMoerate and Good
Viewing AnglesPoor viewing anglesBetter and Wide Viewing angles
PriceLowerHigher

Which Panel is Better

The IPS panel is all-rounder in every aspect though not the best in every scenario. But it’s different aspects like refresh rate, picture quality can enhance to greater levels now with advanced technology which would be very costly.

For a small to medium size room, IPS TV would be better to watch with family and friends. Everyone can sit at an angle from a TV without getting a degraded picture. This would be the opposite in the case of the VA panel. All have to sit straight in front of the TV to watch without degraded picture quality. 

If you want to have a cinema-like feel, in a dark room and do not need wider viewing angles, VA TV would be a good option to have.

To get the best cinematic experience, it is best to have big sized TV used in a big size room

In case of video and photo editing, IPS monitor would be the best bet 

For gaming, you need high refresh rates which TN panels can give you at the cheapest price, but picture quality would be worse. If you have a moderate budget VA panel would be fine. IPS monitors with higher refresh rates are also available but would be costly if you can afford it.

For use in the office for work, it is the same thing, if you have the budget IPS screen can give you everything but VA would also be fine. 

Whatever TV or monitor you purchase, it is best to compare the different types directly in a store side by side through naked eyes

Frequently Asked Question 

What is A+ grade panel

It is nothing but a rating given to a screen panel. Higher the rating better the panel quality. A screen panel with A+ grade means it will have the least defects, scratches and dead pixels in it. In terms of transparency, it would be very good.

Final Thoughts

Now you must have understood the differences between the different panel types.

Each panel has a different advantage over the other.

Choose the panel based on your budget and requirements.

I hope you found this post informative. You may solve other’s queries on different types of panels by sharing this post with them

Also if you are considering to buy a new TV this year then do check my list of best TV. This list is specific for indian buyers.

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