S-IPS LCD Panels – Super In Plane Switching

[Luc_Busquin]

Like many, I’m in the process of researching a good display for my photographic needs. I currently own a cheap Samsung 712N which I dislike for its big color and brightness shift with viewing angle change.

Here is what I found so far. I would be interested to hear other peoples views on the matter. If you guys could correct and/or add to the following that would be great!

LCD displays can use different nematic phase technologies. It seems that for graphics applications one of those technologies stands out: S-IPS (SIPS or Super In Plane Switching).

The advertised view angle is an inadequate measurement for our needs. Who cares if we can still see the information displayed on the monitor at an 80 or 90 degrees angle from center? What we really care about is consistency around 20 to 40 degrees from center. This is an issue even if you always look at your display from dead center since, even so, the image you are viewing will spread across the screen and most of the image will be viewed at a significant angle.

So the advertised view angle at a given contrast ratio (typically CR > 10, way too high for our needs) alone does not tell us how consistent the screen will be at narrower angles. Two panels with the same advertised view angle can have quite different characteristics at narrower angles depending of the nematic phase technology used.

See last page of this pdf for a nice illustration:
http://www.lgphilips-lcd.com/pr_site...mg/digital.gif

So from what I understand, out of different technologies available today (see list bellow) S-IPS is the want we should be looking for.

ASV Advanced Super View
FFS Fringe Field Switching
IPS In Plane Switching
SIPS or S-IPS super In Plane Switching
MVA Multi Domain Vertical Alignment
VA Vertical Alignment
PVA Patterned Vertical Alignment
TN Twisted Nematic

Unfortunately I haven’t found it easy to uncover what technology is used in different displays. Here is what I’ve gathered so far (with absolutely no certainty):

Acer AL2032wm: S-IPS (LG.Philips LCD LM201W01)

Apple Cinema Displays (all?): S-IPS from LG.Philips?
Apple Cinema Display 30" M9179: S-IPS (LG.Philips LCD LM300W01)
Apple Cinema Display 20" M9177LL: S-IPS (LG.Philips LCD LM201W01)

Dell 3007WFP: S-IPS (LG.Philips LCD LM300W01 ?)
Dell 2405WFP: PVA (Samsung panel)
Dell 2005WFP: S-IPS (LG.Philips LCD LM201W01)
Dell 2001FP: S-IPS (LG.Philips LCD LM201U04)
Dell 1905FP: PVA (Samsung panel)

Eizo: ?

Iiyama ProLite H-2130W: S-IPS
Iiyama ProLite H-540S-W: IPS
Iiyama ProLite ProLite E481S: TN

HP L2335: S-IPS (LG.Philips LCD LM230W02)

La Cie 319: S-IPS
La Cie 321: SA-Superfine (not sure if that’s related to nematic phase; panel from NEC?)

LG L203WX: S-IPS (LG.Philips LM201W01)

Philips 200W6B: S-IPS (LG.Philips LM201W01)
Philips 200W6CS: S-IPS (LG.Philips LM201W01)
Philips 200W6S: S-IPS (LG.Philips LM201W01)

NEC: ?

Samsung SyncMaster 213T: PVA
Samsung all: PVA or TN

Best regards,
Luc Busquin

[Tim_Lookingbill]

Thanks for listing of which displays have the S-IPS technology.

From the feedback I've read with LCD users on the web, there doesn't seem to be a consistancy in claims with any LCD technologies. Apple Cinema being the best in regards to viewing angle/image shift issues which is what I'm more concerned about.

It still requires you to try out each display on your own system with a rock solid return policy to your advantage. Too tedious for me.

My suggestion would be to get a good CRT for now like an NEC or Lacie and wait it out until the new SED or OLED technology trumps any of the current LCD attempts at solving viewing angle issues. From what I've read on the web affordable Toshiba SED's will be out close to the end of this year. Don't know the price, though. Probably astronomical.

I've posted links to screenshots of Canon SED displays taken at recent tech conventions in the CM forum that make plasma and current LCD's look even worse than they already seem to be.

[MarkWilkinson]

Here's another link that gives what panel is in what monitor ...http://www.flatpanels.dk/panels.php

Personally, if you have a good late model LCD, the whole viewing angle thing seems overblown ---- provided you don't work with your eyes 2 ft or less from the monitor. If you do, it's pretty important due to the acute angles close viewing creates. At about 3 ft, I could care less whether it's a good S-IPS, or good PVA.

Another opinion ... the acuity, sharpness gains of LCDs (at native resolution) is so great over the mistubishi and sony crts I was using (no artisan [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]), that I'm done with crts. And I wouldn't wait any longer ... my tired old eyes can read text easily at 1600x1200 now, and I found I was oversharpening alot of photos. best, mark

[Max_Corman]

Thats a really cool link Mark. How in gods name did you find it.

Anyhow, these SEDs seem interesting, but are they available as computer displays or just TVs. Because i checked out the links posted by luk and didn't find any mention of SEDs existing as computer displays.

Just curious of course.

[Luc_Busquin]

Mark, this is just a really great website!!! Thanks a lot!

For an automatic translation from Danish to other languages:

http://translation.langenberg.com/
Search on that page for: Translation Experts

Best regards,
Luc Busquin

[MarkWilkinson]

Hi Luc, Hi Max,
Glad the link helped. I tripped on the link in some kind soul's post, somewhere..... when I was scouring the LCD market.

And Yea, gotta wonder when/if SEDs make it to our destop.

Max, I share your pain regarding the complexity of color management. But you know, in my mind the complexity is less about color and more about computers and software, or should I say getting things to work on dicked up computers/software.

However, my brother who used to write printer drivers that landed in HP's printers, told me the definition of confusion is "when there is more than one color scientist in the same room" .... so maybe the complexity does extend to color itself! LoL, and best, mark

[Max_Corman]

I couldn't agree anymore.

Take a look at this link. Just click it and scroll to the bottom of the page.

Evolution of IPS liquid crystal

I simply used your FlatPanels link to find the panel used for the CG210, and thend google'd it to find the Hitashi site.

But now im wondering where i could find the same types of illustrations, but for the other types of panels, like TN-Film, MVA, and PVA.

Anybody have any clues?