
In-plane switching (IPS) displays are on the rise. IPS displays use a specific type liquid-crystal display (LCD) technology in which the liquid pixels are aligned parallel to the glass panels in front of and behind them. When exposed to an electrical field, the liquid pixels will change their orientation. IPS displays can essentially “switch” their orientation while remaining parallel to the glass panels. What are the pros and cons of IPS displays exactly?
Pro: Wide Viewing Angle
If you’re looking for a display with a wide viewing angle, you can’t go wrong with an IPS display. IPS displays offer wider viewing angles than most other LCD-powered displays, including twisted nematic (TN). The viewing angle is the maximum angle from which you can see the images produced by a display. With a wide viewing angle, you sit or stand to the side of an IPS display.
Pro: No Touch-Based Distortion
IPS displays aren’t susceptible to touch-based distortion. Touch-based distortion is common with many other displays. Touching the screen of a TN display, for instance, will likely result in a temporary visual distortion. The screen will change its colors around the area where you touched it. IPS displays don’t suffer from touch-based distortion such as this. Even if you touch the screen, it won’t succumb to distortion.
Pro: Excellent Color
You’ll probably notice that IPS displays produce excellent color. IPS displays were actually designed to solve the poor color reproduction of TN displays. TN displays were popular throughout the 1990s, but they suffered from poor color reproduction. This prompted some of the world’s biggest electronics companies to develop IPS displays. IPS displays offer excellent color, resulting in higher-quality images.
Con: Increased Power Consumption
While they don’t consume a substantial amount of power, IPS displays do, in fact, consume more power than TN displays. Most IPS displays consume about 15% more power than their TN counterparts. IPS and TN are both LCD technologies. And like all LCD technologies, they require backlighting, which will inevitably consume power. Nonetheless, IPS displays consume more power than TN displays.
Con: Long Response Time
In addition to consuming power, most IPS displays have a longer response time than TN displays. Response time is the time that it takes a display to change its colors. The colors, of which, make up the images. TN displays typically have a shorter response time than IPS displays, meaning they can change their colors and images more quickly.