What type of screen should I choose: IPS or TFT? Is the IPS or TFT display better?

Modern devices are equipped with screens of various configurations. The main at the moment are liquid crystal displays , but they can use different technologies, in particular, TFT and IPS, which differ in a number of parameters, although they are the descendants of one invention.

Now there is a huge amount of terms that denote certain technologies that hide under abbreviations. For example, many could hear or read about IPS or TFT, but few people understand what the difference really is. This is due to the lack of information in the electronics catalogs. That's why it's worth considering with these concepts, and also to decide whether TFT or IPS is better?

Terminology

To determine what will be better or worse in each individual case, it is required to know which functions and tasks each matrix type is responsible for . IPS in fact is a TFT, more precisely its version, in the manufacture of which a certain technology - TN-TFT was used. These technologies should be considered in more detail.

Differences

TFT (TN) is one of the ways to produce matrices of liquid crystal screens, that is, screens on thin-film transistors in which the elements are spirally located between a pair of plates. If there is no supply voltage, they will be rotated to each other at a right angle in the horizontal plane. The maximum voltage forces the crystals to rotate so that the light passing through them leads to the formation of black pixels, and in the absence of voltage, white.

If we consider IPS or TFT, then the difference between the first and the second is that the matrix is made on the base described earlier, but the crystals in it are not spirally located, but parallel to a single plane of the screen and to each other. Unlike TFT, the crystals in this case do not rotate under stress-free conditions.

How do we see this?

If you look at the IPS or TFT screen, the visual difference between them is in contrast, which is provided by an almost perfect black transmission. On the first screen, the image will look more crisp. But the quality of color reproduction in the case of using the TN-TFT matrix can not be called good. In this case, each pixel has its own shade, different from the others. Because of this, the colors are highly distorted. However, this matrix has a dignity: it is characterized by the highest speed of response among all existing at the moment. For the IPS screen, a certain time is required, during which all parallel crystals make a full turn. However, the human eye almost does not catch the difference in response time.

Important Features

If we talk about what is better in operation: IPS or TFT, then it is worth noting that the former are more energy-intensive. This is due to the fact that a large amount of energy is required to rotate the crystals. That is why, if the manufacturer is faced with the task of making his device energy efficient, it usually uses a TN-TFT matrix.

If you select a TFT or IPS screen, it is worth noting the wider viewing angles of the second, namely 178 degrees in both planes, which is very convenient for the user. Other types of matrices proved unable to provide this. And another significant difference between these two technologies is the cost of products based on them. TFT-matrices at the moment are the cheapest solution that is used in most budget models, and IPS refers to a higher level, but it is not the top one either.

Display IPS or TFT choose?

The first technology allows you to get the best quality, clear image, but it takes more time to rotate the crystals used. This affects the response time and other parameters, in particular the battery discharge rate. The level of color reproduction of TN-matrices is much lower, but their response time is minimal. The crystals are arranged in a spiral.

In fact, you can easily note an incredible chasm in quality screens, working on the basis of these two technologies. Concerning this and the cost. TN technology remains on the market solely because of the price, but it is not capable of providing a luscious and vivid picture.

IPS is a very successful continuation in the development of TFT-displays. High contrast level and rather large viewing angles are additional advantages of this technology. For example, for monitors based on TN sometimes black color itself changes its hue. However, the high power consumption of IPS-based devices forces many manufacturers to resort to using alternative technologies or to lower this figure. Most often, matrices of this type are found in wired monitors that do not work from the battery, which allows not to be so volatile. However, developments in this field are constantly being carried out.