How much better is an IPS monitor?

[Comdrpopnfresh]

I'm looking at a ASUS ML239H Black 23" 5ms IPS on sale, and thinking of replacing my Acer x223w.
Both seem to be spec'd the same, but I'd be gaining >1" diagonally, and going from an aged fluorescent backlit to an LED backlit IPS. I play games occasionally, watch HD TV and movies often, and am upgrading my optical drive to BR from DVD. I know IPS monitors aren't known for their snappy response times, but both my current and the prospective monitor are clocked at 5ms response.

 

[LokutusofBorg]

I am a bit of a monitor snob, but I will never pay money for a non-IPS monitor again. I sit in front of a computer nearly every waking minute, and the difference on eye strain for me is worth the extra money, hands down. Beautiful picture quality, crystal clear text, no viewing angle issues. They are perfectly fine for gaming, as well.

 

[Pacman4]

I am a bit of a monitor snob, but I will never pay money for a non-IPS monitor again. .

Which LCD Loku?

 

[LokutusofBorg]

I had dual U2410s at my last job, and have a U2412M at this job. I wish I had the cash to replace my 2408WFPs at home with U2412Ms. Such a sweet, sweet picture.

 

[NinjaCat]

As others said, I pretty much stare at my screen all the time, so the cost is worth it. Also the Image Quality is much better, I found myself staring at my wallpapers when I first got it because it just looked so much better. With input lag, the newer displays got rid of most of it, I noticed it at first, but I don't notice any anymore.

 

[Blain]

How much better is an IPS monitor?

47.2% better

 

[Zebo]

You're looking at a e-ips monitor which has a little color shifting unlike higher end H-IPS. You can read about it here of you're interested.
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/articles/ips_technologies.htm

However it's much better viewing angles and color than your current TN.

IMO only the higher end Dells or NECs are worth it. I definity wouldn't screw around with 19x10 ratio or that huge bezel. Maybe just stick with what you got until you can get a dell U2410 at a minimum.

 

[Pacman4]

I had dual U2410s at my last job, and have a U2412M at this job. I wish I had the cash to replace my 2408WFPs at home with U2412Ms. Such a sweet, sweet picture.

I'd like the DELL 27 next, but I'm worried about response time.
Proper 8 bit displays have image depth that TN's can never match.

 

[Sunny129]

I'm looking at a ASUS ML239H Black 23" 5ms IPS on sale, and thinking of replacing my Acer x223w.
Both seem to be spec'd the same, but I'd be gaining >1" diagonally, and going from an aged fluorescent backlit to an LED backlit IPS. I play games occasionally, watch HD TV and movies often, and am upgrading my optical drive to BR from DVD. I know IPS monitors aren't known for their snappy response times, but both my current and the prospective monitor are clocked at 5ms response.

i bought the ML239H a while back and hated it. no matter how much calibration, i could not get a good balance of brightness, contrast, and color. it was too bright out of the box, and turning down the brightness to non-blinding levels wreaked havoc on the amount of adjustability i had with contrast. and unfortunately i never could get the colors to look right. no matter how vivid some colors would appear, other would appear washed out, and adjusting washed out colors to be more vivid only further washed out other colors. if you're going to get an IPS monitor, try and stick with an S-IPS or H-IPS. and if you onoly have the budget for an E-IPS monitor, make sure its a Dell or an HP, not an ASUS, LG, etc.

I had dual U2410s at my last job, and have a U2412M at this job. I wish I had the cash to replace my 2408WFPs at home with U2412Ms. Such a sweet, sweet picture.

it should be pointed out that the U2410 is a true 8-bit H-IPS panel, while the U2412M is only a 6-bit E-IPS panel. i have the U2412M myself, and as awesome as it is (i do love it), it needs hardware calibration out of the box. the colors were less than satisfactory when i first powered it on and let it warm up for a few hours. after some hardware calibration though, its nothing short of perfect.

 

[Comdrpopnfresh]

47.2% better

lol

As others said, I pretty much stare at my screen all the time, so the cost is worth it. Also the Image Quality is much better, I found myself staring at my wallpapers when I first got it because it just looked so much better. With input lag, the newer displays got rid of most of it, I noticed it at first, but I don't notice any anymore.

I don't game often currently, but from how much I used to play, hearing anything about lag is not good.

I looked at the dell model everyone mentioned, but I am only going to be buying a replacement/upgrade if it is LED backlit. I'm sorry I neglected to mention the sleeper-sofa.
My laptop screen is LED backlit & I love it. I just wish it were matte finish and not the bright'n'shine std. My current 2 monitors are both matte finished screens, so I wanted to replace the one, and leave the newer of the two for a second monitor.

I hadn't noticed how freakishly large the bezel on that monitor is. I like how uniform the bezel length is between my 2 acer's. I really like ASUS's commitment to be green in ways they make nearly std.

 

[Sunny129]

I looked at the dell model everyone mentioned, but I am only going to be buying a replacement/upgrade if it is LED backlit.

i'm not sure which one you're referring to, as more than one Dell model was mentioned in this thread...but to be clear, the U2410 is not LED backlit, while the U2412M is LED backlit.

 

[LiuKangBakinPie]

Well once you get your first one you'll never go back and will join the crowd on going around saying how crap TN is

 

[Grooveriding]

Much.

 

[Sunny129]

Well once you get your first one you'll never go back and will join the crowd on going around saying how crap TN is

if only that were true for all IPS's and all TN's...but its not. as i mentioned in my first post, i had the ASUS ML239H E-IPS monitor, and no amount of calibration will get this monitor to display proper colors, contrast, or brightness all at the same time. and i've had TN panel monitors that looked far better than this particular E-IPS monitor. not all IPS monitors are created equal...heck, not even all E-IPS monitors are created equal...and no, even the worst IPS monitor out there isn't going to be better than the best TN monitor out there...while its a decent generalization, there are just too many gray areas in the LCD industry to simply assume that its gospel and not research specific models for oneself...that's how people end up buying IPS monitors and wondering why, even after calibration, it doesn't look quite as nice as their old TN monitor...

 

[Grooveriding]

if only that were true for all IPS's and all TN's...but its not. as i mentioned in my first post, i had the ASUS ML239H E-IPS monitor, and no amount of calibration will get this monitor to display proper colors, contrast, or brightness all at the same time. and i've had TN panel monitors that looked far better than this particular E-IPS monitor. not all IPS monitors are created equal...heck, not even all E-IPS monitors are created equal...and no, even the worst IPS monitor out there isn't going to be better than the best TN monitor out there...while its a decent generalization, there are just too many gray areas in the LCD industry to simply assume that its gospel and not research specific models for oneself...that's how people end up buying IPS monitors and wondering why, even after calibration, it doesn't look quite as nice as their old TN monitor...

I would agree with this. With research in hand though, a buyer should know an e-IPS is not equal to an IPS. I haven't used any of the smaller IPS so I'm not sure on quality. I have a 24" MVA 1920x1200 which I actually prefer to my IPS because the blacks are very rich. Unfortunately they've stopped making those sorts of panels, they also have a lot of input lag.

Every 27" or 30" IPS I have seen has been of excellent quality and IQ.

 

[mhouck]

I'd like the DELL 27 next, but I'm worried about response time.
Proper 8 bit displays have image depth that TN's can never match.

The u2711 is great. I haven't noticed an issue with response time in the year I've had it. I was skeptical too before purchasing but a number of professional reviews eased my fears. Anand had an in depth review and I think c-net had a video review as well if you want to check them out.

 

[LiuKangBakinPie]

if only that were true for all IPS's and all TN's...but its not. as i mentioned in my first post, i had the ASUS ML239H E-IPS monitor, and no amount of calibration will get this monitor to display proper colors, contrast, or brightness all at the same time. and i've had TN panel monitors that looked far better than this particular E-IPS monitor. not all IPS monitors are created equal...heck, not even all E-IPS monitors are created equal...and no, even the worst IPS monitor out there isn't going to be better than the best TN monitor out there...while its a decent generalization, there are just too many gray areas in the LCD industry to simply assume that its gospel and not research specific models for oneself...that's how people end up buying IPS monitors and wondering why, even after calibration, it doesn't look quite as nice as their old TN monitor...

but that's understandable when comparing a cheapo IPS vs a higher grade tn. A good IPS looks way way way better than a good tn.

 

[Sunny129]

I would agree with this. With research in hand though, a buyer should know an e-IPS is not equal to an IPS. I haven't used any of the smaller IPS so I'm not sure on quality.

and i completely agree with you about E-IPS vs other types of IPS panels. i wanted to also stress that panel quality can vary significantly within the E-IPS category. some E-IPS panels are excellent (Dell U2412M) despite not being true 8-bit panels like H-IPS and S-IPS panels...and some E-IPS panels (ASUS ML239H) are quite lacking in IQ. i just happened to notice that the OP was considering this monitor, and i wanted t convey my experience with it and how i felt it compared to my previous TN panel monitor.

I have a 24" MVA 1920x1200 which I actually prefer to my IPS because the blacks are very rich. Unfortunately they've stopped making those sorts of panels, they also have a lot of input lag.

ASUS makes a 24" MVA panel monitor (ML249H) that looks almost identical to the ML239H, though its only 1920x1080. i was tempted to try it after returning the ML239H, but i was too reluctant to take another chance with ASUS. plus i stumbled across THIS thread in which an AT member gives the ML249H a less-than-stellar review...of course he's comparing it to a Dell 2005FPW monitor (6-bit or 8-bit IPS, i don't know), but it was enough to keep me from buying...

but that's understandable when comparing a cheapo IPS vs a higher grade tn. A good IPS looks way way way better than a good tn.

agreed. its just that i wouldn't consider the ASUS ML239H a good IPS monitor, and the OP may be disappointed with it...

 

[Zanovar]

ive tried many ips screens this year 2 of which blew me away,haszro HZ27WC,and dell ST2220T.what i find hilarious is we have posters in this thread who are eye candy junkies who are using matte screens*laughs*.

 

[Comdrpopnfresh]

if only that were true for all IPS's and all TN's...but its not. as i mentioned in my first post, i had the ASUS ML239H E-IPS monitor, and no amount of calibration will get this monitor to display proper colors, contrast, or brightness all at the same time. and i've had TN panel monitors that looked far better than this particular E-IPS monitor. not all IPS monitors are created equal...heck, not even all E-IPS monitors are created equal...and no, even the worst IPS monitor out there isn't going to be better than the best TN monitor out there...while its a decent generalization, there are just too many gray areas in the LCD industry to simply assume that its gospel and not research specific models for oneself...that's how people end up buying IPS monitors and wondering why, even after calibration, it doesn't look quite as nice as their old TN monitor...

I don't care if it's an 8->10bit hardware spec'd. I'm expecting an IPS to just be better- it's a better technology; they may not be created equal, but if my expectation is right then any subtype of IPS should be better than my current x223w. I'm more concerned about energy consumption, eye strain and fatigue, video and games not smearing and looking good in motion as well as stills. That bezel I am now repulsed by is more offputting than it being some made-up derivative X-IPS by one company or the other.

is that going to happen- say if, I choose a better bezel'd ASUS in their VS line or such? Is IPS>non-IPS all around, with enhancements over the baseline IPS only further that improvement?

 

[dma0991]

I am currently using an IPS monitor and honestly after using it for quite some time I couldn't tell the difference. Then I look to my TN panel CCFL backlit laptop, definitely a noticeable difference in terms of color depth and viewing angles.

 

[Sunny129]

I don't care if it's an 8->10bit hardware spec'd. I'm expecting an IPS to just be better- it's a better technology; they may not be created equal, but if my expectation is right then any subtype of IPS should be better than my current x223w.

exactly - and that's what i expected when i bought my first IPS panel monitor. but i quickly realized that my expectations were not at all in line with reality, probably due to the particular model i chose (the ASUS ML239H). had i dropped $500 on a Dell U2410 the first time around, i'm sure i would have been thrilled...and then i would be just another statistic - a statistic spouting about how any IPS is better than any TN simply b/c my first experience/impressions with an IPS panel would have been far better than they were with the ASUS ML239H. you kinda have to experience a not-so-good IPS monitor to realize this and not have the wool pulled over your eyes. fortunately i can see that the ugly bezel is enough to turn you off of this monitor - i just don't want you to have a bad experience with your first IPS panel like i did.

look, there is no doubt that certain aspects of IPS panels will always be better than their TN counterparts, for instance viewing angle and color depth (as someone already mentioned). but that doesn't mean that color representation/accuracy is always going to be better. in fact, that was my problem with the ML239H - i couldn't get accurate color representation without making sacrifices to brightness and contrast...and you could rearrange the words "color representation," "brightness," and "contrast" in my previous sentence, and it would still hold true. heck, my Dell U2412M had less-than-stellar colors, contrast, and brightness right out of the box...fortunately they're stellar now that its been hardware calibrated (which unfortunately didn't do the trick for the ASUS ML239H). and that's where the gray area comes into play - if you were talking about viewing angles or color depth only, then IPS > TN always. but there's far more to consider than just viewing angle.

i wish i could advise you better on ghosting/smearing. but i haven't been a gamer in years, and i never gamed with an IPS panel. as for power consumption, isn't that going to depend more on the kind of backlighting than it will on panel type?

 

[sandorski]

In the $200 range, a good TN panel is your best bet. Otherwise, increase your budget if you don't want TN. Samsung recently introduced a new type of IPS monitor that's supposed to be excellent, I can't remember what Model/Panel it is, but it's in the $500 range and is reported to be quite sweet.

 

[Comdrpopnfresh]

exactly - and that's what i expected when i bought my first IPS panel monitor. but i quickly realized that my expectations were not at all in line with reality, probably due to the particular model i chose (the ASUS ML239H). had i dropped $500 on a Dell U2410 the first time around, i'm sure i would have been thrilled...and then i would be just another statistic - a statistic spouting about how any IPS is better than any TN simply b/c my first experience/impressions with an IPS panel would have been far better than they were with the ASUS ML239H. you kinda have to experience a not-so-good IPS monitor to realize this and not have the wool pulled over your eyes. fortunately i can see that the ugly bezel is enough to turn you off of this monitor - i just don't want you to have a bad experience with your first IPS panel like i did.

look, there is no doubt that certain aspects of IPS panels will always be better than their TN counterparts, for instance viewing angle and color depth (as someone already mentioned). but that doesn't mean that color representation/accuracy is always going to be better. in fact, that was my problem with the ML239H - i couldn't get accurate color representation without making sacrifices to brightness and contrast...and you could rearrange the words "color representation," "brightness," and "contrast" in my previous sentence, and it would still hold true. heck, my Dell U2412M had less-than-stellar colors, contrast, and brightness right out of the box...fortunately they're stellar now that its been hardware calibrated (which unfortunately didn't do the trick for the ASUS ML239H). and that's where the gray area comes into play - if you were talking about viewing angles or color depth only, then IPS > TN always. but there's far more to consider than just viewing angle.

i wish i could advise you better on ghosting/smearing. but i haven't been a gamer in years, and i never gamed with an IPS panel. as for power consumption, isn't that going to depend more on the kind of backlighting than it will on panel type?

you turn off the contrast enhancement?
or better yet, uninstall/baseline splendid?

 

[Sunny129]

you turn off the contrast enhancement?
or better yet, uninstall/baseline splendid?

its been several months since i played with the ML239H, and i only had it for a few days b/c i got sick of it so fast, so i don't recall all the settings i played with. but i did disable the contrast enhancement and worked with RGB adjustment as opposed to using one of the many Splendid video modes. i played with every setting i could get my grubby hands on in order to calibrate it to my liking, but i just couldn't even come close...