Whats an Example of a Good Viewing Angle for a LCD?

[dfloyd]

I am in the market for a 19" lcd and am trying to nail down the most critical aspects before I purchase one.

One aspect I still do not understand fully is viewing angle. I realize one is better, but which is better is my question. (The guides I have read do not seem to actually explain which is a better viewing angle).

So say I am looking at two lcds and one has a viewing angle of:

140°(H) / 130°(V)

and the other I am looking at has a viewing angle of:

170°(H) / 170°(V)

Which is better? I am guessing the larger number is better but am not positive of that. By larger number meaning you can be at a larger angle away from the monitor and still see the monitor clearly.

If that is the case what is a decent minimum to look at. Side to side is not as important to me but top to bottom is very important.

 

[dfloyd]

Hmm anyone got any info at all please?

Honestly not sure what is a better viewing angle and this info would be very helpful. At least a good bookmark.

Thanks up front for any advice.

 

[rise]

i have the l90d+ which has a relatively poor angle, i think around 130. the angle distortion is much more evident in 2d text as opposed to 3d.

it doesn't bother me either way. i mean how often and for how long do you look at your monitor at a pronounced angle like that?

and yes the larger numbers are better. to see what you would consider tolerable take a trip to the local BB or CC and see for yourself.

 

[Mark R]

Looking directly at a monitor head-on is 0 degrees
Attempting to look at it side on (you can't see the screen at all at that point) is 90 degrees.

A viwing angle spec of 130 degrees means that you get reasonable performance from 65 degrees in one direction, all the way to 65 degrees in the other direction. 170 degrees means 85 to 85.

It's difficult to explain viewing angles without seeing it for yourself. But if we take a 130 degree rated monitor and you are looking at it head on from a distance of 2 feet, you could continue to see the image if you moved sideways up to 4 feet.

For most people 130-140 degrees is sufficient. However, if multiple people need to be able to see the screen at one time, then a larger viewing angle can be important.

The other thing is that viewing angle is not a sharp cut-off: colours gradually degrade as you move away from 0 degrees - the 'viewing angle' is just the point where the image gets unacceptable. If you are doing design work, and accurate colour/contrast is required then a larger viewing angle may be important.