IPS vs VA Monitor: What's Better For Gaming & Browsing!?

Summary

This video offers a comprehensive comparison between IPS and VA panel technologies, sponsored by Philips. The reviewer, with experience in over 200 monitors, discusses gaming performance, input lag, response times, and image quality. IPS monitors are favored for competitive gaming due to lower input lag and faster response times, while VA panels excel in contrast ratio and are better for casual gaming and media consumption. The video also touches on backlight bleed and brightness uniformity, providing an objective and subjective analysis to help viewers make an informed decision.

Takeaways

• 💰 VA panels are generally cheaper than IPS panels, with a slight price difference observed in the Philips monitors discussed.
• 🎮 For gaming performance, IPS panels tend to have lower input lag, making them preferable for competitive gamers.
• 📈 Response time in monitors varies, with IPS panels generally offering faster GTG (gray-to-gray) times than VA panels, which can impact gaming experience.
• ⚡ Overdrive settings can affect response time and ghosting; higher settings reduce response time but may introduce ghosting effects.
• 🖼 VA panels can have higher contrast ratios, which is beneficial for visually appealing games and content with dark scenes.
• 🌈 IPS panels provide better color accuracy and a wider color gamut, which is advantageous for image editing and video grading.
• 🔍 Viewing angles are superior in IPS panels, offering a better visual experience even when viewed from extreme angles.
• 🌑 Backlight bleed and brightness uniformity are generally better in VA panels, making them suitable for darker content consumption.
• 🛠 The choice between IPS and VA panels depends on the user's needs, whether it's for competitive gaming, casual gaming, or content creation.
• 🔗 Philips monitors used in the script are available for purchase, with the video providing a detailed comparison of their IPS and VA variants.
• 👍 The video encourages viewers to share their panel preference in the comments and supports the channel through likes, subscriptions, and notifications.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The main topic of the video is a comparison between IPS and VA panel technologies in monitors, discussing which one is better suited for different types of users based on gaming performance, input lag, response time, image quality, and other factors.

Who sponsored the video?

The video was sponsored by Philips, who provided two identical 23.8-inch monitors, one with an IPS panel and one with a VA panel, for comparison.

What is the general price difference between IPS and VA panels according to the video?

As a general rule, VA panels tend to be cheaper than IPS panels. In the video, the Philips IPS monitor is priced at around 200 pounds, while the VA monitor is priced at around 190 pounds in the UK market.

What are some alternative names for IPS panels mentioned in the video?

Alternative names for IPS panels mentioned in the video include PLS (Plane to Line Switching) and AHVA (Advanced Hyper Viewing Angle), which should not be confused with VA (Vertical Alignment) panels.

How does input lag differ between IPS and VA panels in the video?

The video indicates that IPS monitors generally have lower input lag compared to VA monitors. The IPS monitor tested had one of the fastest input lags, while the VA monitor had one of the slowest among the tested monitors.

What does GTG stand for in the context of the video?

GTG stands for 'Gray to Gray,' which is a measurement of response time in monitors, indicating the time it takes for a pixel to change from one shade of gray to another.

What is overdrive in the context of monitor response time?

Overdrive is a setting in monitors that can be adjusted to improve the response time. Higher overdrive modes can result in faster response times but may also introduce issues like inverse ghosting or color overshoot.

What is the significance of the contrast ratio in monitors?

The contrast ratio is a measure of the difference between the brightest white and the darkest black that a monitor can display. A higher contrast ratio, as seen in VA panels, results in more visually appealing images, especially in games and multimedia content with varying lighting conditions.

What is the difference between sRGB and the 6500 Kelvin preset modes in terms of color accuracy?

The sRGB mode is designed for accurate color representation for web formats, locking the brightness at its maximum level for consistent color accuracy. The 6500 Kelvin preset mode allows for adjustable brightness and is more suitable for a wider color gamut, but may result in less accurate colors compared to sRGB.

What are the advantages of a VA panel over an IPS panel in terms of visual experience?

VA panels offer superior contrast ratios, less backlight bleed, and better brightness uniformity, making them more suitable for viewing darker content and providing a more uniform image.

What is the reviewer's subjective preference between IPS and VA panels for gaming?

The reviewer's subjective preference is for IPS panels, especially for hardcore competitive gaming, due to their generally better response times and lower input lag, despite the higher contrast ratios offered by VA panels.

Outlines

00:00

🖥️ IPS vs. VA Panel Technology: Choosing the Right Monitor

The video explores the differences between IPS (In-Plane Switching) and VA (Vertical Alignment) panel technologies, focusing on gaming performance and suitability for different users. The presenter, having reviewed over 200 monitors, provides subjective opinions and objective data. The video is sponsored by Philips, who provided two 23.8-inch monitors for comparison: an IPS model (24 m1n 3200za) and a VA model, both with full HD 165 Hertz refresh rates. The IPS panel is generally more expensive but offers better input lag and response times, which are crucial for competitive gamers. The VA panel, while slower, offers a higher contrast ratio, making it more suitable for casual gamers and those who value visual appeal and contrast in their gaming or media consumption.

05:00

🎮 Gaming Performance: Input Lag and Response Time

This section delves into the gaming performance of the two panel types, starting with input lag, where the IPS panel shows a slight advantage with minimal differences in the 'off' mode. The VA panel, while slower, still offers competitive performance, especially in higher overdrive modes. Response time, measured in GTG (gray-to-gray) transitions, is significantly better on the IPS panel, even when pushing the overdrive settings to the fastest, which can introduce some RGB overshoot. The VA panel, conversely, shows higher response times and more noticeable inverse ghosting at its fastest settings. The presenter emphasizes the importance of these factors for hardcore gamers but notes that for casual use or non-gaming tasks, these differences may be negligible.

10:01

🌈 Image Quality and Viewing Experience: Contrast and Color Accuracy

The video discusses the image quality and viewing experience of both panel types, highlighting the superior contrast ratio of the VA panel, which is particularly beneficial for visually appealing games and darker content. The IPS panel, while offering less contrast, provides better color accuracy and viewing angles, making it preferable for image editing and general use. The VA panel's 'VA smearing' is noted as a downside when high overdrive modes are selected. The presenter also touches on backlight bleed and brightness uniformity, where the VA panel outperforms the IPS panel, especially in darker content consumption. The summary concludes with the presenter's personal preference for an IPS panel due to its overall performance and visual experience, despite acknowledging the strengths of the VA panel in certain areas.

Keywords

💡IPS

IPS stands for In-Plane Switching, which is a technology used in liquid crystal displays (LCDs). It is known for its wide viewing angles and color accuracy. In the video, the IPS panel is compared with VA panels, emphasizing its performance in gaming, such as lower input lag and faster response times, which are crucial for competitive gaming.

💡VA

VA stands for Vertical Alignment, another type of LCD panel technology that offers high contrast ratios and deep blacks. The video script discusses the VA panel's performance in comparison to IPS, noting its generally slower response time but superior contrast, which is beneficial for viewing darker content.

💡Input Lag

Input lag refers to the delay between an input device (like a keyboard or mouse) and the display's reaction. It's a critical factor for gamers, as it affects gameplay responsiveness. The script mentions that IPS monitors generally have lower input lag, making them preferable for competitive gaming.

💡Response Time

Response time is the measure of how quickly a pixel can change from one color to another, typically measured in milliseconds. It's important for reducing motion blur in fast-moving scenes, like in gaming. The video script compares the response times of IPS and VA panels, noting that IPS generally has faster response times.

💡Overdrive

Overdrive is a setting in monitors that can speed up pixel response times to reduce ghosting effects. The script discusses the different overdrive modes available on the Philips monitors tested, and how they affect response time and overshoot (inverse ghosting).

💡RGB Overshoot

RGB overshoot occurs when the color response of a pixel extends beyond the desired color, causing color distortion. The script mentions that higher overdrive settings can lead to RGB overshoot, which can affect the visual experience in gaming or web browsing.

💡Contrast Ratio

Contrast ratio is the difference between the brightest white and the darkest black that a display can show. A higher contrast ratio generally leads to more vibrant and lifelike images. The video highlights that VA panels have a significantly higher contrast ratio than IPS panels, which is advantageous for certain types of content.

💡Backlight Bleed

Backlight bleed is an issue where light from the backlight of a display leaks around the edges or corners, causing uneven brightness. The script points out that IPS panels are more prone to backlight bleed compared to VA panels, which offer a more uniform image.

💡Color Gamut

Color gamut refers to the complete range of colors that a display can reproduce. The script discusses how the IPS and VA panels cover different percentages of the sRGB color space, with the IPS panel having a slightly wider gamut, which can be important for image editing or color-sensitive work.

💡Gamma

Gamma is a measure of the relationship between the input and output luminance levels in a display. It affects the overall brightness and contrast of the image. The script compares the gamma curves of the IPS and VA panels, noting that both are close to the ideal 2.2 standard, which is important for accurate color representation.

💡White Point

The white point of a display is the color temperature at which the colors appear neutral to the human eye. It's measured in Kelvin, and the script mentions the white points of the IPS and VA panels, indicating the color accuracy and temperature of the white tones in the display.

Highlights

Comparison between IPS and VA panel technologies for monitor selection.

Sponsorship by Philips for an unbiased comparison of their IPS and VA monitors.

Price difference between VA and IPS panels, with VA panels being generally cheaper.

Different variants of IPS technology, such as PLS and AHVA, are mentioned for clarity.

Input lag measurements show IPS panels to be faster, which is crucial for competitive gaming.

Importance of input lag depending on the user's gaming habits and needs.

Response time comparison with IPS panels generally offering better performance.

Overdrive modes impact on response time and the risk of inverse ghosting.

Visual On-Screen Response Time Test (OSRTT) tool used to demonstrate response time differences.

VA panels' higher overdrive modes can cause more smearing, impacting visual experience.

IPS panels excel in color accuracy and viewing angles, making them ideal for image editing and multimedia work.

VA panels offer superior contrast ratios, beneficial for visually appealing games and dark content consumption.

Backlight bleed and brightness uniformity are better on VA panels, especially for darker content.

IPS panels may have inherent backlight bleeds which can affect the viewing experience.

User preference plays a significant role in choosing between IPS and VA panels based on specific needs.

Call to action for viewers to share their preferences and engage with the content.

Transcripts

I've been wanting to do this video for

quite some time IPS versus VA which

panel technology should you pick and

what is actually right for you well in

this video I'll be giving you my own

subjective opinion as someone who's

reviewed over 200 monitors and objective

data so that you can actually make your

own informed decision now in order for

me to do this video I partnered up with

Philips who kindly sponsored it and here

they sent me two identical 23.8 inch

monitors they are already 24 m1n

3200za a full HD 165 Hertz IPS monitor

and the 24 m1n 3200 VA which is a full

HD 165 Hertz Monitor and as the name

might suggest a VA panel so to kick off

I do want to quickly touch upon the

overall asking price and here as a

general rule of thumb a VA panel is

going to be cheaper than an IPS panel

case in points are the Philips monitors

whereby at the time of filming and in in

the UK the IPS variant can be found for

roughly 200 pounds while the VA

equivalent can be found for roughly 190

pounds there's not much in between it

but if you do look at more expensive

monitors you might actually find that

there's a bigger discrepancy in terms of

the overall asking price now elsewhere I

would like to point out that IPS in

other words in plane switching is also

available in different variants such as

PLS which is plane to line switching and

ahv8 which is not to be confused with

vertical alignment in other words VA

monitors now of course in this video

we're concentrating on IPS and VA only

but if you want a little bit more

history about these different

Technologies when they were created and

where they are actually used do check

out the links in description below for

some more information so with all of

that in mind let's jump straight in and

talk about gaming performance and what

better way to kick off than talk about

input lag now here you will see two

different figures per monitor whereby

you've got an input lag off and on mode

and yes surprisingly the off mode seemed

to result in a slightly better figure

although the differences are absolutely

minimal and somewhat negligible however

what you should be looking at is the

difference between the IPS and the VA

panel and here you can see that the Za

is one of the fastest that I've tested

to date well the VA is one of the

slowest that I've tested the dates now

not all VA panels are equivalent and

indeed there will be some out there that

are faster than their equivalent IPS

alternative but as a general rule of

thumb and from my own subjective input

pun intended I have found that IPS

monitors seem to yield a better result

at least when it comes to input lag now

should you be concerned about input lag

well here it really depends as to the

use case of the monitor if you're a

hardcore competitive gamer like myself

then you will find that input lag is

absolutely one of the most important

things that you should look for on a

monitor if however you're a Casual Gamer

or indeed someone who's just browsing

the web or using it for let's say

development or multimedia work then

input lag won't be of any importance to

you and indeed over here both panel

technologies will be the same now to

further solidify the point on me

preferring an IPS monitor over a VA at

least when it comes to hardcore

Competitive Gaming I have to talk about

response time now here is measured in a

variety of different ways but the

industry standard seems to levitate

around greater grade transitions in

other words g to g and it's mentioned in

milliseconds it's always worth verifying

the manufacturer's claims with a

reviewer like myself now in this instant

these Philips monitors have got

different overdrive modes such as all

monitors out there on the market they

will have different overdrive modes for

you to select from why are they

important well the higher overdrive

modes that you select will give you a

faster average initial time or of course

a faster GTG time in this instance the

Philips monitors have got off fast

faster and fastest now to visualize it

I'm using the osrtt tool and here you

can see the IPS monitor with its

overdrive mode set to off with the

average initial time sitting at 9.25

milliseconds you'll find that at the

bottom left hand side of your screen do

also bear in mind the RGB overshoot

which we'll touch upon very shortly then

as we move to the fast mode preset you

can see the average initial time drops

to 8.79 milliseconds as we go down to

faster it gets down to 7.3 milliseconds

and as we go to the fastest mode presets

it gets to 5.5 milliseconds however you

can see on the RGB overshoot we start

incurring different colors whereby

you've got red orange and also yellow

now these effectively signify that

there's a little bit of inverse ghosting

although in this instance it's

absolutely minimal to the point where

I'll definitely suggest running the

fastest mode presets because you get the

best sort of response time on the

monitor however it's worth considering

that certain monitors aren't as capable

as said IPS monitor and as such in their

highest mode overdrive and thus their

fastest response time you will incur a

lot of inverse ghosting which

effectively is purple trailing and will

definitely throw off your shot speed if

you're a competitive gamer or indeed

incur a significant visual experience if

you're scrolling through text on the web

so what about the VA panel well here you

can see the overdrive off mode and an

average initial time of 17.12

milliseconds then we move over to the

fast mode and we drop down to 14.59

milliseconds on the faster mode preset

sitting at 12.26 milliseconds and

finally on the fastest mode presets we

sit at 10.41 milliseconds with slight

bit of inverse ghosting indeed over here

you are seeing a VA panel with 10.41

milliseconds in terms of its highest

overdrive mode competing with its near

identical IPA sibling that sits at 5.5

milliseconds yet again I am trying to

re-emphasize the point that an IPS panel

generally speaking will give you better

response time now again when it comes to

the overall response time this will be

of importance for those people who are

gaming in disrespect bits casually or in

terms of Hardcore gamers however for

those people who are browsing the web it

will pretty much be a non-issue whereby

a monitor with a very high response time

is not going to be something that you're

going to have to be worried about

however the visual experience which I

touched upon in terms of inverse

ghosting or indeed the purple trailing

is something that you want to consider

here VA panels have got a thing called a

VA smearing and of course it very much

is linked to the overall overdrive mode

that you select whereby the higher

overdrive modes will often incur a more

amount of smearing but in this instance

the differences between the IPS and VA

panel are Stark you can see here the UFO

ghosting test is very much clear on the

IPS monitor while you switch to the VA

panel you can see that no matter in

terms of the overdrive modes that is a

lot more apparent and this is very much

the case when you're looking at a

brighter image on a darker background

however it isn't much of an issue when

you're looking at a lighter image on a

lighter background now I don't want you

to get the impression that I dislike VA

panels far from it I just think that for

hardcore competitive Gamers an IPS panel

will likely be a better pick at least

when you look at the overall state of

the market now if you look at a VA panel

in my opinion these are a bit more tuned

for casual gamers despite what I've said

so far there are some others out there

that have got minimal input lag good

response time and also got minimal

amounts of va smearing and also give you

far superior contrast ratio just to put

into perspective these Philips monitors

were tested and here the VA panel

achieved a contrast ratio of a whopping

3100 to 1 while in comparison the IPS

equivalent got a measly 1 300 to 1 in

IPS terms that's actually still pretty

impressive however is no competition to

its VA sibling indeed here is scoring

more than double the contrast ratio and

therefore will be certainly better for

those people who have playing more

visually appealing games and want to

have a little bit more contrast when

they're panning from different scenes

now this does perfectly lead me onto

image quality and here both Philips

monitors have got a dedicated srgb

emulation mode which will be preferable

for image editors or video graders at

least who are working for the Web format

and then also different preset modes

such as the 6500 Kelvin option that you

can select through the OSD which doesn't

limit you in terms of the overall Peak

brightness that you can use because you

can adjust the brightness on the Fly

whereas the srgb mode locks it in place

at its maximum level now in srgb mode

with the IPS panel I had the gamut

coverage tested at 99.1 percent srgb and

again a volume tested at 108.4 percent

you can see below here how comparison

the srgb standards for the average delte

where lower is better I had 1.4 where

the maximum set at 2.62 both very

impressive figures as for the measured

white point it sat at 6

6710 Kelvin at one hundred percent while

the gamma curve sat quite close to the

2.2 standards now as we shift our

attention to the VA panel you can see

here that the gamma coverage and Gamma

volume is slightly different at 95.2

percent and 99.5

respectively it's actually a little bit

closer in comparison to the format as

you can see below but here the average

DLT does drop at 1.39 with the maximum

sitting at 5.97 while the gamma curve is

still quite close to the 2.2 standard

and the measured white point at 6792

Kelvin at 100 is certainly impressive

here when it comes to Raw image quality

the IPS model actually sticks out on top

now as we shift away from srgb and go on

to the 6500 Kelvin preset you can see

that the IPS monitor does indeed have a

white color gamut whereby it's hitting

the Adobe RGB and DC ip3 modes and

surpassing the srgb mode indeed over

here you can see the color accuracy is

unsurprisingly dropped in comparison to

the srgb standard where about average

LTE and the maximum delti sit at 2.96

and 7.51 respectively the measured white

point is still impressive at 6649 Kelvin

at 100 where the gamma curve is not too

far off now on the flip side the VA

panel actually does surprisingly well

outside of its srgb mode whereby its

gamma coverage is actually pretty

impressive in comparison to the 2.2

standard and as for its measured white

point it's pretty much bang on at

6541 Kelvin at 100 percent yet again

this is a wide color gamut monitor

therefore surpassing the srgb standard

and therefore it should come as no

surprise to see that the average LTE and

maximum delties have increased in other

words dropped in terms of oral color

accuracy at 3.4 and 9.6 respectively now

aside from the barrage of numbers what

I'll say subjectively is that when I was

comparing both I felt that an IPS

monitor just looked a little bit better

it popped in terms of colors it didn't

look as washed out and also had fast

Superior viewing angles therefore

resulting in a better experience of

course I don't expect people to be

looking at their monitor at extreme

angles but it's just something worth

considering and also some sort of

knowledge that you should know on birth

Technologies now on the flip side

however when I was looking at the images

that I shot of the Audi e-tron s for

totally EV I noted that the contrast

ratio of the VA panel was far superior

as I did mention before the VA panel is

able to produce far superior contrast

ratio and as such the red Audi e-tron

seemed to stand out a little bit more

from the Blurred background and

therefore produced better contrast ratio

now here a VA panel certainly has its

Forte but what really stands out more

than anything for you to consider a VA

panel over an IPS panel and of course if

this is of importance to you is the

overall backlight bleeds now here IPS

panels are very much inherent and have

some sort of ips bleeds while the

Philips monitor that I had didn't have

too much inherent IPS bleeds a VA panel

pretty much is non-existent and indeed

provides a much more uniform image

therefore being far more appealing if

you're playing or consuming much more

darker content in other words let's say

if you're playing a game such as Batman

or indeed you use dark mode for example

on Google Chrome then you might actually

appreciate that sort of contrast and

also lack of backlight bleeds on a VA

panel the same could be said about the

overall brightness uniformity which kind

of goes hand in hand with backlight

bleeds whereby the VA panel was fast

appeared than the IPS panel that was

tested this is somewhat panel Lottery

and you could potentially find an IPS

panel which is pretty perfect but again

as a general rule of thumb a IPS panel

where it comes to backlight bleed

brightness uniformity and also contrast

ratio will be far outclassed by a VA

alternative so there we have it a

detailed breakdown of ips and VA panel

Technologies hopefully you've

appreciated both the objective and

subjective data that I've provided and

I've been treated here which one you

would pick down the comments section

Below in my case I would much prefer an

IPS panel and as such I can see myself

buying the Philips IPS variant if you

want buy links to the monitors that I've

mentioned do check them down in the

description below now yet again I would

like to thank Phillips for sponsoring

this video and also allowing me to do

such a detailed breakdown of the

Technologies it's a real privilege to be

able to competitor to and given they

come from the same manufacturer it gives

it somewhat of a Level Playing Field now

if you've appreciated this content and

want to see more and want to help

support the channel definitely do drop a

like subscribe and hit that Bell

notification all of which are greatly

appreciated as such I've been totally

dubbed and I'll hopefully see your next

one take care of yourselves and goodbye