IPS Panel
IPS is a type of LCD panel whose liquid crystals turn sideways, which keeps colour and brightness steady when the screen is seen from an angle.
On this page 3 sections
IPS stands for In-Plane Switching. It is a kind of LCD screen, so it needs a separate backlight behind the panel to make light.
How it works
An LCD has a layer of liquid crystals that twist to let light through or block it. In an IPS panel, the crystals rotate flat, parallel to the glass, instead of standing up and tilting. Because they stay in the same plane, light leaves the screen more evenly. Colour and brightness change very little when the screen is seen from the side, and the picture does not fade or shift in tint as easily as on older twisted-nematic panels.
What it is known for
- Wide viewing angles, usually quoted as 178 degrees.
- Good colour accuracy, which is why IPS is common on screens used for photo and video work.
- Response times that were once slower than other LCD types, though modern IPS screens have narrowed the gap.
What it does not promise
IPS describes how the crystals are arranged, not how good the whole screen is. The backlight stays on behind dark areas, so blacks look greyer than on OLED, where each pixel makes its own light. Brightness, contrast, colour coverage and refresh rate differ from one IPS screen to another, so the label alone says nothing about them.