📐 "Colors shift/wash out when viewed from sides" (Panel type viewing angles)
What's happening: Panel technology determines viewing angle performance. IPS (In-Plane Switching): 178° horizontal/vertical spec, maintains 95%+ color accuracy at 45° angles, minimal contrast shift (<15% at 60°). VA (Vertical Alignment): ~160° effective angle, brightness drops 30-40% at 45° horizontal, gamma shift causes color tinting. TN (Twisted Nematic): ~140° horizontal, severe contrast/color inversion from vertical angles - blacks turn gray, whites yellow.
Specific measurements: TFTCentral tests show IPS panels (LG 27GP850, ASUS VG279QM) maintain > 90% brightness at 60° angles with Delta E < 3. VA panels (Samsung Odyssey G7, MSI MAG274QRF-QD) drop to 60% brightness at 45° side angles, Delta E jumps to 8-12. TN panels (ASUS VG258Q) show 50%+ brightness loss at 30° from top/bottom, extreme color shifts (blue → yellow, black → gray).
✅ Solution: View monitors straight-on (perpendicular, 90°). For IPS: Position at eye level, slight downward tilt (5-10°) OK. For VA: Avoid viewing from above/below - mount monitor lower for downward viewing. For TN: Strict eye-level positioning required, no multi-user viewing. Gaming: TN acceptable (single user), IPS best for wide seating. Content creation: IPS mandatory for color accuracy. Upgrade path: IPS → OLED (perfect viewing angles) if color critical.
🎨 "Colors look different from the side vs center" (Delta E shift, sRGB gamut compression)
What's happening: Off-angle viewing compresses color gamut and shifts hue/saturation. At 45° viewing angle: IPS shows Delta E 2-4 shift (barely noticeable), VA shows Delta E 8-15 (visible color error), TN shows Delta E 15-25+ (severe distortion). sRGB gamut coverage drops: IPS maintains 95-98%, VA drops to 75-85%, TN drops to 60-70%. Reds shift toward orange, blues toward cyan, greens toward yellow.
Real-world impact: Photo/video editing: Colors appear correct on-axis but print/export differently than side preview. Multi-monitor setups: Center monitor looks different than side monitors angled inward. Shared viewing: Others see washed-out, color-shifted image. Colorimeters (X-Rite i1Display Pro, Datacolor SpyderX) measure < Delta E 2 on-axis but 10+ off-axis on VA/TN panels. Professional color work requires Delta E < 2 at working angles.
✅ Solution: IPS panels only for color-critical work. Check RTINGS/TFTCentral "Color Shift" graphs - < 5% luminance variance = good IPS (LG 27GP950, Dell U2723DE). > 20% variance = poor VA/TN. Calibrate display at exact viewing position using colorimeter in center-screen position. For multi-monitor: Use identical IPS panels, position symmetrically. VA acceptable for media consumption but not color grading. Gaming: TN color shift less critical for competitive play but avoid for cinematic games.
💡 "Screen gets darker when looking from above/below" (Brightness falloff, 50% drop at 45° for TN)
What's happening: LCD panels show directional brightness loss due to liquid crystal alignment. TN panels worst: 50-60% brightness drop at 45° vertical angle (300 nits center → 120-150 nits at angle). Asymmetric: Looking down preserves more brightness than looking up (crystal twist direction). VA panels moderate: 30-40% brightness loss at 45° any direction. IPS best: 10-15% brightness drop at 45°, symmetric all directions.
Why vertical worse than horizontal: LCD crystals twist in one axis. TN twists 90° vertically causing severe vertical angle dependence. VA crystals align perpendicular to panel causing radial falloff. IPS rotates in plane causing minimal directional preference. Real-world: TN laptop lifted/lowered dramatically changes visibility. VA TV mounted too high causes dim, washed appearance from couch. IPS maintains brightness from all seating positions.
✅ Solution: Position display at eye level - top of screen at or slightly below eye height. For TN: Strict eye-level critical, use adjustable stand (VESA mount recommended). For VA TV: Mount lower than typical (eye level to center or top third, not ceiling-height). For IPS: More forgiving positioning. Increase brightness if viewing from non-optimal angle (compensates for falloff). Sit 0-10° above/below screen center axis. Laptop users: Tilt screen back to maintain perpendicular viewing as position changes.
⚫ "Blacks turn gray/blue when viewed from above/below" (Gamma shift, TN color inversion)
What's happening: Gamma curve shifts with viewing angle causing black level elevation and color inversion. Target gamma 2.2 (sRGB): 0% input → 0 cd/m² output (true black). At 45° angle on TN: gamma drops to 1.8-2.0, blacks display at 5-10 cd/m² (dark gray). VA panels: gamma shifts to 2.5-2.6 at angles, blacks stay deep but midtones darken excessively. IPS: gamma remains 2.1-2.3 across angles (minimal shift).
TN color inversion effect: Extreme angles (60°+) cause TN pixel inversion - blacks display brighter than whites, image becomes negative. Physics: Light leakage through twisted crystals at extreme angles. Laptops with TN panels: Tilting too far causes "washed out" appearance (blacks → light gray). Gaming monitors with TN: Viewing from above/below shows gray instead of shadow detail in dark game scenes (Resident Evil, Dark Souls shadows become visible).
✅ Solution: IPS panels mandatory if black level preservation critical (movie watching, dark game scenes). For existing TN: View strictly perpendicular - use adjustable monitor arm to match changing head position. Increase "Black Level" or "Brightness" in OSD slightly if viewing from angle (compensates gamma shift but reduces contrast). For VA: Acceptable black levels maintained at moderate angles (30°) but avoid extreme angles. OLED ultimate solution: Perfect black levels from all angles (LG 27GR95QE, ASUS ROG Swift OLED).
🔍 "How do I know if I have IPS, VA, or TN?" (Panel identification methods)
What's happening: Manufacturers often don't specify panel type in marketing. Visual tests: Display pure black fullscreen, view from 45° side angle - TN shows gray/blue shift immediately, VA shows moderate darkening, IPS maintains deep black. Display grayscale gradient, view from above - TN shows color banding and inversion, VA shows gamma darkening, IPS remains consistent. IPS glow test: Dark room, display black, look at corners from angle - IPS shows purple/white "glow," VA/TN don't.
Response time correlation: Advertised 1ms GtG = likely TN or Fast IPS. 4-5ms = IPS. 8ms+ = VA (unless MPRT/backlight strobing spec). Contrast ratio: 600-1000:1 native = TN or IPS. 2500-6000:1 native = VA. Check specs or reviews (RTINGS, TFTCentral, Hardware Unboxed measure native contrast). Budget gaming monitors (<$200) usually TN. Mid-range ($300-500) IPS. Curved monitors often VA (except recent Fast IPS curved).
✅ Solution: Check manufacturer specs PDF (not marketing page) for "panel technology." Search monitor model + "panel type" on RTINGS or TFTCentral - they disassemble and verify. Software: TFT Test 2.0 has viewing angle test patterns. Physical test: Display this page's grayscale gradient, move head side-to-side - significant color shift = TN/VA, minimal shift = IPS. Check your monitor OSD menu - some list panel type in "Information" section. High viewing angles needed: Buy IPS/OLED only. Fast response needed: TN or Fast IPS (AU Optronics Nano IPS).