Term of the Moment
iPod touch
Definition: IPS panel
(In-Plane Switching panel) An active matrix LCD screen technology developed by Hitachi in the mid-1990s that provides more uniform color reproduction and greater viewing angles than traditional twisted nematic (TN) LCDs. Maturing for more than a decade, IPS was deployed in iPads and various Android tablets. Viewers appreciate the wide angle and color quality, because tablets are widely used as movie players and photo albums.
In-Plane Twisting
With IPS, the liquid crystal molecules remain parallel to the front and back polarizers rather than turning perpendicular when a voltage is applied. TN LCDs have electrodes at top and bottom panels, whereas IPS uses an electrode pair at the bottom. However, the extra transistor on the bottom panel blocks some light and requires a stronger backlight and more power.
Lots of Names
IPS technology is branded as "Super TFT," "Super-IPS" (S-IPS), "Advanced Super-IPS," "Enhanced S-IPS" and so on. See LCD, LCD subpixels and active matrix.
IPS vs. TN
In-Plane Twisting
With IPS, the liquid crystal molecules remain parallel to the front and back polarizers rather than turning perpendicular when a voltage is applied. TN LCDs have electrodes at top and bottom panels, whereas IPS uses an electrode pair at the bottom. However, the extra transistor on the bottom panel blocks some light and requires a stronger backlight and more power.
Lots of Names
IPS technology is branded as "Super TFT," "Super-IPS" (S-IPS), "Advanced Super-IPS," "Enhanced S-IPS" and so on. See LCD, LCD subpixels and active matrix.
When energized, the liquid crystals in an IPS screen twist in the same plane ("in plane") as the panels. In the common twisted nematic (TN) display, the crystals become more perpendicular to the top panel. See LCD subpixels.