var pop_6bitcolor;pop_6bitcolor = ['', 'TN LCDs display only 6-bit color, not genuine true color
TN LCD panels represent colors using only 6 bits per RGB color, instead of 8, and thus are not able to display the 16.7 million color shades (24-bit true color) that are available from modern graphics cards.
Instead, these panels display interpolated 24-bit color using a dithering method that combines adjacent pixels to simulate the desired shade. They can also use Frame Rate Control (FRC), which cycles pixels on and off to simulate a given shade.
These color simulation methods are noticeable to most people and bothersome to some. FRC tends to be most noticeable in darker tones, while dithering appears to make the individual pixels of the LCD visible. Overall, color reproduction and linearity on TN panels is poor.
Source: Wikipedia, "Thin film transistor liquid crystal display"
TN LCD technology
TN (Twisted Nematic) LCD panels are the most widely used panel type as they are cheap and offer excellent response times, making them perfect for fast-paced gaming. The response times of current TN panels range from 2ms to 5ms.
However, color reproduction, viewing angles and contrast ratios of TN panels are the worst of any LCD panel technology. Unlike most 8-bit S-IPS/S-PVA/MVA panels, TN panels are only 6-bit and unable to display the full 16.7 million colors available in 24-bit true color. They can mimick the 16.7 million colors of 8-bit panels using a technique called dithering, but the results are unimpressive.
TN panels have become popular with the average user because they are very inexpensive. They are also the most popular panels currently being used in 22" widescreen monitors, a very popular size. Many of these 22" TN panels are around the same price or cheaper than other 20" monitors with different panel types, so it is easy to see how how they gained popularity. Afterall, the average user buys a monitor based on price and size. .
Source: PCHardwareHelp.com, "LCD Panel Technology Explained"
LCD Technology Spotlight:
In Plane Switching (IPS)
Beyond the specs: quality you can see
H-IPS and S-IPS LCD technology deliver ultra-wide viewing angles with vivid, saturated colors and great color fidelity.
While other LCD technologies claim wide viewing angle specifications, no other technology delivers such consistent colors and contrast, with virtually no color shift, at any viewing angle. This is "quality beyond the specs," because industry viewing angle specs do not account for falloff of image quality from off-center angles. Displays can have similar viewing angle specs (by standard industry definitions), with radical differences in color shift and contrast at oblique angles.
IPS LCD technology is an ideal choice for multi-screen arrays, where oblique viewing angles are common for secondary screens.
Digital Tigers Zenview Elite series monitors use H-IPS technology, and Zenview 20 Pro series monitors use S-IPS technology. H-IPS and S-IPS LCDs are manufactured by LG Display for a variety of leading monitor brands, who contribute distribution and the name on the bezel.
With LCD monitors, it\'s not the brand but the technology inside that matters.
LCD Technology Spotlight:
Samsung S-PVA
Beyond the specs: quality you can see
Samsung latest S-PVA LCD technology delivers wide viewing angles with greater fidelity than ever before.
Previously only IPS LCD technology could achieve top image quality from wide viewing angles, but now Samsung S-PVA offers a very strong alternative. At 22", 27" and 30" screen sizes, Samsung S-PVA can legitimately claim to be equal (or better than) IPS LCDs, while typically being more affordable than IPS screens.
Demonstration at right:
Witness the extraordinary viewing angles of Zenview 22 Pro series, based on Samsung S-PVA technology. The photographs at right show the viewing angles of these screens from the sides, top and below.
Industry expert PRAD, based in Germany, called this S-PVA performance "the best that the 22-inch WSXGA resolution sector has to offer when it comes to image quality and viewing angles."
Digital Tigers Zenview 22 Pro, Zenview Elite XL and Zenview Ultra Elite series monitors use Samsung S-PVA technology. Samsung manufacturers S-PVA LCDs for a variety of leading monitor brands, who contribute distribution and the name on the bezel.
With LCD monitors, it\'s not the brand but the technology inside that matters.
Test your monitor
At right is a simple grayscale test with 15 checkerboard patterns, representing a range of 256 levels of gray. Using a professional monitor, you should be able to see all 15 patterns.
If you can\'t see some of the patterns, your monitor is operating below the imaging standard of Digital Tigers professional monitors.
In some cases, even high-quality monitors need calibration or are simply set too bright. Try experimenting with the brightness and contrast settings of your monitor.
