Is it time to ditch TN panels?

Is it time to ditch TN panels?  Frankly, based on all of the forum posts and e-mails we've received on this topic, a lot of people think the answer to this question is that throwing in the trash would be more than they deserve.  Monitors built with TN panels, they argue, are hardly worth the pixels it takes to spell out their two letter name.

At this point, though, it might be worth explaining what all the fuss is about. 

LCD computer monitor and television screen manufacturers have a choice between three different types of panel, the board which holds the pixels that show an image:

• The most expensive of the three is losing popularity partly because of its high price but also because it often shows a very washed-out black.  Nevertheless, IPS panels can still be found in some screens made by Apple, which is almost the only company to remain faithful to this product

• The most highly sought after panels use xVA technology.  Referred to as PVA panels when made by Samsung and MVA by almost everybody else, these screens have a very deep black, with responsive pixels and good all-round viewing angles.  In general, these are reasonable panels and well thought-of.

• Most popular, however, are TN panels.  They are the cheapest, and found almost without exception in entry level monitors.  Some people, though, hate them, because they have a very poor viewing angle, with the image veering towards black whenever the screen is tilted too far.  So, whenever we give a TN screen a good review, a storm of protest erupts on our forums.

But are they really as bad as all that?  We beg to differ.  For one thing, a lot of them have great reactivity, which is perfect for video games.  And then there's their power consumption: TN screens are simply a lot more energy efficient than either of the other two technologies. 

Finally, while the vertical viewing angles can be disappointing, and often worse than indicated on the somewhat dubious technical specifications supplied by manufacturers, the horizontal viewing angle is often a lot wider, and sometimes better than that offered by VA panels.  Unless you stand on a chair to look down on your TV, most TN panels are actually more suited to showing movies than VA panels.  Viewers on either side will benefit from a much clearer image, with better contrast and sharper colors, especially given that TNs have excellent blacks.

PVA: Dell 2408WFP

TN: Samsung T240HD

As our regular forum posters point out, looking at TN screens from above below often leads to very noticeable differences in brightness.  Positioning oneself at one corner of a TN screen and looking diagonally across to the opposite corner, the far edges can seem disappointingly dark.  We always report this worrying trend when we come across it in our tests.

PVA: Dell 2408WFP

TN: Samsung T220HD

In Conclusion

We know that some people plump for VA technology because it avoids nasty surprises.  Nevertheless, there's no need to do away TN panels straight away.  They have their good sides, and even outperform some VAs.  As with everything else, it all depends on your priorities.  Which do you prefer, energy efficiency and a good side-to-side viewing angle, or a better vertical viewing angle?

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