www.techmind.org logo
by W.A. Steer  PhD
Back to contentsAbout...

 

LCD evaluation

Colours on an LCD monitor are not as reliable as on a correctly set-up CRT. Despite manufacturers figures boasting huge viewing angle, the reality is that often many colours vary markedly for even small changes in viewing angle.

LCD monitor: viewing-angle dependence

Manufacturers claims of huge viewing angles (e.g. >140 degrees) can be very misleading. These figures usually refer to the viewing angle for which text-contrast (i.e. black/white contrast) exceeds 10:1. [Note that straight-on "normal" viewing condition contrast is typically >200:1.]

In reality, with all but the newest designs, colour or hue change quite significantly over small changes in viewing angle... as small as the difference between looking at the top of the screen and the bottom!

The "swatch" below has columns of squares of equal R-G-B colour; on many LCDs they will appear lighter towards the bottom of the screen. The effect becomes more pronounced the closer the viewer gets to the screen.

 
 
2d2d2d
 
ff4040
 
40ff40
 
4040ff
 
404040
 
ff8080
 
80ff80
 
8080ff
 
808080
(18% grey)
 
 
 		                  
 
 		    
 
 		                  
 
 		    
 
 		                  
 
 		    
 
 		                  
 
 		    
 
 		                  
 
 		    
 
 		                  
 
 		    
 
 		                  
 
 		    
 
 		                  
 
 		    
 
 		                  
 
 		    
On Internet Explorer, you can switch to full-screen (and back) using F11. You might also want to set the toolbar to auto-hide (right-button menu when in full-screen mode).

There's not much you can do about this, and once again it is not a warrantee issue! Some newer screens break each colour sub-pixel into 4 quadrants with different LC alignment and I believe this helps a great extent.

[BACK] to LCD main page
Created: September 2004
Last modified: 18 September 2004
Source: http://www.techmind.org/lcd/colour.html

©2004 William Andrew Steer
andrew@techmind.org