What are TFT panel monitors?

[Noob333]

Is TFT/active matrix an actual type of panel for monitors? I am very confused with the term. I know that there has been another thread about this but, I wasn't able to understand it on this link http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/57485-3-tomshardware jaguarskx says, "TFT is basically another way of saying 'LCD panel'. TFT does not refer to any specific panel technology". That doesn't make any sense to me, how can you not have any specific panel tech? I don't understand that so, in the specifications of monitors you can just put TFT down for panel type and that basically means N/A? I tried to understand the Wikipedia page on it and that was even less helpful. Can someone please describe in depth TFT? I have done research and have some basic knowledge on what IPS, TN, VA, PLS, and AHVA but, when I see TFT I have no idea what they are talking about. So, to sum up what really is TFT? And, how does it compare to the other 5 major panel types?

 

[Suzuki@1473780084@1473780163]

TFT-LCD is an improvement over just an LCD. And there are even more improvments done, modern monitors use IPS-LCD, MVA-LCD, TN-LCD. It's nothing you really have to worry about. As for understanding it, it's always best to look at a video, or pictures--because text isn't always the best way to learn. Anyways: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thin-film-transistor_liquid-crystal_display

 

[Noob333]

Thank you for your help! So technically the full name for most monitors goes something like this "(TFT) IPS-OLED-LCD" damn if all those weren't abbreviated then you would think that they were trying to type a paragraph. So you did answer my question TFT is it's own type of monitor. And, you said that TN, VA, IPS, etc were improvements over (though you didn't really explain how). So, I think my question is answered enough unless you want to explain a little bit more but, thank you.

 

[Suzuki@1473780084@1473780163]

Monitor manufacturers don't mention any of that, bud. They focus on what's going to sell them, REFRESH RATE, and RESPONSE TIME. Even though (Pixel) Response Time, is not input delay (time it takes for your input to appear on screen), a lot of people still think it is. But who is blaming them, they are a company to make money. There are constantly upgrades/updates being done on monitors and displays in general, without looking deep into the specs or third party sources that disected the displays, it's near impossible to say what exactly is going on inside of them.

OLED is not an LCD. OLED is far above LCD. LG are currently manufacturing OLED displays (TV's).

 

[Noob333]

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=1015240&gclid=Cj0KEQjw27etBRDA3-ux4p3c58EBEiQAkJzTAJsOZfXFYaW0x4FtQVGJQpywZpkwmmi-XM2ynwSG0WwaAkFn8P8HAQ&is=REG&m=Y&Q=&A=details

^Just saying. But, I was wrong, LED-LCD is what I should have said. OLED-LCD monitors are extremely rare and extremely expensive but, they do exist. So what is response time then? You said that what I, and most people believe it is, isn't true. I would like to know what response time really is. Why do so many people have it wrong?

 

[Suzuki@1473780084@1473780163]

OLED is not an LCD (yes LCD's are LED-edge lit). OLED displays are much thinner than LCD's and consumes less power. The monitor you linked is really expensive though, there are great OLED TV's out there made by LG. Higher end phones currently use AMOLED screens also.

----

Response time (pixel changing color....):

It's currently being marketed infront of every single gaming monitor, because lower is better... Wrong. On a 60 Hz display, anything below 16 ms is fast enough to not produce any ghosting. It's important to note that a 60 Hz display is LIMITED to 16.67 ms. Which means anything lower is useless anyways. Older displays this number could be way higher than 16.67, and not cause any major ghosting. So build quality is a huge factor. A cheap TN marketed at a low response time, can in reality have a much higher response time than an IPS display -- OUTSIDE of whatever manufacturers test lab.

1 / 60 = 0.0166667 ~16.67

What this means is that even what used to be very slow = IPS-LCD's, are no longer slow. Or expensive to for that matter, and definitely more common. Modern IPS displays are already down to 5 ms of pixel response time, while "gaming" monitors are down to 1 ms. However, in reality it's not 1 ms, because it's measured in Grey to Grey. This means that it's shifting from grey to grey, and whatever is fastest the manufacturer is going to market, no matter how inaccurate it is.

We used to measure this in Black to white to Black, which is far more accurate!

Before moving on, let me explain what ghosting is. Ghosting is when a monitors response time is so slow (or LIMITED by it's refresh rate) that during fast motion/movement on screen, you will see a ghost image of something that moved fast in the previous frame. Ghosting is often mistaken by Motion Blur, which is also an artifact, but can be found in game settings...

Slower than:

[60 Hz] 16.67 ms

[120 Hz] 8.3 ms

[144 Hz] 6.9 ms

Will create major ghosting -- non-existent in the modern market, including in IPS-LCD's.

As you can see, that is what a monitor at their refresh rates are capable of. Higher the refresh rate, the lower (faster) response time is required. This is what is going to get rid of the super old artifact known as ghosting, sure won't find that in the modern market though...

That is what the 1 ms, 5 ms, 10 ms, 20 ms number infront of a monitor is referring to, not input delay... Currently, in the modern market -- IPS and TN displays are equal in terms of input delay (a spec not a single manufacturer is ever going to list, anywhere).

Respone time = Advertised everywhere
Input delay = Advertised nowhere, ever




My best explanation on how this affect consumers...

 

[Noob333]

Yeah that response was awesome! Thanks

 

[Noob333]

Since you seem so knowledgeable what are some quality monitors all around good, that have higher than 60hz refresh rate (and that DON'T have the "Soap Opera Effect"), that are between 22" and 27", and are a good value (bang for your buck)?

 

[Noob333]

Is the "Soap Opera Effect" really an issue? I hear that it can be with many monitors above 120hz. Though, I have heard some do not have as much of a problem with it.