IPS glow

[thejunglegod]

I've used a TN panel all my life and I've read that its colors and viewing angles are nowhere near in comparison to a TN panel. So I thought of investing in a good IPS monitor. The XB270HU since it'll be a considerable jump for me considering I've always gamed at 1080p and 60Hz.
Then I came across the terms Backlight bleed and IPS glow. These bright yellow glows across the corners of screens and people seem to be fine with it. They say it's one of the few nuances of using a TN panel. How can people be ok with a big glow in the corners while gaming where usually that comprises of the minimap, inventory slot etc?
Some of them say that if you're really lucky, you will get a panel with no glow. How the hell am I supposed to make an investment of such huge proportions on a product that is not even guaranteed to deliver.
In other videos I see this particular monitor hailed as the best monitor out there.
TL,DR: Please, is an IPS panel worth the risk of an IPS glow/backlight bleed or should I just stick to a similar spec TN panel?

 

[Newbian]

If it's too bright you can return it as faulty and hopefully get a replacement.

 

[thejunglegod]

I haven't got it yet. Just deciding whether it is a good idea to.

 

[Newbian]

I haven't got it yet. Just deciding whether it is a good idea to.

This is the time to go with a brick and mortar store that will price match sites like amazon / newegg to make returns easier and possibly test before you walk out the store with it provided the store has a decent return policy.

 

[Piroko]

Eh there are two terms mixed here.

Backlight bleed can happen with any panel that has an active backlight. The bright corners on this image are a nice example:
http://www.ipadforums.net/wallpapers/data/500/iPad_2_backlight_bleed.JPG

IPS glow by itself looks more like this:
http://cdn.overclock.net/8/81/81ca8f06_benq1.jpeg
In a dark room with a black image you'll notice that the IPS panel just can't get its blacks to be completely black. It's distracting to some people and there are other screen technologies that certainly do it better (VA, OLED), but I don't game without at least some light in the room (easier on the eyes and makes the backlit keyboard less distracting...) and I see the wider viewing angles along with the better color reproduction as far outweighting the slight black glow that I only notice once in a while. Also, it's a complete non-issue during the day imho.

Here's another image that demonstrates both issues in one screen:
http://cdn.overclock.net/4/46/46c25e38_vg278h072.jpeg
The bright spot in the lower right is some terrible and very noticeable backlight bleed. The general glow of this panel (lower left) is IPS glow. But also take note of how overexposed the top menu bar is, in reality the IPS glow would be a lot darker.

On a sidenote, most midrange/highend Smartphones have IPS screens, you can do a quick test with a mostly black image that way to see how it looks.

 

[Squeetard]

Smartphones are OLED.

 

[thejunglegod]

Eh there are two terms mixed here.

Backlight bleed can happen with any panel that has an active backlight. The bright corners on this image are a nice example:
http://www.ipadforums.net/wallpapers/data/500/iPad_2_backlight_bleed.JPG

IPS glow by itself looks more like this:
http://cdn.overclock.net/8/81/81ca8f06_benq1.jpeg
In a dark room with a black image you'll notice that the IPS panel just can't get its blacks to be completely black. It's distracting to some people and there are other screen technologies that certainly do it better (VA, OLED), but I don't game without at least some light in the room (easier on the eyes and makes the backlit keyboard less distracting...) and I see the wider viewing angles along with the better color reproduction as far outweighting the slight black glow that I only notice once in a while. Also, it's a complete non-issue during the day imho.

Here's another image that demonstrates both issues in one screen:
http://cdn.overclock.net/4/46/46c25e38_vg278h072.jpeg
The bright spot in the lower right is some terrible and very noticeable backlight bleed. The general glow of this panel (lower left) is IPS glow. But also take note of how overexposed the top menu bar is, in reality the IPS glow would be a lot darker.

On a sidenote, most midrange/highend Smartphones have IPS screens, you can do a quick test with a mostly black image that way to see how it looks.

Wow, ok. That doesn't look too bad. I just wanted to know if the glow is visible only when the screen is black or is it visible even when there is something else on screen?

 

[Piroko]

Smartphones are OLED.

No. Many are IPS LCDs. Examples:
Xperia Z5, Z5 Compact
iPhone 6, 6+, 6s

Samsung tends to use mostly OLED nowadays.

 

[Gryz]

Wow, ok. That doesn't look too bad. I just wanted to know if the glow is visible only when the screen is black or is it visible even when there is something else on screen?

I had a XB270HU on my desk for a few days. I found the ips-glow unacceptable. At the time, I've read a lot of threads about the new monitor, and seen a bunch of pictures. I believe that all monitors that use these new AUO-panels are having exactly the same ips-glow. I don't believe that "some are perfect" or even that some have a lesser amount of ips-glow. I believe that some people just aren't bothered.

How much you are bother is subjective. Do you mind paying 700 euros for a monitor that irritates you some times ? And most importantly: do you play a lot of dark games ? And do you play in a darkened room, or at night ? Or do you play during daytime with bright sunlight, or with bright lights in your room ?

The room in my house where I have my computer has one room (garden-door) with shades that let through half the light. And most importantly, I play my games mostly at night. The lights in my room are pretty dim. Even with brightness at 15% or 12%, ips-glow will be very noticable.

And I play a lot of dark games. Right now I'm playing Dark Souls 3. Before that I played Dark Souls 1. Last few years I've played The Witcher 3, Dishonored, Skyrim and Dying Light. All games that have maps that happen during the night. With dark dungeons under-ground. I've replayed Thief 1 last year. I've played an indy called The Old City Leviathan. All of those games have large portions that are shadowy, or even pretty dark.

For me, the ips-glow was terrible. Especially in the lower right corner. It was as if there was a bright yellow lamp, reflecting off of the screen. I could just not see what was there, it was just a yellow blob, hiding any detail that should have been there. After 2 days, I was fed up with it. I've sent the XB270HU back.

So give it a try yourself.
There is no perfect monitor on the market right now, not even if you can afford $10k or whatever ridiculous amount. All monitors have drawbacks, or lack features. So you have to make a trade-off anyway. Not an easy choice.

 

[thejunglegod]

I had a XB270HU on my desk for a few days. I found the ips-glow unacceptable. At the time, I've read a lot of threads about the new monitor, and seen a bunch of pictures. I believe that all monitors that use these new AUO-panels are having exactly the same ips-glow. I don't believe that "some are perfect" or even that some have a lesser amount of ips-glow. I believe that some people just aren't bothered.

How much you are bother is subjective. Do you mind paying 700 euros for a monitor that irritates you some times ? And most importantly: do you play a lot of dark games ? And do you play in a darkened room, or at night ? Or do you play during daytime with bright sunlight, or with bright lights in your room ?

The room in my house where I have my computer has one room (garden-door) with shades that let through half the light. And most importantly, I play my games mostly at night. The lights in my room are pretty dim. Even with brightness at 15% or 12%, ips-glow will be very noticable.

And I play a lot of dark games. Right now I'm playing Dark Souls 3. Before that I played Dark Souls 1. Last few years I've played The Witcher 3, Dishonored, Skyrim and Dying Light. All games that have maps that happen during the night. With dark dungeons under-ground. I've replayed Thief 1 last year. I've played an indy called The Old City Leviathan. All of those games have large portions that are shadowy, or even pretty dark.

For me, the ips-glow was terrible. Especially in the lower right corner. It was as if there was a bright yellow lamp, reflecting off of the screen. I could just not see what was there, it was just a yellow blob, hiding any detail that should have been there. After 2 days, I was fed up with it. I've sent the XB270HU back.

So give it a try yourself.
There is no perfect monitor on the market right now, not even if you can afford $10k or whatever ridiculous amount. All monitors have drawbacks, or lack features. So you have to make a trade-off anyway. Not an easy choice.

Holy shit. This is exactly what i was talking about in the OP. Most people say that it is due to bad luck that you get backlight bleed or IPS glow.
Did you ask for a replacement for this model? Or did you get somehting else in its stead? I was looking to go for the Asus PG279Q ROG swift which is IPS but now i'm pretty skeptical. I think i'll opt for the TN version PG278Q.

 

[Gryz]

Most people say that it is due to bad luck that you get backlight bleed or IPS glow.

Most people on the Internet talking about technology have absolutely no clue what they are talking about. I closely watched threads about this specific monitor for weeks. (Note that I am the originator of the sticky thread in this forum: "All G-Sync and FreeSync monitors. Out and upcoming". I did put in quite some time to figure out what I wanted). And I have never seen someone post a picture of a XB270HU that did not have noticeable ips-glow. Or one of the Asus monitors with the same panel. I just don't believe that there are better and worse samples of these monitors. I think they all have ips-glow.

Did you ask for a replacement for this model? Or did you get somehting else in its stead? I was looking to go for the Asus PG279Q ROG swift which is IPS but now i'm pretty skeptical. I think i'll opt for the TN version PG278Q.

I asked for a replacement, but at that time the monitors were in very low supply. (It was the first week they were out). So I got my money back. About 4 weeks later I ordered another one, from another webshop. I suspect it was from a new batch, made later than the first model I had. When I turned that 2nd monitor on, during switch-on time, you get a black screen with the Acer logo. It was immediately clear that that 2nd monitor had exactly the same ips-glow as the first. Even a little worse. So I sent that one back the same day.

I think all current 144Hz IPS 2560x1440 G-Sync and FreeSync monitors use the same panel from AUO. Or at least panels with the same technology. They all have this problem with ips-glow.

As I said, you should see it for yourself. And be sure to watch it not only during the afternoon on a bright day. But also during the evening. I didn't notice the problem at first, but as soon as it got evening, it was very obvious.

I decided to buy an Acer Z35. 21:9 monitor, with G-Sync and ULMB. It has a VA-panel. VA-panels are known to have almost just as good colors as IPS. But much better blacks. And no glow at all. VA-panels do have some drawbacks, but I like my Z35 a lot better than the XB270HU. Biggest drawback of the Z35 is the fact it is only 2560x1080. But then, such a resolution gives you much higher framerates at comparable quality-settings. E.g. when I run the Witcher 3 with everything maxed, only hairworks turned off, my average fps is under 60. With a brand new gtx1080. Some people swear they must have 2560x1440, but I think 2560x1080 is very acceptable, and gives you other benefits (like being able to configure more eyecandy).
The Z35 was frigging expensive though. I paid 1100 euros for mine. I'm not sure it is worth the money. I like it for myself, but not sure I can recommend it to others. But then, I wouldn't know any monitors I can recommend others. They all have some strong points and some weak points.

Oh, another thing. When I bought my Z35, I was slightly underwhelmed with the colors. I used the color profile from TFTCentral. And the colors were slightly washed out. But then I calibrated my monitor with a hardware-calibrator (a Datacolor Spyder4). And the difference was spectacular. The colors (and blacks) on my Z35 are really really nice now. I think spending 50-100 euros on a decent, not too expensive calibrator might be a better investment than buying a 700 euro monitor in stead of a 600 euro monitor.

 

[Piroko]

Wow, ok. That doesn't look too bad. I just wanted to know if the glow is visible only when the screen is black or is it visible even when there is something else on screen?

Forgot to answer you back then. I have a Dell U2713HM for reference. Technically speaking the IPS glow is always visible. I have some mostly black backgrounds (Nasa Space images) together with a dark grey/black Windows theme, I can clearly see how the dark parts of my screen aren't completely black compared to the black bezel. It just doesn't bother me, mostly because the general color vibrancy and accuracy are still really, really good. The same backgrounds on a TN panel just look dull, despite having deeper blacks. It might have helped that this is a true 8 Bit color depth panel that has seen a decent factory calibration (can't say how your display of choice compares to that) and that I'm slightly into photography. Though I would have favoured IPS regardless for the wide viewing angles alone (I tend to move around a lot).

 

[hawtdawg]

It's just a consequence of the awful contrast of an IPS. It's hard to play games with the lights off without cringing, and mine has minimal glow.

 

[digitaldurandal]

Most people on the Internet talking about technology have absolutely no clue what they are talking about. I closely watched threads about this specific monitor for weeks. (Note that I am the originator of the sticky thread in this forum: "All G-Sync and FreeSync monitors. Out and upcoming". I did put in quite some time to figure out what I wanted). And I have never seen someone post a picture of a XB270HU that did not have noticeable ips-glow. Or one of the Asus monitors with the same panel. I just don't believe that there are better and worse samples of these monitors. I think they all have ips-glow.

I asked for a replacement, but at that time the monitors were in very low supply. (It was the first week they were out). So I got my money back. About 4 weeks later I ordered another one, from another webshop. I suspect it was from a new batch, made later than the first model I had. When I turned that 2nd monitor on, during switch-on time, you get a black screen with the Acer logo. It was immediately clear that that 2nd monitor had exactly the same ips-glow as the first. Even a little worse. So I sent that one back the same day.

I think all current 144Hz IPS 2560x1440 G-Sync and FreeSync monitors use the same panel from AUO. Or at least panels with the same technology. They all have this problem with ips-glow.

As I said, you should see it for yourself. And be sure to watch it not only during the afternoon on a bright day. But also during the evening. I didn't notice the problem at first, but as soon as it got evening, it was very obvious.

I decided to buy an Acer Z35. 21:9 monitor, with G-Sync and ULMB. It has a VA-panel. VA-panels are known to have almost just as good colors as IPS. But much better blacks. And no glow at all. VA-panels do have some drawbacks, but I like my Z35 a lot better than the XB270HU. Biggest drawback of the Z35 is the fact it is only 2560x1080. But then, such a resolution gives you much higher framerates at comparable quality-settings. E.g. when I run the Witcher 3 with everything maxed, only hairworks turned off, my average fps is under 60. With a brand new gtx1080. Some people swear they must have 2560x1440, but I think 2560x1080 is very acceptable, and gives you other benefits (like being able to configure more eyecandy).
The Z35 was frigging expensive though. I paid 1100 euros for mine. I'm not sure it is worth the money. I like it for myself, but not sure I can recommend it to others. But then, I wouldn't know any monitors I can recommend others. They all have some strong points and some weak points.

Oh, another thing. When I bought my Z35, I was slightly underwhelmed with the colors. I used the color profile from TFTCentral. And the colors were slightly washed out. But then I calibrated my monitor with a hardware-calibrator (a Datacolor Spyder4). And the difference was spectacular. The colors (and blacks) on my Z35 are really really nice now. I think spending 50-100 euros on a decent, not too expensive calibrator might be a better investment than buying a 700 euro monitor in stead of a 600 euro monitor.

I was looking at the Z35 but the smearing got me. There are just a few transitions that take too long on VA still.

I ended up getting a TN panel because I hated the IPS Glow on my other monitor, it was very distracting in dark scenes in movies/shows/games. It made it very difficult at some points to see any detail in games like Metro2033. I had to turn the brightness of the game up but doing so ruins the atmosphere completely.

Personally I don't have any problems with TN, everyone hates on the technology because of color reproduction but unless you are editing media there really isn't a big problem. I really don't understand why IPS became the standard for today's gaming monitors. IPS Glow plus slightly slower pixel response times would seem to make it an obvious poor fit.

 

[thejunglegod]

Ok. Thank you everyone for the inputs. The common theme in this thread seems to be the fact that IPS glow is existent amongst almost all IPS panels. The really unfortunate ones get panels with more glow. And that is a risk I'm not willing to take. I'd rather go for the Asus PG278Q with the TN panel(since gaming/movies is top priority) which has the added 3D vision advantage(I don't know if i'll ever use it though).

 

[amenx]

3 IPS type panels here (PLS, AH-IPS, IPS) and would not trade for TN if you paid me. Glow is minimal to me (on my displays) and can only be seen at off angles and only on very dark or black backgrounds. Would rather have that than the horrific color shifts of TN at same off angles. There may be exaggerated glow in a some IPS panels but have never seen it. Again, your mileage may vary as well as peoples annoyance thresholds with it.

 

[zCypher]

It's definitely a question of personal preference. I'd say in the overwhelming majority of cases, if you're actually unable to see detail and the glow is too distracting to the point of ruining the viewing experiences in all conditions, that you would have to be using a defective panel. I've had a few IPS panels now, previously 27" Dell and now two 32" Asus. With the Dell I really didn't notice any glow ever, with the Asus panels I do, but only on a completely black screen. During all normal uses so far I haven't been able to notice any glow on these. There are pros and cons to basically every display type. For me, the pros of IPS panels have far outweighed any cons, but it will depend on your use case for sure.

 

[Gryz]

We're not talking about IPS panels in general. We are talking about one specific kind, the 144Hz 2560x1440 IPS panels made by AUO Optronics that are used in current FreeSync and G-Sync monitors. Besides monitors with these panels, there are no other monitors with such 144Hz IPS panels.

And if you haven't seen one of those exact monitors with your own eyes, then you don't know what the OP is talking about.

 

[digitaldurandal]

3 IPS type panels here (PLS, AH-IPS, IPS) and would not trade for TN if you paid me. Glow is minimal to me (on my displays) and can only be seen at off angles and only on very dark or black backgrounds. Would rather have that than the horrific color shifts of TN at same off angles. There may be exaggerated glow in a some IPS panels but have never seen it. Again, your mileage may vary as well as peoples annoyance thresholds with it.

You give IPS Glow a pass because it is only at off angles but discount TN because it has colorshift at off angles.

How many people are viewing their screens at off angles? Stop doing that!

Edit: Also while I have not seen this specific screen I notice IPS glow in dark scenes at a head on view.

 

[amenx]

You give IPS Glow a pass because it is only at off angles but discount TN because it has colorshift at off angles.

How many people are viewing their screens at off angles? Stop doing that!

Edit: Also while I have not seen this specific screen I notice IPS glow in dark scenes at a head on view.

Color shift with TN to me is more bothersome than IPS glow at off angles (which again in my case is minimal and only on very dark or black backgrounds). I do not see glow head on in any of my displays thankfully. I should also not generalize or condemn all TNs since not all created equal. Some recent TN panels are vastly improved over earlier ones, but when all pros/cons considered, I'll stick to the IPS variants.

 

[Docnasty]

I had a Benq 24 inch 144hz monitor and got the ASUS PB258Q 25 inch IPS monitor. I sent it back. Yes, the colors were richer, but god the IPS glow/backlight bleed was SUPER irritating.

 

[thejunglegod]

So the gist of all this is that it is just a personal opinion? SOme people seem to be ok with the glow while the others aren't. Well, this just puts me in a horrible predicament since I'm more confused now than what I started with.
Does anyone here own a PG279Q?

 

[dailow]

Have a PG279Q.
IPS glow is present along with very minimal backlight bleed, but the only time I actually notice it is if I'm specifically looking for it.
Doesn't bother me in the slightest, but then again I don't do any photo editing or run applications where colour accuracy is critical.

Keep in mind I upgraded from a 6 year old Dell Ultrasharp U2410 which is also an IPS panel. The benefits of the new monitor (60 Hz --> 144 Hz, Gsync) far outweigh any drawbacks of IPS technology in my situation.

 

[Headfoot]

Holy shit. This is exactly what i was talking about in the OP. Most people say that it is due to bad luck that you get backlight bleed or IPS glow.
Did you ask for a replacement for this model? Or did you get somehting else in its stead? I was looking to go for the Asus PG279Q ROG swift which is IPS but now i'm pretty skeptical. I think i'll opt for the TN version PG278Q.

I'm using 3x Dell s2415h in triple monitor configuration. They all have IPS glow.

Whether you want to avoid IPS will depend on what you do with the display. I've found IPS glow on these monitors to make watching dark movies / shows pointless. Its washed out and really hard to tell what's going on.

If you have any glare on your monitor, that plus IPS glow will make darks totally unusable.

If you play dark games (survival games e.g. H1Z1, DayZ, Ark, Miscreated, or horror games) its difficult to impossible to try and play them during night cycles. I personally play a decent amount of these games and IPS glow is a deal breaker for this.

Now if you play mostly normal brightness games, don't have much glare, don't watch many TV shows or movies on it, it probably wont be a problem at all and it'll be better than TN.

 

[Headfoot]

So the gist of all this is that it is just a personal opinion? SOme people seem to be ok with the glow while the others aren't. Well, this just puts me in a horrible predicament since I'm more confused now than what I started with.
Does anyone here own a PG279Q?

See my post above. Some of it is personal opinion but I think it has a lot more to do with what your primary use of the monitor is.

I bet if I took any of the folks who are "fine" with IPS glow and sat them at my rig to play H1Z1 during a night cycle, they would change their tune pretty quick.

These monitors look great when I'm browsing the web or using my computer as a DAW or looking at photos.