A monitor's vertical viewing angle is the angle at which the image starts to look washed out or lose accuracy when viewing from above or below the screen. This is important if you don't look at it from directly in front, like if you sit above or below the display. Seeing a consistent image from any angle is particularly important if you're a content creator.
We no longer measure a monitor's vertical viewing angle as of our recent test benches, but monitors on older test benches still include the test. We measured the color washout and shift, brightness loss, black level raise, and gamma shift from below and above the screen. We also took a 180-degree video so you can see what the screen looks like from the sides.
Test Methodology Coverage
We stopped measuring the vertical viewing angle as of Test Bench 2.1.1, so any monitor on newer test benches doesn't have it. The test was included as part of older test benches, though, and scores are comparable between monitors on Test Bench 1.1 through Test Bench 2.1. We stopped performing this test because the vertical viewing angle is usually the same as the horizontal viewing angle, which we measure as part of the Viewing Angle test.
| Tests | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 2.0.1 | 2.1 | 2.1.1 and newer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Color Washout from Above/Below Color Shift from Above/Below Brightness Loss from Above/Below Black Level Raise from Above/Below Gamma Shift from Above/Below |
❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
You can also learn how our test benches and scoring system work, and how we test monitors.
When It Matters
The viewing angle affects the way we perceive an image, whether we're viewing it from above or if we sit too close. A monitor with a wide viewing angle means the image remains consistent when viewed from an angle. Additionally, if you have a large monitor, the top and bottom edges of the screen remain consistent even when you sit up close. However, a monitor with a narrow vertical viewing angle causes the image to appear inaccurate or washed out at the edges. This is something you can see even without testing equipment.
Additionally, having a monitor with a good viewing angle is crucial if you aren't seated directly in front of the screen. If you're a photo editor or content creator, it's crucial to see consistent colors regardless of where you view the screen.
Our Tests
When we performed this test, we placed the monitor in a vertical orientation on a turntable in front of a Colorimetry Research CR-100 colorimeter, which was calibrated using a spectroradiometer. After setting the monitor to a brightness of 95 nits in a dark room, we used the colorimeter to measure the changes in brightness, color, black level, and gamma from the left and right at various angles. The colorimeter measured these changes up to 70 degrees from the center of the screen, and we used these results for the scoring.
We also used software that generated graphs, and we recorded a 180-degree video for you to see what the image looked like from above and below.
Video
We filmed a video to make it easy to see the effects of the monitor's vertical viewing angle without looking at a graph. Below you can see example videos of monitors with different panel types. The IPS monitor (LG 27GN650-B) maintains a consistent image from above and below, while the TN monitor (ASUS VG248QG) has an inverted image from below. This is a typical characteristic of a TN panel.
| IPS | TN |
|---|---|
We use these two monitors in the example graphs below, so you can see their differences in performance.
Color Washout
Color washout is when colors start to lose their chroma, also known as their saturation. We measured pure red, blue, and green, and our program calculated the degree to which any of these three colors drops to 80% of their chromaticity above and below the center.
Using the same IPS and TN monitors from the video examples above, you can see their color washout graphs. The x-axis is the degrees off-center, while the y-axis is the chromaticity, starting from 100% chromaticity on top. The horizontal line in the graph represents the target of 80% chromaticity. You can see that the IPS monitor retains its colors a lot longer than the TN monitor. The dip below 0.4 chromaticity on the TN panel represents the inverted image when looking from below center.
| Panel Type | Color Washout Graphs |
|---|---|
| IPS |  Color Washout from Above: 35° |
| VA |  Color Washout from Above: 52° |
Color Shift
Color shift is similar to color washout, except we were looking at the change in a color's hue, or in other words, its accuracy. A shift in hue changes the color and makes it either appear more red or blue, depending on which end of the color spectrum it's changing to. Once again, we measured red, green, and blue, and tested to see at which viewing angle the hue changed by more than 3 degrees. In the graphs below, the acceptable hue shift range is marked by the horizontal black lines. If a color increases or decreases past these lines, it's considered a color shift.
You can see in the examples below that the IPS monitor retains colors' hues longer than on a TN panel, but it still isn't perfect. Red, in particular, shifts quickly on this IPS monitor.
| Panel Type | Color Shift Graphs |
|---|---|
| IPS |  Color Shift from Above: 33° |
| TN |  Color Shift from Above: 52° |
Brightness Loss
The brightness loss refers to the change in white levels at wide angles, and it's not related to the luminosity of the display. A brightness loss makes the image look darker than intended. We measured brightness, also known as lightness, using six test slides: pure 0% black, 20% gray, 40% gray, 60% gray, 80% gray, and pure 100% white. We measured each slide at various angles. The pure white slide has a brightness measure of 1.0, while pure black is 0.0, and we wanted to see when the brightness of any of the slides dropped to 75% of its original value.
The graphs show the brightness loss for each of these gray slides, as well as the target levels (dotted lines). Unlike with the color washout and shift, it's not expected for the brightness to remain the same at all angles, and some brightness loss is expected. Once again, the IPS monitor in the example below retains its brightness far better than the TN panel.
| Panel Type | Brightness Loss Graph |
|---|---|
| IPS |  Brightness Loss from Above: 42° |
| VA |  Brightness Loss from Above: 46° |
Black Level Raise
The black level raise test is similar to brightness loss, but instead of measuring the white levels, we were measuring the black levels. A change in the black level means that the black levels don't look as dark as they should be, even on a monitor with a high contrast ratio. We considered there to be black level raise when the black levels doubled their original lightness.
Unlike other tests, we didn't have a dedicated graph because you can actually see this effect in the brightness loss graphs. The black line at the bottom represents the black levels, so when it goes up, that means the monitor has noticeable black level raise. The TN monitor in the example above has severe black level raise.
Gamma Shift
Gamma defines the brightness of shades of gray. Having a monitor with a proper gamma means it's displaying content at their intended brightness. If gamma is too high, the image appears too dark, and some details in the shadows are lost. If gamma is too low, the image is too bright.
Using the same grayscale slides from the brightness loss test, we aimed to determine at which angle the grays shift by 3% from their relative position between pure black and pure white. Essentially, we tested for the angle at which the grays started to change. Looking at the graphs above in brightness loss, the dotted lines represent the ideal gray value relative to pure white and pure black. If the grays started to deviate from the dotted lines, it meant gamma was shifting.
Additional Information
Panel Type
Certain panel types have a wider vertical viewing angle than others. OLEDs, in particular, have the widest viewing angle of any panel type, so the image remains consistent no matter where you view them from. For the most part, IPS monitors also have a wide viewing angle, although some models are better than others; however, they aren't as good as OLEDs. On the other hand, VA monitors have a narrow viewing angle, with colors that quickly wash out, and blacks look gray from above and below. TN panels have the worst vertical viewing angle as the image inverts when viewed from below, but it isn't the case when viewed from above.
Learn more about LED and OLED panel types.
How To Get The Best Results
There isn't anything you can do to improve the vertical viewing angle of a monitor. The only way to get the best results is by getting a monitor with a wide vertical viewing angle. If you have a monitor with a narrow viewing angle, like a VA or TN display, then center your eyes with the screen so that the edges don't wash out too much.
Conclusion
How we place a monitor in front of us affects the way we see the on-screen image. If you have the monitor placed above eye-level, or if you're looking down towards it, it's important to have one with a wide vertical viewing angle to see a consistent image. If not, colors look washed out, and the screen may even appear darker. Which panel your monitor uses also impacts its viewing angle, so it's important to get one with an IPS or OLED panel if the viewing angle is important to you. However, most people who place their screens directly in front of them shouldn't have to worry about the vertical viewing angle.