Viewing Angle Test

How to check viewing angles

The pattern shows eight large blocks: black, three grays, white, and the three primary colors. Looking at the same blocks from different positions shows how much a panel changes away from the center.

1. 1

   Open it full screen and sit straight in front, at your usual distance. Note how the blocks look.

2. 2

   Move to one side, about an arm's length, and compare. Then try the other side.

3. 3

   Look from above and below as well. On many panels the vertical change is the stronger one.

4. 4

   Check the corners from the center. On a large screen you already see the corners at an angle, which is why they can look different from the middle.

What panels usually do

IPS panels hold color well off-center, but black often lightens into a silvery glow. VA panels show deeper black straight on, while grays can shift in brightness and black can wash out at an angle. TN panels change the most, especially from below, where the picture can invert. All of this is normal panel behavior, not a fault.

To judge how even the panel is from one position, use the Screen Uniformity Test; for shadow and highlight steps, the Screen Contrast Test.

When it matters

Viewing angle matters most when more than one person watches the same screen, when a display is mounted higher or lower than eye level, and on very large screens used close up, where the corners are already seen at an angle. It matters least for a monitor you sit squarely in front of. A narrow viewing angle can even help in a shared office, where less is visible from the side.