withoutwings, You know, I don't know exactly, but I wouldn't bet between two S-IPS matrices at all. Let me say that I am a high contrast LCD panel adherent, so my choice are PVA panels, of course. IPS based panels have best response time and good color reproduction. But they commonly suffer from high side angle black state light emission and relatively low front side contrast. Thus, IPS panel manufacturers still rely mainly on increasing white state light emission (transmittance) in order to improve contrast, which leads to ways above standard light emission at 100% IRE white state. Hope we'll see some significant improvements in the near future... The only partial exception are IPS-Pro (Alpha)- based panels (Panasonic, Hitachi), which have the best
side view color reproduction (best viewing angle among all present types of LCD panels) for now.
The reason, I am replying that way, is that 99% of LCD TV users do not understand the main feature of a LCD matrix related to its proper color reproduction - its NATIVE contrast ratio. "NATIVE" contrast ratio is the ratio between the light emission at 100% IRE white state and 0%IRE white state (black state) at constant backlight emission (no backlight steering applied - dimming, dynamic backlight etc..).
The upper limit of the 100% IRE white state, according to the standard, is near
30-40 ftL or
103 - 140 Cd/m2, so You understand, that the only
proper way to increase contrast is not increasing white state light emission, but decreasing black state light emission (achieving deeper blacks of the panel ).
This is the main reason that plasma panels still exist - they have ability to produce much deeper blacks than LCD due to phosphor cells die-out during black state, combining with virtually no color reproduction viewing angle dependency.
The
native contrast ratio of modern IPS panel gravitates around 1000/1 - 1200/1 and that of certain VA-based panels may reach 2100/1 - 2500/1. Both types of panels are being improved constantly.
Hope have been useful to all....