VA Panel – A Brief Explanation

Josh Maynard


VA (Vertical alignment) panels, which are also referred to as AMVA (advanced multi-domain vertical alignment) or SVA (super vertical alignment), are one of the most popular panel technology out there. VA panels are somewhat of a compromise between the IPS and TN panels.

Vertical alignment is a reference to the position of the liquid crystals that are found in between the polarizing filters. VA panels were first marketed in the 1990’s and ever since then they have gradually improved to become the panels we use today.

Are SVA and VA panels different?

The term SVA, which stands for ‘super vertical alignment’, was first introduced by Samsung. The thing that makes the SVA ‘super’ is that it offers wider viewing angles than a normal VA panel, which is also the main difference between the two panels. Due to this, the SVA panels are also sometimes referred to as ‘super viewing angle’ by some people. Anyway, a SVA panel means that you get to experience better image quality while viewing from the top, bottom or from the sides of the screen

The reason why the SVA panels are able to reach wider viewing angles is because of the fact that the liquid crystals in the SVA are laid in varying directions, which allows the user to see the same color from every angle.

The SVA panels also supposedly use less power and bring greater cell transmittance than a normal VA panel because of the polymeric stabilizers used in the panel.

VA Panel Advantages:

  • VA Panels serve as the middle ground between IPS and TN panels.
  • Impressive Contrast: VA Panels are able to produce deep blacks. These panels stand out due to their high contrast ratios much better than IPS and TN Panels. These are great for playing games that run in darker settings like Witcher 3, thanks to the improved visibility in the dark.
  • Much Better Color Reproduction than TA Panels: VA Panels are far superior to TN panels in terms of color reproduction. Newer more pricey VA panels are not far behind IPS panels in terms of color reproduction.
  • Wider Viewing Angles: The wide-angle viewing performance of the VA panel far surpasses the TN panels.

VA Panel Disadvantages:

  • Poor Response times: VA Panels suffer from higher pixel latency compared to TN panels.
  • Better Color Reproduction than TA Panels: VA Panels are far superior to TN panels in terms of color reproduction and not far behind IPS panels in this category.
  • Wider Viewing Angles: The wide-angle viewing performance of the VA panel far surpasses the TN panels.

VA Panel Recommended Uses

– Mixed Use

– RPG Gamers

– Casual Gamers