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Panel & Backlight

Viewing Angle Test

Grey steps and color bars to reveal off-axis color/brightness shift.

▶ Start full-screen testTap for controls · Esc to exit

How to use

  1. 1Click Start and sit centered first to set a reference.
  2. 2Move your head left/right and up/down, and step back.
  3. 3Watch how much the grey steps wash out and the colors shift — less shift is better.
  4. 4Press Esc to exit.

FAQ

What's normal?

IPS and OLED hold color and brightness well off-axis. TN panels shift heavily (especially vertically) and VA panels show a contrast/gamma shift and corner glow. Some shift is normal — large shifts mean a narrow viewing cone.

Why do the corners look different even when I sit centered?

On a large screen, or one close to you, the corners are already seen at an angle. TN and VA panels show that as darker or washed-out corners even from the middle seat. A curved monitor keeps the edges closer to head-on and reduces it.

Which part of the pattern should I watch?

The grey steps across the top show brightness and gamma shift: on a narrow-angle panel the dark steps wash out or merge as you move, and the greys pick up a tint. The color bars underneath show saturation dropping and hues shifting.

Tips

  • Set your reference sitting dead-center first, then move off-axis to compare.
  • Heavy shift moving vertically is typical of TN panels; a contrast/gamma shift with corner glow is typical of VA.

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Related guides

Learn more about what this test reveals and how to act on the results.

IPS vs VA vs TN vs OLED: Which Panel Should You Get?Color, contrast, response speed and viewing angles compared across all four panel types, with the right pick for gaming, work and movies.Gamma Explained: Why Your Shadows Look WrongGamma controls how brightness is distributed between black and white. Here's how to check yours, why 2.2 is the standard, and how to set it.The Complete New-Device Screen Test ChecklistA 10-minute routine to inspect any new laptop, monitor, phone, or TV for dead pixels, bleed and tint before the return window closes.What Is Backlight Bleed and Is It Normal?Light leaking around the edges of an LCD is common, but not always acceptable — when to shrug it off, and when it's grounds for a return.