Thinkpads Forum

I happened to be looking through the T60 service parts page on Lenovo's website for the 15" LCDs and noticed that the UXGA IPS screens for the T60 are labeled FFS while the SXGA+ screens are not. Is there some difference between the two screens that makes one FFS while the others aren't or is there no qualitative difference? Thanks for any help.

Seems to be somewhat an error, yes.
The 13N7196 15" SXGA is FFS and it is actually also sRGB mode, just like the 13N7194 UXGA.
The LG/Philips - 13N7078 is IPS or S-IPS (not sure which). It's actually a bit wrong to call the Hydis displays as IPS type like they do, since FFS is a bit different technology, and by a different patented technology, they don't have to pay Hitachi (inventors) for using IPS. The differences in the technology can be surprisingly small (but existing) sometimes.

Thanks for the info Troels. Just curious, is there much of a image quality difference between the LG and the BOE version of the screens? I have the LG in my R60 and it looks fantastic, but am interested to know about any differences in the screens if there are any. Also, one more question if I may, what the difference between IPS and FFS? Is one superior to the other? Hey, that's two question, well one and a follow-up. Thanks again.

Having never seen the LG, i don't think i can answer that, so i'll take the follow-up question instead.


With these technologies, in-depth detailed information on how it works isn't really available. The best source on AFFS/FFS is Hydis themselves actually:
http://www.hydis.com/eng/04_rnd/rnd_05.asp

For IPS: http://www.ips-alpha.co.jp/en/technology/ips.html

The diference lies mainly in the design of the electrodes (shape, size, material), since the original IPS absorb a lot light (i.e. low transmittance). This is what the FFS and others try to solve by different electrode sizes and shapes.

Technically, FFS is superior to IPS.

too bad Lenovo can't put one of these newer screens in their higher end W700...

Thanks for the reply again. While it seems the FFS is tecnically superior to the IPS, does that make a significant difference in the image quality would be what I'm after? Maybe someone who's seen both can chime in here.

Maybe someone who's seen both can chime in here.

I will chime in that I own two T60's with the LG Phlilips SXGA+ screens and both have become quite dim, so no more Philips for me, I am getting UXGA screens and hopefully back to the full 200 nits as advertised

I have the LG screen and it looks good to me, plenty bright, but I think it's fairly new. Perhaps over time it'll get worse. I think this is a problem with all CFFL screens. You may have had worse luck than others.

Yeah, becoming dim will eventually happen on all screens. Although it'll take much, much longer on an LED-based screen... (to the point that the LEDs backlighting the screen will be the last thing working on the laptop, most likely.)

Take this with a grain of salt, but I've heard from somewhere that FFS screen is supposedly brighter than IPS screen.
FFS technology has several iteration, including FFS, AFFS, and AFFS+ (the latest). The current screens made by BOE-Hydis utilizes AFFS+ technology.

It does seem that at least certain batches of LG screens used on T6x series lose their brightness faster than the rest of their IPS siblings.

Generally, every IPS or FFS LCD screen has a stamp of its own, which becomes apparent when you line a couple of them together. Not necessarily enough to show up in a picture, but visible to a human eye...

To my (extremely imperfect) eyes, DBUs used on A3xp are the warmest ones, while Hydis ones give the highest degree of detail and precision...but that's me

i'm wondering if this is what I saw or not but, i've had a couple of t60p's with uxga's, and although both offer very good viewing angles and color reproduction as they should, it seems one of the screens are limited in terms of "backlight viewing angle" for lack of a better phrase. If I were to look from the center of the lcd screen, the bottom and top thirds of the screen seem to be kind of darkened, and the middle third seems to be normally lighted; If i were to move my head up and down it seems it would change where the clearly lit row is. The other screen though doesn't have that. OR it could just be my wildest of imaginations, does anyone else notice this???