SVA is a type of VA (Vertical Alignment) panel that is used to get a better viewing angle on laptop screens and stands for vertical alignment. Have you ever seen the acronym SVA when looking for a laptop?
This is one of the technologies that can be seen in the specifications of notebook screens, mainly from HP brands. Below this post is all about what a laptop SVA monitor is and does it use the standard viewing angle on current laptops.
Content
The main types of panels for laptops
On a notebook, the type of panel used by the screen is one of its most basic characteristics, as it will have a lot to do with image quality and screen resolution. Currently, the most common are TN or IPS screens.
See too: What is the computer screen resolution
TN (Twisted Nematic) screens are the most basic and cheapest, and generally perform much worse than normal in terms of color quality and viewing angles.
While you can get good TN panels, cheap laptops use the worst you can find this type of panel. So they assume they have the worst possible screen quality on a laptop.
On the other hand, all IPS panels enjoy a very interesting quality, which makes them a very satisfactory option in notebooks.
Their viewing angles are excellent and although they have issues in the form of so-called light leaks, they are great at color reproduction.
Fortunately, more and more laptops are using IPS screens and we even find new technologies such as OLED laptops that include a wide range of advantages such as pure black. But where are technologies like SVA?
What is SVA screen display
The most important thing to understand about the SVA laptop screen is to identify what is behind these acronyms. SVA stands for Super Vertical Alignment, which is used to better display angels on laptop screens.
We talked about IPS and TN panels above, but left out VA (Vertical Alignment) because that's not the type of panel used in laptops, at least not very often.
But one of their characteristics is also that they have a worse viewing angle than IPS, so you might think that SVA is the equivalent of VA on a laptop.
SVA (Super Vertical Alignment): whether laptops come with VA screens
There is a variant of VA panels on the market that is also called SVA but in this case the acronym is Super Vertical Alignment and is nothing more than a variant created by Samsung to improve the viewing angles of the original VA.
Changing the arrangement of liquid crystals on the screen. But on SVA laptops, it has nothing to do with Super Vertical Alignment. Let's see what it really is.
The reality of SVA laptops
The reality is that the default viewing angle is a marketing term, created to "mask" what simply a TN panel is.
Come on, not VA or anything like that, as some sites say it's nothing like that. They are simple TN panels.
By the way, a good way to prove this is to go to the review of the HP EliteBook 840 G4 NotebookCheck, a notebook that has several of its variants with one of these screens, with an SVA panel.
Well, NotebookCheck's review shows it's TN, showing the use of the panel on the AU Optronics AUO123D, which is clearly stated as TN on all spec sites. SVA has absolutely nothing to do with VA, at least when the term is used on laptops.
It is very important to demonstrate this because we know that the term SVA is always confusing. As we said, there are many media outlets that have collected wrong information.
We don't blame them because the manufacturers aren't very transparent about this and the information available is limited.
But there are already many testimonials and tests, like the ones we showed earlier, that make it clear that they are TN panels.
We are in a situation where Full HD resolution (1920×1080) and an IPS panel must be required at least in every laptop we buy, no matter how cheap.
If SVA were a variant of VA, it wouldn't be bad, but since it isn't, we should avoid it at all costs.
Why are there no VA laptops today?
There is no mention of using VA panels in any laptop, at least not in the last decade. The question is why, as they can be seen all too often on televisions and computer monitors.
The truth is that all the development that has taken place in the field of laptop and mobile screens completely ignores VA panels, which could be due to technical factors related to IPS.
This probably has to do with the latter being more interesting for mobile phones and laptops, due to factors such as viewing angles being much more demanding.
It is also true that there are laptops on the market with filters that limit the viewing angles to a minimum (aimed at businessmen, for example), but limit them much more than the use of AV.
See too: How to make laptop screen brighter than maximum
In fact, there is almost no information about it, so we speculate about the possible causes.
In laptops, VA would hardly be attractive, although it was much cheaper to manufacture than IPS, but the latter have already become much cheaper and TN panels are increasingly difficult to find.
Application
In laptops, especially those from HP, a mysterious type of display called an SVA has appeared in recent years.
Many people confuse this term with Super Vertical Alignment, which is a variation of VA panel, whose performance is far superior to TN. Therefore, more recommendations of these laptops began to appear.
However, on laptops, the reality is that SVA stands for standard viewing angle and, as we've shown, is nothing more than a synonym for TN.
No more, no less, these are the same old TN panels that we know to perform very poorly, but have been rebranded in a misleading marketing term.
This creation of a new term to confuse or disguise a worse technology than it seems is nothing new in the world of hardware.
Sometimes it's just done to give a special name to something that all manufacturers do, but it's also done to hide what's wrong with the product.
So if you see an SVA panel in a laptop spec, know that it is nothing more than a TN.
In fact, neither the VA panel nor any of its variants are used in notebooks, so there's no room for doubt or interpretation here. Buy an IPS laptop whenever you can.
Zahid Khan Jadoon
Zahid Khan Jadoon is an interior decorator, designer and expert chef. She loves to write about appliances and food. He currently runs an interior design business in addition to running a restaurant. Also in her free time, she loves to write about household appliances and kitchen utensils.
FAQs
What is SVA laptop? ›
Long story short, SVA is a type of VA panel that claims to bring better viewing angles, which is why some people will say SVA stands for “super viewing angles.” Either way, SVA means better image quality when viewing the screen from the side, above, below or in very sunny or bright atmospheres.
What is a vertical alignment display? ›A type of LCD panel technology. In this type of panel, when no electric current is running through the liquid crystal cells, the cells naturally align vertically between two substrate panes of glass which blocks the transmission of light from the backlight.
What is the difference between SVA and IPS laptop screen? ›SVA - standard viewing angle! Both IPS and sva has same resolution of 1920×1080 but the difference lies here between the viewing angle of the 2 displays. UWVA- ultra wide viewing angle. Here the display can be looked upon from any angle and it will depict exact colors from all angles with minimum colour loss.
What is SVA LCD? ›Many LCDs use a vertical alignment technology. SVA refers to a specific type of vertical alignment technology. It was pioneered by Samsung as an upgrade to standard vertical alignment technologies.
Is SVA panel better than IPS? ›VA panel compensates for its decent color range with an impressive contrast ratio. You will be able to see great detailing in the difference between light and dark colors. The clear winner here is IPS panel because of its high color range and better viewing angle.
How do I connect to SVA WiFi? ›Navigate to Settings -> Wi-Fi, and wait for the “SVA Secure WiFi” SSID to appear. Select it and wait for a successful connection checkmark as shown below (NOTE: If you are preparing your device to connect to SVA's secure wireless network when you are off campus, you will not see the “SVA Secure WiFi” SSID.
What is vertical alignment used for? ›The vertical-align property can be used in two contexts: To vertically align an inline-level element's box inside its containing line box. For example, it could be used to vertically position an image in a line of text. To vertically align the content of a cell in a table.
What is the purpose of vertical alignment? ›Vertical alignment is the how and when of what's taught. It's about linking lessons, skills, and assessments together as a holistic experience. It helps prioritize, focus, reinforce, and place learning in new contexts. It helps schools make better decisions faster—and helps learners apply those skills in new ways.
What are the four types of vertical alignment? ›Vertical alignment also has four major types; top aligned, bottom aligned, Justified or centered alignment.
Which is better IPS or LCD or LED laptop? ›Whether it be clarity, image sharpness, or viewing angles, IPS panels offer the best performance in all regards. But as IPS panels have pretty high brightness levels, the contrast ratio on these panels might not always be great. On the other hand, LED panels offer pretty great black levels and high contrast ratio.
Which is better LED or IPS display in laptop? ›
An IPS display typically produces a much better image than LED displays because of its accuracy and sharpness, regardless of your viewing angle. Conversely, LED monitors display less color accuracy and reliability alongside the limited viewing angles at which you can get the best quality.
How do I know if my laptop screen is IPS? ›If the colors seem to shift when you look at it from extreme angles (especially from below - many screens shift to negative from below) it's TN. If there's no shift, it's IPS.
Is VA or IPS better? ›Here's the final takeaway: IPS panels are significantly better than VA panels when it comes to viewing angle and somewhat better than VA panels when it comes to color. VA panels, however, almost always offer deeper black levels and better overall contrast.
Is VA or IPS better for gaming? ›IPS is the clear choice if speed, color volume, and accuracy are a priority for your gaming needs. It's also better for competitive gamers who want the highest refresh rate. However, we'd still recommend VA gaming monitors if you play immersive titles due to their truer blacks.
What is anti-glare LED backlit? ›What is an anti-glare monitor? An anti-glare monitor is a screen that uses a layer of coating to reflect light. This allows you to use it in bright light settings, like when you're sitting near open windows or working outdoors, without a noticeable reflection.
Is a VA panel good? ›Who they're for:VA panels do justice to essentially any game you throw at them. They're the ultimate jacks-of-all-trades so, if you're a gaming enthusiast with wide-ranging interests in different genres, a VA's for you. You'll get good performance and excellent image quality no matter what you play.