TV manufacturers have been trying to combat something called “motion blur” for years. You may have noticed the blur before and not been able to put your finger on what exactly was so bothersome about it. Or you may be enjoying watching television in blissful ignorance, never even realizing that your TV looks soft. Sorry in advance for ruining your viewing experience, but there are a few potential solutions to consider. However, these methods often have side effects that, for many people, are worse than the cure.Â
Take the soap opera effect. Many movie fans hate this “solution” to motion blur, which can make films look buttery-smooth in motion, kind of like soap operas. TV makers created this effect to combat motion blur and often associate it with 120Hz refresh rates. Filmmaker Mode — which does exactly what it sounds like, makes the film appear as the director intended — is a quick picture setting solution on high-end, newer TVs that doesn’t compromise the picture like the soap opera effect.
High refresh rates and motion smoothing are just the beginning. Numerous other anti-blurring technologies, including LED backlight scanning and black frame insertion, can be found on today’s TVs.Â
Learning the pros and cons of each should help you get a TV image you’re happier with, now that I’ve ruined TVs for you.
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What is TV motion blur?
Motion blur is when anything on-screen blurs, becoming fuzzy and less distinct, when it moves. This can be a single object, like a ball or car, or the entire screen, as when the camera pans across a landscape.Â
I always notice it when there’s a closeup of a face, and then the person turns away. One second you’re seeing every eyelash and wrinkle, the next it’s a blurry mess.Â
Some of this can be attributed to the lower frame rate of movies and most TV shows, which can result in a blur caused by the camera. There’s nothing you can do about that. There’s also blur caused by the TV itself,…
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