WTF is up with TV's these days and their "fake looking" picture?

[Toma]

Ok, you can laugh, but I have not watched TV or had TV cable for about 10 years.

Anyway, my GF bought a 60" TV, and I was watching TV, and everything "moves funny".

WTF?

I mean, I go to movies all the time at the theatre, and that looks normal to me. But I rent and watch the same movie, and it looks and moves "strangely".... only way I can describe it is it looks "fake" lol.

It's not just her TV, I started checking out TV's at Bestbuy and Future shop etc, and this just seems to be the way it is these days.

What gives?

[calgarygts]

I've noticed the same thing, I just got a new tv after not having cable for quite a while and mine was doing the same thing. There's a setting on my tv that has something to do with motion that when turned off makes it look 'normal' again. I guess people think it looks good, I don't really like it.

[Mibz]

120Hz/240Hz
Disable whatever fancy term your manufacturer uses for it or enable "Game Mode".

[tictactoe2004]

edit: Meh, posting from work and took to long to reply, what they said :)

I would assume from your description you're talking about a 120 or 240hz LCD. The TV should have a feature to turn it off, you want to look for something like "Motion enhancer" or "Auto Motion", it probably has settings like 1 to 10 or off/low/med/high. You want to turn that off... Basically what the TV is doing is taking the 24 or 30 frame per second images, and upconverting it to 120 frames per second, pretty much making up frames that don't exsist, giving you the "fake" or in my opinion "shitty" picture.

Since you're a car guy, it's basically the same as one of these for your TV:

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[Toma]

Coool.... I'll have to try that... it really does look like shit. :thumbsdow

[DonJuan]

Same thing happened to me on my new 60" tv as well. If you are watching an HD channel, and it looks weird, make sure the input is on the HD input and go through the TV`s display options as others suggested. Mine was on the regular cable input and it looked like garbage.

Usually it makes you look at pictures and you adjust for the brightness of your room etc.

Mine was a Plasma LG TV. Now it shows great.

[AE92_TreunoSC]

120/240hz looks like ass to me, I'd only turn it on for a nature film or something scenic.

[Tik-Tok]

I find the "fake" look, is actually looks way more like real life, just not like the TV we've been watching for decades. I agree though, it looks like garbage.

[95teetee]

it's called the 'soap opera effect' (not really sure why- I mean, they can't use incredible cameras for soaps, can they?).

To be honest, the only time I really noticed it was when I was watching that Kevin Bacon movie where he hunts down the gang members who killed his son. I had just got my 120hz Sony and noticed that this movie looked really odd.

[gojetsgo]

You're getting old, that is the problem. :rofl:

[turbotrip]

I hate this too with the new tv's. Like most people said it has to do with turning off the 120 Hz/240Hz Motion acceleration. However, getting the callibration done a month or 2 after buying the tv also fixes it.

[soobad]

Originally posted by Toma
Ok, you can laugh, but I have not watched TV or had TV cable for about 10 years.

Anyway, my GF bought a 60" TV, and I was watching TV, and everything "moves funny".

WTF?

I mean, I go to movies all the time at the theatre, and that looks normal to me. But I rent and watch the same movie, and it looks and moves "strangely".... only way I can describe it is it looks "fake" lol.

It's not just her TV, I started checking out TV's at Bestbuy and Future shop etc, and this just seems to be the way it is these days.

What gives?

This sensation is typically referred to in the industry as the "Soap Opera Effect" -- it's what happens when you have a high end 120/240hz TV and part of it's processing engine has enabled "smoothing" which basically instead of repeating the same frame 5 or 10 times per frame; creates intermediary smoothing frames, giving the illusion of buttery smooth movement and no subliminal "judder", like you -- I also find it kind of annoying.

Links:
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/forum/thread/291611/the-soap-opera-effect-on-modern-displays

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=110504

[ZenOps]

Yup. 120 hz "smoothing" or frame interpolation.

Makes things look ultrarealistic (or fake)

Normal TV 30hz to 120hz can look a bit strange. 24hz (bluray and dvd) to 120hz, if you have a player that ouputs 24hz can look great.

It depends on lighting too.. Sometimes the original film at 24 hz can hide a lot of things that you otherwise miss, 120hz can definitely show the deficiencies of a cheap lighting and studio setup.

Like smearing grease on the lens of a camera to get the 80's porn look, some people just like the "old way" better.

[tictactoe2004]

The problem isn't the 120hz itself, it's the fact that the TV has to make up frames to place inbetween the real ones due to most TVs being limited to a maximum of 30-60hz inputs. Once you can get a source like bluray or cable/sat that was recorded and trasmitted in 120hz, and you pair that with a TV capable of handling a 120hz input, it will look smoother, better and more realistic.

My desktop PC has a true 120hz LCD monitor and my video card is set to display Windows at 120hz, even moving the mouse around looks so much more natural compared to a 60hz monitor.

[Sdeibert]

Get a plasma problem solved! Mine is going on 5 years now and has no problems with burn in or anything.

[A790]

My TV has a mode called "rapid motion reduction" that is supposed to make motions appear smoother and less grainy. It makes them look fake as shit. Turning it off makes the TV look like it's supposed to. I bet yours has something similar, Toma.

[ZenOps]

Sony does a terrible job of frame interpolation IMO. Samsung does an ok job.

The best one I've come across is also one of the cheapest - Vizio.. The only US hdtv manfacturer that is made in Mexico.

Which is scary.

[ZenOps]

But aren't plasmas 300 or 600hz :P

[sputnik]

Originally posted by Toma
Coool.... I'll have to try that... it really does look like shit. :thumbsdow

Its really only meant for gaming or watching sports to reduce image blur.

The problem is that it is on by default for all TV manufacturers.

[Disoblige]

Must be different opinions then because I love the look of the "soap opera effect". It looks like you're on the set of Law and Order or whatever you are watching.

Love seeing it on a 240 Hz LED Samsung :D

Man, Samsung has come a long way.

Sony of the other hand, their TVs have gone to absolute SHIT!

[403Gemini]

To me it looks like pre-production or Canadian TV ;) I freaking hate it...

[b_t]

It drives me nuts. They always have it enabled on all the TVs at Memory Express and stuff.. it ruins everything you run through it. They were running Blu-Ray copies of Avatar and Up on it and it makes everything look so FUCKED

Its definitely the interpolation stuff they use. Turning it off is always an improvement imo. It might be okay for HD sports or something but for movies, TV shows, games... no way.