How important is refresh rate on a tv: What is refresh rate for TVs and why does it matter?

What is refresh rate for TVs and why does it matter?

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Shopping for a new TV used to be just a matter of TV brand and screen size. These days, there’s way more to consider, like the different types of display technology, HDR support, and smart features.

One label that you’re sure to see on just about every TV box is refresh rate. It’s a hardware specification that describes how motion is handled on any given TV. Before you buy your next TV, it’s worth taking this spec into consideration—particularly if you’re an avid gamer or sports fan who watches a lot of fast-paced action. We’ll help dispel the mysteries of this technology to help you make the right decision.

What is refresh rate?

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Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

Refresh rate—measured in hertz (Hz)—describes the amount of times the picture refreshes per second.

To put it in the simplest terms, a display’s refresh rate describes the number of times per second the display resets the image, whether you’re shopping for a TV or a computer monitor. The refresh rate is measured in Hertz (Hz).

Essentially, the higher your display’s refresh rate, the less amount of time that will pass between each individual video frame being displayed on screen. Higher refresh rates mean that a TV or monitor can display more frames per second (fps) which, depending on the content it’s fed, could affect how smooth and pleasing your video looks.

What is a good refresh rate for a TV?

There are essentially two types of common refresh rates available when it comes to contemporary TVs: 60Hz and 120Hz. Generally, 60Hz TVs are more affordable than 120Hz TVs because the 120Hz spec is usually found on TVs that offer premium hardware and software features in addition to higher-quality motion handling.

In 2022, TCL and Samsung both announced TVs with a 144Hz native refresh rate. This spec has been available in some computer monitors for years, and in fact, some monitors offer native refresh rates that go much higher, up to 360Hz.

As far as TVs go, however, most people will end up choosing between 60Hz and 120Hz right now.

Related content

What’s the difference between refresh rate and frame rate?

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Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

Frame rate describes the amount of frames per second being displayed at any given time. Most filmic content is shot at 24fps.

While the refresh rate describes the number of frames of video per second a particular TV or monitor is capable of displaying, the frame rate describes the playback speed (in seconds) of a piece of video content. The frame rate of a piece of video content will be listed in fps (frames per second). A frame rate that divides cleanly into a TV’s refresh rate will make video smoother to watch.

For example, broadcast television in the U.S. plays at a standard 30fps (actually just below this at 29. 97fps), which fits nicely into a 60Hz TV’s refresh rate. However, most movies are shot at 24 frames per second (fps), which was settled upon in the early days of film. This is the frame rate you’ll likely see when you pop in a Blu-ray disc or a film on streaming service. If you settle in to watch a movie on Netflix, you’re probably watching something at 24fps.

If you settle in to watch a movie on Netflix, you’re probably watching something at 24fps.

The problem is, the average 60Hz TV can’t render native 24fps content without a little bit of help, since every three seconds the TV gets out of sync. To combat this, many modern 60Hz TVs use a telecine technique called 3:2 pulldown, where frames are doubled in alternating sequences in order to “meet up” with the display’s 60Hz refresh rate. Unfortunately, 3:2 pulldown usually results in a motion artifact called judder, where some sequences during playback can have a stuttering or skipping effect.

While many modern 60Hz TVs do 3:2 pulldown so successfully that you probably won’t notice the amount of judder in most scenarios, you can save yourself any trouble by purchasing a 120Hz TV. That’s because 24fps divides evenly (5 times) into a 120Hz refresh rate.

In addition, if you’ve recently bought a next-gen gaming console, you’re likely going to be displaying content at much higher frame rates than film or broadcast TV. This is where having a TV with a higher refresh rate can really pay off.

What are the advantages of a high refresh rate?

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Reviewed / Lee Neikirk

The 120Hz spec ensures that you’ll be able to play console games that offer 120fps game modes.

One advantage of a 120Hz TV centers around the gaming benefits touched on above. In addition to being inherently better at handling fast-paced video games, the 120Hz spec also ensures that you’ll be able to play console games that offer 120fps game modes to perfectly sync up with the ultra-fast motion and get the best out of your gaming experience.

Currently, the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5 are all capable of displaying 4K games at 120fps, and while there aren’t very many games yet that hit this benchmark, you can expect to see more of them in the coming years. If you’re a PC gamer who wants to play on the big screen, you’ll also reap the benefits from a 120Hz TV, as high frame-rate games have been available in that ecosystem for quite some time.

If you own one of these consoles but don’t own a TV with a native 120Hz refresh rate, you won’t have the best possible gaming experience at your fingertips. That’s not to mention other gaming advantages that often come with premium TVs, like Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM).

Regardless of frame rate, higher refresh rates tend to eliminate blur from fast motion, which isn’t just valuable for gaming: It also matters during high-action content, like sports. Because 120Hz TVs check for new information twice as often as 60Hz TVs, they can sometimes render particular sequences in sports with more clarity.

Should I buy a 120Hz (or higher) TV?

Ultimately, you might care more about landing a great deal on an affordable TV than you do about achieving the ultimate gaming or film experience. If you’re more of a casual viewer and sports broadcasts aren’t incredibly important to you and your family, there are plenty of budget-friendly 60Hz TVs that will fit your lifestyle perfectly.

We highly recommend shopping for a 120Hz TV if you’re an avid gamer.

That said, we highly recommend shopping for a 120Hz TV if you’re an avid gamer, a dedicated sports fan, or if you just want your movies and shows to look as easy on the eyes as possible. Motion handling can have a big impact on picture quality, especially for those specific content types.

All of the options in our round-up of the best gaming TVs feature a native refresh rate of 120Hz, and several of the picks in our round-up of the best TVs do, as well.

The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews, and more.

Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.

What is the TV Refresh Rate? A Complete Guide

What is the refresh rate on a TV, and do you need a 60 Hz or 120 Hz model? Check out this essential guide to the TV refresh rate if you’re not sure.

One of the many confusing aspects of buying a new TV is understanding the TV manufacturers’ technical specifications.

A TV’s refresh rate is a good example.

You get told a particular TV has a refresh rate of 120 Hz, 240 Hz or even 480 Hz. Sometimes more!

So, which is the best refresh rate for a TV?

The bigger number is better, right? Well, not as much as you might think.

And, in many cases, not at all.

In this article, you will learn about the different refresh rates of LED and OLED TVs and get the answers to the most common questions.

It is a complex subject, but you won’t need a science degree to understand the essential points.

What You Will Learn

TLDR Summary

• Your TV’s refresh rate tells you how many images it can show per second.
• Displaying more images per second can make the picture look smoother, which is good for watching sports and gaming.
• All modern TVs are 60 Hz or 120 Hz – anything higher than this is down to image processing features.
• But, several factors affect how you perceive the image, so the refresh rate might not be the most critical aspect.

What Is the Refresh Rate of a TV?

The refresh rate of a TV is the number of times per second the picture is ‘redrawn.’

Or, to put it another way, how many images it can show in one second.

The quicker a picture is refreshed, the more it should help motion appear smoother to the human eye and have less flicker.

This is a good thing.

Video Frame Rates vs. TV Refresh Rates

First up, it’s a good idea to understand the difference between the frame rate of a video recording and the refresh rate of your TV.

They are two different things but influence each other.

As you probably know, video recordings capture live-action by taking a series of still images – or frames.

If these single frames are played back quickly – one after the other – you will see this as smooth motion when displayed on a screen.

Historically, the frame rate of analog video was based on the frequency of the local power supply.

This means that it was different around the world:

• PAL regions (the UK, much of Europe) – 25 frames per second
• NTSC regions (North America, Japan) – 29.97 frames per second

To save bandwidth during transmission, analog video was always interlaced.

This means that a single frame was divided into two fields containing the image’s odd-numbered lines and even-numbered lines, and the TV screen would display these fields in the correct order when displaying the video.

Therefore, in PAL regions, the frequency of interlaced video was 50 Hertz (Hz):

25 frames per second x 2 fields = 50 fields per second

In NTSC regions, the frequency of interlaced video was 59.94 Hertz:

29. 97 frames per second x 2 fields = 59.94 fields per second

*** There is plenty of confusion about the NTSC 29.97 and 59.94 frame rates. Many people just round these up to 30 and 60 frames per second. But this isn’t actually correct because modern HD cameras can record at 29.97 or 30 and 59.94 or 60 frames per second. So, they are actually two different rates. However, you can just think about 30 and 60 Hz to make things easier. ***

By the way, Hertz is a standard for describing the frequency of something, i.e., the number of cycles per second, and it can describe the frequency of anything, not just video frame rates.

Why Are Movies Filmed at 24 Frames per Second?

Content recorded on film is traditionally recorded at 24 frames per second (fps). Although some movies have been shot in higher frame rates, this still holds today.

Why is this different from video frame rates?

Simply because when movies were first made, this was the lowest frame rate considered suitable for viewing.

It was easier (and cheaper) to build and use the hardware to film and display movies. And it looked good enough to the human eye to be realistic.

Over time, it hasn’t changed much because people have become used to watching movies at 24 frames per second. It ‘looks like a movie’ at this frame rate – and most viewers prefer it.

So that’s what the video refresh rate is. What about the refresh rate of your TV screen?

Well, due to the standard video frame rates that we’ve just discussed, televisions were designed with a refresh rate to match the frequency of the video transmissions.

So, TVs in PAL regions had a 50 Hz refresh rate, and TVs in NTSC regions had a 60 Hz refresh rate.

Now, these frame rates were developed for analog TV systems. Even so, they’ve remained the standard even with the new digital broadcasting systems – ATSC in the US and DVB in Europe.

Modern broadcast video standards support a few different frame rates.

The most common are:

• 24p: 24 progressive frames per second.
• 25p: 25 progressive frames per second.
• 30p: 30 progressive frames per second.
• 50i: 25 interlaced frames per second.
• 60i: 30 interlaced frames per second.
• 50p: 50 progressive frames per second.
• 60p: 60 progressive frames per second.

The frame rate is sometimes added to the end of the TV picture resolution to describe the format:

• 1080p30: 1080p picture with a 30 Hz frame rate
• 1080p60: 1080p picture with a 60 Hz frame rate

The higher video frame rate will display smoother motion as there are more frames to capture it – and it is this which determines how smooth the action will appear on your television – not your TV’s refresh rate.

The TV is just displaying what has been initially captured on the video.

Refresh Rates for Modern Flat Screen TVs

You now know the standard refresh rate of TVs is either 50 Hz or 60 Hz.

So, why do you see different TV refresh rates quoted when you buy a new TV? You can see quoted refresh rates of 120 Hz, 240 Hz, 480 Hz and more.

To begin with, you should understand that the maximum native refresh rate of a modern flat-screen TV today is 120 Hz.

This means it can display 120 images every second.

So, the TV you buy will either have a 120 Hz refresh rate – or the older standard of 60 Hz.

In Europe, this will more likely be 50 Hz or 100 Hz – although a modern TV in this region will often support 60 and 120 Hz too.

So, if you want a TV with the highest native refresh rate – this will currently be 120 Hz – and all TVs will either be 60 or 120 Hz.

Any quote you see higher than this is marketing hype designed to make you buy a ‘better’ TV.

The bigger number must be better, right?

You will learn about these higher refresh rates later.

60 Hz vs 120 Hz TVs

So, is a 120 Hz TV better than a 60 Hz TV?

The obvious conclusion is that a TV with a 120 Hz refresh rate will display a smoother image.

However, it’s not as simple as that.

You also need to consider the frequency of the content displayed on the TV.

And, you now know that the frame rate of the content, and the refresh rate of the TV, are two different things.

If you take a video recorded at 60p, each frame is repeated twice to display it on a 120 Hz TV:

60 fps x 2 = 120 fps

For a 30p video, each frame is repeated 4 times:

30 fps x 4 = 120 fps

However, this makes no difference to how smooth the image looks, and there is no increased detail of the movement.

Your 120 Hz TV just shows you the same frames you would see on a 60 Hz TV.

Also, when you input a 60 Hz video, some 120 Hz TVs will just switch to a 60 Hz refresh rate. So, again, no difference to a standard 60 Hz TV.

So, does this mean that there is no point in buying a 120 Hz TV?

No, but it does mean the benefits will not be as great as you think.

The main benefits of a 120 Hz TV are:

1.

Content with High Frame Rates

Some video content and games are made with higher frame rates; therefore, the TV can display them as intended.

However, the HDMI inputs on your TV are probably locked to 60 Hz because this is the current limit of the HDMI 2.0 specification.

The new HDMI 2.1 specification supports 4K and 8K videos at 120 Hz.

2. Movies Are Made at 24 Hz

In some instances, movies can look smoother on a 120 Hz TV because each frame can be repeated exactly 5 times to mirror the 120 Hz refresh rate (24 fps x 5 = 120).

On a 60 Hz TV, “3:2 pulldown” is used to display the movie, which can cause judder on slow panning scenes and cause them to jump. This is because the 24 fps of the film can’t be easily divided into the 30 fps used for NTSC video.

So, frames are repeated, but not in an even manner.

Also, many TVs simply adjust their refresh rate to 24 Hz to play a movie anyway, so the higher rate doesn’t make any difference.

3. Motion Interpolation

A 120 Hz TV can add motion interpolation to a 60 Hz source.

This is because it has a higher refresh rate to display the extra interpolated frames.

But, a 60 Hz TV can’t interpolate a 60 Hz source because it can’t show more than 60 frames per second – meaning it can only interpolate content with a lower rate than 60 Hz.

This benefit is only helpful if you like the look of the ‘soap opera effect.’ This is explained in greater detail in the section about motion interpolation.

4. Motion Blur

Some TVs are prone to motion blur, where the image appears to blur when displaying fast-moving content like games and sports.

This annoys some people more than others. However, motion blur is caused by several factors, and the refresh rate of the TV will have little effect on these.

But, a higher refresh rate can help reduce motion blur when used with various processing techniques.

See the description of motion blur on TV screens later in the article.

5. Flicker

If you are sensitive to flicker, a TV with a faster refresh rate should help.

So, while there are some benefits of a 120 Hz TV, you may not find many of them useful in your day-to-day viewing.

Now, if you are buying a new TV, you may not have a choice in what you get anyway.

The refresh rate on a 4K TV will often be 120 Hz – even though some will claim to have more – and cheaper models may only be 60 Hz.

The refresh rates of the featured models are listed in the best OLED and LED flat-screen TVs in 2022.

So, how do you explain the higher refresh rates of 240 Hz and above?

240 Hz & 480 Hz Refresh Rate TVs

You might see a TV advertised with a refresh rate of 240 Hz. Good, huh?

No, because it isn’t.

A refresh rate of 480 Hz? Wow, that sounds great!

Except, it isn’t really.

As mentioned previously, there are currently only two actual refresh rates for TVs in the US – 60 Hz and 120 Hz.

These are native refresh rates, i. e., the rate at which the TV can actually redraw the screen.

Anything else you see is marketing smoke and mirrors released by the manufacturer to make their TV more appealing.

These ‘increased’ refresh rates are just inflated numbers that can only be realized by the TV processing the picture.

There are a few different ways TV manufacturers try to achieve smoother motion.

The most common are motion interpolation and black frame insertion/backlight scanning.

It is these processing techniques that are used to justify claims of higher refresh rates.

Each manufacturer has its own name for this processing. Some examples are:

• Samsung – Motion Rate
• Sony – Motion Flow XR
• LG – TruMotion
• Vizio – Effective Refresh Rate
• Toshiba – Clear Frame
• Sharp – AquoMotion
• TCL – Clear Motion Index

Each processing mode is used to claim a refresh rate higher than the actual figure for the TV, making it very difficult to compare like-with-like.

Samsung Motion Rate vs. Refresh Rate

For example, with Samsung, a motion rate of 120 for a 4K TV will have a native refresh rate of 60 Hz.

A 4K Samsung TV with a motion rate of 240 will have a native refresh rate of 120 Hz.

As you can see, unless you are aware of this, it can be challenging to understand the difference between the motion rate vs. the refresh rate.

Unless you like the picture processing that TVs do, you don’t need to worry about the motion rate (or whatever the brand calls it).

You just need to find out the native refresh rate – which you should find in the specifications on the manufacturer’s website – or in a technical review of that model.

What Is Motion Interpolation?

The idea behind motion interpolation is to increase the frame rate of a video source by adding extra frames.

Frames that don’t exist in the actual recording.

Therefore, to make a 60 Hz video playback at 120 Hz (or more), you can enable motion interpolation in the display menu of your TV.

Each manufacturer will call this something different, but the idea is the same.

Motion interpolation creates extra frames by making an educated guess of the movement between two frames – effectively taking two consecutive frames and creating an extra one between them.

So, if the frames of a 60 Hz video go from this to this:

Then the motion interpolation will add an extra frame in the middle.

The result is the motion will look smoother because there is less of a jump from one frame to the next:

The trick to making this work effectively is how well the interpolation algorithm performs the task.

While this can work well for some fast-moving images like sports, many people don’t like it.

It can create an image that looks very unnatural – especially if used with movies – and this look is often called the ‘soap opera effect.’

Motion interpolation is also not recommended for gaming, as the required processing can introduce lag.

So, it is OK to watch TV shows, but it makes gaming difficult.

If you are unsure, just switch it on in your TV’s menu and see what it looks like.

You can always turn it off again!

Backlight Scanning and Black-Frame Insertion

These techniques are used on some TVs to improve motion… and allow the manufacturer to claim a higher refresh rate.

They are not directly connected to the refresh rate of a TV, but they can be more effective on a TV with a higher 120 Hz refresh rate.

Backlight scanning and black-frame insertion are essentially the same processes, and they are called different things by some manufacturers.

The idea is that by turning the screen black in between each video frame, the eye is tricked into seeing smoother motion.

This works because motion blur is caused in part by the pixels of the TV screen not switching color quickly enough.

With TVs, they use a process called sample and hold, resulting in the pixels holding on to their color for a fixed period – and the human eye can see this as a blurring of the image in fast-moving pictures.

One solution to this problem is to make the screen black in-between frames, making the color transition of the pixels much sharper and cleaner.

Anyway, the details of how it works are less important.

You just need to know that some people think it can be pretty effective – and others can’t stand it.

These features are usually enabled and disabled in the menu settings for the TV, so try it out and see what you think.

What Is TV Motion Blur?

Motion blur has been mentioned a couple of times already, so it’s a good idea to explain what this is.

It’s an essential issue related to TV refresh rates because people get confused between television refresh rates and the motion blur they see on the screen.

They assume that a high refresh rate will remove motion blur, which can help, but it’s not the solution.

Don’t forget that the source material’s frame rate is significant in seeing smooth motion.

Progressive video recorded at 60 fps will look smoother than 30 fps video because it captures more detail in the movement.

But motion blur is something different.

Motion blur on a TV occurs when the image appears blurry with quick movement on the screen and is especially noticeable with sports content.

Motion blur on a TV screen

It is a misunderstood issue because the motion blur that you see can be caused by several different factors:

• TV panel’s response time: some types of TV can switch their pixels on and off faster than others. OLED TV technology has speedy response times, while LED TVs are less so.
• Sample and hold techniques: if the pixels are kept on for a fixed time, this can be seen to the human eye as motion blur when the picture moves quickly. Unfortunately, OLED TVs use sample and hold just as LED TVs do. So, their advantage of fast response times can be reduced.
• Content blur: motion blur may be fixed within the content, particularly if shot using low shutter speeds.
• Scaling: if the image resolution has been scaled to fit the native resolution of the screen.
• De-interlacing: from deinterlacing material before displaying it on a progressive TV screen.
• Compression: if the video has been compressed to help the delivery to your home, e.g., online streaming services.

All of these can contribute to what people see as motion blur, and as you can see, none of these are directly caused by a low refresh rate.

In a modern TV panel, there are a couple of ways to try and fix the effect of motion blur – motion interpolation and backlight scanning – which have been discussed further up the page.

While a higher refresh rate can help make these techniques more effective, it is just a tiny part of reducing TV motion blur.

While motion blur on a TV can be very annoying, some people are more sensitive to it than others.

Conclusion

So, what have you learned from all this technical mumbo jumbo?

Unfortunately, you have read a lot of words saying that the refresh rate of your TV isn’t that important.

Maybe that should have been said in the first place and saved a lot of time – although it wouldn’t have been as much fun!

The main takeaway is that the quoted refresh rate of a TV should be taken with a pinch of salt.

If it says anything higher than 120 Hz, then it isn’t the real native refresh rate – and even with the correct numbers, there aren’t too many instances where a higher refresh rate will significantly affect your daily use.

If you like delving into the menu and changing a few settings, you may improve performance in some circumstances.

However, many people don’t like the look of the processing modes you can enable, so they don’t use them.

In many cases, you will buy a TV based on your budget, and the more expensive models will likely be 120 Hz – and the cheaper ones will be 60 Hz. Simple.

Just don’t get too hung up on the higher numbers.

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About The Author

Paul started the Home Cinema Guide to help less-experienced users get the most out of today’s audio-visual technology. He has been a sound, lighting and audio-visual engineer for around 20 years. At home, he has spent more time than is probably healthy installing, configuring, testing, de-rigging, fixing, tweaking, re-installing again (and sometimes using) various pieces of hi-fi and home cinema equipment. You can find out more here.

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What is the screen refresh rate?

This is one of the indicators that characterizes the quality of the dynamic image on the TV screen. It shows how fast the frames on the TV screen change, and is measured in hertz (Hz). If the refresh rate is insufficient, then the TV user observes flickering of the image, which is very tiring for the eyes. This disadvantage is well known to owners of outdated cathode ray tube (CRT) televisions.

With the widespread adoption of liquid crystal models, 50 frames per second, or 50 Hz, has become the standard. However, in modern models this is considered insufficient.

The problem is that the LCD pixels do not switch instantly. No matter how small the inertia of switching, in scenes saturated with fast movements, it becomes noticeable – the image is “smeared”, gaps and comet trails appear. To get rid of these unwanted effects, you should increase the frame rate. Manufacturers achieve this with the help of special software solutions. The most popular is to insert an intermediate frame between the two main ones.

A powerful processor analyzes and compares two adjacent frames and, based on this analysis, creates a transition between them. Due to such an insert, the frame refresh rate is doubled – from 50 to 100 Hz. And if you insert several intermediate pictures, the frequency will increase even more. Thus, it is possible to raise the refresh rate up to 200 Hz. Other technological innovations are also used, for example, local dimming, flickering backlight, various anti-aliasing algorithms. All these measures can reduce the fuzziness of images of fast moving objects.

It should be added that drawing additional frames in its pure form is not currently used. The fact is that while it suits games and sports broadcasts well, then films processed using this technology have an undesirable unnatural effect, called the “soap opera effect”.

Therefore, in order to avoid annoying viewers watching TV, manufacturers use complex sets of algorithms that each large company develops independently and keeps secret from competitors.

Today, manufacturers are announcing absolutely incredible refresh rates of 1000 or more hertz. But this is not the real rate of staff turnover, but a marketing parameter invented to evaluate the effectiveness of the technologies used.

You can buy a TV in our online store at a low price with home delivery or pickup in Moscow.

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What is the best TV refresh rate

The passport of every modern LCD TV or computer monitor contains such a characteristic as the screen refresh rate. But even a sales assistant is not always able to explain how this indicator actually affects the image, how the picture differs in 50Hz, 100Hz, 200Hz, and which frequency is better to choose. However, there is a difference, and quite noticeable: the number of Hz significantly affects the quality. Sometimes it pays to increase the cost of a purchase a little, but to get a better model with a clear image and smooth transitions dynamic frames .

Contents

How many hertz does a good TV have?

Do not confuse this with 24 frames per second for film or 50 frames for TV. The refresh rate of a TV screen – or scan – is measured in Hz (hertz). The Hz value indicates how many frames per second the panel is capable of displaying.

The higher this characteristic, the clearer the picture will be, without “blurred” movements and flicker.

If you go a little deeper into history, then obsolete monitors and TVs had a modest frequency of 50 Hz, not hiding “smeared” scenes when the object moved quickly. Later they were replaced by more technologically advanced devices with a 100Hz sweep. The new products completely eliminated the unpleasant flicker, but there was still no need to talk about quality. As mentioned above, TV content produces 50 frames per second (which is equal to 50Hz), updated models “finished” intermediate frames, thus slightly increasing image clarity to a satisfactory level. But compared to its predecessors, TVs were considered excellent, and there was no better alternative.

At least 200 Hz will ensure high image quality when the digital video processing already projects three additional intermediate frames . Although the manufacturer promises that 100Hz is enough for modern technology, this is not entirely true. It is enough to turn on two TVs with different frequencies: in comparison, the difference in quality at a scan of 100 and 200 Hz will be noticeable. But screen resolution should also be taken into account. For modern types of TVs, 4K 120 Hz is enough.

Technical description of the scanning process

To understand what refresh rate is and how frames are drawn, you need to understand the types of LCD TVs and monitors that are on the market today.

1. LCD (Liqud Crystal Display) The was one of the first LCD TV designs. Currently, they are relatively cheap, as many improved models and new technologies have appeared. So, LCD panels are inferior to LED in terms of comparative characteristics. Image formation is carried out using CCFL fluorescent illumination. Such devices do not have good picture clarity, but with a sweep of more than 100 Hz, you can count on the complete absence of flicker.
2. L ED (Light-emitting Diode) are advanced LCD monitors, supplemented by a new image illumination system using LED diodes. These monitors have a higher contrast ratio. Please note: the placement of diodes over the screen area may be different, which affects the quality of the image transmission. Models labeled “Full LED”, “True LED”, “Direct LED” are of higher quality, they have diode backlighting distributed over the entire screen area, but the “Edge LED” marking means that the backlighting is concentrated in the end parts. You can read more about these nuances in the article about LED technology. Such a TV will be much cheaper, but the image will be somewhat worse.
3. Plasma Display Panel does not require additional illumination: the plasma cells are illuminated by the action of ultraviolet rays on the phosphors. Plasma provides higher contrast than the two types above and deep darks. The affordable cost of the panel is compensated by the fragility: in 3-4 years, the panel burns out somewhat, the image quality is noticeably reduced. Complements the list of shortcomings tangible energy consumption and frequent failures when detecting removable modules. Such a TV may not see the hard drive or flash drive, headset and similar connected devices.
4. OLED ( Organic Light- emitting Diode) in the modern world is the pinnacle of technical tele-progress. These were the first curved TVs in 2015, but the extravagant designs weren’t in high demand, and the familiar flat OLED devices followed. Manufacturers have achieved high quality pictures without any additional illumination. The advantages of this technology compared to LED are obvious.

Now about the display refresh rate technology itself. The television series, provided via non-switched communication channels, produces 50 frames per second. Digital video processing allowed each frame to be copied and shown twice, and 100Hz was born. The technology made it possible to eliminate the most uncomfortable image defect – flicker.

Further development borrowed technology from computer animation, when the technique takes two frames as a basis and creates everything in between intelligently, creating smooth and precise movement. Unlike a computer, a TV does not have the concept of a “future frame”, but this turned out to be enough. The drawing of additional frames is based on the analysis of past ones, which ensures a high image accuracy and smoothness . Objects moving at high speed are clear and not blurry.

What the market currently offers

The most modern panels today are considered to be 600 and 800 Hz with built-in Sub-Field Driving technology, which promises unsurpassed picture quality. There are many doubts about such characteristics. Distrust of manufacturers was born a long time ago, when such equipment was just beginning to enter the market. In those days, marketers did not hesitate to attribute hertz when image enhancement technologies inserted not copies of frames, but simply black pictures that the eye was not able to perceive. Thus, the quality did not increase, but the sales of digital electronics went very well. Modern LCD TVs of well-known brands correspond to the parameters stated in the passport, and there is no doubt about it. It is more important to take care of the availability of the necessary cables that allow you to transmit digitized channels of satellite or cable TV.

What does resolution affect? In addition to the above indicator, you should pay attention to

screen resolution , which also affects the image quality. The indicator is measured in pixels (p).

It is worth noting that the continuous development of technologies, their improvement, leads to the fact that each new model is much better than the previous one. About five years ago, 720p devices were at the peak of popularity, and models Full HD in 1080 p just appeared and cost twice as much, but today their cost is almost equal. The modern market has been updated with a new HDTV resolution, 4K Ultra HD, capable of displaying four times as many pixels as Full HD.

The new UHDTV or 4K has more color reproduction, the 120Hz refresh rate provides a clear, crisp and true-to-life picture. It is difficult to assess which is better: full immersion in 3D or super-realistic pictures of a new resolution format. But don’t discount Full HD at 1080p. Although the resolution fades into the background, it will be actively used for a long time. Most of the content is “tailored” for this resolution, unlike the new UHDTV, for which films have not yet been released, and the existing ones are not cheap. Therefore, you can choose which TV resolution is better only based on the quality of the incoming signal.

Moreover, the weight of such a file is much larger, the current cables, Internet speed and Wi-Fi router will also have to be replaced with faster and more powerful ones capable of playing and displaying ultra-precise video.

Summing up

Taking into account all significant parameters, several conclusions can be drawn.

1. The sweep provides a smooth image, a clear storyboard of moving objects.
2. Resolution provides a realistic drawing of each frame, when you can see all the details, the color, the movement of water or people is accurately conveyed.
3. When choosing which TV model is better, it is worth analyzing all the key characteristics in the aggregate so that both the screen resolution and the frame refresh rate are at the level.

And more, feel free to turn on and compare the picture in the store before buying.