We just got a new TV (a Samsung LN55C650), and so far every sit-com looks…different. Something about the lighting, or the shadows, makes everything look like a soap opera or a BBC production. We’ve got an older Samsung (about 3 years old) and this is not the case. Now, I haven’t really calibrated it yet; everything’s pretty much as it came out of the box. Other stuff looks fantastic; the Vienna episode of No Reservations in particular looked astounding.
Anyone else experience this? Is it something about the higher refresh rate? Something that will go away once I get the calibration DVD in and re-set everything? Just curious.
I know what you’re talking about, but I don’t know what the setting will be called on a Samsung. On my Panasonic it’s called Motion Smoother and it has three settings, Off, Weak, Strong. It came from the factory set at Weak.
Look for something along those lines and turn it off.
ETA, looks like it’s called Automotion on your TV. Find it, turn it off, no more seasickness.
No problem, I just about threw my new TV away after I went through that. I believe it was an episode of Modern Family that did me in.
I had read about the “Soap Opera Effect” before I bought the TV but hadn’t paid attention to it and suddenly though “Ooooh, that’s what all those threads were about…I should probably go find (about my TV)* one of them and see what the hell is going on here”
*I just went and found one for your TV to get the right name for it.
I think the fact that older sitcoms and TV shows were filmed in 640x400 (4:3 aspect ratio) has a lot to do with it.
Showing that on a 1080p flatscreen gives them all this kind of blurry, odd look, regardless of the settings I use, and I have a pretty decent TV (2010 model 50" Panasonic Viera 1080p plasma)
It’s the refresh rate frequency. It shows you more images per second, giving it a smoother frame rate quality. Personally I like the effect, but I can see why some wouldn’t.
I don’t think it will look as weird if that’s the original fps. What looks weird is when you convert between different ones.
On the other hand, neither 120 nor 60 are even multiples of 48, so it may look weird when it comes to Blu-Ray. Unless the high frame rate is just because it’s in 3D, and it’s actually 24 fps per eye. Then it will look fine at 120hz as long as you’ve disabled the option mentioned earlier.
BTW, that was the point of moving to 120hz: it’s evenly divisible by the common frame rates, 24, 30, and 60. The problem is that many places convert from 24 to 60, and then use computerized extrapolation to move it to 120.
My mother’s TV – which isn’t HD – does this, too, to all sorts of things. Not just old TV shows, but movies, as well. Everything looks as if it was done on videotape.
I can’t say exactly what causes it. I’d be very surprised if it was simply the frame rate or the resolution. The lighting looks different.
Wow! I have this issue on my Sony Bravia and I thought it was just me seeing things
I haven’t fixed it yet, as I still have a bunch of other settings to get right (anyone know how to fix the effect of everyone’s blonde hair looking pink?)…and I sort of dig this effect, makes me feel like I’m getting a special copy of the show.
