100 Hz in movies, in games
We connected the TV to three sources: a rather high end DVD player (Philips DVD9000S), a recent game console (an Xbox 360) and a computer (home assembled).
First off, it’s possible to activate the 100 Hz in all three situations and the difference is obvious with or without. After that, results and improvements vary depending on the utilization. It’s important to single out movies from the rest.
100 Hz in moviesthe fluidity of movies is considerably improved. This is surprising but is even disturbing in some cases. Cartoons and computer animated movies look better overall and we appreciate that afterglow has been significantly reduced. The result is close to a CRT monitor for the blur effect seen in movement, moreover, we discovered a new fluidity, which isn´t obtainable via standard CRT monitors. Characters seem to float a bit, but all in all this is rather nice. We add, however, that cartoons were already very well rendered on normal LCD and Plasmas.
The theoretical explanations for the calculation in movies.:
Pro and personal movies are shot in 24, 25 or 30 images per second.
Let´s take the case of a frequency of 25 fps. With a standard monitor at 50 Hz, the framerate is twice as high. Each image is displayed every 40ms. Our standard 100 Hz monitor will calculate one image and in principle display two different ones in the same period of time. This will considerably modify the fluidity of the sequence.
There is a second possibility presented by Samsung, which is even more unfavourable. The initial movie framerate is 24 images per second or 1 new image every 41.7 ms. At t = 0, the monitor displays the first image. The monitor then asks for a new image at t1=1/50 Hz or 20 ms, where the first image is doubled with a standard monitor. At T2 = 40 ms, a new image is requested. As we are still with the movie framerate (1 every 41.7 ms); the image is tripled. The next image will only be displayed at the next request. In the meantime, according to Samsung´s presentation:
When the 50 Hz monitor displays three times the same movie image, the Samsung TV is supposed to display 3 different ones.
Now back to reality. If it was good with computer animated sequences, the images with real people are in fact less enjoyable. This floating of characters and new fluidity are quite disturbing, because they aren´t natural. Also, this is no longer a movie type rendering and it’s too real. We realise here that we are actually used to seeing a slightly blurred effect in fast camera movements. We all agreed that we wouldn’t activate the 100 Hz in movies.
However, maybe this is something we will get used to, because we only had the monitor for a week in our office.
100 Hz in gamesHere, we had the exact opposite situation. Once we tried the 100 Hz, whether with the computer or console, it is impossible to go back to the previous configuration. And once again this was unanimous. What was amusing was that some people in the office say that they weren´t affected by LCD afterglow…. until they tried the 100 Hz. Samsung is right not to talk about response time anymore as this is no longer relevant in games. Liquid crystals should always have a response time of 8ms but afterglow – in fact the retinal persistence – is no longer comparable to TVs and monitors equipped with similar crystals.
The improvements are so nice that none of the 2ms monitors are able to compete with this TV. The end result is very nice and even soothing for the eyes.
So this is the reason why we wanted to take an even deeper look…
