Lifelike 3D Effect on some TVs

[Aclar00]

I'm somewhat new to the whole HDTV thing (don't actually have an HDTV yet) and was wondering why some TVs on display at chain stores appear to have a lifelike 3D effect to them. It appears as a real clean image and doesn't have that 'normal' movie feel to it. I don't know how else to explain it.

I first saw it with an LED tv at Frys, I believe they were showing Madagascar. But recently I saw the same lifelike image on a normal LCD at Best Buy with various movies, including Independence Day.

My question is this a particular setting that some tvs or blu-ray players have that allow the image to look like that?

Also normally when the movies look like that they were hooked up directly to a blu-ray player as oppose to being connected to the same mass connection as all the other sets.

I have a PS3 and a few Blu-Rays and have watch some of them on I believe a 720p Vizio, and though the image is nice and clear, it doesn't quite have the same lifelike appearance.

[wafi]

Me thinks you are referring to motion enhancement brought to us by the likes of Sony and Samsung...they go by Auto Motion etc.

[kpkelley]

Most likely what you are seeing is frame interpolation:

Motion interpolation is used in various display devices such as HDTVs and video players, aimed at alleviating the video artifacts introduced by framerate conversions in fixed-framerate displays such as LCD TVs. Films are recorded at a frame rate of 24 frames per second (frame/s) and television is typically filmed at 25, 50, 30 or 60 frames per second (the first two being PAL, the other two from NTSC). Normally, when a fixed framerate display such as an LCD screen is used to display a video source whose framerate is less than that of the screen, frames are often simply duplicated as necessary until the timing of the video is matched to that of the screen, which introduces a visual artifact known as judder, perceived as "jumpiness" in the picture. Motion interpolation intends to remedy this by generating intermediate frames that make animation more fluid.

It should be noticed that, while common, not all 120 Hz HDTVs include a motion interpolation feature. Also, anti judder technology is not the same as motion blur reducing technology, but is frequently lumped together with it.[1]

The commercial name given to motion interpolation technology varies across manufacturers, as does its implementation.

Hitachi - Reel120[2]
LG - TruMotion 120Hz, 240Hz
Panasonic - Intelligent Frame Creation (IFC)
Philips - HD Digital Natural Motion[3]
Samsung - Auto Motion Plus 120 Hz[4], 240 Hz
Sharp - Fine Motion Enhanced[5]
Sony - MotionFlow 100Hz, 100Hz PRO (XBR series, Australia), 120Hz, 200Hz, 240Hz.[6][7]
Vizio - MEMC (Motion Estimation, Motion Compensation)[8]
According to CNET.com executive editor David Carnoy, with Sony's MotionFlow motion interpolation objects look more stable when the feature is turned on. This is sometimes accompanied by a glitch in the picture.[1] Not everyone likes the effect and some complain that it gives film a "video" look.[8]

Some people like this effect others do not. Personally I use it for sports viewing only, when watching a movie I make sure that all such features are turned off.

[Another_Dude]

What you are seeing is a feature called "Frame Interpolation" that is available feature on 120hz (and some 60hz) LCD displays. The display creates and inserts frames that are an average of the last and next picture that are displayed. This will make the motion smoother on the screen. This will also give the picture a "soap opera" type of look that really pops when you first see it, but some people feel that it looks fake. This feature can be turned on or off, and has different modes to increase the effect.

I love it personally, but understand why some folks don't.


Also, I type slower than those guys...

[Aclar00]

Thanks for the responses guys, I appreciate it. I myself like the feature, so when I do get an HDTV I will probably get one with the option for Frame Interpolation. I wonder how Planet Earth would look with it on?

By the time I get a TV 120/240Hz should probably be the norm, but is this option limited to LCD or is it an option on Plasmas as well?

[kpkelley]

Originally Posted by Aclar00

By the time I get a TV 120/240Hz should probably be the norm, but is this option limited to LCD or is it an option on Plasmas as well?

Some Plasmas do have a form of this feature, but it is not nearly as common. Plasmas do not suffer from the same motion resolution problems that LCDs do.

[SumSuperman]

It's funny how you state the title of the thread as "Lifelike" because to me personally, it's actually the exact opposite. When I view televisions with the motion enhancement feature on it looks very unnatural, almost like things are in fast forward.

[wafi]

Originally Posted by SumSuperman

It's funny how you state the title of the thread as "Lifelike" because to me personally, it's actually the exact opposite. When I view televisions with the motion enhancement feature on it looks very unnatural, almost like things are in fast forward.

Agreed, but some of us seem to like it, and prefer it to actual life-like!

[langn08]

Originally Posted by Aclar00

Thanks for the responses guys, I appreciate it. I myself like the feature, so when I do get an HDTV I will probably get one with the option for Frame Interpolation. I wonder how Planet Earth would look with it on?

By the time I get a TV 120/240Hz should probably be the norm, but is this option limited to LCD or is it an option on Plasmas as well?

It's an awesome viewing experience if you enjoy it!