Filmmaker mode striking a blow against motion smoothing

[Canada]

Filmmaker mode striking a blow against motion smoothing

Motion smoothing is a disease, but we may have just found the cure.

Last September, filmmakers like Christopher Nolan and Paul Thomas Anderson met with members of The UHD Alliance, an organization comprised in part by major film studios and consumer electronics manufacturers, to seek a way for consumers to be able to watch movies on home television sets without the scourge of motion smoothing and other awful settings ruining the picture quality.

After nearly a year of work, a solution has been reached: Filmmaker Mode, a new TV viewing mode which will disable all post-processing settings so the movie or show is displayed as the filmmaker intended. This has the support of directors like James Cameron, Rian Johnson, Ava DuVernay, M. Night Shyamalan, Reed Morano, and many more. Learn all about Filmmaker Mode below.

I attended a panel presentation this afternoon where leaders of the UHD Alliance unveiled the new mode, which disables motion smoothing and preserves the intended aspect ratio, colors, and frame rates. The mode will be easily accessible two primary ways: by pressing a single button on the remote, or if the proper metadata is in the bitstream, the TVs may automatically switch the display without you even needing to press anything at all.

For the technical specification nerds among you, this mode will apply to both SDR and HDR content, feature a White Point of D65, will maintain source content frame rate and aspect ratio, and turn off motion interpolation, sharpening, TV noise reduction, and other image “enhancement” processing.

Rian Johnson attended the unveiling presentation today, and after expressing admiration at how far home entertainment technology has come over the past few decades, he turned his attention to the scourge of filmmakers everywhere: motion smoothing.

“As any sci-fi fan worth their salt will tell you, you cannot stroll through the Eden of a technologically advanced golden age without keeping your eyes peeled for the seeds of the coming dystopian wilderness. If you’re a movie lover, your Skynet is motion smoothing.”

For those who may not know, motion smoothing (or motion interpolation) is a feature on most modern televisions that essentially adds information to connect the gaps between frames of footage. It looks great for things like sports, where your eye is often tracking a quick-moving ball or puck. But when applied to films, which are shot in 24 frames per second, motion smoothing results in a cheap, tacky image that looks like an old soap opera.

Unfortunately, most TVs have motion smoothing turned on as its default setting, and some viewers may not be aware that they’re watching content in a sub-optimal way. The setting is frequently buried deep within several layers of menu options, making it difficult to locate even if you do know to turn it off, and what makes matters worse is that many major TV brands don’t call it “motion smoothing,” but instead have their own proprietary name for their brand’s version of that feature.

That’s why it’s a huge deal that LG, Panasonic, and Vizio (a trio of manufacturers that have a significant percentage of the market share) are the launch partners for Filmmaker Mode, and will be including it on their models in the future. Vizio announced today that Filmmaker Mode will be featured on its Smart TV 2020 lineup of products, and as of now, the other brands haven’t provided details about exactly when we’ll see this and on which specific models. When asked if Filmmaker Mode will be available on current models of internet-connected TVs through a software update, a Vizio representative said that was being researched, but no decisions about possible implementation have been made yet.

Johnson, who’s been fighting the battle against motion smoothing for years alongside directors like Reed Morano, said he wanted to applaud everyone who worked hard to make this happen, and he wanted to “get down on my knees and offer burnt sacrifices of thanks to the TV manufacturers who are in on this, and I hope others will follow their lead and show the world that they love movies.”

During a panel presentation, Panasonic’s Ron Miller put it like this:

“I think in the video that we saw with so many directors talking about the work, the intent, the process that they put into filmmaking, it’s only appropriate that the technology on the other end where it’s viewed by so many people engage in that same intent and bring that vision forward for the enjoyment of the viewer.”

I almost can’t believe I’m typing this, but I think the long war against motion smoothing may have finally been won. You can learn more about Filmmaker Mode at filmmakermode

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiuHytIDW_k

[HDTV1080P]

Thanks for the information. Filmmaker mode would offer native 24fps on some high-end DLP projectors, and on all flat panel screens with Filmmaker mode 24fps would be flashed at multiplies of 24Hz, like 120Hz, or 240Hz, etc (and without frame interpolation motion smoothing). I wish Filmmaker mode would have existed back in 2006. It would have saved me several thousands of hours of research over the last decade contacting manufactories to see which menu settings might turn off motion smoothing and offer multiplies of 24fps Cinematic mode when I created the following thread back in Jan of 2007. Things became very complicated when I was looking for displays that offered multiplies of 48fps for Blu-ray 3D along with multiplies of 24fps for 2D.


https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=5155


In the ideal world all 16K displays including 16K projectors and 16K flat panels should be mandated by the consumer electronics industry to have some type of 3D technology (This should have happen with 8K displays the 3D mandate, but the industry missed it). When 16K displays come out in a decade or so they all should be required to have some type of 3D technology so consumers can use Blu-rayt 3D or broadcast 3D. 3D now is only a niche market because the technology is only found on some mid to higher-end projectors. Projectors also have the best 3D quality and one of the reasons why 3D died for flat panel screens was because of the poor 3D quality when compared to a reference DLP 3D projector.

[HDTV1080P]

quote


"The mode will be easily accessible two primary ways: by pressing a single button on the remote, or if the proper metadata is in the bitstream, the TVs may automatically switch the display without you even needing to press anything at all."

That would be awesome modes. Currently my 2008 Pioneer Elite Signature series plasma which is 11 years old displays 1080P 24fps material at 72fps using 2D triple flash technology with nice organic motion.

[LordoftheRings]

They should have come up with that mode fifteen years ago, for the masses.
That's cool, tomorrow's TVs are going to be more consumer friendly, Artificial Intelligence.

And why press a remote button when you can talk directly to your display by simply saying "Film".
By the time you locate your remote under the couch or in the refregirator (you misplaced it there last time when getting the strawberry jam for your ice cream), and letting it cool down or warming up in the microwave oven, by the time you press that unfrozen button with the batteries calmed down, the film would be over.

Filmmaker mode...talk to your display and tell her to engage it...say "Film".
Tomorrow, from Panasonic TVs (OLED best), where they aren't available in the United States of America.

[Canada]

Originally Posted by LordoftheRings

They should have come up with that mode fifteen years ago, for the masses.
That's cool, tomorrow's TVs are going to be more consumer friendly, Artificial Intelligence.

And why press a remote button when you can talk directly to your display by simply saying "Film".
By the time you locate your remote under the couch or in the refregirator (you misplaced it there last time when getting the strawberry jam for your ice cream), and letting it cool down or warming up in the microwave oven, by the time you press that unfrozen button with the batteries calmed down, the film would be over.

Filmmaker mode...talk to your display and tell her to engage it...say "Film".
Tomorrow, from Panasonic TVs (OLED best), where they aren't available in the United States of America.

I know Panasonic OLED TV's not being available in the US and Canada (as far as I understand) is a huge shame.

[LordoftheRings]

Originally Posted by Canada

I know Panasonic OLED TV's not being available in the US and Canada (as far as I understand) is a huge shame.

Last one (floor demo model, a year old):
• https://www.atlasavu.ca/shop/tv-vide...led-tc65fz950/

Ask for Tom, say you talk to Bob...$3,000 (Canadian loonies).
The 5-year warranty is an extra $480 Cdn.

According to Tom Panasonic OLED TVs have much better quality picture than LG OLED, and Sony OLED. Customers have compared them side-to-side and there's no question.

Here on the Island (Victoria) that's it. Next best place for Panasonic OLED TVs is on the mainland, Vancouver...three stores.

And of course there's LG OLED (but the C9 for example...$3,300...no Filmmaker Mode).
Same for Panasonic and Sony OLED. Perhaps next year models (some)...2020.

* That link above, not very important anyway, no Dolby Vision (but it has Dynamic Scene Optimiser). ...HCX Hollywood video processor.

[Canada]

I would like to buy a 4K TV but I am a little cash strapped at the moment. Plus no Dolby Vision on a TV is a deal breaker for me. Although if I won enough money to get projector and projector screen, I would say goodbye to Dolby Vision yesterday.

[dyne]

I just think it's funny that the decide to auto enable all those features in the first place only to add another "feature" to turn them all off. How about just having them with the features off out of the box?

[Alan Brown]

We shall see just how successfully these manufacturers and content providers implement this promising initiative. This is nothing new. The professional display calibration community has been enabling this option for discriminating cinephiles at home for decades. As the presumptive "godfather" of video display accuracy, Joe Kane, has been saying all along to anyone who would listen, "It's all about the art!"

It is also important to remind the video industry that a significant challenge remains when considering what is really necessary in delivering an authentic viewing experience of cinematic art in the home. Any video installation must involve a system approach. The video display is only one component in an array of essential parts that compose the whole of how a viewer perceives and experiences the program being reproduced.

Motion picture experts agree that the soundtrack provides at least 50% of the emotion and impact of a movie or major television production. Attention to detail in telling a dramatic story includes sound, picture, and usually actors' performances. The environment (room conditions) in which the program is presented also has a profound effect on how the audience experiences the presentation of a program. Room acoustics, placement of equipment relative to the seating location, lighting conditions, and colors in the surroundings, are all important to how the human perceives the presentation. A skilled designer will attend to all of these details when implementing a home entertainment system.

Best regards and beautiful pictures,
Alan Brown, President
CinemaQuest, Inc.
SMPTE, PVA, THX, ISF, Lion AV Consultants

"Advancing the art and science of electronic imaging"

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by dyne

I just think it's funny that the decide to auto enable all those features in the first place only to add another "feature" to turn them all off. How about just having them with the features off out of the box?

Oh come off it... that would make way too much sense!

[Alan Brown]

Originally Posted by dyne

I just think it's funny that the decide to auto enable all those features in the first place only to add another "feature" to turn them all off. How about just having them with the features off out of the box?

The plain truth is that TV manufacturers are in business to sell electronic devices. Image fidelity is not a top priority for most TV consumers. The majority want an appliance for visually and audibly communicating information in typical room lighting at their convenience during the day or night. They prefer their appliances to be cheap, simple, convenient, easy to operate, and what will fit into their lifestyle preferences and priorities.

Manufacturers study their markets. The majority of TVs sold are not purchased by videophiles or home theater hobbyists. Picture modes out of the box are featured that allow acceptable viewing in bright rooms such as the average living room or Costco/Walmart/Target/Sam's Club/Best Buy retail show floor.

In comparison, cinephiles, videophiles, and home entertainment forum members are considered a niche market. Thankfully, options are usually provided these days that allow for a "cinema" mode and/or advanced calibration controls to achieve a more accurate picture according to motion imaging industry standards and best practices.

Best regards and beautiful pictures,
Alan Brown, President
CinemaQuest, Inc.
SMPTE, PVA, THX, ISF, Lion AV Consultants

"Advancing the art and science of electronic imaging"

[batman2000]

how long until we hear more about this feature?

[LordoftheRings]

Vizio TVs, next year in 2020 when they release some models with that feature.
LG TVs, most likely next year as well.
Panasonic OLED TVs, next year ... 2020.
• https://www.flatpanelshd.com/news.ph...&id=1567695600

Next year is also when we'll see transparent OLED from Panasonic.
And of course more 8K TVs ...
_____

* https://www.trustedreviews.com/news/...h-2020-3935911

[batman2000]

Originally Posted by LordoftheRings

Vizio TVs, next year in 2020 when they release some models with that feature.
LG TVs, most likely next year as well.
Panasonic OLED TVs, next year ... 2020.
• https://www.flatpanelshd.com/news.ph...&id=1567695600

Next year is also when we'll see transparent OLED from Panasonic.
And of course more 8K TVs ...
_____

* https://www.trustedreviews.com/news/...h-2020-3935911

I know that a meant before the year ends

[LordoftheRings]

There's no new news ... on that filmmaker mode front.
And Panasonic OLED TVs are not available in the United States of America.
So in 2020 people from the US can look @ Vizio.

* LG is more into 8K and rolling OLED.

Filmmaker Mode we'll know more about when Vizio implement it on some models next year...good luck.
Room's lights has to be taken into consideration, easier said than done.

[John The Grudge]

Given the near instant response times of current OLED TVs, they are able to show motion almost exactly as it is at the source. The problem is that media filmed on lower frame rates such as 24p have inherent stutter that was masked by motion blur on older TVs. Now with OLEDs we can se that stuttering in panning movements for example. I gather this is because 24 fps is low enough that we can tell that it is a series of still images and the illusion of continuous motion falls apart. I find it hard to believe that the likes of Christopher Nolan intends his films to be a stuttering mess.

Give me smooth motion any day over 24p. The latest TVs are capable of 120fps. Films would be buttery smooth if they were filmed in that. Though I appreciate the added cost that would bring to CGI fests like marvel movies.

Can someone please tell me what is so "cinematic" about stuttering?

[Alister_M]

Originally Posted by John The Grudge

Given the near instant response times of current OLED TVs, they are able to show motion almost exactly as it is at the source. The problem is that media filmed on lower frame rates such as 24p have inherent stutter that was masked by motion blur on older TVs. Now with OLEDs we can se that stuttering in panning movements for example. I gather this is because 24 fps is low enough that we can tell that it is a series of still images and the illusion of continuous motion falls apart. I find it hard to believe that the likes of Christopher Nolan intends his films to be a stuttering mess.

Give me smooth motion any day over 24p. The latest TVs are capable of 120fps. Films would be buttery smooth if they were filmed in that. Though I appreciate the added cost that would bring to CGI fests like marvel movies.

Can someone please tell me what is so "cinematic" about stuttering?

"Film mode" on any decent TV achieves natural motion blur with minimal judder, if any at all, by mimicking the flicker of projected film. Thus, it's already possible to utilize high refresh rates to eliminate stuttering without resorting to Soap Opera mode.

[John The Grudge]

Originally Posted by Alister_M

"Film mode" on any decent TV achieves natural motion blur with minimal judder, if any at all, by mimicking the flicker of projected film. Thus, it's already possible to utilize high refresh rates to eliminate stuttering without resorting to Soap Opera mode.

Life doesn't happen in frames so there's nothing natural about 24fps. It may be more convenient for people to shoot in such a low frame rate but they're definitely not doing it because it looks better. The argument against smooth motion settings (which is a totally valid argument) isn't necessarily an endorsement of 24fps.

[Alister_M]

Originally Posted by John The Grudge

Life doesn't happen in frames so there's nothing natural about 24fps. It may be more convenient for people to shoot in such a low frame rate but they're definitely not doing it because it looks better. The argument against smooth motion settings (which is a totally valid argument) isn't necessarily an endorsement of 24fps.

The entire reason for 24fps being set as the default frame-rate for film back in the day is because it's the lowest speed they can get away with before the motion blur becomes all herky-jerky. Of course, that motion blur has now become an inherent part of what people perceive as the cinematic experience. HFR may be more realistic, but it tends to reveal too much detail and removes that fuzzy barrier between "film world" and reality. Hence the generally poor reception to the HFR release of The Hobbit. I'd also surmise that it would be even more problematic for horror and violent thrillers - watching someone being brutally butchered at 60fps would either reveal the special effects as too obviously fake, or at the opposite end of the spectrum, remove the "blur barrier" and make audiences too uncomfortable.