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OLED TV Motion Blur (Causes and Fixes)

As a proud owner of an OLED TV, I was frustrated when I started noticing some motion blur during my favorite shows and movies. After some research, I found out that motion blur is a common issue with OLED TVs and can be caused by a variety of factors.

In this blog post, I’m going to discuss the causes of motion blur on OLED TVs, as well as some potential fixes. I’ll also share some of the tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way, as well as other solutions I’ve come across.

Sample-and-hold, an effect that causes the frame to blur across your retinas, is the main cause of motion blur in some OLED TVs. Motion Smoothing is another source of motion blur in OLED TVs. When you play a 24 fps film on a faster-rate OLED TV, the TV generates extra frames to fill the gaps, which often results in motion blur. Motion blur can also be caused by resizing issues.

Cause of Motion BlurDescriptionSolution
Resizing IssuesWhen the TV’s video scaler adjusts the size of a video frame to match the TV’s resolution, it can result in blur during motion.Play media that matches or comes as close to matching the resolution of your TV as possible.
Motion SmoothingMotion smoothing inserts fake frames between actual frames to artificially increase the frame rate, which can cause blur or judder.Adjust the motion smoothing setting by turning it on or off or changing its intensity. Access the setting through the TV’s “Picture Settings” or “Advanced Settings” menu. Keep in mind that eliminating motion blur can create a Soap Opera Effect, which may not be desirable for some content.
Sample-and-Hold EffectThe TV holds a frame for a short duration before refreshing to a new frame, causing the frame to blur across the retinas due to eye movement.Adjust the Black Frame Insertion (BFI) setting to insert a black frame between each lit frame, creating a smoother motion with less blur. Note that BFI can cause visible flickers or screen dimming. Follow the steps for your specific TV model to access the BFI setting.
Soft ResetTechnical glitches in the TV’s internal memory can cause motion blur.Perform a soft reset by turning off the TV, unplugging it from the wall outlet, waiting for 60 seconds, plugging it back in, and turning it on again. This clears the internal memory of running programs and often resolves technical glitches.
Hard ResetA factory reset can sometimes resolve persistent motion blur issues.Perform a hard reset by resetting the TV to its factory defaults. Follow the specific instructions for your TV model. For example, on a Samsung TV, go to Settings > General, select Reset, enter your PIN (default is 0000), and select Reset again. Note that a hard reset will erase any customized settings, so you’ll need to reconfigure your TV after performing this step.

  Causes of Motion Blur on OLED TV

There are several potential causes of motion blur on OLED TVs, most of which can be addressed.

  1. Resizing Issues

Almost all TVs include a video scaler that allows you to view videos of virtually any size and resolution. It’s a system that adjusts the size of a video frame to match the resolution of a TV.

As a result, your OLED TV attempts to compensate for the missing pixels by creating extra pixels to accommodate the size change. This process often results in blur, which is accentuated during motion.

In this case, the only option is to play media that matches or comes as close to matching the resolution of your TV as possible.

  1. Motion Smoothing

Another reason moving objects on OLED TVs appear blurry is the motion smoothing setting.

Motion smoothing, also known as motion interpolation, is the process of inserting fake frames between the actual frames of a film or show. In other words, it’s the process of artificially increasing the frame rate to match the refresh rate of the TV.

The purpose of enabling motion smoothing is to reduce motion blur. The issue is that if you use it on a TV that runs at 60 or 120 frames per second to watch a film that was shot at 24 frames per second, the extra frames can cause blur or judder.

  1. Sample-and-Hold Effect

One cause of motion blur on OLED TVs has nothing to do with the TV and everything to do with the human brain.

Many modern OLED TVs, and LCDs, configure their pixels using a sample and hold circuit. This means that the TV holds a frame for one-sixtieth of a second before refreshing to a new frame, which is then held for another one-sixtieth of a second. This rate is fast enough to exceed our brains’ flicker fusion threshold.

However, because we expect smooth motion, our brains and eyes move to where the next frame should be. As a result, our eyes are in a different position at the end of a refresh than they were at the start, causing the frame to blur across the retinas.

How to Fix Motion Blur on OLED TV

Now that you have an idea of what causes motion blur on OLED TVs, let’s take a look at how we can reduce it.

  1. Adjust Motion Smoothing

Most OLED TVs allow you to turn motion smoothing on and off or adjust its intensity. The problem is that every TV brand has a different name for the setting.

In general, you should be able to turn on motion smoothing by:

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Click “Picture Settings”
  3. Select “Advanced Settings”

From this point onward, you’ll have to look for a setting with the word “motion” in it, such as “TruMotion,” “Auto Motion Plus,” or “MotionFlow.”

Just keep in mind that eliminating motion blur can create a Soap Opera Effect. The SOE is when motion blur is reduced so much that the content becomes ultrasmooth and crisp.

This effect may work for some media formats; however, it may interfere with the creative vision of directors’ films and TV shows.

That’s why turning on motion smoothing is ideal for watching sports, where the ultrasmooth effect won’t affect the content itself.

  1. Adjust Black Frame Insertion

One way that OLED TVs have been improved to reduce motion blur is through the use of Black Frame Insertion (BFI). Instead of a brief flicker, this method inserts a black frame between each lit frame, creating a smooth motion with any motion blur.

Here’s how to adjust BFI on your OLED Sony TV:

  1. Access display settings
  2. Go to “Picture Settings” or “Picture Adjustments”
  3. Click “Advanced Settings”
  4. Go to “Motion”
  5. Select “Clearness”
  6. Increase or decrease the intensity of the BFI

On OLED LG TVs, the steps may be a little different:

  1. Press the “Settings” button on the remote
  2. Select “Picture Mode” from the “Quick Settings” menu
  3. Go to “Advanced Settings”
  4. Choose “Clarity” or “Picture Options”
  5. Select “TruMotion” or “BFI”
  6. Choose “Low,” “Medium,” “High,” or “Auto”

Keep in mind that these steps may have different names depending on the TV model.

It’s also worth noting that BFI can cause visible flickers, which can be just as annoying as motion blur. What’s more, in some OLED TVs, increasing the intensity of BFI causes the screen to dim.

So, the best thing to do is to try BFI to see if it solves the problem or replaces it with another.

Try a soft reset

A soft reset, is where you turn off the TV and unplug it from the wall outlet. You then usually have to wait for 60 seconds then you can put the plug back in and turn the TV on again. Performing a soft reset clears a device’s internal memory of running programs, which often clears up any technical glitches.

Try a hard reset

A hard reset involves completely resetting the TV to its factory defaults. Most TV models have specific instructions. However, if you have a Samsung TV here are the steps to follow:

To perform a factory reset:

  1. Head to Settings > General.
  2. Select Reset.
  3. Enter your PIN > then select Reset.

Note: If you didn’t change your PIN initially the code is 0000

Conclusion

Many people find motion blur issues on OLED TVs to be headache-inducing. Luckily, most OLED TVs allow you to adjust certain features to reduce this effect.

If motion blur bothers you, you should read our article to find out what’s causing it. Hopefully, you’ll find a setting that allows you to customize the TV to your liking!

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