One of the most exciting sporting events of the year, March Madness, showcases exhilarating live sporting events. The charged action, monumental stakes, and enthusiastic attendees all combine as crowds part of the fabled showing. Thanks to modern technology, spectators can almost feel the adrenaline of the sports in real life thanks to high-definition televisions which make every detail vivid and eye-catching. One technology that makes viewing even more life-like is motion smoothing.
The majority of recent television sets integrate a feature called motion smoothing, or motion interpolation. Motion smoothing seeks to make rapidly changing visuals smoother and fluid which adds to the experience in sports and video games. While some may see the surge in quality, others dislike the issue motion smoothing creates. If motion smoothing is adjusted without the correct context, the feature can completely change the look and impression of shows or movies and give it the undesired name of the soap opera effect.
Why You Should (and Shouldn’t) Use Motion Smoothing on Your TV
In this article, we will describe smoothing motion, its significance, how to manipulate it, and in which cases it is more useful on—off. No matter what your watching, knowing this feature can assist you to enjoy the most vivid picture quality from your TV.
What Is Motion Smoothing?
New televisions have the motion interpolation feature (sometimes referred to as ‘motion smoothing’) integrated. It attempts to dynamically improve the frame rate by calculating and adding new frames; for example, it converts 24 frames per second (fps) to 60 or even 120 fps. As a result, blurring during fast movement is reduced, allowing the content to appear crisp and fluid.
At the very least, it does sound appealing, and in some scenarios—like live sports or fast-paced video gaming—it is appealing. Watching a buzz-beater shot or a swift break in crystal clear smoothness can add to the thrill enhancing the ‘being there’ feel. But to some, smoothing motion might not be that ideal.
Motion Smoothing Fails
For everything other than gaming and live sports, motion smoothing can be far too annoying. The brunt of its creation is what is referred to as the ‘soap opera effect’, a phenomenon wherein films and TV shows suddenly adopt a hyperrealistic quality, appearing as though they were filmed using a camcorder. Instead of placing the viewer in a cinematic experience, you are taken out of it. Faces tend to look overly sharp, camera pans are jarring, and atmospheric film quality is replaced with something that feels… cheap.
It is like seeing a Hollywood film that mistakenly walked onto the set of daytime soap operas. Capturing a film at a particular frame rate and motion cadence is part of the artistic vision, as many filmmakers do for a reason. Motion smoothing overrides that, relaxing the intended experience.
Motion smoothing is ideal only for super sports, and while you are playing a high frame rate video game, so if you are a home theater buff or a videophile, consider turning it off.
How to Turn Off Motion Smoothing on Your TV
The key sport television manufacturers tend to bury under proprietary names allow you change motion smoothing settings to off, making it harder than expected. Check out this guide on how to turn off the motorized functions of some of the most renowned smart televisions.
Samsung
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Feature Name: Auto Motion Plus
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How to Disable: Press the gear button on your remote. Navigate to: All Settings > Picture > More Picture Settings > Picture Clarity Settings > Auto Motion Plus
LG
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Feature Name: TruMotion
- How to Disable: Press the gear icon, then select: All Settings > Picture Mode Settings > Picture Options > TruMotion
Amazon Fire TV (Amazon, Toshiba)
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Feature Name: Action Smoothing
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How to Disable: Press the gear button and follow this path: Display & Sounds > Advanced Settings > Action Smoothing
Google TV (Sony, TCL, Hisense)
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Sony: Look for Motionflow
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TCL: Look for Action Smoothing
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Hisense: You’ll need to disable both Motion Enhancement and Motion Clearness
To access these settings: Settings > Display & Sound > Picture > Advanced Settings
Vizio
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Feature Name: Clear Action
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How to Disable: Use your remote to navigate to: Picture > Advanced Picture > Clear Action
Roku TV (Element, Hisense, RCA, Sharp, TCL)
Roku TVs handle this a little differently. First, open any app or input, then press the asterisk (*) button. Navigate to: Picture Settings > Advanced or Expert Settings and look for the motion smoothing toggle (may vary by brand, e.g., Action Smoothing on TCL).
When You Should Keep It On
Most high definition drama series and award winning films are likely to be ruined by chaotically smoothened video. However it looks better when the action is fast paced at high levels, for example, March Madness.
March Madness highlights disoriented fast action in motion basketball shots alongside smoother and sharper transitions. It does benefit from racing games and blur free violent video games to look more appealing. The important part is the moment the tool gets into action.
Final Thoughts: Choose Your Viewing Adventure
Motion smoothing isn’t inherently bad—it just needs to be used appropriately. If you’re watching a playoff game or enjoying a Call of Duty marathon, turn it on and enjoy the crisp, clear action. But if you’re settling in for movie night, give the “soap opera effect” a hard pass.
Thankfully, your TV settings allow you to control the experience. With just a few clicks, you can customize your display based on what you’re watching. Once you’ve lived through enough of March Madness (and maybe another early Louisville exit), take a moment to turn motion smoothing off and rediscover how your favorite shows and films were meant to be seen.
