Friends don't let friends set their HDTVs to high refresh rates

[Josh Bass]

I have to go on a bit of a rant here. I have friends, people I respect, loved ones, etc. who have TVs capable of the 120/240/whatever the ridiculously high Hz refresh rate is. There are many things that are subjective in this world, but this is one is not: IT LOOKS TERRIBLE! It makes the finest cinematic masterpiece look like cheap home video. I hate it. I hate even more that some people cannot discern between this look and the "proper" refresh rate for given content. A friend claims it's necessary for sports with all the fast moving action. That may be; I don't watch sports. But it's not necessary for Mad Men. And it makes me a Mad Man. Ha.

Anyway, that's about it. Bass out.

[Hamish Reid]

Originally Posted by Josh Bass

I have to go on a bit of a rant here. I have friends, people I respect, loved ones, etc. who have TVs capable of the 120/240/whatever the ridiculously high Hz refresh rate is. There are many things that are subjective in this world, but this is one is not: IT LOOKS TERRIBLE! It makes the finest cinematic masterpiece look like cheap home video. I hate it. I hate even more that some people cannot discern between this look and the "proper" refresh rate for given content. A friend claims it's necessary for sports with all the fast moving action. That may be; I don't watch sports. But it's not necessary for Mad Men. And it makes me a Mad Man. Ha.

Anyway, that's about it. Bass out.

I don't have any experience with high refresh rate TVs, but I remember when HDTV was in its (relative) infancy here I had friends who simply didn't notice that they had the TV set up to the wrong aspect ratio for the specific channel. Yes, the entire content was squashed horizontally or vertically -- to me, very obviously so -- and almost to a person they either hadn't noticed, or weren't bothered at all. It drove me to distraction :-).

[Josh Bass]

I can't tell you the number of commercials that air in Houston in the wrong aspect.

[Tony Neal]

Yes you are right, many things are subjective and personal, but I think visual percepton is near the top of the list.

No you are wrong, in my opinion (see above). I think movies look sensational at 120Hz with all of that annoying 24p juddering removed - even if the TV has to invent all of the missing frames.

The good news is that the technology still gives us a choice. You can watch movies at legacy frames rates and I can watch them at 120Hz so everybody stays happy.

Good rant though.