Long confined to 50 Hz, modern televisions are experiencing a real revolution in their refresh rate. But what is the point of opting for a TV at 100 Hz? Here is our answer to this very good question.
50 Hz , 100 Hz or even 120 Hz , 200 Hz , 400 Hz and 600 Hz : today’s televisions seem to have no limits when it comes to their refresh rate! But does this race for fluidity really have any meaning?
To determine this, you must already understand what this data corresponds to, which is still unclear for many TV users. By understanding what a TV’s refresh rate is, you should be able to determine if going for a framerate over 50Hz is right for you.
1. Refresh rate, what is it?
Refresh rate, or refresh rate, refers to the number of images displayed on a screen each second. This data is expressed in number of hertz.
In France, the standard is set at 50 Hz (hertz), or 50 frames per second. This standard may vary depending on the country: for example, it is fixed at 60 Hz in the United States, which therefore corresponds to 60 images per second. 50 Hz and 60 Hz remain, to this day, the most common frequencies for televisions .
The higher the number of images displayed per second, the smoother the video displayed on the screen, since the movements are further broken down. It’s one of the reasons why today’s TV manufacturers seek to deliver the smoothest experience possible to their customers.
2. Technology that adapts to the situation
If you are a movie buff, you may have already seen a surprising situation related to this finding: a 50 Hz television broadcasts 50 frames per second, but a movie is projected at 24 frames per second. This means that when a film is broadcast on a TV, it sees its number of frames per second more than double.
In practice, films broadcast on television are converted to be broadcast at 50 Hz. This results in an acceleration of the image. On average, a film broadcast on a TV lasts 4% less time than in the cinema , for this reason. Some modern displays offer a 24Hz option to provide an experience closer to that of a movie theater. This is the True Cinema mode, which is found in particular at Sony .
However, the human eye is largely accustomed to viewing films at 50 Hz, which does not particularly motivate manufacturers to offer 24 Hz on a massive scale. There are more TVs equipped with 100 Hz, 120 Hz, 200 Hz or more functions. , on the market. When this type of mode is activated, the television artificially generates new images between those that already exist, to optimize the fluidity of the rendering.
3. What is a 100 Hz or higher TV used for?
If 50 Hz is the standard in France, more and more TVs are promoting higher refresh rates. First of all, you should know that these are always options to be activated manually. 50 Hz remains the base on TVs sold in France. However, there are situations where having a high refresh rate can come in handy.
To watch sports
Watching a football or tennis match, or a Formula 1 race on a TV equipped with a 100 Hz or 200 Hz mode can be interesting. Indeed, sport lends itself well to the use of this feature to improve the fluidity of the image. You thus have the impression of being in the stands. It is a most pleasant feeling.
To watch shows
If you are fond of filmed concerts or plays, here too, 100 Hz can be interesting. The “real” side of this kind of spectacle is apparent on a TV with a high refresh rate. We are talking about filmed shows here, variety shows are a completely different matter, for which 50 Hz can be more than enough.
To play video games
Console video games have long been limited to 30 frames per second and therefore a 50 Hz TV was more than enough. Today, owners of a PS5 or an Xbox X Series can count on games that run at 60 frames per second or even, in some cases, at 120 frames per second. Gamers therefore have good reason to opt for a 100 Hz or even 120 Hz TV or screen . Many manufacturers offer a Gaming mode within the settings of their televisions, which makes it possible to very precisely optimize the refresh rate. of the screen according to the needs of the player.
4. Should we bet on a higher refresh rate?
TV brands generally highlight the fact that the higher the refresh rate, the more the image quality improves, thanks to increased fluidity. This theoretical presentation is very simplistic. In practice, the average human eye begins to see its limits appear around 300 frames per second. It therefore seems difficult to see any interest in a 400 Hz or 600 Hz mode . This should be considered more as a possibility of further improving fluidity by this multiplication, but there are also other means, it all depends on the approach of the manufacturer.
In fact, you probably don’t need to spend a lot of money to buy a TV with such a feature. 100 Hz or 120 Hz seem suitable for most viewing situations where good image fluidity is appreciable. If you are really very demanding on this criterion and you want the best, moving towards the top of the range of the major manufacturers makes sense, regardless of the method by which they achieve this excellence. You now know how to guide the purchase of your future television.