The quest for the perfect viewing experience on a modern television often leads users down a path of confusing settings and technical jargon. Among the most common and perplexing visual anomalies is judder, an irritating stuttering or jerkiness that disrupts the smooth flow of motion on the screen. While many assume this artifact is a sign of a faulty television or a low-quality video signal, the reality is that judder is a highly specific and often unavoidable consequence of a fundamental mismatch between the decades-old standard of cinematic content and the technology inside today’s high-refresh-rate displays. Understanding judder is the first step toward conquering it, as it involves navigating the complex relationship between frame rates, refresh rates, and the digital processing techniques television manufacturers employ to bridge the gap.

This comprehensive guide delves into the core physics and digital processing behind judder. We will define the phenomenon, trace its origins to cinema standards, and meticulously explain the technical mechanisms—specifically the 3:2 pulldown—that cause the visual jarring. Crucially, we will explore the array of modern mitigation techniques, from the controversial use of motion interpolation (often resulting in the infamous “Soap Opera Effect”) to more subtle methods like Black Frame Insertion (BFI) and native support for various film standards. By the end of this exploration, viewers will be equipped with the knowledge to identify judder and adjust their display settings to achieve the smoothest, most artifact-free motion fidelity their television is capable of producing, whether they are watching a blockbuster film, a live sporting event, or playing a high-action video game.

The Fundamental Discrepancy: Frame Rates vs. Refresh Rates

Judder exists at the intersection of two critical technical specifications: the frame rate of the source material and the refresh rate of the display device. Confusion between these two concepts is common, but they represent distinct phases of the video playback chain.

Understanding Frame Rate (FPS)

The frame rate, measured in frames per second (fps), refers to the number of static images captured or rendered per second in the original video or film. For over a century, the global standard for cinematic content, from Hollywood blockbusters to independent art films, has been 24 frames per second (24p). This standard was initially adopted for technical and economic reasons related to film stock efficiency, and it is now deeply ingrained as the artistic standard for the “cinematic look.”

When you watch a movie, you are seeing 24 individual, static pictures flashed on the screen every second. Broadcast television and digital streaming content often use higher frame rates, typically 30fps or 60fps, particularly in North America and Japan, which is known as the NTSC standard. In Europe and other regions using the PAL standard, broadcast content is typically around 25fps or 50fps. However, the cornerstone of the judder problem remains the ubiquitous 24fps content attempting to play back smoothly on non-24p compatible displays.

Understanding Refresh Rate (Hz)

The refresh rate, measured in Hertz (Hz), describes how many times per second the television screen physically draws a new image. This rate is determined by the display hardware itself, regardless of the source content’s frame rate. Most older and entry-level modern televisions operate at a 60Hz refresh rate. Higher-end and gaming-focused displays typically utilize 120Hz, and increasingly, high-performance monitors and TVs are reaching 144Hz or even 240Hz refresh rates.

The purpose of a higher refresh rate is twofold: to reduce visible flicker and, more relevant to this discussion, to create a smoother, clearer presentation of motion. Ideally, the refresh rate of the display should be an even multiple of the source content’s frame rate. For example, a 60fps game plays perfectly smoothly on a 60Hz display (1:1 ratio), and a 24fps movie plays perfectly smoothly on a 120Hz display (5:1 ratio, as 24 x 5 = 120). When the source frame rate is not an even divisor of the display refresh rate, the uneven conversion process begins, and judder is the inevitable result.

The Root Cause of Judder: The 3:2 Pulldown

The primary and most widely recognized source of judder in consumer electronics stems from the conversion process necessary to display 24fps film content on a standard 60Hz television. This technique is universally known as 3:2 pulldown or sometimes 2:3 pulldown, and it is the mechanism that introduces the uneven cadence that the human eye perceives as stuttering.

The Mechanics of 24p on a 60Hz Display

The number 24 does not divide evenly into 60. If a 60Hz screen were simply to repeat each 24fps frame twice, it would only utilize 48 of the 60 available refresh cycles, leaving 12 gaps per second. To use all 60 cycles and maintain the proper duration, the 3:2 pulldown system repeats frames in an alternating pattern:

The first frame of the 24fps source is displayed for three refresh cycles (3/60th of a second).
The second frame of the source is displayed for two refresh cycles (2/60th of a second).
The third frame is displayed for three refresh cycles.
The fourth frame is displayed for two refresh cycles.

This alternating pattern of 3, 2, 3, 2 repetitions completes a full cycle using five refresh cycles (3+2) to display two film frames. When this process is applied 12 times (24 frames total), it perfectly utilizes the 60Hz refresh rate (12 cycles * 5 refreshes = 60 refreshes). The video signal is technically correct, and all 24 original frames are displayed. However, the human visual system is extremely sensitive to temporal inconsistencies. The two different durations for which frames are held on the screen—the 3-cycle hold and the 2-cycle hold—create an uneven motion cadence, which is what is experienced as judder.

Visual Manifestation and When It’s Most Noticeable

Judder is not a constant, blanket blur, but rather an intermittent visual hitch, almost like a car shifting gears unevenly. It is most conspicuous in specific types of on-screen motion, allowing viewers to easily identify its presence:

Slow Panning Shots: Judder is most aggressively exposed during slow, lateral camera movements, such as a steady pan across a landscape or cityscape. Instead of a smooth, fluid travel, the image appears to stutter or drag in short, sharp increments, making the motion look unnatural and mechanical. This is because the eyes are tracking a moving object, and the uneven frame display forces the eye to constantly adjust to the staggered timing.The brain expects the motion to progress at a consistent speed, but the 3:2 pattern constantly shifts the apparent distance the object moves between screen refreshes, creating the jarring effect.
Vertical or Horizontal Scrolling Text: The opening credits of a film, where text scrolls slowly up the screen, are often a perfect stress test for judder. The clean, straight lines of the letters clearly highlight any unevenness in vertical movement.If judder is present, the text will appear to momentarily speed up, slow down, or hitch every few letters, which is a direct visual representation of the 3:2 cycle repeating itself. Smooth scrolling text is one of the clearest indicators of proper 24p handling.
Objects Moving Diagonally: While horizontal pans are the classic example, any object moving across the screen at an angle can also reveal judder. This is because the diagonal movement combines both horizontal and vertical vectors, both of which are subject to the 3:2 timing inconsistency.The diagonal movement can sometimes make the judder appear more complex, showing not just a hitching, but a slight wobble or deviation from a straight line of motion.
Slow-Moving Background Elements: In a shot where the main subject is static but the background is slowly shifting—perhaps from a car driving slowly past a wall—the subtle movement of the background scenery can show the tell-tale signs of judder.Because the background elements are often lower-contrast and less-defined than the main subject, the judder can manifest as a general visual instability rather than a sharp stutter.
Low-Contrast Areas: Judder can be particularly disruptive in areas of low contrast or subtle detail, such as an object moving against a solid-colored or gradient background like the sky.The eye struggles to maintain focus on the subtle boundaries, and the inconsistent motion makes it harder for the brain to seamlessly fill in the motion gaps, resulting in a pronounced, distracting flicker of movement.

Beyond 24p: Other Causes of Jerky Motion

While the 3:2 pulldown is the most famous culprit, judder is simply one form of motion irregularity, and other frame rate mismatches can lead to similar jerky results. The global discrepancy between broadcast standards, namely NTSC and PAL, is a secondary but significant source of motion artifacting.

50Hz Content on 60Hz Displays (NTSC vs. PAL)

Regions operating under the PAL standard (most of Europe, Australia, parts of Asia) broadcast television at 50 frames per second (50p). When a 50p European Blu-ray or a live stream is played on a standard North American or Japanese (NTSC-region) 60Hz television, a new conversion problem arises. Converting 50 frames to 60 refresh cycles requires an even more complex frame repetition scheme than 3:2 pulldown, or often, the entire content is sped up by 4% to reach 25fps and then subjected to an inconsistent pulldown, leading to severe and distracting judder. The resulting uneven cadence is extremely difficult for a TV to cleanly process without motion compensation technologies.

Content with Variable Frame Rates (VFR)

A newer source of motion artifacting comes from modern digital content that employs Variable Frame Rate (VFR). This is common in screen recordings, some mobile phone video, and certain animated content, where the frame rate fluctuates based on the scene’s complexity or the device’s processing power. Traditional display processing, which expects a consistent, fixed frame rate (CFR), struggles to maintain smooth motion when the source’s timing is constantly changing, leading to inconsistent judder or stuttering that is exceptionally difficult for the TV’s internal processor to correct in real-time. This is often solved by forcing the content to a fixed rate before playback, but this is not always available at the source device level.

Modern Solutions and Mitigation Techniques

TV manufacturers are well aware of the judder problem, and almost every modern display, especially those with a 120Hz native refresh rate, employs a suite of processing techniques designed to either eliminate judder by performing a more stable frame rate conversion or by interpolating new frames to increase smoothness.

Native 120Hz and 4:4/5:5 Pulldown

The most elegant solution to 24p judder is a television with a native 120Hz refresh rate. Since 24 is an even divisor of 120 (120 ÷ 24 = 5), the display can simply repeat each original 24fps frame exactly five times (5:5 pulldown). This eliminates the uneven cadence of the 3:2 pulldown. Every frame is displayed for the exact same duration, resulting in a perfectly smooth, judder-free presentation of the original 24p motion. The 120Hz panel is, therefore, considered the gold standard for film purists who want accurate, judder-free cinema playback without any form of motion processing.

In regions where the 25fps PAL standard is common, TVs with a native 100Hz refresh rate can perform a similar 4:4 pulldown (100 ÷ 25 = 4), resulting in equally smooth, judder-free playback for 25p content.

Motion Interpolation (The Soap Opera Effect)

For content that needs to be smoothed out beyond its native frame rate, or for 24p content on a 60Hz TV where 3:2 pulldown is the only option, manufacturers utilize motion interpolation, often marketed under names like “TruMotion” (LG), “MotionFlow” (Sony), or “Auto Motion Plus” (Samsung). This process is designed to create new, intermediate frames that are mathematically generated and inserted between the original source frames. The goal is to bring the effective frame rate up to the display’s refresh rate (e.g., 60fps or 120fps) or even higher.

By generating these in-between frames, motion interpolation successfully eliminates judder and can make motion appear significantly smoother. However, this technology comes with a controversial side effect: the Soap Opera Effect (SOE). The unnaturally smooth motion can strip cinematic content of its traditional “filmic” look, making movies appear like cheap, high-definition video productions, similar to daytime soap operas or reality television shot on video cameras. This is often considered an artistic deviation and is why many film lovers and professional calibrators recommend disabling all forms of motion interpolation for 24p cinema content.

Black Frame Insertion (BFI) and Its Trade-offs

Another technique for improving motion clarity and reducing judder and motion blur is Black Frame Insertion (BFI), sometimes referred to as ‘impulse mode.’ BFI works by momentarily inserting a completely black frame between every actual video frame. This method mimics the way old-school cathode ray tube (CRT) displays worked by momentarily turning off the electron beam, which significantly reduces the time that any single image is persisted on the retina.

Since the human eye processes the persistence of the image—a key cause of perceived motion blur and judder—the brief blackout effectively resets the eye’s focus, resulting in extremely crisp and clear motion. BFI is highly effective at reducing both judder and motion blur. However, it introduces significant trade-offs:

Reduced Brightness: Since the screen is black for a portion of the time, the overall perceived brightness of the image is dramatically lowered, often by 50% or more. This makes BFI less practical for viewing in brightly lit rooms.The dark frames are a necessary mechanism for the clarity, but they inherently diminish the panel’s light output, which is a major consideration for HDR content or daylight viewing scenarios.
Visible Flicker: For sensitive individuals, the rapid insertion of black frames can introduce a noticeable, fatiguing flicker, especially on lower refresh rate panels (e.g., 60Hz).While the flicker is intended to be fast enough to be imperceptible, some viewers, particularly those with a sensitivity to temporal light changes, may find the experience uncomfortable or headache-inducing.
Potential for Strobe Effect: In some cases, BFI can introduce a subtle strobe effect, where the motion appears to jump from one position to the next too abruptly, especially on large screens.This is a consequence of the sharp, instant-on/instant-off nature of BFI and is a different kind of artifact from judder, being more related to the discrete nature of the frames.
Increased Input Lag: Depending on the implementation, the processing required for BFI can sometimes add a small, though often negligible, amount of input lag, making it a less-than-ideal setting for competitive gaming.Gamers prioritize the lowest possible latency for their inputs, and any feature that adds processing time is generally avoided, even if the visual clarity is improved.
Panel Dependent Effectiveness: BFI works best on displays with an instant response time, such as OLED panels. On slower LCD panels, the pixel response may not be fast enough to fully transition to black, leading to smearing or a less clean effect.The panel technology itself dictates the ceiling of effectiveness for BFI, with newer, faster displays achieving a much cleaner reduction in motion blur and judder artifacts.
Heat and Power Consumption: While minimal, the rapid switching required for BFI can sometimes slightly increase the operating temperature and power consumption of the display.This is a minor point for most consumers but speaks to the intense processing and switching rate required to achieve the desired effect of temporal clarity.

A Deeper Look at Motion Smoothing Technologies

Motion smoothing, or interpolation, is arguably the most powerful and complex tool in a TV’s arsenal for motion handling. It is also the most debated, often necessitating a detailed understanding of its mechanisms to make an informed decision about its use.

How Frame Creation Algorithms Work

Motion interpolation relies on sophisticated video processing algorithms that analyze two consecutive original frames (Frame A and Frame B) and then predict the movement of pixels and objects between them. The processor then renders a brand-new intermediate frame (Frame AB) that represents where those objects should be located halfway between Frame A and Frame B. This process is repeated to fill in the refresh rate gaps.

Modern interpolation algorithms are exceptionally complex, capable of analyzing motion vectors, object boundaries, and depth. However, they are not infallible. When the algorithm misjudges motion, particularly during rapid movement, complex scenes (like exploding objects or fast cuts), or when an object is momentarily obscured, it creates characteristic processing artifacts. These can include: haloing (a shimmering outline around moving objects), tearing (where the image appears to break apart), or general distortion. These artifacts, alongside the SOE, are the reasons why many enthusiasts strongly advocate for turning interpolation off for film content.

The Debate: Purists vs. Smoothness Seekers

The choice of whether to use motion interpolation is a deep-seated philosophical debate in home theater communities. The purist stance argues that 24fps is an intrinsic part of the film medium’s artistic intent. Film cameras use a shutter that introduces motion blur to each frame, and the low frame rate, combined with this blur, creates the classic cinematic aesthetic. By artificially removing the judder and introducing ultra-smooth 120Hz motion, the TV is fundamentally altering the director’s vision. For a purist, seeing every individual frame of the original 24fps content with the proper 5:5 cadence (on a 120Hz TV with processing disabled) is the highest form of fidelity.

The smoothness seeker or casual viewer often prioritizes a comfortable, easily viewable image above artistic intent. For this user, motion interpolation is a fantastic technology that eradicates annoying judder and delivers a pleasing, blur-free image, especially for non-cinematic content like sports and gaming, where higher frame rates are already the standard. The SOE is either tolerated or, in some cases, even preferred. Modern TVs often have a “Custom” or “Cinema” mode that attempts to find a middle ground—reducing judder without maximizing the SOE—by setting the interpolation level to a low or moderate intensity.

Distinguishing Judder from Related Artifacts

Judder is frequently confused with other common motion-related visual flaws. While all these artifacts negatively impact motion fidelity, their causes and solutions are distinct, making accurate identification essential for proper display calibration.

Judder vs. Stutter: Low Frame Rate and Dropped Frames

While judder is a timing inconsistency caused by pulldown on a fixed refresh rate, stutter is a consequence of an actual low frame rate or dropped frames. True stutter occurs when the source material itself has a low frame rate (e.g., a video game running at 15fps) or when the delivery chain fails and the player or source device cannot consistently deliver the required frames to the TV (e.g., network bandwidth issues leading to dropped stream frames). This results in a heavy, noticeable stop-start motion where the image clearly halts its progression for a moment, often appearing much more severe and irregular than judder.

The solution for stutter is to fix the source: increase the content’s frame rate (e.g., upgrade graphics card or settings in a game), ensure a stable network connection, or use a better-performing media player. Judder, by contrast, cannot be fixed at the source because it is inherent in the conversion of the consistent 24fps signal to the 60Hz display.

Judder vs. Motion Blur: Panel Response and Sample-and-Hold

Motion blur is a distinct artifact often confused with judder. Motion blur is primarily caused by two factors: the camera’s shutter speed during filming, and the sample-and-hold nature of modern flat-panel displays (LCD, OLED). In a sample-and-hold display, the image for a frame is “sampled” from the source and then “held” on the screen until the next frame is ready. This persistence causes the human eye, which is constantly tracking motion, to see the trail of the object across the screen as a blur.

The primary fix for motion blur is the use of Black Frame Insertion (BFI), which breaks up the sample-and-hold effect. While judder is a temporal inconsistency (uneven timing), motion blur is a spatial smearing (image persistence). They often appear together, but a TV can exhibit extreme judder with little motion blur (if BFI is active, for instance) or significant motion blur with no judder (if 60fps content is playing smoothly on a 60Hz TV).

The Role of Display Technology in Judder Management

The underlying display technology has a profound effect not just on the appearance of judder, but also on how successfully motion artifacts can be mitigated. LCD and OLED panels handle motion in very different ways due to their fundamental operational physics.

LCD’s Response Time and Judder

Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) panels rely on liquid crystals to control light passing from a backlight. The time it takes for these crystals to transition from one state to another (to fully change the color and luminance of a pixel) is known as the response time. Slower response times on LCD panels can exacerbate the appearance of judder and motion blur because the pixel is still transitioning when the next frame arrives. This lingering image, known as ‘ghosting,’ adds an additional layer of temporal confusion to the 3:2 pulldown judder.

Modern high-performance LCDs have extremely fast response times, but they still operate on the sample-and-hold principle. When dealing with judder on an LCD, the effectiveness of motion smoothing or BFI is often limited by how fast the panel can physically switch states. Furthermore, the inherent need for a constantly illuminated backlight in a standard LCD makes the visibility of BFI’s brightness reduction particularly problematic.

OLED’s Instant Response and Micro-Stutter

Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) panels are emissive—each pixel generates its own light and can turn completely off almost instantaneously. OLEDs have near-instantaneous pixel response times, typically measured in microseconds, essentially eliminating the motion blur caused by slow pixel transitions. However, this instantaneous response time exposes a new, subtle artifact related to low frame rates: micro-stutter.

Because there is no motion blur to ‘hide’ the discrete jumps between frames, the individual steps of 24fps motion can appear more pronounced on an OLED than on an LCD, even when the judder is handled with a perfect 5:5 pulldown on a 120Hz panel. While this isn’t judder itself, the clean, instant-on/off nature of OLED means that the discrete, staccato motion of 24 frames per second—which is natural to the medium—can be perceived as a mild, unsettling stutter by some viewers. This is why even OLED owners may sometimes activate a low level of motion interpolation (or BFI) to gently smooth out the perceived harshness of the 24p motion, even though the judder is technically absent.

Practical Guide: Testing and Adjusting Your TV

To ensure optimal motion performance, viewers must first be able to reliably identify judder and then know which menu settings to adjust. Since manufacturer names for motion processing vary wildly, a process of systematic identification and adjustment is necessary.

Steps to Identify Judder on Your Display

A reliable method for testing judder involves playing specific, known 24fps content that features slow, sweeping pans. The following steps will guide the diagnostic process:

Find the Test Material: Select a high-quality Blu-ray, 4K disc, or reputable streaming service known to deliver content at its native 24fps (most cinematic content qualifies). Choose a scene with a long, slow camera pan across a textured background, such as a landscape, or a clear example of scrolling text.
Ensure Native Playback: Verify that your source device (e.g., Blu-ray player, streaming stick) is outputting the video at 24Hz or 60Hz. If it is 60Hz, you are setting up the test condition for 3:2 pulldown judder. If it is 24Hz and your TV is 120Hz, you are testing for perfect 5:5 playback.
Disable All Motion Processing: Crucially, turn off all motion smoothing, interpolation, and de-judder settings in your TV’s picture menu. This ensures you are viewing the raw motion performance.
Observe the Motion: Watch the panning shot. If you see a repetitive, uneven stuttering (the characteristic hitch, hitch, smoother, hitch, hitch, smoother cycle), you are observing 3:2 pulldown judder. If the motion is simply staccato but consistently timed, you are observing the native appearance of 24p content.

Navigating Motion Settings (Manufacturer Terminology)

The names for motion processing features are often branded and non-intuitive, but they generally fall into two categories: De-judder (Interpolation) and De-blur (BFI/Clarity). The key is to find the “Custom” or “User” setting to control the features independently:

Samsung: Settings are usually found under Auto Motion Plus. Look for the “Custom” mode, which will have a separate slider for “Blur” (De-blur/BFI) and “Judder” (De-judder/Interpolation). To eliminate 3:2 pulldown judder on a 60Hz TV, increasing the “Judder” slider will apply interpolation.A good starting point for film content on Samsung is setting the “Judder” slider to a very low level (e.g., 2 or 3) to smooth the judder without introducing excessive SOE, or setting it to 0 for pure cinematic playback on a 120Hz model.
Sony: Settings are under MotionFlow. Sony often uses an “Auto” or “Custom” mode. The key settings are “Smoothness” (Interpolation/De-judder) and “Clarity” (BFI/De-blur).Sony’s “True Cinema” or “Cinemotion” mode is often designed to detect 24p content and automatically apply the correct 5:5 pulldown on 120Hz models without interpolation, which is the preferred setting for purists.
LG: Settings are under TruMotion. Look for the “User” mode, which provides separate controls for “De-Judder” (Interpolation) and “De-Blur” (BFI).LG’s OLEDs, due to their perfect blacks, can handle BFI (if available) well, but the inherent clarity of the panel means many users prefer to leave De-Judder at 0 for film content to avoid the SOE entirely.
Vizio/TCL/Hisense: These brands use various names like Action Smoothing or Motion Estimation Motion Compensation (MEMC). The core principle remains the same: find the custom setting and identify which slider controls the frame creation (De-judder) and which controls the backlight/flicker (De-blur/BFI).The manual is the most reliable source for these brands, but experimentation by slowly increasing each slider while watching test footage will quickly reveal the function of each control.

Optimizing Settings for Film and Broadcast Content

The optimal settings for motion handling are entirely dependent on the type of content being viewed. A single “best” setting is impossible, necessitating an understanding of the trade-offs.

Here is a detailed guide to optimizing your television for different types of content:

For 24fps Cinematic Content (Films/TV Dramas): The goal is to eliminate 3:2 pulldown judder while preserving the artistic look of 24fps. If your TV is 120Hz, disable all Motion Interpolation (De-Judder = 0) to get a perfect 5:5 cadence. If your TV is 60Hz and you are bothered by the 3:2 judder, try a very low setting (1 or 2) on the De-Judder slider to mitigate the judder without a full-blown SOE. Keep De-Blur (BFI) off unless you are watching in a very dark room and prioritize maximum clarity, as BFI significantly reduces brightness.Prioritizing the director’s intent means accepting the inherent motion blur of 24fps film, but demanding perfect temporal consistency, which is achieved by avoiding the 3:2 unevenness.
For Live Sports and 60fps Content (Gaming): Here, the goal is maximum clarity and smoothness, as these sources are naturally high frame rate. Set the De-Judder (Interpolation) to 0, as interpolation often introduces artifacts and unwanted input lag in this content. The best setting is to enable De-Blur (BFI) if you are watching a fast-paced sport like hockey or racing, as it dramatically improves the clarity of the moving ball or puck.For competitive gaming, all forms of motion processing, including BFI and interpolation, should be disabled to ensure the lowest possible input lag, as even a few milliseconds can be critical.
For General Broadcast TV/Streaming Series (30fps/60fps): This is the middle ground where settings are often a matter of personal preference. Since 60 is a multiple of 30, judder is not a concern; however, there might be stutter if the stream quality drops. A moderate setting (3 to 5) on the De-Judder slider can enhance the visual experience by smoothing the transition between 30fps and 60fps segments, which is common in modern broadcasts.The SOE is less jarring on standard broadcast TV because the content is often already shot with a video look, making a small degree of interpolation more acceptable to the average viewer.
For 50Hz Content on a 60Hz Display: When dealing with PAL content, judder will be severe. Here, the only viable solution to achieve a visually smooth experience is to enable Motion Interpolation (De-Judder) to a high degree (e.g., 7 or higher). The TV must generate a significant number of new frames to bridge the 50Hz and 60Hz gap.While this introduces the SOE, it is often preferred over the aggressive, irregular stuttering that comes from the uncorrected 50Hz-to-60Hz conversion process, which is far worse than standard 3:2 pulldown judder.
For Mixed Frame Rate Sources (Apps, Web Browsers): When the source content varies widely, such as using a TV’s built-in smart TV browser or certain apps, select a moderate default motion preset (e.g., “Standard” or “Medium” on the custom slider). This setting provides a balance, ensuring smooth scrolling on menus and web pages while not excessively distorting 24fps content that may be integrated.Attempting to manually switch settings for every piece of content becomes impractical, so a reliable middle-of-the-road setting is the most user-friendly approach for mixed-use cases.

The Future of Motion: Higher Frame Rates and Adaptive Sync

The issues of judder and motion artifacts are primarily rooted in fixed, incompatible frame rate and refresh rate standards. Emerging technologies are already beginning to erode the need for complex, artifact-prone motion processing.

High Frame Rate (HFR) Film Production

The cinematic standard of 24fps is slowly being challenged by High Frame Rate (HFR) production, notably explored by directors like Peter Jackson with The Hobbit trilogy, which was filmed at 48fps. While controversial among traditionalists, 48fps content played on a 120Hz display (2.5:1 ratio) can be smoothly converted with a consistent pulldown, or on a 96Hz display (2:1 ratio), providing a smoother, less blurry cinematic experience with significantly reduced stutter. If the industry moves toward 48fps or even 60fps as a common delivery format, the entire problem of 24p judder on 60Hz displays would largely disappear.

Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) Technology

The ultimate technical solution to judder, stutter, and screen tearing is Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) technology, popularized by gaming consoles and PC monitors (e.g., AMD FreeSync and NVIDIA G-Sync). VRR allows the display to dynamically change its refresh rate to precisely match the frame rate of the source device in real time. If a video game is running at 47fps, the display instantly refreshes at 47Hz. If the game drops to 35fps, the display drops to 35Hz.

While primarily a gaming feature, applying VRR to video playback is the perfect fix for judder. If a TV could run at a native 24Hz, it could display 24fps content with a perfect 1:1 cadence, eliminating all pulldown-based judder. Modern TVs are increasingly incorporating HDMI 2.1 features that support VRR, and while video-centric VRR standards are still developing, this technology represents the future of motion handling—where the display adapts to the content, rather than the content being forcefully adapted to the display.

Conclusion

Judder is a complex visual anomaly, not a defect. It is the tangible result of the 3:2 pulldown mechanism required to bridge the gap between the established 24 frames per second cinematic standard and the 60 Hertz refresh rate of most conventional display technology. The uneven timing introduced by this conversion is what the eye perceives as an unsettling, repetitive stutter during camera pans and steady motion.

The solution is multifaceted and depends entirely on the television’s capabilities and the viewer’s preference. The cleanest, most purist-approved fix is a native 120Hz display, which allows for a perfect 5:5 pulldown and a completely judder-free presentation of 24fps content without artificial processing. For viewers who prioritize smoothness over the traditional film look, motion interpolation (De-Judder) effectively eliminates judder but carries the caveat of the Soap Opera Effect and potential processing artifacts. Finally, technologies like Black Frame Insertion and, looking toward the future, Variable Refresh Rate, offer alternative pathways to motion clarity, either by reducing image persistence or by eliminating the timing discrepancy altogether. Mastering the relationship between frame rate and refresh rate, and knowing how to navigate the specific motion settings on a given television, is the key to finally achieving true, flawless motion fidelity in the home theater.