FPS and screen refresh rate?

[Chauceratemyhamster]

I'm confused by something I suspect I already know, but, If a monitor or TV has a maximum refresh rate of 60hz then it cannot correctly display a video that is 120fps? I already feel like I've got something very wrong with that statement.

[jagabo]

At best you'll just see every other frame. Most TVs, even TVs with "120 Hz" displays, won't accept 120 fps input (there are no 120 Hz TV sources). 120 Hz computer monitors can display 120 Hz sources.

[Cornucopia]

The reason that is an option on TVs (as opposed to monitors) is two-fold:

1. Framerate of film is 24fps but it is projected with a flicker (or you could say refresh) rate of 48 or 72 Hz (fps), because this raises the impression of framerate above the threshold of perception of smooth motion. Similarly, raising the refresh on the tv from 50/60Hz to 100/120Hz will artificially increase the impression of smoothness without actually raising the framerate, though not as thoroughly as if it actually had been raised.

2. Most 120Hz-capable tvs CAN artificially raise the framerate through interpolation. This is not without its artifacts & detractors however, so YMMV.

Scott

[Chauceratemyhamster]

Thanks.