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Question about television screens/technology

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  • #1

    Question about television screens/technology

    I'm not quite sure how to explain this so bear with me. Hopefully one of you tech-minded folks will understand what I'm trying to say.

    We only own one flat screen TV. It's a standard definition small screen in our family room. We bought it several years ago when the tube TV finally died.

    Our other TV in our bedroom is still a tube model. It's working just fine but we're thinking about replacing it as it's rather small and hard to see from bed with our aging eyes. We have plenty of space to put a larger flat screen there and they've gotten so cheap that for under $200 we could get a nice big screen.

    Here's our issue. We've seen a lot of newer TVs that have a picture quality that we really dislike. I'm not exactly sure what it is but I'm thinking it's the HD factor. Images on the screen look too realistic if that makes sense. It doesn't look like you're watching TV or a movie anymore. It looks like you're staring directly at the scene. In fact, it's so sharp, it almost looks fake. We definitely don't want a TV that has that type of picture quality.

    So am I correct that it's the HD that we don't like or is it something else? I want to be sure whatever TV we buy doesn't end up having a display quality that we both hate.
    Steve

    * Despite the high cost of living, it remains very popular.
    * Why should I pay for my daughter's education when she already knows everything?
    * There are no shortcuts to anywhere worth going.
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  • #2
    This might answer your question. I’m pretty sure I know what you are saying and some people refer to it as the Soap Opera effect.

    What Is the Soap Opera Effect (and How to Make It Go Away) - HomeTheaterReview
    https://hometheaterreview.com/what-is-soap-opera-effect-and-how-to-make-it-go-away/
    Love it or hate it, the Soap Opera Effect is a reality in many of today's top HDTVs. Adrienne Maxwell explains what it is, where it came from, and how to make it go away (if you want).


    You may want to look at the manual or menu settings to see if the motion feature can be disabled.

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    • #3
      I understand what you mean about "too realistic" because I experienced that myself. However, it took little time to adapt, so that now I feel a bit annoyed when the quality noticeably drops in some circumstances. I imagine you would adapt quickly, too.
      "There is some ontological doubt as to whether it may even be possible in principle to nail down these things in the universe we're given to study." --text msg from my kid

      "It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men." --Frederick Douglass

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      • #4
        Originally posted by Jluke View Post
        This might answer your question. I’m pretty sure I know what you are saying and some people refer to it as the Soap Opera effect.

        What Is the Soap Opera Effect (and How to Make It Go Away) - HomeTheaterReview
        https://hometheaterreview.com/what-is-soap-opera-effect-and-how-to-make-it-go-away/
        Love it or hate it, the Soap Opera Effect is a reality in many of today's top HDTVs. Adrienne Maxwell explains what it is, where it came from, and how to make it go away (if you want).


        You may want to look at the manual or menu settings to see if the motion feature can be disabled.
        Thank you. That is exactly what I'm talking about. If pretty much all TVs have an option to turn that off, then we should be good. It's not an issue on our current flat screen (which is SD) which is why I thought it was an HD issue.
        Steve

        * Despite the high cost of living, it remains very popular.
        * Why should I pay for my daughter's education when she already knows everything?
        * There are no shortcuts to anywhere worth going.

        Comment

        • #5
          I'm pretty sure if you scour your local Craigslist you can find a TV with a crappy picture pretty cheap.

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          • #6
            My FIL had this on his LED and it drove me nuts. I have all plasma in my house and none of them do this. I have an LED in my apartment and it did this until I turned it off. I would not want a TV that had this issue.

            Next TV will be an OLED. I hope they don't have this issue.

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            • #7
              It is referred to as the "soap oprah" effect as jluke said. I believe this feature can be turned off on most tvs.

              I cant believe how inexpensive tvs are getting now. Good 65" ones can be had for $800 or less...unless you want an oled...they're still salty. I wont be in the market for a tv until next year...hoping to pick up a real hdr 70" for sub $900 by that time.

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              • #8
                I picked up a 50" 4K from HHGreg before they closed up. No issues with it. Nice crisp picture. As others have said, there are menus to change the settings, but I've never messed with them.
                Brian

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by bjl584 View Post
                  there are menus to change the settings, but I've never messed with them.
                  I'm willing to bet that a lot of people don't know they can turn that off. They probably assume, as I did, that it's just the way TVs are now, annoying as it may be.

                  Thanks to all who responded. I feel much better about getting a new TV now knowing we won't have to put up with that. It was pretty much a deal breaker to us.
                  Steve

                  * Despite the high cost of living, it remains very popular.
                  * Why should I pay for my daughter's education when she already knows everything?
                  * There are no shortcuts to anywhere worth going.

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Aww, I arrived too late. Would've loved answering this one, but the good news is that you can most likely save money by sticking with TVs that only run on the "low" 60hz refresh rate.

                    While I'm here, my favorite of this effect are the ones where people are in cars, and they're driving and talking or whatever, but the higher refresh rate betrays that it is done in a green screen room.
                    Last edited by Tabs; 11-19-2017, 05:16 PM.

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Tabs View Post
                      my favorite of this effect are the ones where people are in cars, and they're driving and talking or whatever, but the higher refresh rate betrays that it is done in a green screen room.
                      Everything looks fake with this effect. It looks like you're seeing a movie set rather than a real environment. As someone with a long theater background, it just really annoys me. It's hard to get drawn in to the show or movie when it doesn't look at all believable.
                      Steve

                      * Despite the high cost of living, it remains very popular.
                      * Why should I pay for my daughter's education when she already knows everything?
                      * There are no shortcuts to anywhere worth going.

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Originally posted by disneysteve View Post
                        Everything looks fake with this effect. It looks like you're seeing a movie set rather than a real environment.
                        Thats because you are. Everything on tv is fake/green screened.

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