Every TV manufacturer uses made-up numbers to exaggerate the refresh rates of their TVs (learn more about refresh rate), but it isn't quite as nonsensical in 2017 compared to what it used to be. Samsung's Motion Rate, Sony's MotionFlow XR, LG's TruMotion and Vizio's Effective Refresh Rate aren't accurate numbers for refresh rate, but nowadays most of them are simply double the real thing, making it easy to convert.
The following tables convert fake refresh rates into their real refresh rates. In order: 2017 TVs (North America), 2016 TVs (North America), 2015 TVs (North America), 2014 TVs (North America), and 2014 TVs (International).
Real Refresh Rate |
Samsung Motion Rate |
LG TruMotion |
Sony MotionFlow XR |
Vizio Effective Refresh Rate |
TCL Clear Motion Index |
Panasonic Image Motion |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
60 Hz |
60 (1080p) 120 (4k) |
TM120 | 240 | 120 | 120 | 120 |
120 Hz | 240 (4k) | TM240 |
960 |
240 | - | 240 |
Real Refresh Rate |
Samsung Motion Rate |
LG TruMotion |
Sony MotionFlow XR |
Vizio Effective Refresh Rate |
TCL Clear Motion Index |
Panasonic Image Motion |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
60 Hz |
MR 60 (1080p) MR 120 (1080p) MR 120 (4k) |
120 | 240 | 120 | 120 | 120 |
120 Hz |
MR 240 (4k) Supreme MR 240 (4k) |
240 |
960 1440 |
240 | - | 240 |
Real Refresh Rate |
Samsung Motion Rate |
LG TruMotion |
Sony MotionFlow |
Vizio SPS |
Toshiba ClearScan (2014) |
Panasonic Backlight Scan (2014) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
60 Hz | 60 (1080p) 120 (4k) |
120 | 120 240 |
120 | 60 120 |
|
120 Hz | 120 (1080p) 240 (4k) |
240 |
960 1440 |
240 | 240 | 240 720 1920 |
240 Hz | - | - | - | - | - | 4200 |
Real Refresh Rate |
Samsung Clear Motion Rate |
LG Motion Clarity Index |
Sony MotionFlow |
Vizio SPS |
Toshiba ClearScan |
Panasonic Backlight Scan |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
60 Hz | 60 120 240 (4k only) |
120 | 120 240 |
120 | 60 120 |
|
120 Hz | 240 480 600 |
240 480 |
480 | 240 | 240 | 240 720 1920 |
240 Hz | 720 840 960 1200 |
600 720 960 |
960 | - | - | 4200 |
Real Refresh Rate |
Samsung Clear Motion Rate |
LG Motion Clarity Index |
Sony MotionFlow |
Panasonic Backlight Scan |
Toshiba Active Motion Rate |
Philips Perfect Motion Rate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
50 Hz | 50 100 |
50 100 |
100 200 |
100 | 50 100 200 |
100 200 |
100 Hz | 200 400 600 |
200 400 700 |
400 | 600 1000 |
400 800 |
400 800 |
200 Hz | 700 800 1000 |
800 1000 |
800 | 1800 3600 |
- | 1200 |
Fake refresh rates are typically higher than the real refresh rate of the TV, so using them allows manufacturers to market their TVs as being ‘better’ than they are. Since these fake refresh numbers are invented by each company, they are also all different from each other, which makes direct comparison across brands impossible for those who don’t know the conversion to real refresh rates (which generally are not listed).
Samsung's Motion Rate (previously Clear Motion Rate) is pretty straightforward nowadays. For the rare 1080p Samsung TVs still left, the quoted motion rate will be equivalent to the real refresh rate. For 4k TVs, it is simply double the real refresh rate.
2017 Models | Samsung Motion Rate | Real Refresh Rate | |
---|---|---|---|
Samsung M5300 | 60 | 60 Hz | |
Samsung MU6300 | 120 | 60 Hz | See our review |
Samsung MU6500 | 120 | 60 Hz | See our review |
Samsung MU7000 | 120 | 60 Hz | See our review |
Samsung MU7500 | 120 | 60 Hz | |
Samsung MU8000 | 240 | 120 Hz | See our review |
Samsung MU8500 | 240 | 120 Hz | |
Samsung MU9000 | 240 | 120 Hz | See our review |
Samsung MU9500 | 240 | 120 Hz | |
Samsung Q7F | 240 | 120 Hz | See our review |
Samsung Q7C | 240 | 120 Hz | |
Samsung Q8C | 240 | 120 Hz | |
Samsung Q9F | 240 | 120 Hz | See our review |
While Vizio still uses confusing terminology to describe the refresh rate of their TVs, the numbers are easier to translate now than they used to be. Like Samsung, their "Effective Refresh Rate" (which used to be called SPS) is simply double the amount of their real refresh rate. Vizio, however, also uses a confusing number called "Clear Action". It doesn't have much to do with the refresh rate of the TVs and refers to their backlight scanning feature (see image flicker and BFI). The number is almost entirely arbitrary and doesn't mean much.
2017 Models | Vizio Effective Refresh Rate | Vizio Clear Action | Real Refresh Rate | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Vizio D Series | 120 | 180 | 60 Hz | |
Vizio E Series | 120 | 180 | 60 Hz | See our review |
Vizio M Series | 120 | 360 | 60 Hz | See our review |
Vizio P Series | 240 | 960 | 120 Hz | See our review |
Sony is arguably the worst offender for inflating their refresh rate numbers nowadays, but they've at least started to share the real refresh rate next to their "Motionflow XR" marketing numbers. The numbers don't really mean anything either. It's either 240, 960 or 1440. Unlike most other manufacturers, there isn't an easy division you can do, but generally, 240 means 60hz, and anything above that means 120hz. The name itself is almost the same as what they use for their soap opera effect feature, which is called MotionFlow (without the XR).
2017 Models | Sony MotionFlow | Real Refresh Rate | |
---|---|---|---|
Sony X800E | 240 | 60 Hz | See our review |
Sony X850E | 960 | 120 Hz | See our review |
Sony X900E | 960 | 120 Hz | See our review |
Sony X930E | 960 | 120 Hz | See our review |
Sony X940E | 960 | 120 Hz | See our review |
Sony Z9D | 1440 | 120 Hz | See our review |
Sony A1E | - | 120 Hz | See our review |
LG, like every other manufacturer, uses a marketing term for their refresh rate. It used to go by "Motion Clarity Index", but now it's called TruMotion, which is the same name as their motion interpolation feature (soap opera effect). It's pretty simple to translate since it's just the real refresh rate doubled. In some markets, it is found with a "TM" before the value. For example, a refresh rate of 120 Hz would be "TM240". Much like Sony, LG's recently started to share the actual refresh rate of their TVs in parentheses next to the TruMotion value, which is nice.
2017 Models | LG TruMotion | Real Refresh Rate | |
---|---|---|---|
LG UJ6300 | 120 | 60 Hz | See our review |
LG UJ6470 | 120 | 60 Hz | |
LG UJ7700 | 120 | 60 Hz | See our review |
LG SJ8500 | 240 | 120 Hz | See our review |
LG SJ850A | 240 | 120 Hz | |
LG SJ8570 | 240 | 120 Hz | |
LG SJ9500 | 240 | 120 Hz | |
LG SJ9570 | 240 | 120 Hz | |
LG C7 | - | 120 Hz | See our review |
LG E7 | - | 120 Hz | |
LG G7 | - | 120 Hz | |
LG W7 | - | 120 Hz |