However, if you have a TV that’s capped at a total refresh rate of 60Hz, it can be easy to feel as though you’re missing out. Hearing all of the buzz about 120Hz refresh rates and high frame rate gaming might make you desperate to increase your TV’s refresh rate.
But is this actually possible? Can you simply “Upgrade” your TV’s refresh rate with a few button presses? Keeping up with the technical jargon surrounding refresh rates can be headache-inducing, so let us help you through it. This article is dedicated to finding out, once and for all, whether you can upgrade your TV’s refresh rate!
Can You Increase The Refresh Rate Of A TV?
Unfortunately, you can’t simply increase the refresh rate of your TV. The refresh rate of any given TV is dependent entirely on its hardware. If a TV is capped at a 60Hz refresh rate, it is physically impossible for the TV to achieve a rate any faster. This is because the pixels physically cannot move any faster. Higher refresh rates may also not be compatible with the TV’s processor, which would have been only programmed to process refresh rates of 60Hz or lower.
The bad news: you cannot increase your TV’s refresh rate above its limits. If your TV is capped at 60Hz, and you want 120Hz, you may need to buy a new TV!
Though you cannot simply download higher refresh rates into your TV, it would technically be possible to physically upgrade your TV. However, this would be an incredibly costly endeavour. Not only would you need to source a capable professional to handle the job, but they would have to source the correct parts. You would be better off buying a totally new TV with a higher refresh rate.
While it’s not possible to increase the refresh rate of a TV beyond its limits, it is possible to adjust a TV’s refresh rate as you see fit.
Can You Adjust The Refresh Rate Of A TV?
Yes. Most modern smart TVs allow users to adjust the refresh rate as needed for specific types of content. How you change the refresh rate can change massively depending on the TV model being discussed. Samsung TV users, for instance, can make use of Auto Motion Plus to adjust the refresh rate as they need. It’s worth checking your TV’s user manual to find the refresh rate settings.
Why Adjust The Refresh Rate Of Your TV?
At this point, you might wonder why you would even bother to adjust the refresh rate of your TV. Surely it’s always best to max out the refresh rate and enjoy action that is smooth and realistic, right? While high refresh rates are great for some content, they are not great for all content.
Many smart TVs allow you to adjust the total refresh rate. This is great for enjoying films at their original cinematic frame rate. We’d recommend cranking the refresh rate up for sports, to enjoy smoother motion!
Some content, such as film and TV can actually benefit from a lower refresh rate. TVs with higher refresh rates will often automatically upscale content so that it best matches the refresh rate. This is the case even for a number of 60Hz TVs! The only problem is, in order to upscale a film, which usually plays at 24fps, many TVs will interpolate new frames to create a smoother sense of motion.
While this sounds great in concept, it often results in a very jarring uncanny valley look to the on-screen motion. If you’re a fan of film, you’ll likely want to deactivate this feature right away! Luckily, the feature can be toggled through the system settings of your TV.
What Is A Variable Refresh Rate?
When you’re enjoying the best of gaming on your TV, you’re going to need to pay careful attention to refresh rates. If you’re planning to enjoy games at frame rates higher than 120fps, then you will need a TV capable of refreshing at 120HZ. If your TV’s refresh rate does not match the frame rate, this will result in screen tearing. This is because the two rates are not in concert, which results in awkward jittering on-screen.
However, in order to avoid screen tearing, you also need to make sure that your TV’s refresh rate is not higher than the game’s frame rate. In order for the two to work in unison, you’ll want to make good use of a variable refresh rate!
Variable refresh rates are found in many modern TVs, especially for use with gaming. A variable refresh rate allows the refresh rate of a TV to be adjusted to match a game’s frame rate at every second. Therefore, if the frame rate ever shifts, so too will the refresh rate. This can eliminate screen tearing in its entirety!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Increase A TV’s Refresh Rate?
No. It’s unfortunately impossible to increase a TV’s maximum refresh rate. The only way you could increase a TV’s refresh rate is by replacing components within the TV itself. This would be incredibly expensive. You would save more money simply by buying a new TV with a higher refresh rate!
Is 60Hz Vs 120Hz Noticeable?
Though it may not be a significant enough difference for the untrained eye, avid gamers may be able to distinguish between the two frame rates. Motion on a 120Hz screen will appear much smoother than motion on a 60Hz TV screen. If you are planning on gaming at 120fps, then you will need a 120Hz TV!
Can A 60Hz TV Run 120FPS?
No. Playing a game at 120 frames per second on a 60Hz TV would simply result in loads of screen tearing. In order to avoid screen tearing, you need to make sure that frame rates and refresh rates match. Even having a frame rate lower than the refresh rate can result in annoying and distracting screen tearing.
