The Soap Opera Effect: What is it and How to Avoid it
The Soap Opera Effect (SOE) is the enemy of great picture quality. It occurs when a TV's motion smoothing feature is turned on, making fast-moving scenes look clearer by adding extra frames between the original ones.
This setting can be distracting, as it changes how the video was meant to look. Some viewers like the extra-smooth motion, saying it makes sports and action scenes look more realistic, while others prefer to see movies as the director intended.
Motion smoothing, or frame interpolation, is the culprit behind the SOE. When enabled, it adds extra frames to the original video, resulting in a smoother picture.
Others find it distracting and prefer to see movies as the director intended, with the natural motion of the original frame rate.
- Motion smoothing can make fast-moving scenes look clearer
- It can also make the video look unnatural and distracting
- Some viewers prefer the extra-smooth motion, while others prefer the original frame rate
Author's summary: The soap opera effect ruins picture quality.