Samsung Clear Motion Rate (CMR) is a proprietary technology developed to enhance the smoothness and clarity of television images. It combines frame rate, display quality, processor performance, and backlight technology to create the most fluid and realistic viewing experience, according to Samsung.
CMR was introduced in the early 2010s and widely advertised until 2015. Initially measured in hertz, it caused confusion as users questioned how a 60Hz TV could claim to achieve 200Hz. To address this, Samsung replaced CMR with PQI (Picture Quality Index).
How Does Clear Motion Rate Work?
CMR works by coordinating the efforts of the processor, display panel, and backlight to minimize motion blur, particularly during fast-moving scenes. In practice, the reduction in blur relies heavily on backlight technology and software-based image processing.
Display Panel: The panel must have a low response time to reduce motion artifacts. However, no LED display can instantly remove an image; turning off pixels takes time. This delay is noticeable, for example, when moving a cursor quickly on a laptop screen. To address this, “black frame insertion” is used, achieved by briefly turning off the backlight, a process referred to as “strobed backlighting.”
Software Processing: Televisions can process video in several ways. For example, if the source video contains 30 frames per second and the TV supports 60, the TV can fill the additional frames by duplicating the existing ones, inserting black frames, or generating intermediate frames for smoother transitions.
Clear Motion Rate and High-Quality Content
When the source content is of high quality and matches the TV’s maximum frame rate, the use of CMR becomes minimal. In such cases, the technology primarily adjusts the backlight, as it is challenging to improve already high-quality content further.
CMR has evolved over time, transitioning into PQI and later into Motion Xcelerator in newer television models. Despite these changes in naming, the core purpose remains consistent: to enhance the quality of dynamic scenes, particularly in content with low frame rates or suboptimal quality. While its role in high-quality content is limited, CMR significantly improves the visual experience for lower-quality materials.
