What is flickerless, flicker-free in TVs

In the TV settings, you can meet a mention of Flickerless. For example in Samsung, this setting is available in the service (secret menu) and has two modes on and off. Many people have asked what this setting is and what it does.

Flickerless how it works

Why flickerless is used in TVs, a little bit about the technology. Flickerless is only used in LCD screens. This is because the LCD screen is made up of pixels, the pixels are polarized crystals that rotate in cells and allow light from the backlight to pass through. Pixels transmit from 100% of the light flux or can trap light, reducing the light flux to virtually 0%.
But as you understand the pixel needs time to turn in the cell, and the screen remains a residual image. Note that in modern televisions, the time required for a pixel to rotate is extremely short and is about 5-20 milliseconds. But when you show a fast moving image, there can be a plume of residual image, it makes the picture a bit blurry. The easiest way to see this, right now, is to quickly move the mouse cursor on the screen from side to side. You will see several images of the cursor with different intensities, this is the residual image effect.

To remove the plume (residual image), manufacturers have come up with the technology of inserting a black frame between the normal frames. But how to create a black frame very quickly, it is clear that it can not be done including pixels. The black frame is created by turning off the backlight of the screen. This is also called strobing backlighting or PWM Dimming Frequency. The frequency of the backlighting shutdown, depending on the TV class, can range from 60 to 960 times per second. The insertion of a black frame reduces human perception of the residual image.

Disadvantages and advantages of Flickerless, flicker-free

The screen for some time is not illuminated visually a person is less likely to notice the blurred image. But some people, especially if the TV is running at the lowest possible backlight cutoff frequency of 60Hz, may notice a flickering screen. Also, when a black frame is inserted, the brightness of the picture is reduced by 5-10%. Flickerless mode can be controlled for more fine tuning.

Flickerless On or Off

If you notice flicker in the image, try turning Flickerless mode on. If you turn this mode on, the backlight flicker will be turned off. You may find the picture quality to be acceptable and quite satisfactory when watching TV programs.