Are movies playing weirdly on your Roku TV? Heres the reason

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Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

• Users are reporting that their Roku TVs motion smoothing is automatically enabled with no way to turn it off.
• The issue seems to have started after the Roku OS 13 update on certain TCL TV models.
• It is speculated that the issue may be linked to Rokus new Smart Picture feature.

Owners of TCL TVs running on Roku OS are facing an unexpected problem after a recent software update. According to multiple online reports, the recent Roku OS 13 update has triggered an unwelcome side effect for some users: the dreaded “soap opera effect.” (h/t: The Verge)

The issue has sparked a flurry of complaints on Rokus community forums and Reddit, with TCL TV owners reporting that the motion smoothing effect is suddenly present even when they havent actively enabled it in their settings. Adding to the frustration, some users claim that this is the first time their TVs have even offered the motion smoothing feature, and they are unable to locate any options to turn it off.

For the uninitiated, motion smoothing (also known as frame interpolation or MEMC) is a digital wizardry that aims to make videos look smoother. It does this by creating and inserting new frames between the original ones, effectively increasing the frame rate.

While this can be beneficial for certain types of content, like live sports or video games, it can also make movies and TV shows look unnaturally smooth and glossy, which many viewers find jarring and unnatural.

The culprit behind this unexpected change appears to be the new “Roku Smart Picture” feature introduced in the OS 13 update. This feature aims to optimize picture settings automatically based on the content being watched, but it seems to be mistakenly applying motion smoothing to content that doesnt benefit from it.

Adding to the confusion, not all TCL TV owners are experiencing the problem. Some users, particularly those who have access to the “Expert” picture settings, report that they still have control over the motion smoothing feature and havent noticed any changes in their viewing experience. This discrepancy suggests that the issue may be affecting specific TV models or configurations differently.






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