PSA: Manufacturers Need To Add 60 Hz Single-Strobe Support For Gaming Monitors [Or Bad Reviews]

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PSA: Manufacturers Need To Add 60 Hz Single-Strobe Support For Gaming Monitors [Or Bad Reviews]

Post by Chief Blur Buster » 09 Dec 2020, 23:06

Introduction: For those unfamiliar with motion blur reduction (ULMB, ELMB, DyAc, VRB, Aim Stabilizer, LightBoost, PureXP+, etc), see Motion Blur Reduction FAQ. It's the strobe backlight mode or black-frame-insertion mode, that reduces display motion blur. Unfortunately, most of these modes don't work for 60Hz 60fps content.

The only successful way to optionally emulate a 60Hz CRT tube for proper zero-blur look of legacy 60fps material, is a 60 Hz single strobe mode. Most desktop monitors are currently unable to do this because of an arbitrary monitor firmware limitation that can be easily removed by manufacturers -- any 120Hz strobe firmware can generally be successfully easily modified to also do high-quality 60 Hz strobe for 60fps material.


Why Should Gaming Monitor Manufacturers Add 60 Hz Single Strobe?
  1. There is 60 years of legacy 60fps 60Hz content. Videos, recordings, consoles, emulators, retro, etc.
    SOLUTION: Need 60Hz single-strobe support to reduce motion blur of legacy 60fps content. Single-strobe isn't for eye-searcing bright Windows desktop. 60Hz single-strobe is for SIXTY YEARS of existing legacy content, video/dvd/videotape/sports/youtube/consoles/emulators/etc. Testing departments (QA) should correctly test 60Hz single strobe on correct 60fps content.
    -
  2. Beginning in 2021, Blur Busters Approved makes 60Hz single-strobe mandatory.
    SOLUTION: Add menu ("Enable 60Hz Single Strobe [ON/OFF]") with it OFF by default to prevent user complaints. Advanced users should be able to intentionally enable this setting.
    -
  3. Strobing should be supported at all supported refresh rates.
    SOLUTION: Add menu ("Unlock Unsuppored Strobe Refresh Rates [ON/OFF]") to prevent user complaints. As Intel lets people unlock CPU clocks, monitor manufacturers should enable advanced users to uncap strobe ranges.
    -
  4. Most newer TVs support 60Hz single strobe
    SOLUTION: Just like for televisions, please let gaming monitors choose 60Hz s ingle-strobe. Not everyone is bothered by flicker. Sony 4K TVs, LG 4K TVs and Samsung 4K TVs now all support 60Hz single-strobe in Gaming Mode.
    -
  5. More users don't mind 60Hz single strobe than managers/engineers/lawyers at display manufacturers
    SOLUTION: Just add warning message ("Warning 60Hz Will Flicker. Discontinue If You Have Discomfort") to cover your bases, even if manufacturer employees don't like 60 Hz single strobe.
    -
  6. More and more reviewers lowers scores for monitors that don't support 60Hz single-strobe.
    SOLUTION: Just see the screenshot below from the RTINGS website! Please add 60 Hz single strobe support if you don't want lower review scores resulting in lower sales for your monitor!
Image
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Re: PSA: Manufacturers Need To Add 60 Hz Single-Strobe Support For Gaming Monitors [Or Bad Reviews]

Post by Chief Blur Buster » 10 Dec 2020, 00:49

Frequently Asked Questions by Manufacturers
AKA Blur Busters Myth Busting

Believe it or not, an employee at a GPU vendor mentioned it was a "Step Backwards", until I explained the use case was simply 60 years of 60fps 60Hz content, and I have proper QA testing instructions below:

Q: It Flickers Too Much
Answer: It is a user preference. Most monitor-manufacturers engineers are not correctly testing 60Hz single-strobe. Not everybody is flicker sensitive. It is not for Microsoft Windows bright desktops; it's meant for legacy 60Hz content such as 60fps videos, 60fps emulators, 60fps consoles. Users should have the choice. Also, some people have more headaches from motion blur on fast-moving content, than from strobing. We need to give users the choice.

Q: We Already Double Strobe At 60Hz
Answer: Yes, some monitors such as BenQ already do, but it generates a double-image effect. See Duplicate Images on Impulsed Displays. Some users hate the duplicate images more, it's the same duplicate-image problem as CRT 30fps-at-60Hz when you double-strobe 60Hz-at-120flashes/sec. Please give users choice to single-strobe
Image

Q: Manufacturer Management Disapproved This Feature Due to Flicker
Answer: Unfortunately, this begins to eat into sales when reviewers lowers scores, users start demanding the feature more, and legacy content is ignored. Users often use gaming monitors for everything on their computers, including 60 years of legacy 60fps content. Management needs to re-evaluate feature again.

Q: Manufacturer is worried about user complaints
Answer: There is a solution! Just add an advanced setting "Allow 60Hz Single Strobe: ON/OFF" or a warning message "Warning: 60Hz will flicker. Please discontinue use if you get discomfort". You can make the default OFF, but allow advanced users to turn it on. That way, users won't complain until they intentionally enable this setting. Other manufacturers do this and they get no complaints!

Q: What About 240Hz and 360Hz Strobe?
Answer: Review websites give better reviews for a higher max Hz strobe, and Blur Busters Approved also makes it mandatory that max-Hz strobe is supported. For vendors (such as NVIDIA ULMB) concerned about poor quality, please offer a "Enable Unsupported ULMB Strobe Rates ON/OFF" feature, that is turned off by default. This will prevent complaints. All refresh rates 60Hz and up must be strobeable to be Blur Busters Approved. We have several monitors across multiple vendors in the rebooted 2021 Blur Busters Approved Version 1.6 (soon 2.0) queue.

Q: Our monitor is only for esports
Answer: In reality, users use their monitors for everything! Especially with better quality TN and IPS.

Q: Does It Cost Lots of Money at Scaler/TCON Vendor?
Answer: No, it's only a 1-line programming modification to firmware. It's easy to enable 60 Hz single strobe. Usually it looks okay with the same overdrive tuning programmed for 75Hz strobe or 85Hz strobe, since the low Hz makes it easy to hide GtG in a strobe backlight.

Q: How can our QA Testing Department Correctly Test 60Hz Single-Strobe?
Answer: It's not for Windows Desktop, it's for 60fps legacy content. Please test 60fps YouTube videos such as Redbull air races, 60fps POV downhill skiing, etc. Also please test 60fps emulators (RetroArch) with fast-motion games like Sonic Hedgehog. Also, please test 60fps frame rate locked consoles such as XBox and PlayStation. You will see 60fps single-strobe looks better with legacy 60fps content! Here are example videos to test 60Hz single strobe:
Try this with single strobe 60Hz ON/OFF.
You'll see big improvements with 60fps single-strobe motion blur reduction.

Thank You! 😊
Head of Blur Busters - BlurBusters.com | TestUFO.com | Follow @BlurBusters on Twitter

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Re: PSA: Manufacturers Need To Add 60 Hz Single-Strobe Support For Gaming Monitors [Or Bad Reviews]

Post by Chief Blur Buster » 10 Dec 2020, 00:56

Reddit Posts on this topic
I have posted this on Reddit, too:

Reddit /r/BenQ
Reddit /r/Monitors
Reddit /r/HFR


Twitter Tweet on this topic

Twitter: 60Hz Single Strobe Tweet Thread
(tagged with several manufacturers)

If you agree, feel free to upvote/share/retweet to bring this public service announcement to industry's attention.
Head of Blur Busters - BlurBusters.com | TestUFO.com | Follow @BlurBusters on Twitter

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Re: PSA: Manufacturers Need To Add 60 Hz Single-Strobe Support For Gaming Monitors [Or Bad Reviews]

Post by Jason38 » 10 Dec 2020, 22:48

Totally agree with everything said here. The motion blur is so eye straining playing old content on new screens. It's the reason I still own 2 CRT's just so I can play all my old consoles. I don't mind Retro Arch as long as I'm using the BFI 120hz mode though.

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Re: PSA: Manufacturers Need To Add 60 Hz Single-Strobe Support For Gaming Monitors [Or Bad Reviews]

Post by Chief Blur Buster » 11 Dec 2020, 05:11

Yes -- while 60Hz flicker can be a problem for many -- there are others of us who find motion blur a bigger source of eyestrain when playing retro games such as a Sonic Hedgehog platformer on a display that is not doing single-strobe 60 Hz.

Monitor manufacturers should allow us the choice of choosing to do 60 Hz single-strobe.

The 120Hz+BFI mode in RetroArch can be a workaround to create a hacked 60 Hz single strobe, however, it should be a universal solution.
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Re: PSA: Manufacturers Need To Add 60 Hz Single-Strobe Support For Gaming Monitors [Or Bad Reviews]

Post by Chief Blur Buster » 11 Dec 2020, 05:11

Yes -- while 60Hz flicker can be a problem for many -- there are others of us who find motion blur a bigger source of eyestrain when playing retro games such as a Sonic Hedgehog platformer on a display that is not doing single-strobe 60 Hz.

Monitor manufacturers should allow us the choice of choosing to do 60 Hz single-strobe.
Head of Blur Busters - BlurBusters.com | TestUFO.com | Follow @BlurBusters on Twitter

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Forum Rules wrote:  1. Rule #1: Be Nice. This is published forum rule #1. Even To Newbies & People You Disagree With!
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Re: PSA: Manufacturers Need To Add 60 Hz Single-Strobe Support For Gaming Monitors [Or Bad Reviews]

Post by howiec » 11 Dec 2020, 15:30

Chief Blur Buster wrote:
09 Dec 2020, 23:06
The only successful way to optionally emulate a 60Hz CRT tube for proper zero-blur look of legacy 60fps material, is a 60 Hz single strobe mode. Most desktop monitors are currently unable to do this because of an arbitrary monitor firmware limitation that can be easily removed by manufacturers -- any 120Hz strobe firmware can generally be successfully easily modified to also do high-quality 60 Hz strobe for 60fps material.[/i]
100% agreed. There's no reason not to have the option, especially when it's not difficult to implement at all...

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