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It seems like no matter what kind of smart TV you look at these days, refresh rates tend to be the most marketed aspect next to panel type. And whether you're just looking for a decent TV on a budget or want to invest in a high-end screen for the ultimate home theater, the world of refresh rates can be a confusing tangle of technical jargon and marketing-speak.
Also: How to disable HDMI-CEC on your TV
But does a high refresh rate automatically mean you get a better picture? To help you find the right fit for your space and entertainment needs, I broke down what refresh rates are and how they affect picture quality.
What does refresh rate even mean?
A refresh rate, sometimes also referred to as frame rate, refers to how many times a TV screen shows an image per second. Measured in hertz, there is a very complicated formula that electrical engineers use to calculate refresh rates, but it's easier to imagine your TV as a very fancy slideshow projector with each frame as a separate still image.
When a television's tech specs list the refresh rate as 60Hz, that means the screen can produce up to 60 frames per second. And as LED technology has improved, refresh rates are getting pushed higher and higher, with many modern smart TVs having rates on-par with high-end gaming and professional PC monitors.
Almost all smart TVs can be lumped into one of three major groups based on refresh rates:
1. Is 60Hz enough for you?
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