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What is Auto Motion Plus?

B. Turner
B. Turner

Auto Motion Plus™ is a type of television technology designed to increase picture sharpness and overall image quality. It works by essentially adding frames and images to broadcasts and films in order to slow down the rate at which they are translated by home television sets. In some cases this can make movement on the screen seem clearer, sharper, and more precise. The technology is owned by the Samsung Corporation, and typically appears only on devices made by that brand. The feature comes installed on many Samsung televisions, and users can usually switch between “normal” broadcasts and Auto Motion Plus™ viewings with the push of a button.

How It Works

A television without Auto Motion Plus technology would show a somewhat blurred image of a fast-moving wind turbine.
A television without Auto Motion Plus technology would show a somewhat blurred image of a fast-moving wind turbine.

The technology focuses on the frames per second that are present in any given broadcast or recording. A lot of this comes down to the basic differences in how films and shows are recorded and how television sets are able to translate those images into something that makes sense to the viewer. The main currency in the discussion is “frames per second,” which is basically how many still images, or “frames,” the camera combines in order to get a truly moving picture.

A television with Auto Motion Plus technology would provide a sharp image of a wind turbine in motion.
A television with Auto Motion Plus technology would provide a sharp image of a wind turbine in motion.

Theatrical films are usually shot using 24 frames per second, and cinematographers typically spend a lot of time and energy editing the final products to make sure that every frame is recorded and positioned in exactly the right way. Most modern television sets are designed to display 30 frames per second, though. This means that, in order to show movies or films on a home television, the TV must usually repeat a portion of the image from the film in order to make it compatible. This can lead to image clarity issues. Resolving these issues is one of the biggest goals of Samsung’s motion technology.

Video games benefit greatly from Auto Motion Plus.
Video games benefit greatly from Auto Motion Plus.

Samsung models with Auto Motion Plus™ do not repeat frames in the same manner as traditional televisions. Instead, the software creates six of its own unique frames in order to get to 30. This is a complicated process, but in essence the software estimates or guesses where objects should be located on the screen at a specific point in time based on their locations in related frames. It then regenerates those objects to help the motion on the screen look smoother and more seamless. Sometimes adding objects is relatively simple, as is the case with a spinning tire or windmill, but things tend to get more complicated in scenes focused primarily on people and personal interactions.

Main Uses

Auto motion plus can prevent some movies from being seen as intended.
Auto motion plus can prevent some movies from being seen as intended.

The technology is usually one that a user can switch on and off so that it’s only working on specific shows or films. Most specialists recommend that the feature be switched on for high-definition television (HDTV) programs or Blu-Ray® features, but off for normal broadcasts and basic or older films. Auto Motion™ programming tends to offer the most noticeable changes for high-quality imaging, and in most cases it will offer little to no benefit for other types of display.

Available Settings

Users are often able to toggle between low, medium, and high settings for the technology using a remote control that comes with equipped televisions, though sometimes the units themselves also have switches that can be adjusted manually. The choice between the three settings is largely a matter of personal preference, though the company does offer some general guidelines for use. In general, they say, the faster the action on screen, the more viewers will benefit from the highest settings. Sports and video games in particular may look much sharper with Auto Motion Plus™ in full force due to the high speed associated with these types of images. The “low” and “medium” settings are usually more appropriate for character or person-based screen time.

Pros and Cons

One of the biggest reasons people like this technology is that it has the ability to present a more life-like picture. The edges of each object are very clearly defined, and images move smoothly without interruption. Picture quality is so clear with this feature that it is often compared to viewing unedited film or images from a home video camera — they are sometimes described as being raw and true to life.

These same characteristics can be unwanted, too, though, depending on the context. Not all films are enhanced by the “live action effect” that this technology so often brings, and some people argue that it actually takes away something of the art of cinematography and film editing, at least in feature films. The feature may also reduce the level of contrast between dark and light colors on the screen, which can change the way certain shapes or characters are perceived.

Discussion Comments

anon994806

I like this feature myself. I still notice judder if it is turned off and don't when it is turned on. I think it gives me the feel like I am there during filming and for me, that's cool. I do suggest only using "clear" not standard or custom or smooth. Clear uses the backlight to brighten and dim the picture and doesn't artificially add frames. It doesn't give near the SOA the other options do.

anon989056

So then, does turning off AMP eliminate blur and stutter when watching blue ray/dvd movies?

anon934899

I, like many others, don't like this feature. I was able to turn it off on my TV, but when I added a new Samsung DVD player to the mix, it seemed like the DVD player took over and retained that undesirable feature. I couldn't find anywhere on the DVD player where I could turn it off. Any suggestions out there?

celestial

Thanks for the comments. They are very helpful. I still have one question: Where the heck do you find these options on the remote? I have looked everywhere. Can someone please tell me the specific path? For example:

menu\picture\advanced settings\ ...

And that's just an example; it isn't in there. I do see something called LED Clear Motion that you can turn on and off but I don't know if that is the refresh rate, the frame rate, or this auto motion plus.

Also, there is something called film mode under picture options, but I can't change it. I have noticed in the past, though, that some menu items are "grayed out" depending on what "picture mode" I am in (dynamic, standard, movie, etc.)

Maybe I have to put it back into demo mode in order to see the auto motion plus option? I know that is under menu\support\use mode.

Please help! I want to be able to see this Auto Motion Plus.

anon927466

Where is the proof that I can add six new and completely different additional images? There is no proof online.

anon358974

I did not like it at first. I found old shows like Quincy, Mission Impossible and others look fabulous with it on. So much more visible detail in backgrounds.

larryhy78

I was getting the "jitter" effect during fast moving scenes (oddly enough not sports, but in drama or action shows). I turned off AutoMotion Plus and the jitter seemed to stop. I didn't notice any change in picture quality, so I left it off. I have a Samsung 60" 240HZ LED. I'm glad I saw this post. P.S. Can anyone explain what the "soap opera" effect is? I have heard the term several times but don't know what it means.

anon347766

I turned it off. Just too weird to see "The Shawshank Redemption" playing in soap opera mode.

anon324442

I have to agree with turning the auto motion plus off. It really is an unreal feature and is quite amazing, but, when I watch a flick, I have to have it in cinematic mode like it looks in the theatre, not like someone video shot it low budget or like I'm viewing a bootleg movie, etc.

Auto motion plus is not for me -- sorry. I enjoy my 50-inch plasma TV with 600 refresh rate with a super crystal clear picture and higher contrast look.

anon278479

The human eye sees at 72fps, so to suggest that movies are best seen at 24fps is kind of silly. 24fps looks jittery and terrible. The idea behind AMP is great, and when it works, it makes panning scenes look amazingly smooth and realistic. People always comment on how much better my LCD TV looks than their LCD does for movies. Unfortunately, the Samsung AMP also has some serious issues that cause it to stutter badly every 3-10 seconds with 1080p inputs. It works fine for HD playback from USB or DLNA, but HDMI/component inputs from Bluray, xbox, DVD, etc suffer bad stutter. Samsung refuses to acknowledge or warranty the issue on any C or D series TVs.

anon255940

It gives shows and movies a soap opera quality.

anon191244

The problem with LCD's is that the field preceding the one being displayed, is not turned off as it would be in conventional TV sets. So, we're always watching two fields at the same time. Each field corresponds to a different picture, which was shot at a different point in time. When there's a notorious movement in the scene, this generates blurring.

The engineers tried to solve this issue by inserting a black field, so that it simulates the dimming of the previous field. A lot of brightness was lost with this solution, so they decided to create interpolated fields. So, 50 fields per second are now 100 fps. I have to see it working, and I would appreciate very much to see film like home video. I hate 24 fps. I love natural movement.

anon144770

extremely helpful and useful article. I agree with 'anon133740'. thanks for explaining it so clearly.

anon139884

i have tried turning off this feature and makes a lot of difference for viewing regular tv, but the same does not apply for viewing movies from your usb storage device. How do you turn it off completely for the USB and DVD players as well?

anon139101

I have to agree, a lot of time and money is put into lighting, shooting and color grading movies, to have Samsung re-grade the movie in such a gimmicky and cheap manner- changes the way that the movie was meant to be seen. It's a novelty factor.

anon136900

This technology is useless. It takes the cinematic quality away from movies and dramatic TV shows and makes them look like home video. There's a reason why film is shot at 24 fps. Luckily, this feature is easy to turn off, which I recommend doing immediately after setting up the TV.

anon133740

Thank you very much. This was by far the most helpful article I have found so far on this topic.

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    • A television without Auto Motion Plus technology would show a somewhat blurred image of a fast-moving wind turbine.
      By: simonographie
      A television without Auto Motion Plus technology would show a somewhat blurred image of a fast-moving wind turbine.
    • A television with Auto Motion Plus technology would provide a sharp image of a wind turbine in motion.
      By: sanderstock
      A television with Auto Motion Plus technology would provide a sharp image of a wind turbine in motion.
    • Video games benefit greatly from Auto Motion Plus.
      By: Serjik Ahkhundov
      Video games benefit greatly from Auto Motion Plus.
    • Auto motion plus can prevent some movies from being seen as intended.
      By: Haider Y. Abdulla
      Auto motion plus can prevent some movies from being seen as intended.