How many “Hz” do I need?

When you are buying a new HDTV you will probably come across something called refresh rate that is measured in Hz. Now, do not get this confused with GHz in computers or MHz on radios. That is a completely different measurement.

Read “720i vs. 720p vs. 1080i vs. 1080p” to understand frame rate.

When your Plasma or LCD TV shows a movie it is in form of frames per second. Now if you have read the article that I have recommended, you know that movies are displayed in rates of 30fps, 60fps, or more. That means that your TV will draw a new image 30, 60 or more times per second. If you want your TV to redraw a new image 60 times a second you will need a TV what is rated at 60Hz or more. You will see a difference when you are watching high action sports like football. People say that the picture looks over all better on high Hz HDTV’s.

But how many Hz do you actually need? Well, 120Hz is absolutely enough. Anything above that is just inflation by manufacturers to make their TV’s seem better that the competitors. The difference between 120Hz TV and that one of 240Hz or 600Hz is absolutely unnoticeable, when it comes to refresh rate.

Personal Observations:

I have a TV that is rated at 600Hz and I must say that I love it. The picture is phenomenal, assuming you have true HD source.

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