Soap opera effect

The soap opera effect makes it appear as if the viewer is either on set or watching a behind the scenes featurette.

The soap opera effect (SOE) is a byproduct of the perceived increase in frame rate, where motion interpolation may introduce a "video-look" (as instead of a "film look"), and the image can be described as "too realistic" or "too smooth".

The "soap opera effect" is not a glitch or a defect, but a purpose-built feature found in many modern television sets. This term is a reference to the distinctive appearance of most broadcast television soap operas or pre-2000s multicam sitcoms, which were typically shot using less expensive 60i video rather than film.

Conversely, the effect has been well-received and much desired for sports and video games due to the very smooth-looking action displayed on screen.

Background

The term "soap opera effect" stems from inexpensively produced television drama, also known as soap operas. Since soap operas lacked sufficient money and had to be shot promptly, they would be filmed and edited on video tape (VHS), which happened at 30 FPS (60 interlaced frames). This was in contrast to high budget Hollywood movies which were filmed and exhibited in theaters on much more expensive chemical film stock at 24 FPS. Even on television sets, the difference between something recorded on film and on video tape was detectable.

On modern Smart TV and high-definition television sets, the soap opera effect has become the unwelcomed ramification of motion interpolation experienced by some viewers, due to the hyperreal, ultrasmooth motion. It is more apparent in pans and camera movement, although many viewers may see it in any motion. When media is filmed at lower frame rates, the human eye anticipates a certain amount of motion blur and time between frames, except that the addition of interpolated frames can remove this, thereby causing the image to appear to be too sharp, smooth or unnatural looking to some viewers. The soap opera effect becomes more noticeable the lower the FPS of the original image.

Criticism

Many complain that the soap opera effect ruins the theatrical look of cinematic works. Almost all manufacturers provide ways to disable the feature, but because methods and terminology differ, the UHD Alliance proposed that all televisions have a "Filmmaker Mode" button on remote controls to disable motion smoothing.

Motion interpolation so annoys filmmakers that Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie released a public service announcement in 2018 describing the effect and how to disable it.

Viewers were uncomfortable after viewing The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey at 48 frames per second as opposed to the 24 fps that was used for decades (and simulated by digital cameras later on), opining that the film thought it looked "unnatural" and looked "too real", thereby giving it a a "soap opera" look.

Advantages

Some sports viewers appreciate motion interpolation, as it can reduce motion blur produced by camera pans and shaky cameras, and thus potentially yield better clarity of such images. It may also be used to increase the apparent framerate of video games for a more realistic feel, although the addition of display lag may be an undesired side effect.

This "video look" is created deliberately by the VidFIRE technique to restore archive television programs that only survive as film telerecordings, such as early seasons of the TV series Doctor Who.

Television setting

Every television manufacturer uses its own term for motion smoothing. LG titles the setting TruMotion, Hisense names it UltraSMR, Samsung calls it Auto Motion Plus, Sony calls it MotionFlow, TCL calls it Action Smoothing, and Vizio names it Smooth Motion Effect. Moreover, Vizio, LG, Samsung, and Panasonic have pledged to add Filmmaker Mode – Since 2020, LG TVs have Filmmaker Mode integrated in the coding for Amazon Prime Video, so that the motion filter is disabled during Prime Video movies and shows.