Old movies might not look great on new TVs because of something called the “soap opera effect.”
This happens because of a feature in the TV that adds extra frames to the original video, making the motion look too smooth.
This effect can make old movies, which were usually filmed at 24 frames per second, seem like they were shot on a camcorder.
Another reason is that some newer films use lower-quality computer-generated imagery (CGI), especially those rendered at 2K resolution.
Many new TVs have a higher resolution of 4K, and this can make the CGI in these films not look as sharp on the TV.
Interestingly, older movies that were shot on film cameras and used practical effects might actually look better on a 4K TV.
This is because film has a higher image quality, and these movies don’t rely on computer-generated imagery.
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References:
- https://www.wired.com/2014/08/wtf-just-happened-soap-opera-effect/
- https://www.insidehook.com/culture/why-new-movies-look-bad-4k-tvs
- https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/how-to-disable-the-annoying-soap-opera-effect-thats-ruining-your-tv/